While dog treats are commonly used to reward dogs as positive reinforcement for good behavior, treats can also be served for a range of purposes.
For example, use special treats to calm your dog down, to help with health problems, or even to help your puppy teethe without pain. If you’re looking for:
- Healthy treats for your favorite canine
- Dog training treats
- Teeth cleaning treats
- Diabetic treats
You want the right treats for the job. Let us help you find the best treats for all of your dog care needs.
Our favorite 11 best dog treats sorted by purpose:
- Best milk bone treats: Milk-Bone MaroSnacks Dog Treats for Dogs of All Sizes
- Best puppy dog training treats: Zuke’s Puppy Natural Training Dog Treats
- Best dental treats for large dogs: PEDIGREE DENTASTIX Large Dog Chew Treats
- Best all-natural dog treats: Nudges Steak Grillers Dog Treats
- Best all-natural dog bones: Elkhorn Premium Chews
- Best calming treats for dogs: FurroLandia Hemp Calming Treats for Dogs
- Best natural dog treats to keep them busy: EcoKind Pet Treats Gold Yak Dog Chews
- Best dog treats to hide pills: Greenies Pill Pockets Natural Dog Treats
- Best dog treats for diabetic dogs: ALL Natural Diabetic Treats
- Best dog treat for puppies teething: N-Bone Puppy Teething Ring Chicken Flavor
- Best home-style dog treats: Milo’s Kitchen Dog Treats
1. Best milk bone treats: Milk-Bone MaroSnacks Dog Treats for Dogs of All Sizes
Milk bone treats are among the most popular types of treats. Not only are they fairly easy to find, but they’re also a particular formulation that the average dog absolutely loves.
A favorite treat of dogs of all sizes, the Milk-Bone MaroSnacks really does a great job of riding the line between being a wholesome, nutritious treat and one that will satisfy your dog’s cravings.
It’s an excellent example of what you can get from a major dog treat brand.
Ingredients in this treat include:
- Wheat flour
- Meat and bone meal
- Sugar
- Dried Poultry By-Products
- Cooked Bone Marrow
- Beef Fat
- Salt
- Corn Starch
What and why we like this Milk-bone treat?
The great thing about this treat is that all of the ingredients are natural. There are a few food colorings added for flavor, but everything that your dog will get to eat is wholesome and healthy.
At only ten calories per treat, it’s also fairly effective even for those dogs who need to have their diets monitored.
Feeding guide:
Milk Bone recommends giving your dog one treat for every ten pounds of body weight. Of course, the serving number that will vary depending on your dog’s overall health as well as the dog’s level of activity. Milk Bone also recommends giving your dog about one to five treats every day.
Summary:
Simply put, this really is one of the best milk bone treats that you are going to find on the market. Not only does it have great ingredients, your dog’s very likely to love how it tastes.
This is a really good compromise between finding something from a major dog brand and something that’s still going to do your dog some good. So, give this one a try if you’re in the market for milk bones.
2. Best puppy dog training treats: Zuke’s Puppy Natural Training Dog Treats
Treats are actually a really important part of a dog training. The treats you choose can help to reinforce a puppy’s positive behaviors, giving him or her clear guidance to expectations.
Not all dog treats are suitable for training. You’ll want to find something that the pup loves, of course, but also something that is still nutritious enough for his or her diet. This natural treat from Zuke’s is the best example of that type of super nutrient-rich treat.
Ingredients in this treat include:
- Lamb
- Peas
- Chickpeas
- Flaxseed Meal
- Vegetable Glycerin
- Vitamin A supplement
- Vitamin E supplement
What and why we like this treat?
The grain-free treat is free of corn, soy, and wheat, so it’s a very good fit for dogs with allergies. This Zuke’s treat is made in the USA.
The ingredients aren’t quite all organic, but everything in this treat really is meant to help promote your dog’s health.
These natural treats are small and perfect for little dogs, and they are amazing training tools. At only about three and a half calories per treat, you can use them during long training sessions without feeling too guilty about using them.
Feeding guide:
These treats should be limited to about three treats per pound of the dog’s body weight. Note: please do not substitute these treats for dog food.
