has anyone got any  suggestions on what to give dogs as a natural treat please

Do you mean to buy or make?

either really she has bones but looking for something more portable for walks etc

Liver cake, tuna cake, chicken, sausage, ham, cheese

Dried tripe (great if you can stand the smell), fish or jerky (slightly more expensive). Dried liver you can make yourself.  Sometimes I even cut up a carrot.

Do you mean no additives or are there some specific food types/ingredients you are trying to avoid?

If it's for training you'll need it to be high value for your dog - what does he/she like or respond well to?

I have one that would do anything for apple but another that prefers greasy food like salami or sausage or warm roast chicken :)  He also likes other peoples liver cake - but not mine - cheeky beast!!  However if I opened a packet of ham he'd find me in a crowd of 1000's or hear it half a mile away...

Nature menu treats are ideal for walking...They come in a neat little bag that fits in your pocket.
They are very strong smelling and my dogs love them.

How about Burn's Ocean Bites or training treats (http://shop.burnspet.com/Products/59), little pieces of cubed cheese or chopped carrot..

i bought some shiphams spread then baked bite size dollops in the oven, my dog loves them, and they work out very cheap.  he likes the spread uncooked too, but thats a bit messy on walks

I stopped making liver cake whan my eldest son sad "those flap jack things taste funny".

Joke in a shop window

Whats a Shitzu?
A. Its a dog.

A. No its not its a zoo with no animals.

Gave me  laugh in a traffic queue.

Maisie is allergic to so many things that I now give her Pilchard cake as a high value treat.  It has an amazing effect on Billy as it has really improved his recall.  He wont keep away from me if he knows I've got some!!!  For normal treats I give them JWB mini jacks.

Pilchard cake (my variation)

Large tin of pilchards (drained and soaked in water for half an hour to remove salt)
half a pound of wholemeal flour
two desert spoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 medium free range eggs
A half a cup of frozen peas (optional)

Pre heat oven to 200 (electric) Gas mark 6
Grease a non stick oven tray with sunflower or vegetable oil

Mix the ingredients together until a firm mixture.  Spread over the oven tray.  Cook for 25 minutes.
When you take it out, it should be easy to push in from the sides of the tray.
Gently remove from tray and leave to cool

Cut into small squares.  I have small dogs so I keep a small amount in the fridge for the week and freeze the remaining squares.  When I take them out, I carry 3/4 treats in my pocket and break off very small pieces for them as I go along.

I don't add garlic as I am not sure that this is particularly good for dogs.  Jury's out on this one.  You don't need it with these strong smelling treats!

I'm sure my four will like the sound of the pilchard cake will give it a try, hopefully it won't be confused as human food like the liver cake muffins I made :)

well, this is what i was looking for...my pup cant stand dry foods...looked at the link to prepared treats...suspicious that it is dry food...so...smell...all i see is SMELLS of home made stuff to carry around sigh...pilchards...cake...maybe that is what i shall try...me who can't cook more than a boiled egg..lol...but fish...she likes fish. thx.

>but fish...she likes fish. thx.

Can you get these in France, or maybe something similar?   Both of my dogs love the skinny strips - 100% fish skins

Also if you are going to make a 'cake' treat remember you can use most tinned fish.  Tuna, sardines, pilchards, whatever you find easiest or cheapest to source

thx...i mention ONIONS are supposed to be poisonous for dogs..garlic i am not sure of and must FIND OUT as here in FRANCE just about ALL TINNED etc stuff like that is FULL of GARLIC and ONIONS ! not wanting to poison her ! cheers ! must find out about garlic...someone else was wondering that here too..

I make liver treats for my dogs and sometimes I do add garlic to them, garlic is perfectly safe for dogs and I give mine a clove of garlic most days it does protect them against fleas.

I occasionally use edam cheese for treats too.

I am enjoying reading the recipes and ideas for treats. Can I just say that when I told my vet that I gave my dog garlic he told me to stop using it, I think he said it can cause anaemia in dogs.

