Review: Barksters Holistic Dog Treats

There's a whole lot of crunching going on at For Love of a Dog.  The good folks at Loving Pets Corporation sent us some of their new Barksters to sample.

Barksters are a 100% natural dog treat manufactured by Loving Pets Corporation in Cranbury, NJ.   Established in 2005, Loving Pets Corporation focuses on its own brand of high quality all natural pet treats.

According to the packaging, Barksters are healthy, all natural treats that are made in the United States.  They combine simple, all-natural ingredients for a crunch and taste your dog just can't resist.  Barksters are air-puffed, low in fat and only 12 calories per treat.  They contain no additives or preservatives.  The result:  a flavorful, guilt-free treat that is sure to keep your dog fit, healthy and satisfied.

Varieties we tried:

Brown Rice and Beef Krisps - Wheat and gluten free with no additives and no preservatives.  Ingredients: brown rice, rice flour, beef, rice bran oil.

Sweet Potato and Chicken Krisps - Ingredients:  sweet potato, rice flour, chicken, rice bran oil.

Alfalfa and Liver Krisps - Ingredients:  alfalfa, rice flour, beef liver, and rice bran oil.

The first flavor we tested was the Sweet Potato and Chicken Krisps. 

 

Jeffie, Rudy and Lucy were definitely intrigued and all three dogs crunched them with great enthusiasm.


Next we tried the Alfalfa and Liver treats.

After giving it a good sniff, Jeffie munched with delight.

Jeffie patiently waited for another turn while Rudy tried out the Alfafa Liver Krisp.


Finally we broke open the Rice and Beef package.

Note the dog slobber on Gary's leg.  Though everyone waited for his or her turn, all three canines were pretty thrilled with these treats.

Tucker decided not to join the others for the taste testing.  Age has its advantages.  We delivered some samples to him and he definitely enjoyed his private tasting.

Our Review:

• Our Barksters were shipped directly from Loving Pets Corporation and arrived with each package individually wrapped in bubble wrap.  Though they cannot be ordered directly from Loving Pets, consumers can check their web site to find out where to purchase their products locally.  Their handy zipcode store locater is easy to find on the site.
• Barksters packaging is certainly attractive.  Cute lightweight cardboard boxes with plastic wrapped treats.  Plenty of information is given including why each combination of flavors was selected.
• These crisp treats were fresh, light weight, and a nice size for treats (approx 1 x 1.5 inches).  There was a bit of breakage (think: potato chips), but nothing excessive.
• All four dogs loved them. Tucker and Jeffie are much more picky eaters.  Tucker tends to carefully smell and examine any food item.  He liked all three varieties, but clearly preferred the Sweet Potato treats.
• All three treat varieties has a distinctive smell.  The Alfalfa treats had the strongest smell.  I thought they all smelled good, especially the Alfalfa treat.  In fact, I suspect our horses would enjoy the Alfalfa Krisps.
• We especially appreciate the all natural, no additives or preservatives, recipe.  In fact, Gary even gave them a try.  His verdict:  a bit bland and reminded him of rice cakes.  Then he had another of the Sweet Potato treats and I told him to quit eating the dog cookies!
• Low calories is also a real plus in our opinion.

And finally...

• We lived in the rural Missouri Ozarks and I'm used to shopping online because our choices are often pretty limited.  However, I was pleased to find that Loving Pet Corporation treats are offered at a nearby farm supply store where we already purchase our (natural, organic) dog kibble.  Barksters are not listed as available there.  Yet.  I'll be watching for them.

In conclusion, we give Barksters Dog Krisps an enthusiastic four dog recommendation.

While you're thinking about dog treats, scroll down and check out the dog blogs below for some more great ideas from the participants of today's Tasty Tuesday Blog Hop.