Cupcake wars

I just finished watching an episode of Cupcake wars; no thank you.  Although I love to bake; I use to bake and sell cookies at a Farmers market and use was known as the "cookie lady" I would HATE to bake under pressure.  This got me to thinking about the dog treat wars that are going on.  Each time I go into a pet store there are more and more treats on the market for our dogs.  Not only do they line the shelves of the pet stores they now are in specialty shops, boutiques, health stores and just about everywhere.

I love to try new treats out for my guys; of course you know that Luke is Mr. Fussy pants so if he'll eat it and it's healthy then it gets a four paws up from me.  There are several things that I look for in a dog treat; first is ingredients.  I don't want a lot of garbage in my dog treats; in fact I want no garbage in them.  I will always reach for organic over non organic as well.  There must be a good quality ingredients.   If it is a cookie type of treat I want to see whole grains vs. white flour etc.

As far as I am concerned the fewer the ingredients the better.  I also want the ingredients to come from North America and be human grade.  If that package says "not suitable for human consumption," my question is why?  What is in this treat that I should not eat but feel great giving to my dog?  Hmmmmmm?  Something to ponder.  I use quite a bit of treats for my guys; of course being that Luke is so skinny he always gets far more than the girls do.  Because I like to use treats I also look for good protein treats like dried meats.  I've found some really great ones that I like and so do the dogs.

Dogs don't need carbs like we humans do so when I am feeding cookie type treats I like to make sure they also get their protein.  I often use good old meat as treats; it's always a big hit for training time and you don't have to worry about ingredients.  I have often gone to my clients homes for a training session with a training pouch full of cooked chicken or roast beef.  Yep; when you are working with high distraction levels nothing works like the real thing.

Before you reach for that box of cookies to give your Fido their bedtime snack, read the list of ingredients.  Is there anything listed that leaves you wondering "what the heck is that?"   Take the time and look it up; if you don't like what you read or are still puzzled as to what it is, toss the box.  Be very discriminating when you purchase those extra treats for your pooch.  Do your own research; don't rely on the big advertising gimmicks for nutritional truths.    When in doubt; make your own, that way you know what is in those treats.