"The owner of a sporting dog should realize that proper nutrition is one of the most important factors influencing a dog's athletic performance."

Dog owners feed treats for different reasons. A 2023 study of treat motivations and behaviours[1] found that most respondents gave treats to make their dog 'happy' or to strengthen the bond, with nearly 40% saying they used treats frequently to 'show love'.

For my gundogs, my primary interest in treats is as a reward for training and performance.

Treats as an extension of a nutritious diet

The tastier they are, the better – of course – but I also want them to contribute nutritional value, not just palatability. After all, we can get through quite a few in the course of a good training session!

Working dogs like gundogs and sled dogs are endurance athletes. Energy requirements are higher as activity levels increase and, like human athletes, proper nutrition is a cornerstone to their success. And in the canine world, for example, studies have shown that performance improves when hunting dogs are fed a better quality diet over a full season[2].

For my dogs, the treats are an extension of their diet.

Proper nutrition

The foundation, i.e. the basic daily diet, needs to be easily digestible and provide sufficient levels of high-quality (preferably human-grade) protein to meet anabolic requirements and support muscle building and recovery.

On top of this, there must be enough non-protein energy sources (fats and carbohydrates) to meet energy requirements. Adequate calories from non-protein sources free up amino acids for muscle repair and growth.

A 2020 study[3], highlights the following nutrients as significant in the sporting dog's diet:

  • calcium (bones, bone meal, eggshell powder, sardines with bones, yoghurt, kale)
  • phosphorus (meat, fish, poultry, organ meats like liver and kidney, eggs, lentils, oats)
  • potassium (sweet potatoes, bananas, pumpkin, salmon, white beans, spinach, broccoli)
  • sodium (natural meats, bone broth, fish; (exercise caution as excess sodium is harmful))
  • magnesium (pumpkin seeds, leafy greens like spinach and kale, rolled oats, mackerel, quinoa)
  • copper (liver, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, spirulina, shiitake mushrooms)
  • iron (red meat, liver, sardines, spinach, quinoa, green beans, pumpkin seeds)
  • manganese (pumpkin seeds, oats, brown rice, spinach, sweet potatoes, green beans)
  • selenium (eggs, sardines, chicken, beef, turkey, sunflower seeds, oats)
  • zinc (beef, lamb, turkey, eggs, pumpkin seeds, spinach, chickpeas)
  • vitamin E (spinach, broccoli, plant oils like wheatgerm and hemp)
  • vitamin C (broccoli, kale, spinach, blueberries, strawberries, pumpkin)
  • vitamin D (salmon, sardines, liver, egg yolk, fortified foods)
  • B vitamins (liver, chicken, turkey, eggs, fish, green vegetables, sweet potatoes, nutritional yeast, oats, quinoa)
  • glutamine (beef, chicken, eggs, fish, cabbage, spinach, parsley)
  • creatine (red meat, fish such as herring, tuna and salmon; synthesised from arginine, glycine and methionine in the body, but dietary intake may enhance stores in active dogs)
  • BCAA* (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, organ meats, cottage cheese)
  • HMB* (primarily synthesised in the body from leucine found in meat, poultry, fish and eggs)

* Use of BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids) before exercise saves muscle proteins; a BCAA-leucine derivative (HMB) counteracts muscle damage, minimizes protein reduction and helps muscle tissue repair.

Nutritional peace of mind

But: although shifts in the dog food market reflect increasingly nutrition-conscious owners, the treat market has some catching up to do. Ingredients that would otherwise be out of place in dog food are still finding their way into some 'treats'.

In a successful training session, I'll be getting through a lot of rewards. I don't want them introducing added salt, sugar or other unknown nasties into the diet – even when I'm following instructions to feed them 'in moderation'.

No to McDo!

Many dog treats, for example, include or are coated with 'animal digest' for palatability (sounds nicer than undecomposed animal tissue, doesn't it?). Other ingredients might include artificial preservatives like BHA and BHT, artificial colours and flavours, excessive salt and sugar and even sugar alcohols like xylitol. Some dog treats have added compounds like Dimethylpolysiloxane, a silicone polymer, to increase palatability. Guess what? It's also used by McDonalds!

I remember photographing a "Fish Snack" without any specific mention of fish on the ingredient label, which read:

Extruded corn, hydrated animal protein, pork fat, corn gluten, calcium carbonate, sodium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, magnesium oxide.

Here's another product, picked at random from the pet food store. Labelled as containing 'real chicken', the ingredients stated on the label were:

Chicken meat, Wheat flour, Vegetable glycerine (E422), Tapioca starch, Sugar, Stabiliser (E415, E420), Wheat gluten, Cellulose fibre (E460), Inulin, Flavouring (Blueberry flavouring, Grapefruit flavouring) Lecithin (E322), Semi-skimmed milk powder (E306), Collagen, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) (E306), Colouring (iron oxide).

Not something I'd be tempted to give my dogs – even if they liked it.

Perhaps it's wrong to call it McDo training, but there is a kernel of truth that some treats aren't healthy and certainly aren't nutritious.

That's not to say that all commercial treats are bad. But careful reading – and understanding – of the label is a must.

Do it yourself

Commercial treats offer convenience, variety and marketing appeal, but they can also contain preservatives, fillers and additives – and we don't always know what else.

That's why I started to work on my own treats. Experimenting with shapes and textures (churros, sausages and tiny baking moulds), but always using flavourful and healthy ingredients. It doesn't necessarily involve great expense: kitchen scraps like broccoli stalks or fish skins that would otherwise be thrown away are a firm favourite!

It's an ongoing experiment. Not everything works. Not everything that's delicious (it's always delicious) can be carried around in a training pouch for hours. So texture matters too. But even the very crumbly 'failures' that fall apart in my pocket will still be wolfed down, one way or another.

And I have nutritional peace of mind…

References:

[1] Shelby A. Nielson, Deep K. Khosa, Katie M. Clow, Adronie Verbrugghe, Dog caregivers' perceptions, motivations and behaviours for feeding treats: A cross sectional study, Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Volume 217, 2023, 105971, ISSN 0167-5877, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2023.105971.

[2] Davenport GM, Kelley RL, Altom EK, Lepine AJ. Effect of diet on hunting performance of English pointers. Vet Ther. 2001;2:10–23.

[3] Kazimierska, Katarzyna & Biel, Wioletta. (2020). Feeding of sporting dogs Part II. Minerals, vitamins and functional additives requirements. Folia Pomeranae Universitatis Technologiae Stetinensis Agricultura, Alimentaria, Piscaria et Zootechnica. 357. 19-30. 10.21005/AAPZ2020.56.4.02.

Important Considerations:

  • Always consult your veterinarian before making any significant dietary changes, particularly where there are pre-existing health conditions or dietary restrictions.
  • If you are feeding commercial food, check the label for ingredients before giving more. Excessive intake of any foods can have adverse effects.
  • Ensure (where possible) that you use high-quality, organic products specifically formulated for pets (or better still, human grade ingredients) to avoid any potential adverse effects.
  • Introduce new foods gradually to avoid adverse effects such as gastrointestinal upset or diarrhoea.
  • I provide nutritional information purely as a helpful guide. Nutritional information on ingredients is obtained from the US Department of Agriculture's FoodData Central site (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/index.html) and any nutritional information provided in recipes is based on an online calculator: calories and other information will vary based on brands, ingredients and other factors.
  • Check nutrient levels and recommendations for your dog's weight, age and activity. For example this nutritional guideline produced by FEDIAF.
  • I am not a professional canine nutritionist but supporting research is cited.
  • The recipes shared were created by me and tested in my kitchen – and tasted and approved by our doggy friends!