Posted by Russell Gibbons on 9th May 2017

Did you know that Adult Dogs have approx 42 Teeth?

Lets discuss some features of the Huds and Toke Gourmet Baked Pet Treats.

There are a number of features, however, I would like to address one in particular.

Firstly, just let me draw your attention to the very fact that all of our gourmet baked pet treats are designed specifically for the type of animal they are targeted at.

So Horse Treats are designed for Horses; Dog Treats designed for dogs; Guinea Pig and Rabbit Treats are designed for them as are Chicken Treats for Chooks and Cat Treats for Cats.

With this in mind, one needs to understand that each of these animals have differing requirements. Hence the difference is Pet Treat texture, ingredients, hardness, thickness, shape, tastes etc…

We can’t discuss them all here now however lets start with why each of our Pet Treats have a certain

density, or hardness!

Gourmet Dog Treats:

All the Huds and Toke Gourmet Dog Treats have been designed and formulated with the needs of dogs in mind.

So what does this mean?

Well, lets just take a quick look at a dogs jaw shall we?

Dogs use their Jaws like we use our hands. Needless to say, they use them a lot. Not just for eating.

They use their mouth for:

complex social behaviour between each other
for grooming themselves
removing objects like prickles
Carrying objects such as Puppies, Bones, toys etc...
and of course, EATING ……….. just to name a few functions……

An adult dog has about 42 teeth. 22 in the bottom Jaw and 20 in the top Jaw……..

The Canine teeth, apart from other functions, help form a cradle for the dog’s tongue. Hence help keep their tongue in place, as per an article in the Daily Dog Discoveries.

So as you can see, a dogs mouth is really complex….. and one needs to understand this when designing pet products!

As such, it's super important they look after their teeth, gums and jaw………..

AND we're NOT even discussing Nutrition in this article....... That's a whole other subject to consider!!!

So there needs to be a lot of thought and effort to go into designing Gourmet Dog Treats.

That’s why we set up our own factory. So we can control exactly what goes into our treats and how they look and feel.

That is the problem with some contract factories. They have a specific recipe list and will only make to that recipe.

Because of this, some of the so-called gourmet treats out there are made with human dough. Which is vastly different to the dough designed specifically for dogs.

To illustrate this, a biscuit made for humans is made purely for taste and consumption with a goal to get you eating more and more as quickly as possible.

Hence the reason a lot of fat and sugar is added and then made in a way which incorporates a lot of air within the biscuit. Thus, the biscuit tastes amazing, but almost evaporates in your mouth with one bite…..which in turn leaves you yearning for more!

Conversely, when we think about a Gourmet Dog Treat, we don’t want those same properties.

Although our Treats look as good as, or if not better than, a human treat, we don’t want the same outcome.

What we want, is for a dog to enjoy the treat for a certain time. We want your puppy to enjoy the challenge of using their incredibly strong jaws and teeth!

We also want the pet treat to help benefit the gum and teeth whilst at the same time we want the treat to have some positive health outcomes. Thus, we DO NOT want sugar, fats, and artificial preservatives just for taste.

Another thing to consider when designing treats is the anatomy of a dog. They want to use their jaws and teeth. It’s in their nature…….

Hence why we design our gourmet dog treats to be quite hard.

Because they need to be a bit of a challenge to the dog, and because we DO NOT want the dog to inhale it at once.

This can cause respiratory issues plus they will not get the full enjoyment of a Gourmet Dog Treat.

Now just remember, we are talking about Gourmet Puppy Treats here.

Dog training Treats are a different product designed for a completely different reason. As is a boredom busting treat, and a Dental Chew Treat.

So stay with me on the Gourmet Baked dog treat….. We will discuss those other treats at a later date!

The Huds and Toke Gourmet Baked Treats are supposed to be quite hard because of two main reasons.

You will feed it to a pet dog who wants to use their jaws and teeth.
Your puppy is not a human. I know they are part of the family….. but they are not human.

There is another dynamic here to consider as well!

And that’s you! The dog owner.

We truly want to help Create Awesome Memories with your favourite pet. And that can only come from your pooch truly enjoying the moment.

Our aim is to slow it down a tad, so that you also get a moment with them as well, and to share that moment and enhance your bond.

With this in mind though, it is a fine balancing act between being too hard and too soft. We want them to truly enjoy the moment with their goody by spending a bit of time crunching it up. Yet we don’t want it too hard that they can’t eat it.

That’s why most of our dog biscuits are made firm, dense, and yet still easy to eat; especially once they get in their mouth. They do soften gradually so that any aged dog, or size, can enjoy.

So next time you buy a Gourmet Dog Treat…..or any dog treat for that matter……….hell, any Pet Treat at all, just remember, if you buy them from artisans, or specialists, such as Huds and Toke, remember that there is a whole lot more that goes into them….. and that buying from someone like this is far more likely to guarantee that the product you are buying is specifically designed for your pet.

I hope this has shed some light on just one of the aspects of our Gourmet Dog Treats.

Have a great week from all the team @ Huds and Toke..........Remember, share those memories with us by sending us, or tagging us, in your photos.

#hudsandtokefamily

@hudsandtoke