The Best Treats to Train Your Dog
- Shaunacy Ferro
- Aug 1
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 5
As a dog trainer, I recommend that all my clients take dog treats on their walks, as well as using them in the house to teach new behaviors. Treats are an integral part of any positive reinforcement trainer's tool kit—they're easy to administer, help create good associations and foster emotional regulation, and most dogs are willing to work for them.
Not all dog treats are equal, though, and people are often surprised by how much more motivating their dog finds my treats compared to the ones they picked up at the pet store. Below are some of my favorite treat options for training your dog.
But first, it's important to know that dogs value different treats, well, differently. Dogs are individuals, so what one dog likes, another might not find that interesting. Generally, you want to rank how your dog feels about different treats on a three-point scale:
Low value: something your dog eats, but maybe isn't that thrilled about. They might be willing to work for it in the house, but in front of a trigger? No thank you. Kibble and dry biscuits are often in this category.
Medium value: your average treat, which your dog is happy to eat, but isn't about to do back flips over. Pre-packaged training treats often fall into this category.
High value: a treat with WOW factor. Hot dogs, cheese, salmon skin, roast chicken, liver are often extra exciting for dogs. This is something your dog doesn't get regularly, that they really, really like. This is the level of treat you want to use for things like potty training, reactivity training, socialization, and counter-conditioning work.
Your dog is the one whose opinion matters here, so if your dog would walk through fire for a dry biscuit but would turn his nose up at a piece of fresh steak, well, that's his preference! Adjust your rankings accordingly.
Note: We receive affiliate commission from some of the links on this site. Rest assured that all products are independently chosen. Thanks for helping us out!
My Go-To Training Treat for Sessions
When I show up to a training session, I've usually got a baggie full of meat roll in my treat pouch. Think of this as a hot dog formulated just for dogs. It's moist, a little smelly, and soft, and most dogs love it. I recommend the Happy Howie's meat roll for owners, because they come in the most convenient sizes. I often use the Red Barn roll because it's a balanced formula (meaning you can feed it as a meal), but it comes in an absolutely huge 4-pound roll, so it's not convenient for the average dog owner. The meat roll is also great because you chop it yourself, which allows you to make the pieces as small as you want. We generally recommend training treats be the size of half of your pinky fingernail. The only downside is, the treats have to be refrigerated after you chop them. Pro tip: the Happy Howie's lamb is a little crumbly, so I prefer the beef or turkey.
Buy it: Amazon
Perfectly Tiny Treats You Don't Have to Cut
Almost all treats sold as "training treats" are bigger than I'd like them to be. Sure, you can put them on a cutting board and chop them into even smaller pieces, but who has time for that? Crumps Mini Trainers are one of the few treats that come out of the bag just the right size, especially for little dogs. I use the beef liver, which most dogs go crazy for.
Slightly Bigger Training Treats
The Bocce's training treats are another option for super small morsels, and my dog loves all the flavors. The heart shape makes them easy to break in half, if you're feeling industrious, but they're small enough that I'll often just give dogs a whole treat. They also come in duck, beef, chicken, and other flavors. They're a little moist, which dogs love, so I try not to let them sit in my treat pouch for too long or they'll dry out.
Treats That Are Stinky in a Way Your Dog Will Love
Zuke's Mini Naturals are super soft and moist, and you can break them easily by hand. If I'm working with a very small dog, I can make one treat into four! They're on the smellier side, which means they're especially appealing for dogs. They come in peanut butter, pork, duck, chicken, and salmon flavors, as well as some special holiday flavors like turkey and pumpkin. It looks like they may have stopped selling the rabbit flavor, which my dog loved, but you can still find it in some variety packs.
High-Value Treats for Dogs Who Can't Have Too Many Calories or Eat Raw
Some of my clients have dietary needs that take our usual high value treats like hot dogs and cheese off the table. If your dog can only have certain proteins or you need to track their calories carefully, you can use a balanced meal as their treats for the day, and deduct that from their overall portion. I like the Stella & Chewy freeze-dried raw patties or meal mixers for this. They come in a variety of proteins and most dogs get very excited about the recipes. They're also very easy to chop into small pieces. (I've also heard good things about Spot & Tango's Unkibble, but that requires a subscription.)
Liquid Treats for Loose-Leash Walking, Reactivity, and More
For rewarding on the move, like loose-leash walking training, or for dogs that struggle to eat around triggers, I really like lickable treats in a pouch. My favorite option is from Bark Pouch, which makes a bunch of different flavors that I find most dogs will drool over. They're handy for applications like during grooming or at the vet as well, since stressed dogs tend to find it easier to lick something than chew something. Plus, your hands stay clean! They do need to be refrigerated once they're open, though, and you need to use them up within a few days because they've got ingredients like fresh salmon. I buy the 50-gram size because I don't find I use up the 80-gram size in one training session. If you do want a bigger pouch, I've heard good things about the Rigby organic pouches, which are available on Amazon. And if both of these things seem a little too pricey for you, you can DIY a lickable treat with a reuseable baby food pouch and a can of your dog's favorite wet food pate.
Buy it: Bark Pouch
Ready to train yet? Make sure to get yourself a treat pouch to carry your treats in!
Comments