Guides
Exotic dog treat guides
Everything we have written about less common proteins for dogs, from shrimp and scallops to frog legs and quail eggs. Each guide names the sources it uses.
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Choosing a Treat
10 posts
- A blanched mussel next to a raw shrimp, compared
- Baby octopus and scallops, one bag against another
- Baby octopus or frog legs: where the two bags differ
Serving Size
12 posts
- A small dog and a bag of frog legs: the label line
- A softer treat for an older dog: whole quail eggs
- An older dog and a bag of scallops: how to serve
Training
6 posts
- Baby octopus as a training reward, by our scorecard
- Breaking frog legs into bits for a training session
- One shrimp, several rewards: training with shrimp
Storage
8 posts
- A cool, dry shelf for an open bag of mussels
- Keeping a bag of freeze-dried quail eggs fresh
- Keeping an open bag of raw scallops dry and dark
Labels and Looks
12 posts
- Blanched, then freeze dried: the mussel process word
- Four lines and two energy figures on our shrimp
- Light, crunchy and still a scallop: the close look
More guides
9 posts
All guides
Newest first.
A blanched mussel next to a raw shrimp, compared
Our blue-lipped mussels and shrimp side by side: mollusk or crustacean, blanched or raw, what each listing asks of the person feeding, both labels, and serving a cat in small pieces.
A cool, dry shelf for an open bag of mussels
What the mussel label asks after opening, why the listing answers the fridge question with no, where the bag should sit, and handling a blanched shellfish treat.
A small dog and a bag of frog legs: the label line
Why the frog legs bag is listed for medium and large adult dogs, what the break-it-up line on the listing does and does not mean, and which bags are listed for every size.
A softer treat for an older dog: whole quail eggs
Why quail eggs are the softest bag on the site, how to crush or soak one for an older dog, and why a raw egg needs a vet's word first.
An older dog and a bag of scallops: how to serve
How to serve freeze-dried scallops to an older dog: what the label says about age, crumbling a scallop over a meal, and the questions to take to the vet.
Baby octopus and scallops, one bag against another
Our baby octopus and scallops side by side: both mollusks, both freeze-dried raw, both shelf stable on their listings, listed for adult dogs of all sizes, with different pieces and labels.
Baby octopus as a training reward, by our scorecard
Our baby octopus as a training reward: what the 3 of 5 training score and 4 of 5 crunch mean, a strong seafood smell in the pouch, small uneven pieces, taking it to a class, and the treat share.
Baby octopus for a small dog: sizing each piece
What the octopus listing says about dog size, why each piece needs a look before a small dog gets it, and how octopus fits a small dog's treat day.
Baby octopus or frog legs: where the two bags differ
Our two hero bags side by side: which dog sizes each listing names, cats, mollusk or amphibian, what the pieces look and smell like, both package labels, and where the two meet in the Exotic Collection Box.
Blanched, then freeze dried: the mussel process word
What blanching means as a process step, why our blue-lipped mussels are called neither raw nor fully cooked, where they sit next to our raw bags, and what the word does not tell you.
Blue-lipped mussels for a cat, one small piece
Our freeze-dried blue-lipped mussels are sold for cats as well as dogs. Offering one in small pieces, why the listing says keep the count low, blanched not raw, and keeping the bag.
Blue-lipped mussels or scallops: how the bags differ
Freeze-dried blue-lipped mussels and scallops compared line by line from their labels: how each is prepared, what the analysis says, and how the pieces differ.
Breaking frog legs into bits for a training session
How to break a freeze-dried frog leg into small rewards, what our 3 of 5 training score means, and when another bag is the better pick for a session.
Counting freeze-dried mussels for one dog's day
What the mussel bag says about how many to give, how the 10 percent treat guideline works, and why the exact count comes from your own dog's calories.
Crumbled shrimp over the bowl, from one whole shrimp
How one whole freeze-dried raw shrimp becomes a topper: crumbling it over kibble or a raw meal, where it sits in the treat share, topping a cat's bowl, and washing up after raw shrimp at the bowl.
