# Treats - what quality do you feed?



## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

I have noticed this here and there and always wondered what the majority stance was on this simple topic. Since many of us feed at least "medium quality" to good quality food, I would be interested to know if you are feeding similar quality treats to your food, or a significantly higher/lower grade.

I'm talking the every day dog biscuit. Ours, for example, have training treats and then they get a large biscuit each night when they go to bed. Also have another kind of treat for their treat toys.

I have seen some who feed grain free foods and discuss the benefits, but don't think a thing of feeding milkbones, and then yet others who don't feel the more pricey foods are worth it, but feed high quality treats. 

I'll try to make a variety of poll options so everyone can find their fit. As always this poll will be anonymous so be honest.


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## Pattycakes (Sep 8, 2010)

I feed only homemade treats (bacon, cheese, & peanut butter ones). The church that my dad goes to, the ladies there bake them and then sell them for money for the church. My dog LOVES them. 

Wasn't sure where to put that on the option list.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Pattycakes said:


> I feed only homemade treats (bacon, cheese, & peanut butter ones). The church that my dad goes to, the ladies there bake them and then sell them for money for the church. My dog LOVES them.
> 
> Wasn't sure where to put that on the option list.


Darnit, the one thing I didn't think of!  haha...

I guess I'd say grain free treats perhaps?


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I'm not sure how to answer - I feed grain free food, but not grain free treats. I've used a pretty wide variety of treats, but they're all high quality.


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

Yep same here. I make my own beef crunchies.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I feed raw, and for training treats give string cheese, natural balance rolls. I should invest in a dehydrator and make my own liver, meat training treats, but the natural balance is so convenient, and I trust it for the most part. 
I never give biscuits, or cookies, but I have exotic birds that eat pellets, so the dogs do get a bit of grains when they clean up the tossed food. Peanut Butter Capt'n Crunch is my African greys favorite treat, and the dogs love it too, when he calls them over and tosses it.


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## Pattycakes (Sep 8, 2010)

LOL, Rerun...but you did cover everything else!


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I make beef crunchies too. I also use string cheese or cubed cooked chicken. Very rarely do I use a hot dog, but it's been known to happen


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## Pattycakes (Sep 8, 2010)

Oh...I do use cheese as a training treat as well.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I chose the first option (grain free) because right now I am feeding Instinct Rabbit but I also sometimes feed a raw diet. 
Mostly I use 100% meat treats, often freeze-dried treats, Ziwipeak, or raw treats like Stella and Chewy's Carnivore Crunch. I also sometimes use "Real Meat" brand treats, Wellness Pure Bites, and Dr Becker's Bites. 
I really only use treats for training or to put in Bianca's Dog Brick puzzle, I don't generally give them "just because" ie for a treat so to speak...for that I give chewies such as raw bones, beef tendons, bully sticks...
Sometimes I make my own treats but that's usually just for special occasions.


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## Hunther's Dad (Mar 13, 2010)

I feed Natural Balance food rolls for tracking and obedience training. For desensitizing Hunther to other dogs, I use hot dogs, and that's the only time he gets them. Don't ask me why, but he goes nuts for them.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

I fed raw and feed chicken, beef, liver, cheese as treats. It's hard to get the NB rolls here so I don't often feed those, but I have in the past. I too would love a dehydrator to make it easier. Right now I put everything (minus the cheese) in the over and broil it to death.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

I feed a high-quality food and either all-beef hotdogs, turkey hotdogs, cheese cubes, or home-made dog cookies for treats.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

I generally feed grain free, high quality treats, but have started baking tuna/cheese/sweet potato/garlic treats that Frag likes, so I think I'm going to contine that.


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## atravis (Sep 24, 2008)

I feed raw, and usually use things like hotdog bits or cheese as treats.

However, I will pick up a bag of high end treats like Zukes or the Natural Balance/Blue Buffalo soft training treats when they are a good price.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

atravis said:


> However, I will pick up a bag of high end treats like Zukes or the Natural Balance/Blue Buffalo soft training treats when they are a good price.


