Back in June, the girls got injured and were prescribed 7-10 days of rest, which meant none of our usual hiking, running or splashing to occupy our time. Looking for things to keep them busy until we could resume our active lifestyle, we discovered our new favorite chews courtesy of Jack & Pup.
THE BENEFITS OF CHEW TREATS
Whether the girls are injured or not, having things to chew on is a must for us. Although when we discuss dogs chewing on things, we often conjure up images of ruined shoes and furniture, chewing is a natural behavior for dogs, which is why providing appropriate treats to chew on is so important. Biting and chewing help dogs to relieve stress through releasing endorphins. Chewing allows dogs to exercise their mind, particularly at times when they need to give their body a rest. Chewing also helps dogs to keep the teeth healthy and clean. Biting and chewing are natural hard-wired behaviors that are an inherent part of just being a dog.
OUR FAVORITE JACK & PUP TREATS
Jack & Pup’s slogan is “treats by meat experts and dog lovers.” They focus on single ingredient treats (no chemicals and preservatives) that are of premium quality — each treat is hand inspected, and processed in a USDA Human Grade certified facility.
As stated on their website: “Jack & Pup® believes that the lovable innocence found in every dog helps us reconnect with our true selves and teaches us valuable life lessons. Simply put, dogs make us better people. And that has a profound impact on the world in which we live. That’s why it’s so important to us to ensure we feed the good in every dog.”
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PREMIUM HIMALAYAN YAK CHEESE DOG CHEWS DOG TREAT (4 PACK)
Our favorite of the different Jack & Pup treats we tried were definitely the Himalayan Chews. First, they’re cheese flavored. The girls looooovvvvveeee cheese so first and foremost, they loved the flavor.
Second, they’re long lasting. Both of the girls are power-chewers, meaning that they can destroy the average “long-lasting” chew in a matter of minutes. The Himalayan chews are one of the few products we’ve encountered that live up to their labeling as long-lasting. Griffin gnawed on hers for about 30 minutes, took a nap, and then came back to it, and she’s still only about half-way through it after multiple chew sessions. This is a huge benefit in our book!
Third, we are very impressed by the quality of these treats. The chews do not splinter off into small pieces that are sharp and otherwise dangerous. Of course, we still make sure that we supervise the girls when they’re chewing on their treats just in case this were to happen, but so far, we have not encountered any such issues.
And, finally, we love that the girls don’t lose interest in them. Even if some chews manage not to be devoured in a matter of minutes, the flavor can fade making them less interesting to come back to. The girls loved coming back to these treats every time they were offered.
2. PRIME TENDER & HEARTY THICK COW EARS ODOR FREE DOG TREATS (15 PACK)
The second item from Jack & Pup that we tried were the Prime Tender & Hearty Tick Cow Ears. If you’ve been following our Instagram stories lately, you know that B has a thing for cows. I really wish she’d stop leaping the fence into their pasture and trying to herd them but . . . how to deal with that issue is a blog post for another time!
These cow ears are another great chew/treat option that keeps the girls occupied for a good chunk of time. Although not as long lasting as the Himalayan chews, these cow ears are great for more active chewing. We love that the ears themselves are fairly large in size compared to some other cow ears we’ve purchased from other brands in the past.
Also, we love that they are odor-free!! As a non-meat eater myself, I really do not enjoy the smell of some dog treats. We have tried both the regular (non-odor free) as well as the odor free cow ears and I would recommend the odor free version hands down. Of course, the girls may disagree with me on this since they tend to love to eat stinky things. With that being said, however, they seem to enjoy both the non-odor free and the odor free cow ears without differentiating.
Other benefits to these treats are that they are low calorie, and the ears are made of cartilage, a natural source of chondroitin which helps to support joint function.
Also, as I mentioned above, we ALWAYS supervise the girls when they are chewing their cow ears, and make sure that we provide them with plenty of water. Although we like these cow ears because they are completely digestible, we know that intestinal blockages are possible if a large piece is broken off and swallowed. We’ve never had this issue but it bears repeating that you should always supervise your dog when they have this type of treat!
3. 12-INCH PREMIUM GRADE ODOR FREE THICK BULLY STICKS DOG TREATS (10 PACK)
The third Jack & Pup treats we had were the 12″ bully sticks. Like with cow ears, we’ve tried bully sticks from other brands in the past but find the Jack & Pup version to be superior based on the guaranteed crude protein analysis (75%), as well as the girls level of interest in them. And, like the cow ears, we appreciate that these come in an odor free version!
Bully sticks are beneficial chews because they are a digestible, tasty and single-ingredient treat. Depending on the girls interest level (i.e., are they tired or particularly engaged), the average bully stick lasts us between 30 minutes to an hour.
My girls are pretty big dogs so they prefer the 12″ variety, but Jack & Pup also offers a smaller, 6″ bully stick for smaller dogs to enjoy. Since dogs come in all shapes in sizes, we always appreciate when specific treats do too!
4. PREMIUM GRADE ROASTED BEEF MAMMOTH FEMUR BONE MEATY DOG TREAT (2 PACK)
Last, but certainly not least, the girls tried the premium grade roasted beef mammoth femur bones. I think I was more excited about these than the girls were, which is saying something, because they were likewise pretty excited!
These are, without a doubt, the longest lasting treats, and the most fun. The bones are about 18″ in length, so they definitely live up to their name in terms of being “mammoth.” Watching the girls try to figure out how to eat these massive bones was just as much fun for me as it was for them actually eating them. They had better luck breaking the “knuckle” of the bone off and eating it in smaller pieces than trying to eat the whole bone at once.
An important thing to note about these bones is that they are smoked beef flavor, and the coating can get a little messy. So, we had the girls eat them outside on the deck as opposed to inside on the white carpet.
When the girls aren’t actively working on these bones, we keep them sealed in a plastic container with dog food to help preserve the flavor. I’m not sure exactly how long these bones will last, but, the girls have gnawed on them during four separate sessions, and they remain largely intact. So, in terms of bang for your buck, these bones definitely cannot be beat!!!
Although they may not make the most sense for smaller dogs, we note that Jack & Pup does have other bone-related options that are a bit less intense, such as knuckle bones, for our smaller friends.
Conclusion
Overall, we highly recommend Jack & Pup to anyone who is looking for high quality, long-lasting chews for their dog. We were pleased with all four products that we tried and have subsequently purchased additional treats based on our experience.
