Treats should only be considered as one part of your dog’s daily diet, which means you should give them out in moderation to avoid going over your pup’s recommended calorie count. Keep in mind:
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These dog treats align with expert guidance: each one features a nutrition label on its packaging that indicates the number of calories and fat content per serving as well as the ingredients. Most of them also come in various sizes (or can be broken up into smaller pieces) to accommodate different size dogs and breeds.
These beef-flavored, rawhide-free sticks are a favorite of my 15-pound, 7-year-old havanese and bichon frise mix, Bella, who has half of one for breakfast every morning. These sticks are harder than most dog treats, so they keep her entertained while the chewing helps keep her teeth and gums healthy. They’re also made with real beef and enriched with vitamins and minerals that make digesting them easier, according to the brand.
These Pet Botanics dog treats are three calories each and made with real pork liver. I give Bella these tasty treats when teaching her new commands and to reward good behavior. They come as small, low-calorie pellets, so I can give her multiple treats at a time while still keeping track of her nutritional intake for the day. Plus, she adores the bacon flavor.
These chicken-flavored dog biscuits, an NBC Select Pet Award winner, are a healthy alternative to higher-calorie treats, which can have negative health impacts over time. They don’t have corn or artificial colors and flavors, according to the brand. Opting for low-calorie treats like these can keep your pet within the AAFCO-recommended daily nutrition intake, experts say. It comes in two bag sizes: small and medium.
The Zuke’s Mini Naturals treats are a great training treat option, says Nelson. They come in tiny morsels, so you don’t have to break them up as you’re working with your dog on a new skill. Mini Naturals are wheat-free and corn-free for dogs who may have stomach sensitivities or allergies, and they contain no added animal fat, artificial colors or artificial flavors, according to the brand.
These beef-flavored Rachel Ray Nutrish dog treats are a favorite of Daruvuri’s Bandit, who also loves the roasted chicken-flavored ones from the brand. The treats are soft enough to break apart easily for smaller dogs and are made without artificial flavors or meat by-products for sensitive stomachs, according to the brand.
These treats are great for dogs with joint issues. NBC Select reporter Zoe Malin feeds these to her 12-year-old yellow lab Chance because they contain egg shell membrane, which can help improve hip and joint health, according to Zuke’s. These soft treats also contain antioxidant-rich whole food berries as well as essential vitamins and minerals for dogs.
These dental treats have a stamp of approval from the Veterinary Oral Health Council, which means a group of veterinary dentists and dental scientists confirmed the treats reduce plaque and tartar build-up in dogs. The treats help maintain gum and dental health as well as help freshen your pup’s breath, experts say. They’re also made with easy-to-digest ingredients, vitamins and minerals, according to the brand. I feed the brand’s Teenie Greenies to my dog, Bella, and they’ve helped avoid any issues with her teeth and gums, which her breed is predisposed to. She also loves the taste of them and gobbles them up quickly.
These real meat-flavored training treats from Blue Buffalo — which former NBC Select social commerce editor Sadhana Daruvuri feeds her 2-year-old maltipoo Bandit — can be great for both puppies and adult dogs. These treats are made with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to keep your dog’s skin and coat healthy. They also don’t contain soy, wheat or artificial flavors and preservatives, according to Blue Buffalo. Plus, they come in a portable bag if you need to take them on the go, says Daruvuri.
Old Mother Hubbard has a variety of tasty treat flavors, including peanut butter and apples and bacon and cheddar cheese. I give this small-sized variety pack to Bella, who loves the diversity of the flavors. This mix comes with the brand’s original flavor, along with chicken, cheddar and Char-Tar (a mixture of oatmeal, apples and carrots).
These freeze-dried dog treats are made from 100% beef liver and are great for dogs with sensitive stomachs who may need a single-ingredient diet. “They have one ingredient, so they could not be more natural. There are also no filler ingredients, so I love knowing that when I’m going to give my dogs treats, it’s not just ‘junk food,’” says Malin. “Plus, Chance is 12 years old, so I have to watch what he eats.” The brand recommends feeding your pup no more than a small handful of these treats per day.
Bella is obsessed with these venison treats, the newest addition to my treat supply — they’re the ones I typically reach for when she’s exceptionally good or needs some positive reinforcement. The single-ingredient treats are made from cooked and dehydrated protein. Though the slices are on the larger and thicker side, I find them easy to break apart (which is much better for Bella’s small frame).
Malin feeds these treats to her picky 5-month-old puppy, Mabel. “She wouldn’t eat a bunch of others I bought when I first brought her home, which made training challenging. But now that I found these and discovered how much she loves them, she’ll basically do anything for them,” she says. They’re crunchy yet soft, which makes them easy to break into small pieces. “I usually break one treat up into three or four pieces since she’s seven pounds and has a small mouth,” says Malin. She also hides the small treats in puzzles or toys to keep her puppy entertained
This semi-soft peanut butter-flavored treat from Kong — which makes some of our experts’ favorite dog toys — comes in a dispenser that works like spray cheese, so you can put it inside of a chew toy to keep your dog entertained. You can also place a treat-filled toy in the freezer before handing it to your pup to make it last longer, according to the brand.
