Best dog treats 2026: the ones worth buying (and the ones to avoid)
Treats are the part of dog nutrition that manufacturers understand best from a marketing perspective - and handle worst from a nutritional one. On the shelves, you will find sticks with "real meat flavour" containing 2 percent actual meat, artificially coloured smoked bones, and training rewards packed with sugars and cereals. And next to them, a handful of products that genuinely deserve to be in your dog's routine.
This ranking applies the same criteria as our main food scoring methodology: real ingredient composition, declared proportions, absence of problematic additives, and species appropriateness. With one additional constraint specific to treats: their maximum admissible caloric contribution.
Version FR disponible : Meilleures friandises chien 2026
The 10 percent rule: why it exists and how to apply it
Treats must account for a maximum of 10 percent of your dog's daily caloric intake. This rule is not arbitrary: it is based on the risk of nutritional imbalance and weight gain.
A concrete example. A 30 kg Labrador with moderate activity needs around 1,400 kcal per day. That gives a treat budget of 140 kcal maximum. Here is what that looks like in practice:
| Product | Calories per piece | Max per day |
|---|---|---|
| Lily's Kitchen training treat (small) | ~5 kcal | 28 |
| Dried pig ear (standard size) | ~85 kcal | 1-2 |
| Dentastix size M | ~60 kcal | 2 |
| Schmackos 1 strip | ~25 kcal | 5-6 |
| Dried chicken breast slice | ~15 kcal | 9 |
| Raw marrow bone (10 cm) | ~120-180 kcal | 1 maximum |
These figures have a direct implication for training. Recall, obedience, or agility sessions often require 50-100 rewards in an hour. If you use high-calorie treats, you hit the 10 percent ceiling in minutes. The practical rule from professional trainers: use the smallest and lowest-calorie treats for repetitive work, premium treats (ear, dried meat) for exceptional behaviours.
Best dog treats ranking
S-tier: single ingredient, nutritional excellence
Dried chicken breast (single protein)
Dried chicken breast is 95-99 percent chicken and nothing else. No additives, no artificial preservatives - natural dehydration preserves the meat. The ideal ingredient list contains a single word: "chicken breast." That is all.
This type of treat is particularly suited to dogs with multiple food allergies: the absence of any other ingredient eliminates potential allergic reaction sources. It is also the reference single-protein treat for elimination diet protocols.
Pay attention to geographical origin: prefer French or European production with declared traceability. Some dried meat products of Asian origin have been subject to repeated safety alerts (particularly for veterinary drug residues) in the US and Europe.
PetFoodRate score: A (91/100) - see our single-protein treats category
Dried beef liver
Dried liver is one of the most coveted dog treats - the powerful aroma makes it an extremely high-value reward for training. Dried beef liver provides exceptional density in vitamin A, zinc, and copper. Precisely because of that: due to its concentration in vitamin A, liver should not represent more than 5 percent of total ration. As a training treat in small portions, this limit is rarely reached.
PetFoodRate score: A (89/100)
Dried duck fillet
Slightly less common than chicken, duck offers an interesting amino acid profile and is an alternative for dogs sensitive to chicken. The more intense aroma compared to chicken also makes it an effective training reward.
PetFoodRate score: A (88/100)
A-tier: quality ingredients, acceptable minor complexity
Lily's Kitchen Bedtime Biscuits - Score A (87/100)
Lily's Kitchen is one of the few commercial brands that publishes ingredient percentages on packaging. The Bedtime Biscuits contain 60 percent chicken, oats, salmon oil, herbs. No added sugars, no colourings, no artificial preservatives. The presence of oats (grain) is worth noting for grain-sensitive dogs, but it remains a minority ingredient.
| Ingredient | Proportion |
|---|---|
| Dehydrated chicken | 60 percent |
| Oats | 22 percent |
| Salmon oil | 8 percent |
| Carrots, herbs | 10 percent |
What we like: declared percentages, meat at the top of the list, natural aroma, size suited to training What we note: contains oats (not ideal for strict grain-free dogs)
Lily's Kitchen Training Treats - Score A (86/100)
The small size of these training biscuits (~3 g each, ~5 kcal) makes them one of the best choices for intensive training sessions. Formulated with chicken (55 percent), beetroot, oats. No added sugars, no colourings.
