# Trusted dog treat brands?



## PhoebeDuck (6 mo ago)

Boiled chicken thighs chopped up into bite sized pieces ($1.57 per lb and I can freeze the leftover water as chicken flavored ice cubes)
Extra sharp cheddar cheese for high value treats

I had done tuna fudge once, but she's just as happy with the chicken.

When I remember (which isn't often), then Charlie Bear and Pet Botanics are both well received. But I usually forget to order them, while I always have chicken thighs, ice cubes, and cheese on hand. I get the most bang for my buck with those three items.


----------



## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Phoebe never gets tired of fruitables apple and bacon, but didn’t like the big version until recently - the little flowers were best received. 
I use Amazon’s wag brand freeze dried beef liver and chicken jerky. 
Those are the only 3 treats we always have that Phoebe has never gotten tired of. Sundae is much less discerning and would eat anything, anytime!


----------



## Miki (Dec 25, 2021)

Fromm Crunchy Os are a big hit with Ty - any flavor. He also really likes Fruitables.


----------



## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Ritter is a treat snob; at this point he only eats VitalEssentials freeze dried raw treats or else bits of meat I've cooked for him. He turns his nose up at almost everything else. Galen is also willing to eat Fromm Pot Roast flavored Crunchy Os.


----------



## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

We only do chicken now.

Amazon's freeze dried chicken works for us at home - no tummy issues.

Then, basils grandma will always have boiled chicken on hand.


----------



## Dogs4Life (May 27, 2018)

I used to buy a variety of the small treats from Honest Kitchen, until my dogs' dietary needs changed as they got older, and now I have to be cautious of all the different ingredients. I still think it is a great brand and I still buy their cod skins.

Now I only buy Riley's Organic for treats. I get the mini bones when they are in stock on Chewy. My dogs love all the variety of the bones, but I usually stick with pumpkin or apple. All clean ingredients.


----------



## JasMom (7 mo ago)

It isn’t necessarily a popular brand, but my dogs have always done well with Milk Bone treats. I stick to the plain biscuits, marosnacks, and their dental chews.

For training, I use string cheese. For Kong-time, canned food in Purina brand. The dogs also get nibbles of many of the things we eat.


----------



## Sroodle8 (Dec 23, 2021)

High value agility treats are meatballs and bark pouches. Medium value treats are currently Charlie Bears and chicken jerky from Trader Joes. Get in your crate treats are milk bones.


----------



## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

I worry about safe brands. I get offered a lot of free dog treats from Amazon and I try to stick with the 'made in the USA' labels. But even that's not a certainty of safety. I think that just means, 'manufactured in the USA' unless it says the ingredients are American based.


----------



## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Elroy has 3 treats that he's never turned his nose to. Everything else I've tried, has diminished in value. Most to the point where he isn't interested.
#1 String Cheese
#2 True Chews Premium Jerky Cuts (made with real chicken)
#3 Crumps Naturals Beef Lung Tenders ticks.


----------



## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

For lower value treats I just get a big bag of Honest Kitchen clusters. The mini kibbles are perfect for a miniature poodle but the regular ones would be better for a bigger dog. They are human grade and are just as healthy as a normal meal. For high value treats I use real meat.


----------



## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Normie loves True Chews.


----------



## SteveS55 (7 mo ago)

I recently purchased Farmland Traditions pork jerky. I cut the slices into bite sized pieces and take them on our walks. They are made in the USA with 100% USA ingredients and grain free. A two pound bag at Amazon is about $30.00.


----------



## TeamHellhound (Feb 5, 2021)

What are you wanting to use them for?

For training, Charlee Bear Treats are crunchy gold. Great Jacks, PureBites and Tylee's freeze dried treats are also very well received.

For general "oh, here's a cookie" crunchy treats, I've used Old Mother Hubbard, Three Dog Bakery, anything by Star Cloud, Blue, American Journey biscuits, Blue Dog Bakery, Nutro treats, Merrick, and Natural Balance.

