Best Treats for Puppies (and When to Start)
Tiny tummies, big learning — here's how to treat a puppy safely.
Puppies are learning machines, and treats are one of your best training tools — but a puppy's body is still developing, so a few rules matter more than they will later.
When to start. Most puppies can have small, soft training treats once they're eating solid food (around 8 weeks), but check with your vet, especially for very young or tiny-breed pups.
Small, soft, single-ingredient. Puppy mouths and stomachs are little and sensitive. Choose soft or easily-broken, bite-size treats made from one recognizable ingredient — a bit of cooked chicken, a small piece of dehydrated sweet potato — so it's gentle and easy to see what agrees with them.
Keep it to a fraction of the day. Puppies need balanced growth nutrition, so treats should stay a small share of daily calories — the rest from a complete puppy food.
Perfect for training. Because puppies are so food-motivated, tiny pieces you can hand out often give you lots of "yes!" moments without overfeeding. Not sure a food is puppy-safe? Our can-my-pet-eat guide covers the common ones: everypethaven.com/blog/can-my-pet-eat/.
That's what we make at EveryPetHaven Kitchen: fresh, gently-dehydrated, single-ingredient treats — cut and sized for the pet, net weight on every bag. Launching on Kickstarter; join the list at everypethaven.com/kickstarter.
General guidance only — ask your vet about your pet's specific needs.