Treat Tuesday: Loot Pets Chicken Chargers

These Loot Pets Chicken Chargers arrived in our May power-themed Loot Crate. They were easily the best thing in the box. Easily. These are moist, meaty treats that are easy to tear into tiny training treats. They are tasty enough that even Ru eats them, and they don't dry up and become rock hard instantly.

Good For: High-value training treats. Staying moist and tasty for an extended period of time. Picky dogs.

Not Good For: Dogs with chicken allergies.

How Much We Like Them: There were enough in the bag to make it through two different agility classes. If I tear them into fairly large chunks, they work well for tossing because Sisci can easily find them in the grass.

Treat Tuesday: Zom-Bone Survival Treats

These Zom-Bone Survival Treats showed up in our February zombie-themed Loot Pets subscription box. They are firm, chewy chicken jerky. Brisbane can't have them, but Sisci and Ru have enjoyed them so far. These are made specially for Loot Crate by the Loving Pets company, and I'm pretty sure they are a variation on their Natural Value chicken sticks.

Good For: Several minutes of intense chihuahua chewing. High-value training treats, when broken up into smaller chunks.

Not Good For: Dogs with chicken allergies.

How Much We Like Them: I used up the entire bag for training Sisci and Ru while Brisbane was hospitalized for a week.

Treat Tuesday: ZiwiPeak 'Good Dog' Treats vs. Daily Dog Food

I love using ZiwiPeak's Daily Dog air-dried dog food as training treats, but they also make actual training treats. Both are made from air-dried meat, organs, and seafood, so is the only difference the size of the bag? Kinda.

Treats versus Food

Visually, the only difference between the ZiwiPeak beef treats and beef dog food is the size of the pieces. The food comes in tiny little squares that are exactly perfect for training treats. The treats come in longer strips that I then have to rip into appropriate sizes to use for training. Otherwise, that's it. Unlike the Real Meat dog food and treats, there's no discernible difference in texture.

The primary difference between dog food and dog treats is vitamins and minerals. Just about anything can be in dog treats, but in order to be labeled as a complete and balanced diet, dog food has to meet a certain nutrient profile. This is why pretty much every dog food ingredient list ends with a bunch of chemically-sounding things. 

ZiwiPeak 'Good Dog' beef treats are made from beef, lecithin (hopefully not derived from corn), chicory inulin (a prebiotic), and parsley. ZiwiPeak Daily-Dog air-dried cuisine is made from all that, plus organs, green-lipped mussel, and assorted vitamins and minerals. Oddly enough, the website states that the treats are made from meat, organs, and seafood when all three flavors appear to be made from only meat.

Treats on the left, complete and balanced dog food on the right.

The ZiwiPeak treats and food are so similar that the dogs don't seem to really notice a difference. I personally find that the food makes perfect training treats right out of the bag, while the treats need to be chopped or broken into pieces. As an added bonus, the food is actual dog food, so I'm not filling my dogs up with extras when we have long or intense training sessions. Kibble isn't always exciting enough to work for, but they'll do nearly anything for a piece of ZiwiPeak.

Treat Tuesday: Real Meat Jerky Treats and Dog Food

These Real Meat Jerky Treats are the original product made by the folks at the Real Meat Company. These are slightly greasy, fairly stinky treats that are great for training. I do have to break them up into much smaller pieces, but they are wonderful for dogs with allergies and food sensitivities.

When I first saw Real Meat Dog Food on the shelf at a local store, my first thought was "So they've put the jerky treats in a bigger bag, then?" The dog food itself seemed a bit drier than I remembered the treats being, but I didn't have the chance to do a side-by-side comparison until now.

While they're both supposed to just be dried meat, the treats and dog food are actually pretty easy to tell apart.

The Real Meat Lamb Jerky Treats are softer and greasier than the Real Meat Lamb Dog Food. The are easy to bend and tear into smaller bits for training treats, and are stinkier than the dog food. Real Meat Air-Dried Dog Food is harder and stiffer, so it's more difficult to break into tiny training treats. It's a more pleasant product to handle because it is less greasy and stinky, but that also makes it a lower value treat.

The ingredients for the lamb treats are significantly less complex than those for the dog food. Treats don't have to meet nutritional requirements. The five ingredients in Real Meat Lamb Jerky Treats are: lamb, dried chicory root, vegetable glycerin, sea salt, and mixed tocopherols. These make for a shelf-stable product.

By contrast, the dog food includes organ meats, ground bone, pumpkin, parsley, rosemary, and all the vitamins a dog needs. It has both a higher protein content and a higher fat content than the jerky treats.

So is it worth buying the treats when you can buy a whole bag of dog food instead? Probably for some people. My dogs will happily work for the Real Meat Jerky Treats, but are pretty 'meh' about working for the actual food.