For meaty and/or chewy treats, Plato treats (Thinkers, Hundur's Crunch, and dried fish like sardines or sprat), Carolina Prime treats, Full Moon, True Chews, Milo's Kitchen, and dehydrated sweet potatoes.

I've also tried a variety of other brands, but those are the ones I can think of off hand that have gone over well.


----------



## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Ohh that’s true. We almost always have honest kitchen clusters to use in puzzles and for training inside. We’re actually out right now, but had a new flavor of taste of the wild for the little experiment above.

I thought that the wag brand was US, but just realized that the beef liver is likely not. 😡
ETA: their website says freeze dried treats are sourced from the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. I take back my mad face.


----------



## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Low-value crunchies: Honest Kitchen Whole Food Clusters

High-value, but hard to eat on the go: Tylee’s chicken jerky broken into very small pieces to prevent choking or PureBites freeze-dried chicken.

I don’t really use any other processed dog-specific treats. For high-value reinforcement, that’s easy to eat while moving or distracted, and easy for me to carry, string cheese is the overwhelming winner.


----------



## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

TeamHellhound said:


> What are you wanting to use them for?
> 
> For training, Charlee Bear Treats are crunchy gold. Great Jacks, PureBites and Tylee's freeze dried treats are also very well received.
> 
> ...


I've been using dried salmon for a scent-based treat. I toss a few around while the UPS guy slams packages at the door and so far it's working. Normie is much calmer. But I was wondering what other dog enticing safe options are out there.


----------



## beowoof (Dec 6, 2021)

low value snackies: plain ol' kibble or sometimes kibble coated in the crumbs of another treat bag to make them sniffy and therefore more valuable

mid-tier house/familiar locations: freeze dried chicken (purebites), zuke's minis (peanut butter/chicken), most dog-safe fruits/veggies (bits of cucumber, carrot, pear, apple, etc), boutique kibble in a different flavour (ziwipeak, acana, orijen)

high-tier (training classes): string cheese, boiled chicken, freeze dried liver (benny bully's), freeze dried duck (i've tried a few brands and liked them)


----------



## Fields'n'Meadows (12 mo ago)

I like supporting small businesses for their dog treats.

Naked Beasts is an AAPI female owned business based in the Orange County, California area, and they have a big variety of more alternative meat options like bison, elk, emu, and antelope. Antelope ribs are a big hit with Ellie and Ash, and their patty treat options are mesmerizing for getting us past big triggers.

Hare Today is a female owned business; their prices for rabbit ears and feet are some of the best I've found, and their bison heart and venison chunks are drool drip worthy.

Real Dog Box is a female owned business based out of the San Diego, California area. They have a monthly box that rotates treats and chews options through a variety of cuts and they're very responsive to any food restrictions/allergies the pups might have. They make a meatballs option that have been consistently drool inducing as well.


----------



## Heartland2022 (8 mo ago)

I don't always buy dog treats but when I do. I look for made in USA all natural prefer single ingredient. The rest I craft with a dehydrator or in the smokehouse. I also have a big list somewhere on here that is downloadable. It has all types of little treat ideas what's safe and what's not safe for a canine to eat.


----------



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Barkworthy Green tripe treats from Amazon, kneecaps and turkey bits from Boulder Dog Company and cod skins from Polkadog.


----------



## PowersPup (Aug 28, 2020)

I feel ashamed that I usually give Topper (a mini) junk food treats. He loves Zuke's minis, and they're small enough that he can have a lot of them for training rewards. They don't crumble, which is a definite plus for scent work trials and training. We also feed him Roosevelt treats, which are made in here in Minnesota. Our local pet food store often has them on sale. His very favorite and highest-value treats are string cheese or hot dogs, both of which we store in the freezer.


