A treat is judged by what is in it and how well it earns a dog’s attention. The best training treats are tiny, soft, low-calorie, and made without junk. We scored seven treats on ingredient quality, training value, palatability, value, and transparency. Our top pick is Zuke’s Mini Naturals, with an SR Score of 89, for pea-sized, roughly 2-calorie soft bites that keep a training session moving. For the most irresistible single-ingredient reward, Stewart Freeze-Dried Liver (88) is the runner-up.
The ranking
| Rank | Treat | Best for | Typical price | SR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zuke’s Mini Naturals | Everyday training | ~$10 / 16 oz | 89 |
| 2 | Stewart Freeze-Dried Liver | High-value reward | ~$15 / 14 oz | 88 |
| 3 | Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Crunch | Raw / grain-free | ~$13 / 3.25 oz | 86 |
| 4 | Full Moon Chicken Jerky | Human-grade jerky | ~$14 / 11 oz | 85 |
| 5 | Greenies Original | Dental health | ~$25 / 27 oz | 84 |
| 6 | Wellness Soft WellBites | Sensitive stomachs | ~$10 / 8 oz | 83 |
| 7 | Blue Buffalo Blue Bits | Mainstream training | ~$8 / 11 oz | 82 |
Methodology
The Pet Score v2026 rubric weights five criteria summing to 100:
- Ingredient quality (25) — named protein, absence of fillers and artificial additives.
- Training value (25) — size, softness, and calories per treat.
- Palatability (20) — how reliably dogs take them.
- Value for money (15) — cost per treat and bag size.
- Transparency (15) — sourcing, manufacturing, and any third-party seals.
Ingredients and training value carry 50 because a treat you hand out dozens of times a session must be both clean and practical. Re-weight toward dental health and Greenies climbs; toward pure palatability and Stewart liver wins.
Calories did real work in this ranking, because the use case changes everything. A training treat is handed out dozens of times in a session, so size and calories per piece dominate — a 2-calorie Zuke’s morsel can be given freely, while a calorie-dense dental chew cannot. We therefore scored treats against their intended job rather than on one universal scale: training treats on smallness and softness, dental treats on the VOHC plaque-reduction seal, and high-value rewards on sheer palatability for distracted dogs. The standing nutrition guideline still applies across all of them: treats should make up no more than about 10 percent of a dog’s daily calories, and on heavy-training days it is worth trimming the regular meal to compensate. Read the ingredient panel the same way you would a food’s — named protein first, no unnecessary artificial colors — and keep soft treats sealed so they do not dry out.
Zuke’s Mini Naturals
The training standard. Soft, pea-sized morsels at about 2 calories each, wheat- and corn-free, with no artificial colors or flavors and real meat first. Around $10 for a 16 oz pouch.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Ingredient quality | 22/25 |
| Training value | 24/25 |
| Palatability | 17/20 |
| Value for money | 14/15 |
| Transparency | 12/15 |
Trade-off: the soft bites can dry out if the bag is left open, and they are less of a high-value jackpot than freeze-dried meat.
Stewart Freeze-Dried Liver
100% beef liver, single ingredient, intensely aromatic — the go-to high-value reward for distracted or stubborn dogs. Around $15 for a 14 oz tub.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Ingredient quality | 24/25 |
| Training value | 20/25 |
| Palatability | 20/20 |
| Value for money | 12/15 |
| Transparency | 12/15 |
Trade-off: large pieces need breaking up for training, and liver is rich, so portion modestly.
Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Crunch
Freeze-dried raw grass-fed meat bites, grain-free and high protein, well rated in 2026 roundups. Around $13 for a 3.25 oz bag.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Ingredient quality | 23/25 |
| Training value | 19/25 |
| Palatability | 18/20 |
| Value for money | 11/15 |
| Transparency | 12/15 |
Trade-off: expensive per ounce and crumbly; better as a high-value reward than a high-volume training treat.
Full Moon Chicken Jerky
Human-grade chicken jerky with a short, clean ingredient list and strong reviews (4.8/5). Around $14 for an 11 oz bag.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Ingredient quality | 22/25 |
| Training value | 17/25 |
| Palatability | 19/20 |
| Value for money | 12/15 |
| Transparency | 13/15 |
Trade-off: jerky strips need tearing into training-size pieces, and it costs more than soft training treats.
Greenies Original
Carries the VOHC seal for reducing plaque and tartar, and dogs reliably eat them. A dental treat rather than a training treat. Around $25 for a 27 oz value tub.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Ingredient quality | 19/25 |
| Training value | 14/25 |
| Palatability | 19/20 |
| Value for money | 13/15 |
| Transparency | 14/15 |
Trade-off: calorie-dense and meant as a once-daily dental chew, not a training reward; feed one per day per the size chart.
Wellness Soft WellBites
Soft, grain-free treats with named meat and fruit, gentle on sensitive stomachs and easy to break for training. Around $10 for an 8 oz bag.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Ingredient quality | 21/25 |
| Training value | 18/25 |
| Palatability | 16/20 |
| Value for money | 13/15 |
| Transparency | 12/15 |
Trade-off: larger than Zuke’s, so you break them up; smaller bag than the budget options.
Blue Buffalo Blue Bits
Soft, moist training bites with real meat first and no by-products or artificial preservatives, widely available. Around $8 for an 11 oz bag.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Ingredient quality | 20/25 |
| Training value | 19/25 |
| Palatability | 16/20 |
| Value for money | 14/15 |
| Transparency | 11/15 |
Trade-off: a touch larger and softer-crumbling than Zuke’s; recipe varies by flavor.
Verification
- Zuke’s Mini Naturals — pea-sized, ~2 cal, wheat/corn-free recipe verified on zukes.com and TheConsumers Guide.
- Stewart Freeze-Dried Liver — single-ingredient beef liver verified on stewartpettreats.com.
- Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Crunch — freeze-dried raw bites verified on stellaandchewys.com.
- Full Moon Chicken Jerky — human-grade jerky and rating verified on fullmoonpetfood.com and NBC Select.
- Greenies Original — VOHC dental seal verified on greenies.com and vohc.org.
- Wellness Soft WellBites — grain-free soft treat verified on wellnesspetfood.com.
- Blue Buffalo Blue Bits — soft training bites verified on bluebuffalo.com.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the best dog treat in 2026?
- Zuke's Mini Naturals is our top pick for training: soft, pea-sized, about 2 calories each, and made without corn, wheat, or artificial colors. Stewart Freeze-Dried Liver is the most enticing single-ingredient treat, and Greenies leads for dental health.
- What makes a good training treat?
- Small size, soft texture, high palatability, and low calories. You give many treats in a session, so each should be tiny (1 to 5 calories) and easy to eat quickly so training keeps moving. Zuke's Mini Naturals fits all four.
- How many treats can a dog have a day?
- A common guideline is that treats should make up no more than about 10 percent of a dog's daily calories. Use small training treats and reduce meal portions on heavy-treat days to avoid weight gain.
- Do dental treats really work?
- Treats carrying the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal, such as Greenies, have been shown to reduce plaque and tartar. They supplement, but do not replace, tooth brushing and vet dental care.
- Are single-ingredient treats better?
- Single-ingredient freeze-dried meats like Stewart liver are highly palatable and free of fillers, which suits sensitive dogs and high-value training. They cost more per treat and are richer, so portion accordingly.