Top 5 Puppy Treats

Getting treats for your puppy depends on what you are intending to have the treats for; training, keeping them busy or just to treat them.

Before I list some of the most popular puppy treats that I have come across, there are few things to keep in mind:

• Yes, puppies are hardcore chewers but you do not want broken puppy teeth! Stay away from extremely hard chews for now, such as Himalayan cheese, antlers or even bully sticks. Once their adult teeth are in, those are all fair game. 
• As well, some owners find that beef liver treats, although a very high reward treat, can cause upset tummies since it is such a rich treat, so you may want to use it sparingly.
• Last but not least, it is always recommended that dogs are supervised especially when eating a more substantial dog chew such as tendons or ears.

Now, the top 5 list:

1. Crumps Chicken Morsels. This treat is a single ingredient treat with no extra additives. It is freeze dried dark meat chicken. They come in cubes which makes it great for training. Unfortunately, at the time of this article, they are not available due to a supply chain issue, but keep an eye on them for when they return!
2. Pure Bites. The brand's single ingredient freeze dried line are all great treats for training (Turkey, Duck Liver, White Meat Chicken, Cheese, Whitefish and Beef Liver). They also have a Training Treat line which has some of the same proteins but in a small cubed shape, easy to to use for training or to carry on a walk. The lamb in particular has been popular. 
3. Kettle Craft Training Treats. They have a regular small and big bite soft treats, but they also have a specific Puppy Training Treat formula. These are small cube shaped soft treats in bacon flavour.
4. Wellness Puppy Treats, Core and Regular. The Core Puppy Treats and as well as their regular puppy treats are all soft, flat wafers that are easy to break into training size bites. The Core Puppy Treats tend to be higher protein percentage making it sightly more palatable.
5. Crumps various treats. Most of their other products are all single ingredient treats with no additives. They have beef liver cubes for training, as well as beef and lamb lung that are both high reward and easily breakable, great for bigger dogs.

What if you want your puppy to stay busy, let you finish that business call or just give you a few moments of peace and quiet? Here are some harder chews recommended for puppies:

1. Beef Tendons. These are great for the added glucosamine for developing teeth. These are extremely palatable tough chews to keep them busy yet soft enough to prevent any teeth breakage.
2. N-Bone Teething Ring. This brand makes teething rings in different flavours such as Pumpkin and Chicken with all the required puppy nutrients such as DHA and glucosamine. Although not a super long chew, still a good alternative between regular treats and something tougher.
3. Cow or lamb ears. These, although may not look the most appetizing, especially if you are a vegetarian, are a great longer chew. Lamb ears for the tinier puppies, cow ears for the bigger pups. They soften up and take a while to chew. They are naturally processed and minimally messy. Pigs ears are not recommended due to higher bacteria levels. 

*always do your own research, consult vet or other pet professional and please supervise your dog during chew and treat time.