I wonder if we're giving Berman and Lucy too many treats. They usually get a treat:
1. after breakfast (they both have to eat all of their food first).
2. when we leave (a small training treat)
3. after dinner (again, only if they've cleaned their bowls)
4. at bedtime
Plus, Lucy gets a training treat when she potty's outside.
We usually give them Snausages, Nawsomes (for small dogs), bacon treats or Scooby Doo cookies.
For their meals they get 1/4 cup dry Wellness with a scoop of canned Wellness - 2 times/ day
Is this too many treats?
Jenny,
I personally would cut back on the treats some... for example if they have just eaten there is really no reason to give them a treat. Unlike human children where you need to bribe them with cookies to finish their food... dogs especially dachshunds usually have no problem finishing their dinner. You might try adding a raw baby carrot here and there instead of the processed treats which are high in fat and calories (doggie junk food) my guys only get a cookie (either OMH bits or Natures Recipe Venison treats... just 1 each) when they are crated.
Good Luck :)
Jen
Thanks, Jen. Actually, Berman is a very picky eater and sometimes it takes him 20 or more minutes to eat his food. I thought giving a treat after he eats would encourage him to finish his meals a little more timely. Maybe I should cut back to just the small training treats after dinner. They don't seem to like stuff like carrots or apples - any fruits or vegetables.
That would be a step in the right direction :thumb:
Have you ever tried to OMH Bits (they are made by the same company that makes Wellness dog food)? My guys love them and they are tiny ... that way they still feel like they are getting a cookie even if it's really not much of one...lol
Here is the link
http://www.omhpet.com/dogs/omh_detail.asp?pCode=gorDogBaconBitz
Use the side bar to find all the different flavors... the key is that they are small so they are actually just a "treat" and not almost a while meal :)
Good Luck :thumb:
Jen
I haven't tried the bits - I've given them the OHM biscuits. Guess it's time for a trip to the pet store!
:chef: I usually give treats when they do their business outside. I keep both Milk Bone Bisquits as well as Charlie Bear treats on hand and try to give the Charlie Bear treats the majority of the time as they are lower in calories. I the mornings I do put a little bit of peanut butter in their kongs to occupy them as I'm walking out the door (using low fat peanut butter, of course).
I tear a Natural Choice jerky treat in half and give it to Ozzy when he "goes potty." I give him half of a Bil-Jak (sp?) liver treat for the other. He gets a Mother Hubbard cookie and a Kong treat in his kennel when I leave for work - both in the morning, and both in the afternoon. He gets a cookie at bedtime.
For dinner, he gets a mix of Natural Choice dry lamb & rice food and Natural Choice canned lamb & rice food, along with a few green beans.
So far, this seems to work well - he is keeping his "boyish figure."