Dog Treats Do Not Have To Be Unhealthy
I am one of those dog owners who does not give actual dog treats to their dog simply because more often than not, dog treats are comprised of ingredients that are not as healthy for your dog as you may think. Now you may say to yourself that dog treats are not supposed to be healthy for your dog, thus the treat part of the equation but it is important to realize that pumping your dog full of unhealthy treats is not only bad for their health, but is also unwarranted. Trust me when I say that your dog will be just as happy to receive a carrot in place of a high calorie biscuit, as long as they do not experience the taste of that biscuit first.
So I mentioned that I do not pump my dog Lars full of dog treats, but that does not mean that I do not give him treats. Lars is a spoiled dog and gets ‘treats’ on a regular basis, just not the kind that come in a box! Lars is a fan of any food that I offer him, and because he is a Lab this may contribute to this fact. He will eat anything I offer him, and he does not care that it is healthy. He will munch on carrots, blue berries, extra kibble that I have in my pocket, and even enjoys a lick of honey from time to time.
Lars is a working dog, so I need to keep him in working condition if you will but even if he was not a working dog I would still make sure to monitor his food intake to keep him lean and mean. Labs tend to put on weight by simply looking at food and in my case because of Lars’ high activity level I do have to make sure that I feed him enough, while not overdoing it.
Dog treats can come in very handy and are great to have around at all times because they are one of the best ways, if not the best way of gaining your dog’s full attention. Lars will do anything for a ‘healthy’ treat and your dog will too, and once he/she is onboard with your generous treat giving upon their obedience then training them will be a snap!
Disclaimer: there are, however times when I let my guard down when it comes to the treat department, those times being of the doggie birthday variety! On these very special days, all my rules and regulations for doggie treats magically fly out the window and I provide my dog with a plethora of unhealthy goodies that normally would make me cringe! My first guide dog Luther, who left us just over two years ago was the fortunate recipient of many an unhealthy b-day treat, ranging from a McDonalds Big Mac and fries, to a full English breakfast! I am not going to lie when I say that there was an immense sense of pride watching my Lu hammer that full English, which consisted of three strips of bacon, three eggs done over easy, hash browns, two sausages, baked beans and two pieces of toast. When it comes to Lars, I have been a little more unforgiving when it comes to his b-day treats, opting to go the new bone or chew toy route instead of letting him gorge himself on human delicacies. Why am I more rigid with Lars than I was with Lu? Good question, I have no idea…