Choosing The Right Dog Treats [Updated 2022]

Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions that include your dog? Then, start simply by choosing the right dog treats for them!

Happy New Year! I have set some great goals for myself in the first ninety days of this year – including getting back to healthier eating habits. New Year resolutions often revolve around getting more active, eating healthier, and being mindful of what we put in our bodies. Why not put similar resolutions in place for our dogs? I think the best place to start is choosing the right dog treats!

*This blog may contain affiliate links that allow me to make a small commission if you make a purchase by clicking the links – including Amazon. This is at no additional cost to you and any money I may receive is put right back into this blog. Thank you all so much for your support! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I originally wrote this post in 2021, but have verified all of the information is still accurate and added some new treats my dogs have fallen in love with below.

*Always consult with your vet before introducing new foods to your dog. Be mindful of food sensitivities and introduce new foods slowly. This recipe is simply just a treat for your dog and not meant to replace a full balanced meal or diet.

When you find the right dog treats, the labels aren’t challenging to understand, and you can feel proud that you know exactly what is going into your dog’s body.

I am learning about dog mom life because I can’t know everything. If I am being honest, I haven’t always been mindful of looking at dog treat ingredients. Zeke, our senior dog, has enjoyed dog treats that now make me cringe!

I have started reading the ingredients on every treat package I pick up for the past three years. So what inspired me to make the change for my dogs? It all started with Yoda. When we brought Yoda home, the French Bulldog breeder also sent us home with a bag of dog treats and puppy supplies.

Without hesitation, I opened a bag of these dog treats and fed one to Yoda one day. The packaging was cute, colorful, and the treats smelled like chicken. So what could be the harm, right?

W R O N G

Within a few hours, Yoda’s body was covered in hives. I knew it had to be the dog treats because it was the only new thing we had introduced to him. But, when I looked at the list of ingredients, I was shocked.

I would never have figured out what he was allergic to with a list of over twenty ingredients. So since that day, I have always focused on choosing the right dog treats.

When choosing the right dog treats, it’s essential to understand dog the ingredients to avoid.

I have a few suggestions of dog treat ingredients to avoid. I encourage you to do some additional research because there is a lot to consider when choosing the right dog treats.

• BHA, BHT, & Ethoxyquin: These are considered preservatives. BHA and BHT are both banned in many countries other than the USA. They both are known carcinogens in animals and potentially humans as well. BHA and BHT are used to prevent fats and oils from going bad. Ethoxyquin is a synthetic antioxidant that is commonly used in animal food. You will find it more commonly in pet foods that contain fish. Ethoxyquin is not approved for human consumption and is also found in some pesticides. Y U C K.
• Corn Syrup & Sugar: I don’t think this needs an explanation, but dogs don’t need sugar or corn syrup in their diet. These ingredients can be used to mask flavors that your dog may consider bitter or unpleasant.
• Meat By-Products & Meat Meals: There is overwhelming information regarding meat meals and by-products. I am just going to break down a few points for you. Creating a meat meal is the process of cooking meat down to remove the fat, which leaves the meat meal. The quality of nutrition can vary greatly depending on the animal parts used to create the feed. It does contain protein, but that percentage can vary greatly as well. Meat by-products are generally leftovers of animals that were slaughtered for human consumption. Human-grade meat would be the lean muscle meat of the animal. However, a meat by-product would/could be meat from sick animals, beaks, feet, bones, organs, and blood.
• Corn & Wheat: These are just fillers to make your dog feel full and create a larger quantity of treats at a low cost. There is almost no nutritional value with these fillers, and it’s not uncommon for dogs to have wheat or corn allergies. These fillers also add a lot of calories to each treat.
• Food Dyes: Food dyes are added to dog treats to appeal more to humans. There is absolutely no other reason food dyes are necessary. Many common food dyes have been linked to behavioral issues, hypersensitive reactions, and cancer – Red 40, Yellow 5 and 6, Blue 2. I was shocked to see these dyes listed under the ingredients on so many popular treat brands!

Choosing The Right Dog Treats

Okay, now that we know dog treats ingredients to avoid. Let’s talk about wholesome ingredients we can look for instead. Then, head to the end of the blog for my brand suggestions to help you choose the right dog treats.

First, try to keep the list of ingredients to a minimum. For example, most dog treats I choose have one to six ingredients.

Avoid corn and wheat and try to find treats that contain healthy grains. These healthy grains might include: Oats, barley, quinoa, and brown rice, to name a few. Also, check out my favorite healthy dog biscuits from Rocco & Roxie at the end of this blog. They contain healthy oats instead of wheat flour or corn.

Try and find treats that have meat listed as the first ingredient. Remember to try and avoid words like “meat-meal and meat by-product.” Avoid all treats that contain the word “artificial.” (Ex: Artificial Chicken Flavor)

• Look for natural preservatives in your treats. These might include Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E & C) and/or ascorbic acid. You might also find treat recipes with rosemary and sage extracts which, can also be used as a natural preservative.

Choosing Our Favorite Dog Treats

Here are a few of my favorite treat brands, that my dogs love, the brands are amazing small dog-loving businesses, and they make choosing the right dog treats easy.

Rocco & Roxie Dog Biscuits

I had completely given up on dog biscuits until Rocco & Roxie came out with their three biscuit recipes last year. Every other biscuit-style treat I have found from other companies has a very long list of ingredients.

Rocco & Roxie somehow created three amazing recipes, and none of them contain more than six ingredients. Best of all, the treats are made with healthy oats, don’t contain any preservatives, and are all-natural. We always have the Roasted Duck with Cranberries and Parsley and the Salmon with English Peas and Thyme.

The Honest Kitchen Dog Treats

The Honest Kitchen makes it so easy to choose great dog treats!

I love The Honest Kitchen because they only use human-grade ingredients. Human-grade quality means that The Honest Kitchen has to meet 100 quality control and manufacturing regulations.

Feed-grade food only has to complete 15 quality control and manufacturing regulations. I was shocked when I learned this! My dogs have tried many of their treat varieties, and they love them.

I love the Cod Sammies because they only have three ingredients. The dogs adore the Harvest Mini Bars as well. That recipe has more ingredients than I would typically go for, but all ingredients are healthy.

Our Favorite Honest Kitchen Dog Treats

Stewart Pro Treats

I started purchasing treats from Stewart Pro because they offer many different proteins that are primarily freeze-dried animal lovers. They have a couple of other options, including freeze-dried salmon and chicken breasts.

Nothing goes to waste with these treats, either. There are often tiny crumbles in the bottom of each container due to the nature of freeze-dried food, but they make a great dog food topper. Huge plus that they are a small business, and their company is based out of my hometown in Ohio!

*Always consult with your vet before introducing new foods to your dog. Be mindful of food sensitivities and introduce new foods slowly. This recipe is simply just a treat for your dog and not meant to replace a full balanced meal or diet.

*This blog may contain affiliate links that allow me to make a small commission if you make a purchase by clicking the links – including Amazon. This is at no additional cost to you and any money I may receive is put right back into this blog. Thank you all so much for your support! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Easy Homemade Dog Treat Recipes from Peace, Love, and Frenchie Farts

• Frozen Watermelon Cucumber Dog Treats
• Peanut Butter Banana Pupcakes
• Four Ingredient Blueberry Peanut Butter Dog Treats