Although most vets are really good at doing what they do (treating illness in animals), they are not brilliant at nutrition for dogs and most that I have spoken to would feed kibble or some type of dog food.  I feed my dogs a raw diet the dogs have 2 vets - one conventional that we registered with nearby and who does not agree with raw feeding, and one homeopathic vet who thinks my dogs are extrememly lucky to be fed a raw diet :) 

sigh. well where i am in France...GARLIC is everywhere ! the biggest eu producing area of GARLIC is around the village of Saint Clar locally ! i love it myself...and against fleas ? i will ask my French vet saturday his views. forgot to having seen a positive comment on garlic here.

non the treats i got were boring ones...not fish flavoured...i must find sardines...phewey...smells...but could do the trick...

My vet said it was fairly recent about the findings with garlic given to dogs. He said that Hills science canine diet had now altered all their feeds to remove garlic.

garlic is out ! sigh sigh. darned nuissance. the one thing i adore in FRance !!! other than my pup !!! and the weather and food...that is garlic of course. sigh. thx there are a few other things i like in France. hard to list them ! LOL ! grandma. 94. well she ate much garlic and lived as grandpa to long age. was supposed to protect dogs against FLEAS this garlic. sigh. what a nuissance.

so glad i asked this question will try and make the sardine cake thing haha - i feed Roxy on a raw diet now as when i used give her dry dog food with some wet food in as well she would look at it as "you expect me to eat THAT!!!, forget it"  so it came to the point where i would have to grate cheese on her dinner for her to eat in - we are 3 weeks now into the raw diet and she is actually waiting for her food now insted of hiding from it!! .....thanks for all the ideas on the natural treats will get to the super markert now and get ingrediance....thanks alot :)

me too ! i am pleased about this sardine cake ! my pup loves sardines ! ...one point mentioned by a cousin of mine watching my pup also DEVOURING RAW BEEF MINCE yesterday...and she just ate 2 of them again this morning when she NEVER eats anything in the mornings normally...ignores DRY FOOD totally of course ...worms...my cousin said...CAREFUL with RAW MEAT...dogs can get worms for them ! sigh...what is view on this ? i suggest...maybe if meat is not fresh ? but ok if fresh ?

Black fairy,there is a parasite that is sometimes found in beef that is very dangerous to dogs(can't remember the name but I'm sure someone here will know).Its always best to only feed beef thats been previously frozen(for at least 24 hours) then you won't have any problems.

excellent helenmd ! exactly what i did actually...stopped at grocers supermarket that let me in with my pup in fact where i got them...ah the man recognised my breed at once...has a Terv himself...achieved "recommended" status so has MADE it as he proudly told me...the shop owner...oh forget all that stuffa bout NO DOGS in food shops...ALL the customers in there stopped and coo cooed over my pup chewing a carton at the til once walked round !!! LOL !!!!

good luck black fairy - i have found since starting this diet that with everything people either say yes or no to different food - the only thing i have found is a big no no is grapes and onions - although i did meet someone the other day who feeds raw and they said that they give there dog anything that it will eat, banana skins the lot - there attitude was they wouldn't not eat it in the wild - it is so hard - but we have found out that Roxy will eat anything with live yog on it (mainly do it with fruit)  and the live yogart is a natural wormer!!! good times :)

yes...i need to read up to make sure she gets all vitamins needed of course...but ? she WALLOPS down the defrozen fish and beef to great satisfaction...is actually EATING now properly...whatever all that dry food had that was perfect nutrition ? fine ! IF THE DOGS EAT THE RIGHT AMOUNT of course ! if not ? WASTE OF TIME ! might as well do on an astronauts vitamin tablet diet to make sure they get vitamins theya re missing for days while we STARVE them to MAKE THEM EAT THEIR DRY FOOD ! ridiculous...do WE or ASTRONAUTS choose dry tasteless food if something better is around ? NON ! so ! common F sense i say. it is HARDLY going to COST more than the HORRENDOUS price of this dry food stuff i say also ! LESS in fact !

