The best dog treats for training are small, soft, smelly, and low in calories. That's really the whole formula.
If your dog can eat it in under two seconds, it's pungent enough to hold their attention over whatever squirrel is happening in the background, and you can hand out dozens of them in a session without worrying about weight gain, you've found a good training treat.
These are the 10 that actually work. Not a list of every treat on Amazon. Just the ones trainers keep coming back to, and dogs consistently go crazy for.
The 10 Best Training Treats for Dogs in 2026
1. Zuke's Mini Naturals
The default training treat for a reason. Tiny, soft, under 3 calories each. They come in multiple flavors (peanut butter and oats, chicken, rabbit) and most dogs love them on first sniff.
You can find them at basically any pet store, and they're the benchmark everything else on this list gets compared to. If you're not sure where to start, start here.
Check them out here.
2. Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Minnows
Whole freeze-dried minnows. Sounds odd, smells incredible to dogs. Single ingredient, high protein, and they break apart easily into smaller pieces. These are a go-to for trainers working with picky dogs who turn their nose up at processed treats.
Not for owners who are squeamish about handling tiny fish, but your dog won't care about your feelings on that.
Check them out here.
3. Pet Botanics Training Rewards
Less than 3 calories per treat, specifically designed for repetitive training sessions. Soft, small, pork-liver based. They're not the most exciting treat on this list, but the calorie math makes them perfect for long sessions where you're handing out 50 or more rewards.
Your dog stays engaged. Their waistline stays intact.
Check them out here.
4. Stella & Chewy's Freeze-Dried Raw
Single-ingredient freeze-dried meat in chicken, beef, lamb, or duck. High-value, incredibly smelly, and they break into small pieces with almost no effort.
More expensive than Zuke's, but worth it for distraction-heavy environments or stubborn dogs who need that extra level of motivation.
These are the treats you pull out when the park is full and your dog is pretending they've never heard the word "sit." That said, reviews are a little mixed, depending on the product line.
5. Cloud Star Tricky Trainers
Available in chewy or crunchy. Go with the chewy version for training since it's faster to eat. Low calorie, comes in a liver flavor that dogs love, and priced in the mid-range. Not as premium as freeze-dried raw, but more exciting than basic biscuits. Solid all-rounder.
Check them out here.
6. Bil-Jac Little-Jacs
Tiny, soft, and smell like actual chicken. These are in the "your dog will do anything for these" tier. High value without the premium price of freeze-dried options.
One thing to know: they can get sticky in warm weather, so keep them in a treat pouch rather than loose in your pocket.
Check them out here.
7. Wellness Soft Puppy Bites
Marketed for puppies but they work for dogs of any age. Super soft, small, lamb and salmon recipe. If you've got a puppy just starting training or a small dog who needs a gentler treat, these are one of the best options.
They're also great for dogs with sensitive stomachs who can't handle richer treats.
Check them out here.
8. Charlee Bear Original Crunch
The budget pick. Under 3 calories, about $5 for a 16 oz bag. They're crunchy, which isn't ideal for fast-paced training sessions, but they work well for reinforcing behaviors your dog already knows.
If you're doing casual maintenance training around the house and don't want to spend $15 on freeze-dried minnows, these do the job.
Check them out here.
9. Shredded Chicken or String Cheese (DIY)
Nothing commercial beats real food for most dogs. Shredded rotisserie chicken or small cubes of string cheese are your "nuclear option." Use them for teaching recall, working in high-distraction environments, or winning over a dog who ignores every commercial treat you've tried. Just factor the calories into dinner.
A couple ounces of chicken spread across a training session won't hurt, but don't pretend it's zero calories.
10. Fruitables Skinny Minis
Soft, chewy, fruit-and-veggie based. Under 3 calories. These are the best healthy dog treats for training if your dog has protein sensitivities or you want a plant-forward option.
Not as high-value as meat-based treats for most dogs, but some dogs genuinely prefer them. Worth trying if your pup turns up their nose at liver.
Check them out here.
What Makes a Good Dog Training Treat?
Small enough to eat in one bite, soft enough to chew quickly, smelly enough to compete with distractions, and low enough in calories to use dozens per session without guilt.
Size should be pea-sized or smaller. If you're breaking treats in half, they were too big to start with. Texture matters too: soft beats crunchy for training because your dog eats it faster and you keep the session moving.
Crunchy treats crumble, leave pieces on the floor, and slow everything down.
Smell is your secret weapon. Liver, fish, and cheese-based treats outperform bland biscuits every single time. And calories should be under 3 per treat, because on a serious training day you'll go through a lot of them.
For puppies, the same rules apply but even smaller. Most of the treats below work fine for puppies. Just break them into tinier pieces and lean toward softer textures since puppy teeth are still developing.
Quick Tips for Using Training Treats
Timing matters more than the treat itself. Deliver within one second of the behavior you want to reward, or your dog won't connect the treat to the action.
Create a treat hierarchy and stick to it. Real meat and freeze-dried raw for new or difficult behaviors. Zuke's or Pet Botanics for practicing things your dog already knows. This way the high-value stuff stays special.
On heavy training days, cut your dog's dinner back a bit. Their stomach doesn't know the difference between a meal and 40 small training treats, and you don't want them gaining weight because you're doing the right thing with training.
Fade treats gradually as behaviors become reliable. Reward every time at first. Then every other time. Then randomly. The goal is a dog who responds because the behavior is learned, not because they can see a treat in your hand.
And invest in a decent treat pouch. You need treats accessible in under a second. Fumbling through a ziplock bag while your dog loses focus and wanders off isn't training.
One more thing: if you're doing off-leash recall work in open areas, a GPS tracker is smart backup. Recall is the most important command your dog will learn, and the early sessions happen in exactly the kind of spaces where dogs bolt after a squirrel and don't come back. The Aorkuler tracks your dog in real-time without needing cell service, so you can train with confidence even in parks and trails where your phone shows zero bars.
The Bottom Line
The best training treats for dogs are the ones your dog will work hardest for. Start with Zuke's Mini Naturals or freeze-dried meat, experiment from there, and keep everything small, soft, and smelly.
Your dog doesn't care about the brand name on the package. They care that it tastes good and it shows up the instant they do something right.
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