A dog’s digestive system is very different from our own digestive system. In fact, many of the foods humans enjoy are actually extremely poisonous to dogs. 

In fact, some of the foods you would feed your own baby are extremely harmful to dogs, with symptoms ranging from diarrhea, to fever, to vomiting, to death.

Chocolate – A common poison to dogs, chocolate contains chemicals that interfere with its cardiovascular system, resulting in symptoms such as fast heartbeat, tremors, fever, and coma. Death will eventually occur without medical help. Cocoa powder is also poisonous to dogs, as is milk chocolate.

Onions – Onions (and garlic to a lesser extent) has thiosulphate, a chemical known for causing blood problems with dogs. It can cause Hemolytic Anemia, as well as discolored union and damage to the liver. Baby food is also known to contain onion powder, which makes it poisonous to dogs as well.

Grapes/Raisins – It can only take as few as nine ounces of either of these to poison your pet. Despite the poisoning being a rare occurance, your dog can still show signs of fatigue and vomiting within a few hours.

Mushrooms – Mushrooms are poisonous to dogs, just as some are poisonous to humans.

If you are ever in doubt about whether or not you dog has ingested one of these foods, see a vet anyway! The sooner you are able to get your pet medical help, the greater the chance of survival. All veterinarians are trained in several ways to remove or negate the effects of poisonous substances in your dog.

Rest assured, all foods produced by The Dogs Bark contains NONE of these ingredients. Period. We boast all-natural ingredients that are safe for almost all dogs to consume, regardless of breed, size or condition.

Your dog does many things for you; he should be rewarded for them. Positive
reinforcement helps your dog learn the difference between good and bad
behavior. As you reward your dog, he becomes conditioned to perform those
same behaviors in order to receive more treats. However, there are times when
it is most ideal to reward your dog, and times when it is not.

Training

It’s important for your dog to realize that you expect certain behaviors of him. For
example, you want your dog to be fully house-trained so you don’t have to worry
about finding unpleasant surprises in your living room. When your dog goes
outside, reward their work with verbal reinforcement and a treat.
The same thing works when teaching your dog new tricks. Initially, chances are
your dog isn’t going to be willing to work with you to perform tricks, so any time it
finishes one, reward it. Your dog will get the idea that if he wants treats, he needs
to follow your instructions.

Birthdays, Anniversaries, and special events

It’s perfectly alright to give your dog a treat on its birthday. And if you don’t know
the birthday, you can also use the adoption day as his new birthday. But why
stop there? What about for YOUR birthday as well, and your significant other’s? It
could help your dog to remember there are days that are important to
you, and to him as well.

Words of Caution

Don’t give your dog too many treats, as they may come to expect them simply for
doing rudimentary tasks, and get cranky when they don’t get them. Try to save
treats for special occasions or when your dog is working at his hardest. Start by
giving them out early to motivate them, and then increasing the amount of
work they have to do in order to earn a treat.

Also, be careful if you need to watch your dog’s diet. Every treat you give it adds
several calories to your dog’s food intake, which could cause him to gain weight.
If this is the case, you may consider giving your dog its treats in reduced form;
break treats in half or order smaller size dog treats.

The Dogs Bark offers a treat that is lower in fat and calories than the others.
If you’re looking for a treat that is more diet friendly, please try our Vegan
Blueberry Banana Delights. They are made with fresh blueberry, banana, oats
and unsweetened almond milk.
And as always, be sure to check where your treats come from.