The 5 Best Dog Treats for Training

Our favorites come in a bag with 500

Mary Jo DiLonardo By
Mary Jo DiLonardo
Mary Jo DiLonardo
Mary Jo DiLonardo
Mary Jo DiLonardo is a senior writer and editor who covers pets and animals, health and wellness, nature and sustainability, and all things environmental. In her over 25 years on the job, she has contributed to WebMD, CNN.com, and Treehugger. She has fostered more than three dozen dogs and puppies.
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Updated on 08/04/23
Fact checked by
Shereen Jegtvig
Shereen Lehman
Fact checked by Shereen Jegtvig

Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and fact checker. She has co-authored two books for the popular Dummies Series (as Shereen Jegtvig).

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Whether you’re teaching your dog to sit, shake, or do fantastic tricks, having tempting dog treats for training can keep them motivated and make the training fun.

“It’s important to use a variety of ‘high value’ treats and other positive reinforcement tactics that are deemed rewarding by your dog. ‘High value’ treats can be any treat that your dog loves and can be helpful to use when teaching new behaviors or training in a high-distraction environment,” says certified professional dog trainerDarris Cooper, CPDT-KA, FFCP, who is the national dog training manager at Petco.

“You can also use lower value treats like dry biscuits or their kibble to make mealtime enriching and interactive while rewarding desired behaviors at home.”

Our favorite dog treats for training are Pet Botanics Training Rewards. They have several flavors, all featuring real meat protein and recognizable ingredients, and are a great value with 500 treats per bag.

Before you sit down with your pup for some fun time together, check out all our picks for best dog treats for training.

Our Top Picks
Best Overall :
Pet Botanics Training Reward at Chewy
Jump to Review
Best Natural:
Zuke's Mini Naturals at Chewy
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Best for Puppies:
健康软小狗咬嚼头
Jump to Review
Best Flavors:
Fruitables Skinny Minis Soft Dog Treats at Chewy
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Best Crunchy:
Wet Noses Little Stars Dog Treats at Chewy
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In This Article

Best Overall

Pet Botanics Training Reward

Amazon Pet Botanics Training Rewards

Amazon
View On Chewy View On Amazon View On Walmart
What We Like

  • Whopping 500 treats per bag

  • No artificial preservatives or flavors

  • Several recipes

  • Recognizable ingredients, with real meat protein

  • Good value

What We Don't Like

  • Strong smell

Soft and bite-sized, Pet Botanics Training Rewards are our favoritehealthy dog treats. They come in several flavors, including bacon, beef, chicken, and salmon, though the primary protein is always pork liver. Each treat only has 3 calories, and they’re the perfect size for small dogs or for training pups of any size. The treats are made in the United States with recognizable ingredients, including real meat protein. There are no artificial preservatives or flavors, and no corn or soy.

They are made with many easy-to-identify ingredients like potatoes and dried whole eggs as well as a range of botanicals, including rosemary, green tea, chamomile, antioxidant fruits and other herbs that are rich in vitamins. They are also a great value, as they come in a resealable bag of 500 treats.

You can tear these treats in half for even tinier pieces, but Pet Botanics also has an even smaller “mini” version where the treats just have 1.5 calories each. Those are available in several flavors including bacon, beef, chicken, and grain-free salmon.

Price at time of publish:$16/1.25 pounds

Flavors:Bacon, beef, chicken, salmon |Primary Ingredients:Pork liver, pea flour, potatoes, dried whole eggs, glycerin, flaxseed, brown rice |Calories Per Treat:3 |Treats Per Package:500

Best Natural

Zuke's Mini Naturals

4.7
Amazon Zuke’s Mini Naturals

Amazon
View On Chewy View On Amazon View On Walmart
What We Like

  • Lots of flavors

  • No fillers, by-products, or artificial ingredients

  • Protein is always the main ingredient

What We Don't Like

  • Soft treats can harden when not sealed tightly

Zuke’s Mini Naturals are ourfavorite dog treats, and their small size makes them perfect for training. They come in a whole bunch of tempting flavors ranging from chicken, salmon, and pork to peanut butter and oats, and turkey and pumpkin. Protein—like real chicken–is always the main ingredient, supplemented by recognizable extras like fruits and vegetables, ground rice and barley.

