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Dog Treat Reviews
With the plethora of dog treats on the market today, it can be quite confusing when it comes to deciding what to buy your pooch, especially if you have a picky eater. To make your job of selecting treats and bones easier, we've employed three taste testers to give you the low down. New treats and bones are added regularly, so be sure to check back for the most up to date reviews!
Warning: Please read the caution labels on all the treats to determine if it is appropriate for your dog.
Dog Taste Testers
Bella:
Breed: terrier mix
Size: 30lbs
Age: 2
Bella is a rescue dog whom I had the pleasure of adopting when she was five months old. Not a lot of information was known about her except for her approximate age and that she was partially crate-trained. Bella has now become a "mama's baby" and is very spoiled. When she was adopted, she weighed about 12lbs., but now she weighs just over 30lbs. She has had dental issues, so her dog food is a special dental food; but she does love her treats and bones. Bella will eat most everything except for plain or basted rawhides because of her being spoiled on Dingos.
Bailey:
Breed: mix
Size: 45lbs
Age: 3
We adopted Bailey as a 6 week old puppy from some family friends whose newly adopted stray dog turned out to be pregnant. We first saw him at 1 day old and visited him regularly until he came home with us at 6 weeks. Bailey is a complete mama's boy who loves the outdoors, walks, and playing at the dog park. He likes treats and bones, but is a very picky eater when it comes time to eat them. I'll also note that Bailey has no health problems that we need to consider when purchasing treats for him.
Eli:
Breed: chihuahua mix
Size: 10lbs
Age: 4
Eli is a new addition to our family. He was recently adopted from a pet rescue organization. His favorite activities are sleeping and barking at people to scare them away. His small size shouldn't fool you though as he's a tiger in that small body. Unlike his brother, Bailey, he is not very picky and will eat most anything. I'll also note that Eli has no health problems that we need to consider when purchasing treats for him.
Dog Treats & Bones
Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders
These chicken tenders by Waggin' Train are made of fresh, premium, grade A chicken filet. They are 97% fat free and are high in protein. These treats come in a stay-fresh pouch.
Bella: Bella loves these. She gobbles them right up. I give these to her when I leave for work in the mornings because I feel it is the healthier choice among her other treats that does not fill her up. I store the chicken tenders in an air-tight container to keep the chicken from drying out. I feel that opening the bag and then resealing it everytime I take one out dries it out faster. These chicken tenders are 97% fat free and very high in protein. The best places to buy these is at Sam's Club where you can get a 40oz. bag for .52. Check your local Sam's Club for current prices.
Bailey: These chicken jerkey's are Bailey's number one favorite treat, but that's not surprising as he tends to prefer meaty treats over biscuits. We buy these in bulk at Sam's Club, but you can also find smaller bags at Walmart and other pet stores. Be sure to keep the package well sealed or put them in an air tight container as they tend to dry out easily. These jerkey's get 5 bones from a picky eater.
Eli: These are quickly becomming one of Eli's favorite snacks. Because he is so much smaller, we tend to break one chicken jerkey into thirds and ge gets 1/3 each time Bailey gets a whole one. These treats are somewhat chewy and seem to be easy for even small dogs to eat.
Dentley's Choobles Smoked Beef Ribs
These beef rib bones are slow-roasted to retain their real meat flavoring and they contain no flavoring or additives. PetSmart sells them individually or in multi-packs. These dogs are best given in washable, uncarpeted areas. Because they can break and splinter, they recommend you closely monitor your dog while they chew.
Bella: These are real bones that are prepared for dogs. They are a little messy because the bone is not a "clean" bone-it has the natural lining around the bone. Bella loves to tear the lining around the bone and eat that first and then she will chew on the bone. One bone can last a long time, depending on how your dog chews. Bella loses interest in them and then she will go back to chewing them so one can last for a couple of months. I eventually end up throwing them away because of the lack in interest once the "good" part of the treat has been consumed. Read the caution before buying because depending on how your dog chews, small fragments or splinters can break off and can cause harm. Bella has never had any problems with this treat, but my brother's dog, who is bigger than Bella, started choking on a small piece.