Dried shrimp from the pantry and the dog bowl
Pantry dried shrimp is a cooking ingredient for people. How to read its label for a dog, and how a freeze-dried raw shrimp treat with one ingredient differs.
Egg dust over dinner: crushing a whole quail egg
How to turn a freeze-dried raw quail egg into egg dust over a meal, why the cracked eggs go first, how it counts toward treats, the cat's share, and cleaning up.
Four bags, one dog: pacing the Exotic Collection Box
Why the Exotic Collection Box has no fixed number of days, what sets the pace (the bags, your dog, the treat budget), and how to keep the unopened bags while you work through one.
Four lines and two energy figures on our shrimp
Every line on our shrimp label in plain words: the 71% protein floor, the fat, fiber and moisture lines, the energy figures, how the label compares with our other bags, and what a raw shrimp label does not cover.
Freeze-dried scallops for a cat, in small pieces
Our freeze-dried raw scallops are sold for cats as well as dogs. How to offer one in small pieces, why kitchen scallops differ, raw handling around a cat, and keeping the bag.
Freeze-dried scallops for a small dog, one by one
What our scallop listing says for a small dog: listed for adult dogs of all sizes, pieces that run small but vary, how to look at and break a piece, the treat share, and raw handling.
Freeze-dried shrimp or scallops: how the bags differ
Our two raw shellfish bags side by side: crustacean or mollusk, what raw asks of you at home, which listing says shelf stable, both package labels, piece size and texture, and cats.
Frog legs, scallops, mussels and octopus, by smell
How the exotic bags compare on smell: a weak fish smell on frog legs, scallops and mussels, a strong one on octopus, and the bags we have not described.
Keeping a bag of freeze-dried quail eggs fresh
Where an opened bag of freeze-dried quail eggs should live, how to handle the bulk counts, and why cracked shells and washing up come with the product.
Keeping an open bag of raw scallops dry and dark
The scallop label's storage line, word by word: reseal once opened, cool, dry and away from sunlight, no fridge, and clean hands after a raw treat.
Light, crunchy and still a scallop: the close look
What a freeze-dried raw scallop looks and feels like, why shape, color and size change from piece to piece, and what is left off it.
Octopus for cats: one piece, whole or crumbled
What the baby octopus bag says about cats, how to size and crumble a piece, why seasoned kitchen octopus is a different food, and sharing one bag with a dog.
One shrimp, several rewards: training with shrimp
How to break a freeze-dried raw shrimp into bite-sized rewards, how shrimp scores for training and crunch, handling raw shrimp mid-session, and carrying it on a walk.
Opening a bag of frog legs: what you will find
What a freeze-dried frog leg looks and feels like out of the bag, why no two pieces match, and what the listing does and does not say about it.
Our baby octopus, freeze-dried raw: what changes
Our baby octopus is freeze-dried raw, whole, with nothing added. What that means for washing up, serving a dog or a cat in small pieces, and keeping the bag.
Packing baby octopus treats for a long drive
Why the baby octopus and two other bags ride along without a cooler, where to keep the bags in a car, how to handle the raw ones away from a sink, and why water comes first.
Picking the first new protein for your dog to try
The seven bags on this site sorted by the facts that decide a first try: shellfish or not, raw handling, piece size, crunch and who each is listed for.
Raw shrimp in a resealed bag: the storage routine
The shrimp label's storage line, why raw shrimp means clean hands, what the listing does not say about the fridge, and sharing one bag between a dog and a cat.
Raw, bone in, freeze-dried: our frog legs plainly
Our frog legs are freeze-dried raw with the bone in. What that means for washing up, supervising a dog with a whole leg, which dogs the listing names, and keeping the bag.
Reading the label on a bag of whole quail eggs
Our quail egg label read in plain words: the protein floor, the 26% fat floor, the fiber and moisture ceilings, the 115.9 kcal per ounce line, how far it sits from our seafood labels, and why there is no figure for one egg.