They’re made in the United States with no fillers, by-products, or artificial ingredients. Treats are relatively small and only have 3 calories each. They’re also soft enough to tear into even smaller pieces when you need to dole out lots of treats during training sessions.

Price at time of publish:$8/6 ounces

Flavors:Chicken, peanut butter and oats, salmon, beef, rabbit, duck, pork, turkey and cranberry, turkey and pumpkin |Primary Ingredients:Peanut butter, rice, water, oats, potatoes, cane sugar (peanut butter and oats) |Calories Per Treat:2 |Treats Per Package:n/a (6 ounces)

Best for Puppies

Wellness Soft Puppy Bites Grain Free

4.7
Amazon Wellness Soft Puppy Bites Grain Free Lamb & Salmon

Amazon
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What We Like

  • First ingredients are salmon and lamb

  • No artificial colors or flavors or meat by-products

  • Easy to tear into smaller pieces

What We Don't Like

  • Smelly

Many trainers just recommend using your puppy’s kibble when training because adding other foods can sometimes cause GI problems for young dogs. But if you need something a little more motivating when you’re working with your puppy, Wellness Soft Puppy Bites are a great choice. The first ingredients are salmon and lamb and they contain no artificial colors or flavors or meat by-products.

Soft Puppy Bites are about the size of a nickel, but they can easily be divided into tiny bites for training. They are very smelly, which makes them very attractive to dogs. The bites are made with several wholesome ingredients including carrots, blueberries, apples, and sweet potatoes. The treats are made in the United States with globally sourced ingredients.

Price at time of publish:$10/8 ounces

Flavors:Lamb and salmon |Primary Ingredients:Lamb, salmon, chickpeas, ground potatoes, vegetable glycerin, guar gum, carrots |Calories Per Treat:6 |Treats Per Package:n/a (8 ounces)

Best Flavors

Fruitables Skinny Minis Soft Dog Treats

Amazon Fruitables Skinny Minis Soft Dog Treats

Amazon
View On Chewy View On Amazon View On PETCO
What We Like

  • Many flavors, including fruit combos

  • No artificial ingredients, colors, or preservatives

  • Bigger than many treats

What We Don't Like

  • Some dogs don't love fruity flavors

Fruitables Skinny Minis are soft dog treats that come in lots of aromatic fruity flavors. Think pumpkin and berry, watermelon, and pumpkin and mango. There are meaty versions too like rotisserie chicken, but the fruity recipes are really enticing, particularly if you are turned off by the overpowering smell of some treats.

These soft treats are bigger than some training rewards, but they still only have 3 calories each. There are crunchy versions of Fruitables too that are about the same size but have 8 calories each. They come in lots of flavors too. But we like these soft treats better for training because they are smellier (in a good way) and easier to tear into smaller pieces.

Price at time of publish:$8/5 ounces

Flavors:Apple bacon, grilled bison, pumpkin and berry, pumpkin and mango, rotisserie chicken, watermelon |Primary Ingredients:chickpeas, peas, vegetable glycerin, tapioca starch, flaxseed, honey, pumpkin (pumpkin and berry) |Calories Per Treat:3 |Treats Per Package:n/a (12 ounces)

Best Crunchy

Wet Noses Little Stars Dog Treats

Chewy Wet Noses Little Stars Training Treats

Chewy
View On Chewy View On Amazon
What We Like

  • USDA-certified organic and non-GMO verified

  • Limited ingredients

  • No animal by-products or preservatives

What We Don't Like

  • May be too small for big dogs

The original Wet Noses dog treats are a little larger than a quarter. They have more than a dozen flavor combinations and offer a satisfying crunch. While those can be great as an occasional well-deserved treat, these Little Stars are a better option for training. They are only about the size of a pencil eraser and come in two flavors: peanut butter and sweet potato. They might be too tiny for very big dogs, but they can be great for training, particularly when you want to hold treats in your pocket and don’t want anything soft or smelly.

