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Training treats are your weapon when teaching your pup some tricks. It’s a nod to positive reinforcement where you reward good behavior. But aside from preparing the tricks you want to teach, you should also get the healthiest training treats for puppies. This is to ensure that your doggo is being nourished while learning.
| DOG TREAT | BRAND | EXPERT RATING | CHECK PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Wellness Soft Puppy Bites |  | Check Price |
 | Blue Buffalo Moist Training Treats | | Check Price |
 | Milk-Bone MaroSnacks with Real Bone Marrow |  | Check Price |
 | Benefit Biscuit Crunchy Dog Treat | | Check Price |
 | Cesar Softies Medley Trio | | Check Price |
In this post, we discuss how to choose the right treats, the best options in the market, and other information useful for training.
Types of puppy treats
There are six different types of puppy treats that you can consider getting. This depends on your dog’s size, chewing habits, and your personal preference. Here’s a quick look at each one:
–Crunchy biscuits. Like biscuits for humans, this gives a satisfying crunch whenever your dog chews. It’s dry and easy to give.
-Freeze-dried. Freeze-dried treats are usually made of liver and are given as a supplemental source of protein and minerals.
-Bully sticks and chews. Bully sticks are chew treats that take time to consume and considered a high-value treat.
-Chewy and soft treats. Soft treats are moist and perfect for puppies. Also, it’s usually smaller and considered a low-value treat.
-Dental chews. Dental chews can also be bully sticks, but one made to reduce tartar build-up on your dog’s teeth.
-Training treats. Training treats are soft, smelly, and tasty bites.
The right way of giving puppy treats
When giving your puppy some treats, there are two important things you have to remember:
-Follow the 10% rule
The 10% rule indicates that the amount of treats you’re giving your pooch shouldn’t go beyond 10% of their calorie intake. The exact amount will depend on the dog’s weight, age, and specific dietary needs.
While it’s quite addictive to give your pets lots of treats, you should always give it one piece at a time. Also, avoid giving treats too close to mealtimes. Take note that aside from using it as a training reinforcement, treats also help augment hunger in between full meals.
-Don’t let it become a bribe
One thing that pet owners do wrong is allowing their pups to consider treats as bribes for following a command. While it’s true that it’s quite difficult to determine the fine line between bribing and rewarding, you have to practice caution.
Take note that training treats are only temporary rewards. Along the way, as you progress with training, you should reduce the amount of edible treats and start switching to other forms of rewards. Each day, you can reduce the amount of treats and randomly substitute petting and affection as rewards.
Through this gradual transition, you can ditch the treats fully and you can prevent it from becoming a bribe to your dog.
Buying Guide for Healthiest Training Treats for Puppies
Before we discuss the healthiest training treats for puppies, make sure that you have considered the following points first:
-Know the purpose
Make sure that you know the purpose of the treat before purchasing a bag. For training treats, you need soft ones that are easy to chew. Also, it should have a delicious smell that your pup will find irresistible.
-Keep it soft and small
Training treats should always be small as you’d have to give it several times per training session. And since it keeps the training moving along, you don’t want to overstuff a pup with treats just in time for a full meal. Aside from that, you wouldn’t want your dog to feel full even before the training ends. When that happens, even the tastiest treat become less appealing,
If you purchase a larger treat, make sure that you chop it off in smaller bits. That way, one piece of treat can be used for two to three reps of each command.
-Check the ingredients
One thing that you have to be meticulous about when it comes to puppy treats would be its ingredients. Always look for natural ingredients that will give your dog an extra dose of protein, minerals, vitamins, and probiotics. Steer clear of puppy treats packed with artificial colors, flavoring, and excessive calories.
-Make sure that it’s easy to eat
A fast-eating training treat will ensure that your dog’s attention stays on the training session. This is why the treat has to be soft and small. That way, your doggo can give its attention back to you.
Avoid giving a high-value treat in the middle of a training session. Aside from wasting a large treat, you’re also ruining the momentum of training by distracting your pooch with a mouth-watering chew.
So if you notice that your pooch takes more time to consume a treat, slice it to smaller portions to keep the training going.
-Look for stinky and tasty options
Stinky treats keep your dog’s face up as they sniff and try to get the treat from your hand. So instead of plain biscuits alone, you should look for smelly options to keep the pup engaged. Aside from that, it should also taste really good.
-Say no to rawhide
Never give your pup rawhide treat during and after training. Rawhide is a known choking hazard for both small and large dogs. If your dog happened to shred the pieces, it can choke them to death.
If you are keen on giving this treat to pups, supervise them closely and be ready to call the vet when the need arises.
-Watch out for allergens
If your pup has a bad case of allergies and intolerances, you have to be very picky with the treats you’re going to buy. Avoid treats with too much corn, soy, and un-whole grains. Aside from not having any substantial nutrients, these ingredients are also notorious allergens.
-Value for money
Last but not the least, consider if the bag of treats you’re buying is worth the money. Again, never buy extremely cheap treats as it’s likely to be a mix of by-products. Although some branded ones may cost more, you’ll have the guarantee that you’re getting the healthiest training treats for puppies.
Top 5 Healthiest Training Treats for Puppies
OUR #1 CHOICE
OUR TOP PICK: Wellness Soft Puppy Bites
Product Name: Wellness Soft Puppy Bites
Product Description: For us, one of the healthiest training treats for puppies is the Wellness Soft Puppy Bites. It’s packed with DHA that helps in the development of your pup’s brain. Aside from that, it has a flavorful taste of salmon and lamb that a doggo will surely find irresistible. Also, this bag of treats doesn’t have soy, corn, and artificial add-ons. It’s also made specifically for training due to its smaller size, moist texture, and easy-to-eat formula. This is also grain-free to prevent allergies for doggos with very sensitive tummies.
