Dog training treats are great tools for helping to teach your puppy various behaviors and skills. They not only serve as a great way to provide positive reinforcement, but they also help to motivate your puppy and capture his attention.
But some puppy treats are better than others, and you’ll want to select the best dog training treats for puppies available in order to meet the desired results.
At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks for Dog Training Treats for Puppies:
- Crazy Dog Train-Me! Training Reward – Our Top Pick
- Zuke’s Mini Naturals Dog Treats
- Pet Botanics Training Rewards
- BLUE Bits Dog Training Treats
- Wellness Natural Grain Free Puppy Training Treats
You’ll also want to be sure that the training treats you provide are healthy and safe for your dog, and that they won’t lead to health problems.
Best Dog Training Treats
There may be a lot of different training treats on the market, but some of them are far better than others for your dog. Start your search considering five of the best training treats for puppies listed below.
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
|---|---|---|
 | Our Top Pick Crazy Dog Train-Me! Training Reward
| VIEW ON AMAZON →READ REVIEWS → |
 | Zuke’s Mini Naturals Dog Treats
| VIEW ON AMAZON →READ REVIEWS → |
 | Pet Botanics Training Rewards
| VIEW ON AMAZON →READ REVIEWS → |
 | BLUE Bits Dog Training Treats
| VIEW ON AMAZON →READ REVIEWS → |
 | Wellness Natural Grain Free Puppy Training Treats
| VIEW ON AMAZON →READ REVIEWS → |
1. Crazy Dog Train-Me! Training Reward
Crazy Dog Train-Me! Training Rewards are delicious dog treats, which come in two different sizes and four tasty flavors. Made with real meat and manufactured in the USA, these treats have all the characteristics you could want in a treat.
Price: $$$$
Features:
- Real meat is the first listed ingredient
- Made without BHA, BHT or Ethoxyquin
- Low-fat, low-calorie design won’t spoil your dog’s dinner
User Reviews: Most owners were quite pleased with Crazy Dog Train-Me! Training Rewards and explained that their dog loved the way they tasted. A few owners even noted that these treats were easy to break in half, which means that you can get twice the value you’d expect from each bag.
A few owners did find the smell of these treats to be off-putting, but others were not troubled by this issue.
Bottom Line: Crazy Dog Train-Me! Training Rewards are healthy and convenient that most pets seem to love. They have just about every characteristic you’d want in a training treat for your puppy. Containing only 1.5 Calories each, these treats are a great choice for dogs on diets, small breeds, and puppies.
2. Zuke’s Mini Naturals Dog Treats
Zuke’s Mini Naturals are corn-, soy- and wheat-free dog training treats, which are available in seven different flavors. Made in the USA and formulated with cherries and turmeric, these treats are sure to tempt your pet’s palate and motivate him during training sessions.
Price: $$$
Features:
- Contain less than 3 Calories per treat
- Tender, meaty texture dogs love
- Fortified with vitamins and minerals to support your pet’s health
User Reviews: Most owners spoke highly of Zuke’s Mini Naturals Dog Treats, and reported that their dog seemed to love the taste. However, several owners complained that these treats had a particularly offensive odor (by human standards – dogs don’t seem to mind). Additionally, the treats appear to dry out very quickly, so you’ll need to use them fairly quickly.
Bottom Line: Zuke’s Mini Naturals are full of healthy and delicious ingredients, and most owners will be pleased to give their pet such wholesome treats. However, they are not easy to break in half for very small dogs or puppies, and they have relatively brief shelf lives.
3. Pet Botanics Training Rewards
Pet Botanics Training Rewards are small treats designed to be easy for owners to carry and delicious for dogs to eat. Made in the USA and formulated with real pork liver, these 3-calorie treats are a great option for your dog’s training needs.
Price: $
Features:
- Moist pellet formula prevents crumbling
- Fortified with vitamins and minerals to support your dog’s health
- Made with several botanical ingredients, such as blueberries and dandelion
User Reviews: The majority of owners who tried these treats were very pleased. Owners loved the ingredients used in the recipe, while dogs simply appear to love the taste. And, while some dogs may prefer crunchier treats, most owners reported that their dog loved the texture of Pet Botanics Training Rewards.
Bottom Line: Generally speaking, Pet Botanics Training Rewards are high-quality and tasty treats, which are also quite affordably priced. While it is slightly disappointing to see sugar listed among the ingredients, these treats are otherwise made with only the best foods.
4. BLUE Bits Dog Training Treats
BLUE Bits Dog Training Treats are premium puppy treats, designed to taste great while also supporting your pet’s health. Made with real chicken rather than chicken meal or chicken byproducts, BLUE Bits are sure to be a hit with your puppy, and their impressive omega-3 fatty acid content makes them a favorite among owners as well.
Price: $$$$
Features:
- Packed with nutritious ingredients, including deboned chicken, brown rice and oatmeal
- Fortified with vitamins, minerals, and ingredients rich in omega-3 fatty acids
- Suitable for dogs and puppies larger than 5 pounds
User Reviews: Most of the reviews for BLUE Bits Puppy Training Treats were very positive. Dogs seemed to love the taste and texture, while owners were excited to be able to give their pet treats made from such high-quality ingredients.
Some owners lamented the size of the puppy treats and wished they were smaller, but this shouldn’t be a problem for those with large breeds.
