Treats vs Chews: The Frequency Guide
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Treats are a fun way to reward your dog, spur training and keep the dog working at some mental exercises—but how often should you actually give them? If you allow treats to be over-supplied, your dogs can grow fat, upset their digestive system, and even become ill. Here’s the whole recipe for giving treats such as air-dried natural dog chews.
1. Keep Treats to a Small Part of Your Dog’s Diet
Treats should take up no more than 10% of your dog's daily nutrition. Their meals should be balanced to get all their nutrition. But that over-feeding — including healthy snacks — can cause obesity and nutrient unbalances in the body.
2. Treats vs. Chews
Small training treats: Chews are tiny low-calorie bites (used in reinforcement and learning).
Air-dried natural chews: Enlarged, long-time snacks that offer dental advantages and mental fortitude. They’re more like snacks than quick “training treats.”.
3. Think About What the Treat Is For.
Reinforcement reinforcement can involve little treat to encourage better behaviour. Use it on a case-by-case basis; you can give bigger treats (think dental chews or specialty treats) a couple times a week, but give bigger prizes periodically.
4. Air-Dried Natural Chews
Air-dried Chews are calorie-dense, long-lasting and excellent for dental health and mental well-being. They can also be offered less frequently than training treats
Guidelines for frequency:
Small dogs: 1 chew per week
Medium dogs: 2 chews per week
Large dogs: 3 chews per week
Tip: Always supervise chewing (and chew very hard in some cases), take out small pieces to prevent choking.
5. Can Your Dogs Have a Chew Every Day?
Yes! Your dog can enjoy one air-dried chew daily, but as long as it’s covered by their daily calorie allowance.
Things to keep in mind:
Add calorie content to the chew for daily meals.
Be sure the chew is a size and chewing force acceptable to your dog.
Always supervise chew time.
6. Example Daily Feeding Plan for a Large Dog
Suppose we base our plan on a 35 kg (≈77 lb) adult dog that has three food meals each day as well as air-dried chewing:
Total Calories: ~1,500–1,600 kcal
7. Calorie Estimates for Air‑Dried Chews & Treats (per item or per typical size)
Let’s look at some estimations on some common air-dried natural dog chews and treats.
Tips for Treat Giving
Spread out training treats throughout the day.
Give chews after a meal to prevent overfeeding and aid digestion.
Monitor your dog’s weight weekly and adjust meals or treats as needed.
Use healthy alternatives for everyday treats: carrot sticks, apple slices (no seeds), or plain cooked meat.
Final Thoughts
Treats are an important part of a dog’s life—they reward good behaviour, provide mental stimulation, and can support dental health. The key is moderation. By keeping treats to 10% of daily calories, supervising air-dried chews, and adjusting meal portions, you can ensure your dog stays happy, healthy, and fit.
Treat Safely with Canine Crunchies
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References:
FEDIAF – Chews and Treats for Dogs