It is great to be able to give your dog a tasty special treat from time to time as a supplement to their basic diet of complete and balanced dog food. There are a huge range of natural dog dog treats and foods available and this article describes some of my favourites.
Finding what food and treats work for your dog involves a bit of trial and error but is also lots of fun!
For many people choosing natural products is a priority for their pet, and luckily there are many amazing natural, whole food based, and minimally processed options available for our dogs. Remember if your dog has a medical condition or any special dietary requirements to talk to your vet before making changes to their diet.
Things to consider when choosing natural dog treats
- Choose a treat which is of high value if you are using it for training. This means, for training purposes, you want to reward your dog with something they really really love.
- Portion control! When using treats for training, small pieces given frequently to reward desired behaviours will work best.
Whether offering dog treats for training or just to spoil your dog, be sure to include the treat in your dog's total daily energy intake, and give them a bit less of their regular food if they are having lots of treats. - Again with portion control, bear in mind the size of your dog. It is particularly easy to overfeed small dogs because we overestimate how much food they need.
One way to put this into perspective is to consider the size of the dog compared to a person, for example a 3.5g snack is the same for a 5kg dog as a 70kg person having a 50g snack.
The act of giving a treat is rewarding for dogs, do them a favour and keep it an appropriate size. - Offer a small amount to start with, especially if you know your dog has a sensitive stomach. This way you can see if the treat agrees with them.
- Do consider mixing things up. Variety is the spice of life! As long as your dog doesn't have any special dietary requirements it is fun to experiment with different treats and keep things interesting for your pet.
- Choose a treat appropriate for your dogs life stage and size, especially when choosing treats for puppies it is essential to select options that are labelled as being puppy friendly.
Things to consider when choosing natural dog food
- Choose a diet appropriate to your dogs life stage and size. It is really important to choose puppy food for puppies, and so forth.
Choosing a diet for lifestyle is also key, if you choose a high energy diet for your pet who is a couch potato, you're likely to end up with a chubby hound.
Your dogs nutritional needs will change a lot over time, so keep consciously considering whether the diet you are feeding them is still appropriate. - Make sure the basis of your dog's diet is complete and balanced, it should meet the guidelines laid down by AAFCO (The Association of American Feed Control Officials) as a minimum.
- Make changes to your dog's diet slowly, over a week or so, so your dog doesn't get an upset tummy.
11 of the best natural dog treats and foods
1. Fit 'N' Flash Chicken Breast Fillets - 100% natural dog treats
Fit 'N' flash make a range of great dog treats. We go through lots of Fit 'N' Flash Chicken Breast Fillet in the clinic. Made only from chicken breast these are high protein and low fat, and dogs love them.
Along with the chicken treats, there are a variety of other options available including treats made of beef, fish, venison, kangaroo, and sweet potato. These treats are easy to break into tiny pieces as rewards, or larger pieces can be given if you're feeling generous.
Because each treat is made using a single protein source they are a great choice for dogs with known allergies too.
The low fat content makes them a suitable treat for many dogs with sensitivity to fat, who may not tolerate higher fat treats.
As an excellent bonus, the whole range is Australian made. What's not to love?
2. Prime 100 Duck Fillet Dog Treats
Prime 100 is another Australian company making a fabulous variety of food and treats. Prime 100 uses human grade foods and has very clear labelling about what is in their foods, making their products a stellar choice for dogs with allergies.
You can see the range here - Prime100
With succulent flavours available including duck, turkey and lamb there are options to suit every dog.
Prime 100 also make wonderful complete and balanced foods which do wonders for many dogs with food allergies.
If you think your pet may be food allergic you should definitely discuss this with your vet to help choose an appropriate diet.
3. TBH Seaweed Chickpea Natural Dog Treats
If you feel like trying your dog on something out of the ordinary, the treats from TBH are another awesome natural, environmentally friendly, and locally made choice. Nutritious and delicious, with some vegan options available too, these are sure to be a hit with your dog.
TBH also make treats based on insect protein, which is very environmentally friendly.
4. Bell & Bone Lamb Mint and Manuka Honey Dental Sticks
Looking for delicious natural dental chews which your dog will love?