Bottom Line: BLUE Bits Training Treats not only make it easier to train your dog, but they also allow you to get more omega-3 fatty acids in your dog’s diet too. These treats are a bit on the expensive side, but given the impressive ingredients contained in the recipe, they are well worth the expense.
5. Wellness Natural Grain Free Puppy Training Treats
Wellness Natural produces some of the best pet foods available, and their grain-free puppy training treats are made with a similar commitment to quality. Made with real chicken and no artificial flavors, colors or additives, Wellness Natural Grain-Free Soft Puppy Bites is a healthy and delicious treat for training your puppy.
Price: $$$$$
Features:
- Lamb-based recipe makes these treats taste great
- Salmon and flaxseed included providing Omega-3 fatty acids
- The soft texture makes it easy to break these treats in two
User Reviews: The vast majority of owners who tried Wellness Natural Grain-Free Training Treats were very pleased with the product. Most dogs appear to love the lamb-based recipe, which makes these puppy treats perfect for training. A few owners did note that these treats gave their dog excessive gas, but that’s a relatively minor issue.
Bottom Line: Wellness Natural Grain-Free Puppy Training Treats are some of the most expensive training treats on the market, but given their dog-approved taste and impressive ingredient list, they are probably worth the additional expense.
However, it is troubling that this product is labeled as being grain-free, yet it clearly includes two different grains – ground brown rice and oatmeal. These are both nutritious, high-value grains, but owners who are seeking to provide a truly grain-free diet will want to look elsewhere.
The Importance of Training Your Dog With Treats
Although it is sometimes challenging, dog training commands are something that every owner must provide to their dog. You needn’t train your pet to jump through hoops or perform circus-like tricks if you don’t want to, but all dogs should be trained to sit, lay and walk in the heel position, among other things.
Obedient dogs tend to enjoy more frequent trips to the park and are usually given the chance to accompany their owners on adventures (which may be nothing more than a trip to the pet store) more often than their poorly trained counterparts are. Obedient dogs are also easier to take to the vet or groomer than those who behave like hooligans are.
But training your dog is not only important to ensure your dog behaves well in public or when greeting visitors in the home, but it is also important from a safety perspective. You may, for example, be faced with a broken-leash scenario, in which case your dog’s obedience training may mean the difference between life and death.
How to Choose the Best Training Treat
It is important to note that there are several different types of dog treats and each is intended for a different purpose.
Most treats fall into three different categories:
- Those primarily intended as a tasty snack
- Those which are designed to give your dog something to chew
- Those which are specifically designed to be used for training
Because they are used for different purposes than the other types of treats, the best dog training treats must satisfy a few key criteria, which are not necessary for other types.
Some of the things you’ll want to seek in dog training treats include:
→ They Should Be Relatively Small
Small is a relative term, but training treats should usually be on the small side, relative to treats given for chewing purposes or other reasons. This is because you’ll need to give your dog a lot of treats during the course of the training session, but you don’t want to stuff your dog in the process. Accordingly, bite-sized training treats are the preferred option.
Additionally, you’ll want your dog to be able to consume the treats quickly so that you can keep up a brisk pace while training. You don’t want to be waiting for your dog to chew and swallow – you want your dog to chomp down a few times and swallow easily.
→ They Must Be Very Palatable
Dogs tend to find most treats tasty, but when you are trying to conduct training sessions, and you intend to use treats for motivation and reinforcement purposes, you want your dog to love the treats you select.
It can be difficult to determine the relative palatability of a treat before you give it to your dog, so it is often wise to try out several different options and review the experiences of other owners before making your choice.
→ They Must Be Easy to Store, Transport and Handle
You’ll need to handle and carry treats when working with your dog, so it is always preferable to select treats that keep well at room temperature and do not cause your hands to become messy.
Use care to avoid treats that may become deformed in hot weather or those that are coated in sticky or slimy substances – even if your dog finds them delicious.
Similarly, it is important to avoid using potentially dangerous (if delicious) items, such as pieces of raw meat. Doing so may cause you and your dog to fall ill.
→ They Must Be Made with Healthy Ingredients
Treats must be made from dog-appropriate ingredients, and they should satisfy most of the same criteria that you consider when picking a dog food.
For example, you’ll want to select treats that are not made with artificial additives, they should only contain properly identified meat meals and meat byproducts and they should be made in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, New Zealand or Australia, where food strict safety rules and practices are enforced.
SEE ALSO: 5 Best Monthly Subscription Boxes for Big Dogs
Use Caution When Giving Your Puppy Training Treats
Be careful to avoid providing your dog with too many treats. Doing so may upset his stomach or – if you make a habit of providing too many treats – it can cause him to gain weight. You can even cause nutritional imbalances by providing too many treats, as it may cause your dog to eat less of his real food at dinner time.
Also, you’ll want to avoid providing too many treats during training sessions, to help reduce the chances that your dog will suffer from bloat.
It is also wise to mind your fingers when giving your dog treats – particularly if you own a big canine. Dogs often become very excited during training sessions, and even the gentlest dogs may accidentally nip their owner’s fingers in such cases.
Conclusion
Have you found a great dog training treat that has worked for you and your pet? We’d love to hear about your experiences. Let us know the brand you prefer and the flavor your dog seems to like the most.
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A big-dog lover, successful marketing executive, and website developer, Brian founded Canine Weekly in 2016. Brian lives just outside of Seattle with his wife and child. Brian grew up with labs and the family is eager to get another Labrador once their newborn is a little older. Brian is the former owner of Canine Weekly.