There is nothing pet parents love more than to treat their dogs. Whether it's a reward for good behaviour or to help keep them calm in a busy space - treating and rewarding our dogs is an essential part of building positive relationships with them. But exactly how many treats should we give our dogs, and what types are best? We asked Gillian, our Founder and nutrition expert, about all things (trick or) treating this October. Here's what she said -
How many treats should I feed my dog per day?
This is tough to answer, as it depends on what you are feeding your dogs for their main meals. Like human sweets, doggie treats significantly impact daily calories, especially for smaller dogs. If you treat too much daily, you will likely push your furry friends over their recommended limit. A medium-sized dog should have no more than approx. five hundred calories a day, so if your treats are around 50 calories upwards each, they soon stack up. Obesity in dogs in the UK has reached a disturbingly high level of 52% and is directly responsible for many preventable long-term health conditions, so it's crucial that we look after our four-legged besties by keeping them at a healthy weight.
If treats are part of your daily routine, try reducing main meals to account for the additional calories. You can also use their daily food in creative ways, like filling a Kong with wet food and freezing it or taking their dry food to the park and using it to reward a fast recall.
For Caboodlers, it's good news—we've already pre-portioned and done the maths for you, so you can use the tasty treats and chews provided within your daily trays without worrying about an expanding waistline. Our 10g sachets of treats and healthy dental chews are the perfect hassle-free way to give your dog something special daily without accidentally overindulging.
What are the best treats for dogs?
It is extremely challenging for pet owners to know what treats they should and shouldn't be feeding their dogs, especially since pet food manufacturers are not required to include calorie count information on treats in the same way that they are with food.
At Caboodle, we believe the best treats are natural, low-calorie, and good for behaviour. We have selected our treats to be high quality, small in size (for training and rewarding), and great for keeping teeth clean and healthy.
If you're not using Caboodle, try keeping your treats as natural as possible - carrot sticks, cucumber slices, and apple slices (without seeds) are all fantastic low-calorie options. You can also cut fruit and vegetables into chunks and stuff them into Kongs. Use larger chunks for those that empty Kongs quickly and smaller chunks for those that need it kept easy. For fruit and vegetables there are lots of options, many of which are already included within our recipes - blueberries, broccoli, blackberries, zucchini, pineapple and cauliflower.
Start looking at the small print on treat packaging. As with human Ultra Processed Foods, if you see lots of unrecognizable chemicals, ingredients, or animal derivatives on the back of your treat packaging, steer clear!
What are the best chews for dogs?
Chewing is essential for teeth and gum health, so chews are a great way to reward your dog while promoting good dental health. That said, big brand chews are often very high in calories as well as containing nasty artificial moulding ingredients that create the novelty animal and toothbrush shapes! If you're not using Caboodle, opt for natural chews, such as cow ears or ostrich bones.
The balance of treating, training, and rewarding your dog is hard. At Caboodle, we aim to help you navigate this with our pre-portioned complete and balanced daily dog food boxes. There's no more measuring or portioning—it's everything your dog wants and no more than they need, every day.
