Best Treat For Puppies
This article is written by Pet Circle's qualified veterinarian,
Congratulations on your new puppy! Bringing a new puppy into your home is very exciting experience and no doubt you are trying to ensure you have all the essentials ready for when they arrive. I'm sure you have thought about puppy food, comfy bedding and puppy toys, but have you thought about treats?
Why is choosing the right Puppy Treat is important?
Treats are an essential part of puppy ownership. They will be used daily to train your puppy and encourage them to repeat desired behaviours. Treats will be a valuable tool while teaching them how to be a friendly and confident canine citizen! Having the right treats ensures that your puppy stays engaged with their training and increases the value in repeating the behaviour they are being rewarded for.
- Rewards: A treat is supposed to be a reward, so you want to use a treat that is tasty and your puppy wants to receive. The more your puppy enjoys the treat, the more they will want to work for it.
- Engaging: If your pup receives the same treat repeatedly, this can decrease the treats value. Providing a variety of treats and the right flavoured treats keeps them engaging.
- Goal Appropriate: Your treat needs to be appropriate to meet your training goal and ensures quick learning. Depending on what you are hoping to train, your treat choice may vary. Training treats are best suited to command training, while activities like crate training might use long-lasting treats.
- Healthy and Safe: You want to know the treats you are giving your pup aren't going to cause harm.
Results:
- Best for Command Training: Royal Canin Educ
- Best for Dental Health: Whimzees Dental Stix
- Best Long Lasting Chews: Bell and Bone Collagen Sticks
- Best for Interactive Toys: Kong Easy Treat Puppy Paste
- Best Air-Dried Treats: Ziwi Peak Good Treat Beef
- Best for Versatility: Vitapet Milky Sticks
- Best for Natural Training Treats: Natures Cut Liver Training Treats
How We Review Our Products
Our Pet Circle Vet Squad comprises 30 vets with over 120 years of collective, independent veterinary expertise. Our Vet team use their health and husbandry knowledge, along with their own personal and clinical experiences to evaluate each product and provide detailed, informative reviews, free of any commercial bias. We then collate this information into our 'best of' recommendations.
Top Puppy Treats in Australia
Best for Command Training: Royal Canin Educ
Pros
- Come in easy to use bite sized pieces
- Highly palatable with added nutritional support
- A great low calorie treat option
- Suitable for puppies and continued use into adulthood
- Uses hydrolysed animal proteins suitable for pets with allergies
Cons
- Packaging isn't resealable
- Consistent flavour with no other flavour varieties available
This treat is the most popular treat recommended by the Vet Squad. Not only is it bite sized for convenience of use, but it is also low calorie and uses hydrolysed protein, making it suitable for pets with a range of health conditions, such as Pancreatitis or food for dog with allergies. It's formulated by a premium quality, reputable brand using nutritionally beneficial ingredients and is reasonably priced compared to many other treats.
What our customers say: "I use these treats for training or just rewarding my puppy in general. They seem to be very tasty because he can't get enough of them and when he is like that I have his full attention. And him being a Maremma is hard to get his attention so you know these are good. And they're affordable too! - Kristina"
What our vets say: "Royal Canin Educ Training Treat's are a great tasting, versatile treat that can be given to all ages from puppies through to adults. Being a low calorie treat means they're perfect for training and great for owners who still want to spoil their pooches who may be on a diet. The treat is also an ideal size suitable for all dogs including small breeds." - Dr. Josepha
Best For Dental Health: Whimzees Puppy Dental Chews
Pros
- Designed to clean teeth but still be soft on puppy gums
- Grain and gluten free, vegetarian treats
- Low Calorie, long-lasting treat option
- Multiple sizes to suit different breeds
- Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) Approved
Cons
- Only suitable for puppies between 3-9 months of age and over 2kg
- Can be crumbly and may be messy when eaten
- Longevity is dependent on the individual pup's chew style
These chews offer a great Dental Chew option that is long-lasting, proven to prevent plaque and is suitable for younger puppies. They use natural ingredients and are vegetable based making them a great low calorie, daily treat option. Their ingredient consistency also makes it easy to transition onto the Whimzees Adult Stix after 9 months of age. Being a little bit longer lasting makes them perfect for crate training and managing separation anxiety.
What our customers say: "I gave the Whimzees dental treat to my Cavoodle and he loved it! The treat keeps him busy for a good 15 min. His breath smelt better and I will be buying them again. - Natalie"
What our vets say: "Dental care is an important aspect of preventative health! It's great that you can start taking care of your pup's teeth from an early age with Whimzee's puppy dental treats. These are made with natural plant ingredients making them gentle on the stomach and the knobby shapes help to clean the teeth as they chew." - Dr. Michelle
Best Long Lasting Chew: Bella and Bone Collagen Beef Sticks Puppy
Pros
- Collagen based to support joint, digestive and skin health
- Uses high quality, natural ingredients to make them highly palatable
- Designed to be longer-lasting and promote healthy chewing
- Suitable for puppies from 12 weeks of age
Cons
- Recommended to only be given 1 per day
- More expensive than some other long-lasting chews
- May be messy depending on your pup's chew style
These treats are designed to be high quality, nutritious and support ongoing health. They use collagen, which plays an important role in joint health, digestive health, skin and coat health, They are also grain free and lower fat treats. They can easily be transitioned onto the Bell and Bone Adult Collagen Chews after six months of age and also come in chicken flavour chew sticks. These have the added reassurance of being Australian made in Melbourne.