Offer price: 9
Currency: USD
Availability: InStock
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Flavor & Smell
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Texture
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Size
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Value for Money
Overall
Summary
Moreover, each piece of this treat only contains 4 calories and contains 14% protein and 16% fat. You can get this is in a 3 or 6-ounce bag, depending on how much training you’re going to do with your dog.
Overall, you can give this treat to a 3-month old puppy. For younger ones, a consultation with the vet is indispensable.
Pros
✔️Salmon and lamb flavor
✔️Small and easy to eat
✔️Grain-free and good for sensitive stomachs
Cons
❌None so far
RUNNERS-UP
Blue Buffalo Moist Training Treats
If your doggo loves beef, then you should consider the Blue Buffalo Moist Training Treats. It has a tender beef recipe with oatmeal, brown rice, potatoes, and flaxseed. It’s also infused with DHA to support puppy brain health.
Also, one piece of this treat has 4 calories, 10% protein, 7% fat, and 27% moisture. It’s chewy and very easy to eat during training. Also, we like its cute heart shape bits.
Based on our experience, this Blue Buffalo treat is guaranteed tasty and one that will keep a pup wanting for more. And since it’s all-natural, you’ll have peace of mind that what you’re giving your pooch is one of the healthiest training treats for puppies.
This is a great training treat that suits even smaller dogs. Overall, it’s a value bag that you won’t regret buying as long as your doggo doesn’t have allergies to beef.
✔️Smelly and tasty
✔️Nutritious ingredients
❌A bit small for large dogs
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Milk-Bone MaroSnacks with Real Bone Marrow
Another puppy treat that pet owners and their dogs love is the Milk-Bone MaroSnacks with Real Bone Marrow. This one is made for all dogs and packed with calcium, thanks to its real bone marrow ingredient.
This wholesome goodness is delicious and guaranteed to keep your dog begging for more. Aside from being a tasty treat, it’s also a good source of calcium for the bones and teeth of your growing pup.
We also love that this is free of soy, corn, and other notorious allergens. However, you have to take it easy when giving this treat as it has 10 calories each. So if you want to keep the training going without packing up on too many calories, make sure that you slice each bit to two.
Overall, each tub of the Milk-Bone treat has 200 bites which can last for weeks. That’s already a steal for such a low price.
✔️Contains real bone marrow
✔️Made for all dogs
❌A little high in calories
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Benefit Biscuit Crunchy Dog Treat
For pups that thrive in biscuits, we recommend the Benefit Biscuit Crunchy Dog Treat. It has pumpkin to support better digestion as well as Vitamin B Complex for your doggo’s immune system. Also, it’s packed with fiber, antioxidants, and Omega fatty acids for overall wellness.
This is one of the healthiest training treats for puppies since it’s non-GMO, guaranteed vegan, and free of any by-product. It also doesn’t contain soy or corn that may trigger allergies.
Also, every 7-ounce bag comes with a resealable bag to keep the freshness of the biscuit. Just take note that these are hard cookies, though you can soften it up a little by soaking it mildly on water.
Aside from pumpkin, this treat is also available in peanut butter and mint flavors.
✔️Packed with Vit. B and other nutrients
✔️100% vegan
❌Less smelly than moist treats
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Cesar Softies Medley Trio
Lastly, we recommend the Cesar Softies Medley Trio. It’s a gourmet treat in bite-size bits that suit small dogs. It has a soft texture that’s easy to chew and swallow so your doggo can go back to training fast.
Aside from that, each bit only has 7 calories to ensure that your little pup will not get stuffed too fast. As for the taste, this bag has the trio of grilled chicken (paw shape), applewood smoked bacon (heart shape), and porterhouse flavor (bone shape).
We also like that this Cesar Softies bag of treats is free of soy and corn to keep even the most sensitive dog tummy safe.
Also, even if it’s made for small dogs, even Huskies and large canines love it. Overall, it’s a great treat both for training your pooch and just a casual playtime.
However, you have to portion control this as dogs tend to crave so much you might end up giving more than what you’re supposed to.
✔️Soft and moist
✔️Corn and soy-free
❌A little pricey but totally worth it
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many training treats can a puppy have?
A: It depends on the calories that each treat contains. For low-calorie treats, you can give it to your pooch for a maximum of 5 times a day. If you plan to give more, you can adjust their meals, though you shouldn’t use treats as a substitute for a full meal.
Q: Can I give my 7-week old puppy treats?
A: At this age, the pup just got weaned from its litter and was likely transitioned to a weaning formula. Also, very young pups don’t have sharp teeth yet so they are better off with soft and soupy meals.
Q: Can puppies have peanut butter as a snack?
A: Yes, as long as you give it in moderation. Also, look for peanut butter that’s free of xylitol and one that doesn’t have any artificial add-ons. Again, you should never give your pooch too much peanut butter since they still have to eat full meals per day.
Q: At what age can puppies have treats?
A: Puppies can be given soft treats at the age of 8 weeks. Make sure that the bits are small and easy to chew. Aside from that, you shouldn’t give too many treats per day.
Q: What should I choose for my puppy, crunchy or soft treats?
A: For very young pups, soft treats are better options. It’s easier to chew and packed with additional moisture. You can also opt for crunchy treats, though you should ensure that it’s not too stiff for the small daggers of your pups.
Final words
With the healthiest training treats for puppies, you can now give your dog a healthy bite while keeping them interested in training. Make sure that each bag or tub you’re getting is packed with vitamins and minerals. Most of all, it should be easy to chew and one that your doggo will find irresistible. Do you have something to add? Let us know in the comment section below!
