Short answer: treats should provide no more than 10 percent of your dog's daily calories, and you subtract those calories from the regular food portion. For a 10 kg dog that is roughly 50 to 70 kilocalories a day: a handful of small training treats or one solid dried snack. Below you work it out for your own dog in three steps, with a table by body weight. You will find small rewards among our training treats.
Where does the 10% rule come from?
Complete dog food is formulated so that your dog gets every nutrient in the right proportion. Treats are not: they mainly provide energy and protein, not a balanced whole. As long as treats stay a small part of the menu, they do not upset that balance. Veterinarians and nutritionists, including the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and the European pet food federation FEDIAF, therefore use the same limit: no more than 10 percent of the daily energy requirement from treats. Stay below it and treats are a healthy addition. Go above it structurally and you will eventually see it on the scales, and sometimes in the stool.
Step 1: how many calories does your dog need per day?
A dog's energy requirement depends on weight, age, activity and whether the dog is neutered. Nutritionists calculate with the metabolic weight (body weight to the power of 0.75), multiplied by a factor of roughly 95 for calm or neutered dogs up to 125 for active dogs. That sounds complicated, so here is the outcome per weight class, including the 10 percent treat budget.
| Dog's weight | Calm or neutered (kcal/day) | Active (kcal/day) | Treat budget (10%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kg | ± 320 | ± 420 | 32 – 42 kcal |
| 10 kg | ± 530 | ± 700 | 53 – 70 kcal |
| 15 kg | ± 720 | ± 950 | 72 – 95 kcal |
| 20 kg | ± 900 | ± 1,180 | 90 – 118 kcal |
| 30 kg | ± 1,220 | ± 1,600 | 122 – 160 kcal |
| 40 kg | ± 1,510 | ± 1,990 | 151 – 199 kcal |
Step 2: how many calories are in a treat?
This is where it often goes wrong, because dried snacks are compact. A small piece contains a surprising amount of energy because all the moisture has been removed. The values below are common averages per 100 grams; always check the label, because the exact energy value differs per product and per animal.
| Type of treat | Energy (kcal per 100 g) | Example of one portion |
|---|---|---|
| Dried beef lung | ± 300 – 330 | 10 g piece ≈ 30 kcal |
| Dried chicken or duck fillet | ± 300 – 340 | 8 g strip ≈ 25 kcal |
| Dried beef tripe | ± 350 – 400 | 15 g piece ≈ 55 kcal |
| Soft training treats | ± 280 – 350 | 1 g treat ≈ 3 kcal |
| Dog sausage | ± 250 – 300 | 10 g slice ≈ 27 kcal |
| Bully stick or pressed hide | ± 320 – 380 | 40 g chew ≈ 140 kcal |
| Dog biscuits | ± 350 – 400 | 10 g biscuit ≈ 38 kcal |
Step 3: a worked example
Take a neutered 30 kg Labrador who walks for an hour twice a day. His energy requirement is around 1,250 kilocalories per day. The treat budget is then 125 kilocalories. That is, for example:
- ten small training treats during the walk (± 30 kcal), plus
- a few pieces of beef lung as a reward at home (± 35 kcal), plus
- half a bully stick as a chewing moment on the sofa (± 60 kcal).
Together about 125 kilocalories, exactly the budget. If you want to give more chewing pleasure, take a scoop off the kibble that day. Average kibble contains around 350 to 400 kilocalories per 100 grams, so 30 grams less kibble makes room for a substantial chew.
Do chews count too?
Yes, everything your dog eats counts, including a chew that takes him three days. The difference is that you may spread the calories of such a large chew over several days. A 100 g dried beef knuckle that your dog works on for a week costs him at most 40 to 50 kilocalories a day. Chewing also has a purpose of its own: it keeps the teeth cleaner and calms the dog, as we explain in our article on safe chews.
How to stay within the budget easily
- Choose light: beef lung, dried chicken fillet and small training treats give a lot of reward for few calories. See our training treats and dried beef lung.
- Break into pieces: a dog experiences ten small rewards as more than one big one. One strip of dried chicken gives ten reward moments.
- Reward with food: on training days you can use part of the kibble as a reward. That costs nothing extra.
- One treat jar per day: set the day's portion of treats aside in the morning. When the jar is empty, that's it. Everyone in the house knows where they stand.
- Weigh once a month: a dog gaining 5 percent without you noticing is the most common reason to lower the treat budget.
Ingrid's tip: I cut dried chicken fillet and beef lung into fingernail-sized pieces with kitchen scissors and keep them in a glass jar. For most dogs the reward is the moment, not the size. Your dog is just as happy, and you keep room for a real chew at the weekend.
When do you give less than 10 percent?
- Overweight: keep it at 5 percent and choose the lightest treats, or use part of the diet food as a reward.
- Puppies: they grow on their puppy food. Treats are fine for training, but soft and small, and never at the expense of meals. Also read when a puppy can have chews.
- Sensitive stomach or allergy: choose single-protein treats so you know exactly what your dog is eating. In our shop you can filter by animal type.
- Prescription diet from the vet: first discuss which treats fit the diet.
Frequently asked questions
Can my dog have a chew every day?
Yes, as long as the calories fit within the daily budget and you reduce the food portion slightly. A daily chewing moment of 10 to 20 minutes is actually good for the teeth and for calm in the house.
How many training treats can I give during a training session?
Count with the budget, not the number. Soft one-gram training treats contain about 3 kilocalories, so a 20 kg dog can have 25 to 30 of them on a training day if he eats no other treats.
My dog is overweight. Should I cut out treats completely?
No, that is not necessary. Reward with part of his regular food and keep real treats at 5 percent at most. Rewarding matters for the bond and for training; it is the total calories that count.
Do vegetables and fruit count too?
Yes, but only lightly. A piece of carrot or cucumber contains just a few kilocalories and is a fine reward for dogs that need to lose weight.
How do I know if I am giving too much?
Three signs: your dog gains weight, leaves his meal more often, or his stool becomes softer. If you notice one of these three, halve the treat budget for a few weeks and weigh again.
Sources
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee, Global Nutrition Guidelines (treats at most 10 percent of daily energy).
- FEDIAF, Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food (energy requirement per metabolic weight).
- LICG, Dental care for dogs (chewing and plaque).
About the author
Ingrid Kooijman is the founder of Canis Snacks. She selects natural single-protein dog treats, sells them online and at markets in Brabant, and answers dog owners' questions about food and chews every day. Questions about this article? Email info@canissnacks.com.
