13 Best Dog Treats in 2024, Recommended by Vets
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All products in this article have been reviewed by our trusted vets and experts. PetMD is owned by Chewy.
Finding the best dog treats can be challenging, with so many brands and varieties available. Ingredients, size, texture, and purpose all play a role when choosing a dog treat for your individual pet.
On top of that, treats should not exceed 10% of a dog’s overall diet, so calories count too.
To keep it stress-free and simple, our team of veterinary experts dug through all the options to pick the best treats for dogs.
Below are 13 top-rated dog treats they personally recommend—and, in many cases, even feed to their own pets.
What To Look For When Buying Dog Treats
Ingredients
The ingredients on the back of the package are listed in order of volume, with the first ingredient being the main one. Look for treats with high-quality proteins, simple ingredients, and without added artificial colors and flavorings.
And, very important, choose treats with your dog’s favorite flavors that are tasty enough that your dog will do anything for them—this might take some trial and error.
You’ll also need to take into account any food sensitivities or dietary concerns. For example, dog treats can range from around 3 calories per treat to the high hundreds per treat. If your dog is overweight, check the packaging for calories per treat and choose a lower-calorie treat.
Many of today’s treats focus on specific health benefits, such as tartar control for teeth, glucosamine for arthritis, or melatonin to promote calming. Your veterinarian might recommend treats with beneficial ingredients to help your dog’s physical or mental health.
Texture
Treats come in a variety of textures: soft, hard, chewy, creamy. The right texture for your dog depends on their preference and health concerns.
For example, your dog might love hard treats as a younger adult but prefer softer treats that are easier on their gums and teeth as a senior.
Not sure which texture your dog prefers? Let them choose. Buy treats in a variety of textures and offer them to your dog throughout the week. You’ll soon know their preference.
Or ask your veterinarian if they have a suggestion. Your vet may recommend a harder treat to help with oral health or may suggest a softer treat if your pet has had teeth removed due to dental disease.
Size
Size does matter when it comes to dog treats. Smaller is typically better when you’re watching your dog’s calorie intake. Larger treats that can break into smaller pieces work too, particularly when used for training.
Treat size should be appropriate for the weight of your dog. Treat packaging typically includes a weight chart on the back to guide dog parents.
If you give your dog a treat that is too small for their size (small enough to swallow it whole) or too large (they struggle to chew or bite off manageable pieces before swallowing), it could create a choking hazard.
Purpose
There are many reasons pet parents might want to give their dog a treat: as rewards for training, to distract their dog, for calming purposes, or as an enrichment tool. Match up the right treat for the right purpose.
Depending upon the purpose, the size and texture of the treat you offer might change.
Training treats, for example, need to be non-crumbly, low-calorie, and bite-size. Distraction treats, on the other hand, should take longer to gnaw or lick. And health-support treats need to be tasty enough that your dog will actually eat them.
How We Selected the Best Dog Treats
This list of the best dog treats was meticulously curated by a panel of veterinarians and vet techs who are employed by Chewy, the publisher of PetMD. They were asked to choose the best dog treats, in their honest opinion, across multiple categories based on the following:
- Their knowledge and practical experience
- Review of information published by the manufacturers
- Attributes such as:
- Ingredients
- Price
- Texture
- Size
- Trusted source
- Appropriateness for intended purpose
Opinions and product recommendations in this article belong solely to the review panel of vets and animal health experts. Manufacturers and vendors cannot buy placement in Vet Verified content or exert influence on our panelists as they evaluate products.
Our sole goal with this program is to provide pet parents with the information they need to make the best decision for their pets.
Dog Treats FAQs
Q: Can you freeze dog treats?
A: Yes, you can freeze dog treats to keep them fresh for longer. How long they’ll stay fresh depends on the ingredients in the treats, particularly the protein. Keeping treats in the freezer for two to three months is generally fine. You can defrost the treats as needed.
Contact the manufacturer to find the exact length of time recommended or ask your veterinarian.
Q: What are high-value dog treats?
A: High-value dog treats are treats that capture your dog’s attention and can help get them to stop doing certain problematic behaviors. In other words, they’re treats that your dog would stop in their tracks to get.
You should only use high-value treats as training rewards to help ensure training success.
What constitutes a high-value treat depends on your dog’s personal preference, but treats that have a strong smell and high palatability are usually favorites.
Our vets recommend rotating through different high-value treats to help keep dogs interested.
Q: What treats should you use when dog training?
A: Use chewy or soft low-calorie, bite-size treats that have high value to your pup for dog training. Because you might need to give your pup a lot of these rewards during training, low-calorie treats will help keep them trim. And small, soft, or chewy treats are easier for your dog to swallow on the go.
