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Raw Paws Pet Food has provided me with a free product for review purposes. This is not a paid promotion, and all opinions are my own.
Raw Paws Freeze Dried Dog Treats
(Read to the end to use our exclusive discount code for 10% off your entire order with Raw Paws Pet Food!)
Raw Paws Pet Food is a small business focused on selling healthy food, treats, and chews for dogs. Their selection ranges from packaged raw foods and raw ingredients like raw meaty bones and organs, to natural chews like yak cheese and bully sticks, to a great selection of their own special grain-free kibble and kibble/freeze dried mixes.
Raw Paws is a popular supplier in the natural dog food world for homemade and raw dog food ingredients, but their entire selection is top-notch from their premade raw patties to their snacks and supplements.
One of the most interesting items in their selection, however, and one I was fortunate enough to get to try out for myself recently, is Raw Paws Pet Food’s special freeze-dried treats.
Freeze-dried dog treats, while especially popular in raw feeding circles, are an amazing addition for just about any dog. They pack a huge punch in nutrition from being minimally-processed (no overcooked or burnt dog biscuits here), aromatic and enticing from being dried raw, and are especially safe from the freeze-drying process and typical single-ingredient packaging which makes them easy to fit into the diet of dogs with allergies or other special dietary needs.
As someone who feeds their dogs a homemade diet made from scratch and also spends most of my day training dogs hands-on, I have really come to appreciate the value of dog treats that are nutrient-dense, aromatic, and appropriately-sized for training rewards.
So when Raw Paws Pet Food generously decided to send some samples for my dogs to try, I was elated to get to try out some of their training-sized freeze-dried treats.
Raw Paws Pet Food Freeze-Dried Liver Treats
I was given (or, rather, my dog squad was given) two types of dog treats to try out, the first of which being some of Raw Paws Pet Food’s freeze-dried chicken liver treats.
I was excited to try the chicken liver treats from Raw Paws out because of what a valuable part of a dog’s diet liver can be. Chicken liver is packed full of essential fatty acids, zinc, iron, vitamin B-6, vitamin A, and protein. This makes liver an amazing way to keep your dog’s coat shiny and healthy, their brain functioning at its best, muscles strong, and their eyes strong.
In fact, liver is so healthy for our pet dogs that raw and homemade cooked dog food fans, as a rule of thumb, include liver as 5% of a dog’s total diet, half of the 10% recommended for secreting organs. Any homemade dog food feeder will tell you that liver is not just good for dogs, it’s a must.
What’s nice about including liver in raw, freeze-dried form is that it’s easy to handle and can be included in your dog’s diet as a part of training or as a topper on any type of dog food — including kibble!
I think it’s so important to give dog owners the options to include healthy food in their dogs’ diets regardless of whether or not they have the time or interest in preparing raw or homemade food. Raw Paws makes including liver into your dogs’ diet super easy by making their liver treats diced for training purposes.
A 4oz bag of Raw Paws diced chicken liver treats goes for $22.99 on their website, but is on sale right now for only $14.99. And, if you use our code LUGARU10, you can get an additional 10% off your entire order!
Raw Paws Freeze-Dried Green Tripe Treats
If there is a “superfood” for dogs, it must be green tripe. Tripe is an edible part of the stomachs of cud-chewing or “ruminant” animal; in the dog food world, this is usually cow, goat, or sheep tripe.
There are two types of tripe: green and white. While white tripe isn’t nearly as beneficial for dogs as it has been processed (by bleaching with chlorine, scalding, etc.) for human consumption, green tripe is an absolute powerhouse of nutrition for our pets.
Green tripe is full of omegas and essential fatty acids, as well as calcium and phosphorous. But the biggest benefit green tripe brings to the table is its powerful probiotics and gut health enzymes. Being part of the stomach, green tripe is packed with beneficial bacteria that helps in digestion and competes with less-favorable bacteria in our dogs’ digestive systems.
Just like popular human probiotic foods like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kefir, green tripe fills this same role of keeping our dogs’ digestive tracts populated with the good types of bacteria and digestive enzymes to keep their digestive systems working efficiently and comfortably.
What’s more is that green tripe is a blessing for dog owners with picky eaters. Tripe has a scent to it that sends dogs over the moon. Which means it is absolutely priceless as a food topper or as a high-value training treat.
And just like the diced liver treats, the Raw Paws Pet Food green tripe treats are perfectly-sized for training rewards for dogs of any size.
A bag of Raw Paws green tripe treats sells for $34.99 on the Raw Paws Pet Food website, but is currently on sale for $24.99. Plus, you can use our code at the end of this article for an additional 10% off their entire selection!
What Did My Pets Think of Raw Paws Freeze Dried Treats?
