Anyone who’s familiar with puppies will know that between the age of 6 to 8 weeks old, they are chewing machines. Their puppy teeth arrive after about 3 weeks and will develop into baby teeth around 7 weeks of age. You may see them if still in the litter at this point, chewing on their littermates. This prompts owners to look for puppy treats that will help satisfy their chewing instinct and keep them entertained.
Yes, you can give a 7-week old puppy treats. However, by putting your hand into your puppy’s mouth you’ll soon learn that even though their teeth despite being sharp, they’re still small. No way capable of dealing with anything hard like a bone, a puppy’s teeth break really easily, especially at 7 weeks old.
They’re just being weaned and learning to explore solid dog food. I see they’re barely capable of cutting into puppy kibble. So, if you’re going to give your 7-week old puppy treats, avoid anything that resembles a chew made for an adult dog or a hard bone could easily break your puppy’s teeth and should be avoided
What Treats Can You Trust?
A puppy’s desire to chew is built into their genetics code, all they are doing is acting on instinct, They will chew whatever they find if you don’t provide them with a safe alternative. Nothing will be safe from their teeth, from your computer cards to your chair legs. But it’s difficult to find treats that have been designed specifically for puppies less than 3 months old. Many of them aren’t soft enough and can easily damage the teeth of a puppy of that age.
However, having said this you need to provide them something to chew on otherwise they’re going to pick up items that may be completely unsuitable such as little rocks and sticks. It isn’t around this age that you might want some basic training and to do this you need to find a safe treat that you can reward them with.
BEST TREATS FOR PUPPIES UNDER 3-MONTHS
Why Do You Need To Give Your Puppy Treats?
Deciding to give your puppy a treat shouldn’t be just about giving them some yummy food it should be used carefully and your focus should be on providing them with simple but healthy food.
Treats a central to dog training and should always be noted as part of your dog’s standard diet. So if you want to encourage your puppy to develop exemplary behavior, the use of treats is one of the most effective positive reinforcement techniques you can use in puppy training.
Randomly giving your puppy a treat without a purpose will just make any later training attempts far more difficult. As you may want them to perform specific tasks before they receive a treat. Choosing healthy and low-calorie alternatives but ones that are also trigger their taste buds are important.
Benefits of Puppy Treats
Here are some benefits of using healthy puppy treats :
- They help maintain your puppy’s dental healthy
- You can pack them full of nutrients, minerals, and vitamins that may not be available in their puppy food
- You can help reduce their constant need to chew
- Makes training easier and faster
- And can encourage the development of better behavior patterns.
How To Pick The Best Treat For Your 7-Week Old Puppy?
If you want to reward your puppy in a fashion that makes them sit up and take notice a healthy puppy treat is one of the most successful ways to achieve this.
These treats can be anything from a homemade protein-rich recipe to a bakery made biscuit. There are so many varieties to choose from that are safe for your 7-week old puppy’s teeth that there are a series of factors that you need to take into consideration beforehand.
#1 Choose an Appropriate Size
a puppy treat should be small enough to allow them to easily digest and for them to quickly refocus on training rather than spending their time chewing.
#2 Contains Healthy Ingredients
Obviously when your puppy behaves in the matter you wanted to the purpose of a treat is the spoilers and they encourage this continuing behavior. However, it may take some time to reinforce this and as a result you want to be feeding the treats that are healthy. You need to remind yourself that most puppy foods are high in carbohydrates, so feeding them a low carb treat is important to keep their diet healthy and balanced.
#3 Focus on Flavor
Ingredients are important, but treats need to be flavorful and nutritious. A dog is not going to be encouraged to continue specific behavior patterns if you’re feeding something they don’t enjoy eating. Obviously you want to keep your puppy’s diet free of sugar so you can offer them something that’s naturally sweetened is a little carby as an alternative. Overfeeding is to be avoided
#4 Look at the Shelf Life
However tempting buying dog treats are baking dog treats yourself in bulk may mean they quickly become unfit for consumption. He treats shelf life with a variety of different factors. In our experience, if you find a treat with a long shelf life, you’re going to have to study the ingredients carefully to ensure it’s actually healthy for your puppy.
#5 Does it Suit Your Puppy’s Palate
Every puppy’s palette will differ, so the last thing you want to do is try to train them with the equivalent of a leaf of raw kale. Presenting them with a treat that just makes them want to go back where they came from will not get you anywhere. Puppies do not know of the nutritional benefits of the food you’re feeding them, all they’re interested in is how it tastes and smells.
Can I Give My 7-Week Old Puppy Treats
Obviously when you’re looking for treats for your 7-year-old puppy they’re going to be triggered by things that taste and smell good offering them a treat that packs a significant punch in terms of aroma and flavor will make training them using this treat much easier. We would just advise you to read the ingredients of any puppy treats you may purchase carefully to ensure they are providing your puppy with a balanced nutritional food supplement, as advertised.
Some of My Favorite Products For Dog Owners
I hope this article has helped you just a bit in everyday life as a dog owner. Being a dog owner for more than 25 years myself, I’ve tried an abundance of different products with varying success, but these products below are some that I can highly recommend to every dog and their owner without hesitation!
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Dog Training: If you’ve ever owned a puppy, you know that they require a lot of training to grow into a well-behaved adult. Brain Training for Dogs has helped me immensely with the mental training part of raising a dog, and it’s something I strongly recommend you consider.
Grooming: If you have a dog in your home, you’re going to need a brush, and for this, I recommend a Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush. For that price, you simply can’t beat this brush for everyday grooming.
If you’re looking for the most up-to-date recommendations, check out my recommended products section that I’ve created to help every dog owner!
