Dog treats

Which dog treats suit your dog depends on how you will use them, how big your dog is and how sensitive its stomach is. Below we go through the differences between the most common types, so you don't have to guess.

The most common types are dried muscle meat, dried organ meat such as lung and heart, freeze-dried pieces and fish. Muscle meat and organ meat differ most in texture – lung is light and airy and can be broken with your fingers, while heart is firmer and denser. Freeze-dried treats keep their smell better and are often what works for fussy dogs. Fish gives a different source of protein than meat and provides omega-3. Bone broth isn't a reward but a topping you pour over the food.

Freeze-drying removes the water while the food is frozen, under vacuum, whereas air-drying does it with heat and air. Freeze-dried treats become lighter and crisper, keep more of their smell and crumble easily – good for dogs that aren't interested in ordinary treats. Air-dried and gently dried treats become chewier and last longer in the mouth. Freeze-dried meat pieces belong to the first group, while dried lung and diced training treats are usually air-dried.

Choose the piece size by how often you will reward, not by the size of your dog. In training where you reward often, pieces of about 0.5 × 0.5 cm work best – the treat doesn't take focus away from the exercise, and the amount stays manageable even during a long session. Our training treats of lamb, rabbit and wild boar are that size. Larger pieces of 2–3 cm, such as pig heart and ox heart, are better as an occasional reward or a snack. Lung and sprats can be broken into whatever size you like. If your dog needs something that lasts longer than a reward bite, a dog chew is a better fit. Think about texture as well: dried treats aren't messy and can stay in your pocket for the whole walk, while softer treats need a treat pouch.

Look for few ingredients that are clearly named. If it says "100% lamb", you know exactly what your dog is eating; if it says "animal by-products", you don't. This matters most for dogs that react to certain proteins, because then you can change one thing at a time and see what works. Avoid sugar, grain fillers and colourings – they add nothing for the dog. Treats made from a single protein source make it easy to try things out. For dogs with recurring stomach problems, the choice of treats is rarely enough – then it is your dog's gut flora that needs support.