FAQ

1. What makes Chews Happiness gourmet handcrafted dog treats so special?

At Chews Happiness we believe that food has the ability to heal or harm. That’s why we view food –even treats and desserts –as powerful medicine. And it’s the reason we travel to the most pristine places on earth –far away from cities and factory farms –to find the most wholesome, healthiest, highest quality, and most delicious ingredients and delicacies for your pet.

Always sustainably sourced and fairly traded, most often from local, indigenous family farmers and herders, our ingredients are always natural and tested for safety. Unlike other leading treat brands, we don’t offer junk food for pets. You will never find fillers, inferior meat sources, or other cheap ingredients in our creations.

In addition, our dog treat packaging is probably the most eco-friendly that you will find in the market. Our gift boxes are made recycled paper and cotton and vegetable-based inks and wax. There is absolutely NO plastic in our packaging.

None of this is cheap.

When your precious pet consumes the highest quality, most pristine foods available, less is more, as each one is chock-full of only “Good Stuff.” So our creations are intended as decadent, special occasion culinary experiences.

If we wouldn’t feed it to Bouncer, our CTO (Chew  Tasting Officer), we will never feed it to your pet!

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2. What is wrong with glycerin?

GLYCERIN, also known as glycerol, is used in soap and skin products, as solvents, as antifreeze, and as a laxative to soften stools. You might remember the tainted dog jerky treats that made headlines back in 2012. These treats contained contaminated Chinese glycerin as an ingredient.

Glycerin is a natural, chemically bound component of triglycerides, the main constituents of natural fats and oils and is used as solvents, as antifreeze, and as a laxative to soften stools (for both dogs and people). As glycerin helps soften stools, why wouldn’t it cause diarrhea?

Guess what? Significant amounts of pure glycerin –which often shows up as one of the top two to five ingredients listed in many pet treats –can cause significant side effects and potential health risks in pets who are sensitive to glycerin, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. We would rather that pets enjoy our products naturally crunchy than use glycerin to soften them up!

3. Barkaron macaron dog treats look good enough to eat! Can humans consume them?

All of our healthy handmade special dog food ingredients are identical to those used for human consumption, with the exception of our cultured milk, which have been optimized for your pet’s digestive health. In addition to testing our treats on our Canine Culinary Experts, we do test them on a panel of human taste testers in order to optimize the flavor profile. However, our creations are intended for pets, not people.

So please keep our edible dog gifts away from kids or other hungry human eaters and save them for your pets!

4. Why are Chews Happiness product servings small?

Chews Happiness creations are different than the regular, mass-produced treats out there. Our servings are based on our “Food As Medicine” philosophy. They are chock-full of only wholesome, healthy ingredients. So, when your precious pet consumes the highest quality, most pristine foods available, less really is more!

Our delicacies provide an opportunity to make every day special! As delicious as they are nutritious, they are the healthy, guilt-free way to indulge your furry companion. They are excellent as after-dinner desserts, special gifts for celebrating a dog birthday, holiday presents, or a unique way of saying, “You’re a very good boy (girl), yes, you are!”

5. How does Chews Happiness select its ingredients?

We personally select our ingredients for their wholesome and natural health benefits. Instead of adding synthetic vitamins, minerals, and chemicals to our treats, we prefer to improve your pet’s wellbeing naturally with our wholesome, pristine ingredients.

We start by researching ingredients that offer super healthy, irresistible culinary experiences for pets. Then we travel to some of the most pristine far corners of the planet to spend time with the indigenous people who farm and produce these amazing food items. These gracious people invite us into their lives and happily share their age-old recipes, enjoyed by their families for generations.

Upon returning home we offer samples of these delicacies to Bouncer, our Doberdoodle CTO (Chew Tasting Officer), who has a very refined palette. We also conduct sample taste tests with our panel of dog volunteer Culinary Experts to ensure broad acceptance.

Once we get their “Paws Up,” we develop our decadent delicacies and bring them to your furry family members!

6. Does Chews Happiness give back?

As part of our commitment to help make the world a better place, one percent of all Chews Happiness sales is donated to the Maya Foundation, an amazing organization in Bhutan run by Jamie, an American expat.

The organization exists with the humble goal to help those less fortunate and operates with the key tenet that all beings, including animals, deserve care, love and a chance at life. The organization does not charge for any of its services.

The no-kill organization’s main project is The Barnyard Bhutan Animal Rescue & Sanctuary located in Paro, Bhutan. This two-and-a-half-acre rescue center and shelter provides care for approximately 400 animals, including over 250 dogs. We at Chews Happiness are inspired by the Foundation’s work and their message that second chances and life-saving opportunities do exist, for both human beings and animals.

For more information please check out the Foundation’s web site.

7. What are Chews Happiness Ingredients NOs?

8. Why is Chews Happiness’ Organic Chicken sourced from Europe?

At Chews Happiness, we are committed to animal welfare, as well as food safety and quality. That’s why we only source our poultry, fish, and cheese from farms and organizations that raise and treat the animals humanely and ethically.

