Training treats for dogs that make the reward land precisely
Above all else, training treats for dogs need to do one thing: arrive at exactly the right moment. That's why this entire range comes in bite-size pieces, so you can reward quickly, repeatedly and without filling your dog up along the way. You'll find Mini Delights with turkey, duck, lamb and salmon, each variety containing 50% of the named ingredient, and Tiny Crackers in two versions: Farm & Fields with 80% freshly prepared chicken, duck, turkey and sweet potato, and Lake & Sea with 80% freshly prepared salmon, white fish, trout and sweet potato. Then there's Motivation Delights, deliciously tempting training treats with beef and grains for everyday training sessions where plenty of rewards are needed. And if you'd like to put together your own favourites, there's The Training Box, where you choose four varieties from the range yourself.
It isn't only a question of what the treat is made from, but of how it behaves in your hand. A small, firm piece can be tucked into a pocket, handed over discreetly and eaten in a second, so your dog links the reward directly to the behaviour you want to see again. That timing is precisely what separates effective training from random spoiling.
How to choose the right treat for your training
Start by considering how many rewards a typical session calls for. If you need lots of repetitions – recall work, loose-lead walking or a young dog's first outings in town – it makes sense to choose a treat you can hand out generously. If you're working on shorter, more focused exercises, a single Mini Delight or Tiny Cracker may be more than enough to keep motivation high. Several of the treats in the range are grain-free and BOF approved, which makes them easy to combine with everyday meals without upsetting the balance of the diet.
Taste is a genuine tool, too. If your dog has a pronounced weakness for fish, Lake & Sea Tiny Crackers or Salmon Mini Delights will often produce a faster response than anything else, while other dogs work best for lamb or duck. If your dog has known sensitivities, it's worth choosing by protein source, just as you would with their daily meals and our allergy-friendly selection. And if you're unsure how the treats fit into your dog's overall feeding plan, our nutritional advisers are ready by phone, chat and email to help you make it all add up.
Treats and weight go hand in hand
Treats are food. It sounds obvious, but the calories add up quickly when you train diligently, which is why the day's rewards should be deducted from the daily ration of meals. A useful rule of thumb is to keep treats to a smaller share of your dog's total daily intake and adjust meals accordingly on days with intensive training. That's exactly why small pieces are an advantage: you can give plenty of rewards without shifting the balance noticeably. If you'd like to explore how to assess your dog's body condition in practice, you can learn more in our guide to a healthy weight in dogs.
From puppyhood to the senior years
Puppies learn in short, intense bursts, and here small treats are all but indispensable, because they can be given again and again without filling your puppy up. If you're just starting out with training, you'll find all our advice gathered in the Puppy Universe, where we guide you through everything from feeding to those first exercises. Senior dogs benefit from training as well, both mentally and physically, and here the small piece is often the most comfortable one to work with through the golden years.
If you have a small dog, it can be worth combining the training treats with the rest of the range, so portions suit your particular day-to-day routine. Take a look at the selection for small dogs if you're also looking for something for those longer stretches at home, where the chewing itself is the reward.
