The stores are full of all kinds of Halloween candy, ready for trick-or-treat fun, and that got me thinking about treats for dogs. Much of the Halloween candy includes some form of chocolate, and that’s a definite no-no for dogs. Keep those tiny candy bars as a humans-only treat. If your dog eats a bit of milk chocolate, he’ll probably be fine but if he gets into a lot of dark chocolate, contact your veterinarian immediately. Better to avoid all chocolate for your dog.

Some treats my dogs get to eat just for fun, and some treats are for training. For training, I want something they can eat quickly. You don’t want to have to wait for your dog to eat a large biscuit when you’re practicing a behavior. You also don’t want a treat that is messy to handle or that will make the inside of your pockets too disgusting. For instance, Tegan likes pizza crusts. That’s not something I’d use in training, but I’m happy to give him a piece of crust whenever we’re having pizza.

I give my dogs small dog biscuits in the evening and before bed. When they come in from outdoors, they get a mini biscuit. These are almost small enough to use for training, but many dogs will only work for high value treats. Tegan will spin, sit, or lie down for a biscuit, but if I want him to jump through a hoop, I’d better have some string cheese in my hand. I’ve written before about how much I love string cheese for training, but it can get messy. When it’s warm, the cheese softens.

Jiminy’s Cricket treats work well for training and are relatively low in calories. Depending on the kind you buy, each treat ranges from 2.9 calories (sweet potato, peas, oats, crickets) to 9 calories (peanut butter, crickets, flax seed, lentils, blueberries). They’re not too messy and the larger treats can be broken in half. These, of course, are a treat specifically for dogs. If you’re looking for “people food” to use, many people cut up hot dogs, either as they come, or dried out in the microwave. You can also prepare liver treats in the microwave.

Dogs love tasty treats of all kinds and you don’t have to be training your dog to offer him something he likes. Many types of “people food” is also enjoyed by dogs. Like Tegan, most dogs like pizza crusts. Gael may be the exception. When we have pizza, she goes upstairs, and doesn’t come down until she knows it’s all gone. Our first dog loved blueberries and would pick them right off the bush. All my Corgis have liked apples, but Gael and Tegan are the exception. Gael won’t even take a piece of apple. Tegan will take a piece, but then he just stares at it, and may even carry it into another room, where he leaves it.

Most fruits are fine as an occasional dog treat, but remember to stay away from grapes and raisins, both of which can cause kidney failure. Not all dogs are affected by grapes or raisins, and the amount that can cause damage seems to vary, but play it safe, and keep those treats for humans only. Also, be cautious with any fruit with a large pit. You don’t want your dog to choke.

My dogs do enjoy carrots, and small bits of carrots can make a good training reward, too, if your dog is large enough to quickly chew up the carrot. A Pug belonging to a friend likes tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, peaches, and red cabbage, but not green cabbage. Many dogs enjoy tomatoes and another friend has a dog who likes coconut.

Most dogs enjoy eggs, and cooked eggs are fine for your dog. The occasional raw egg won’t hurt, but raw egg whites contain avidin, which inhibits biotin, a vitamin dogs need, so limit the raw egg treats.

My friend’s dog loves eating black olives direct from the tree.

My dogs don’t like either black or green olives, but maybe that’s because they’ve only tried processed olives. Maybe raw olives are better.

Of course, some dogs are pampered. A friend with Italian Greyhounds says her dogs like anything that she and her husband eat, but their favorite treat is vanilla, caramel, or coconut gelato. Sometimes, she says, “we cheat and spoon it onto vanilla wafers.”

I’m not an Italian Greyhound, but I want to be adopted..