National Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day: Jax and Tink’s Five Favorite Brands
By Lynn Stacy-Smith
Today is National Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day! If it seems like I’ve had a lot of “national (fill in the blank) day” posts, you are correct. February is chock full of them. Some are for extremely important educational topics and some, like this one, are just plain fun!
Dog treats do serve a function when used for training. In addition to training and getting your dog’s attention, most dogs just love to have a little treat here and there. Since chewing crunchy food can help keep dogs’ teeth clean you might get a few dental benefits out of larger biscuits.
On the downside, treat calories do add up, so make sure you incorporate those calories into your dog’s day and adjust their amount of food accordingly. Treat ingredients matter and it is important to avoid allergens in treats just like you do in your dog’s food, reading labels carefully and thoroughly. And just like food, the quality of treats varies wildly across brands, so make sure you are looking for companies with a good reputation and quality ingredients, made in the United States.
Jackson and Tinkerbell, typical Labradors who love, love, love to eat, are dog biscuit connoisseurs. They love to train for treats, they get treats when they come inside, when they go into their crates, and before bed. (I told you I’m an expert dog owner, I never said I wasn’t a pushover!) We even have a little series of tricks that they do at bedtime, both sitting side by side on our human bed and showing us Shake Hands, High Five, Speak, and Touch, in which they reach up and touch our hand with their noses.
Here are some of our favorite trusted brands that Jackson and Tinkerbell give four paws up and a wagging tail and get my approval as a careful dog mom:
Dogs Love Kale: My dogs love kale. My teenagers joke with me that our dogs are nerdy dogs because they don’t beg for meat or normal things, but the moment I start to make a salad they come running into the kitchen, at which point I give them dog friendly veggies, including kale. When I found this brand I did a happy dance and promptly ordered one of every flavor! You can purchase from Amazon in a single package in a variety of flavors, including quite a few that are made without chicken or poultry.
Fruitables: I switched to Fruitables for Jax and Tink when Zukes sold out to Purina. I use the Skinny Mini variety for training because they are tiny and have a strong smell. I buy the small crunchy treats for everyday treats. They also offer dental chews and meat jerky strips. Jax and Tink love the salmon strips! I purchase either from my local independent pet food store or through Petflow.
Fruitables Chewy Skinny Minis Pumpkin Mango Flavor Dog Treats – $8.99
from: PetFlow.com
Fruitables Crunchy Pumpkin and Apple Dog Treats – $5.99
from: PetFlow.com
Fruitables BioActive Fresh Mouth Grain Free Dental Chews for Dogs – $15.99
from: PetFlow.com
Fruitables Whole Jerky Alaskan Salmon Dog Treats – $10.99
from: PetFlow.com
Cloud Star: Cloud Star makes a grain free line and I like the Peanut Butter option for Jax and Tink. The Buddy Biscuits are larger than Dogs Love Kale or Fruitables and are more of a traditional biscuit size. These I feed less frequently but I like them because they give a little more crunchy chewing than the small options.
Canine Caviar: I feed Canine Caviar food and so I also trust their treats with my dogs. I prefer the Paddywacks which are a part of the buffalo “other” than the bully stick or pizzle. Sure, the dogs love bully sticks, but the thought of what they are is kinda a turn off for a lot of humans. I’d rather they chew on “other” parts.
You can get a huge box of them from PetFlow with free shipping!
Canine Caviar Buffalo 12-Inch Paddywack Dog Treats
from: PetFlow.com
Earthborn Holistics: I purchase the peanut butter treats and what we call the “fishy cookies” in our house. The fish variety has a very strong odor but the dogs get very excited for them so I can’t deny them their fishy cookies!
Earthborn Holistic EarthBites Peanut Flavor Dog Treats – $5.99
from: PetFlow.com
Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Oven Baked Biscuits Whitefish Meal Recipe Dog Treats – $9.99
from: PetFlow.com
Isle of Dogs: This is the newest brand that I’ve tried after stopping in to a more mainstream store to see what they had. After a very long time browsing the treat aisle and not finding anything I would consider giving them, I found these. So far I’ve been happy with several varieties like this blueberry option and the “Breath” formula even though neither of my dogs has a breath issue because of good nutrition and overall good health.
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