What the Indulgence series brings together
The Indulgence series is Essential Foods' collection of treats and indulgence for dogs, encompassing both the airy Delights and the soft Sensations. What they have in common is that they are designed as rewards and moments of enjoyment rather than a main meal, and that they follow the same approach to ingredients as the rest of the Essential range: meat as the foundation, no unnecessary fillers, and a short ingredient list.
In practice, this means that here you'll find everything from crispy TURKEY DELIGHTS and BEEF DELIGHTS to the soft DUCK SENSATIONS, as well as a handful of products that fall outside the classic treat, such as MARROW BONE DELIGHTS and CHRISTMAS DOG PRESENT. Below, we go through what distinguishes the individual types, so you can choose according to the situation rather than guessing.
The difference between Delights and Sensations
The two families in the series each solve a different task, and that is the most important decision to make first.
Delights are the classic, dry treats. They are firm in consistency, keep well, and can be split or given whole. This makes them well suited as a daily reward, for your pocket on the walk, and for dogs that enjoy something to chew on. In this group you'll find, among others, LIVER DELIGHTS, LAMB DELIGHTS and the small TINY FISH DELIGHTS.
Sensations are softer and more aromatic. The soft consistency makes them easy to break into smaller pieces, and the strong scent makes them ideal when motivation needs to be high. Here you'll find BEEF & OREGANO SENSATIONS and RABBIT & ROSEMARY SENSATIONS together with the Duck variant. If you want to see the entire softer category gathered in one place, you'll find it under sensations.
Choose a treat according to your dog's protein source
One of the most practical ways to navigate the series is by meat. If your dog has a known sensitivity to a particular protein, or you simply want to add variety, it helps to know what is what.
For dogs with a delicate stomach, it is often an advantage to stick to one protein at a time, so you can more easily trace what suits them. Lamb and fish are typically considered among the milder choices, and here the Lamb and Tiny Fish variants are a natural place to start. Rabbit in Rabbit & Rosemary is likewise a less common protein, which can be an advantage if your dog reacts to the more widespread meat types. Read more about food for sensitive stomachs in our guide on the best dog food for sensitive stomachs, where the same principle of simple ingredient lists recurs.
Tiny Fish Delights for training
When you train, the size of the treat is just as important as the flavour. Many repetitions require small pieces, so the dog doesn't become full or get too many calories along the way. Tiny Fish Delights are small by nature and therefore well suited to intensive training where you reward often.
The soft Sensations also work well for training, because you can quickly break them into smaller pieces as you go. If you want to keep track of the amount, remember that treats count towards the overall energy budget. We have gathered the rules of thumb in the article how many treats can a dog have.
Marrow Bone Delights are in a class of their own
Marrow Bone Delights stand out from the rest of the series, because it isn't a small reward treat but something the dog can spend longer on. A chew product of this type is less about calories and more about occupation: it gives the dog something to work with and can help keep it engaged when you need some peace and quiet.
If you want to understand the difference between the various chew and bone products, and what they are actually made of, you can read on in natural chew bones for dogs and what are chew bones made of.
Christmas Dog Present for Christmas and gifts
Christmas Dog Present is the series' seasonal product and is designed as a gift that you either spoil your own dog with or pass on to a dog owner. This makes it an obvious choice heading into December, when many people want to include their dog in the festivities in a way that still suits its stomach.
If you want to build a larger Christmas basket, you can see what else Essential has for the season under CHRISTMAS. And if you have a cautious dog that becomes anxious from fireworks around New Year, there is concrete advice in dog afraid of fireworks.
How indulgence fits into the diet
Treats and chew products are supplements, not a replacement for a full meal. A good rule of thumb is that rewards and snacks should not make up more than a small portion of the dog's total daily energy, so the main meal still delivers full nutrition.
If you're keeping an eye on weight, remember to subtract what the dog gets from the Indulgence series from the day's portion. The soft Sensations and the dry Delights vary in fat content, so choose according to your needs. If you have a dog that needs to stay in shape, you'll find both advice and products via low-fat dog food and the collection treats low in fat. If your dog is still a puppy, check when and how much it may have in when can puppies have treats.
