How to choose the best treats for training and distraction

  

Treats play an important role in your 4th of July preparation. They can be used for training to overcome noise phobias, as distractions during fireworks displays or simply to pamper your pet with a special something to celebrate the occasion. 

So here are some guidelines to help you choose the best treats to meet your pet’s holiday needs.

• Keep it low calorie. It’s easy for the calories to accidentally pile up, especially if you’re using quite a few treats for training. Low-calorie treats help prevent this. In fact, if your pet is a chowhound and loves their food, you can even use regular kibble as training treats. Higher calorie treats should be saved for special occasions, such as once the fireworks begin.
• Avoid human food. Many human foods are bad for pets, so it's best to steer clear of these possible pitfalls. 
• The smaller the better for training. Make treats as small as possible during training. This not only reduces the calorie intake but also allows your pet to eat the treat quickly enough to stay focused on you rather than the treat.
• Get creative with toys. Stuffing toys with treats or even kibble can keep your pet busy throughout the whole fireworks display. Puzzle toys are great options because they are designed to be very engaging.
• Have your treat pull double duty. Treats can do more than just provide a yummy reward. Dental treats, such as CET® VEGGIEDENT® FR3SH chews for dogs, are also formulated to clean your pet’s teeth as they chew.
• Pass up bully sticks, pigs’ ears, rawhides and bones. All of these are hard enough for your pet to break a tooth on. Plus, bully sticks and pig’s ears can be contaminated with bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella, which are dangerous to you and your pet.

Need more help choosing? 

Shop myVCA where we stock only veterinarian-approved treat options so you can feel confident in your selection>>