Feeding Treats and Bones
From organic cookies cut in fun shapes to beefy chewsticks and beyond, dog treats come in every size, shape, color, and flavor imaginable. There are even smoked and freeze-dried animal parts (ears, noses, feet) in the treat bin, and dogs love these. In a nutshell, there are so many treats because dogs love them and people love to spoil their dogs. As much as your dog will love you for giving him treats, remember: everything in moderation!
Unlike you, your dog cannot feed himself. So, if he develops weight problems due to overeating, especially with treats, only you are to blame. Let's be honest — the urge is incredibly strong to give lots of treats to dogs, especially puppies. However, weight gain is a problem for dogs just as it is for humans and may cause all kinds of illnesses. Treats are not as nutritionally balanced as they are tasty.
Like us, dogs are happy to receive food treats. When considering what kinds of treats to feed, think “healthy” — nothing too fatty or loaded with artificial ingredients — and remember to incorporate the calories into the dog's overall daily allowance; otherwise, the treats contribute to obesity. Sound familiar?
Moderation
One way to reconcile the amount of treats you like to give with how much you should feed your dog is to incorporate regular treats with the overall amount of food your dog gets in a day. In other words, take out a half-cup of kibble if you know your dog's going to get your leftover Chinese food and a biscuit every time she does her business.
Treats are especially useful during training of any kind, whether it's the simple sit/stay or something more difficult, such as housetraining. Treats are a wonderful way to get your dog's attention and encourage good behavior. They also convey a simpler message — your affection for your dog.
What About Bones?
One of the defining images of dogs is of them gnawing on a big bone. As scavengers in the wild, the bones may sometimes have been all that was left for dogs to eat, so they made the most of them. Today's pampered pets don't need to raid the garbage can to find the scraps they need to survive on, but that doesn't stop them from enjoying a good bone. Chewing on a bone is a simple pleasure your dog should not miss out on, but there are right and wrong ways to do it.
For the occasional gnawing bone, these are the safety guidelines you should follow:
Never give a cooked bone that could splinter as your dog eats it. This includes most poultry.
Never give your dog a cooked bone with a sharp edge that could be swallowed and cause internal damage. This includes the bones from steaks and chops.
Do give your dog a bone that's been presterilized. These are available at most pet stores. They come in all different sizes to accommodate all different dogs. To make them more enticing, spread some soft cheese or peanut butter on the inside edges where it will be a challenge for your dog to lick it out.
Do consider giving your dog the special treat of a frozen beef marrow bone. These are available in different shapes and sizes in the meat department of the grocery store. If you have a large dog, buy the larger bones. If you have a small dog, buy the ones that are sliced thin. Put the package in the freezer, and when it's frozen solid, give it to your dog. He will spend as long as it takes working the bone so that the marrow and scraps of meat thaw while he chews on the bone. Heaven!
Do supervise your dog while he's eating any bone. A cooked bone is hard and sharp and if anything unusual happens can certainly injure your dog. Take it away if it breaks in any way.
Bones are fun for your dog to chew on, and they provide the added benefit of allowing him to scrape the plaque off his teeth.