Treat Tuesday: Zukes Genuine Jerky Treats

Zukes describes their Genuine Jerky Treats as real "jerky strips" but I beg to differ. There were no strips in there. These are more like little jerky bits, which make them better for training. I don't mind, but I think it's worth noting. I found them on sale at a local pet store that knows I will totally buy a bag of treats on sale if they mention it as they're ringing up my purchases.

These are 100% beef and therefore safe for Brisbane's poultry and egg allergies. The ingredients list includes things like brown sugar and apple cider vinegar, which makes me wonder how these treats taste. I bet they taste like regular beef jerky for people. Maybe with a bit less salt. I should get my husband to try them and report back.

Good For: Mid- and high-value training treats. Sticking in some food toys. Playing find-the-treat.

Not Good For: Turning into a squintillion tiny treats for clicker training. Possibly my husband.

How Much We Like Them: I don't have a whole lot of use for non-tiny training treats. I should stuff these in the grooves of the Everlasting Groovy Ball.

Treat Tuesday: Alaska's Puppy Love Wild Salmon Jerky Treats

I've been trying to figure out where this bag of Wild Alaskan Salmon Jerky Treats came from, since I don't remember buying it and its not in any of my subscription box pictures.  I'm pretty we got it as an oops bonus after BarkBox sent us forbidden proteins in our allergy-friendly BarkBox for a second month in a row. These are from the Seldovia Wild Seafood Company's brand of dog treats, Puppy Love.

Good For: Mid-value training treats for balance and perch work. Picky chihuahuas who don't like most of the treats Brisbane gets for balance and perch work.

Not Good For: High-value training treats in distracting environments. Picky heeler puppies. Making my hands not smell like fish.

How Much We Like Them: See how that bag is almost empty? I had to save these just so I could take this picture.

Treat Tuesday: Walk About Goat Jerky

Walk About Goat Jerky is made from 100% Australian goats. These are made in Australia from Australian goats. They are grain-free and fortified with vitamins and omega fatty acids. According to the guy at the pet store, they are also pretty tasty. I haven't actually tried them myself because...well...

Good For: Dogs with food allergies. Tearing into small pieces for medium-high value training treats. Stuffing in the Busy Buddy Booya. Hiding and letting the dogs smell them out.

Not Good For: Keeping my hands clean while training the dogs. Low-value treats.

Treat Tuesday: Fruitables!

Fruitables dog treats are obviously made by people who like training dogs. They are awesome for training because they are tiny, and they are made in the USA so they are likely to be safe. I've used quite a few of these treats, and these are the favorites here.

Fruitables Pumpkin Baked Crunchy Treats

Good For: Sticking in food toys. Handing the dogs on my way out the door without making my hands smelly. Doing Relaxation Protocol.

Not Good For: High value training treats.

How Much We Like Them: Enough to buy another bag every time we run out. I love the way these smell.


Fruitables Whole Jerky Grilled Bison Strips

Good For: High value training treats. Breaking into little tiny pieces along the score lines. Sticking in food toys of all sorts.

Not Good For: Keeping my hands clean and unsmelly.

How Much We Like Them: I sent a bag home with each of my foster puppies when they were adopted last week. Congrats Syd and Darla!

Treat Tuesday: Natural Balance L.I.T. Venison Treats and Bixbi Daily Essentials Pork Jerky

What poultry-free, egg-free delights am I cramming into Kongs this week? We've got a bag of Natural Balance Small Breed Sweet Potato and Venison Formula treats, along with some Bixbi Daily Essentials Pork Jerky from our December BarkBox. (Our January BarkBox hasn't arrived yet, it always takes at least a week for our boxes to get here.)

The Natural Balance Small Breed Sweet Potato and Venison Formula treats are small biscuits that go well in Kongs. They contain venison, potatoes, and sweet potatoes so they work for many dogs with allergies. I am mildly annoyed that they are labeled as "Sweet Potato and Venison" though when the first ingredient is potato. These are potato biscuits.

Good For: Dropping into the bottoms of Kongs to prevent the peanut butter plug problem. Cookies for dogs on limited ingredient diets, particularly Natural Balance's venison LID food.

Not Good For: High value training treats. Dogs who can't eat potato.

How Much We Like Them: This is the second bag I've purchase, though the repeat buying may have a lot to do with the fact that these are locally available, cheap, and don't contain any of Brisbane's allergens.

The Bixbi Daily Essentials Pork Jerky is a stinky, meaty treat that is also dry. I had originally thought these were going to be semi-moist like people jerky, but instead they're hard and crispy. The pieces are scored in a grid on one side, allowing them to be conveniently broken into tiny pieces. These are made and sourced in the USA, so hopefully won't have the contamination issues that plague jerky treats from China.

Good For: High value training treats. Stuffing in Brisbane's Busy Buddy Biscuit Ball.

Not Good For: Shoving large pieces into Kongs, they don't dissolve with endless licking and I end up having to dig them out.

How Much We Like Them: The bag lasted about three days. I need to find someone local who carries these, or order more online.