Old Mother Hubbard Dog Treats Review: Good or Bad?

If you are working on training your dog, or if you just like to reward them for good deeds and for the love they lavish upon you as their human, dog treats are going to be a major part of you and your dog’s daily routine.

Just like when you are contemplating buying dog food to feed to your pet daily, the treats that you buy should be held to a high standard.

While there are plenty of cheap dog treats on the market, not all of them will be good for your dog to eat consistently and many of them will not offer any nutritional benefits at all.

Many people, especially new dog owners, are not aware of the damage that human food can do to their dog’s long-term health and well-being.

There are many human foods that are simply not meant to be fed to dogs and some of these items can seem totally harmless if you are not aware of their toxicity to dogs.

If you think that you might be treating your dog with foods that can harm them, here is a great article that lists the foods that you should never feed to your dog.

If you feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of dog treats on the market, we can help. There are actually some basic things to keep in mind that will help you to weed the good dog treats out of the bad.

While packaging and other advertising can make all dog treats seem like they are equally good for your dog, there are some factors that will help you to make educated decisions about the treats that you buy.

What to Look for in a Quality Dog Treat?

There are some basic factors that you should always consider when you are shopping for dog treats.

As with dry and wet dog food, there are some things that you can glean from the nutritional facts labels that are placed on dog treats which will help you to know if they are going to be a good choice or not. 

Some companies will call their treats organic or say that they are made with whole food items when really that is not the case. If you know what to look for when you are shopping, you will be much less likely to purchase a treat that is not actually as nutritionally viable as you thought.

Try to think about shopping for dog treats the way that you would think about buying food for your family. If you are considering the nutritional content of the treats as well as the ingredients with this in mind, picking a good dog treat gets much easier.

• USDA or non-GMO certified.

Companies cannot add these certifications to their labeling if they are not 100% organic or 100% non-GMO. If you find a treat brand that offers these certifications, they have been USDA certified.

• Low grain-content.

Ideally, there will be little in the way of grains in any food that your dog eats as grains in the diet of dogs encourage arthritis, diabetes and a myriad of other health problems. While it might seem acceptable to feed a treat to your dog that is not as healthy as the food you have chosen to feed them daily, feeding any dog food or treat that is high in grains is really not a good plan for your dog’s long-term health.

• No chemicals.

Just like when you are shopping for food for you and your family at the store, you should be concerned if you are considering a dog treat and the nutritional label discloses chemicals rather than recognizable food items in the list of ingredients. Chemical additives are never good to feed to your dog and many treats are riddled with them to increase palatability or to make a cheap product affordable to sell at a low price point.

Are you still feeling stumped about which dog treat brand to buy? There are so many on the market and they all promise to be great for training, rewards and for daily feeding to your dog. Here is some information about one of our favorite dog treat brands.

Old Mother Hubbard Dog Treats

The dog treat market offers some stand outs and Old Mother Hubbard dog treats are on this list. They are one of the best options to pick for your dog treat needs, largely because of the care and oversight that the company uses when crafting their treats. You can be sure when you buy from Old Mother Hubbard that you are getting a healthy treat that your dog will love.

Old Mother Hubbard dog treats company was founded in 1926 but the original roots of the company go back to 1873 when A. Hubbard & Son Bakery in MA made hardtack sea biscuits for sailors. The legend goes that one day a sailor threw his hard tack biscuit to his dog, who ate it right up and asked for more. The company was bought up by a professional in animal nutrition in the 60’s and the product that you can buy today was officially born through his hard work.

Old Mother Hubbard dog treats pride themselves on being one of the companies that is involved in the natural food movement. They offer quality treats that will always be safe to feed to your canine buddy. Unlike some other treat companies, Old Mother Hubbard offers many different versions of their treat for many different dietary needs. Here is a list of our favorites:

Old Mother Hubbard Crunchy Classic Natural Dog Treats

• Our Rating: 5 stars

This assortment of biscuits covers all of the basic original flavors that helped to build the company.

The bag comes with original, Char Tar, Chicken and Cheddar biscuits.

The assortment is available in mini, small and large sizes to meet the needs of any size pet. All their treats are oven-baked and crunchy and delicious.

Every treat in the bag is made with a blend of real wheat and real oatmeal, both of which are the safest grain additives that you can offer to your canine companion.

Sweetness is imparted to the biscuits with a touch of real cane molasses. You won’t find any artificial sweeteners here! Real eggs bind the mixture together and apples and carrots combined with chicken fat and real spices to make these treats some of the most palatable on the market.

Even picky eaters will love these biscuits and the ingredients are balanced to make certain that you will never have to deal with an upset stomach.

The price point is excellent and the bags are good size. As and added plus, these treats are puppy safe.

• CONS

Some dogs have been reported to turn their noses up at the unique flavor combinations in the bag.

Liv’R’Crunch

• Our Rating: 5 stars

These treats only come in mini size, but they are one of the most popular for dog training needs.