Bailey: These were a big hit with Bailey from the beginning. They were long-lasting and provided him hours of chewing. The bones themselves caused discoloration on our neutral colored carpet, but a once over with the steam cleaner took care of it. Unfortunately, we ended having to ban these bones from our household as one night a small piece splintered off that we didnt' notice and caused Bailey to choke. Luckily, we were able to get it down his throat and he was ok in the end. If you're going to give these bones to your dog, be sure to monitor them very closely!
Booda Bimple Bone
A fun new in.bimple in. shape helps eliminate plaque and tartar build-up. These are made from the same patented revolutionary cornstarch formula as the world-famous Booda Velvets--an alternative to rawhide, rubber or plastic chews, with no odors or stains.
Bella: This is another good option for an evening treat. The Bimple Bone is not a smooth bone, they have little bumps like goosebumps, which is intended to help fight plaque and tartar. Since Bella has had a history of dental problems, I felt that this was a good option for her among the three different Booda bones. Bella is an aggressive/obsessive chewer, so these did not take her long in finishing the whole thing...maybe a half hour. I bought the variety pack that had three different flavors: steak, chicken, and baby back ribs. Bella enjoyed them all.
Booda Bone
The Booda Bone dog treats are free of animal by-products and additives and are now better-tasting and easier to digest. These corn-based dog treats have a velvety texture, which encourages gnawing, to eliminate troublesome plaque and promote healthy teeth and gums. They come in chicken, roast beef, and bacon flavors.
Bella:: This is just like the Bimple Bone without the "goosebumps". Bella also loved these. I bought the variety pack that has the flavors: roast beef, roast chicken, and bacon. For some reason, Bella took longer in chewing these than the Bimple Bones.
Nylabones
Nylabones come in many varities for different chewers (eg. average chewers, power chewers, etc) and flavors. They are a tasty, satisfying chew that also helps to clean teeth. They are made from a tough thermoplastic polymer and are flavored with natural meat juices. The popular bones help reduce tartar build-up. You can get a starter pack that includes the original, chicken and liver flavors. These bones are both safe and nontoxic.
Bella: I love these bones. I get the ones for Powerful Chewers but there are other options, depending on how your dog chews. There are regular shaped bones and other variations. Bella loves these, and I feel that it is a very good alternative to a "treat" that satisfies her urges to chew and can keep her occupies for hours. These also help control tartar and helps to keep the dog's teeth clean.
Chew-eez Rolls by Purina
For great chewing satisfaction and flavor, treat your dog to chew-eez beefhide rolls. They combine delicious basted beefhide with a chewy tasty middle that will surprise and tantalize your dog! It’s a doubly good way to treat him to long-lasting satisfaction.
Bella: This is another favorite of Bella's. I feel that this is a good evening snack so it does not ruin her morning appetite if it is given in the mornings. These can sometimes be sticky when taken out of the bag. The roll is made of beefhide that is chicken basted. The filling in the rolls can stain but will come off if washed or cleaned. This is one of the treats that I monitor Bella with because towards the end, a chunk of it will be in her mouth while she chews. I guess she innately knows that it is too big for her to swallow because she will spit it out and then chew on it more until it gets to the stage where she can swallow it.
Chew-eez Strips by Purina
Chew-eez beefhide chew strips are packed with flavor that turns ordinary chew time into a truly pleasurable time for your dog. Plus, they help maintain healthy teeth and have earned the Veterinary Oral Health Council® VOHC Seal® for its proven effectiveness in reducing tartar build-up.
Bailey: These small chicken basted rawhide flips are given the picky eater's seal of approval. Another favorite of Bailey's, he'll happily lick the chew until the basting is gone, then soften and chew it. The only problem with these chews is that they don't last as long with bigger dogs. They're fairly inexpensive an can be found at Walmart and other simliar stores. Watch for coupons in your local paper as they tend to have them often.