These are the largest classic bone-shaped dog biscuits on this list, and they are a great option if the smaller treats just don’t cut it for your large breed pup. My family dogs have included medium to large breeds like doberman pinschers and golden retrievers, and these biscuits were always a staple in my house. The crunchy treats are beef-flavored and help reduce tartar build-up on their teeth, according to the brand. They also come in a large, 10-pound box, so you won’t have to worry about running out any time soon.
These rawhide-free bully sticks come in handy when you need a long-lasting treat to occupy your dog when they’re home alone or in stressful situations, like if they’re in a car or around lots of people. I give Bella the skinny version of these Pupford bully sticks (which are made for small dogs) when we’re traveling because they last for hours and keep her entertained, especially on an airplane. The sticks help clean her teeth and scrape away plaque as she chews, too. The brand also has other long-lasting treats, including dog chews in flavors like elk antler and beef tendon, and beef jerky treats.
These freeze-dried treats are a favorite of former NBC Select associate reporter Bianca Alvarez’s 8-year-old pitbull Baylor. “My dog’s a picky eater with a sensitive stomach, so I’m usually nervous to introduce new dog food or treats to her. Since these only have one ingredient — freeze-dried wild salmon — I took the risk, and luckily it paid off,” says Alvarez. “She’s been loving them, listening more and I haven’t noticed any stomach problems since introducing them into her routine.”
These treats from Spot Farms have a blend of turkey (the first ingredient), high-fiber rolled oats, honey and cranberries. They’re free from fillers, artificial flavors, preservatives and colors, and you can feed them to your dog whole or split them up into small training-sized treats to give throughout the day, according to the brand.
These rawhide-free treats from NBC Select staff-favorite brand Smartbones are filled with a pork-flavored chew center to add a surprise boost of flavor for your canine friend. They’re also made with real chicken and vegetables, according to the brand. Smartbones also has a peanut butter option with a pork-flavored center, as well as beef and chicken-flavored options. If you have a smaller dog, you may want to consider the brand’s mini treats since these chew sticks may be hard for them to break into pieces.
Treats should only be given in moderation, which may mean your dog shouldn’t get them on a daily basis. “Too many treats can interfere with the balance of your pet’s core diet — it’s recommended that treats make up no more than 10% of a pet’s daily calorie intake,” says Dr. Lori Teller, a board-certified veterinarian and former president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
To determine what treats are best for your dog, our pet experts recommend looking at the ingredients, size and calorie count of each treat. They also discussed other types of treats — like dental treats and grain-free options — and whether they can benefit your dog’s health.
Keep in mind that treats aren’t typically designed to be nutritionally balanced. Deciding how to add treats into your dog’s diet is the biggest consideration when it comes to your own research: “If you start feeding your dog a lot of treats and cut back on their kibble, you start running into nutrient deficiencies,” says Dr. Joe Wakshlag, professor of clinical nutrition and sports medicine and rehabilitation at Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine.
Too many treats can also result in diarrhea and occasional vomiting, so it’s important to choose brands that clearly state the calories contained in each treat and include feeding recommendations on the back of the packaging, says Freels. If you’re in doubt, The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center also offers a handy daily calorie calculator for pets.
If you want to be extra sure the treats you’re feeding your dog are healthy, look for the AAFCO nutritional adequacy label (which is usually in small print on the bag). However, unlike dog food, treats don’t have to have the AAFCO label on their packaging — the association says it recognizes that treat products don’t meet the nutritional adequacy requirements for a complete and balanced meal, which is why they must clearly display the terms “snack” or “treat” on the front label.
Dog owners should avoid artificial sweeteners like xylitol in the dog treats they buy, says Freels. Other things to avoid include artificial colors, excessive salt (which will increase thirst) and syrups and molasses (which are high in sugar). Be mindful of foods like grapes or raisins, which can be healthy for people but toxic to dogs, says Nelson. If you’re not sure about a certain food, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) maintains a list of foods that can be harmful to your pet.
If you want to reduce their calorie intake, dog-safe fruits and vegetables — including bell pepper, carrots, green beans, apples and bananas, to name a few — offer very few calories and have some good nutrition to them, according to Wakshlag. “And it’s not diluting down the calories that they get from their food — those are things you can get a lot more of as treats than commercial treats or pieces of steak that are going to be calorie dense,” he says.
While watching a puppy struggle with an oversized bone looks adorable, giving a dog a treat that’s too big or too small for them can be dangerous. “The size of the treat should be proportional to the size of your dog. Very small dogs shouldn’t have large treats and [vice versa],” says Nelson. Keep an eye on your dog while they’re chewing larger treats like rawhide chews that can break apart and turn into choking hazards, and break up big biscuits to cut down on the calories per treat, too, she says.
Size also depends on what you are using the treat for: training versus mental stimulation or enrichment. Training treats are going to be very small, which means more can be given as a reward for positive behavior. Regular treats, on the other hand, are larger, such as bully sticks, bones and dog chews, and should be used only for enrichment or mental stimulation, according to Freels. Too much of a large treat can cause GI Issues, so these enrichment treats should be given less regularly. If you’re using treats for training, “very small treats — the size of a thumbnail — are going to be best so more can be given without causing any GI indiscretion,” says Freels.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I am an editor at NBC Select who covers a variety of pet essentials, including dog food, travel carriers and shampoos. For this article, I spoke to five veterinarians and dog experts about how to shop for the best treats for your dog, including health considerations and nutritional value. I also compiled their recommendations for the best dog treats to consider, as well as options that NBC Select staff give their own dogs.
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