Summary:
This Zuke’s treat honestly checks all the boxes. It is a perfect size. It is easily digestible. It is nutritious. And, it works perfectly as a reinforcement tool.
If you are looking for a tender-bite that is both useful for training your pup and rewarding him or her through the day, you definitely want to pick up Zuke’s Puppy Natural Training Dog Treats.
3. Best dental treats for large dogs: PEDIGREE DENTASTIX Large Dog Chew Treats
It always feels like a chore to take care of your big dog’s teeth, right? While you can certainly brush them or have a vet doing it for you, the best way to deal with dental health is usually through treats.
If you’re looking for something that your dog won’t swallow whole in the first gulp, this teeth cleaning treat from Pedigree might be the best choice for you.
Ingredients in this treat include:
- Rice Flour
- Wheat Starch
- Glycerin
- Gelatin
- Gum Arabic
- Calcium Carbonate
- Natural Poultry Flavor
- Powdered Cellulose
- Sodium Tripolyphosphate
What and why we like this treat?
While this PEDIGREE DENTASTIX isn’t exactly full of all dog’s favorite ingredients, it is safe for dogs to eat. Most of the ingredients here actually focus on making sure that your dog has a solid, chewable treat to ensure that his or her teeth will receive the care that he or she needs.
Every ingredient here is safe and there are a few ingredients that may cause allergies . So, if your pets have wheat or rice allergies, this treat is not for your dog.
Feeding guide:
This treat is meant for larger dogs. Dogs under thirty pounds need to avoid this one. Even bigger dogs should only have one treat a day.
Summary:
This DENTASTIX is a great treat if you want to keep dogs occupied while keeping their teeth healthy and fresh breath. This PEDIGREE treat will also make them happy every time you open up the container.
4. Best all-natural dog treats: Nudges Steak Grillers Dog Treats
There are plenty of reasons to look for all-natural dog treats. Some pet owners are concerned about the impact of non-natural ingredients on their pet’s health, while others simply think that natural treats are of a higher quality.
Regardless of your reasons for looking at these treats, the truth is that not all all-natural treats are the same. If you’re looking for great treats without additives, Nudges Steak Grillers Dog Treats is a great choice.
Ingredients in this treat include:
- Beef
- Chicken
- Ground rice
- Vegetable glycerin
- Sugar
- Citrus fiber
What and why we like this treat?
As you can tell from the ingredients list, there’s nothing in this treat that you can’t find in nature. There are a few fillers, though, so you should be careful if your dog has issues with rice or with citrus.
Feeding guide:
- One treat for dogs under ten pounds
- Two for those between eleven and twenty-five pounds
- Three to four for those between twenty-five and fifty pounds, and
- Up to six treats for those dogs who are over fifty pounds.
Also consider your dog’s activity level and general health to decide on how many treats your pet can safely consume in a day.
Summary:
With an excellent ingredient list and a really great flavor profile, these treats are great for any dog. They’re a rare natural treat for a dogs of all sizes. All natural ingredients, lack of allergy-causing components and a fairly reasonable calorie count, this is a good choice for virtually any dogs.
5. Best all-natural dog bones: Elkhorn Premium Chews
This treat is 100% natural way to help to remove tartar. It also contains a good source of nutrients such as protein and calcium.
Ingredients in this treat include:
- All natural, sourced in the USA.
- A giant split elk antler, 7-11 inches in length
- Contains the natural tasty marrow inside each antler
Why we like this treat?
It is all natural, no additives, and no preservatives – good for your dog. It’s good for you the owner too – why? because there’s no mess to clean up, and there’s no odor.
Feeding guide:
- This giant chew is best for dogs over 70 pounds
Summary:
If you are looking for an all natural dog bone for your dog who likes dense chew, this antler is an excellent choice to remove tarter and provides good nutrients such as calcium and zinc.
Your dog will feel like having candies with the tasty marrow inside each antler.
6. Best calming treats for dogs: FurroLandia Hemp Calming Treats for Dogs
Sometimes it’s nice to have a treat that helps your furry friend to calm down. While there are plenty of treats out there that claim to soothe their nerves, you do generally want to be fairly careful when you are looking for something that will actually calm your dog down.
