Dog treats are the most purchased pet product in the UK after food itself — yet they are also the most poorly understood. The average dog owner selects treats primarily on price, packaging, and whether their dog went berserk for them the first time. Rarely does the ingredient list receive the same scrutiny it would for main meals, even though daily treats can represent 15-30% of a dog’s total calorie intake.

This has real consequences. Biscuit-based treats loaded with cereals, sugar, and artificial flavourings are the pet food equivalent of daily crisps. Used as they typically are — a dozen or more times per day during training — they can sabotage weight management, contribute to dental problems, and in sensitised dogs, maintain a constant low-level allergen exposure that prevents allergy treatment from working.

We’ve reviewed the UK’s best dog treats for 2026, covering training treats, natural chews, dental treats, and freeze-dried single-ingredient options. For each category we identify what the science says and which brands are worth your money.

The 5 Categories of Dog Treats (and When to Use Each)

• Training treats (small, soft, smelly): Used at very high frequency during active training. Must be tiny (pea-sized), highly palatable, and soft enough to be swallowed in under 2 seconds so training momentum is never broken. Calorie count must be factored into daily intake when used in volume.
• Dental chews: Daily routine chews designed to reduce plaque and tartar. Firm enough to require prolonged chewing. Should be calorie-accounted and not given in addition to a full meal. See our full Dog Dental Treats guide for specific picks.
• Natural chews (bully sticks, tendons, ears): Long-duration chews for mental stimulation and jaw enrichment. Single ingredient, highly digestible. Best for dogs prone to stress or destructive chewing when bored.
• Freeze-dried treats: Single-ingredient treats made from freeze-dried meat or fish. Zero processing beyond water removal. The highest-value, lowest-additive treat format available.
• Functional treats: Treats containing active ingredients — glucosamine for joints, salmon oil for coat, probiotics for gut health. Useful if the dog won’t accept supplements in food.

Quick Comparison: Best Dog Treats UK 2026

Our Detailed Reviews

1. Wolf of Wilderness Freeze-Dried Treats — Best Overall

Wolf of Wilderness is ZooPlus’s premium in-house brand, and their freeze-dried treats are the clearest expression of their philosophy: one ingredient, maximum quality. The freeze-drying process removes moisture while preserving virtually all nutritional value, including heat-sensitive enzymes and vitamins that are destroyed in conventional cooking. The result is a pea-sized, intensely flavoured treat with 100% meat content.

Why we chose it: For training, the intense scent and flavour concentration triggers an exceptionally strong reward response in dogs. For owners of dogs with allergies, the guaranteed single-ingredient composition means zero risk of an allergenic additive. The treats are also very low in calories per piece — critical for high-frequency training use. View Wolf of Wilderness Treats at ZooPlus →

2. Lily’s Kitchen Dog Treats — Best Premium Training Treat

Lily’s Kitchen started as a cottage industry brand making food for founders’ dogs and has grown into the UK’s most respected organic pet food producer. Their dog treats use the same commitment to ingredients: named organic meat (chicken, beef, or lamb), oats (not wheat), and botanicals. The treats are soft enough for senior dogs and puppies without the gummy, sticky texture many soft treats develop.

Why we chose it: It is the only mainstream training treat brand that has earned B Corp certification, meaning the brand’s entire supply chain has been independently audited for ethical and sustainable practices. For owners who prioritise supply chain ethics alongside ingredient quality, Lily’s Kitchen is the only viable choice.

3. Rocco Beef Tendon Chew — Best Natural Chew

Beef tendons are genuinely underrated as a natural chew. Unlike rawhide (which carries salmonella contamination risks and constipation problems if swallowed in large pieces), beef tendons are fully digestible, single ingredient, and provide a long-duration chewing experience without the hard-bone tooth-fracture risk. Rocco’s tendons are air-dried, not chemically treated, and verifiably single-source.

Why we chose it: A dog left alone for 3-4 hours with a beef tendon will typically spend 40-60 minutes working through it — a profound boredom and anxiety management tool that requires no interaction from the owner. The chewing action also provides significant jaw muscle exercise and natural dental abrasion at the gumline.

4. James Wellbeloved Crunchy Training Treats — Best for Sensitive Dogs

The James Wellbeloved training treat range carries the same hypoallergenic philosophy as their food: single protein, no wheat, no artificial additives. This is genuinely important. Many trainers and owners commit to a hypoallergenic elimination diet but continue giving wheat-containing standard treats — completely nullifying the elimination trial. JWB treats are the only mainstream training treats compatible with a strict hypoallergenic protocol.

Why we chose it: If your dog is undergoing an elimination diet on James Wellbeloved food, these are the only treats that will not contaminate the trial. Available in matching flavours (lamb or turkey) to the corresponding food variants.

How Many Treats Should My Dog Get Per Day?

The standard veterinary guideline is that treats should not exceed 10% of the dog’s total daily calorie intake. For an average 15kg adult dog requiring approximately 700 kcal per day, this equates to 70 kcal in treats — roughly:

• 10-12 freeze-dried meat pieces (5-7 kcal each)
• 4-6 soft training treats (10-15 kcal each)
• A single medium dental chew (approximately 60-70 kcal)

Exceeding this consistently leads to weight gain, regardless of the treat quality. When a high-training-intensity session uses 30+ treats, reduce the dog’s main meal proportionally that same day.

Treats to Avoid

These treat types carry specific risks worth flagging:

• Rawhide chews: Made from chemically processed hide offcuts. Contamination risk, choking hazard when disintegrated, and digestive blockage if swallowed in large pieces. Better alternatives exist in every case.
• Pig’s ears (conventional mass-market): Often fried in cheap oils and heavily salted. The fat content is extremely high. Occasional use only and never for overweight dogs.
• Treats with propylene glycol: A humectant used to keep soft treats moist. Legal in dog food (unlike cat food, where it is banned) but a reported concerns around red blood cell changes at high doses. Avoid soft treats where PG appears in the ingredient list.

For dedicated oral health treats, see our Best Dog Dental Treats UK guide. For food-allergic dogs requiring hypoallergenic treats, see our James Wellbeloved review for treat and food pairing.

Related: Dog Halloween Costumes

Related: Dog Advent Calendars

Related: Christmas Outfits for Dogs