The flavor profile is basic, safe and is liked by almost all dogs.

As with all Old Mother Hubbard dog treats, these treats are oven-baked.

They promise a satisfying crunch and they are the perfect size for dog training.

They are made with whole wheat flour and some real oatmeal. Apples and carrots add nutritional value and step up the taste.

Chicken fat and chicken liver are the primary protein flavoring in these treats and that is a flavor profile that won’t lead you astray.

Small dogs and big dogs alike will enjoy these classic little snacks.

• CONS

While the ratings on this flavor option are some of the company’s highest, the size of the treats can be an issue for owners of larger dogs.

Bitz Natural Crunchy Dog Training Treats, Chicken, Liver & Veggies

• Our Rating: 5 Stars

Many dog owners buy milk bones for their puppy but these are the healthier and better option.

As with all the other products that are offered by the company, these little biscuits are oven-baked to ensure maximum flavor and no dependence on chemical binders.

These are available in mini size only which can also make them a great fit for dogs that are in training.

Puppies can have sensitive stomachs and Old Mother Hubbard dog treats have taken this into consideration when they built this recipe.

An added benefit to the blend besides the usual fruit blend, chicken fat and actual chicken itself is a complete vitamin supplement that will make certain that your growing puppy gets everything that it needs to grow strong and healthy.

If you are going to be treating your puppy to teach it good manners and new tricks, you can also be assured that you are meeting its nutritional needs.

• CONS

The vitamin supplement that is added to the puppy treats may make it a poor fit for training older dogs.

Only comes in mini size.

P-Nuttier Dog Biscuits

• Our Rating: 5 stars

This is one of the classic biscuits that the company was built upon and it still delights dogs and owners alike.

This blend comes in all three sizes, mini, small and large, making it perfect for any size dog.

The sweetness in this blend comes from apples and carrots and real cane molasses but also has the added deliciousness of crunchy peanut butter.

This is one of the best-loved flavors that Old Mother Hubbard dog treats offers and the value is great for the large bag.

An added herb blend plus chicken fat make these biscuits perfect even for picky eaters or for older dogs who have lost their sense of smell somewhat.

These are a solid option for many uses and for many dietary and palate requirements.

• CONS

Some dogs are sensitive to peanut butter and can get an upset stomach

Classic Extra Tasty Assortment:

• Our Rating: 5 Stars

If you can’t decide which flavor treats to buy, this awesome assortment bag might be the best option for you!

The same oven-baked crunchiness is baked into each treat in this blend and it includes Liv’R’Crunch, P-Nuttier and Bac’N’Cheez flavors.

These are three of the most popular flavors that the company offers and you can combine and mix and match the biscuits for training and treating your canine buddy.

Each treat flavor is made with all-natural ingredients like wheat and oatmeal and they are all sweetened with apples and carrots and real can molasses.

The bacon and cheddar flavoring comes from real bacon and cheese.

This treat assortment is perfect if you are not sure which flavor to try for your first bag and want to let your dog choose from the top three flavors.

• CONS

Only comes in mini size.

Gifts for Your Pet

With the holiday season almost upon us, many pet owners are planning to get their dog some snacks and treats to make them a part of the holiday celebration.

Giving human food to your pets on Christmas or any other holiday might seem like a generous treat, but it can actually cause your dog harm if you feed them certain human foods.

If you are stumped about what treats to gift your canine companion with over the holidays, we have a great list of gifts your pup will love.

Treats and pet gifts are an important part of training and spending time with your furry friends, but they work best when you are using them as part of a healthy routine that you have built with your dog.

If you are a new dog owner or have never contemplated whether your daily routine is ideal for your dog, this great article will show you how to keep your canine friend happy and healthy year-round.

Healthy and happy pets are exercised each day, fed a quality dog food and are treated with dog treats that are made specifically for their needs. It is always wise to pick organic or all-natural food options for your dog to eat and treats are no different.

Make sure that you attend to any poor eating behaviors like choking or eating too quickly with the proper food dishes.

Sometimes the dish that you are feeding your dog with has a much to do with its overall health as the food in that dish.

Conclusion

Dog training is a big part of the bonding process that you experience every day with your canine friend.

Often treats are the best way to help reinforce behaviors.

Selecting a treat that will be good for them while also being yummy and encouraging is very important.

Brands like Old Mother Hubbard dog treats are dedicated to providing healthy and nutritious treats for your needs. Always remember that every item that you feed to your dog has pros and cons associated with it.

Feeding your pet properly is a major component of their daily health and happiness and it is never wise to cut corners in any aspect of their feeding or training regimen.

Feeding a high-quality organic dog food in combination with an all-natural dog treat will guarantee that your doggy companion leads a long, healthy and happy life.

If you like this article, please check out more of our content below:

• Organix Dog Food Review: A Good Choice For Your Pup?
• 13 Dog Water Bowls: Which One is Right for Your Pup?
• The Top 8 Cutest Dog Sweaters To Make Your Pup The Talk of the Town