How Do Other Dog Treats Compare to Michigan Biscuit Company?

Just like with human snacks, the quality of ingredients in dog treats matters for both short-term health and long-term wellness. Low-quality ingredients (excess sugars, artificial chemicals, cheap fillers) can cause digestive upset, contribute to weight gain, or lead to cumulative health issues over time. For example, artificial preservatives like BHA/BHT may pose cancer risks with regular consumption, and too many sugary or fatty treats can eventually lead to obesity or pancreatitis. On the flip side, high-quality ingredients provide beneficial nutrients – e.g. real meat for protein, fruits for vitamins. Think of treats as an extension of your dog’s diet: a treat made of wholesome ingredients is essentially giving them extra nutrition, whereas a treat full of empty fillers is like giving your dog junk food. Occasional “junk” treats won’t kill a dog, of course – but we believe in stacking the odds in favor of your dog’s health. Every bite is an opportunity to nourish (or at least not harm). So ingredient quality matters, and it’s worth reading labels and choosing treats that prioritize healthful ingredients.

Indulging in a lower-quality treat once in a while is not likely to acutely harm your dog. The issues come with regular, repeated exposure and for dogs who might be sensitive. Many of the concerning ingredients (like chemical preservatives or artificial colors) have effects that are cumulative – meaning they could cause problems after building up over time. Think of it this way: eating a candy bar with artificial dyes occasionally isn’t going to ruin a human’s health, but eating it every day in place of healthier snacks might. We recommend making healthier treats the norm and saving those “junk food” treats for very rare occasions, if at all. Also, consider whether your dog can be just as happy with a healthier treat. Dogs often love the natural options even more! If your pup is crazy about a certain mainstream treat, try to find an alternative with similar flavor made from better ingredients – or use small pieces of real food (like bits of cooked chicken or carrot) as treats. Often, dogs don’t miss the junk once they have a tasty natural option. At the end of the day, it’s about moderation and making informed choices. We’re not here to shame anyone for what they’ve fed in the past – our goal is simply to empower you with information so you can make the best choice going forward.

Not necessarily across the board – it depends on your individual dog’s needs. Grain-free dog treats replace grains with other carbohydrates (like peas, chickpeas, or potatoes). They became popular as people worried about grain allergies or sensitivities in dogs. If your dog has a confirmed grain allergy or you prefer to avoid grains, a grain-free treat is a great option. We offer a grain-free treat (our Apple Cinnamon biscuits use chickpea flour instead of wheat) to cater to these needs. However, for most dogs whole grains are not harmful – in fact, whole grains can provide beneficial nutrients. The key is the quality of the grain. A treat with wholesome oat flour or whole wheat can be perfectly healthy for a dog. On the other hand, a treat might be grain-free but loaded with sugar and artificial additives, which wouldn’t be healthy at all! The recent concern about grain-free diets and heart disease (dilated cardiomyopathy) in dogs primarily involved grain-free kibble diets with high levels of legumes, not the occasional grain-free treat. Our advice: if your dog tolerates grains well, you don’t need to avoid them in a treat – just make sure it’s whole grain and part of a balanced overall diet. If your dog does have grain issues or you prefer grain-free, choose grain-free treats that are made with other nutritious ingredients (like our chickpea flour, which is high in protein and fiber). In short, “grain-free” doesn’t automatically mean healthier – it’s one factor among many. We provide both kinds of treats to suit different dogs.

Great question! We use a combination of natural preservation methods: - First, our biscuits are oven-baked until crunchy and have very low moisture content. Moisture is what typically causes mold or bacterial spoilage. A dry cookie-type treat can stay fresh for a long time naturally (similar to how a box of crackers has a long shelf life if kept dry). - Second, we sometimes use natural preservatives like mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E) and rosemary extract, which safely slow oxidation of fats. For example, the small amount of fat in a treat (from meat or peanut butter) is protected by vitamin E – a natural antioxidant – so it doesn’t go rancid quickly. - Third, proper packaging and storage: We package our treats in airtight, resealable pouches. We recommend once you open them, keep them sealed and in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. This keeps them crunchy and fresh. We don’t add any weird chemicals to extend shelf life for years; instead we simply suggest you use the treats by the “best by” date on the package (which is typically several months from purchase). Our treats have no trouble staying fresh during that normal timeframe. - Lastly, because we produce in small batches, you’re usually getting treats that were baked recently, not something that sat in a warehouse for a year. Freshness is practically baked in!

So, in summary, drying, natural antioxidants, and good packaging practices do the trick. Your pup gets a fresh treat without any sorbates, benzoates, or other artificial preservatives.

We formulate our treats to minimize common allergens, but it really depends on what your dog is allergic to. Here’s what we don’t use that might help: we have no corn, no soy, no artificial additives (which some dogs can react to), and no dairy in most recipes (except a bit of cheese in one treat flavor). However, we do use wheat in several of our treats, and we use proteins like chicken, which are common allergens for some dogs. If your dog is allergic to wheat, we’ve got you covered with our grain-free recipe (Apple Cinnamon – no wheat or corn, made with chickpea flour). If your dog is allergic to chicken, we have flavors that contain no chicken (like our Salmon biscuits or Bacon & Blueberry biscuits). We clearly label all our ingredients, so you can check each flavor for any component that might concern you. Many customers with allergic dogs tell us their pups do great on our treats, likely because of the short, natural ingredient list. If your dog has a very specific allergy (say, to peanuts or flaxseed or something specific we use), and you’re not sure which treats are safe, you can always reach out to us for guidance. We can often point you to the flavor that has a different composition. Always introduce any new treat in small quantities to ensure your dog tolerates it well. But overall, our philosophy of limited, high-quality ingredients tends to agree with sensitive dogs more than the highly processed treats do.

All of our treats are proudly made in the USA – right here in Michigan. We prepare and bake our products in a licensed commercial kitchen facility that meets human food standards (as we discussed in the human-grade section). Being based in Michigan, we also love using local ingredients whenever possible, both to support local agriculture and because, quite frankly, Michigan produces some amazing produce! Our Michigan-grown blueberries, for example, aren’t just a marketing gimmick – they’re genuinely top quality and we love incorporating them into our Blueberry & Bacon biscuits. By making everything locally, we maintain strict control over quality and safety. There’s no outsourcing of production to unknown factories. We source our ingredients primarily from U.S. suppliers. In short, from ingredient sourcing to mixing dough to baking and packaging, every step happens under our watchful eye on our home turf. This way we ensure that when you open a bag of MI Biscuit Co. treats, you’re getting the very best of what we stand for: local quality, crafted with love.

We get a kick out of this question, and the answer is yes – you can! Because our treats are human-grade and made with real food ingredients, they are technically safe for humans to eat. Don’t expect a sugary cookie (we don’t use much sugar or salt), but many pet parents have indeed nibbled on a MI Biscuit Co. treat out of curiosity. The typical feedback: “Hey, this isn’t bad – kind of like a very bland health cracker!” We designed them for doggy taste buds, which prefer meaty and peanut-buttery flavors and don’t need salt, so your pup will find them far more delicious than you will. But the fact that you could eat them speaks to our quality. It’s actually a fun little trust test: if you’re willing to put it in your own mouth, you know it’s something you truly trust to give your dog. So go ahead, give it a try if you want – we won’t judge! (And your dog will be thrilled to share, I’m sure.)

You can start feeding your puppy small treats when they hit 8 weeks old. The best puppy training treats can be broken into small pieces, and are made from just a few healthy ingredients. Michigan Biscuit Company even makes treats that are single ingredient, making it easy to find a tasty solution for your puppy.