If you are looking for something that reduces stress and helps out with separation anxiety, you’ll want to try this all-natural hemp treat.
Ingredients in this treat include:
- Hemp oil
- Hemp seed powder
- L-tryptophan
- Chamomile extract
- Valerian extract
- Passion flower
What and why we like this treat?
This treat really is all about the calming power of the various herbs and minerals included in the ingredients list. This means that this is a grain-free and sugar-free treat. It is fairly safe for dogs with food allergies.
Feeding guide:
- One chew for dogs under ten pounds
- Two for dogs between ten and thirty pounds
- Three for those between thirty-one and sixty pounds
- Four for those between sixty-one and ninety pounds and
- Five for all of the larger breeds
Summary:
This FurroLandia treat promotes comfort and well-being for dogs of all sizes. It is most effective to calm your pet when he or she is having a tough time with separation anxiety. In general, it takes about half an hour for the calming effects to start working.
7. Best natural dog treats to keep them busy: EcoKind Pet Treats Gold Yak Dog Chews
While treats can be used as a reward for your dog, sometimes they’re also used to give you a little bit of free time. Whether you need to get some work done without your dog barking or you need to keep your fuzzy friend busy while you’re moving things around the house, a good treat can make all the difference. If you are looking for a great way to keep dogs busy, this treat from EcoKind might be just what you need.
Ingredients in this treat include:
- Cow milk
- Yak milk
- Salt
- Lime
What and why we like this treat?
This is probably the simplest ingredient list you are going to find out there, and it’s excellent for most dogs. It totally skips over the kinds of allergic reactions that come from fillers and chemicals, giving your dog something simple and natural with which to play around. It should be noted, though, that simplicity doesn’t necessarily mean the treat isn’t tough.
You can reasonably expect your dog to wrestle around with this treat for somewhere between half an hour and a few hours depending on the breed of your dog and exactly how enthusiastic he or she tends to be with the treats.
Feeding guide:
Note that the treat can break into small pieces, so you might want to be careful with breeds that tend to have choking or breathing problems.
Summary:
This EcoKind Pet treat is made for bigger dogs that tend to go through treats too quickly. So, consider it if you want to keep your dog distracted for a long time. Skip this treat if you are just looking for treats to train your dog. This Ecokind is also one of the most wholesome natural treats in the market.
8. Best dog treats to hide pills: Greenies Pill Pockets Natural Dog Treats
There are very few dogs that are happy to take medicine. Most dog owners know that they have to trick their dogs into doing what’s best for them, but finding the right treat can be tough. Given that so many great dog treats are solid and don’t do much to hide the presence of a pill, it makes sense that you would need a specialized product for this process. Luckily, the Greenies are made for this job.
Ingredients in this treat include:
- Chicken
- Glycerine
- Wheat Flour
- Vegetable Oil
- Wheat Gluten
- Dried Corn Syrup
- Natural flavors
What and why we like this treat?
While all of these ingredients might not be organic or even all-natural, there’s nothing in here that’s going to hurt a dog. In fact, this is a fairly wholesome set of ingredients that are going to do well with any dogs that doesn’t have some kind of gluten allergy.
Feeding guide:
The serving suggestion here to give your dog one treat for every pill that he or she is taking.
Tips: If the pill is tiny and you are able to fit two pills, you want to make sure two pills will not cause choking hazard.
Summary:
This Greenies Pill Pockets treat is a great value for any dog owner who has to regularly give his or her dog pills. It’s not the kind of treat that you’d want to give a dog as a reward.
Let’s face it – it’s easier to eat a treat than to take a pill. This is the most effective way to hide pills to feed them to your dogs.
9. Best dog treats for diabetic dogs: ALL Natural Diabetic Treats
It’s very important to keep track of your dog’s diet if he or she is diabetic. Unfortunately, that makes it a little harder to find treats for him or her. If you’re concerned with your dog’s blood sugar, you may want to give ALL Natural Diabetic Treats a try.
Ingredients in this treat include:
- Stone-ground whole wheat flour
- Rolled oats
- Apples
- Squash
- Alfafa
- Kelp
- Brewing yeast
What and why we like this treat?
