Dog Treats

Ever heard of the term “first-world problems?” These are “problems” (not problems at all) that residents of wealthy countries confuse as problems, but when compared to folks living in the developing world are issues that they wouldn’t ever fathom. A good example – Starbucks having issues with their coffee press and can only make Americanos for the day instead of drip coffee. That’s a problem for drip coffee fans because now where will they get that drip coffee fix that day?

Another first-world problem – dog treats. Dogs in the U.S. these days are treated like absolute royalty. Our pets have been transformed into living, breathing “less than human” human beings, integral parts of our families and as such require the same first-world luxuries that we are privy to. One of these is dog treats.

Dog treats are nothing new however. Roughly 150 years ago a gentleman by the name of James Spratt patented Spratt’s Meat Fribine Dog Cakes, the first dog biscuit company in the world. Imagine that – problems were so scarce in the U.K. at that time that a guy could concentrate his efforts on dog biscuits. From what we remember there was some extreme poverty at the time, not to mention influenza and other diseases that were wiping out populations. But no matter, dog treats were still needed and Mr. Spratt arrived to the rescue.

A couple brothers by the name of Bennett in New York liked Spratt’s idea and opened their own biscuit company in the early 1900s. That company would later be purchased by Nabisco, which then shot to fame with Milk-Bone dog biscuits. Today the dog treat market is replete, chalk full of a rich, variety of choices and some real quality products. On the chewy side, one of the most popular dog treats is Stella & Chewy’s freeze-dried treats. This product is as close as you can get to serving your pup fresh cuts of meat without having to labor over the stove with a rib eye staring back up at you. Packed with nutrients, Stella & Chewy is a standout, featuring organs, beef and bone ingredients alongside items like pumpkin seeds that help to ward off parasites.

Zuke’s Mini Naturals are another solid choice. Warning, if you love peanut butter, fans of Zuke’s have been known to pop a couple of these every now and again as the taste is great not only for pups but humans too! Zuke’s are low-calorie, affordable and super convenient. At only three calories per morsel, Zuke’s comes in way below the competition that hits up to 75 calories in competing brands. For dogs that have issues putting on weight Zuke’s is an excellent dog treat choice.

ZiwiPeak venison treats are another that will make that furry companion yelp with joy. Bite-sized treats with no added salt, the ingredient list here is as simple as simple gets – 98% whole venison, grass-fed and sourced from New Zealand. Honestly, in 2019 we are giving our dogs sourced venison from New Zealand. Tell that to someone living in the Congo and wondering where tomorrow’s food is going to come from. But people love their pups like we keep mentioning so the dog treat industry is only going to grow. Great news for Fido and friends.