The best festive dog treats (tested by Bruno)

Sales of Christmas pet products have soared tenfold at Waitrose, with their first “paw-some” mince pies proving especially popular. Meanwhile, Tesco reports that 82 per cent of pet owners are including their furry companions in festivities this year — their range even features posh macarons for pooches.

But are the festive dog treats on offer truly wagtastic? Or should you paws before purchasing? To find out, I enlisted the help of my incredibly discerning two-year-old goldendoodle, Bruno, to taste test an array of Christmas doggie treats. Here’s what he thought:

Paw-Some ‘Mince Pies’, £3.20 for two, Waitrose

Yes, these really do look like mince pies, albeit without any pastry or, heaven forbid, mincemeat — raisins are highly toxic for dogs. I was quite excited about Bruno trying them for some drooltide cheer, but the second item on the ingredients list (after cereals) is “various sugars” which is a big no-no. Dogs really shouldn’t eat sugar, even occasionally, as it can cause stomach issues. Bruno started whining with excitement the second these came out of the box and he devoured one in seconds before begging for another. He didn’t get one.
Bruno’s score: 5/5
My score: 2/5

Forthglade Turkey with Cranberry and Parsnip Complete Christmas Meal, £1.85 for 395g, Sainsbury’s (also widely available elsewhere)

A full Christmas dinner rather than just a treat, this smells pretty good and the ingredients are really wholesome. The meal is 75 per cent turkey with cranberry, parsnip and plenty of herbs, vitamins and minerals. The texture is smooth and gelatinous, almost like pâté and the price point is great. But Bruno turned his nose up and couldn’t be encouraged to eat it — even when I fed him by hand, doggone it. Forget discerning; read instead “fussy as hell” …
Bruno’s score: 0/5
My score: 5/5

Kevin the Carrot Dog Chews, £2.69 for three, Aldi

These look and feel like they are made of plastic and I had to check the pack to make sure they were an edible chew and not some kind of toy. But it turns out they are 72 per cent vegetable, 12 per cent chicken with some fruit and yeasts — they actually smell like Marmite. Bruno was slightly suspicious at first and took one to his bed, where he played with it for a few minutes before scoffing the whole thing. This one definitely deserves a round of a-paws.
Bruno’s score: 5/5
My score: 5/5

Lily’s Kitchen Three Bird Feast, £3.35 for 400g, Waitrose (also widely available elsewhere)

This is another meal — this time in a can — and really is a full Christmas dinner with turkey, goose, duck, parsnips, carrots, cranberries, broccoli, apples, and natural ingredients like rosehips and marigold flowers, alongside vitamins and minerals. It smelled delicious, like a good grrrravy, but Bruno was a little tentative. He sniffed, nibbled, and slowly ate half a bowlful before heading back to bed.
Bruno’s score: 3/5
My score: 5/5

Denzel’s Gingerbread Soft Baked Dog Chews, £2.50 for 75g, Ocado

I didn’t hold out much hope for these. They are vegan, an unappealing shade of yellow and made of chickpea flour and glycerin with rapeseed oil, dried ginger, dried carrot, banana, cinnamon and turmeric. Yes, natural and wholesome but as a snack for my pedantic pooch? To my astonishment, Bruno loved them. A veggie dog? Now, that’s given me some paws for thought.
Bruno’s score: 5/5
My score: 5/5

Festive Chicks in Blankets for Dogs, £1.50 for 125g, Tesco

These look really fun, like plasticine pigs in blankets, and would certainly amuse the doggie crowd in Highgate Wood, north London, where I walk Bruno. The ingredients look fine, too, with 30 per cent chicken. Bruno was slightly tentative with these but did eat a couple. I think he was wishing he was eating the real thing.
Bruno’s score: 3/5
My score: 4/5

Webbox Christmas Selection Box, £2, Ocado

This is weird. Chocolate is toxic to dogs — and yet here’s a Christmas “chocolate” selection box for them. It makes me worried that children might think it is OK to give their dogs real chocolate after seeing them eat these. Obviously, there’s no actual chocolate in this box — they are made with carob, oil, milk products and, sigh, various sugars. I was extremely proud of Bruno when he turned his nose up at them and looked the other way. Bah hum-pug!
Bruno’s score: 0/5
My score: 0/5

6 Festive Macarons for Dogs, £3.50, Tesco

These are so very cute and utterly ridiculous — macarons are too fancy for most people at Christmas, let alone their dogs! And six tiny treats for £3.50 is quite an ask. Yet again, these treats contain sugar. Bruno thought they were pawsitively delicious though — £3.50 gone in 3.5 seconds.
Bruno’s score: 5/5
My score: 2/5

Scrumbles Turkey and Cranberry Gut Friendly Dog Treats, £3.49 for 90g, Amazon

These don’t look very interesting but they’re hypoallergenic for most dogs, as they contain no gluten, soy or dairy, plus they make a point of saying on the packet that they do not add sugar or salt. The ingredients include turkey meal, oats, chickpeas, sweet potato and slippery elm bark, which is apparently good for digestive health. They’re really pricey for a small bag of treats, but Bruno would have happily munched his way through the lot.
Bruno’s score: 4/5
My score: 3/5

Cupid and Comet Christmas Eve Biscuit Box, £4, Ocado

These look super fancy, like the beautiful selections from designer cookie makers, Biscuiteers, and at more than £1 a biscuit, they’re not cheap. They’re barking up the wrong tree with the sugar in these, though — quite high on an ingredients list of various flours and beef gelatine. Bruno wasn’t sure about the glazed topping — he doesn’t seem to have a sweet tooth — but he scoffed it down to get to the biscuit underneath.
Bruno’s score: 3/5
My score: 2/5

Christmas Dog Biscuit House, £2.69 for 500g, Aldi

This little house full of Christmas tree and star-shaped, turkey-flavoured biscuits is great value with good quality ingredients like wholemeal flour, white flour, calcium carbonate, beef fat and turkey meal. Bruno thought they were furry delicious, too — they worked as excellent bribes during his photo shoot.
Bruno’s score: 5/5
My score: 5/5

Christmutt Bones, £2.50 for three, Morrisons

These don’t smell or look very appealing. However, a quick look at the ingredients shows they have no artificial colourants. They’re made of collagen with chicken, glycerine, peanuts, carob powder and bell peppers. The glycerine makes them slippery so Bruno had a bit of a job picking one up, but once he got stuck in, he was very happy — for a minute. Bone appetit!
Bruno’s score: 4/5
My score: 4/5