we have been told that no vitamin tablets is needed as they get all the vits they need from the bones in the meat and fruit and veg ( everything in moderation of course) i was terrified of giving bones at first, then watching her eat a chicken drumstick is very ppleasing that she crunches through it like a lolly pop. its is very statisfing watch your dog eat when she used to hide before from the dry food....pricing works out about the same but well worth the visit to the butcher everyweek - and the fruit we don't eat she will :D

ooh ! now FRUIT must find out what she likes...not strawberries...and i will not let her have my expensive cherries i just bought myself...gives ME the runs so not having dog ones around thanks....chicken bones ! ooh and i thought years back they said NON to that as they could SPLINTER in tummies ???? maybe big dogs are ok...not sure about CHICKEN bones i must say...the farm dogs here eat tehm...but they get given ANYTHING and just select themselves...and they do eat bones for sure...

i was told that chicken bones only splinter when they are cooked...strawberries are the only fruit she will eat without yogurt hahaha fussy dog!!! (not too many at one time tho) someone told us a good rule - anything the grows below the ground will harden the stools and anything above with soften them.... if she likes live yogurt and you find she wont eat a certain fruit but want her to eat it (cause of the vitamins in it) them hand give it her with live yog on it.....i find if i put it into her bowl she will just lick the yogurt off.....Also eggs you can give a whole egg including the shell - we gave Roxy her first egg yesterday i mashed it into her beef - she loved it ...is very funny giving her new stuff as she is not the easiest to please ...... its nice to know that i'm not the only new raw feeder :)

well she is off yogurt now for a while...but...she is INTO COOKED EGGS BIG TIME ! i read in French forum that 2 per week is enough...not more...they reckon eggs are bad for humans even here...liver issues...can't say i suffered...i eat loads...cheers...fruit thing is interesting...i think she will be an underground dog...tried chewing onions today...not good for her took that away once her back was turned of course...can't take anything off her otherwise...or else that is EXACTLY what she will obsess about and want...sigh...such a CHILD hey puppies..

oh dear onions are a no no (so i have heard) - i feed the eggs raw including the shell - i don't cook anything. any veg needs to be pluped as well.....do you have any tips for me??

r u asking me ? well...just got out my breeders pages of instructions...more of a DO NOT rather than a DO list !! LOL !! very FRENCH that...but here goes...excuse lack of knowledge of the English words...the DO NOT EATS  in the veggie world...

1. bulbes of tulips.
2. ditto daffodils
3. narcissi
4. jacinthes
5. irises
6. philodendrums
7. tiges de liere...IVY  leaves.
8. lilly of the valley
9. hotensia...can't recall what that flower is..
10. glycine...um...like ivy...a creeper plant. LETS SAY ALL CREEPERS and ALL BULBS of flowers !
11. laurier sauce and flower
12. gui = dunno
13. rhodedendrums

DEADLY ONES ARE

1. cigue...dunno what that is in English
2. ancolie
3. aconit
4. cytise
grains seeds of ricin

they missed off ONIONS !!! and vegetables...were into flowers and plant DO NOT EATS mostly...sigh...

now of course i don't need to list the do not eats of insecticides bleach rat poisons etc...or else ? we become like the advert for a microwave i saw once in GB which said DO NOT PUT YOUR CAT in this to dry its fur !!!LOL !!! must be added by now to WASHING MACHINES ! cats have a habit of getting into the latter i add...this kitten here does...my pup sticks her head in there after it to pull it out...LOL !

i MAY go actually to the French Forum of Belgians that MUZZLED me...meaning i can READ but not POST due to my VIEWS and length of postings...yes...too VERBOSE on that forum even for the LATINS !!! OOHH i can outdo them so MUST be a frog i say to that !!! LOL ! yes..there is a LIST of DO NOT EATS more of vegggies i recall there...where i saw ONIONS...which is odd as my BREEDER is a MODERATOR on that forum...he did the reply there but forgot it in his pack infor to pup buyers...typicall...latins are INCONSISTENT !  just off phone with his wife...about my pup's possible sprain in leg...not much evidence of that still there the way she is shooting around after the kitten right now...but she IS off to vet and OESTHEOPATH soon...sigh...can't do xrays they said...belgians die under anaesthetic...so unless ESSENTIAL not to do it for CURIOSITY tomorrow woman said to me ! sigh.

