Tasty treats are a must-have when raising puppies and adult dogs—they’ll help significantly with training and rewarding positive behaviors. However, there can be too many choices for puppy parents, and it is hard to figure out what they should eat!
In this buying guide, we’ll highlight some of the best treats for puppies under three months that are tasty and healthy. We’ve also added some healthy rooibos tea treat recipes for pups and adult dogs. These are easy to make and include antioxidant ingredients like blueberries for a health boost.
Although puppy treats may seem like an “impulse” buy, they are extremely important. From drool-worthy treats for everyday training to dairy-free iced treats packed with probiotics for an irresistible snack to help with puppy teething pains, puppy treats need to stay at the top of the list when purchasing dog products. You should always keep the well-being of your puppy in mind and look at the ingredient list and reviews before buying.
Look at all the nutrition information about the company and opt for a variety of brands so that your pup doesn’t get bored. You should also consider the different forms of treats, like raw, frozen, freeze-dried, and jerky strips, and spoil your pup with training treats and on-the-go snacks.
In addition, look for puppy training treats that help with a pup’s mental and physical stimulation, like teething chews and alternative options to traditional rawhide.
Here’s the takeaway:
1. Soft Training Treats: Soft training treats are small, bite-sized pieces of food that are perfect for younger puppies who can’t handle big chunks. These treats come in flavors like chicken, salmon, beef, liver, and more. They are also high in protein and low in calories so they won’t add too much weight to your puppy’s frame.
2. Freeze-Dried Treats: Freeze-dried treats are an excellent way for puppies to get their daily dose of nutrients without having to eat boring kibble. These treats come in various flavors, such as beef, chicken, salmon, and more. They contain all-natural ingredients and no added preservatives or artificial colors, so you can be sure your puppy is getting healthy treats.
3. Jerky Treats: Jerky treats are another great treat for puppies under three months old. These chewy snacks come in delicious flavors like chicken, beef, and turkey. They are packed with protein and other essential vitamins and minerals that help support your puppy’s growth and development.
4. Soft Chews: Soft chews are perfect for teething puppies who need something to soothe their gums. These treats come in various flavors, such as peanut butter, bacon, and cheese. They are low in calories and protein, making them a healthy snack for puppies who need an extra energy boost.
5. Dental Chews: Dental chews are a great way for puppies to get extra dental care while enjoying a tasty treat. These treats are designed to clean teeth, help prevent plaque buildup, freshen breath, and even reduce the risk of gum disease. Always select chews specifically made for puppies—larger chews could be too tough for them to chew.
6. Plant-Based Treats: Plant-based treats are a great alternative for puppies with food allergies or animal protein sensitivities. These treats are made with natural ingredients, such as oat flour, pumpkin puree, and flaxseed, that provide essential nutrients and vitamins without the risk of an allergic reaction.
7. Frozen dairy-free puppy treats: Look for iced treats to help with puppy teething. Frozen treats like frozen yogurt or ice cream can help soothe sore gums, and the cool temperature helps puppies stay hydrated in hot weather. Make sure to get dairy-free varieties if you’re dealing with lactose intolerance.
Overall best
- Pros
- Treats made for puppies
- Crafted in the US
- Soft and tender bites
- An extensive array of treats to choose from
- The first ingredient is real salmon
- Low-calorie training treats
- Over 7,900 positive reviews
- Cons
- Slight fishy salmon odor
Zuke’s Puppy Naturals Grain-Free Salmon and Chickpea Recipe Dog Treats are made with real salmon, chickpeas, and other high-quality ingredients. These grain-free dog treats for puppies are a delicious way to reward your puppy during training sessions or as an anytime snack. They also only have 3.5 calories per treat, so you don’t have to worry about weight gain.
Zukes’ Puppy Naturals Grain Free Salmon and Chickpea Recipe are loaded with DHA and EPA to support healthy brain development in dogs. This tasty puppy treat also includes Omega 3 fatty acids to help keep your pup’s skin and coat healthy. This product has over 7,900 positive reviews.
Features
- Affordable
- Salmon and chickpea flavor
- Three flavors to choose from
- 3.5 calories per treat
- Added vitamins and minerals
- Grain-free and gluten-free
- Formulated to maximize absorption and bioavailability
- Pros
- Includes added vitamins for puppies
- Affordable
- Easily breaks into smaller pieces for training
- Suitable training treats
- Tender, all-natural, and bite-sized for all dog breeds, small and large
- Includes DHA from salmon for healthy brain development
- Made in the US
- Cons
- It needs to be broken up for training
These bite-sized soft treats are perfect rewards during training sessions or whenever you want to reward your furbaby for good behavior. Designed specifically for puppies and made with minimal ingredients focused on quality proteins, these grain-free dog treats contain six calories per individual treat.
Wellness puppy bites are all-natural dog treats that do not contain wheat, wheat gluten, corn, soy, artificial colors, or preservatives. These grain-free puppy bites are made in the US. This product has over 49,600 positive reviews.
