Dog Treat Feeding Guide: Avoid Obesity, Improve Training Efficiency, Make Treats a Reward Weapon
As a responsible pet owner, we all want to give our furry friends the best care. In addition to providing balanced dog food, treats have become a tool for us to interact with our dogs, reward them and train them. However, how can we scientifically and rationally feed treats so that we can satisfy our dogs' taste buds and ensure their health?
Treat Selection: Safety First
Dog treats come in a wide variety of flavors, from common jerky, chicken strips to functional chew toys, making a wide range of choices. When choosing treats, we should first focus on safety and nutritional content.
1. Pay attention to ingredients and additives:
Natural ingredients: Try to choose treats that are primarily made from natural meat, vegetables and fruits, avoiding excessive preservatives, artificial colors, flavors and so on.
Low salt and low sugar: Dogs have limited kidney capacity for salt metabolism, and high-salt treats can increase the burden on their kidneys. Excessive sugar can lead to obesity and tooth decay in dogs.
Adequate protein: Protein is an essential nutrient for dogs' growth and development, but excessive protein can put a strain on the kidneys. Choose treats that are moderate in protein content and easy to digest.
2. Observe appearance and smell:
Natural color: Don't choose treats that are too bright or unnatural in color, as this may indicate the addition of a lot of coloring.
Fresh scent: Natural treats typically have a faint flavor. If the scent is too strong and pungent, it may indicate the addition of excessive flavoring.
Treat Feeding: Quantity Is Key
Proper control of the amount of treats fed can prevent dogs from becoming obese and picky due to excessive treat intake.
1. Develop a treat plan:
Small amount multiple times: Don't treat your dog as a staple food, but as a reward and training tool. Small amounts of treats multiple times a day can prevent dogs from consuming too many treats at one time.
Control total amount: Determine the appropriate total amount of treats based on your dog's weight and activity level, ensuring that the calorie content of the treats does not exceed 10% of your dog's daily calorie needs.
2. Choose the right time:
Training rewards: When your dog completes a command or performs well, give it a small treat as a reward, which can enhance your dog's learning and improve training efficiency.
Interactive games: When playing with your dog, you can give it a treat in moderation to enhance your bond with each other.
Non-meal time: Avoid feeding treats immediately before or after your dog's meals, as this can affect their intake of regular food.
3. Pay attention to your dog's physique:
Avoid obesity: When your dog shows signs of weight gain and body shape changes, you should reduce the amount of treats you feed it or even stop feeding it treats.
Special conditions: For dogs with obesity, diabetes, and other diseases, treat intake should be strictly controlled or even completely banned.
Treats Myths: Cannot Replace Meals
Treats are not a staple food for dogs, but rather a reward and training tool, and cannot replace regular meals.
1. Keep dog food as the main staple:
Dog food is an important source of comprehensive nutrition for dogs and should make up the majority of their diet.
Avoid replacing dog food with treats for long periods of time, as this can lead to malnutrition in dogs and even pickiness and loss of appetite.
2. Avoid pickiness:
If your dog has lost interest in dog food because of excessive treat consumption, it may become picky and affect its nutritional intake.
It is recommended to cultivate good eating habits in your dog from an early age, avoid feeding it treats for long periods of time, and prevent it from developing picky eating habits.
3. Focus on your dog's health:
Long-term consumption of treats can lead to obesity, pickiness, malnutrition, indigestion and other problems in dogs.
Try to choose natural, healthy treats and control their intake to avoid negative effects on your dog's health.
4. Training techniques:
When training your dog with treats, you should choose a flavor your dog likes and combine it with training commands so that your dog understands that treats are a reward for completing commands.
You can use different types of treats, for example, use more fragrant treats in the early stages of training, and gradually reduce the amount of treats and use other reward methods, such as verbal praise, petting, etc., as your dog masters the commands.