From the moment the parcel arrived from Raw Paws and the bags came out of the box, my pets were on it. The faint crinkle of the resealable bags immediately gathered the interest of not just my three dogs — an 18-lb chihuahua-italian greyhound mix, a 12-lb pomeranian, and a 75+ lb doberman mix — but also my two cats.
While the dogs watched respectfully from their boundary at the edge of the kitchen, I honestly can’t say the same for my two cats. While I tried to set up for a picture, my older girl was already waiting expectantly, as if she knew the contents were going to be something good.
Luckily, both the freeze-dried chicken liver treats and the freeze-dried beef tripe treats are also safe and beneficial for cats as well, for the same reasons listed above. After removing her from the kitchen counter, both of the cats also got to try out each one before moving on to the dogs.
Needless to say, the cats loved these treats, and I do occasionally give them a sample from the dogs’ new treat stash, much to their delight. So if you’re here as a cat owner, look no further for some awesome snacks and toppers!
Grimm
Grimm is the dog who’s been with me the longest, and he knows the drill. My personal dogs are not allowed in the kitchen, so he waited on tippy-toes at the boundary, peering over and sniffing the air.
I came over with the new selection, gave him a couple easy commands to roll through, and rewarded him with the chicken liver and green tripe treats one at a time, which he took eagerly and indiscriminately.
He was instantly ready for more, and already knows where I am storing the treats in my kitchen. When he sees me at that cupboard, I can see him look up to see if more of the good stuff is coming out.
Wicca
Maybe this one isn’t fair. Wicca loves food. All food.
Her feet were tippy-tappy as she struggled to keep her cool before I even gave her the first sample of these treats. She was ready.
She went through a few commands, excitedly took her snacks, and watched me to see if more was coming.
While Wicca loves food, I will give this compliment to Raw Paws: these treats gave my pomeranian the chatters. I doubt that’s the term most trainers use for this behavior, but in my own personal dialect, “the chatters” is when a dog gets excited and clicks their teeth in anticipation.
Wicca sat there expectantly, sitting and chattering away.
She loves food, but she usually doesn’t love food that much. I think it’s safe to say that she would rate both of these treats a 10/10.
Milo
I was worried that Milo wouldn’t be into these treats, but I was happy to be proven wrong.
The reason for the concerns is that I regularly make dehydrated treats from home. Milo loves the chicken breast treats, but wants nothing to do with the treats I make from beef liver. I was a little concerned that Milo wouldn’t want the freeze-dried chicken liver treats from Raw Paws, but I gave it a try anyway.
I don’t know if I should be relieved or offended, but Milo immediately adored the chicken liver treats. He showed off some of his new tricks for me and took each treat with no issue. I guess my homemade version just isn’t as good!
The freeze-dried green tripe treats went over similarly with Milo; that is, down the hatch as soon as it was offered.
I was pleased, but a little taken aback that Milo was so into the new snacks. Since coming to live with me, he’s been something of a picky eater. He would rather work for affection and toys than his kibble, and even with his daily meals he would leave a good amount of food in the bowl until I switched him to Ketona from KetoNatural Pet Food.
While my ego is hurting from his rejection of my homemade beef liver treats (ouch), I’m thrilled that I have something training-treat sized to use with Milo, who is beginning his advanced obedience and could really use something high-value to work with.
I’m going to have to top up my supply when these run low, because Milo works for them incredibly well. Go figure!
What I Think
So far, the freeze-dried dog treats from Raw Paws Pet Food have been amazing for a number of reasons.
The first is detailed above: having a training treat that my new addition, Milo, is eager to work for, and all my dogs enjoy quite a bit.
But there’s something I am particularly pleased about when it comes to the Raw Paws freeze-dried treats: their consistency and texture.
That may sound odd coming from my perspective as their owner and trainer, but trust me when I say it makes a difference. I’m not a stranger to freeze-dried raw toppers and treats, but in the past I have always run into a consistency issue when using them as training rewards.
Tripe treats have always been my favorite high-value food reward for their nutritional value and for how aromatic and enticing they are to most dogs; they’re awesome for luring and shaping behaviors because they engage a dog’s nose a lot more than your average dog biscuit, kibble, or packaged training treat.
But tripe treats I’ve used before have crumbled in my bait pouch; a lot of them have a loose, butter cracker-type feel, where they start falling apart and a lot ends up going to waste or making a mess.
The Raw Paws Pet Food green tripe treats don’t do that at all. They’re firm and solid nibs that don’t all break apart in a treat pouch or bag and for the most part stay in their original shape on the way from the bag to your hand and finally to the dog.
