Are you looking to purchase some dog treats for your Shiba Inu?
Are you a little bit confused about which ones to get? Besides, you’re not short of options, are you!
And you’re going to need treats.
Particularly for this stubborn breed that simply needs proper and sufficient training to be a well-rounded dog.
Treats are going to be a fundamental and crucial component of that.
So today, I’d like to save you the time and energy sifting through the countless stream of dog treat products on the market.
I’d like to quickly introduce to you the best brands that have met strict criteria to be selected.
And then, I’ll be walking you through exactly how to use them.
So, what are the recommendations, exactly?
Best Dog Treats For Shiba Inus
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Stix Soft-Moist Dog Treats
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What I Like About Blue Buffalo Wilderness Stix Dog Treats
- Realy unique flavors that you don’t often find in dog treats. This makes them a little different and highly rewarding for a Shiba!
- As sticks, these last your dog a longer time than your typical ‘bite-sized’ treat,
- Suitable and ideal for dogs with allergies, sensitive digestive systems, and even picky eaters!
- Scent is mild, ensuring your Shiba won’t have bad breath following consumption!
What I Don’t Like About Blue Buffalo Wilderness Stix Dog Treats
- Due to their size and shape, can be tricky to take with you on the go. Not the best for quick feeding during training.
Blue Buffalo Blue Bits Dog Treats
- REAL CHICKEN FIRST: BLUE Bits dog training treats are made with delicious real chicken as the first ingredient making them an ideal reward for your best friend’s best behavior.
- SOFT TRAINING TREATS: For dogs that love a soft treat, BLUE Bits are tender, bite-sized morsels that are the perfect size for training. Plus, with DHA to help support cognitive development, they’re an ideal puppy treat.
- WHOLESOME INGREDIENTS: These dog treats don’t contain any chicken (or poultry) by-product meals and are free from corn, wheat, and soy. Plus, they’re free from artificial preservatives like Propylene Glycol and colors like Red Dye 40.
- HEALTHY DOG TREATS: Blue Buffalo natural dog treats feature the healthy, wholesome ingredients you’ll love feeding as much as they’ll love eating.
- Contains: One (1) 4-oz. bag of BLUE Bits Natural Soft-Moist Training Dog Treats, Chicken Recipe
What I Like About Blue Buffalo Blue Bits Dog Treats
- Ideal for adding to toys and puzzle games, like Kongs, which are an ideal way to keep your Shiba stimulated,
- Excellent for both puppy Shibas and adults.
- Very small so excellent for carrying and feeding on the go,
- Soft on your dogs teeth so shouldnt cause dental issues,
- You can easily split them in half to make the bag go futher.
What I Don’t Like About Blue Buffalo Blue Bits Dog Treats
- Some dogs have been known not to like them and have even refused them. May require changing flavors to find what works for your Shiba.
Nutro Crunchy Natural Biscuit Dog Treats
- Trusted Sourcing: Nutro always has trusted partnerships with farmers and suppliers to source high-quality ingredients.
- Quality Ingredients: These crunchy training dog treats contain a high-quality protein source as its foundation and are always made with natural ingredients plus minerals and trace nutrients.
- Nourishes Well-being: Nutro Crunchy Dog Treats are rich in nutrients, full of flavor, and purposefully designed to add tasty variety and delightful moments between you and your pet.
- Quality Recipe: These Nutro dog training treats contain no chicken by-product meal, no corn, wheat, or soy protein, and no artificial preservatives or flavors
- 5 Calories Per Treat: Nutro Crunchy Dog Treats have 5 calories per treat making it great for training and rewarding your dog.
What I Like About Nutro Natural Dog Treats
- Small in size ensuring you do not overfeed or provide too many calories. Equally great for use as a training aid.
- Solid enough to give your dog the crunch satisfaction they enjoy,
- Fair price for the number of treats you receive in each bag,
- Minimal, natural and wholesome ingredients only,
- Make a nice change for a Shiba from typical ‘meat-based’ treats.
What I Don’t Like About Nutro Natural Dog Treats
- Lower protein content than other treats on the market.
What To Look For In Dog Treats For Your Shiba Inu
If you are looking to purchase treats for your Shiba Inu, then it helps to know what to look for and how to differentiate the products on the market.
Below, I outline some of the key things to compare.
Ingredients & Quality
First and foremost, you must ensure that the treats you are buying are of the highest quality.
You can ascertain that by the ingredients they are made of.