Features
- Best value
- Lamb and salmon flavor
- No-meat by-products
- Minimal ingredients
- Over 49,600 positive reviews
- An extensive array of formulas
- Crafted with antioxidants
- No wheat, wheat gluten, corn, soy, artificial colors, or preservatives.
- Pros
- Combination of crunchy and chewy
- 100% all-natural chicken or duck breast
- Puppy-friendly dog treat
- Puppy-friendly dog treat
- Dove love the taste
- Resealable packaging
- Suitable as training treats
- All-natural
- Ideal for puppies, adults, and senior dogs of all breeds
- Cons
- Some customers complained about the small chicken portion
Pet’ n Shape Sweet Potato Chews are a great way to reward your puppy with all-natural, grain-free goodness. Each treat is made of 100% natural chicken breast wrapped around a delicious piece of sweet potato, providing a convenient and healthy snack for puppies, adults, and senior dogs of all breeds.
The resealable packaging locks in freshness and allows you to store your treats easily. The ingredient options are chicken or duck and sweet potato dog. These treats contain no artificial additives, colors, preservatives, wheat, corn, or soy. Pet’ n Shape features over 4,500 positive reviews and is puppy friendly.
Features
- Four size options
- Chicken or duck ingredients
- Jerky treats
- Made in the US
- Grain-free
- No artificial additives, colors, or preservatives, wheat, corn and soy
- Over 4,500 positive reviews
- Pros
- No wheat, corn, or soy
- It helps relieve teething pain
- Made in the US
- Easily edible and digestible for puppies
- Long lasting chew
- Fortified with DHA for healthy brain development
- Cons
- Need to monitor pups while chewing (long and thin shape)
N-Bone Puppy Teething Treats, 3.74 oz., is easily palatable and works well for puppies of all breeds. These tasty treats have a pliable texture that is safe for a pup’s small teeth and helps soothe teething pain and sore gums. The natural flavor makes them perfect for any size dog to enjoy! These puppy treats are made with real chicken and fortified with calcium for strong teeth and bones.
N-Bone puppy teething treats are designed to meet the chewing needs of teething puppies. The takeaway with these treats is that they satisfy strong urges to chew without damaging a puppy’s delicate and developing teeth. This product has over 19,900 positive reviews.
Features
- Value for money product
- Made with real chicken
- 14Kcal ME/stick
- Good for teething
- Flexible and pliable
- All-natural
- No artificial colors or preservatives
- Pros
- Easy to use as training treats
- Low cal- no weight gain
- Simple and healthy recipe
- Numerous size and flavor options
- Made in the US
- High-value training treat for puppies
- Freeze-dried to maintain ingredient integrity
- Cons
- Some complained that the treats were small
Made with only natural, simple, freeze-dried ingredients, these treats are healthy for your dog and delicious enough that your pup will focus during training sessions. Each bag has over 475 treats inside, so it lasts long for many training sessions.
The takeaway with these puppy treats is that they’re low-calorie and work well for extended training sessions. The ingredients are natural, with no fillers and no other nasties. They have only three main ingredients: beef liver, beef heart, and mixed tocopherols. This product has over 13,000 positive reviews.
Features
- All-natural
- Freeze-dried puppy training treats
- Low calories – 1 per treat
- Affordable
- Over 13,000 positive reviews
- Pros
- Easy to feed
- Suitable for training
- Perfect for toys and dispensers
- Made in the US
- No GMO ingredients
- No sub-par ingredients
- Mo artificial colors, preservatives, flavors, fillers, or feed-grade by-products
- Cons
- None
The Honest Kitchen Surf & Turf Meaty Littles Dog Treats are a high-protein, natural treat made with cage-free chicken and wild-caught salmon. These delicious treats are perfect for training and small enough to fit your pocket. They’re also suitable for all ages and dog breeds and are made in the USA with human-grade ingredients.
We like these for puppies because this is a 100% human-grade recipe with ingredients like chicken, chickpeas, and salmon as the first three ingredients. It also includes chicken bone broth, celery juice, and DHA for brain health. This pack serves over 200 bites and is 2 kcal per treat.
Features
- Simple healthy ingredients
- Meaty texture type
- Two flavor options
- Minimally processed whole foods
- Affordable
- An Honest Kitchen pet treat
- Two calories per treat
- Includes DHA for brain health
- Pros
- Highly palatable
- An extensive array of flavors
- Small and chewy
- Perfect size for positive training
- Good for puppy training
- Easy to break apart
- Over 9,000 positive reviews
- Cons
- None
Cloud Star Tricky Trainers are healthy, low-calorie dog training treats that will make your pup’s tail wag. These oven-baked treats are made with simple ingredients, including salmon, and contain no artificial colors or flavors. Each bag holds 360 treats, with each treat having two kcals.
Tricky Trainers are also a good dog training treat for rewarding good behavior and training without spoiling your pup’s diet. The takeaway is that there’s no greasy residue, no artificial colors and flavors, and fillers like corn, no soy, and no white potatoes. This is a healthy puppy treat that is easy to break apart. This brand is also the proud sponsor of the AKC Canine Good Citizen’s program.