Reading the label printed on our baby octopus bag
Every line on our baby octopus label read in plain words: the protein and fat floors, the fiber and moisture ceilings, the two energy figures, how it sits next to our other bags, and what it cannot tell you.
Rotating treats through proteins a dog has not met
What rotating treats means on this site, how to start one new protein at a time, how to order the bags, and when to skip a protein or stop.
Seafood dog treats: pick a shellfish
Seafood dog treats freeze dried in Malvern, Pennsylvania from imported shellfish: shrimp, scallops, mussels, octopus or a five ingredient medley. Pick one.
Sealed, opened and dated: our exotic bags over time
Every bag we make carries a printed best-by date set 1 year from production; once open, our guidance is 30 days, cool, dry and sealed. The same rule covers all seven bags and each bag in the box.
Shelf stable on a treat bag: what the word covers
What our listings mean when they call a bag shelf stable, which four bags use the word and which do not, why it is not a shelf life, and what the label still asks.
Small, whole and odd: freeze-dried mussels up close
What a freeze-dried blue-lipped mussel looks and feels like, why it is the whole mussel and not a chew, how big a piece is, and what the listing leaves unsaid.
Snapping and crumbling a freeze-dried baby octopus
How to snap a whole freeze-dried baby octopus into reward bits, crumble one over a meal, and handle the cat's share, using the listing's own feeding lines.
Training with a fragile egg: where quail eggs fit
What our 3 of 5 training score means for a fragile raw egg, why the listing says it is not a pocket treat, how to use one in a session at home, and clean hands after.
Turning one mussel into a handful of rewards
How to break a freeze-dried mussel into small training rewards, what the listing means by keeping the count low, and when to reach for a different reward.
Using freeze-dried scallops as training rewards
How to break freeze-dried scallops into small rewards, how a training session fits the daily treat budget, and how to carry the bag on walks and at class.
What the frog legs label prints, and what it skips
Every line on our frog legs label in plain words: the protein and fat floors, the fiber and moisture ceilings, the energy line, where frog legs sit among our seven labels, and the questions the label cannot answer.
Where an open bag of baby octopus should live
What the octopus listing asks once the bag is open, why it needs no fridge, how to keep a strong smell contained, and what to do with broken bits.
Whole baby octopus, tentacles and all: a close look
What a freeze-dried baby octopus looks like, why no two pieces match, how strong the smell is, and what is and is not in the bag.
Whole curled shrimp, cream to peach, up close
What our freeze-dried raw shrimp look like in our photos: whole curled bodies, their colors, and how a piece compares with the other treats.
Can dogs eat frog legs?
Frog legs for dogs, honestly: bones, size, breading and what we list them for, plus a one-ingredient freeze-dried frog leg treat for medium and large dogs.
Can dogs eat mussels?
Can dogs eat mussels? Plain answers on shells, seasoning and raw, and a one-ingredient freeze-dried blue-lipped mussel treat for dogs.
Can dogs eat octopus?
Can dogs eat octopus? What to skip, how to size the pieces, and a freeze-dried baby octopus treat made from one ingredient, tentacles and all.
Can dogs eat quail eggs?
Raw, cooked and shell-on quail eggs for dogs, what the AKC, ASPCA and FDA say about handling, plus freeze-dried whole quail eggs in four counts.
Can dogs eat scallops?
Can dogs eat scallops? What to skip (butter, garlic, salt, breading), how raw differs from cooked, and a one-ingredient freeze-dried scallop treat.
Can dogs eat shellfish? Squid, clams and calamari too
Plain answers on shellfish, squid, calamari and clams for dogs, with named sources, plus a five-ingredient freeze-dried seafood medley.
Can dogs eat shrimp? Cooked, plain and peeled
Can dogs eat shrimp? What the AKC, PetMD and FDA say about cooked, raw, fried and shelled shrimp, and how our one-ingredient freeze-dried shrimp differs.
What is a novel protein treat?
What novel protein means on a dog treat label, what it does not mean, and the unusual single-ingredient freeze-dried treats we make.