Table of Contents
Introduction
As a dog owner, what you wish for the most is an energetic, and well-mannered dog – a company that is happy himself and keeps you satisfied. Unfortunately, too many of them grow up to be irritable, aggressive, badly behaved, and sometimes, a threat to everyone around them, and as a result need to be euthanized. While sometimes the fault lies in the gene or illness developed over his/her lifetime, it is surprising in how many cases it is the fault of his/her food consumption.
Dog treats are the easiest and the most effective way to train your dog, not to mention how happy they make your beloved pet. These are great sources of entertainment for them in between meals. However, their quantity, quality, as well as feeding time and method may impact your dog’s behaviour. If you go wrong in picking the proper treat for your dog, his/her health may also be in jeopardy. Here, in this article, we explore how dog treats affect your dog’s behaviour and hence how you should choose them.
How dog treats impact your dog’s behaviour
Scientists are still to do a lot of research on the dependence of dogs’ behaviour on treats fed to them, but the presently available data is enough to prove that the timing of dog treats as well as their components influence your pet to a great extent.
- Feeding habits:
Your dog’s behaviour depends a great deal on the way you communicate with your pet. If you allow your dog only a single meal a day, even if that one meal is sufficiently nutritious, he/she is going to be starving all day. Just imagine how you would feel if you had only one meal a day. This will prompt him/her to nibble on his/her treat more, and if the treat has a high-calorie intake, it will affect your dog’s health. Moreover, starving makes your dog extremely aggressive and irritable.
- Ingredients in your dog treats:
The ingredients in your dog’s treat make the most difference in your dog’s behaviour, according to studies. They affect different breeds of dogs in different ways, but they do have a great amount of control over your dog’s health, nevertheless, and therefore their behaviour.
- Plant protein: We humans can be carnivorous, vegetarian, or vegan – we will survive, but your dog will not simply with plant protein. Plant-based protein like soy protein is difficult for your pet to digest and they can damage their liver and kidneys.
These plant-based proteins lack in some of the amino acids essential to produce serotonin in dogs, giving rise to a bad mood. Additionally, soy contains contain oestrogen, which is believed to cause hormonal imbalances in dogs, thus triggering aggression and hyperactivity.
- Additives and preservatives: Corn, wheat, rice, gluten, and low-quality animal derivatives are used by different brands to fill out the bags. Sometimes they add chemical preservatives and food colouring as well. Trainers report these make dogs unfocused, easily distracted, and hard to train.
- Raw meat: It is true that if found in the purest form, dogs being wild creatures, raw meat is supposed to be the best diet for them. Regrettably, pure raw meat is rare and highly unavailable. What is found in the market can cause infections rather than making your dog healthy? So generally veterinarians prescribe against it.
What can you do to have a well-behaved dog
- Train your dog well with the right treats:
The best way to train your dog to show good behaviour is to reward him/her with a treat. Some behaviours may be harder to learn than others, so you may need more than one treat a day. You can cut your treat into the right number of pieces so your dog is consuming the correct amount of calories.
It is highly recommended that you provide your pet with at least two meals a day, distributing the calorie intake over the two unless otherwise instructed by your veterinarian due to some medical condition of your dog. This will also reduce his/her boredom and obsession with the treats you give, helping him/her to be a well-behaved, energetic, and will put him/her in a good mood.
- Serve healthy dog treats:
It is shocking how many big brands of dog food use processed ingredients and additives to make the food tasty, yet leaving a feeling of dissatisfaction. This not only makes your dog want more food but creates health issues as well. So check the ingredients while buying treats for your dog: choose only healthy dog treats.
- DHA (fatty acid): DHA is essential for the development of brain functions and the retina. Scientists believe it increases mental acuity in dogs and also makes them more trainable.
- Antioxidants: Antioxidants are also considered to be great food for the development of the brain. This also aids dogs to build a strong immune system. Studies show that older dogs with more antioxidant-rich diet learn complex tasks more successfully than dogs without this element in their food. Another study indicated that older dogs (above age 7) having antioxidant-enriched food were less prone to age-related behavioural changes associated with cognitive declines, such as excessive licking and patterned pacing. They also recognized their family members and other animals more easily as well as displayed higher agility than dogs with less antioxidant in their food.
- Tryptophan: Even though there have not been many experiments regarding this element in dog food since it is a precursor of serotonin, the hormone that regulates the dog’s mood, it is believed that this reduces anxiety and induces calmness in them. When this is supplemented with a low-protein diet, studies show that it reduces territorial aggression as well.
Conclusion
A bad diet leads to bad health, which in turn, leads to a bad mood. As dog owners, you want what is best for your best buddy, and that means providing him/her with the best diet for him/her. So go for healthy dog treats the next time you are shopping for treats and keep your dog healthy so that you have no complaints about his/her behaviour.
