Updated for 2026 — This article has been reviewed and updated with the latest recommendations.
Best Dog Treats for Training Sessions
The treat you use during training matters more than most dog owners realize. A treat that is too large slows down your session because the dog spends ten seconds chewing instead of focusing on the next repetition. A treat that is not exciting enough fails to motivate, and a treat that upsets your dog's stomach ends the session early for the wrong reasons.
Good training treats are small, soft, smelly, and something your dog genuinely gets excited about.
Here are the ones that work best across different training scenarios.
What Makes a Good Training Treat
Size is the most important factor. Training treats should be pea-sized or smaller. You are going to be giving your dog dozens of treats in a single session, so each one needs to be small enough to eat in one second and not fill them up too quickly. If you are using larger treats, break them into smaller pieces before starting.
Texture matters too.
Soft treats are better than crunchy biscuits for training because they can be eaten quickly without crumbling. A dog that has to stop and pick crumbs off the floor after every treat is not paying attention to you. Soft, chewy treats disappear in one gulp and keep the session moving.
Smell is what drives motivation. Dogs respond most strongly to treats with a strong aroma. Freeze-dried liver, real meat, and fish-based treats tend to outperform grain-based biscuits in the enthusiasm department.
If your dog would cross the room to get to the treat, it is a good training reward.
Zuke's Mini Naturals
Zuke's Mini Naturals are probably the most widely used training treats among professional dog trainers, and for good reason. They are small, soft, and come in flavors that dogs love, including chicken, peanut butter, salmon, and duck. Each treat is only about three calories, so you can use plenty of them in a session without worrying about overfeeding.
The texture is moist and tender, which means they break apart easily if you need to make them even smaller.
They do not leave crumbs on the floor or residue on your hands, which makes them practical for indoor and outdoor training. The resealable bag keeps them fresh, though they can dry out if the bag is left open for too long.
Stewart Pro-Treat Freeze Dried Liver
If your dog needs maximum motivation, freeze-dried liver is the gold standard. Stewart Pro-Treat uses single-ingredient beef liver that is freeze-dried to preserve flavor and nutrition without artificial preservatives. The smell is strong, which you may not love, but your dog absolutely will.
These treats come in larger pieces that you snap apart into training-sized bits.
One bag goes a long way because a little liver goes far. They are particularly useful for teaching difficult behaviors, working through distractions, or training dogs that are not food-motivated by standard treats. Most dogs treat freeze-dried liver like a high-value currency that they will work hard to earn.
Wellness Soft Puppy Bites
For puppies and smaller dogs, Wellness Soft Puppy Bites are sized and formulated specifically for young dogs.
They are grain-free, made with real lamb and salmon, and soft enough for puppy teeth to handle easily. The small size is appropriate for tiny mouths without needing to break them apart.
These treats also work well for adult small breeds that find standard training treats too large. The calorie count is low at about four calories per treat, and the ingredient list is straightforward without a lot of fillers.
If you are starting training with a new puppy, these are a reliable first choice.
Blue Buffalo Blue Bits
Blue Buffalo Blue Bits are soft, moist training treats that come in several protein flavors including chicken, beef, and salmon. They are slightly larger than Zuke's Mini Naturals but still small enough for training when used whole for medium and large dogs.
For small dogs, you can tear them in half.
The texture is tender and easy to chew quickly, and the flavor is strong enough to hold most dogs' attention. They are made with real meat as the first ingredient and do not contain corn, wheat, or soy. The price is competitive, and they are widely available at most pet stores and online retailers, which makes them easy to restock.
Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Minnows
For dogs with poultry or beef sensitivities, Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Minnows offer a novel protein source that most dogs have not been exposed to. Each minnow is a single piece of freeze-dried fish, about the size of your thumb, that you snap into smaller training pieces. The smell is fishy and intense, which makes these treats extremely motivating.
Fish-based treats are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which support skin and coat health.
These are single-ingredient treats with no additives, making them a clean option for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities. The main downside is the fish smell on your hands, which is the price you pay for a treat your dog will do anything to earn.
Tips for Using Treats in Training
Keep a variety of treats available and match the treat value to the difficulty of the task.
Easy behaviors in a quiet room can be rewarded with standard kibble. Challenging behaviors in distracting environments deserve the high-value stuff like freeze-dried liver or fish.
Deliver treats quickly. The treat should reach your dog's mouth within one to two seconds of the desired behavior. Delays weaken the association between the behavior and the reward. If you are fumbling with a treat bag or breaking apart large treats mid-session, your timing suffers.
Use a treat pouch that clips to your waist or belt for easy access.
Digging through pockets or bag zippers slows you down and breaks the training flow. A dedicated pouch with a wide opening lets you grab treats without looking, which keeps your focus on your dog.
Account for treat calories in your dog's daily food intake. If you had a heavy training session, reduce the next meal slightly. Most dogs will not become overweight from training treats alone, but the calories do add up if you train daily and do not adjust their meals accordingly.
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