Conclusion
Dog treats should be used as a reward and training tool, not as a staple food. Choosing safe and healthy treats, controlling the amount fed, and avoiding the replacement of meals with treats can make treats a truly useful tool to help us build good communication with our dogs and promote their physical and mental health.
Treat Selection: Safety First
Dog treats come in a wide variety of flavors, from common jerky, chicken strips to functional chew toys, making a wide range of choices. When choosing treats, we should first focus on safety and nutritional content.
1. Pay attention to ingredients and additives:
Natural ingredients: Try to choose treats that are primarily made from natural meat, vegetables and fruits, avoiding excessive preservatives, artificial colors, flavors and so on.
Low salt and low sugar: Dogs have limited kidney capacity for salt metabolism, and high-salt treats can increase the burden on their kidneys. Excessive sugar can lead to obesity and tooth decay in dogs.
Adequate protein: Protein is an essential nutrient for dogs' growth and development, but excessive protein can put a strain on the kidneys. Choose treats that are moderate in protein content and easy to digest.
2. Observe appearance and smell:
Natural color: Don't choose treats that are too bright or unnatural in color, as this may indicate the addition of a lot of coloring.
Fresh scent: Natural treats typically have a faint flavor. If the scent is too strong and pungent, it may indicate the addition of excessive flavoring.
Treat Feeding: Quantity Is Key
Proper control of the amount of treats fed can prevent dogs from becoming obese and picky due to excessive treat intake.
1. Develop a treat plan:
Small amount multiple times: Don't treat your dog as a staple food, but as a reward and training tool. Small amounts of treats multiple times a day can prevent dogs from consuming too many treats at one time.
Control total amount: Determine the appropriate total amount of treats based on your dog's weight and activity level, ensuring that the calorie content of the treats does not exceed 10% of your dog's daily calorie needs.
2. Choose the right time:
Training rewards: When your dog completes a command or performs well, give it a small treat as a reward, which can enhance your dog's learning and improve training efficiency.
Interactive games: When playing with your dog, you can give it a treat in moderation to enhance your bond with each other.
Non-meal time: Avoid feeding treats immediately before or after your dog's meals, as this can affect their intake of regular food.
3. Pay attention to your dog's physique:
Avoid obesity: When your dog shows signs of weight gain and body shape changes, you should reduce the amount of treats you feed it or even stop feeding it treats.
Special conditions: For dogs with obesity, diabetes, and other diseases, treat intake should be strictly controlled or even completely banned.
Treats Myths: Cannot Replace Meals
Treats are not a staple food for dogs, but rather a reward and training tool, and cannot replace regular meals.
1. Keep dog food as the main staple:
Dog food is an important source of comprehensive nutrition for dogs and should make up the majority of their diet.
Avoid replacing dog food with treats for long periods of time, as this can lead to malnutrition in dogs and even pickiness and loss of appetite.
2. Avoid pickiness:
If your dog has lost interest in dog food because of excessive treat consumption, it may become picky and affect its nutritional intake.
It is recommended to cultivate good eating habits in your dog from an early age, avoid feeding it treats for long periods of time, and prevent it from developing picky eating habits.
3. Focus on your dog's health:
Long-term consumption of treats can lead to obesity, pickiness, malnutrition, indigestion and other problems in dogs.
Try to choose natural, healthy treats and control their intake to avoid negative effects on your dog's health.
4. Training techniques:
When training your dog with treats, you should choose a flavor your dog likes and combine it with training commands so that your dog understands that treats are a reward for completing commands.
You can use different types of treats, for example, use more fragrant treats in the early stages of training, and gradually reduce the amount of treats and use other reward methods, such as verbal praise, petting, etc., as your dog masters the commands.
Conclusion
Dog treats should be used as a reward and training tool, not as a staple food. Choosing safe and healthy treats, controlling the amount fed, and avoiding the replacement of meals with treats can make treats a truly useful tool to help us build good communication with our dogs and promote their physical and mental health.
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