Our free-range, organic chicken is sourced from Europe due to the EU’s stringent animal welfare rules, which are much stricter than the USDA’s. The rules require that poultry companies provide their animals with adequate space, aren’t locked up in cages (as they often are in the U.S.), are not unduly treated with antibiotics, have adequate access to the out-of-doors, and generally have the ability to enjoy their natural behaviors.

9. How important is social responsibility and sustainability to Chews Happiness?

We take our commitment to pets, people and the planet seriously. Our business is designed to improve the health of our planet and support our global neighbors and their animals.

Support for Traditional Lifestyles

Because we always engage in fair trade practices, we are proud to help family farmers and herders maintain the traditional lifestyle and culture they have enjoyed for generations.

Sustainably Sourced Ingredients

We continually work to reduce our impact on the planet by sourcing our ingredients in a way that doesn’t contribute to overfishing, overgrazing, or the increase in greenhouse gasses.

Eco-Friendly Packaging

No plastic pouches and NO plastic for us! Our treat gift boxes are made from recycled, recyclable, and biodegradable materials.

Zero Carbon Footprint

We offset 100% of our carbon footprints by purchasing carbon credits. In addition, we source as many ingredients as possible from Bhutan, a carbon NEGATIVE country. We also ship ingredients and products in the most energy efficient of manners as is possible.

10. Does my pet really need high quality dog food?

We view pets as members of the family. Just as you would occasionally treat a member of the family to something really special, we feel that dogs deserve such treatment as well.

To us, our Bouncer is not “just a Doberdoodle,” – he is a sentient being who deserves something very special every now and then. Why have a pet if you don’t pamper him/her over the course of his/her short life?

That’s why we don’t often give Bouncer treats because most of the treats on the market are junk food. When we do give him a treat though, it is only the BEST!

Sure, you can buy some nice-looking, great-tasting special treats from a doggie bakery. However, have you actually read the ingredients of most of these?

Our philosophy is that “dogs are people too.” However, they are not human. Therefore, we optimize our treats for dogs’ sensory experience and nutrition in mind.

11. Why are Chews Happiness handcrafted dog bakery gifts so expensive?

We know that there are other, cheaper treats on the market. But that cheap price can come at a high cost to your pet’s health and happiness.

At Chews Happiness, we live by a “no compromises” philosophy. We NEVER compromise on safety, wholesomeness, quality, animal welfare, sustainability, social responsibility, and taste. To live up to that philosophy, we have traveled the world looking for the most pristine, most wholesome, highest quality ingredients.

We select Organic certified, or “beyond organic” ingredients for all our artisanal delicacies. Typically reserved for five-star hotels in Asia, our trout is sustainably raised in the pristine glacier rivers of Bhutan in the Himalayas. Our Honey is the crème de la crème of the all-natural honey produced in Bhutan. Our Gobi Desert Camel Cheese, from family-nurtured camels, is a rare delicacy across central Asia. All of our berries are certified Organic. And the list goes on!

In addition, we don’t churn out treats by the millions. Instead, we work directly with artisans who handcraft our creations, and we always engage in fair trade practices. We have also invested heavily in safety testing, to ensure that your pet’s health is never at risk.

All these extra steps mean our treats cost more. You do not have to offer your pet huge quantities of our edible dog gifts. But it also means that you enjoy peace of mind that you are indulging your pet in something truly special, something that will help them feel better, enhance their well-being, and contribute to a fuller, happier life.

Our annual subscription program is available for all of our delicacies and includes a discount and free shipping. For most of our creations, we will send you one package a month for each annual subscription purchased. The program provides a great opportunity for you to affordably pamper your dog.

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12. Why are Barkarons Crunchy and Not Soft?

Our Doggie Desserts are crunchy, not soft. – Why? – Because the way the vast majority of the treats on the market are made soft is by adding glycerin. As we outline in question number two, glycerin, also known as glycerol, is a by-product of soap production and is used in soap and skin products, as solvents, as antifreeze, and as a laxative to soften stools (for both humans and dogs). Significant amounts of glycerin – which almost always shows up as one of the top two to five ingredients listed in pet treats – can potentially cause side effects and health risks in sensitive pets, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

It is actually not a surprise; as glycerin helps soften stools, why wouldn’t it cause diarrhea?

We find that dogs love the crunch and that it helps them savor the flavor!

Some dogs, who are not used to crunchy treats, may drop a Barkaron before investigating it, experiencing the aroma, and only then bringing it to a private space so that they can chomp on it and enjoy it.

Older dogs and others with teeth issues may have challenges chomping on our decadent dog gifts. Some people dip our Barkarons in hot water before offering them to older dogs. However, they were not designed to be eaten this way (and probably taste soggy consumed this way).

For tiny dogs, some people cut them in half or even in quarters. One customer cut our Barkarons in quarters for their tiny Pomeranian puppy, who enjoyed each tiny piece for at least twenty minutes.