Treats are an important part of training, bonding, and enrichment — but giving too many can lead to weight gain, stomach upset, or nutrient imbalance. The safest way to decide how often your dog should get treats is by using their body weight and daily calorie needs as a guide.

This article breaks down how many treats dogs should get per day, how weight affects treat limits, and how puppies vs adult dogs differ.

Understanding Treat Limits: The 10% Rule

Most veterinarians use the 10% rule:
Treats should make up no more than 10% of your dog’s daily calories.

So if your dog eats 400 calories a day, treats should be 40 calories max.

This applies whether your treats are soft training bites like Training Treats, crunchy single-ingredient snacks like Sweet Potato Slices, or natural chews like Bully Sticks.

How Often Should Dogs Get Treats Based on Weight?

Here’s a simple guide based on average calorie needs:

Dogs 5–10 lbs

• Daily calories: ~200–300
• Treat calories allowed: 20–30
• This means 5–10 small treats max per day.
• Soft bites or crumbs from Lamb Lung work perfectly.

Dogs 10–25 lbs

• Daily calories: ~300–500
• Treat calories allowed: 30–50
• Perfect for tiny rewards while training.

Dogs 25–50 lbs

• Daily calories: ~600–900
• Treat calories allowed: 60–90
• This size range can enjoy moderate chews like Cow Ear Slivers or small portions of
• Sweet Potato Sticks.

Dogs 50–90 lbs

• Daily calories: ~900–1500
• Treat calories allowed: 90–150
• Larger dogs can safely enjoy bigger chews like Beef Collagen Sticks or Beef Cheek
• Rolls, as long as they don’t exceed the 10% limit.

How Many Treats Per Day for a Small Dog?

Small dogs gain weight easily, so treat count matters.
A 10-lb dog should generally have:

• 5–10 tiny training treats, or

• 1–2 small natural pieces (like Sweet Potato Slices broken into bits)

Avoid heavy or fatty chews unless given rarely.

How Many Treats Per Day for a Large Dog?

Large dogs burn more calories but also swallow faster.
A big dog may safely have:

• 10–15 small treats, or

• 1 full-size chew, such as a Bully Stick or Beef Cheek Roll

For daily chewing, lower-calorie options like Cow Ears are ideal.

How Many Treats Per Day for a Puppy?

Puppies train often, so they get more pieces — but still only up to 10% of daily calories.

Instead of big snacks, use tiny reward bits:

• Crumbled Lamb Lung

• Small training treats

• Soft pieces of Chicken & Sweet Potato Jerky

Puppies under 6 months should avoid heavy chews like pig ears or cheek rolls; lighter options like Cow Ear Slivers are safer.

Do Dogs Care About Treat Size?

Not really — they care about smell and texture more than size.
But size matters for safety:

• Big dogs swallow small treats whole

• Small dogs struggle with oversized chews

This is why matching treat size to dog size is important.

Using Weight to Calculate Treat Calories

If you want to be more precise, you can use an online calculator like the Dog Food Advisor calorie chart or a "dog calorie calculator by weight and breed" to estimate daily calories.

Once you know your dog’s calories, apply the 10% treat rule.

Example:
A 60-lb dog needs ~1,100 calories → treats = ~110 calories max.

Choosing the Best Treats Based on Weight

For small dogs:

• Sweet Potato Sticks

• Lamb Lung

• Training Treats

• Cow Ear Slivers

For large dogs:

• Bully Sticks

• Beef Collagen Sticks

• Beef Cheek Rolls

• Cow Ears

These treats scale well with mouth size and chewing power.

Final Thoughts

Dogs can absolutely enjoy treats every day — as long as you follow the 10% rule and adjust based on their weight. Use tiny bites for training, long-lasting chews for enrichment, and choose textures appropriate for your dog’s size and chew strength.

Options like Sweet Potato Slices, Cow Ears, Bully Sticks, and Collagen Sticks make it easy to reward your dog in a healthy, balanced way.