What Food Do Dogs Enjoy the Most?

Dogs seem to enjoy almost every food they encounter, but there are foods out there that are extremely toxic to canines. It’s not surprising that most pooches enjoy almost every morsel they eat, but as a dog owner, it’s important to know what foods dogs can have that they actually enjoy! Here’s a quick lesson on how to figure out which foods your pup loves the most.

How to Tell What Food Your Dog Loves

Just like humans, dogs have taste buds on their tongues, but not as many as us, surprisingly. Dogs have around 1,700 tastebuds while humans have around 9,000, which may explain why dogs will scarf down just about everything.

Dogs are special in that they actually have tastebuds that can detect water! They also have other special receptors in their tastebuds for different kinds of foods, like the sweet tastebuds at the back of a canine’s tongue. Pups also have tastebuds in the back of their throat, which is pretty unique!

Light Sodium is Key

Dogs are not able to taste salt as well as humans because their tastebuds have adapted due to eating meat over the years. Meat has enough salt in it to satisfy the canine body’s needs so extra salt in foods is not a necessity.

It has been shown that dogs enjoy meat that is warm and moist compared to dry and cold. They also enjoy beef and pork to chicken and lamb, but overall, most pooches aren’t picky.

Testing What Your Dog Prefers

A foolproof error to see what exactly your dog prefers to eat is to simply conduct trial tests! See what your dog enjoys eating by how much they consume of it, how fast, and if they seem to be wanting seconds! But, if you’re skeptical because your dog is a frequent bowl licker, try these dog food company tests at home:

• Be sure your dog isn’t food aggressive
• Have 2 bowls, a ‘screen’ (i.e. a piece of paper or lid), and 2 types of food of the same size
• Place the foods in separate bowls with the screen on top and let your dog sniff the bowls
• Place the bowls at equal distances and remove the screens
• See which food your dog eats/gravitates toward first
• Replace the screen and food, restest but alternate the sides the foods were on and replace the screens
• Reveal the food
• Record your pooch’s favorite flavor after a few tests to solidify your results

Whatever you choose to feed your furball, just make sure it’s dog-friendly and approved by your veterinarian to meet your pup’s dietary needs. P.S. don’t forget to keep in mind treats and food scraps as you track what foods your dog enjoys and can eat in moderation.