Edgard & Cooper Beef and Apple Sticks - Score A (85/100)
Edgard & Cooper has built its reputation on traceability: beef certified of European origin, without growth antibiotics. The sticks contain 70 percent beef, apple, carrots. No cereals, no added sugars. The semi-tender texture makes them easy to break into small training portions.
| Ingredient | Proportion |
|---|---|
| Beef (fresh + dried) | 70 percent |
| Apple | 12 percent |
| Carrots | 10 percent |
| Herbs | 8 percent |
B-tier: decent, with caveats
Pedigree Dentastix (size M) - Score B (72/100)
Dentastix is the world leader in dental sticks - and the treat that generates the most questions. It does actually do something for dental health: its specific texture produces a mechanical abrasion effect on dental plaque. Independent studies (notably one published in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry in 2014) confirmed a statistically significant reduction in dental plaque with daily use.
The problem lies in the composition:
| Ingredient | Comment |
|---|---|
| Corn starch | Primary calorie source - fast glucose |
| Glycerol | Humectant - acceptable |
| Gelatine | Binder - neutral |
| Sugars (dextrose) | Present - problematic |
| Artificial colours | Iron oxide red - no nutritional benefit |
The verdict: the dental effect is real, but the composition is not ideal. Dentastix is acceptable as a daily dental hygiene supplement at one per day, but does not constitute a nutritionally justified reward. If dental health is your primary goal, our article on dental health and pet food presents more comprehensive alternatives.
Good Boy Crinkles - Score B (68/100)
Popular in supermarkets, Crinkles contain an acceptable amount of poultry meat (40 percent), but also multiple cereals, glycerol, and artificial flavours. No medical reason to ban them - but no particular reason to choose them over the A-tier alternatives.
C to E-tier: avoid
Schmackos Variety - Score D (38/100)
Schmackos is the textbook case of a treat built for immediate palatability rather than nutrition. The standard formula contains:
| Issue | Detail |
|---|---|
| Meat and animal derivatives | Unspecified - unknown species |
| Added sugars | Glucose syrup in position 3 in the list |
| Artificial colours | Carmoisine (E122), Sunset Yellow (E110) |
| Artificial flavours | Unspecified |
| Salt | High content |
Palatability is maximal - almost all dogs love Schmackos. That is precisely because sugars, artificial flavours, and salt are powerful taste amplifiers. No nutritional argument justifies this product for regular use.
Vitakraft Dog Chew Sticks - Score D (41/100)
Similar profile: unspecified animal by-products, sugars, artificial flavours, colourings. The presence of "beef" in the commercial name does not correspond to a significant beef content in the formula.
The behavioural role of treats
The value of a treat is not limited to its ingredients. From a behavioural perspective, a treat is above all a positive reinforcer - a signal telling the animal that the behaviour it just performed is desirable and should be repeated.
Motivational value: high, medium, low
Not all dogs respond the same way to all treats. A Beagle may be motivated by virtually any food. A fussy Husky may ignore standard kibble and only work for fresh liver. The concept of "motivational value" is central to positive reinforcement training.
High value: dried liver, cheese, cooked fresh meat, natural sausage. Reserved for difficult learning tasks, high-distraction environments (street, park), and safety-critical behaviours (recall).
Medium value: dried chicken breast, quality sticks like Edgard & Cooper or Lily's Kitchen. For daily reinforcement, known exercises in calm environments.
Low value: standard kibble, neutral small biscuits. For maintaining well-established behaviours in calm environments.
The practical advice from professional trainers: save your high-value treats for the moments you genuinely need them. If your dog gets dried liver for "sit" at home, there will be nothing more motivating for recall in a park facing a squirrel.
Reward size: smaller is better
A common training mistake is giving rewards that are too large. The value of a reinforcer is not proportional to its size. A 3 mm fragment of dried liver is just as motivating as a 2 cm piece - and allows you to do 20 times more repetitions before reaching the caloric ceiling.