There’s just a little bit of crumblies after a very long training session, but no gross flakiness to collect dog slobber and get your hands all grimey. To my surprise, the liver treats broke up a little bit more than the tripe, but I really have to emphasize that both held up really nicely. For both treat types, they mostly held together very conveniently, even while I lured dogs through weave poles and had to be pretty active myself. And the little bit of crumbs that do form at the bottom of the treat pouch make an awesome food topper, so no loss anyway!
As with any raw dog food, definitely wash your hands thoroughly at the end of a training session, and keep some hand sanitizer on you for breaks or if you’re in a pinch. Of course, always be mindful when handling raw food, even the freeze-dried stuff.
But it just makes such a difference to have a freeze-dried treat that doesn’t build up on your fingers while you’re working and cause an unneeded mess.
For training purposes, the Raw Paws freeze-dried treats get a 10/10 from me.
How to Use Freeze-Dried Dog Treats from Raw Paws Pet Food
In the interest of testing the freeze dried treats to the fullest extent I can, I’ve been using the freeze-dried treats from Raw Paws in a number of ways with my dogs. Treats like these are awesome because they can be used in a number of ways that can suit any number of different dogs. The way I use them with each of my personal dogs is a little different based on the individual.
As A Topper
The freeze-dried treats make a fantastic mealtime topper. I’ve been using them for both my dogs and my cats this way, and while my pets all eat different foods right now, they all adore the extra sprinkle of the freeze-dried treats on top.
I tend to empty my bait pouch at the end of the day and sprinkle the little bit of crumbs on top of bowls for mealtime. My two small dogs currently eat homemade food, while Milo is on a high-quality kibble called Ketona while I get prepared to prepare enough food to suit him. Being that the little dogs already have a moist and stinky food that they love, usually those crumbs to go to Milo.
As Training Treats
Like I mentioned earlier, the Raw Paws freeze-dried treats are phenomenal for training rewards. They stay in one piece, hold the attention of all of my pets and are the perfect size to keep my pets at a healthy weight even while training.
I’ve used these treats to introduce a new agility course — the dogs will literally jump through hoops for these treats! And weave through poles, and run through tubes and shoots…
They’ve also been a star with Khayl’s dog Tanuki as he get his new “meerkat” (beg) trick polished up. He was so eager to work for the liver treats that he picked up the new command in one session.
Milo is going through all the advanced obedience stuff right now, and during his training for these new commands I was so grateful to have something he was excited to learn for. Things like retrieve and recall to the place position have been advancing quickly, in no small part due to having a treat that really engages him for luring.
As a Kong-Filler
I recently got Milo a couple of Kong toys to occupy his time while he’s crated, and I also started reintroducing the kong toys to my small dogs as well. The freeze-dried treats from raw paws pet food are an awesome kong stuffer because they are small and smelly; your dog is going to know it’s in there, and be engaged trying to get every bit out.
For my dogs, I stuff their kongs with an appropriate number of joint supplement chews from KetoNatural Pet Foods (four for Milo, and one half of one for each of my smaller dogs), then I top it off with the freeze-dried treats from Raw Paws, and finally cap the top with natural peanut butter. It’s a huge hit with all of them.
As a Scent Activity
One pass-time I’ve been doing more frequently with my dogs is going out to the yard and doing snuffle activities. While I don’t really plan on scaling the activity into actual nose training, it’s a fun activity that stimulates them mentally.
To do this you can go out to a clean grassy area, or buy/make a snuffle mat to use indoors. Scatter some treats, and let your dog sniff to find them.
The Raw Paws freeze dried treats worked great for this because they are small, and smelly enough to engage the nose. All my dogs loved doing this, and it’s a neat activity that I think most dogs would enjoy.
The Final Opinion
I would say that Raw Paws Pet Food has rightfully earned a repeat customer in me. Getting a chance to try out and review the freeze dried treats has been a delight, and I think I would be doing myself dirty if I didn’t order more as these finally begin to run out.
The freeze dried treats from Raw Paws make a fantastic training treat, topper, kong stuffer, and way more. They’re versatile and easy to use, with a way better consistency for training than any other similar product I’ve tried.
After getting to try them over the last few weeks with a number of dogs, I can safely say that these are a must-have for anyone looking for a valuable and healthy training treat for their dog (or cat!). I absolutely plan on stocking back up now that the treats are starting to run low, and I’d eagerly recommend them to anyone looking for a healthy way to engage their dog during reward training.
Like I mentioned earlier in this article, Raw Paws has been generous enough to provide Lugaru K9 Training’s clients and readers with a 10% discount code! Just use our link to make your order on Raw Paws Pet Food’s website, and enter the code LUGARU10 at checkout to get your discount on your entire order! And if you get a chance to try them out yourself, let us know what you think in the comments!
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