Pet Pointers: Poochie Butter

Poochie Butter is a peanut butter designed just for pets, with specific ingredients to promote pet health and avoiding certain ingredients that could be problematic for furry friends. I had a chance to interview them to learn more.

Why was Poochie Butter created?

Poochie Butter was created after my dog Bear was diagnosed with lime disease. The only way he would take his medicine was with peanut butter, and after sourcing the ingredients I was determined to find him a healthier alternative. 

Our top 3 best nutrition tips are:

1. Read the labels

Make sure you understand what the ingredients are and if they’re good or bad for dogs. We often overlook the importance of basic nutrition, but knowing what ingredients are good and bad for your pooch is the first step. Doing a quick google search of the ingredients you’re unfamiliar with is an easy way to educate yourself. For example, sugar, salt and palm oil aren’t great for your dogs health, yet most peanut butter brands contain all three ingredients. Choosing a product like Poochie Butter which eliminated those harmful additives and replaced them with superfoods like turmeric and ginger, is the difference between a healthy and unhealthy diet.

2. Feed them vegetables

I know this might sound shocking, but vegetables are actually healthy! Mixing in a balanced portion of vegatables into their daily diet is a great way to give your pooch more nutrients. As always, make sure you do your homework and research which vegetables are good or bad for them. For example, carrots are a great snack that are low in calories, high in fiber and vitamins, and provide a satisfying crunch.

3. Exercise

Naturally, a big part of a dogs overall health comes from the amount of excersie they receive. In addition to a healthy and nutritious diet, it’s important to give your dog enough exercise to burn off those calories and to stay in shape. Not only is exercise physically beneficially, it’s also mentally stimulating. Even spending 10-15 minutes a day training with your dog, could be a great opportunity for you to reward them with chopped up pieces of carrot. 

What role do treats and incentives play in raising a pet?

When training your pet, it may be difficult to communicate a task or behavior without the help of a delicious treat. Dogs by nature respond better to food as a motivator for primal reasons. Here are 3 quick tips to help properly raise and train your pet:

- Give small treats. For example, if you are using a carrot, chop it up into 15-20 smaller pieces. If you’re teaching your dog to “come here” reward them every time come and obey your command. This reinforces their behavior and they’ll need multiple sessions before they master it, which is why you don’t want to give them 15 carrots or they’ll get obese and sick!

- Treats are great in the beginning, but don’t rely on them for too long. Eventually you’ll want to reward your dog with love and affection. Telling your dog to “come here” shouldn’t require a treat every time, but during the training process it’s a great tool to teach the behavior.

- Experiment with different treats! Using a “high reward” treat like small pieces of chicken, cheese or little licks of Poochie Butter from a spoon might motivate your dog to listen and follow instructions better because the reward is higher. Different tasks might require different treats, so sometimes it’s best to use high reward treats with more difficult things.