Purina Beggin' Strips Thick Cut Hickory Review

Intro

I’m The Pet Dude — a pet parent who’s picky about treats, packaging, and whether a snack will actually help with training or just create chaos in the pantry. Purina Beggin' Strips Thick Cut Hickory is one of those classic, recognizable treats that promises a strong bacon pull and a big, resealable bag. In this review I’ll break down what the listing says, what real-owner notes reveal, and the safety and fit considerations I’d check before I bring a giant pouch like this into my house.

What it is / first look

On paper, Beggin' Strips Thick Cut Hickory is straightforward: the product listing identifies these as adult dog treats in a stick/strip form, sold in a single 40 oz. pouch. Purina’s listing states that real meat is the number one ingredient, and that the strips are made with real bacon and feature a hickory smoke flavor and a thick-cut, bacon-strip shape. The item form is listed as "stick," and the package is a resealable pouch produced in Purina-owned, U.S. facilities.

The listing also calls out a few formulation and use points I pay attention to: it notes no artificial flavors or FD&C colors, and the treats are positioned for behavior use — specifically recommended for treat and dog training. The brand and manufacturer are Purina Beggin' and Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, and the listing dates back to availability on March 1, 2017.

What’s in the box

• One (1) 40 oz. pouch of Beggin' Strips Thick Cut Hickory (the listing’s included component)
• Resealable pouch packaging (listing specifies packaged in a resealable dog treat pouch)

Packaging and visual first impressions

The listing text emphasizes a bacon-like strip shape and aroma. Images supplied with the listing suggest typical bacon-tone packaging and branding on the pouch; based on the image files, available colors may include brown, red, and white. The listing specifies the product is made in Purina-owned U.S. facilities, which is important to many buyers looking for domestic production.

• Available colors may include: brown (bacon-like), red (packaging accents), white (label)

In daily use

If you handle treats daily for training or rewards, you want to know how they behave in real life. Here’s what the product listing and owner experience notes together tell me about everyday use.

Portioning and training

The listing labels these for behavior and training use and highlights that the strips have a texture that’s "easy chew and tear." From owner notes, folks frequently break strips into smaller pieces for training, and owners describe using halves or quarters for small dogs and for training sessions. The bag's resealable design is called out in the listing and owners have noted that the seal helps keep the treats from making the pantry smell like bacon when closed.

Dog response and palatability

On the palatability front, the listing puts a lot of emphasis on a bacon-like aroma and notes that real meat is the top ingredient. In owner feedback, dogs react strongly to the smell and sight — one note describes dogs "losing their minds" when the bag is opened, and several owners call them a favorite treat that motivates tricks and training. That matches the listing’s positioning as a high-aroma, bacon-featured snack intended to drive behavior.

Size and dosing

The listing’s item form is "stick," and several owners report the strips are big enough to split. Owner notes say smaller dogs often get a quarter to half a strip, while larger dogs get whole strips; the listing also recommends this product for all breed sizes, and describes the age range as "Adult." If you train with small, frequent rewards, owners indicate these are easy to break down for that purpose.

Value and supply

The 40 oz. pouch is called out in the listing, and multiple owner notes comment on the quantity being a good value — one described it as a big package that lasts a long time when used sparingly. A few owners also referenced ordering and delivery hiccups separate from the product itself, which is worth factoring into an online purchase decision.

Materials & build quality

For treats that’s really a question of ingredients, formulation, and packaging rather than "materials." From the listing we know:

• Real meat (bacon) is listed as the number one ingredient.
• Special ingredient called out is pork, and the listing includes allergen information noting pork.
• The product contains "no artificial flavors or FD&C colors" and the listing elsewhere says "no artificial colors."
• Packaging is a resealable pouch.

Owners add practical notes on usability: many say the strips have an irresistible aroma and are easy to tear into smaller pieces for training. One owner explicitly described using small fractions of a strip for a 10 lb dog and that the bag lasts months when used sparingly.

What the listing doesn't specify

• The full ingredient list and guaranteed analysis (calories, protein/fat %, etc.) are not included in the facts provided here.
• There’s no listed explicit shelf life or expiration detail in the provided listing copy.

Safety considerations

I always start with ingredient flags and physical hazard flags. From the product facts and owner notes I can pull a few clear safety signals.

Allergens and ingredient cautions

The listing lists pork as a special ingredient and explicitly puts "Allergen Information: Pork" on the product page. If your dog has a pork allergy or you avoid pork for any reason, the listing makes that clear. The listing also repeats the "no artificial flavors or FD&C colors" claim, which some owners value for ingredient simplicity.

