Your dog. Your buddy, your pal. Man (and woman’s) best friend; a beloved member of your family. Some people even prefer their furry companions over other humans. We take him out for regular exercise, pet him, bathe him, brush his coat til he shines, feed him the best quality dog food (and sometimes the food from our table). Many people’s dogs live a life of luxury, and no doubt some are given one too many treats. While it’s an important element of your dog’s diet and behavioural needs, providing your dog with the right treats is key, and here’s why.

What type of treat?

It’s a commonly known fact that chocolate and cocoa products are harmful to our canine friends so you should never consider this as a treat for your dog. As for the science bit – theobromine is the toxic component in cocoa, which humans can easily metabolise, but dogs process more slowly. This means toxicity levels build in their body as they eat more of it, causing vomiting and diarrhea at first, and in larger doses, a heart attack.

An ideal treat is one that contains an element of rawhide – as well as it being a tasty treat for your dog, it is healthy, and the chewing it necessitates has many other benefits:

Boredom relief

Just like us, if a dog has nothing to do it will get bored, especially if he is at home alone for several hours at a time. This boredom can sometimes manifest itself in destructive behaviour and a chew can keep the dog stimulated and his mind active.

Satisfies the urge to chew

Dogs have an in-built desire to chew, and a rawhide dog treat is a far better alternative than your new table! Providing them with something to chew helps them learn what is acceptable to gnaw on, and what is not!

Dental benefits

One of the key benefits to keeping your dog chewing is the maintenance of good dental hygiene. Plaque naturally builds up on teeth over time, which, if not removed, hardens and forms tartar. This increases the risk of periodontal and gum disease. At this stage, your dog’s teeth will have yellowed and may be coming loose, and his breath won’t be smelling too fresh, to put it mildly. It is also possible at this stage for bacteria to enter the bloodstream and damage the dog’s organs. All very nasty, but also very avoidable. The good news is that the act of chewing helps prevent this chain of events by scraping the tooth surfaces clean, preventing the build-up of plaque in the first place.

Flavour

Of course, as it’s a treat, it’s only right that it tastes delicious! There are lots of tasty doggy snacks on the market, and we’ve found a place that has a range of healthy homemade treats crafted from fruit, vegetables, and rawhide, satisfying the nutritional, flavoursome and chewability criteria, so when it’s treat time you’re sure to have a happy, healthy dog.

Relieves the pain of teething

When your pup is teething, chewing a rawhide treat or chew-bone helps relieve the pain of the teeth coming through the gums and also stimulates the growth of the adult teeth. A side benefit of this of course, is that your pup is chewing his treat and not your tables and chairs! (See also: ‘prevents chewing around the home’.)

So there you have it – not only is it important to treat your dog, but it’s key to ensure you’re providing the right kind of snack. A rawhide chew treat – natural, tasty, healthy, and with all the benefits that come with chewing, is an ideal snack for your best friend!

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