yes i was hahaha......thanks hope your puppy will be better soon....as for the kitten a friend of mine had a kitten drown in the washing machine :(

cats are so CURIOUS ! now...i only read a few pages of the culture clash book...too dark...dont like reading at night...and i have to finish perfect pup first of course...but you know what books are like...one dips in and out and especially to the end of novels to know the end etc...but...i decided...i WILL READ of course this book and all of them...but  ? it said DOGS DO NOT LOVE US !!! or words to that effect...so ? that did it ! i decided i will read with CLOSED MIND as i am SURE my dogs loved me...except the chow...he despised me...sigh...now...another thing it said...dogs do not have moral codes or thoughts just LOOK guilty...yawn yawn...now just now my pup did what i consider a NASTY selfish thing...it had a FULL PLATE of defrozen salmon...oh yes my friend ian just said hey ! i wanted that for lunch !...passons...he is selfish too...my pup anyhows ignored mostly HER full plate and kept TAKING the piece i put to keep kitten of neighbours happy off him ! it was on the chair for him...oh yes...he annoyed ian last night on couch as lept unpleasantly on him twice in the night...sigh...well what behaviour is that i say ? kitten RESENTFUL of a stranger in the house so behaving unpleasantly to a sleeping person...and pup being SELFISH and TAKING food off another animal even tho she has plenty in front of her ???

so ? don't tell me ANIMALS DON t have similar human emotions and feelings ! that is GREED SELFISHNESS  !!! in my UNEDUCATED view...so ? this culture clash book ? i shall read LAST now ! that will be in a few days...i must finish perfect pup book...IN DAYLIGHT !

I use the fish for dogs sea jerky tiddlers for my lab, she loves fish. and will to practicly anything for them :)
I think it's around £2.50 for a bag, which isnt bad if you spread them out.  Hope that helps.. but i will have to try that recipe for liver cakes. xx

well pup did not finish her salmon...but is chewing a raw bone free given from a local butcher right now...very happy with it...and the minced beef i bought there is in freezer...i microwaved some to feed her some now...will give her the defrozen meat raw after that...and make this cake for her for sure...she likes WARM food i noticed...the salmon i did not warm for her.

just in from a vet examination of her...what a star she is...he pulled her little hind legs around ...she made noises but did not bite or try to bite...i was talking to her telling her it was to see what was wrong with her...he found she has a bit of pain on her lower back the left leg has quite a sore point and the right one a little bit...so he gave me anti inflamatories to deflame the swellings...probably due to over exertion...so she is to stay on lead now for easy walks for a few weeks...and SHE CAN GO SWIMMING he said when i asked...that is actually GOOD for any sprains pups get ! no hard jolts ! and i can use my sports muscle for me infrared thing on her legs a bit when she is sleepy...all these slippery floors of modern world mean pups skid and do themselves injuries quite easily i think...and also hard playing and rushing around too wildly...but ? she was VERY HAPPY walking WITHOUT pain 1km there AND BACK just now with breaks ! no pulls on lead..let off in fields a bit...where she loves mostly rolling on her back and play biting my hands as i tickle her tummy...the worst case ? i quantified...forced him to say if he aggred with me...10 percent chance of a serious defect like hip problem..showed me pictures...sigh...if it were that ? i said put her down...he said things can be done...and it is remote still...let us not jump to conclusions too fast and think of the worst...i don't....so ? pup food is a MAJOR NEED to GET FULL NUTRITION...and ??? NEVER NEVER NEVER SMACK ON BOTTOM OR HIND LEGS...enough shocks had in PLAY for that...one never knows...what one can dislocate doing that...or scare the pup into jerking and doing it to themselves...

oooh...the local bar we stopped at we are regulars at were BAD TEMPERED latins just now...had a full house of customers having lunch..i had a lemonade at bar and outside where NO ONE was...talkiung to a man with his mongrel nice dog just inside fairy had sniffed with nicely...ooh i have such WONDERFUL Pics of local kids at the school all wanting the picrures of them stroking her via the grillage...what is that ? fencing...wiring...of their games field...she loved it...and they did...and ...she met a ROTTWEILER she sniffed happily with at the vets ! just there for injections...i SNARLED myself at a woman at end as i was buying her new HARNESS there...oh can order the CAR one there too soon...have a catalogue...great place vet here for that...i SNARLED at a woman who came in...saw my pup lying by me at counter as i was paying and talking harness and car...and TOLD me t....ooh pup has just DRAGGED her raw bone to study in !!! what a WOLF she looked like as she stopped at door and looked at me ! holding a raw huge bone ! now at my feet happy again...she never likes being out of my sight long...