Features
- Two kcals per treat
- Wholesome ingredients
- Affordable
- Made in the US
- Crunchy texture with a salmon flavor
- Ideal for all life stages
Rooibos Tea Treats Recipes
1. Rooibos Cookies – soft drops
You will need the following:
- 1½ cups organic chickpea or coconut flour
- ½ cup organic ground flax seeds or chia or hemp seeds
- ½ cup pureed – choose one or a combination of organic pumpkin, squash, apple, pear
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped dry organic cranberries or blueberries
- 2 tbsp. organic coconut oil
- ½ cup cooled organic Rooibos tea
Optional ingredients
- ¼ cup of cheddar, Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese
- 2 tsp. Organic Ceylon cinnamon
Preparation
Mix the rooibos tea, pureed squash/fruit, and coconut oil in a bowl (if the coconut oil is solid, slightly warm it, so it turns into a liquid). Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Pour the dry ingredients into the rooibos tea/coconut mixture. Blend well. Use a teaspoon to drop the resulting dough onto a baking sheet—Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Serving
At serving time, top with some organic, all-natural plain yogurt.
Recipe Credits: Karen Rosenfeld, Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer, Canada
via Claudia Bensimoun, Animal Wellness magazine.
2. Frozen Rooibos Treat
You will need the following:
- 1 cup organic Rooibos Tea
- ½ cup organic frozen blueberries pureed (freezing increases the antioxidant value of blueberries)
- ½ cup finely minced organic chicken (or other meat) pre-cooked in a little organic coconut oil (if you feed your dog raw, don’t bother cooking the meat)
Preparation:
- Pour the tea into a mixing bowl
- Add the pureed berries and minced chicken
- Spoon into ice cube trays
- Serve as a treat
Recipe Credits: Karen Rosenfeld, Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer, Canada
via Claudia Bensimoun, Animal Wellness magazine.
Meal Topper – Rooibos Tea, Blueberry, and Chicken
Follow the instructions for the frozen treat above
- Don’t freeze the mixture
- Simply blend and use as a fresh topper on your dog’s meal
- 1 tablespoon for small dogs
- 2 to 3 tbsp. for medium size dogs
- 3 to 4 tbsp. for large dogs
Recipe Credits: Karen Rosenfeld, Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer, Canada via Claudia Bensimoun, Animal Wellness magazine.
Rooibos Smoothie
You will need the following:
- 1 cup organic Rooibos Tea 1/2 cup mixed berries or mixed greens (beets, dandelion, kale, parsley, a pinch of kelp or spirulina)
- 1 tbsp. finely ground, fresh organic pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp. organic flax seeds or chia seeds, or hemp seeds
- 1 tbsp. 100% pure unpasteurized honey (leave this ingredient out for dogs under 12 months of age)
Preparation:
Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor
Serve as a treat or pour over meal 1/8 cup for small dogs ¼ to ½ cup for medium dogs ½ to ¾ cup for large dogs
Recipe Credits: Karen Rosenfeld, Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer, Canada via Claudia Bensimoun, Animal Wellness magazine.
FAQ’S Best Puppy Training Treats
What are treats best for puppy training?
When it comes to puppy training, treats can be a great tool to help reinforce positive behavior. Soft treats are often the best choice for puppy training since they are easy to break into smaller pieces and have a flavor that puppies tend to find enticing.
Choose treats that are high in protein and low in calories, so you don’t overload your puppy with unnecessary calories. Natural treats such as freeze-dried meat or jerky are great options because they provide essential nutrients without added artificial ingredients or preservatives.
You can also choose treats made specifically for puppies that contain beneficial vitamins and minerals, such as dental chews or plant-based treats.
What do professional dog trainers use for treats?
Avoid soy, preservatives, artificial colors, and flavors as much as possible when selecting treats for your puppy. Remember to reward your pup with a treat within a few seconds of good behavior so they are more likely to repeat the same behavior in the future.
It is also important to use positive reinforcement when training your puppy and give them plenty of verbal praise and treats. With suitable treats and consistent positive support, you can help your puppy build good habits for life.
What treats can I give my eight-week-old puppy?
Zuke’s is an excellent brand of training treats for puppies. They offer various natural, healthy options that are high in protein and low in fat. Their treats come in convenient bite-sized pieces that are easy to break up and can be used as rewards during training sessions.
Many of their treats are grain-free and made with natural ingredients like real meat, fruits, and vegetables, so you can be sure your puppy is getting the nutrition they need.
Final thoughts
Overall, plenty of delicious and healthy treats for puppies under three months are available on the market. Make sure to read labels carefully so you know what ingredients are included in each treat, and consult with your veterinarian if you have any questions.
Remember to always practice positive puppy training methods and reward them with treats when they do something right. This will help to foster a healthy relationship between you and your pup.
Claudia Bensimoun is a writer who specializes in dog content and veterinary topics! Aside from writing for We Love Doodles, Claudia also writes for other major dog blogs like Fido Friendly, Animal Wellness Magazine, and the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA). She has a ghostwritten over 50 different dog e-books. Her passions include animal welfare, veterinary research, and wildlife conservation.
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