Are you giving your furry friend too many daily treats? How do you know when enough is enough?
So how much is too much when it comes to your dog’s treats? You need to understand that dog treats are not meant for your dog’s complete nutritional value.
What is the nutritional value of dog treats?
Treats are intended for rewarding of good behavior or training, not to replace food. Some treats are often high in fat, sugars and have little-to-no nutritional value at all. Therefore, giving excessive treats can be harmful at some point.
Can you give your dog a treat without training?
Yes, of course they make different kinds of dog biscuits intended for snack purposes. They are usually hard, flavorful, and larger than training treats. You can also make your own non-training treats as well – you can follow this recipe for easy, tasty treats your dog will love www.momontimeout.com/homemade-dog-treats/. If you’re going to do training with treats, try to stick with smaller amounts as you want to give your dog a taste vs. a full-on snack.
How many treats should I feed?
Well, there are some factors you must consider when deciding how many treats are too much for your dog.
How active is your dog?
If you have a younger, more active dog, their calorie intake would be higher, therefore, they may be able to have more treats without affecting their calorie intake. Older dogs are often slower and are not able to work off as much calorie intake in a day. No more than 10% of your dog’s calorie intake should be given in treats. This is the general rule. Also, take into consideration your dog’s weight, age, and activity level to determine the exact amount. Here is a link that can help you calculate. https://vet.osu.edu/vmc/companion/our-services/nutrition-support-service/basic-calorie-calculator.
So remember, weight can be a problem, but too many treats can also cause gastrointestinal distress in your dog as well. Here’s a tip that we have found that works well. You can take larger treats and break them into smaller morsels and feed them as multiple snacks. So then it only counts as 1 treat and it would be a win-win situation for you and your furry pooch.
This article was written by Ashley Foglesong & Teresa Campbell, Professional Breeders