*ARE *they ever a good price? It seems like I spend an arm and a leg on a bag or three of these a week...


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

I had to vote different treats because for training I will use hot dogs, cheese or steak tidbits. Every night after thier last potty trip they get a milkbone cookie, which I know is bad. And now for the first time I finally baked treats, I made liver brownies for them on friday and OMG they absolutely love them. My hubby told me make sure next time he wasn't home, he said they stunk up the house.


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## Heagler870 (Jun 27, 2009)

When I do feed my dogs treats it's usually just grocery store brand. I don't feed them treats often though. Only when I'm outside working with them. However I haven't been feeding them grocery store brand treats lately. I just take the dog food I use and put some in a ziploc baggie and then use that when I'm working with them.


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

I rotate dog foods and they get grain free and high quality food with grains as well. The treats I feed are usually grain free b/c those go on sale the most when I shop it seems. I also do the Natural Balance rolls.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Same rules apply to both: no corn, wheat, soy, gluten, by-product meal. My treats are almost exclusively NB food roll, Zuke's minis, or tidbits of whatever sandwich meat or cheese is in the fridge. Sometimes I nuke a chicken breast and rip that up. Often on the way to Schutzhund I stop and get a pre-made sub at a Speedway, and for tracking I take off the bologna pieces and drop it on my track (or feed from my hand to Nikon since he doesn't get food on his track).


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## Deuce (Oct 14, 2010)

LOL Deuce gets Milk Bones...they're treats for going potty outside....that's it


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## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

Most treats are grain free. Cookies are Hip Bonz or stuff for bad breath. Training treats and special chew bones are Zukes. Tracking treats are NB treat rolls or freeze dried liver during ant season. 

But, occasionally he gets crappy treats if I am out of treats and I can't get to a specialty store before class.


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## will_and_jamie (Jul 8, 2006)

Honestly, I use the super cheap Pedigree Marrow Bone treats to play find it in the house. Most of the time for treats for things other than find it, I use Boar's Head pepperoni, cheese, and Hebrew Nat'l Hot Dogs, frozen balls of natural peanut butter, carrots, celery, apples, and eggs. I stopped buying Zuke's treats in 2007. They're just too expensive. In 2008, I used to buy the Dogswell chicken and apple treats until I looked at the back of the bag and saw they came from China.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Does anyone have any good dog treat recipes that are EASY to make (I enjoy cooking, but am not that great at complicated recipes!) that their dogs seem to love? Something without super expensive ingredients would be great too 

It never even occured to me how many people make their own treats! Now I want to try.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I think Zuke's are pretty reasonably as far as price, and I love that they're already a perfect size for training. I like having them around for when I don't have time (or am too lazy) to cut up any other treats. We have a small local chain that has a "buy 4 get one free" special on treats and food all the time, so I usually get a variety. Zuke's can also be cut in half to make them go even further, or sometimes I pinch them into smaller pieces as I go, with a fingernail. 

The treats that I get at Pet Food Express (about 5 minutes from my house) are Zuke's, Natural Balance rolls, Plato salmon flavor, Yummy Chummies, Solid Gold jerky, Wellness WellBites, Liver Biscotti (mostly use for dremeling nails), and Old Mother Hubbard biscuits (for when the dogs go into the garage pen when we leave). I also buy Wet Noses biscuits at Costco, and found some wonderful salmon jerky in big 2 pound bags: Wildcatch - WildSky? Salmon Jerky Treats For Pets

Only found those at Costco once, but I've ordered them direct from the company once since then.


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## King&Skylar (Jun 3, 2010)

i feed high quality kibble (orijen), hotdogs for training and milkbones for bedtime, so i'm all over the place :wild:


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## LARHAGE (Jul 24, 2006)

I feed high quality grain free food but am all over the place on treats, my dogs absolutely go bonkers over Bacon Strips so when they go on sale at Petsmart I stock up and give them a few a day, I also love the dog biscuits from Costco and so do my picky dogs. I figure it's like me, I try to eat healthy, but have my indulgences like Baskin Robbins and Starbucks.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Hotdogs, salami, wild deer sausage(my dad hunts and makes it), marble cheese cubes, zukes, and teriyaki chicken.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Once again, I cannot respond to this poll. 

