The Best Treats
Jones Natural Chews makes the best treats. Y’all know this. They’re 100% all natural, with very few ingredients, and 100% grown and made in the USA. Does that mean you can give your dog as many treats as it wants? Is there such a thing as too many treats?
Hmm. My dogs ask this question all the time. Where’s my treat? Why can’t I have as many treats as I want? They’re good for me! They’re just meat! Yummy meat!
Too Much of a Good Thing
Too much of a good thing is a reality. Treats aren’t meant to be food replacements. Treats, given in quantity, don’t make for a balanced diet. That would be like saying, “My three year old daughter loves fresh oranges! They’re an all natural, single ingredient treat. They’re fruit! She should be allowed to eat as many oranges as she wants.”
What’s going to happen if a three year old eats as many fresh oranges as she wants all day long? They’ll run right through her. Burning on the way out. And if her diet consists of only oranges, her nutritional balance will be thrown off, eventually causing her to be ill.
I think it might take longer for a dog eating only meat treats to be sick, but it would happen, especially if it’s fattier treats, like an ear or skin. Treats are made for snacking, not as meal replacements.
Guidelines for Treats
I write about this regularly, don’t I? That’s because I still come across people who just don’t know any better. That’s not a condemnation of anyone. You don’t know what you don’t know. I’d rather you read this information in the peace and quiet of your home than have someone wag their finger in your face and make you feel shame about what you feed your dog. Dogs, like children, don’t come with instruction manuals. So here are some treat guidelines, loosely set, for new dog owners, or those who have just never known.
- Know your dogs’ food sensitivities and read labels – believe it or not, some dogs are allergic or sensitive to beef or chicken, or even certain grains – look for these things on labels before buying treats
- Subheading – read the labels for number of ingredients and unrecognizable ingredients – compare MilkBones to SmartCookee someday to see what I mean, or grocery store bacon flavored treats to any of the Jones Natural Chews treats
- Be aware of your dogs’ size and treat accordingly – tiny dogs get tiny pieces, and not too many; big dogs get bigger pieces, but still not too many (three or four small pieces, or three or four larger pieces for large dogs)
- Five minutes of chewing or eating is a reasonable amount of time for most dogs with treats that are tough to consume, like a K9 Bacon Roller, or a Pig Ear with small dogs
- If it’s a tough treat, like a pizzle, skin or ear, watch your dog and make sure it doesn’t become a choking hazard as it get smaller – some dogs are highly aggressive chewers and gulpers
- Between meals, not before meals
- Treats are most effective when used as rewards, I think, as when training or reinforcing desirable behavior
Too many treats? You betcha. Will your dog want more treats than you’re willing to give it? You betcha! Don’t give in. Your dog will be very happy to get the smaller amount. If you feel really bad about not giving your dog more treats, just break them into tinier pieces. Dogs honestly don’t care about the size of the treat so long as they’re getting them.
Now go give your dog a Jones Natural Chew and watch it smile! Naturally. And enter the Venison Entree Sausage giveaway if you haven’t already. And don’t give your dog too many treats. I’ll see y’all Monday!
Until I write again …
Flea