You want to ensure that treats provide additional nutrition and not any toxic ingredients that could make your Shiba sick.
What, corn, soy; these are just some examples of ingredients to be mindful of.
This may be particularly true if your Shiba has a sensitive digestive system or has allergies.
Nevertheless, its generally best to seek out treats with minimal, and wholesome ingredients.
At the same time, you want to ensure the ingredients have been sourced safely, and the treats are not liable to growing mold or other potentially harmful bacteria.
Treat Shape & Size
Treat shape and size are essential for smaller dogs like Shibas. More so if you have a puppy.
You want to ensure your dog can safely consume them, or that they can be broken up easily to prevent overfeeding or issues like choking.
Taste and Smell
Treats need to be desirable for your Shiba.
Taste and smell are the two key factors that will help ensure this is the case.
This should ensure better compliance and better results from your training and socialization efforts.
Now not all brands are equally as effective on this front.
It may be the formulation, it may be the way they are packaged, or it could just be through low-quality ingredients.
Either way, you want your Shiba to go crazy for each and every treat!
Quantity & Price
Next, you need to consider your own pocket.
They should be both affordable and should be able to last you a sufficient amount of time.
You may want to consider the treat size in relation to the weight.
For this reason, some treats may actually be more economical and last longer even if they are more expensive up front.
Packaging & Preservation
The better products will preserve well.
Typically, you’ll find that the better brands will use resealable pouches or another innovative packaging.
Preserving treat freshness and quality is paramount – you want your Shiba to continue to enjoy them days, weeks, or months after you have bought them.
At the same time, you want to ensure you can safely store them away at home, or take them with you easily on the go. You don’t want them falling out in your bag or pocket, for instance.
How Many Treats To Feed Your Shiba Inu
The number of treats you offer your Shiba Inu should be directly related to their age, activity, weight, level of exercise, and their behavior. You also need to consider external factors like treat size and nutritional content too.
Not all Shiba Inus should, or will need, the same amount of treats.
A young puppy Shiba going through extensive training will likely need more than a mature and well-behaved adult, for instance.
At the same time, some treats can be offered more regularly than others – purely because they are low in calories and do not add too much nutrition to the diet of your dog.
Of course, this should be contemplated in accordance with your dog’s weight and activity level, too.
An overweight Shiba, for instance, should not be fed the same amount that one that’s perhaps a little under the healthy range.
And then, we need to consider how your Shiba behaves, generally, too.
Have they earned a treat? Are they responding well to you?
Are they calm and collected?
We will continue to look at this in the next section.
But just consider, not all Shiba Inu should be offered the same amount of treats, all the time. It is context-dependent.
When To Feed Your Shiba Inu Treats
A Shiba Inu should only be offered treats in favorable circumstances. Such as, they are responding well to training/socialization or they are behaving in a positive fashion more generally.
As an example, it could be that you are training them a set of commands.
A treat should only be offered, should they follow the command correctly.
Alternatively, you may notice that your Shiba is particularly well behaved during a time they may have previously been quite irate.
As an example, they are not acting out aggressively when their toy has been taken away.
Essentially, your Shiba has to earn their reward.
They should be given infrequently, and purposefully.
Otherwise, they will lose their power and you’ll find they no longer work the way they did, or should.
Finally
Choosing and finding the right dog treats for your Shiba should be a straightforward one.
But as soon as you start to look at the options on the market, you’ll soon find it actually not.
With so many products to choose from you can quickly become overwhelmed.
But it’s essential that you stick to it and get them some high-quality treats.
Besides, these dogs need to be sufficiently trained. You don’t want their stubborn streak to take hold.
So hopefully, I have pointed you in the direction of some of the most widely used and highly rated treats currently available.
I’ve referenced and compared against some important criteria to ensure that the treats recommended here today will serve your Shiba; regardless of their age, health status, or any potential allergies.
So rest assured that you’ll do well with any of the three referenced here today.
In fact, if you head over to Amazon you will soon see for yourself⬇️
Take care, and I wish you all the best with your Shiba!
I am an experienced pet owner with decades of experience owning a number of different pets, from traditional pets like dogs and cats, to the more exotic like reptiles and rodents. I currently own a Cockapoo (pictured) called Bailey. I am also the main writer and chief editor here at Pet Educate; a site dedicated to sharing evidence-based insights and guidance, based on my vast pet ownership knowledge, experience, and extensive research.