How Many Treats Should You Give to Your Dog? Know the Dosage and Nutrition
The 10% rule, a treat calorie chart by weight, and how size, age and begging change the math.
Your dog sits, and you hand over a treat. They give you those eyes, and you hand over another. A biscuit for coming in from the yard, a chew for being good at the vet, a corner of your toast. By the end of the day, those little rewards can add up to a real share of everything your dog eats.
We all want the best for our dogs, and a dog's stomach is usually the road to its heart. But a treat every time your dog is good can be bad for their health. Here is how many treats your dog can actually have, and how to make every one count.
Keep treats to 10% or less of your dog's daily calories. As a rough guide, a 10 lb dog may have around 35 treat calories a day, a 40 lb dog around 98, and an 80 lb dog around 166. The other 90% should come from complete, balanced food.
Why do treats matter for your dog's health?
"You are what you eat" applies to dogs too. To stay healthy into their later years, dogs need a high-quality diet, and their treats should be healthy as well.
The six fundamental nutrients are water, protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Your dog needs all of them, regularly, to maintain muscle tone, grow and repair muscle, teeth and bone, handle everyday activity with ease and fend off infection.
With so many options at the pet store, it can be hard to tell high-quality food and treats from low-quality ones. Treats rarely deliver a complete balance anyway. They are extras, and extras add up fast. Obesity in pets can be a serious health problem, which is why it pays to know which treats carry the most calories and how many your dog is really getting.
How many treats should you give your dog each day?
Use the 10% rule. Find your dog's approximate daily calories, then keep everything that is not their main food under a tenth of that.
| Dog size | Approx. weight | Approx. daily calories | Treat calories per day (10%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 10 lb | ~348 kcal | ~35 kcal |
| Small | 20 lb | ~585 kcal | ~59 kcal |
| Medium | 30 lb | ~794 kcal | ~79 kcal |
| Medium | 40 lb | ~985 kcal | ~98 kcal |
| Large | 60 lb | ~1,335 kcal | ~133 kcal |
| Large | 80 lb | ~1,656 kcal | ~166 kcal |
| Large | 100 lb | ~1,958 kcal | ~196 kcal |
How these numbers are worked out. The chart uses the standard veterinary formula, the same one behind our dog toy fill calorie table: resting energy of 70 × (weight in kg)0.75, multiplied by 1.6 for an average-activity neutered adult. A less active dog, or one that needs to lose weight, needs less. Ask your vet for your dog’s exact number.
How do I work out my dog's treat allowance?
Your vet can tell you how many calories your dog needs from their lifestyle and body condition score. Once you have that number, the rest is simple.
1. Know the daily total
- Ask your vet, or start from the chart above
- Check it against how much food your dog eats each day
2. Take 10%
- That is the whole treat budget
- Occasional excess is fine; daily excess is not
3. Read the labels
- Many owners never check treat calories
- Watch the serving size, not just the bag
4. Count everything
- Biscuits, chews and table scraps
- Toy fills too: peanut butter adds up fast
That last point catches most people out. A frozen toy fill is food, even when it feels like play. If you are using fillable toys, the calorie table shows what common fills cost per tablespoon.
Do size and age change how many treats a dog needs?
Small dogs need smaller treats
Many dog owners buy treats and hand them out without ever reading the label, and small dogs pay the price. Do not feed a tiny pup the same amount as their larger siblings.
For smaller dogs, cut treats and chews in half so they still enjoy snack time without overdoing it. With a fillable toy, fill it to suit your dog's size rather than to the brim, and store the rest of the pouch in the fridge for next time. The pouch lasts longer too.
Seniors and young dogs are different
Age matters as much as size. Senior dogs are often prone to weight gain as their energy levels and metabolism slow down, while young, active dogs burn more calories and can handle more treats. Speak with your vet about the right amount for your dog's stage of life.
A slow feeder helps at any age. When a treat takes a while to finish, your dog gets more enjoyment from the same calories.
How do I stop my dog begging for treats?
If puppy-dog eyes win you over even though you fed your dog an hour ago, you may be handing out too many goodies. For your dog's long-term health, it is time to stop.
The most effective way to stop a four-legged beggar is to ignore the begging, however hard that is. Give treats only as rewards for good behavior, such as:
- Coming when called
- Learning a new trick
- Going potty outside
When your dog needs something to do rather than something to eat, a long-lasting frozen fill keeps them busy without a stream of small rewards. Our post on using Freezbone chews in dog training has more ideas.
Is it OK to give my dog human food as treats?
Human food is not automatically bad for dogs. Many pet parents use everyday ingredients to make tasty treats and nutritious meals at home. But sharing your plate, or handing over crumbs as a reward, can lead to begging, weight gain and other health problems.
Freezbone tip
Feed your dog before you sit down to eat, or hand them a frozen toy as your dinner starts. A dog busy with their own food is far less interested in yours, and there are no dropped crumbs to clean up.
If you like making treats yourself, our 5-minute frozen dog treat recipes use simple, dog-safe ingredients.
When should you give your dog treats?
Most pet dogs do well on two or three meals a day in similarly sized portions. Treats fit best around those meals, as rewards for training or as a calm activity at a set time.
Whatever feeding plan you choose, do not let your dog do strenuous activity straight after a substantial meal, especially if they eat quickly. Letting them rest helps lower the chance of bloating and other serious digestive problems.
What is in Freezbone Bone Refills?
Bone Refills are ready-made fills made with real beef, chicken, duck and liver, ready to pour into a Freezbone toy. Frozen inside the toy, a fill becomes a long, slow session instead of a two-second snack, so your dog can settle with their own food while you eat yours. They are intended for supplemental feeding only, alongside a complete and balanced diet. Feed up to one pouch per day for an average adult dog, and less for a small dog.
| Guaranteed analysis | Value |
|---|---|
| Crude protein | ≥8.0% |
| Crude fat | ≥0.1% |
| Crude fiber | ≤1.0% |
| Crude ash | ≤2.0% |
| Moisture | ≤88.0% |
“The dogs loved them. The filling helped me provide a tasty base to add other whole food goodies. We have FreezBone Fridays at our house!”
Lise M., verified buyer
The short version
How many treats your dog can have depends on three things:
- The size of the treat
- The size of your dog
- How many calories your dog needs each day
Keep treats under 10% of that daily total, count toy fills as food, and ask your vet if you are unsure.
General information, not veterinary advice. Talk to your vet about your dog's daily calorie needs, especially if your dog is overweight, senior or has a medical condition.
Frequently asked questions
-
Keep treats to 10% or less of daily calories. That is roughly 35 treat calories for an average-activity 10 lb dog and about 166 for an 80 lb dog. Less active dogs need less, and your vet can give you an exact figure.
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Treats, chews and extras should make up no more than 10% of your dog's daily calories, with the other 90% coming from complete, balanced food.
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Yes. Anything that is not your dog's main food counts toward the 10%. Fills like peanut butter are calorie-dense, so use low-calorie bases or part of your dog's daily kibble.
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Often, yes. Senior dogs tend to gain weight more easily as their energy and metabolism slow down. Ask your vet how many calories your older dog needs.
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Up to one pouch per day for an average adult dog, alongside a complete and balanced diet. Bone Refills are for supplemental feeding only. Use less for a small dog and keep the rest of the pouch in the fridge.
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