Lately I've been researching various grain free options, I'm not opposed to feeding a grainy biscuit once in a while, but they are not my favorite due to high carb content and the dogs aren't super crazy about them.
Since the grain- free has become the latest trend, there's an abundance of grain free treats on the market, unfortunately most are loaded with peas or potatoes which isn't always better than some grains.
I usually use 2 types of treats, training and "goodbye" treats. Training treats are usually small, meat based and low calorie. Goodbye treats is a more baked biscuit type of treat thats larger in size and may contain few other ingredients but still be primarily made of meat. I call them that because when I leave the house, Uno gets depressed, so I tell him to go on his bed and when he does, I'll pet him and give him a treat before I head out the door. Its a little ritual we have.
I find that most dehydrated meats like liver are pretty pricey. I actually found a good deal on amazon the other day, so I stocked up. (if anyone is interested)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004TMJ5QU/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
So here are few of my new favorites:
1) Lakse Kronch
So, hands down these are the best training treats I have found. They are made with 2 ingredients, salmon and fish meal. Simple grain free, super smelly and little greasy, but the dogs go absolutely nuts for these. They are made in Denmark which is an added bonus. Downside, they are very hard to come by. I used to get them through a specialty store, but can no longer find it locally.I found it through Clean Run, its $12 for 28 oz bag which is a great value.https://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=1061
While I'm not crazy about the P&G Natura buyout, I will still buy these treats. I like these for few reasons. They can be either used as an everyday treat or be broken up into smaller pieces for training. They have an interesting texture, almost like those tea biscuits, light and airy. I also like the fact that they are made up of no nonsense ingredients, yet still grain free and high protein. Great for dogs on raw diet. Right now I'm using the turkey and chicken formula which is 47% protein.
Turkey, chicken, turkey meal, chicken meal, potatoes, herring meal, chicken fat, natural flavors, egg, apples, carrots, tomatoes, cottage cheese, dried chicory root, and vitamins and minerals.
They also make a Herring and Red Meat Formulas which look equally as good. I've mainly been using these as goodbye treats, just 1-2 a day when I leave for work since Uno is on a diet. Retail for $9-10 for a 20 oz bag.
3) Innova Prime Health Bars
Another treat I like from Natura, these ones have little more "filler", but a nice alternative to a traditional grain heavy treat.
Beef, Peas, Lamb Meal, Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a Source of Vitamin E), Pea Fiber, Alfalfa Sprouts, Apples, Carrots, Cottage Cheese, Flaxseed, Vitamins and Minerals.
These treats are 36% protein and are great for dogs who prefer crunchy treats. I dont use them for training because they are too hard to break up. Retail around $11-12 for 26 oz
I don't use these often because they are kind of pricy, but Uno absolutely flips for them and I've actually tasted one myself, and they are not half bad. I came across these at TJ Maxx out of all places (they have a pretty great pet selection if you've never been). They were only $2.99 a bag so I got one to test out. I think they normally retail for $6-7 for a 4 oz pouch. They come in several protein sources like chicken, lamb, beef and venison and are 25% protein
Venison, chicory, lecithin, sea salt, mixed tocopherols, garlic
5) Plato EOS
So I found these ones through work, they are simple, grain free/potato free treats that are semi hard and a mix between crunchy and crumbly. I use these as goodbye treats and they are great for dogs with sensitive stomachs since it has 2 formulas with sweet potatoes or pumpkin in it.
Turkey, pumpkin, salt, zinc propionate, mixed tocopherols (preservative), citric acid,
rosemary extract, vitamin E supplement, Vitamin C.
They come in a 12 oz bag and retail for $11-12. Protein- 30%
6) Pure Buffalo Lung Steaks
Last but not least, we have some stinky animal parts(honestly, they dont smell worse than liver treats). So I found these through work and they are definitely a huge hit with a dog. Few cool things about these treats. First, they are cheap! you can get them for $3.80 through Value Pet Supplies for an 8 oz bag. It doesn't seem like a big bag, but these are air dried, so the bag is actually pretty big and there are probably 10-12 large chunks in there. Best part, you can break them up into smaller pieces, so these are perfect for training. It contains only one ingredient, buffalo lung, which are perfect for dogs with allergies or those on raw diet who want to stick with meat based treats. They also come from grass-fed, free range buffalo which nice and are not greasy. The only reservation I have is that they are made in India. I personally don't have an issue with it, but I understand that others may.
That is all folks, test these out, let me know how your pups like them, until next time!