The professional trainer rule: the ideal size of a training reward is the smallest piece your dog can swallow in less than 3 seconds without being distracted from the exercise. In practice, 3-5 mm per side for a medium-sized dog.
Ingredients to watch closely
Some common ingredients in treats are particularly problematic and deserve specific attention.
Xylitol: silent poison
Xylitol is a natural sweetener used in many human food products. It is extremely toxic to dogs, even at low doses. A dose of 75 mg/kg causes severe hypoglycaemia, and higher doses cause potentially fatal hepatic necrosis.
Xylitol is rarely found in commercial pet treats in France and the UK, but some imported products may contain it. Always read the ingredient list of any food before giving it to your dog, even occasionally.
Salt: often too high
Some human foods (cured meats, cheese, crackers) are given to dogs out of convenience or affection. The salt content of these products is calibrated for human needs, very different from canine requirements. Chronic sodium excess raises blood pressure and overloads the kidneys, especially in dogs over 7 years.
Azo dyes and behavioural additives
Azo dyes (E102 tartrazine, E104 quinoline yellow, E110 sunset yellow, E122 carmoisine, E124 ponceau 4R) are subject to restrictions in human food in Europe due to associations with hyperactivity in children. While studies are less conclusive for dogs, their presence in a treat provides no nutritional benefit and is a sufficient reason to choose an additive-free product.
Chews: the great debate
Chews deserve a separate section because they divide the community of owners and vets profoundly.
Raw bones
Arguments for: intense behavioural enrichment (prolonged occupation), superior dental effect to dental sticks, natural source of minerals, satisfying instinctive behaviour.
Arguments against: risk of bacterial contamination (Salmonella, Campylobacter) for the animal and the human environment, risk of dental fractures on weight-bearing bones (femur), risk of splinters from raw poultry tubular bones.
Safety rules if you give raw bones:
- Never give tubular bones from chicken or turkey (splinter risk)
- Bones always proportional to dog size
- Mandatory supervision
- Hygiene of the consumption area (washable surface)
- No bones if your dog swallows without chewing
Smoked or cooked bones
Avoid categorically. Cooking weakens the bone structure, massively increasing the risk of splinters that can perforate the oesophagus, stomach, or intestines. Smoked bones sold in supermarkets are cooked. This is one of the rare areas where veterinary consensus is absolute.
Vegetable alternatives: antlers, coffee roots, rubber chews
Deer antlers and coffee or rubber tree roots are popular alternatives to bones. Advantage: durable, no splinter risk, no bacterial contamination. Disadvantage: risk of dental fractures from hard antlers in dogs that chew with force. Prefer "split" antlers (cut in half) that expose the softer marrow - lower fracture risk.
Treat economics: the real cost per use
The displayed price of a treat is rarely the right indicator. Formats vary enormously and the actual cost per use (per training session or per day) is more relevant.
| Product | Indicative price | Kcal per 100 g | Training sessions (50 rewards) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dried chicken breast | 25-30 EUR/kg | 330 kcal | ~15 sessions |
| Lily's Kitchen Training | 35-40 EUR/kg | 320 kcal | ~18 sessions |
| Edgard & Cooper Sticks | 28-32 EUR/kg | 290 kcal | ~12 sessions |
| Dentastix M (daily use) | 8-10 EUR/kg | 310 kcal | Not suited to training |
| Schmackos | 12-15 EUR/kg | 350 kcal | ~10 sessions |
Premium dried meat costs more per kilo but offers more training sessions per gram used (smaller portions possible thanks to high motivational value). On a training cost-effectiveness analysis, single-protein treats are not necessarily more expensive than mainstream market alternatives.
Treats and special diets
Allergic dog
Always choose single-protein treats with a single identified ingredient. If your dog is on an elimination diet with duck, their treats must be duck and duck only. Any cross-contamination (even traces) can invalidate the protocol. Check the "manufactured in a facility that also handles..." mention on the packaging.
Diabetic or overweight dog
Avoid any treat containing sugars (dextrose, glucose syrup, honey). Single-protein dried treats are generally appropriate, but consult your vet on quantities.
