You might wonder why food for puppies is different than fully grown and older dogs.
Some people think it is just a marketing gimmick peddled to sell more treats for dogs. But in fact, there are serious reasons why food for a puppy should be different from a healthy adult dog.
Table of Contents
- Why Do Puppies Need Special Treats?
- What Treats Are Healthy to Give to Puppies?
- When Should You Give a Puppy Treats or Snacks
- Video Advice About Dog treats from a Veterinarian
Why Do Puppies Need Special Treats?
- A puppy cannot chew hard food, so it might struggle to eat many normal dog treats.
- A young puppy can also be at risk of choking if it eats a dog treat meant for adult dogs, which is too hard and crunchy for the puppy to chew and swallow safely.
- Puppy foods and treats should be higher in protein, including all the essential amino acids, certain fats, and minerals to help them grow healthily. It can be dangerous for older dogs to have such rich, high protein, fatty foods, especially if they are overweight, have diabetes, or pancreatitis.
- The puppy food and treats are made a lot smaller to fit into the puppy’s tiny mouths.
So when choosing healthy dog treats for your puppies, you should consider these same points.
By the way, if you haven’t committed to any actual dog yet, please check out our article on Whether or Not a Puppy is the Right Fit for You and Your Family.
What Treats Are Healthy to Give to Puppies?
As a loving dog owner caring for a new puppy, you obviously want to make sure that you give your puppy the healthiest treats possible.
The first thing to say is that if you are in any doubt about the best dog treats and are worried about your dog’s health, you should speak to your vet.
We also recommend where possible that you give your dog training treats that are made from all-natural ingredients, free from artificial colors, artificial preservatives, not too high in calories (unless your dog is underweight).
With that said, these dog treats are very safe to give to your puppy in the majority of cases.
- Dog training treats specifically made for puppies by reputable brands and manufacturers.
- Peanut butter is not only healthy but can be used to entertain the puppy, for example, putting a smear of peanut butter on the side of the batch while you bathe your dog. Make sure there is NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER in your peanut butter!
- Small chunks of any cooked meats make a delicious treat.
- Small chunks for cooked or raw vegetables are another good training treat.
- Ice cubes! Yes, some dogs love ice cubes and see them as a treat to get excited about (too cute), and obviously, in terms of calories per treat, they are as low as you can get.
When Should You Give a Puppy Treats or Snacks
When thinking about when to give puppies snacks and treats, there are some occasions that can be really useful to think about.
Puppies Have Tiny Bellies!
Your little dog will have a tiny stomach, and so will need treats and snacks in between meals to top up their energy levels and stop them from getting too hungry.
Obviously, you want the treats to be healthy, natural, and organic so that your puppy will grow up into a happy, healthy adult dog.
To Reward Good Behavior
Apart from specific training sessions with your dog, you can also reward him or her with treats when they do something good.
Rewarding good behavior from your dog and punishing bad behavior is a really effective way of training your dog. So having some training treats handy as you go about your daily life is a great idea.
If you want your puppy to have a nap, have him go to his bed, then give him a treat to settle him down and sleep.
Using Healthy Dog Training Treats for Puppy Obedience Work
If you do regular obedience training sessions with dogs, you will already know that treats are a great way to help train a puppy or an adult dog.
If you have frequent training sessions with your pet dog, it makes sense to give them healthy treats to ensure that you are not harming their health when feeding them.
Video Advice About Dog treats from a Veterinarian
When it comes to healthy dog treats or anything health-related to your puppy, as we already mentioned if in doubt, getting advice from a qualified vet is a great idea.
In this short video, the veterinarian explains healthy and unhealthy treats that you should or should not give to your dog.