Dog Treats - Healthy Dog Treats that My Shiba Inu Enjoys

Picking the right dog treat for your dog can be difficult.

Many dog treats contain ingredients and additives that may be unhealthy for your dog. Get dog treat information and dog treat reviews from a range of sources before making a choice.

Below are a list of dog treats that my Shiba Inu and Siberian Husky enjoy. Dog treats are especially useful for training my Shiba Inu and also during grooming. Sometimes I will also use dog treats for food aggression and bite inhibition exercises which are crucial for the Shiba Inu breed.

Make sure you feed your dog a balanced diet.

It is fine to give dog treats, but always exercise moderation. The bulk of your dog's food should be balanced commercial dog food (e.g. kibble, canned food), balanced homemade food, or a balanced raw diet.

Innova EVO Treats.

EVO dog treats are great because just like all other EVO products, they are high in protein and grain free. My dogs also love the taste of this dog treat. Good for stuffing in Kongs and putting into the Nylabone Crazy Ball.

Wellness Bar Treats.

I use Wellness bar dog treats to add variety and keep my dogs motivated. These dog treats are wheat free, and the molasses in them make them smell great.

I have tried all the flavors and my dogs most prefer the vegetarian yogurt, apples, and bananas flavor. I only give my dogs a small amount of these because they have lower protein content compared to the EVO dog treats. Good for stuffing in Kongs.

Zukes Mini Naturals.

These dog treats are nice because they are moist and have a very different taste, and texture when compared to the dry Innova and Wellness treats. They are also wheat free.

I have tried all the flavors and my dogs like the peanut butter best, and the chicken least. I have also tried the Zukes Z-filet and I would not recommend it. It contains a high amount of salt and upsets the stomach of my Siberian Husky.

Dogswell jerky.

These dog treats are nice because they are mostly meat (70% protein) and do not contain spurious additives like salt, sugar, etc.

My dogs absolutely love the chicken jerky version of Dogswell's Mellow Mutt and Happy Hips. I use Mellow Mutt because my Shiba Inu can be very reactive and overly hyper, and Happy Hips because my Siberian Husky is a three legged dog.

Note: Dogswell jerky is made in China. There was a recall for some jerky products from China in 2007. Here is another article from the FDA. According to Dogswell, their product is lab tested to be safe and their chicken is cooked at a high temperature for 10 hours to prevent salmonella. As of, November 2008, I have used Dogswell for about 8 months with no problems.

Baa-Baa-Q's Lamb Lung.

This dog treat is made out of lamb lung, is 100% natural, and is not high in fat. I mostly put these into the Hol-ee Roller Ball dog toy. This provides my dogs with an interesting mental activity, and they are very motivated to get the lamb lung out.

Gimborn Freeze Dried Liver.

This dog treat is similar to the Baa-Baa-Q dog treats but is made out of freeze dried liver. It is high in protein and does not contain any additives. However, my dogs only have medium interest in these.

Premier Liver Biscotti.

I have tried the wheat and egg free versions. Sadly, my dogs quickly lost interest in these dog treats. The liver biscotti also upset my Siberian Husky's stomach, because it contains oat flour. Otherwise, the ingredient list looks good and it has relatively high protein content.

Natural Balance Dog Food Rolls.

These rolls have a nice strong smell that drives dogs crazy. My Shiba Inu and Siberian Husky absolutely loves these dog treats and will do good work for them. Unfortunately, these rolls contain wheat.

If your dog does not have any wheat allergies, then these dog treats are great for obedience training. Just cut the rolls into small bite-sized pieces.

Charlee Bears.

At dog training class, my Shiba Inu would not stop begging from the people with Charlee Bears in their pockets. Unfortunately, Charlee Bears contain mostly wheat flour, and my poor Shiba Inu is allergic to wheat.

Otherwise, these dog treats are also good for dog training because dogs love them, the treats are low in calorie, and they do not contain bad additives. As with all other treats, however, it is important to feed in moderation.

