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May 28, 2026 8 min read
TL;DR: The best training treats are small (pea-sized), soft (no crunching during training), smelly (high value), and low-calorie (you will deliver dozens per session). For most dogs, soft commercial training treats work great. For high-distraction situations, level up to real meat, cheese, or freeze-dried liver. Watch the math, training treats add up fast and need to be counted as part of the daily 10 percent treat budget.
Training a dog is mostly about timing and consistency. The treat is the tool, not the magic. But the wrong treat will absolutely tank a training session: too big and the dog spends 30 seconds chewing instead of paying attention, too dry and crumbs scatter everywhere, too low-value and the dog ignores you when there is anything more interesting nearby.
This guide covers what makes a great training treat, the criteria that matter, buy-or-make decisions, the calorie math (this part is important), DIY recipes you can throw together in 20 minutes, and recommendations for matching treat value to the difficulty of the training task.
Five criteria, in roughly this order:
Pea-sized is the target. Smaller for small dogs, slightly larger for big dogs, but the principle is the same: a training treat should be a single quick bite. You may deliver 20 to 50 treats in a 10 minute training session. If each one is the size of a poker chip, your dog will be obese by next Tuesday.
If you are buying commercial treats, the ones labeled "training treats" or "training bites" are usually sized correctly. If the treats are too big, break them in half (or quarters). Most soft training treats break easily.
You want the dog to swallow it in two seconds and look back at you for the next instruction. Crunchy biscuits take too long to chew and break training focus. Save them for non-training treats.
Soft does not have to mean wet. Slightly chewy is fine. The test: can the dog swallow it in under three seconds? If yes, it is soft enough.
The stronger the smell, the higher the value. For low-distraction training (in the living room, no other dogs around), normal-smelling treats are fine. For high-distraction training (at the park, recall practice, anywhere with new smells and people), you need to bring the big guns: real meat, cheese, freeze-dried liver, fish, anything aromatic.
The hierarchy looks roughly like this from low to high value:
Match the value to the difficulty. Use the high-value stuff sparingly and for hard tasks.
Training treats add up. If you are doing 30 minutes of training per day with high-value cheese or freeze-dried liver, you can easily blow past your dog's calorie budget without realizing it.
The math, for context:
The 10 percent rule: total daily treats should not exceed 10 percent of your dog's daily calorie intake. For a 30 lb dog eating roughly 700 to 900 calories per day, that is 70 to 90 calories of treats total. That is roughly 20 to 30 small training treats.
If you are training for longer sessions, count the treats out beforehand and stop when you hit the count. Or use kibble from the daily ration (just count it out and use it for training instead of feeding it in a bowl).
Practical stuff. A good training treat should:
This is why bagged commercial soft training treats are popular, they are designed for this. Homemade treats can be just as good but pack them in a small container or treat pouch.
Most major dog brands now make a "training treats" or "training bites" line. The good ones share some traits:
We do not endorse specific brands because formulations and quality vary over time, but it is easy to evaluate any brand by reading the label and the first ingredient.
You can make great training treats at home in 20 minutes with stuff you probably already have. A few options:
Buy a chicken breast. Slice it into thin strips (about 1/8 inch thick). Lay on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 200F for about 2 hours, flipping once halfway, until dry but slightly pliable. Cut into pea-sized pieces. Store in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for longer.
Cut block mozzarella or low-sodium cheddar into pea-sized cubes. That is the whole recipe. Store in the fridge. Use sparingly because cheese is calorie-dense.
Take a low-sodium hot dog, slice into pea-sized pieces, microwave for 30 seconds to release more aroma (optional), use as training treats. Easy, smelly, high value. Use sparingly because hot dogs are processed and salty.
Buy freeze-dried liver treats from any pet store. Break into smaller pieces. This is one of the highest-value training treats you can use. Strong smell, dogs go crazy for it. Use for hard training tasks.
Slice a sweet potato thin (about 1/8 inch). Bake at 250F for 2 to 3 hours until chewy. Cut into small pieces. Lower value than meat-based treats but lower calorie and useful for medium-value rewards.
Mix a small can of plain tuna in water (drained) with one egg and 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour. Drop tiny spoonfuls on a baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 12 to 15 minutes. Very smelly, high value, low calorie. Use sparingly because of mercury concerns with tuna. See our tuna for dogs guide.
For more homemade dog treat recipes, see our dog treat recipes guide. For specifically real-meat treats, see our real meat dog treats article.
Soft for training. Crunchy for general snacking.
The reason: a crunchy biscuit takes 10 to 30 seconds to chew, which is a long time in training. By the time the dog finishes, they have forgotten what they did to earn the treat. Soft treats let you maintain the reward-behavior connection.
For non-training snacks, crunchy is fine and often better for dental health.
A common training mistake is using the same treat for every situation. The trick is to match value to difficulty:
Maple, my golden retriever, will work for kibble at home. She will work for cheese in the yard. She will only really focus for liver at the park where there are squirrels. Adjust the reward to the difficulty, otherwise the dog will pick the squirrel over you.
A clip-on treat pouch (the kind that hangs from your belt or waistband) is a small purchase that changes your training. You can grab a treat in a half second instead of fumbling in your pocket, which preserves the reward-behavior connection. Most cost under twenty dollars. Get one.
If you want to train without adding calories, use kibble from your dog's normal daily ration. Measure out the day's food, set aside a portion for training, and use it throughout the day. Most dogs will work for kibble in low-distraction settings.
This will not work at the park where the squirrels are. For high-distraction training, you need higher-value treats. But for the routine "sit before going outside" or "wait for your bowl" stuff, kibble is fine and free.
Soft training treats are the standard for puppies. See our puppy treats guide for sizing, safety, and the foods that work well for early training.
For crate training, a high-value treat dropped into the crate (or smeared on a frozen lick mat inside the crate) makes the crate a positive place. Frozen Kongs and lick mats are great here, see our lick mats guide.
The highest value treats you have, delivered as soon as your dog notices a trigger (another dog, a person, anything they typically react to) but before they react. The goal is to create a positive association with the trigger. Liver, cheese, hot dog, whatever your dog values most.
Recall (come when called) needs to be the most heavily rewarded behavior you train. Use top-tier treats every single time. A reliable recall can save your dog's life, and the treat investment is worth it.
Two of our own products fit naturally into training:
Best training treats are small (pea-sized), soft (swallowed in 2 seconds), smelly (high value), and low-calorie (you will deliver dozens). Match value to task difficulty, use kibble for easy stuff and liver for the park. Count calories as part of the daily 10 percent treat budget. Use a treat pouch. Time your delivery to within one second of the behavior. Most commercial training treats work great; homemade chicken jerky, cheese cubes, and freeze-dried liver are easy to do yourself.
Training treats are tools, not bribes. Show the treat after the behavior, not before. The food rewards the dog for the choice they already made.
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