Best Puppy Treats for Training

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November 6, 2022 / Puppies / By: Krystine Therriault

Small sized treats for housebreaking puppies

Puppy treats can be a fantastic way to supplement you pet’s diet, reward them for good behavior, and support your training efforts since food is a powerful intrinsic motivator.

That said, it’s important that you limit the number of treats that you give your puppy on a day-to-day basis, since maintaining a healthy weight is important for any pet’s health. 

Quick Picks: Healthy Puppy Treats for Training

It’s also important for puppy owners to know that not all treats are created equal.

A lot of cheaper dog treats that you find in pet stores with big brand names are bad for puppies and use unhealthy ingredients. 

Luckily, with a little research you can find healthy treats that you can use that your puppy will love!

Whether you’re housebreaking in a puppy or retraining an adult dog, here are the top five commercial dog treats for training puppies.

Best Overall: Wellness Soft Puppy Bites

Soft, chewy, perfectly-sized treats specially for puppies made with premium lamb and salmon

Wellness’ Soft Puppy Bites are natural and grain free puppy training treats.

These treats are soft, chewy, puppy sized and are available in bags ranging from three to six ounces.

If you’re looking for a healthy snack to feed your puppy, these Puppy Bites are made using all-natural ingredients. They contain no meat by-products, corn, wheat, dairy or any artificial colors and flavors.

Dog owners can feel great giving these treats to their puppies because they’re made in the USA. They’re fortified with DHA for healthy brain development, antioxidants, and superfoods like veggies and blueberries. Puppies love these treats, but they are a little big and some owners like to cut them in half.

It's easy to see why Amazon rates them as the best dog treats for puppies with a whopping 2000 positive reviews.

At only 4 kcal/treat owners love the quality premium proteins and how well their puppies respond to training with them. 

Low-Calorie Dog Treat: Blue Buffalo Blue Bits 

Perfect size for potty training and teaching puppy daily life basics

BLUE Bits Dog Treats are healthy and holistic, just like all Blue Buffalo products.

These extra moist and soft chicken flavored training treats come in a nine-ounce bag.

Owners can confidently give these treats to their puppies knowing that they don’t contain any meat by-products, corn, wheat, soy, or artificial ingredients that can cause health issues.

To support your puppy’s health, these treats which are a low 3.5 kcals per treat are made with DHA to promote healthy brain development along with omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to keep your puppy’s skin and coat in tip-top shape. 

Plus, they come in cute, perfectly bite-sized heart shapes! While some owners find these treats expensive, most love the quality and the size is great for puppy training.

Best Hypoallergenic Dog Treats: Hill's Prescription Diet Hypo-Treats Dog Treats

 These tasty treats are perfectly sized for use as a training reward

These hydrolyzed chicken liver protein treats from Hill's Prescription Diet offer a delicious crunchy treat and alleviates adverse reactions to food. 

The omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, including EPA, help nourish the skin and coat of your pet dog. While the added vitamins, minerals and antioxidants helps provide a healthy skin barrier function.

These USA made treats are suitable for all breed sizes and a great choice for dogs and puppies who suffer from skin conditions and food allergies.

Best Reward Treats for Large Puppies: CANIDAE Grain Free PURE

Great size treat for a large dog

CANIDAE’s PURE Chewy Treats are grain free, limited ingredient treats made in the USA and perfectly sized for training purposes.

These treats are available in several tasty flavors including Sweet Potato & Duck, Wild Boar & Cherry, and Turkey & Apple (to name a few).

The exotic meats and ingredients are great for dogs who tend to be sensitive to more common meats like chicken and beef.

If you’re looking for a snack option for your pet without an extensive list of ingredients that you don’t recognize, CANIDAE PURE is the way to go. These also make healthy treats for larger breed puppy.

They are also a low-calorie option at 3 kcals per treat, perfect for training yet keeping your growing puppy lean.

While some of these treats contain chicken meal in them, overall, they are made with quality ingredients that owners trust and dogs love.

Best Treat to Hide Dog Pills: Greenies Pill Pockets

healthy, low-calorie dog treat

Greenies Pill Pockets are soft dog treats that you can use to help your dog take its medication.

They are the #1 vet recommended choice for giving dogs pills, and they’re chicken flavored, so your dogs will even enjoy it!

This is generally better than trying to give them their pills with human food. These all-natural bags of treats are low-fat and come with 60 pill pockets that have an opening to insert the pill.

Once the pill is inserted into the pocket, you can squeeze it shut so your dog won’t end up eating the treat and not the pill.

Chicken is the first ingredient in these treats, which is great, but there aren’t many other whole food ingredients, so they should be given in moderation. 

Owners love these treats though, because they make it easy to guarantee that their dogs are getting the medication they need.

Natural and Healthy Puppy Reward Training Treats

In addition to packaged treats like the ones we mentioned above, consider experimenting also with:

  • snack-sized string cheese,
  • dried apple pieces,
  • sliced carrot,
  • skinless chicken (lower in fat and calories),
  • sweet potato chips and
  • any homemade dog treats you might have and that are safe for your puppy to eat.

Avoid giving your puppy any food containing chocolate, cocoa, onions or any foods that contain high levels of salt and fat.

See our related article about other popular human foods to see which are safe and which aren't for your pup to eat: Can I give my dog bananas? and Should dogs be allowed eat avocado?

Bottom Line.... What are the Best Treats for Housebreaking a Puppy?

Treats are great to use when training your dog or rewarding them for good behavior, but it’s always important to use them in moderation and as part of a balanced diet. 

Although there are a lot of inexpensive treats in grocery and department stores, they aren’t always high quality. It’s important to pay attention to the ingredients, which are generally listed in order of weight.

Some important things to look for in dog treats are quality meat ingredients, whole foods, and natural preservatives.

Generally, buying locally is best because different regulations in other countries could mean that they use less healthy ingredients.

Things to avoid when looking for quality dog treats are artificial ingredients, meat by-products, and ingredients like wheat and soy that can trigger allergies.

In this healthy puppy treats for training review, we analyzed the best puppy treats and reviewed the most popular brands, it's now up to your puppy now to do a taste review and let you know which treat he or she liked the best!

WRITTEN BY

Krystine Therriault

Krystine Therriault is an accomplished writer. With a passion for all creatures cute and furry, Krystine's life has been touched by many beloved dogs over the years. She is also a loving mother of two boys and an avid yogi.

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