Like all Wet Noses treats, these tiny bits are USDA-certified organic and non-GMO verified. They are made without corn, soy, wheat, or dairy. They also contain no preservatives or fillers, instead opting for organic ingredients like rye flour and peanut butter.

Price at time of publish:$9/9 ounces

Flavors:Peanut butter, sweet potato |Primary Ingredients:Organic rye flour, organic canola oil, organic peanut butter, organic cane molasses (peanut butter) |Calories Per Treat:1 |Treats Per Package:n/a (9 ounces)

Final Verdict

Our favorite dog treats for training arePet Botanics Training Rewards. They have several flavors, all featuring real meat protein and recognizable ingredients, and are a great value with 500 treats per bag. Another great option areZuke’s Mini Naturals, these soft, small treats come in lots of flavors with protein as the main ingredient. There are no fillers, by-products, or anything artificial.

What to Look for in Dog Treats for Training

Ingredients

When you’re shopping for training treats, be sure to take a look at the ingredients to see what’s included. You may want to consider treats that have a protein (like meat or chicken) and/or whole foods like fruits and vegetables high atop the list. Look to see if there are added fillers, artificial flavors, or preservatives. While you’re looking at nutrition information, also check out the number of calories each treat has. If you give a lot of treats during a session, those calories can add up.

Consistency

Soft treats are often used for training because they can be more appealing to many pets. They are also easier to tear apart into smaller treats if you don’t want to overload your dog with too many calories. Soft treats often tend to be stinkier, and that’s a good thing as far as your dog is concerned. “The smellier the treat is, the better, as dogs experience the world through their nose,” says Cooper. “Small, soft treats are great for puppies that still may be teething.”

FAQ
  • How many training treats can my dog have per day?

    You can go through a ton of treats during a training session, which is why training treats are typically small with few calories. “Dogs should get no more than 10% of their daily caloric intake from treats,” says Cooper. “Using your dog’s regular kibble as a ‘low value' treat is a great way to maintain reward-based training while being conscious of your dog’s health and wellness.”

    软训练治疗往往容易猛攻even smaller pieces, which means fewer calories. And they typically smell tempting even in tiny bits, so they’ll keep your dog engaged.

  • Can you train a dog without treats?

    You can, but they sure help. “Treats are a great way to get started with training,” says Cooper. “We believe that reward-based, positive dog training is best for pets and pet parents. Once your dog has grasped a behavior, treats can gradually be phased out in favor of other positive reinforcement tactics such as play, affection, and verbal praise.”

    Your dog might be happier if you give them a much-loved toy or a tennis ball as a reward. And some dogs respond to an encouraging “yay!” or “good dog!” as much as they love treats.

    At Spruce Pets, we do not recommend any aversive training methods such as electric collars or prong collars. “They often suppress behaviors, as well as cause behavioral fallouts and detrimental side effects such as damaging the trust between pet and pet parent,” says Cooper. “They can also cause pets to feel unsafe in their environment.” (Cooper points out that Petco stopped selling human- and bark-activated electronic “shock” collars in 2020.)

  • How do you use training treats?

    You can use training treats to both teach and to reinforce behaviors. “The use of positive, voluntary, and reward-based training allows us to communicate clearly with our dogs, provide them with mental stimulation and help them feel more confident,” says Cooper. “Because training treats are smaller and specifically designed for training, pet parents can reward desired behaviors without quickly surpassing the recommended daily calories from treats.”

Why Trust The Spruce?

When researching the best treats for training, we asked owners, trainers, and fosters what to look for when choosing products. We read lots of customer reviews and looked for features like ingredients, flavors, texture, and size.

This article was researched and written byMary Jo DiLonardo谁有动物和宠物几个十es. Mary Jo has fostered more than 60 dogs and puppies. She has used training treats to work on cues with her fosters and always seems to have some in her pockets.

Mary Jo is always searching for the healthiest and most effective products to use with them such asbest healthy dog treatsand bestdog treat pouches.