We totally understand the urge to shower your dog with treats 24/7. Even though most pet parents know that dogs need a balanced diet (just like humans!), very few actually know how many treats for dogs they should feed their puppy per day — and how much is too much. Today, we’re discussing how many treats per day is right for dogs and how to calculate their daily treat allotment.
How Many Treats Per Day Is Right for a Dog?
Unfortunately, there’s no easy rule such as “give your dog five treats a day.” In general, treats should make up no more than 10 percent of your dog’s daily caloric intake. However, figuring this out is complicated by the fact that treats themselves vary a lot in calories: The best treats for big dogs are going to contain a lot more calories than tiny little puppy chews.
Furthermore, each dog’s daily caloric intake varies greatly depending on their breed, current weight, activity level, age, and more. Ten percent of a large, active dog’s caloric intake might be 100 percent of the daily caloric intake for a tiny dog that lies on the couch all day. We’ll talk more about how to calculate a dog’s daily caloric intake (and how many treats to give them as a result) in the next section.
Giving your dog treats is a great way to bond with them and is also a key training tool for many food-motivated dogs. However, it’s important not to give your dog too many treats because they tend to be much higher in calories and lower in nutrients than regular kibble. Cutting back on regular food to give your dog more treats can lead to nutrient deficiencies, and feeding them too many treats can result in weight gain. Find a happy medium where you are feeding your dog the right amount of nutritious kibble and supplementing with a few treats every day.
