Liver Treats for Dogs

Liver is the treat dogs will work hardest for, which is exactly why it belongs in a training pouch rather than a food bowl. Freeze dried and air dried liver is one ingredient, it breaks cleanly into small pieces, and the smell carries far enough to hold a dog's attention in a distracting environment. Beef, lamb, kangaroo and chicken liver all do the same job; kangaroo is the useful one if your dog reacts to the more common proteins.

The thing to know before you buy a large bag: liver is not a neutral snack. It is very high in vitamin A and copper — that is what makes it nutritious in small amounts and a problem in large ones, since vitamin A is stored in the body rather than flushed out. Keep organ meat to a small share of what your dog eats in a day, treat a bag of liver as weeks of training rather than a few sittings, and be more conservative again with puppies and small breeds.

Formats vary more than the ingredient list suggests. Whole dried slices and strips snap into pieces of any size you like. Balls, sticks and baked liver cookies hold together better in a pocket but usually include other ingredients, so read the label if you are avoiding something specific.

• Freeze dried dog treats
• All dog treats
• Green lipped mussel treats
• BlackDog, Zeal, The Paw Grocer, SavourLife