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Most treat problems are dose, not brand. A good treat given ten times a day is a weight problem; a mediocre one given twice is fine. Below is what each type of treat is actually for, the four we would keep in the cupboard, and the safety rules that matter more than any product choice.
Start With the 10% Rule
Treats should make up no more than about 10% of daily calories. The rest comes from a complete diet, because treats are not balanced food and were never meant to be.
That allowance is smaller than most people expect. A 5 kg (11 lb) Shih Tzu needs roughly 250–300 calories a day, so the treat budget is about 25–30 calories — three or four small training treats, or a third of a dental chew. A single large biscuit can use the entire day’s allowance.
If you train a lot, use the smallest treats you can find and break them in half again. Dogs count repetitions, not grams — ten tiny pieces are more rewarding than one big one, and cost a fifth of the calories.
What to Keep in the Cupboard
Four types cover almost every situation. You do not need a drawer full.
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| Job | What to get | Why this type | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training Our pick | Soft mini training treats | Small, soft and swallowed instantly, so the dog stays focused instead of chewing. About 3 calories each, which is what makes high-repetition training possible. | Still counts toward the 10% |
| Teeth | Daily dental chew | Chewing scrapes soft plaque before it hardens into tartar. Look for the VOHC seal — it means the product was actually tested, not just marketed. | Calorie-dense. One a day, sized to the dog |
| Sensitive stomachs or allergies | Single-ingredient freeze-dried | One protein, nothing else. If you are running an elimination diet, or your dog reacts to everything, this is the only category that lets you know what they ate. | Check it really is one ingredient |
| Occupying a chewer | Bully sticks | Lasts far longer than a biscuit and satisfies the urge to chew, which is a need rather than a bad habit. Fully digestible, unlike rawhide. | Supervise, and take it away at stub size |
The Safety Rules That Matter
These matter more than which brand you buy.
- Supervise every long-lasting chew. The danger is not the chewing, it is the last inch — the piece small enough to swallow whole. Take it away at that point, every time.
- Never cooked bones. They splinter. Cooked poultry bones in particular can perforate the gut, and that is emergency surgery.
- Check peanut butter for xylitol. Also sold as birch sugar, it is intensely toxic to dogs in tiny amounts and appears in “sugar-free” spreads. Read the label every time — recipes change.
- Match the chew to the chewer. A determined chewer with a small chew is a choking risk; anything hard enough to dent a fingernail can fracture a tooth.
- Introduce one new treat at a time. If something disagrees with your dog you want to know which thing it was.
Repeated vomiting, diarrhoea, retching, drooling or a dog that goes quiet after a chew is a vet call, not a wait-and-see. Obstructions get worse quickly, and the early signs look mild. If you think your dog swallowed something whole, phone your vet the same day — and if you suspect xylitol, treat it as an emergency.
What About Human Food?
Plenty of it is fine in small amounts — plain cooked chicken, carrot, green beans, a little plain pumpkin. It is often cheaper and lower in calories than commercial treats.
The list to avoid is short and worth memorising: chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, macadamia nuts, alcohol, and anything containing xylitol. Grapes are the one that surprises people — the toxic dose is unpredictable, and some dogs react to very few.
We cover individual foods in more detail across the site, including peanut butter and raw chicken.
A Note for Fluffy Breeds
Two things are specific to the coated breeds this site covers.
Greasy treats and long coats do not mix. Oily treats around the muzzle leave residue that mats the beard and attracts dirt, which is a real nuisance on a Shih Tzu or Bichon. Dry or freeze-dried treats keep the face cleaner — relevant if you are already fighting tear staining.
Weight hides under a thick coat. You cannot see a Pomeranian or Chow Chow gaining weight the way you can a Labrador. Use your hands: you should feel ribs under a thin layer, without pressing. If you cannot find them, the treat budget is the first thing to cut — before the meals.
This is general guidance, not veterinary advice. Dogs with pancreatitis, diabetes, kidney disease, allergies or a weight-management plan need treats chosen with their vet — several of the types above would be actively unsuitable.