Senior dog
Chewing is often reduced with age (tooth wear, jaw joint pain). Opt for semi-tender textures or moistenable treats. Avoid hard bones and hard antlers for dogs over 10 years. Our best senior dog food 2026 guide details age-related nutritional needs.
Puppy
Before 4 months, the digestive system is still immature. Limit treats to tiny quantities and simple ingredients. Avoid chews before 6 months. Our best puppy food 2026 guide details nutritional needs by age.
How to read a treat label
A treat label is subject to the same European rules as a complete food - but manufacturers exploit every regulatory ambiguity.
"With beef": under European law, this means the product contains a minimum of 4 percent beef. "Rich in beef" requires 14 percent, "beef food" requires 26 percent, and a "beef treat" requires at least 45 percent. A "beef stick" can therefore contain 4 percent beef and 96 percent something else.
"Meat and animal derivatives": this generic wording allows the manufacturer to use any animal species and any part of the animal (excluding bone, hair/feathers) - proportions and species can vary between batches. This is the opposite of the transparency we value.
"Natural flavours": in Europe, this means the flavours come from a natural source - but not necessarily from the meat featured on the packaging. "Natural beef flavour" can come from highly processed beef by-products.
To assess the quality of a treat, see the product pages in our database where we break down every ingredient.
Homemade treats: the safe options
Making your own treats at home is a reliable way to control exactly what goes into your dog's rewards. A few safe and effective options:
Oven-dried chicken breast: slice chicken breast thinly, bake at 70-80 C for 4-6 hours until fully dehydrated. No salt, no oil. Result: single-ingredient treats at roughly the same cost as budget supermarket products, with the quality level of the premium tier. Keeps 1-2 weeks in the fridge, up to 3 months frozen.
Cooked carrot sticks: carrots are low-calorie (roughly 35 kcal per 100 g vs 330 kcal for dried meat), safe for dogs, and accepted by most as a reward. Useful for overweight dogs whose treat budget is very limited.
Lightly cooked beef liver: liver can be lightly poached and cut into small cubes. The smell is intense - high motivational value for even the most selective dogs. Freeze in ice cube trays in portion-sized amounts, defrost per session.
Hard-boiled egg: a whole hard-boiled egg is ~70 kcal, providing complete protein and fat. Can be cut into small pieces. High palatability for most dogs, especially useful for dogs with meat allergies who can tolerate eggs.
Foods to never use as homemade treats: onion, garlic (toxic in all forms), grapes and raisins, macadamia nuts, any food with xylitol, chocolate, avocado, raw salmon or trout (Pacific only - risk of salmon poisoning disease in some regions).
Summary: buy, avoid, watch
| Category | Recommendation | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Buy without hesitation | Single ingredient, single protein | Dried chicken breast, dried liver, duck fillet |
| Good choices | Declared ingredients, minimally processed | Lily's Kitchen, Edgard & Cooper |
| Acceptable with vigilance | Specific benefit but imperfect composition | Dentastix (real dental effect) |
| Avoid for regular use | Sugars, colourings, vague by-products | Schmackos, Vitakraft Chew |
| Real risk | Potential splinters | Cooked/smoked bones, hard antlers for strong chewers |
Useful PetFoodRate links
- All rated dog treats
- Best dog food ranking 2026
- Dental health and pet food
- Food transition guide for dogs and cats
- Dog food cost guide
- Best puppy food 2026
- Best senior dog food 2026
- Our scoring methodology
- Compare two products
Sources
- Jensen, V. F. et al. (2014). Effect of a dental hygiene chew on the accumulation of dental deposits in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Dentistry, 31(3), 155-162. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/jvd
- FEDIAF. (2023). Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food for Cats and Dogs. https://europeanpetfood.org/fediaf-nutritional-guidelines/
- European Commission. Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 on the placing on the market and use of feed. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Xylitol toxicity in dogs. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/xylitol
- Case, L. P. et al. (2011). Canine and Feline Nutrition, 3rd ed. Mosby Elsevier. (Treats and snacks, pp. 162-175.)
- Clara Bell, Pet Food Analyst, PetFoodRate