What our customers say: "In just a couple of days this turned my German shepherd puppy's coat from being visually fluffy to having a silky shine. Highly recommend. My puppy loves this flavour! - Boen"
Best For Interactive Toys: Kong Easy Treat Puppy Paste
Pros
- Delicious chicken liver flavoured paste
- Comes in an easily dispensed can making it mess-free
- Great for elongating play and can be frozen for increased difficulty
- Also a great option for disguising worming tablets
- Can be stored at room temperature, no refrigeration required
Cons
- Not suitable for all treat dispensers, only those your dog can lick
- Only one puppy flavour available
- Recommended serving size is only 5 grams
- Not nutritionally balanced and complete, supplemental feeding only
This is a deliciously flavoured, easy squeeze release treat that is great for getting longer play out of your puppy's Kong toys, Lickmats and other treat dispensing toys. It can be easily combined with other treats or even used on long-lasting treats for increased variety. It's high palatability also makes it a great way to conceal worming tablets for fussy pups.
What our customers say: "My dog looves this paste! Great for putting in Kong Classic and teething sticks. I am going to put some in my dog's kong and freeze it for a nice cool treat in summer! - Nadine"
Best Air-Dried Treats: Ziwi Peak Good Treat Beef
Pros
- Nutritionally balanced and complete
- Strong enticing smell and high palatability
- Uses natural, raw ingredients
- Grain free treat and 96% meat
- Comes in convenient bite sized pieces
Cons
- More expensive than most treats
- Only available in 85g treat bags
- Must be used within 8 weeks of opening
Ziwi Peak Good Treats make an excellent, low calorie training treat. They come in convenient bite-sized pieces and are natural, air-dried treats using ethically-sourced whole ingredients. They are New Zealand manufactured from locally sourced ingredients, including Green Lipped Mussel which offers joint support. Being nutritionally balanced and complete means that your dog is get a nutritious reward and their natural ingredients and 96% meat recipe means that they are highly palatable, meaning your dog will love working for them. Ziwi Peak also has Ziwi Lamb Treats and Ziwi Venison Dog Treat flavours, which is a great single protein option.
What our customers say: "These treats are incredible! my puppy is pretty fussy and normally she shows no interest in most treats except for these ones plus they're amazing quality. Thank you ZiwiPeak! - Jean"
Best for Versatility: Vitapet Jerhigh Milky Sticks
Pros
- Comes as a stick that can be given whole or broken into training pieces
- Includes calcium for bone and dental strength
- Free of artificial colours and preservatives
- Made with real chicken and milk powder
- Available in a 100g pack or 400g value pack
Cons
- Small dogs (up to 5kg) are only recommended to have up to 1 treat per day
- Suitable for supplemental feeding only
This natural treat is very versatile in its uses. It can be used as a full length stick to stuff into Kongs or similar toys, but it is also soft enough, and comes with scoring already, to be easily broken into training treats. It has a pleasant smell and is a clean treat to use, not crumbly or oily. It has a great taste that puppies love, but can also make a great option for adult dogs. The use of real chicken in a slow baked process results in a delicious and nutritious treat.
What our customers say: "Have ordered a few times over 12 months, GREAT easy treat for Cavoodle. Can rip up and put in towel/snuffle mat for entertainment and have also frozen it in a kong treat for extended amusement. BIG WIN - DB"
What our vets say: "Made from real chicken with no artificial colours and flavours, these delicious treats are soft in texture and mild on sensitive tummies making them perfect for growing puppies. Easily breakable, they can be used for training, snuffle mats, KONG stuffers or just as a delicious daily treat!" - Dr. Belinda
Best Natural Training Treat: Natures Cuts Liver Training Treat
Pros
- Bite sized pieces perfect for training or easily breakable for puppies
- High protein with chicken and beef and low fat
- Australian made, wholesome treats
- Available in a range of sizes
Cons
- Not long lasting treats
- Do contain preservatives and humectants
- Suitable for supplementary feeding only
These are an excellent, Australian made and owned, wholesome and delicious treat designed specifically for use during training. With their high protein content and chicken and beef as the first two ingredients, it makes them an enticing treat that your puppy will want to work for. They are also a cheaper option compared to many other natural treats. The packaging is resealable for convenience of use and they are suitable for all breeds and ages.
What our customers say: "My doggo loves these for training treats. They're small and dry enough to not end up stinky in your pockets or treat pouch. And great value for money. - The Gem"
What our vets say: "Nature's Cuts Liver Training treats are my top choice of positive reinforcement training rewards. They are Australian made, naturally delicious and have an irresistible smell that will have your pooch begging for more! These bite sized morsels are the perfect size to put in your pocket or treat pouch for training sessions at home or out and about." - Dr. Maree
What to look for in Puppy Treats
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High Quality Protein Source
Treats using a high quality protein source are often more flavourful and enticing to our dogs, who love that meaty taste. Your puppy will be more willing to work for something that has a strong smell and great taste and the high quality of the ingredients prevents tummy upsets.
Ease of Use
Training is something that happens at any time and all the time when you have a puppy around. Choose treats that are easy to grab when needed and convenient to store between sessions.
Shop Variety
Remember that using the same treat repeatedly can get boring as your pup gets used to the taste. Having a variety of treats helps to hold your puppies interest and make training fun for everyone involved! Different treats can also be adapted to different training situations to offer versatility.
Meets Your Puppy's Individual Needs
Some puppies may be prone to stomach upsets or have unique dietary requirements. Look for treats that are highly digestible and easy to transition onto or meet those dietary requirements. It's also important to consider your puppy's training goal needs to ensure you achieve the results you are hoping for.
Further Reading
Biting, Chewing, Pooping: A Puppy Training Guide
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