Food is a LOVE LANGUAGE and a powerful reinforcer.
Humans sharing their food with dogs is quite literally how we domesticated them, and therefore, a smart way to forge deep bonds between our species. As someone who uses hundreds of treats daily, I’ve linked some of my favorite picks below.
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Low-Value Treats:
These should be used for easy tasks in low-distraction environments.
Usually, low-value treats are dry and crunchy. Every dog has their preferences, but the following are some treats I’ve found to be low-value for most dogs:
YOUR DOG’S FOOD. Set aside a portion of your dog’s daily meals to use for training! Calories vary; check the bag.
HONEST KITCHEN’S FOOD CLUSTERS. (Small Breed Blend) small pieces, complete & balanced, no greasy/grainy texture like most kibble. 116 kcal/quarter cup.
JIMINY’S DOG FOOD. Complete & balanced, not greasy, & is made from sustainable insect protein. Good Grub: 102 kcal/quarter cup. Cravin’ Cricket: 95 kcal/quarter cup.
PUPFORD FREEZE-DRIED SWEET POTATO - <1 kcal/treat.
PUPFORD FREEZE-DRIED MANGO - <1 kcal/treat.
PUPFORD FREEZE-DRIED BLUEBERRIES - <1 kcal/treat.
Medium-Value Treats:
These can be used for slightly more difficult tasks in mildly distracting environments.
Most medium-value treats are softer and meatier.
SQUEASY TREATS. Fill w/ wet dog food, peanut butter, whipped cream cheese, baby food, etc. Calories vary.
RIGBY PETS SALMON SQUEEZE POUCH. 109 kcals/pouch. Chicken: 78 kcals/pouch. Beef: 63 kcals/pouch.
HAPPY HOWIE'S MEAT ROLLS. Cut to desired size. Calories/quarter inch cube: Beef-0.8 kcal. Lamb-0.9 kcal. Turkey-1 kcal.
FREEZE-DRIED CHICKEN LIVER. Single-ingredient & easy to break into smaller pieces. High in Vitamin A, so keep to 5% or less of your dog’s daily calories. 4 kcal/gram.
BEEF LUNG. Single-ingredient, puffy/crunchy texture, can be broken into smaller pieces. 5 kcal/treat.
FIG & TYLER MEATBALL MEDLEY. Use code LF7570 to save 10% on your order. Calories vary.
FIG & TYLER BEEF HEART. Small & relatively odorless. Code LF7570 to save 10%. 99 kcal/oz.
FIG & TYLER BISON LIVER. Small & relatively odorless. Code LF7570 to save 10% on your order. 133 kcal/oz.
FIG & TYLER CHICKEN PARMESAN CHIPS. Very easy to break. Code LF7570 to save 10%. Calories vary!
PUPFORD FREEZE-DRIED BEEF LIVER. <1 kcal/treat.
PUPFORD FREEZE-DRIED SALMON. <1 kcal/treat.
PUPFORD DUCK & VEGGIES. Can be broken even smaller! <1 kcal/treat.
PUPFORD SOFT & CHEWY PORK. Can be torn smaller. <2 kcals/treat. Available in beef, chicken, lamb & turkey, too.
High-Value Treats
These are your dogs’ top-tier treats to be used when intense distractions are present.
Typically, the smellier and grosser a treat is to you, the better it is to your dog!
CHEESE BLOCK. Easy, affordable, & can be cut into tiny pieces. Calories vary.
STRING CHEESE. Great grab & go option! Calories vary.
PUPFORD CHEEDAR CRUNCHIES. 2 kcals/treat.
HOT DOGS. Easy, affordable, & can be cut into tiny pieces. Calories vary.
DELI MEAT. Easy to tear! Calories vary.
BARK POUCH SQUEEZE POUCHES. Calories vary. Salmon & ricotta is the lowest-calorie option at 60 kcal/50-gram pouch.
FREEZE-DRIED BEEF LIVER. Crumps’ are pre-cut TINY! 0.17 kcal/treat.
AVA'S PET PALACE SNAPPIN' SALMON. Single-ingredient, strong smell, a bit bigger. 18 kcal/treat.
REDBARN MEATROLL DOG FOOD. Complete & balanced. Smellier & crumblier than Happy Howie's. Kcal/one inch of roll: Beef-329 kcal. Chicken-312 kcal. Lamb-351 kcal.
INSTINCT FREEZE-DRIED RAW MEALS. Complete & balanced, unique puffy texture, easy to break. Chicken recipe: 68 kcal/quarter cup.
FREEZE-DRIED BEEF TRIPE. Single-ingredient, small size, STINKY. 155 kcal/oz.
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Food & Weight Management
At some point in the pet industry, you’ve probably heard people speak about pet obesity being an ‘epidemic.’ Many vets advise that keeping your dog lean is the ‘easiest’ way to prevent and reduce pain.
While excess weight is a proven concern, this is almost never an ‘easy change’ to make, and much of the coarse rhetoric about pet weight reflects our larger society’s deep fatphobia.
Given the widespread misinformation out there, ethical pet weight management deserves more thoughtful, informed consideration than simply restricting calories. If you need to reduce the number of calories your dog eats, make small adjustments over time. Consider the following questions and ask for help when needed.
Where are the excess calories coming from?
Why are those calories being fed?
Are unmet needs (unrelated to food) being ineffectively met with food?
Does the dog have appropriate pain management to access a variety of species-typical behaviors? Is their weight actually limiting their ability to engage in those behaviors?
Addressing the above can also be unaffordable and inaccessible to many families, which is not an individual’s fault and reflects larger systemic issues. Please let me know if you need any help with this, so I can help you get creative without breaking the bank!
Treats should be TINY! To effectively teach, we need to use a high rate of reinforcement (a lot of food!) The smaller your morsels are, the more you can use!
Most of the time, the treats in my bag are pea-sized.
Use a portion of your dog’s meals to avoid excess calories.
Every day, my dogs eat 2 cups of food and need physical therapy. We do PT one-on-one at home, so using low-value ‘treats’ (like their standard kibble) works well.
I use ½ cup of their kibble for each of my dogs’ exercises daily, so their meal schedule is: 1 cup of food at 8 am, ½ cup at 4 pm, and ½ cup given with PT.
All nutritionally complete, balanced dog food recipes will have an “AAFCO statement” on their label, near the ingredient list and guaranteed analysis. Anything that doesn’t meet the AAFCO nutritional requirements is considered a ‘treat’ and intended for supplemental feeding only. According to board-certified veterinary nutritionists, treats should only make up 10% of a dog’s total daily calories.
For example, if a dog needs 1000 kcal per day to maintain a healthy weight, 900 kcal should come from balanced food, and 100 kcal could come from treats.
The Dog Calorie Calculator is a tool that provides a recommended daily calorie intake for your dog, a great starting point. Honing in on your dog’s ideal daily caloric intake will take a bit of trial and error.
Learning to evaluate a dog’s Body Condition Score (BCS) is the most objective way to monitor your pet’s weight. A BCS is a rating of 1-9, and a score of 4-5 is ideal for most dogs. You want to be able to feel your dog’s ribs (without searching) along their sides easily, but you shouldn’t be able to count them from across the room.
In nutrition, larger patterns matter most, so don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to strictly follow these guidelines every day.
If you have more questions about canine nutrition, or if your dog has a medical condition, speak with your vet!
If you have a special interest in learning more about canine nutrition, I recommend checking out The Canine Health Nut website.