Using Baby Food as a Dog Treat
Little jars of meat baby food make super convenient and delicious and treats for dogs! They are a great addition to your treat rotation in general and a total lifesaver in a few situation.
Why Baby Food Makes a Great Treat
Meat baby food makes an amazing high-value treat because it is:
Convenient
Grab at any grocery store, keep in cabinet until you need it, deliver straight from the jar.
Healthy
Most baby food has limited, dog friendly ingredients. Typically, it’s just meat and water, sometimes with a third ingredient like cornstarch or lemon juice. The short ingredient list makes it easy to double check the safety. The added water makes it lower in calories and a little less rich, which is great for days where you are giving a lot of treats or for dogs like Gracie with sensitive bellies.
Delicious
Baby food is basically just creamy meat. Dogs love it. And it is a unique consistency compared to many other high-value treat options, which makes it a great options to add variety to keep your treat selection exciting to your dog.
Which Baby Foods Make Good Treats
When I’m getting baby food to use it as a reward on hikes, or in any training, I always make sure it’s just meat, no veggies, grains, or anything else that would dilute the taste.
When Baby Food Works Best as a Treat
Baby food can get kind of pricey, so I don’t recommend it as your everyday treat, but there are a few situations where I find it’s worth the cost:
When You Need a Highly Rewarding Treat
Since baby food is so unique and delicious to dogs, it works great for situations where you really want to motivate your dog, like teaching them to come when called or to ignore squirrels. It’s also amazing when you want to teach them a positive association to help them overcome fear or anxiety.
Pro Tip: If you are using baby food to teach your dog to come when called, try to practice only a few repetitions but let your dog eat half a jar of baby food as their reward each time. This will keep it super rare and exciting!
When Training at the dog park
Training at the dog park is so tricky! Sometimes, you need something really delicious to get your dog to come over to you, but you don’t want to risk starting a fight over treats. Since baby food comes in a sealed jar that doesn’t have much smell and doesn’t scream “treats” the way a baggie or treat pouch do, it can really come in handy at the dog park.
When You Can’t Refrigerate
Most high-value treats need to be refrigerated. Baby food is pretty much the only shelf-stable food that I consider to be truly high-value. If you are camping, on a road trip, or taking a day trip and can’t keep food cool, it could be perfect!
If Your Dog Has an Upset STomach
Ask your vet first! This is something our vet has approved for days when Gracie or Kona are on a bland diet, since the ingredients are so similar.
As a backup stash
Since it does last for a while in the pantry, it’s great to keep a few jars on hand in case you run out of your usual treat options.
Pro Tip: Try freezing the jar first. If I want to limit how much my dogs gets out at a time or if it’s toasty out, I will sometimes freeze the jar before using it. Just make sure your dog likes it frozen, not all do.
If in Doubt, Ask Your Vet
I’m not a vet or a nutritionist. If you aren’t sure about what foods are ok for your dog or are looking for help for your dog’s stomach issues, definitely talk to a vet before giving baby food to your dog.