Smokehouse Chicken Poppers.

A problem with Smokehouse poppers was that they were too large in size. To make sure I did not overfeed my dogs during training, I had to cut them into smaller pieces individually. This was very time intensive and a big pain in the ass, so I stopped using this dog treat. It turned out for the best because in 2007, there was a recall on Smokehouse products.

I would not recommend using Smokehouse dog treats.

Sardines.

Sardines is one of the top food motivators for my Shiba Inu. He will almost always work for sardines including go into his crate, tolerate nail grinding, and much more.

Sardines are also useful for recall. You can even freeze the sardines to make them less squishy and sticky to hold.

Mackerel.

Mackerel is a good second alternative to sardines.

Variety, I have found, is important in keeping my dogs motivated. I have also tried salmon and tuna but my Shiba Inu likes mackerel best.

Cheese.

Some dog owners do not think your should give cheese to dogs. After reading many web articles, it seems that cheese is fine as a dog treat, as long as it is given in moderation.

Try and pick a cheese that does not contain too much salt or too much fat. Here is what the Pet Food Report says about cheese.

I am currently using Swiss cheese because it contains less salt than many of the other cheeses. Cheese is extremely useful for training new commands, for dog grooming, and to get my dogs to listen when there are other high level motivators around.

The only other food that my Shiba Inu likes better are sardines and bacon. However, unlike cheese, sardines are difficult to use and carry around.

Bacon Bits.

This is my Shiba Inu's most favorite dog treat.

Even when he is tired, he will rouse himself for some bacon bits. I only use this when I need my dog to do something he really dislikes, e.g. leave him home alone in his crate.

Do not feed your dogs too much of this because it is high in salt and high in fat.

Vienna Sausage.

Before using Vienna sausage as dog treats, wash all the brine off the sausage, then cut them into little pieces. Only get the plain Vienna sausage where there is no mustard or other spicy sauces.

I use Libby's Vienna sausage because it contains less salt than regular sausages or hot dogs. Microwaving it briefly before use will enhance its smell and make it more irresistible to your dogs.

Boiled chicken.

Boiled chicken is very digestible and great for feeding your dogs when they have digestive issues, are vomiting, or have diarrhea. Boiled chicken is a very useful evening dog treat. When it is close to my dogs' bedtime, I only give them boiled chicken so that they do not get too thirsty before they go to sleep.

Unfortunately, the bland taste of boiled chicken only makes it a medium level motivator.

Shiba Inu Sephy Special.

Mix boiled chicken, Vienna sausage, and some salad greens. Add some cheese and a small amount of bacon bits. Then, put the whole thing in the microwave so that the cheese melts. The smell of the melted cheese and bacon drives my dogs crazy for this dish.

I use this when I have to apply tick repellent on my dogs.

Brown rice.

I used to give my dogs cooked brown rice. My Shiba Inu likes rice, and it is a good source of fiber. However, the rice is sticky and not the best thing for dental hygiene. I have since stopped giving my dogs rice for this reason.

I used to give Nylabones, and deer antlers as dental dog treats. These "dog treats" are good for dental health and are fun to chew on.

However, my Shiba Inu cracked one of his pre-molars while chewing on a deer antler.

The dental specialist I went to advised us NOT to give our dog any hooves, compressed rawhide, compressed antlers, processed white bones, or even non-edible Nylabones (basically anything that you think is too hard, and has no give).

Instead, she suggested that we use Greenies for dental health. Make sure to get the proper Greenie size for your dog. In addition, supervise your dog's initial chewing sessions to make sure that they do not swallow large pieces of the dental dog treat. So far, Greenies have worked out well for us.

Note that rawhide is not a good dental dog treat.

Many dogs can tear off fairly large chunks of the rawhide, and if swallowed, these chunks may become a choking hazard. They may also block the digestive system and cause infection. Rawhide pieces may absorb water and expand in your dog's stomach, causing further digestive issues.