All puppy parents care about what they’re feeding their pups. After all, puppyhood is a crucial period in their dog’s physical and mental development! And since there are so many options out there, it can be hard to know which treats are the best for your pup’s needs. As with human food, it’s important to look at ingredients – you’re going to want to look for treats that don’t have too many, as an excess of ingredients usually means a treat has fillers and artificial additives. (Depending on your pup’s needs, you’ll want to note the calorie count, too.)
In general, treats should make up no more than 10% of your pup’s daily diet – and this will vary with your pup’s age and size. (If you’re using the treats for training, a lower-calorie choice is best.) To help you wade through the many options out there, we compiled a list of the 10 Best Puppy Treats so you can find the pawfect choice for your pup.
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Best Overall Puppy Treat: Wellness Soft Puppy Bites
Wellness Soft Puppy Bites check all the boxes, which makes them a great overall choice. These treats are specially formulated for growing puppies under a year old. They’re grain-free and made in the USA from high-quality ingredients – including meats, fruits and veggies that give your pup the nutrition they need without any nasty fillers like meat by-products, corn, soy, wheat, or artificial colors or flavorings. Their small size and dog-approved taste makes them a great training tool, especially since they’re only 6 calories each and can be easily torn into smaller pieces during training sessions. These treats are also a natural source of DHA, an Omega-3 fatty acid that has many health benefits for dogs.
Most Budget-Friendly Puppy Treat: Pupford Freeze-Dried Training Treats
With more than 475 treats in each bag, Pupford’s Freeze-Dried Training Treats certainly give you the most bang for your buck – and without sacrificing quality! These treats come in 5 flavors – chicken, salmon, beef liver, rabbit, and sweet potato – and apart from a natural antioxidant made from Vitamin E which acts as a natural preservative, these flavors are the only ingredients in these treats. Pupford treats are bite-sized and only 1 calorie each, so you don’t have to worry about your pup packing on the pounds during your training sessions. They’re also sourced and made in the USA, and the freeze-drying process preserves all the nutrients your pup needs and the flavor they love!
Best Low-Calorie Puppy Treat: Fruitables Skinny Minis
It’s all right there in the name! Fruitables Skinny Minis are small, low-calorie treats that are pawfect for growing puppies. These grain-free treats are only 3 calories each, which is perfect for your training sessions. They’re made in organic bakeries in the USA and contain only high-quality ingredients, including dog-friendly superfoods like sweet potatoes, apples, pumpkin, mango, and blueberries. (Plus: no fillers or artificial flavors here!) Fruitables Skinny Minis come in a wide variety of flavors, including Apple Bacon, Rotisserie Chicken, Grilled Bison, Pumpkin & Mango, Pumpkin & Berry, Watermelon, and Pumpkin Spice. And pups love the taste and the smell – especially for Apple Bacon!
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Best High-Value Training Treat: Stewart Pro-Treat Beef Liver
Sometimes your pup deserves a little something special when they’ve been an especially good dog, and that’s where high-value treats come in. Of course, they would always rather have human food, but too much of that is not good for growing pups (or adult dogs, either). Stewart Pro-Treat Beef Liver treats are the next best thing. They’re made of a single ingredient: human-grade beef liver, which means it’s safe enough for humans to eat – although its taste may not be what humans would enjoy! Stewart treats are grain-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and corn-free, and they don’t contain any nasty preservatives, artificial colors, or flavors, either. They can be a little stinky for us humans, but that’s just makes dogs go wild for them! They can also be on the big side, so you may need to break them up for very small pups or training sessions. And since they’re a high-value treat, you should limit how many you give your pup per day – these treats are made for quality, not quantity.
Best Organic Treat: Riley’s Organic Dog Biscuits
If you’re looking for a treat that is made from 100% organic, plant-based, and human-grade ingredients, then Riley’s Organic Dog Biscuits are a great choice for your pup. The small size biscuits are great for puppies and only 5 calories each, and you can break them up a bit for training purposes, too. They come in several flavors, including Sweet Potato, Apple, Pumpkin & Coconut, and Peanut Butter & Molasses (all of which are also available in a large size for when your pup grows up and still wants their favorite treat). Riley’s biscuits don’t contain any gross fillers like corn, soy, or wheat, and they are made in the USA.
Best Dental Health Treat: Get Naked Grain-Free Puppy Health Dental Sticks
The teething period can be ruff for pups and their humans, but Get Naked Dental Sticks can help make it easier. While Get Naked makes other types of dental sticks for adult dogs, their Grain-Free Puppy Health sticks are designed specifically for teething puppies. They’re small in size but worth 27 calories each, so they’re not meant to be everyday treats. They’re grain-free and made from natural ingredients, with DHA Omega-3 fatty acids that help with your pup’s cognitive development and calcium that strengthens their teeth and bones. Get Naked Puppy Health Dental Sticks help ease some of the discomfort your pup goes through while teething – and when those grown-up teeth finally come in, they’ll help get rid of plaque and tartar, keeping your pup’s teeth and gums healthy!
Best Dog Biscuit Treat: Raw Paws Peanut Butter Biscuits
If you’re looking for a quality biscuit that won’t crumble in your treat bag, Raw Paws Peanut Butter Biscuits are the pawfect choice. These grain-free biscuits are made in the USA, and their all-natural ingredients and lack of fillers and artificial ingredients make them a great choice for pups with sensitive tummies. Their ingredients – which include Omega-3 fatty acids, amino acids, soluble fiber, protein, calcium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin B12 – provide lots of health benefits for your puppy. But Raw Paws Peanut Butter biscuits are 22 calories each, so you should be mindful of giving your pup too many (and you should break them up as needed). These treats are suitable for dogs of all ages so your pup can have their favorite biscuit furever.
Best Treat For Sensitive Stomachs: Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Treats
When your pup has a sensitive stomach, it’s better to give them foods with as few ingredients as possible – and that goes for their treats, too. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw treats take this seriously and only include a single ingredient: the protein, which is freeze-dried to retain its flavor and nutrients. Made in the USA, these treats are single-ingredient, grain- and gluten-free, and all natural. They come in a few different flavors – including beef heart, beef liver, chicken, chicken heart, lamb heart, and lamb liver – so you’re sure to find a tummy-friendly flavor that your pup will love.
Best Long-Lasting Treat: Bully Sticks
Bully Sticks are combined treats-and-toys that can keep your pup occupied – and they’re pawfect for teething puppies. Since puppy teeth are too soft to handle big-dog treats like bones, Bully Sticks are a great option for puppy parents who want to give their pup something that will last a while. Bully Sticks are made in the USA and are an all natural alternative to rawhide, which can be very dangerous for dogs. The beef of Bully Sticks does not splinter, so it’s safe for dogs, although – as with any long-lasting treat or toy – humans should always keep an eye on their pup while they’re consuming these treats. Many pup parents like to use a Bully Stick holder, too – this way, their pup will not be able to swallow any pieces whole once they get down to the end of the stick!
Best Flavor Variety: Zuke’s Mini Naturals
Zuke’s Mini Naturals are beloved by many pup parents. They’re small and low-calorie – they have around 3 calories per treat – which makes them an excellent choice for puppy training, in addition to everyday snacking. They’re made in the USA from all-natural ingredients, they don’t contain any artificial flavors or colors, and they’re free of fillers like wheat, corn, or soy. Zuke’s Mini Naturals also contain healthy vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin E and Zinc, which support your growing pup’s health. They come in 8 flavors – chicken, beef, salmon, rabbit, duck, pork, turkey & pumpkin, and peanut butter & oats – so you’re certain to find at least one that your pup will love!
