Dog treats and snacks come in handy when you are trying to train the pet to perform tricks or simply teach it good behavior.
Choosing to train your pet is also a great opportunity for you and your pet to bond.
There are selections of ideal dog treats and snacks available, which you can use when training your dog.
Treats for pets are food items which need to be moderated and chosen with care to ensure that your dog stays healthy.
Some of the guidelines that you can use when selecting preferable treats for your pet include its preferences, age, overall nutritional needs and whether it has any allergies.
You can also think about the size of the pet as well as its chewing habits, in order to get dog treats and snacks according to your pet's chewing abilities.
There are no specific times when the dogs can be given the treats, but it is usually recommended that you give them when they have done something good during training or in between meals.
Generally, snacks can be used as a reinforcement of good behavior for example when the dog learns how to eat from its bowl or learns how to go outside to take care of its business as opposed to inside the house.
The dog will soon learn that good behavior is rewarded by treats and they will keep on behaving as required, because they expect rewards.
Treats can also be used to lure pets to baths or their food bowls.
This is particularly useful when initially training puppies.
Apart from the commercial dog treats/snacks found in most pet food stores some of the treats that you can give your pet include small sized pieces of hot dogs and cheese sticks.
It is however important to regulate the portions and overall amount of treats fed to the dog, because it might lose its appetite for main meals or gain too much weight.
It is best to select small dog treats/snacks, which are easy to regulate.
Small treats are also consumed quickly by the pet so that they are not distracted from their activities.
Another consideration would be to get low calorie snacks for your pet.
This helps them to stay healthy and trim; however, active dogs need to replace the calories they lose and a little liberty can be exercised in this case.
It is also best to avoid giving the pet snacks close to its scheduled meal times.
Spread the snacks throughout the day and use them to create a feeding schedule for your pet.
It is also important to adjust the portions fed to your pet for its main meal to accommodate the snacks calorie intake.
Go for crunchy dog treats/snacks which are known to enhance dental health.
Biscuits are a good option in this case.
There are also a few treats which are specifically designed for dental care and you can get them if you want to take care of your dog's dental health, while training it to be a well behaved pet.