Look no further than the range from Bell & Bone. With fourteen flavours of dental sticks available, dental hygiene has never been so tasty!
Bell & Bone also make a range of tasty collagen based treats and have options especially made for puppies and small dogs to enjoy. Collagen can help to give your dog a beautiful shiny coat and healthy skin and nails.
Consider Bell & Bone treats to give your dog a health boost as well as a satisfying snack.
5. Freezy Paws Freeze Dried Lamb Liver Dog and Cat Treats
It is hard to go past the palatability of liver when making treats for dogs and cats. They love it, and will even eat it in the somewhat stressful environment of the vet clinic.
These crunchy treats are wonderful for training, and can also be used crumbled as a topper to make your dog's main meal more delicious. If (and this is unlikely) liver is not your dog's thing, Freezy Paws offer a huge selection of Australian made freeze dried treats.
6. Vetalogica Australian Naturals Dog Treats Kangaroo with Garden Vegetables
It doesn't get much more local than kangaroo. Kangaroo meat is environmentally friendly, low fat, and full of vitamins and minerals. Along with kangaroo protein, these treats are also packed with vegetables for a fibre and vitamin boost, and are a nutritious taste sensation dogs of all sizes can enjoy.
Check out all the other great Sydney made Vetalogica products.
7. Houndztooth Clean 100% Australian Salmon Dog Treats
Feeding salmon to dogs has many potential benefits including a shiny coat and healthy skin. Packed with protein and omega oils, dogs also generally find salmon delicious.
These treats from Houndztooth are bound to be popular with your pooch, and are easy to break into small pieces for training purposes.
8. The range from Laila and Me
Melbourne company Laila and Me offer a range of innovative options for dogs. Meal toppers can be a good way to make your pet more enthusiastic about eating their regular food, and bring some excitement to meal times. Laila & Me From the Paddock Beef & Lamb Powder Meal Enhancer for Cats & Dogs contains purely Australian beef and lamb and can help provide some nourishing pizzazz at meal times.
Laila & Me New Zealand Dried Green Lipped Mussels are highly palatable, and can have benefits for your dog's skin, coat, and joint health. These are a treat and a superfood all in one.
If you've always felt your dog is missing out when you're tucking into some delicious Gummi Bears, Laila and Me are here to save the day with Laila & Me DIY Probiotic Gummi Mix Boxed Kit Powder + Mould for Dogs. Fun for the owners and delicious and healthy for the dogs, this kit allows you to make tasty probiotic bears in your own kitchen. These are only a few of the fascinating choices on offer from Laila and Me.
9. Applaws 100% Natural Wet Dog Food
Only the best for your pet! Applaws wet dog food is packed with goodness. Made with human grade ingredients you can recognise and using the finest cuts of chicken breast meat, this 100% natural wet dog food is sure to please your furry friend. Choose between three delicious flavours – Chicken Breast, Chicken Breast with Vegetables, and Chicken Breast with Beef Liver and Vegetables. You can feed it by itself alongside a complete food or use it as a topper over Applaws grain free dry food. Better food for them, more love for you!
10. SavourLife Australian Beef Flavour Biscuits Dog Treats
If you prefer your dog treats in a classic biscuit form, consider these crunchy oven baked bickies from Savourlife.
With linseed oil for omega 3s, and 6s, beef and peanut butter for flavour and protein, and whole eggs for extra nutrition, your dog is sure to be coming back for more.
11. Black Hawk Puppy Chicken Dog Bites
Because puppies deserve spoiling too, its nice to consider natural treats specially formulated for our youngest canine friends.
These succulent treats from Black Hawk are easy to break down into tiny pieces for training your new friend, and are made with Australian human-grade chicken meat. You'll have them trained in no time with these treats as their reward.
Black Hawk has loads of other options worth considering for your adult dogs too.
I hope this has been useful to help you select some wonderful natural food and treats for your best buddy. While these ten mentioned are notably fabulous, they are only a tiny part of the vast array of natural foods we have available. Have a look at our whole range and you'll be saying “Bon Appetit” to your nutritionally satisfied dog in no time.