We like to reward our dogs at all stages of life, but giving treats to a puppy is one of the most useful tools you can have for training them, socializing, and earning trust.

Puppies learn fast, and one of the best incentives for them to do what we’re trying to teach them is a tasty treat. From eight weeks old, you can start to introduce your puppy to soft treats, but they should only be puppy-sized to help with digestion, easy-chewing for puppy teeth,  and avoiding any choking hazards. Most puppy treats on the market are labeled as such to help you identify them.

Try to choose single-ingredient, low-calorie treats to avoid giving your puppy unhealthy additives or too many calories, because trust us, you’ll be dishing out treats a lot to try and teach them how to sit, crate-train, and not wee on the carpet!

You could also try doggy (unsweetened) peanut butter, a small piece of soft fruit, such as pumpkin or apple, or small pieces of plain, lean chicken.

If you’d rather buy them something from the store, here are our recommendations: