The 9 Best Dog Treats for Training of 2025

The right treats make training your dog more efficient, effective, and fun. As a certified professional dog trainer, I’ve used countless different treats with hundreds of dogs. I look for a balance of palatability, size, texture, and healthy ingredients, and my top picks have an optimal blend of all these qualities.

“It’s important to use a variety of high-value treats and other positive reinforcement tactics that are deemed rewarding by your dog. High-value treats can be any treat that your dog loves and can be helpful to use when teaching new behaviors or training in a high-distraction environment,” says certified professional dog trainer Darris Cooper, CPDT-KA, FFCP, the national dog training manager at Petco. “You can also use lower-value treats like dry biscuits or their kibble to make mealtime enriching and interactive while rewarding desired behaviors at home,” says Cooper.  

Ziwi Peak Air-Dried is my go-to training treat because it’s healthy, perfectly sized, and enticing, even for picky eaters. It comes in six different flavors, which are helpful for dogs with special dietary needs or for keeping things fresh and exciting for training.

Overfeeding is a common concern for many dog owners when using treats for training. Ziwi Peak Air-Dried provides an easy solution to that potential issue. It’s a complete and balanced food that can be fed for meals, but can also be used as treats. 

I don’t worry about using too many treats when training with Ziwi Peak Air-Dried, and I feel good knowing that it’s meeting dogs’ dietary needs. Dogs can learn while getting quality nutrition that counts toward their daily calorie allotment. The recipes are 96% meat, organs, and green mussels, all sourced from New Zealand and gently air-dried to preserve nutrition.

When my whippets were young puppies, I used a lot of Ziwi Peak Air-Dried for their training. I liked that I could get in lots of training and reward good behaviors frequently while still ensuring they received proper nutrition at such a critical developmental stage.

The pieces are non-greasy and hold together well in hands, pockets, or treat pouches. They’re small enough to be quickly eaten while still being easy to handle. For small pups or those on diets, the squares can be easily snapped into halves or quarters with your fingers without becoming crumbly.

Perhaps the biggest reason I like training with Ziwi Peak Air-Dried is that dogs tend to love them, even those labeled as “picky” by their humans. While food preferences are unique to every dog, Ziwi Peak Air-Dried is routinely gobbled up by all sorts of canines. 

I appreciate that the flat pieces don’t roll when placed or tossed on the ground, which can be disruptive during a training session. The pieces are also very consistently shaped, so I don’t have to pause to break up larger chunks while trying to focus on training. These seemingly small qualities help make training more seamless.

Ziwi Peak is transparent about its ingredients, sharing information about its farms, farmers, and fisheries on its website. As a bit of a helicopter dog mom, it’s reassuring to know the practices and ethics behind the treats I give my dog. While this isn’t the cheapest treat option available, the quality and ethics of the ingredients help me understand the cost.

Available in beef, chicken, lamb, mackerel & lamb, tripe & lamb, and venison

With a chewy texture that appeals to dogs, Only Naturals Max Meat is an excellent choice for owners who find themselves going through a lot of treats. This is common if you have a new puppy or dog or are working on teaching new skills. You get a large quantity of treats for the price and won’t find yourself reaching into an empty bag after a few days of training. 

Only Naturals Max Meat is a complete and balanced food that can be fed as a treat, making it a great pick for those concerned about feeding too many treats. Packed with high-quality ingredients, including 80% meat and organs, these treats can be a part of your dog’s daily nutritional needs.

While the pieces are a little larger than I prefer, breaking them into halves or thirds by hand is simple. For very small puppies or toy breeds, I can cut them into tiny slices without them turning into unusable dust. The pieces aren’t crumbly or messy, nor are they overpoweringly smelly.

This is a treat I purchase over and over because my clients’ dogs find it tasty and it doesn’t break my budget. Clients often ask me, “What are those, and where do I get some?” after seeing how jazzed their pups are about Only Naturals Max Meat.

I love letting owners know about this affordable, quality treat option. My own dogs also never seem to tire of them, and I like that I can bounce between the two protein options.

Available in beef & pumpkin and chicken & pumpkin

How We Picked

Real-World Experience: These selections were made based on over 10 years of training hundreds of dogs representing a wide range of breeds, sizes, ages, and personalities. This includes training in homes and neighborhoods, as well as in public spaces, such as pet-friendly stores, restaurant patios, and parks.

Beyond my own real-world testing, my clients also use these treats and give me feedback on how they work for their dogs. Each of the picks represents months to years of testing across multiple training sessions.

More We Recommend

Vital Essentials Mini Nibs are a freeze-dried raw treat with a satisfying crunch that many dogs love. For most pups, the size is just right, and with several protein options, these are a mainstay in my treat cabinet and training bag.

Like some of my other top picks, Vital Essentials Mini Nibs are a complete and balanced diet, doubling as a training treat. Complete and balanced foods that are highly palatable can prevent overfeeding and ensure proper nutrition even with lots of training.

With five different proteins, there are choices for dogs with sensitivities or allergies to commonly used proteins. I like rotating through flavors to add novelty and interest to training sessions.

The pieces vary in size a bit, but for the most part are an ideal size for training treats. Even with the crunchy texture, dogs can eat them quickly without stopping to chomp them up, which can happen with other crunchy treats.

They are harder to break into smaller bits by hand and can get a bit crumbly when cut with a knife. This usually isn’t an issue except for very tiny puppies or dogs who may find the uncut size takes longer to eat. Vital Essential Mini Nibs hold together so well that I’ll even stash some in my pockets without fear of a stinky, crumbly mess.

Available in beef, chicken, turkey, duck, and rabbit, in three sizes

With so many freeze-dried raw dog treat options available these days, Bixbi Rawbble Freeze-Dried stands out because it holds together well, the pieces are just the right size, and dogs find it very palatable. 

My top treat picks follow a trend of doubling as complete and balanced diets for dogs. Bixbi Rawbble falls into this category as well. You get the convenience of kibble, but the excitement of a delicious treat.

The texture of these treats can be best described as a foam packing peanut. They’re squishy, but dry.

My client pups tend to find these delicious and readily scarf them down. I love a treat that can be eaten quickly, as it keeps the training session flowing. 

Many freeze-dried treats are larger than my preferred treat size, but Rawbble is ideal. The pieces can also be broken in half with fingers with minimal crumbling. In my experience, beef, lamb, and pork are the sturdiest proteins.

Rawbble is lighter in color, which makes it easy for dogs to find when placed or tossed on the floor or in grass. The color contrast prevents treats from being overlooked by the dog when they blend in with the ground, avoiding potential frustration or confusion. While this may seem like a minor detail, it can make the learning process much easier for the dog.

Available in beef, chicken, pork, lamb, turkey, chicken & salmon, and duck, in three sizes

Saint Rocco’s Treats are simple yet flavorful jerky-style treats that are easy to break apart into crumb-free pieces. Many dogs find these to be a high-value treat, perfect for when the situation calls for a special reward.

These treats do not crumble, whether you tear them with your fingers or cut them with a knife. I love how you can slice them into any size, making them very versatile for each particular dog or training exercise at hand.

The meaty texture and human-grade ingredients, including beef, chicken breast, Parmesan, and bacon, are irresistible even for picky eaters. I’ve brought these along to training sessions for pups who are hard to impress when it comes to food, and Saint Rocco’s Treats proved to be effective motivation. 

My whippets are crazy for these, especially the cheeseburger and meat lover flavors. Their eyes get huge in anticipation when they smell me chopping in preparation for training time.

Saint Rocco’s Treats have been a useful addition to our agility training, where my pups are working around distractions or practicing challenging skills. Their efforts are well-compensated with chunks of Saint Rocco’s.

While the flavors are unique and appetizing, they are not overly smelly or greasy, something I appreciate as a vegetarian. 

Flavors include cheeseburger, meat lover, salmon, Alaskan cod, beef & bacon, beef & pumpkin, chicken & honey, and chicken & sweets

There are many freeze-dried beef liver treats available, but Crump’s Naturals Mini Trainers are my favorite. The beef liver is cut into quarter-inch cubes, which is a perfect size for training. These pre-cut pieces make training time convenient, unlike many other beef liver options, which often come in larger and irregular chunks.

With just one ingredient, Crump’s Naturals Mini Trainers can be a smart choice for pups with dietary sensitivities or allergies. Each treat is only one calorie, making calorie management a breeze.

Many of the dogs I’ve worked with, including my personal dogs, are downright nuts about these little cubes. I use these at the vet for my whippets to help make the experience positive and to reinforce cooperative behavior during exams and needle pokes. Some of my clients use Crump’s Naturals Mini Trainers while practicing leash manners in busy environments, such as pet-friendly stores and farmers’ markets.

Beef liver is a rich food and can cause loose stools for some dogs if too much is eaten. My dogs don’t have this issue, but I know some pups who do.

I suggest starting with small quantities to assess how your dog does with freeze-dried beef liver. You can also make a training trail mix by combining Crump’s Naturals Mini Trainers with several other treats to prevent overdoing it.

Bags come in two sizes

These unique treats come in rolls, similar to deli-style meat, and have a soft, meaty texture that most dogs find delectable. The rolls must be cut with a knife to prepare them for training, which allows for total customization of the size of the treats. Happy Howie’s have won over a number of my client pups with picky palates, keeping them eager and engaged throughout training.

Happy Howie’s Rolls are a nice option for dogs of all types, but work especially well for tiny puppies or dogs (and dogs on a diet) as the pieces can be cut into very small bits without any crumbling. The soft texture also makes them easy to chew for little mouths.

I know I’m not alone in feeling annoyed when half the treat bag is crumbs, or the pieces disintegrate in my hands. Happy Howie’s do not crumble whatsoever, so there’s no waste or frustration. Even though they are soft, they don’t get mushy or stick to other treats when loaded into my treat pouch. 

Once opened, the rolls need to be refrigerated and used within 14 days; however, they can be frozen both opened and unopened.

Available in beef, lamb, and turkey, in three sizes

Jiminy’s Chewy Treats replaces traditional protein sources with cricket and grub protein, which utilizes significantly less water and land and produces much fewer greenhouse gases compared to chicken and beef. The result is a more sustainable treat that’s healthy for dogs and the planet. The treats have a chewy texture and can be easily broken into smaller fragments without falling apart in your hands. 

Dogs who have allergies to commonly used proteins like chicken may do well with these recipes. I also find my clients’ dogs with sensitive tummies often handle Jiminy’s Chewy Treats well.

To be honest, I was initially a bit skeptical that an insect-based treat would be of interest to dogs, but I’m so glad I gave these a try a couple of years ago. Many of the dogs I’ve worked with devour each treat in eager anticipation of another. I do wish these came in larger-sized bags, as I go through them quickly, and my clients report the same.

Flavors include pumpkin and carrot, sweet potato and peas, and peanut butter and cranberry

Although we didn’t test these Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Carnivore Crunch Dog Treats, they are a top-rated pick on Amazon, so we think they are worth including in our list. Pet parents love that they are made from high-quality single protein sources, such as grass-fed beef and cage-free chicken, turkey, and duck. Each grain-free variety is comprised of 98 percent meat, organ, and ground bone, so the treats are nutrient-dense.

Each treat is small and lightweight, clocking in at three calories, making them ideal for training. Because they’re minimally processed and smell like the real thing, most dogs like them, even pickier eaters.

However, the moniker “Carnivore Crunch” may be a bit of a misnomer, since several reviewers point out that the texture isn’t particularly crunchy, more soft and a bit crumbly. This means you will most likely find a fair amount of crumbs at the bottom of the bag, which the brand suggests could be repurposed as a meal topper.

Available in beef, chicken, turkey, and duck

Other Training Treats We Like

In addition to our winning training treats, we’ve also had great experiences with these: 

Charlee Bear Original Crunch with Liver: While some dogs love these low-calorie treats, they are too plain, large, and hard to be a reliably enticing training reward for many pups. My dog Vesper sometimes spits them out.

Nutri Bites Freeze-Dried Liver: These freeze-dried liver treats are of great quality at an affordable price. However, they come in large, irregular pieces that must be cut with a knife to be used as training treats, making them less convenient than our top liver treat.

Caledon Farms Chicken Morsels: Many dogs find these single-ingredient treats appealing, but the pieces are a bit bigger than I’d prefer and can be crumbly when broken or cut. I do like them, but if you’ll be using a lot of treats or have a smaller dog, there are better options.

Zuke’s Mini Naturals: While these are a nice size, I find them to be too boring for many pups. Other treat options do a better job of holding dogs’ interest during training sessions.

Why Trust The Spruce Pets?

This article was written by Alisa Healy, a writer for The Spruce Pets and certified professional dog trainer. She has tested a wide variety of dog treats over the past 10 years of helping people and dogs live better lives through training. Her two whippets, Lazlo and Vesper, are training fanatics and help Alisa audition new treats before further testing with her clients’ dogs.

Additional insights were given by certified professional dog trainer Darris Cooper, CPDT-KA, FFCP, the national dog training manager at Petco.

A previous version was researched and written by Mary Jo DiLonardo, who has covered animals and pets for several decades. Mary Jo has fostered more than 60 dogs and puppies. She has used training treats to work on cues with her fosters and always seems to have some in her pockets.