Can I use my dog's regular food as treats instead of store-bought?

Yes, it's fine to give Bruno small treats throughout the day if he enjoys this. Some good options that are fairly healthy for him would include raw carrots, green beans, or small pieces of meat such as chicken or roast beef. Just make sure to account for these treats when you are determining how much food to give him each day, to make sure that he doesn't become overweight :)

Thank you for using PetCoach. Treats should make up no more than 10% of a dog's diet. Think of it this way - treats are like cookies - they taste good and may have some nutritional value, but overall are empty calories. Dog treats are similar. You can use smaller treats, or training treats to be able to give her a treat more frequently, but no more than 10% (or less) of her diet needs to be treats. This article has some more info https://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/how-many-treats-you-can-give-your-dog-during-training

Ideally, a high-quality commercially-prepared diet should make up 90% of a dog’s diet, with nutritious treats making up no more than that last 10%. Commercially-prepared foods are formulated to provide proper balances of vitamins and minerals, fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Nutritional deficiencies or imbalances can lead to a host of health conditions. There are some dogs or pet parents who prefer home cooked diets over the commercially available options. In these cases, the recipe for the home cooked food must be carefully balanced to account for any lacking nutrients, and are best formulated by specialists in veterinary nutrition. Examples of such recipes can be found at www.balanceit.com. However, occasional treats of people foods, such as boiled white meat chicken, cooked sweet potatoes, turkey, green beans, or carrots are perfectly fine!

As long as your pet does not suffer from allergies, it is absolutely fine to switch flavors if you want to, some dogs will prefer the change, others will like the same flavor every time, it is very individual.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. Dog treats need to be given in moderation. The standard recommendation is that treats should only comprise 10% of a dog's diet. Personally, I think they should be less as so many dogs struggle with weight problems. This being said Pedigree treats are fine to give in small amounts. I hope this information helps!

A few general recommendations: stick with well known brands with a good reputation. Look for products made in the USA. Kibble works great for treats and I use Purina Pro Plan chicken or lamb and rice. Dry biscuit type treats usually have less calories and salt. The jerky or moist type treats are fine in moderation (they have more calories and salt usually). Lastly, many dogs really like dehydrated chicken livers and chicken jerky. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Yes, homemade treats are fine. There are plenty of recipes you can find online on how to make homemade treats. All the ingredients you list are OK and there are MANY more. Just google some homemade treat recipes for dogs and go from there. Just be sure you are not feeding too many calories. A lot of treats are not good especially for small breed dogs. Here is one website for you to look at: https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/nutrition/recipes-for-quick-and-healthy-dog-treats Hope this helps!