Every ingredient in this treat is formulated to ensure safety for diabetic dogs. There are no additives here, and many of the ingredients are certified organic. Working together, these ingredients have been proven to help dogs to manage their blood sugar.
While there are no weight guidelines for this treat, most pet owners can feel comfortable giving their dogs between one and three treats per day based on the size of their dogs and the dog’s general health.
Summary:
This is an ideal treat for a dog with diabetes. While it might not have the flavor profile found in typical treats, it contains ingredients help to reduce blood sugar. It is an all-natural treat specially formulated for diabetic dog. It is made in USA.
10. Best dog treat for puppies teething: N-Bone Puppy Teething Ring Chicken Flavor
Puppies, like babies, teethe. Unlike humans, puppy teething can be pretty destructive. Not only do they have the desire to chew all over everything you own, but they might even start chewing on people if they don’t have something to distract themselves. Luckily, this teething rings can provide a safe and calming outlet for chewing.
Ingredients in this treat include:
- Dried potatoes
- Vegetable glycerin
- Water
- Chicken
- Natural Chicken Flavor
- Calcium Carbonate
What and why we like this treat?
This N-Bone ring is pliable and easy for puppies to hold onto. It contains calcium and DHA – both are excellent nutrition for puppies.
This is a grain-free treat which is generally agreeable with sensitive stomach.
Most puppies like the taste of these chicken flavored rings. This treat is grain free – so it is suitable for young puppies with sensitive stomach.
Summary:
This N-Bone treat is made for young puppies who are just starting to teethe. Each N-Bone ring can keep a little one occupied for about an hour. It is pliable so it won’t damage immature teeth.
If you are looking to alleviate some of your puppy’s teething pains with something delicious, this treat can be the right fit for your needs.
11. Best home-style dog treats: Milo’s Kitchen Dog Treats
In all honesty, it’s nice to know that some dog treats are just simple. They don’t have to perform any special function or take care of your dog in a special way – they just need to be there to give your dog a little reward. So, what is so special about this treat from Milo’s Kitchen? You guessed it – it’s simple, it tastes good, and it’s going to make your dog happy.
Ingredients in this treat include:
- Chicken
- Soy grits
- Beef
- Sugar
- Glycerine
- Textured Soy Protein Product
What and why we like this treat?
All of these ingredients are fairly easy for dogs to digest. And, they are home-style treats – it’s like home-make dessert, yummy. We find that most dogs really enjoy these delicious treats.
Feeding guide:
- Half a treat per day for a dog five pounds or under
- One treat for one between five and ten pounds
- Between one and two-and-a-half for one under twenty-five pounds
- Up to four for one up to fifty pounds, and
- Up to five and a half pounds for a dog that is up to seventy-five pounds.
Summary:
This is an excellent treat to reward your dog with a home-style treat. It certainly has a few ingredients like sugar that might not be great for older dogs or diabetic dogs, but energetic dogs in the prime of their lives are going to love this treat. This is a fun treat that your dog is sure to love.
Recap: 11 Best dog treats
Types of Treats | Reviews | $ |
Best milk bone treats | Milk-Bone MaroSnacks Dog Treats | Check Price |
Best puppy training treats | Zuke’s Puppy Natural Training Dog Treats | Check Price |
Best dental treats for large dogs | PEDIGREE DENTASTIX Large Dog Chew Treats | Check Price |
Best all-natural dog treats | Nudges Steak Grillers Dog Treats | Check Price |
Best all-natural dog bones | Elkhorn Premium Chews | Check Price |
Best calming treats for dogs | FurroLandia Hemp Calming Treats for Dogs | Check Price |
Best natural dog treats to keep them busy | EcoKind Pet Treats Gold Yak Dog Chews | Check Price |
Best dog treats to hide pills | Greenies Pill Pockets Natural Dog Treats | Check Price |
Best dog treats for diabetic dogs | ALL Natural Diabetic Treats | Check Price |
Best dog treat for puppies teething | N-Bone Puppy Teething Ring Chicken Flavor | Check Price |
Best home-style dog treats | Milo’s Kitchen Dog Treats | Check Price |
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