snack sugestions

Everything you listed is high  in fat and to me yucky. What about a nice RMB for a treat? 

This is not really complicated, think about the grease alone in the pig ear.... very high in fat and calories and if you are unlucky they can go rancid.  I rarely give pig ears anymore.  Compressed rawhide is theoretically better for you dog since it will break down rapidly should they swallow a big chunk, regular rawhides if of good quality take more energy to chew then they convey in calories.  I buy the biggest ones I can for my hounds and throw them away when they are nibbled to half the original size.   Try Popcorn , dogs rarely care if it is stale , or since it is summer you could freeze broth of any type, chicken or beef and give it to her a chunk at a time.  I also open a can of green beans and put a tiny bit of low fat Italian Dressing and parmesean cheese  then tosss her a couple when puppers gets a high fat goodie she gets a tasty treat that seems like it is Momma food.

Hope that helps?

Bonita of Bwana

Could you give some advice on what to look for?Type of animal?How to assure they are fresh?How long to let her use it?

Tena

If I give her compressed rawhide she chews it up REALLY quickly so I avoid that.It's funny, for 9 years she wouldn't touch a nylabone but now that the puppy has some she finds them worth her timeI love the broth cube idea.I'm trying to stay away from grains and corn.I could make some green beans and refrigerate them but probably only give her one or two at a time.Thanks for the idea.

Tena

I use marrow bones.  They are in the freezer at the pet store.  It's like a round bone that's hollow and it comes with some raw tissue on it.  After the dog chews that off, I take the bone and scrub it in the sink and let it dry.  They they use them as chews.  On special occasions I re-stuff the hollow of the bone with something like cooked chicken breast and a little low fat cottage cheese.

the marrow in marrow bones is VERY high in calories- it's mostly fat. What is your goal in offering snacks? I never give my dogs snacks. If the dog needs to lose weight and you're just trying to keep the dog occupied you can stuff the dog's meals into a kong and freeze it.

4HAND

Could you give some advice on what to look for?Type of animal?How to assure they are fresh?How long to let her use it?

Tena

Do you mean for chews?? Pig ears should NEVER be overly greasy , that is an invitation for a rancid treat.  A semi gloss is fine but again they are heavily greasy fatty treats. The  Rawhides I prefer come from Sam's 15 to a pack for about 10.00 they are about 10 or 12 inches long and rolled , they are considered organic .  If you mean raw bones I go to a butcher ,  beef is good and tough  and great chewing , but this is a crate time treat in my home.  Mine do not care for the sterilized bones unless I pack them with peanut butter or cheese whiz.  another favorite if gross treat is chicken feet, mexican butchers seem to have them more often than anyone else I freeze them and the dogs LOVE them .  Venision is a much harder bone and dogs have been known to crack teeth on them if the do not have the jaw stregnth that my Rhodesians have, you can get them free at any deer processors just keep them frozen , watch out for runs since it is a very rich wild game it can upset digestive systems.  They will quickly strip all the meat from the bone and after that chew when bored. I have bones that are literally more than a year old, they will ignore them and then all of a sudden hit the bone basket pick out a favorite and settle down to chew.  Take it away when any chew fits totally in the mouth.  You do not want them to swallow a largish bone or rawhide.   Oh BTW I hate smoked bones the mess gets into your carpet and is a booger to get out !

Bonita of Bwana

My reason for offering snacks and chewies to an older dog with a weight problem is that we have a new puppy in the house that needs chewies for teething and treats as obedience rewards.I want to offer Jewel a low calorie/fat alternative when the pup gets something to avoid jealousy and resentment of the new pup.Prior to getting the puppy[six weeks ago] we never bought "treats" but she was given many table scraps which are now a thing of the past.I had not bought rawhides for years because she would leave them untouched but now she finds them irresistable.

Tena

Try finding some 100% dehydrated meat treats. I like Benny's Bullys, they're dehydrated beef liver chunks. You can find all kinds like salmon, herring, chicken breast, etc. They're healthy, yet not extremely high in calories or fat.

I buy vanilla yogurt and freeze it in ice cube trays and give a few at a time to Willow.  She  loves them especially in the summer.  Petco is having some issues right now but she also likes the vanilla pretzel cookies they sell in that cookie bar they have.  Those are low fat too.  Also, the brand Smokehouse makes a turkey jerky, it's all turkey and made in the US.  Those are nice and you can get those at Petco or Petsmart.  I stay away from the chicken because it's made in China but the turkey isn't, it's right on the front of the bag.  Willow also likes Lactaid milk.  We give her a little at night, it makes her think she's getting a snack. 

For "everyday" chewies for the puppy I'd find sturdy rubber toys and let him/her chew on those.....I was always nervous, personally, about having my dog think that the only thing worth chewing on was something edible, because I have a breed prone to obesity.  He gets a raw bone about once a week but other than that has chewed on rubber toys almost exclusively since we brought him home.  (OK, I think he's had one nylabone, and maybe a few pigs ears.)  Not a common thing, though. 

As for training treats in your situation I'd probably either train the puppy out of the older dog's sight, or have a bowl of Jewel's low-fat kibble handy, which can be part of her daily ration.  Treat for puppy, piece of kibble for Jewel...that way she's not actually eating any more, just eating her meal in a different way.   

you're going to make the puppy fat if you keep handing out snacks all day. Train the pup away from the older dog. Feed the older dog her meal out of a frozen kong while the pup has structured chew time. If you can get knuckle bones they are long-lasting chews without all that much meat or fat on them.

 I'd put a portion of both of their daily kibble ration into puzzle balls.  They have to work at them, follow them around the room (exercise!) and play with them just to get one little kibble ball to fall out.  Kept Indie occupied for hours when he was getting kibble.  Large beef ribs frozen make for a long chew session also.  Often they're not hungry as much as they just like to chew (my Indie!).  And soaking their kibble in some low-sodium beef or chicken broth and stuffing it into a Kong and freezing it can keep them happy for a long time also.

Puzzle Ball 

Calming Treat Cube

Molecuball

There are treats called Charlie Bear treats at Petsmart (and probably Petco too). They are tiny and low calorie.

They would be great for the puppy too, since they are the perfect size for training and healthy.

I think snacks are very important for dogs, especially during training time and also for just a quick pick-me-up to regulate blood sugar levels. I know my dog likes to eat a small snack in the afternoon because its been several hours since breakfast and still several hours until dinner, and I know she gets hungry going that long without food.