Part of the Niagara Dog Community Series

A picture of the store front for Chews Wisely dog treats

🐾Chews Wisely — Natural Treats, Raw Feeding, and a Passion for Healthier Dogs

In the quiet community of Lowbanks, Ontario, Laura from “Chews Wisely” is helping dog owners rethink what goes into their dogs’ bowls and treat jars.

What began as a small side venture quickly turned into something much bigger — a passion for natural nutrition, education, and helping dogs live healthier lives.

Laura originally worked in childcare, running a private preschool before the pandemic forced her to pivot in a completely different direction. Around that same time, her brother had started a raw dog food company called Radowg https://radowg.ca, and Laura began selling bags of raw food from her home.

Before long, she was seeing remarkable changes in the dogs around her.

“Watching dogs improve was incredibly rewarding,” Laura says. “Their coats improved, their skin improved, they had more energy, less itching, and overall they just seemed healthier and happier.”

Those experiences eventually inspired her to launch Chews Wisely — a business focused on Canadian-sourced, natural treats and single-ingredient products without unnecessary fillers or additives.

Choosing Simpler, More Natural Ingredients

The philosophy behind Chews Wisely is refreshingly straightforward.

“If it’s not whole food, I don’t sell it,” Laura explains.

Rather than offering heavily processed treats loaded with dyes, fillers, and ingredients most people can’t pronounce, Chews Wisely focuses on simple proteins and natural options that dogs instinctively love.

Most of the products are single-ingredient treats, making them especially helpful for dogs with allergies or sensitivities. Instead of complicated ingredient lists, customers can easily select proteins that work best for their dog.

Some customer favourites include rabbit ears, sardines, cod chunks, lamb ears, lamb tracheas, and other natural chews rich in collagen and nutrients.

Laura says she has also noticed that more dog owners are beginning to pay closer attention to what they feed their pets.

“There’s definitely been a shift,” she says. “People are becoming more conscious about ingredients and asking more questions about nutrition.”

Education Through Experience

One of the things Laura hopes to continue building through Chews Wisely is education.

She is currently studying canine nutrition and recently completed courses in herbalism with hopes of eventually offering more nutritional guidance and meal planning support for dog owners.

Her goal is not simply to sell treats, but to help people better understand how nutrition impacts their dogs’ overall health.

Over the years, she has witnessed countless transformations.

One story that stayed with her involved a German Shepherd whose skin and coat issues improved dramatically after switching to a more natural raw diet.

“Six months later it was like a whole new dog,” she says.

Supporting Newly Adopted Rescue Dogs

Beyond nutrition, Laura is also working on a community initiative close to her heart.

Chews Wisely and Radowg have created a “Welcome Home” rescue package for newly adopted dogs.

The package currently includes:

A curated “Home At Last” box of single-ingredient treats from Chews Wisely
A free bag of raw food from Radowg
An outdoor photography session from Shirley Cove Photography

Laura hopes to expand the project even further by encouraging other local dog businesses to contribute products or services so more newly adopted dogs can head into their new homes with a thoughtful care package.

You can learn more about the project here: