Fish and seafood for dogs

Why is it worth giving your dog fish?

Fish for dogs brings something to the diet that land meat doesn't provide in the same amount. It's a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids, and at the same time a protein your dog usually doesn't come across every day.

The second reason is purely practical: smell. Dried fish smells more intense than most meat treats, which is why it can be effective where other rewards fail. The third reason concerns dogs who have had one type of meat after another removed from their diet, because fish then remains one of the few options available.

• Cod: a lean fish with a delicate flavour, a good starting point.
• Salmon: the most aromatic of the whole group.
• Herring and tuna: bold sea fish for a dog who likes strong flavours.
• Prawn and lobster: seafood as a change from fish.
• New Zealand mussels: a treat made from one hundred per cent of a single raw material.

Dried fish for dogs: how to serve it

Dried fish for dogs is most often given from the hand as a reward, but that's not the only way. Dried fish for dogs is also good crumbled over food, because the smell spreads through the whole portion and encourages a dog who approaches the bowl reluctantly.

The third way is to take fish on a walk as a high-value reward, the kind you bring out when a lot is going on around your dog and an ordinary treat stops working. Fish has the edge here precisely because of its smell, which your dog can detect from a distance. Because of this strong aroma, it's worth starting with a small amount and checking how your dog reacts. An 80 g pack lasts a long time, because a single piece is very light and one reward really is very little product. If you're looking for other ways to boost the aroma of the bowl, dried meat for dogs works in a similar way, and I wrote about omega-3 fatty acids in the entry omega-3 for dogs.

Dried fish for dogs with intolerances

Dried fish for dogs can be a lifesaver for dogs whose list of permitted ingredients has become very short. Dried fish for dogs is a different protein from beef, poultry or lamb, so it often remains available even when land meat is ruled out.

In this category it's then worth looking mainly at single-ingredient items, such as treats made from one hundred per cent New Zealand mussels, because they have the shortest ingredient list on the whole shelf. If you need an even shorter list, you'll find a similar approach in freeze-dried meat for dogs, where the salmon and tuna fillets have a single item on the label. A full overview of the other treats, including dried meats and sausages, is in dog treats.