anyway...this woman at vet ordered to to tie my pup up as she was bringing her dog in...i at once put her lead on...just dropped it on floor again where pup was lying...woman etc come in with their huge dog...and ? SHE COMES OVER TO MY PUP AND STARTS MESSING WITH HER !!! without ASKING ME !!! i turned sharply and said NON !!! you just asked me to TIE HER !! i did ! now YOU LEAVE HER ALONE ! ....oh she did...and i returned talking harnesses with vet woman...eff that kind of control freak i say...do NOT give ME ORDERS like that...and then MESS WITH MY DOG without MY PERMISSION when I AM BUSY TALKING TO A VET ! and my dog could have been ILL ! not even ASKING me !!! she
was LUCKY i was distracted by harness talk...or ? she would have got a NASTIER SNARL and MORE VERBAL ABUSE from me for sure !

it is a WALKING harness...she is fine with it..it does not hurt or pull on neck if a sudden pull or lunge is made...not that she does that...but in case...she had one before the collar...and now with this slight sprain issue in back and legs i think it best to use that not a collar on her.

how SWEET ! pup is fast asleep...her raw bone left in front of me...tired little thing...good...she needs rest...took her anti inflamatory liquid with food easily...

ON TALKING TERMS WITH DOGS CALMING SIGNALS BOOK HAS ARRIVED TODAY !! with HERDING DOGS ! selecting and training the working farm dog ! ooh i am as happy as a piglet in the proverbial !! i LOVE that expression !! LOL !!!

oh the issue at the bar ? well OVERWORK frays latin nerves is the real issue...but i got a comment from the woman waitress for my pup nosing and licking in my bag her bone...she said customers inside were looking at it and it was not clean could get grease on pavement...ooh ! i laughed...the pavement there is FULL of grease and filth ! inside even WORSE ! this morning i ate a crossant there with no plate provided...have a pic of it coming up on website soon...floor full of muck....so ? just a KICK THE CAT as WE ARE RUSHED off our feet busy syndrome...i was OUTSIDE...anyone INSIDE ? if not with eyes on their PLATES and FOOD could hardly have made out WHAT was in my bag...except I SPOKE of it of course when buying my lemonade !!! LOL !!! oh i know my own people too well...they are Schxxxxers !!! using a GErmanc form of a 4 letter English word that has an extra C in it !!! LOL !!! love this hey ??  hope so !!! work it out !!! another hint ? my pup ATE some of the pooh (other word for it) that there is SO MUCH OF around public pavements and lawns in France !!! LOL !!! with ALL the laws against it !!! LOL !!! and my pup vomited...was ill on it...ate it why ? due to STARVATION of not wanting to eat her DRY FOOD many other pups don't like !!! HENCE RELEVANT HERE !!!

dogs are allowed in restaurants in France...not really an issue...the HUMANS create the muck !!! LOL !!!

the last time i was there...a woman sat outside said to me that my pup must have WALKED ON HER THROWN ON FLOOR still burning cigarette...they DO provide ASHTRAYS i add there...i said so ? she said well she might have burnt paws ! pup was walking normally...had passed by the table woman was at as we were going in...i shrugged...said well if she stepped on a burning cigarette then she would learn hey ! to avoid them in future !

i dare to add...there was NO real concern over my pups paws involved from this LADY...just SCHADENFREUDE at the idea that i might be bothered and upset...but ? hey it takes more than that to upset me...why also ? why have a negative attitude to me ? ooh well i am a female alone with a DOG in a BAR ! that is NOT A COMMON SIGHT HERE ! and with a considered man's dog also ! resentment...does many  things to people...

but ? it WOULD be nice...but i will NOT put that on my website...if PEOPLE in FRANCE USED ASHTRAYS !!! si ! but ? hey that is THEIR issue not mine i say...pup will LEARN to not step on burning cigarettes...just a LEARNING need of a dog in France. FYI ! teach yours gently i suggest !

Blackfairy.
As much as I've loved reading your postings, are all the expletives suggesting swear words really neccessary!!