After helping take care of a pitbull and now owning another pitbull mixed breed as well as lots of trial and error, I have a pretty good list of my favorite dog treats, snacks, and food-related products. If you are the proud parent of a cuddly, food-loving, sleepy, super chewer, this list is for you.
This post is the second addition to things I learned as a new dog mom. Click here to read last week’s post: 3 Things You Need To Do Before Adopting A Dog.
Meet the Culprits a.k.a. the Dogs
In last week’s post, we officially introduced the newest dog on Tamrah Lane: Dominic. This means that now our household is the home to 2 male dogs with the other dog being Ace.
To help gauge what kind of dogs we are purchasing these products for, here is some brief information on them.
Dominic – The Slightly Crazy Little One
- He is a 4-year old pitbull mixed breed
- Paw chewer (currently takes Benadryl and still trying to diagnose the real issue even after visiting the vet)
- Blanket-nibbler (he’ll nibble blankets or other cloth-y things. He doesn’t rip them up, so it may or may not be linked to anxiety)
- Slightly anxious (based on the shelter’s information and he currently takes Trazodone and Clonidine)
- Excited barker (only barks at me or Mike, not other people or dogs)
- Cuddler who loves head rubs, ear massages, and naps with us
- Butt scoots/needs anal glands regularly expressed (thankfully he doesn’t release that pungent fishy smell and only butt scoots once in a while)
- Leash puller (doesn’t pull on every walk, but still needs to learn how to walk nicely on a leash
- Has worn teeth (may need dental work in the future)
- Weighs in at around 52 lbs (ideal weight)
Ace – The Gentle, Sometimes Loud One
- He is a 7-year old American Staffordshire
- Fur is very prickly and gets super stinky fast
- Blanket-nibbler (he’ll nibble blankets or other cloth-y things. He doesn’t rip them up, so it may or may not be linked to anxiety)
- Very minimal anxiety (does not take any medication, but licks his bed or blanket a lot)
- Loud barker (only barks at visitors and barks when he thinks someone is at the door)
- Loves to play with Dominic, but Dominic either doesn’t like it or is too lazy to play
- Slight resource guarding with toys (this was more of a problem when we first brought Dominic home, but we have not seen him aggressively resource guard for the past couple of weeks)
- Has an ear problem possibly an ear infection(his ears are cropped, which his original owner did not Mike and me. He also absolutely hates the ear medicine)
- Drools and slobbers a lot
- Weighs in at around 85 lbs (overweight)
Mutual Habits
Here are a few habits that both dogs have that most people might relate to especially if your dog is similar.
- Super chewers (absolutely destroy toys, especially squeaky toys)
- Love peanut butter
- Obsessed with soft, snuggly beds
- Not picky eaters
Now that you know what kind of dogs we are dealing with, it is time to dive into what dog treats, snacks, and food-related products we’ve discovered works best for us, our dogs, and most of all, helps alleviate headaches.
Our Favorite Dog Treats, Snacks, and Food-Related Products
1. Greenies Pill Pockets
Because Dominic takes Trazodone, Clonidine and Benadryl, we wanted to make it easier for us to give them to him. Usually, just dropping the pills into his food works well (he doesn’t avoid them), but sometimes he just misses one or somehow flings them out of his bowl.
To make it a whole lot easier for us, we bought Greenies Pill Pockets and added them to our Chewy.com autoship. Currently, we have the chicken flavor, but I also highly recommend the peanut butter flavor. Definitely get these if your dog or cat is not a fan of taking pills.
Get a 30-Count Bag of Greenies Pill Pockets for $9.99 on Amazon.
2. Shameless Pets Calming Treats
When bringing a dog home for the first time, it can be very stressful for you, the dog, and any other beings in your home. Of course, the goal is to make the transition as smooth and stress-free as possible. Although Dominic was already taking Trazodone and Clonidine, we thought it would be a good idea to have calming treats for both dogs.
I also like the Shameless Pets brand because they use upcycled ingredients in all of their products.
Get a 90-Count of Shameless Pets Calming Treats for $17.99 on Amazon.
3. Sojos Raw Dog Food Toppers
When we first brought Dominic home, the shelter provided us some supplies to help us transition. One of the things they included in his kit were canned Vienna sausages because that was one of his favorite treats at the shelter and they would use it as a food topper. Of course, we used it as a high value reward and a food topper, but I realized that Vienna sausages are high in sodium. I cannot remember if they gave us low sodium Vienna sausages, but I decided to replace Vienna sausages to avoid potential dietary issues linked to high sodium intake.
I came across Sojos Raw Dog Food Toppers after browsing on Chewy.com and these just caught my eye because it included additional superfoods. These were also the only ones I found were not sold in individual serving sachets on Chewy.com. Of course, if you know of dog food toppers, please share because I’d love to explore!
Get a 4-oz Bag of Sojos Raw Grain-Free Dog Food Toppers for $9.99.
4. Hyper Pet IQ Treat Mat
One of the useful pieces of information that the shelter told us was stimulation! In Dominic’s kit, they included a slow feeder (we returned it to them because we knew they are low in supplies). We used it once or twice, but it didn’t seem like Dominic was too into it.
I still wanted to keep him stimulated and tried to find something to replace the slow feeder. As a result, I came across this treat mat! Basically, you spread xylitol-free peanut butter and/or other spreadable dog-safe treats, give it to them, and watch your dog/cat have a blast!
Getting this also helped reduce his blanket nibbling and as a distraction while Mike and I eat at the table. We also use a similar thing for Ace which helped reduce his incessant bed-licking.
Get the Hyper Pet IQ Treat Mat on Amazon for $13.95.
5. Snuffle Mat
Staying on the stimulation topic, I decided to also purchase a snuffle mat to stimulate Dominic’s nose. We have tried it with Ace and realize that compared to Dominic, Ace takes ten times longer to find treats in the snuffle mat.
Anyway, I highly recommend this if you want your dog to have a big brain.
Get the Snuffle Mat on Amazon for $18.99.
6. Elevated Dog Feeder
I don’t think that there are scientific facts behind elevated dog feeders being better for your dogs, but I bought one. The reasons for doing so are to reduce potential strain from Dominic bending down so far, reduce mess, and it honestly looks cute. I said it. It looks cute.
Get the White Elevated Dog Feeder on Amazon for $49.99.
My Final Thoughts
Remember that this list consists of things that work for us and our dogs. Not everything on this list will work for you and your fur babies. In fact, it will take a lot of trial and error as well as veterinary consultation to find what works best.
With that said, this list will be updated periodically! Make sure to check back or use this as a reference if you are bringing a new fur baby into the family.
For more pet related posts, click here.
