The Right Dog Treats And Rewarding With The Right Foods

As our fast paced world changes around us, we have all had to make adjustments to our lives. The constant changing economy has especially impacted our home life and what we choose to spend our money on. The one thing that seems to remain constant in our lives, is our love for our animals and our need to pamper their precious little paws.

One of our top concerns as pet owners is our dog's health and what we are feeding them to keep them healthy. A concern that is often overlooked is the amount and the quality of dog treats that you are serving your dog. Unfortunately a general commercial dog treat is not required to meet any type of standardized nutritional regulations. Which means you could be feeding your dog anything from fats, corn, wheat, fungus, molds and even just plain zero nutritional value. Anything is fair game.

Fortunately there are several options available for our precious pets. First things first, always read the label on anything you are feeding your dog. It should be no different that what you are feeding yourself. If it's full of junk and preservatives and you wouldn't eat it yourself, then don't feed it to your dog either.

Today with the increased popularity and availability of the internet we have multiple options to choose from and you are seeing more and more locally owned specialty pet food and supply stores open. These merchants are carrying everything from gourmet dog treats, natural dog treats, homemade dog treats, organic dog treats and even dog cakes. The options are amazing and a great alternative both health wise and taste wise for your dog.

Before you ask, yes there is a difference between Natural and Organic Dog Treats. Basically "Natural" means that the ingredients of the dog food or dog treat have been through minimal processing. Where as "Organic" must have been grown with no use of chemicals if it is grown and /or administered hormones if it is animals. Be sure to read labels to ensure what your buying is completely organic.

There is also the term "Holistic" which simply means that each individual ingredient is somehow contributing to the dog's health in a different or separate way. Holistic products are generally high in quality and are usually human quality foods. However, it is always prudent to do your label checking with any product.

I think some of my favorite new treats are the gourmet doggie treats and these wonderful dog cup cakes and dog cakes that people are baking in their homemade bakeries. They are just wonderful. My dog's love them and they are absolutely adorable. Because they are homemade they are generally made with healthy ingredients but again always check the label. Some places cut corners and buy the cheap white flour or wheat flour that can disagree with your dog's digestive system. Look for whole-grain flours when choosing this type of dog treat.

As you have probably noticed there is a strong push to move away from the commercial dog food and dog treats towards healthier options. There is more to this than just a financial gain from the pet industry. After the dog food scare, people really sat up and took notice of what their dog's were actually eating and frankly many were horrified to find out what was in there dog's food. The chemicals alone are enough to not just shorten your dog's lifespan but possibly make them ill and end their life.