Peanut Butter Yogurt Drops
These tasty treats are made from real yogurt and will satisfy your dogs sweet tooth! They are the perfect size for training and are creamy (which aids in digestion) and are low-fat. They come in cocoa, vanilla, and peanut butter flavors.
Bella: Tasty Treats from Drs. Foster & Smith: These are a good bite-size treats that can be used for training or for anytime you want to reward your dog. They are solid treats that do not dry out, so I have them out on a tray where I can get to them quickly.
Dentley's Chewrite Compressed Rawhide Sticks
These compressed, munchy, rawhide sticks are great because the chewing action will exercise your pup's teeth and gums as well as help keep him from chewing on things he shouldn't.
Bella: Bella did not like these. She took one and chewed on it for several minutes, and then became bored with it. With some bones, Bella will return later chew on it more, but she never did with these. I thought she would like these since it came in different flavors: beef, lamb and rice, hickory, chicken, and peanut butter but she did not like any of them, which is very rare.
The Goodlife Recipe Wholesome Biscuits
The GoodLife Recipe Wholesome Biscuits are made with real fruits and vegetables and Omega-3 Fatty Acids - and they wouldn't dream of adding artificial preservatives.
Bella: I was not sure if Bella would like these biscuits because it looked healthy and it even smelled healthy. But she liked these just fine. These biscuits are also a good size that fits into the Kong Biscuit Balls.
Dentley's Chewrite Rawhide Log Chews
Munchy Logs are the perfect way for "light" chewing dogs to enjoy the dental health benefits of chewing rawhide. These variety packs offer several flavors so your dog will never be bored! They come in several flavors includign natural, chicken, beef, hickory, cheese, peanut butter, and veggie flavors.
Bella: I bought these because I felt they were a good value for your dollar. In the value pack there are twenty-five of the 5" rawhides in different flavors: beef, cheese, chicken, peanut butter and natural. I was not sure if Bella would like these but she has no problems with them. The different flavors come in different colors and the colors will not stain, which is always good.
Red Barn Filled Rawhide Rolls
These basted rawhide rolls are filled with flavors that your dog will love including peanut butter and beef!
Bailey: We have a hard time finding bones that Bailey will chew since he's so picky. One of his favorite sweets is peanut butter though, so when I saw these rawhide rolls filled with peanut butter at PetSmart, I picked them up to give them a try. It was a good call because he loved them. Surprisingly, they actually lasted quite awhile for my power chewer. The only downside is that they're a little expensive coming 2 in a pack for approximately when we bought them.
Claudia's Canine Cuisine Cookies
Perfect for parties or celebrations, these gourmet cookies are a special treat for your pooch. Fresh baked from Claudia's kitchen for your special pup. These peanut butter cookies come in tub with plain, frosted, and rinkled varieties.
Bailey: These are Bailey's favorite 'celebration' cookie. We often buy these for his birthday, holidays, or other celebration days. The gourmet cookies come in several different designs, but Bailey's favorite are the peanut butter goobers. The tub comes with several plain peanut butter cookies as well as an assortment of frosted and sprinkled varieties. These cookies look so good that my father-in-law has reached for them many times, forgetting they were dog cookies. Luckily we always catch him in time.
Eli: Eli enjoys these cookies as well, but we generally have to break them in half for him as they are big for his size. The only cookies from the tub that we not give him are the sprinkled cookies as they are more difficult to break. His favorite are the plain, non-frosted peanut butter goobers.
Vitakraf Beef Stick
These beef jerkey style treats come in beef and turkey varities in individual foil-wrapped packages. Perfect for a special beefy treat.
Bailey: I thought Bailey would love these as his absolute favorite treat are the chicken jerkey's. He sniffed it for a few seconds after I unwrapped it, then took it and walked off. After licking it for a bit, he ate it, but it obviously wasn't his favorite treat since he didn't go running off with it.
Eli: I was even more surprised with Eli as he's a meat loving pup. I broke the treat into fourths and gave him one piece. He too kind of ignored it at first then ate it. If your dog enojoys softer meaty treats, then they would enjoy these, otherwise, skip them.
Disclaimer: This site and its services are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. See full disclaimer.
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