Choking, dental, and texture concerns

One recurring owner concern in the notes is that strips can "get extremely hard" and some owners have had to discard hardened pieces sooner than expected. That’s a practical safety consideration: very hard treats can present a dental risk or a choking hazard for certain dogs, especially those that gulp or who have dental issues. The listing itself calls the texture "easy chew and tear," but the owner reports show that texture may change over time or that some batches become hard enough for owners to throw away.

Given those notes, I treat two situations as essential checks in my home:

1. Always break a strip into training-sized pieces before giving it to a small dog, senior dog, or dog with dental issues.
2. Check pieces for excessive hardness; discard any that have hardened and could pose a choking or dental risk.

Age and breed fit for safety

The listing’s age range is specified as "Adult" and the breed recommendation is "All Breed Sizes." That means the product is presented for adult dogs of any size, and the listing does not recommend them for puppies (the listing explicitly lists age range: Adult). If you have a puppy or a dog with special dietary needs, the listing does not provide puppy suitability or special formulation details, so you should proceed accordingly.

Manufacturing and origin

Production in Purina-owned, U.S. facilities is stated in the listing. From a safety perspective, some owners consider domestic production a positive item when thinking about manufacturing oversight and consistency.

Who this is for / who should skip

I break this down by the typical decision points I hear from readers: training use, dog size, life stage, and ingredient sensitivities.

Best for

• Owners who want a high-aroma, bacon-forward treat to drive motivation — the listing emphasizes real bacon and a bacon-like aroma.
• People who need bulk treats for frequent reinforcement and like the idea of a large, resealable pouch (the listing is for a 40 oz. pouch and packaging is resealable).
• Owners of adult dogs of any breed size — the listing calls out breed recommendation as all breed sizes and age range as adult.
• Trainers or pet parents who break treats into small pieces — the listing and owner notes both point to the strips being easy to tear into smaller portions for training.

Who should skip or use caution

• Puppy owners looking for puppy-formulated rewards — the listing specifies an age range of "Adult," so the listing does not present this product as puppy-targeted.
• Dogs with pork allergies — the listing has "Allergen Information: Pork."
• Dogs prone to gulping or with dental issues — owner notes report strips sometimes hardening to the point where they are discarded; check texture before giving to at-risk dogs.
• People looking for full ingredient transparency on percentages, guaranteed analysis, or calorie counts — the supplied facts do not include the full nutritional breakdown or ingredient percentages beyond the top-ingredient statement.

Verdict

Here’s my plainspoken take: Purina Beggin' Strips Thick Cut Hickory delivers exactly what the listing promises — a bacon-shaped, bacon-scented strip with real meat listed as the number one ingredient, sold in a large, resealable 40 oz. pouch made in Purina-owned U.S. facilities and positioned for adult-dog behavior and training. In owner experience, dogs respond strongly to the aroma and many people find these a go-to high-value treat for training sessions.

That said, the owner notes about strips hardening are a real practical concern. If I were buying a giant pouch for use in a multi-dog household or for long-term cupboard storage, I’d monitor for texture changes and portion the bag into smaller closed containers if I wasn’t going to use it quickly. Also keep the pork allergen tag front of mind.

Check before you buy (quick checklist)

• Confirm you need an adult-dog treat (listing age range: Adult).
• Check whether pork is acceptable for your dog (Allergen Information: Pork).
• Plan how you’ll store the 40 oz. resealable pouch or break it into smaller containers if you won’t use it quickly.
• Inspect strips for hardness before offering to dogs with dental issues or known gulpers; discard any overly hard pieces (owner notes report hardening in some cases).
• If you require nutritional percentages or calorie counts, note that the listing does not specify guaranteed analysis in the provided facts.

Overall, if you want a bacon-forward, high-aroma reward from a recognized brand and you don’t have pork-sensitive dogs or puppies, the listing and owner notes together suggest this is a strongly motivating option used commonly for training and behavior rewards. Keep an eye on texture over time, portion smartly, and rely on the resealable pouch to help preserve freshness.

Final practical notes from The Pet Dude

I keep a pouch of training treats broken into small tubs in my training bag — that way the large home pouch doesn’t sit open and the pieces I hand out are consistent and easy to chew. Given the listing’s emphasis on a thick-cut bacon strip and the owner feedback about great dog response, these Beggin' Strips feel like a reliable high-value treat when used as intended. Just be mindful of the pork allergen and the hardening reports: clip a strip open, break it down, check texture, and reward smartly.