The beautiful bundle of fluff has arrived home, and your new puppy is undeniably adorable. But learning good behaviour starts young, and the most effective dog training works on the principle of rewarding for good efforts. With that in mind, training treats for puppies will be indispensable as you start to motivate your dog to be obedient. Some puppies do enjoy one of the best puppy chew toys or a scratch, but most are best motivated by an edible treat.
As you might be offering several of these treats a day as the puppy has so much to learn – and needs appropriate encouragement – you’ll want to find snacks that are healthy and nutritious. Additives, preservatives and other “nasties” are a no-no as they can affect your dog’s digestion, coat, and even behaviour. Think E-numbers for excitable children! But of course, they still need to be appetising to be an enticing reward to encourage obedience and learning.
The best treats for puppies are formulated specifically for their age requirements, so it’s best to shop for your puppy treats and treats for your adult dogs separately.
Training treats for puppies
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Barker and Barker Little Liver Dog Training Treats
Sizes: 500 (100g), 1,250 or 2,500 treats
Flavour: Pork liver, liver/cranberry, liver/garlic, liver/blueberry, fish or fruit/veg
RRP: £5.45 for 100g
These aromatic and tasty treats are specifically designed for training. They are small (9mm) compressed treats ideal for repeat rewarding and won’t crumble in your pocket. They are perfect for puppies and small breeds, and are safe for use from eight weeks of age.
They are naturally low in fat and salt, with only 0.3kcal per treat. Cereal- and grain-free, made with natural human-grade ingredients. They are made using a specialist compression technique, rather than baking. The manufacturer claims that this allows them to be protein-rich with no additives, locking in more nutrients per gram than any other treat, and have a long shelf-life of two years – “the healthiest training (or anytime) treat on the market today”.
These succulent puppy treats are simple, gentle and small, making them perfect for young dogs. Made in Yorkshire using 80% sustainably sourced fresh British lamb, with yellow split pea. They are grain-free, hypoallergenic, and gently air-dried to retain their nutrients and flavour, and are suitable for pups with digestive sensitivities.
Soft and chewy dog and puppy training treats. Soft enough to be chopped up for training, or kept whole and given as larger treats.
They contain just one meaty ingredient! So no worries about nasty junk ingredients causing itching, digestive pain, obesity or allergic reactions. These treats are hypoallergenic, dried from raw and include only 100% tasty meat. Backed by the manufacturer’s 100% no-quibble guarantee.
Natural dog treats for puppies of eight weeks-plus, these nibbles are freshly prepared with proper meat. They contain no derivatives, sugar, preservatives or fillers, consisting of natural ingredients in a grain-free recipe. An aromatic fishy-smelling treat to encourage good behaviour!
An alternative to nibbles is dog treat paste, which provides a convenient no-mess stuffing solution. You can fill treat dispensing toys with the paste, and use that as a reward. Chewing on a paste-stuffed rubber toy, such as a Kong (available on Amazon), provides mental stimulation and can help provide solutions to unwanted behaviours, such as separation anxiety, chewing, digging and barking.
Some paste formulas are packed with derivatives and additives, while Pets Purest is specially formulated peanut butter for dogs, free from palm oil, xylitol, salt and added sugar. It is a healthy source of dog protein and can be used for puppies as well as adult dogs. A vegan recipe in a recyclable plastic tub.
Little chew treats for puppies in a delicious chicken flavour designed for training, rewarding and treating your pet. These chewy cubes include calcium to help keep growing bones and teeth strong and vitamin E to support natural defences. No artificial flavours or colours, providing your puppy with tasty nutrients, vitamins, minerals and omega-3 to support a healthy lifestyle.
These treats come in a resealable pack to keep snacks fresh for longer and are easy to pop in your bag for a walk.
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Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
