The Best Dog Treats
As a token of our love for our pooches, we want to reward them — maybe even spoil them — with the tastiest and healthiest treats. Aside from being used as a reward for good behavior, treats can also occupy your dog's attention when you're away from home, improve their dental hygiene, and satisfy their desire to chew. The best treats are made of healthy, all-natural ingredients. The bad ones are full of low-grade meat, artificial ingredients, and fillers. We've sifted through the duds to bring you the top choices in the world of dog treats so that your best buddy gets the quality they deserve.
What to Look For
To ensure you have a happy dog, not a sick one, it’s important that you be selective about which treats you feed your dog. A good treat shouldn’t just be tasty — it should also be made of high-quality, food-safe ingredients. With that in mind, we searched the market high in low in our quest to find the best dog treats out there. In the end, our favorite was the rawhide alternative, Best Bully Sticks, which are not just delicious, but also nutritious thanks to the high-quality beef they’re sourced from. And speaking of high-quality ingredients, Full Moon’s chicken jerky treats impressed us with its simple, clean ingredient list. There are other top-performers, too, but to learn about those, you’ll have to read on.
Best Bully Sticks Cow Ear Dog Chews
The simple choice
Although bully sticks are traditionally made from bull pizzle, your dog will love these exceptional bully sticks made from cow ears. There are no artificial ingredients, fillers, or preservatives. These delicious treats are made from 100 percent free-range, grass-fed beef. So they are completely healthy and easily digestible for your dog. They also remove tartar and plaque while your dog chews on them so they are great for your dog’s teeth as well.
Pros:
- Unlike other similar chews such as lamb ears, these may last a week or more.
- If you’re concerned about hormones and additives, you’ll be glad to know these chews are free of both.
Cons:
- The smell is unique (to put it mildly). If you have a sensitive sense of smell, you might want to avoid these chews.
Full Moon Chicken Jerky Dog Treats
Quality you can count on
Full Moon prides itself on making dog treats that are human-grade, which means they are safe for humans to eat. Not because they want you to eat them, but because they believe dogs deserve the same high-quality foods that humans eat. These treats are made from cage-free, USDA-approved American chickens seasoned with rosemary, dried cane molasses, vinegar, and sea salt. That’s it — just five all-natural ingredients. You could eat these if you want — just don’t let your dog catch you.
Pros:
- For those of us looking to avoid grains, wheat, corn, and soy in the food we feed our dogs, these treats are free of all of them. Thanks to that, they’re great for allergy-prone dogs.
- Unlike many dog treats, these are soft enough to be cut into pieces. That makes them ideal for little dogs with small mouths.
Cons:
- They seem to not stay as fresh as other comparable treats, so these are best to use within a few weeks of purchase.
Nudges Steak Grillers Dog Treats
Undeniably delicious
For dogs who love the taste and smell of freshly grilled meat, these dog treats from Nudges are sure to delight them. The primary ingredient of these treats is all-natural American beef, and they taste like grilled steak. There are no animal by-products, corn, wheat, soy, or fillers of any kind, nor are there artificial flavors or preservatives. Just pure, healthy ingredients.
Pros:
- Even picky eaters seem to be enticed by the aroma and flavor of these treats.
- If your senior dog has sensitive or missing teeth, these treats are gentle enough to be chewed without pain.
Cons:
- Dogs who love these really love them, but there may be quality control issues that could cause gastric issues. Monitor your dogs after feeding these treats to them to be sure they don’t feel sick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed dog treats to my dog as a meal?
These dog treats are meant to be supplementary to regular meals, as a snack or a reward. If you happen to run out of dog food, using dog treats as a replacement meal once would likely be fine. But these should not take the place of dog food as a meal.
Can I feed dog treats to my puppy?
Yes. Dog treats are fine to give to puppies. They can be especially helpful when puppies are teething as something for them to chew on. The treats will likely last longer with puppies than adult dogs, so you will have to buy them less often.
Can I feed dog treats to other pets?
Dog treats are formulated specifically for dogs. It is not recommended to feed them to other pets. Other pets may not be able to chew dog treats or digest them properly, and they may cause digestive issues.
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