My food is Kumpi. Which is contraversial with the type of ingredients, but has nothing from China in it, has never had a recall, is a small company, not cheap, delivered to my door, and the best reason in my opinion, it is NOT manufactured by Diamond.

I use Zukes training treats because I like the ingredients and the manufacturers.

I also use 100% freeze dried liver, cheese, and other meats bought for human consumption. 

So explain which category I fit in and I will vote (if I agree).


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

I said yes to the first option since any purchased treat I get are high quality and mostly of the grain free variety. The vast majority of the treat my dogs get are home made. I do use whole wheat flour to make them, so I guess technically they are not grain free.

Rerun, just google search home made dog treat recipe and you'll get lots of ideas.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

I feed grain free and a variety of high quality treats. Cheese, chicken, hotdogs, natural balance rolls, wellness pure rewards, and the dog bakery where I get Sage's food makes treats. They have about 20 different types all different ingredients.


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## VaBeachFamily (Apr 12, 2005)

Hm, I chose the second one, but it's kinda the FIRSt... see... I feed RAW, and the only treats I normally feed are like... 100% meat jerky, homemade liver treats ( no grain), or grain free biscuits ( though not as often)


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## DnP (Jul 10, 2008)

I feed grain free food and use grain free treats, Hopewell Duck Breast and NB LID biscuits. For training I used to use Grizzly Salmon treats, but lately my BF has been making venison jerky for our training. Phoenix will do ANYTHING for a piece of venison jerky!

BTW, Leah (Good Karma) has some AWESOME homemade biscuit receipes. We will be experimenting with some of them substituting wheat flour with potatoe flour next weekend since my boy can't have grains.


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

Natural balance roll, cheese, hotdogs for training....his bedtime snack is a milkbone.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I use Wellness Wellbites, they smell delicious and the boys love them! I have all 5 flavors. :blush:

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/training-theory-methods/139725-amazing-treats.html


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I have fed raw for almost 12 years. About 4 or 5 years ago I stopped feeding any store bought dog treats. Now I use cheese, hard boiled eggs, meat scraps, table scraps, hotdogs for tracking, and for Vala and Donovan, who will eat ANYTHING, fruit.


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## Smithie86 (Jan 9, 2001)

hot dogs, liver, apples. etc.


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

Wolfie only likes carrots, green beans, and raw marrow bones. I have given away so many different kinds of doggy treats that he won't eat. He even hates peanut butter. Any suggestions?


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## DanielleOttoMom (May 11, 2010)

I use hot dogs, ckn, liver treats for training. Use high quality biscuits for in home.


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## spidermilk (Mar 18, 2010)

Usually if I'm buying treats I try to get something that contains the same ingredients in food I would buy. Dehydrated beef liver- stinky to me but the pup loves it.

It saves a lot of money to just use cheese (tiny bits), deli meat (tiny bits), plain yogurt/raw peanut butter/canned pumpkin frozen for kongs, plain dog food (yeah he will work for it), and if we're going somewhere very distracting he gets boiled beef heart! He goes crazy for that! (and the grocery store checks think I'm crazy getting so excited that they have beef hearts)


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

Wolfiesmom said:


> Wolfie only likes carrots, green beans, and raw marrow bones. I have given away so many different kinds of doggy treats that he won't eat. He even hates peanut butter. Any suggestions?


Re- register him as a rabbit?


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## Anja1Blue (Feb 27, 2008)

I feed raw - but when I do use treats I use Natural Balance rolls for tracking. For OB or general use I generally rely on small cooked pieces of turkey heart, cheese, beef, or Mother Nature's oven baked biscuits (Scooter and Friends Mini-Biscuits because they are a one bite size.)
______________________________________
Susan

Anja SchH3 GSD
Conor GSD
Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge :angel:


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