Puppy treats?

[Brooke&Ryan]

We have been feeding Julius Nutro Max puppy treats which he seems to enjoy. We get them at Pet Co. My question is....we have a really cute local pet store that has homemade treats. Is it okay to give these to Julius on occasion? He's 3.5 months now. Or should we just stick to the puppy treats since he seems happy with them? I just spoil him so much. I've always been tempted to buy some cute little treats but wasn't sure if it was good for him at this age.

Brooke

[Carina43]

I take a pretty dim view of most dog "treats" (I think real actual food is better if one must feed treats! :) )

Can you ask the pet store what ingredients they use, and how fresh the treats are? That way you can compare to whatever is in Nutro.

[Brooke&Ryan]

Thanks for the advice. I just don't want to be feeding him crap. If it's going to be a treat I want it to be healthy. He's happy with the treats that he has now. I suppose it's just me wanting to give him some yummy doggie "cookie". God, I don't know what I'm going to do when I have kids... I already spoil Julius so much....it would be scary to see when I have children.

Brooke

[rottnkidd]

Hi Brooke! I agree with Carina. There's alot of 'junk' in the commercial treats, take a look at the label. If you have time, why not consider baking your own? You can make some really tasty treats using ingredients that YOU buy. That way you know 'exactly' what you're giving your 'kid'! Best wishes to you!
kathy

[Carina43]

Here you go, this should keep you cooking for Julius until about 2006.

http://home.attbi.com/~mstraus/treatref.html

[Brooke&Ryan]

Thanks for the link! I have been thinking about baking for Julius but the oven is broken at the moment.

[Teena]

Why not use fruit and veggies as treats? Mine love ALL manner of fruits, and baby carrots. Word of caution, do NOT feed alot grapes or raisins at one time. To much of them can cause kidney trouble.
Fruits and veggies are a healthy low-fat treat. :D
I also use plain animal cookies or milkbones as treats.

[Carina43]

Unsalted popcorn,
any sort of nuts (which are EXCELLENT nutrition, but no macadamia nuts),
sliced hot dogs,
sliced hot dogs with garlic powder,
sliced hotdogs with parmesan cheese
cheese,
chicken feet from the Chinese Market (dogs LOVE these)
any sort of meat (raw, cooked, whatever :) )
hardboiled egg pieces,
icecubes with little bits of food or whatever in them, or icecubes made from boullion etc (great for teething puppies, make them bigger in Dixie cups)
frozen smelt
Doritos :p
chicken giblets
dab of peanut butter on the nose

[RottiMomCT]

Originally posted by Carina43
Unsalted popcorn,
any sort of nuts (which are EXCELLENT nutrition, but no macadamia nuts),
sliced hot dogs

OOohhhhh....Carina43...Ben was fed someone's home-made peanut butter (chunky) ice cream (not mine - I eat strawberry!) and about 6 hours later the peanuts came out undigested....since then, no more nuts!!

Carrots, watermelon, cucumbers, hot dog slices, liver bits (I hate preparing those but Ben loves 'em!), even an occassional potato chip or Dorito :D are what Ben gets for treats. We also use puppy biscuits - small but not too small for a quick reward.

[Carina43]

Almonds are a main ingredient in Hokamix. :) I'm doing some writing on raw feeding & a canine nutrition expert is helping me on some of the editing & fine tuning, she has told me to encourage the use of nuts & seeds, for essential oils & minerals....but I'm sure there are dogs who can't tolerate them!

When Cooper does his therapy visits to the nursing home, I take along almonds or unsalted peanuts for the residents to feed him - they don't leave greasy residue on their like many treats do. Since my dogs get an essentially grain free diet, most dog biscuits & treats give them gas.

[rottnreba]

I,on occasion, buy Old Mother Hubbard mini biscuits. My girls and all their friends love them. They are small and hard. So you don't get so many crumbs in your pocket. The ingredients sound good too.

[Brooke&Ryan]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! We'll be doing some grocery shopping in the near future & I'll put some of your suggestions to use! :)

Brooke

[moondog]

I have no idea why, but the only biscuit Luna (who has an intestinal disease) can tolerate is Milkbone :D . So that's the only one she gets. Other treats she finds yummy are a bit of banana, hardboiled eggs, marrow bones (marrow can be removed if it's too rich), baby carrots and if she's in the mood, broccoli or lettuce. She also has her own personal stand of Kitty Grass in a pot on the patio for grazing. :)

[Jaegergirl]

the people at dog class get a kick out of us because maverick just loves his carrots!! i use the baby carrots and cut them up into smaller pieces.. i'm glad to see other things listed. i'll try those, too!

[LynnS]

Is a great training treat (cut up really small of course) - Bella loves it and it doesn't upset her digestive system like hot dogs, rollover and dried liver...Bella also loves fruits and veggies (she even eats broccoli and green beans). I have never had a hoover Vacum Cleaner Dog before...