----------



## SteveS55 (7 mo ago)

PowersPup said:


> I feel ashamed that I usually give Topper (a mini) junk food treats. He loves Zuke's minis, and they're small enough that he can have a lot of them for training rewards. They don't crumble, which is a definite plus for scent work trials and training. We also feed him Roosevelt treats, which are made in here in Minnesota. Our local pet food store often has them on sale. His very favorite and highest-value treats are string cheese or hot dogs, both of which we store in the freezer.


I'd never thought of hot dogs. Maybe I'll give them a try.


----------



## Jilly SummerSunset (Sep 16, 2020)




----------



## rock55 (Aug 31, 2019)

Dianaleez said:


> It's an advertising jungle out there, folks. Which brands and treats are working for you?


Dehydrating meats and organs is much safer and less expensive. Chicken heart and gizzard is very cheap and most dogs love that.


----------



## TuttoBene (Apr 23, 2021)

The treat that works for me is the treat that works for my poodle. Boiled beef hot dogs and string cheese for Rally and Comp Obedience classes
Anything for dogs for Agility class and household compliance.


----------



## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

I’m a huge fan of small turkey hotdog pieces when a high value treat is needed. I cut them up into tiny pieces and freeze them taking out a few when needed. When teaching walking skills I would bring a whole hotdog and let them nibble. Amazingly, turkey hotdogs never bothered Bobby’s very sensitive gut. We also like Happy Howie’s rolls for high value treats in our training classes. I just cut a slice and chop into tiny pieces. Perfect for training class. Our go to treats however are Fromm’s Crunchy O’s and Old Mother Hubbard Variety flavored biscuits which I break up into small pieces as needed. I love the dry treats for most everything. The boys love them and they are easy to carry, non smelly and not greasy or wet. The all time favorite treat when I really need them to do something important, quickly, such as an emergency trade or drop it is CHEESE!!!!!!! They adore cheese and it doesn’t bother either of them. I always give each boy a cube of cheese when we leave and they go into “their” bedroom. 😊


----------



## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Go by the ingredients, not by a suggested brand There are wonderful suggestions here, and then unfortunately there are suggestions here that have things like wheat flour as the first ingredient which I would Never feed my dog. 

Homemade single ingredient is the best, (even sliced up bits of chicken or other meat leftover from your dinner and put in a snack bag in the freezer, or even raw bits are the best but maybe the messiest), and then freeze dried primal foods,using a single bite, and then possibly some of the commercial treats that are single ingredient, like duck jerky, or something like a two ingredient combo chicken/sweet potato for example, ... the more ingredients, and the less omnivore like, the lower the quality in my opinion. 

I avoid anything with grain, and with chemicals I do not understand. I never feed anything like commercial hot dogs with sodium nitrate or nitrite.


----------



## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

I think treats, just like diets in general for our poodles, is a personal decision. Just like people, every dog is different. What one thrives on another may not. I also think there is something to be said for treats that travel in pockets well, aren’t too messy and can be left out for easy access. Meat pieces are wonderful, of course, but less practical in certain situations, at least for us. That’s just my personal thought. We all do what works for us and our dogs. 😊

It’s easy to say a particular ingredient is always bad for every dog but personally, I think it depends. Amounts matter too.
Bobby has a very sensitive gut and I find for him, the grain based treats work very well. They always have. He absolutely does not do well on grain free diets. Neither dog is bothered by treats or food with grains and they are both healthy and thriving and Bobby’s gut is actually happy these days. Treats are not the main part of their diet so as long as my dogs aren’t not bothered by what I give them I guess I don’t worry about it.😉 A piece of hot dog now and then works magic and they love their crunchy treats and in small amounts does no harm in my opinion. 😉
So the answer really is, whatever works best! 😊


----------



## TeamHellhound (Feb 5, 2021)

My crew's _favorite _treats are dropped Goldfish crackers and cheese balls (even the jalapeno ones from HEB).


----------

