10 Best Soft Dog Treats of 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Even though they should only take up a small portion of your dog’s daily diet, you can’t diminish the importance of being picky with your dog treats. Soft treats are a favorite for dogs of all ages due to their ease on the teeth and their enjoyable aroma, taste, and texture. By focusing on giving them high-quality products, you’ll support your dog’s overall health and make training easier with an enticing and delicious offering.

Which doggy snacks are hitting all the right notes for pups and their owners? We’ll help you make the best choice for your pet with these reviews of the best soft dog treats of this year.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

The 10 Best Soft Dog Treats

1. Full Moon Natural Essentials Savory Bites – Best Overall

From the price to the ingredients, it’s hard to find fault with Full Moon Natural Essentials Savory Bites or any reason not to pick them as the best overall soft dog treat. If there’s one knock, it’s the limited flavor selection. Otherwise, your dog will love the all-natural human-grade ingredients featuring responsibly sourced meat as the top component.

Unlike many other all-natural treats, these treats don’t include any vegetable glycerin, avoiding any uncertainty over the source of the sweetness in the treats. Instead, there’s only cane sugar and familiar spices supplying the flavor.

The morsels come with a high protein and fat content, as well as a high moisture content. They’re soft, chewy, and nutritious, leaving little room for wasteful carbs. With only two calories in each bite, you’ll have a low chance of overindulging your dog with these tasty training treats.

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2. Newman’s Own Snack Sticks – Best Value

USA farm-raised chicken tops the short list of all-natural ingredients in grain-free, oven-baked Newman’s Own Snack Sticks, which are the best soft dog treats for the money. Additions like chickpeas, coconut glycerin, and molasses fill in the flavor without adding too much sweetness that could irritate a dog’s sensitive stomach.

Although the flavor options are limited, your dog shouldn’t have any issue with the taste or the soft, chewy texture. Each stick comes packed with at least 26% protein and 14% fat, ensuring your dog isn’t eating a ton of filler.

You have to break them up into small pieces for training, which can be inconvenient, but adult dogs will love them as an occasional daily treat. Plus, Newman’s Own sends all profits from your purchase to charity, giving you yet another great reason to give these treats a try.

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3. Blue Buffalo Blue Bits – Premium Choice

Blue Buffalo Blue Bits provides a healthy formula in an enjoyable, fun-to-eat format. Although they’re a bit pricier than some other snacks, the value is exceptional in these treats featuring meat as the number one ingredient alongside recognizable flavorings. The soft chews don’t have wheat, corn, or soy, nor will you find any artificial additives.

Each bite delivers a unique boost you won’t find in most treats. The omega fatty acids provide skin and coat support, while a dash of fish oil enhances the treats with DHA for cognitive health. At only four calories per treat, they’re perfect for any situation, whether you’re training puppies or rewarding adults. The only issues you might face are the possible adverse effects of the other grain ingredients, like brown rice, on a sensitive stomach and the smoke flavor some dogs may not enjoy.

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4. Zuke’s Mini Naturals – Best for Puppies

Boasting only two calories per bite, Zuke’s Mini Naturals are low-impact snacks that are as ideal for training puppies as they are for treating adult dogs. They omit all the unwanted fillers like corn, soy, wheat, artificial flavors, and preservatives.

Zukes Mini Naturals are made in the USA, and they feature real meat, rice, oats, cherries, and other natural ingredients that won’t leave you worrying over their nutritional quality. With the resealable pouch, taking healthy treats on the go couldn’t be easier!

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5. Merrick Power Bites

With real meat as the number one ingredient in these flavorful and energy-packed treats, Merrick Power Bites are a healthy choice for a protein-loving pup. The small bites only have 5 calories, making them ideal for training or everyday rewards.

As expected, the ingredients only include easy-to-pronounce natural ingredients without any wheat, soy, corn, or gluten added to the mix. Merrick makes its treats in Hereford, TX, crafting every product with wholesome meats, fruits, and vegetables to support easy digestion and skin and coat health.

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6. Bocce’s Bakery Soft & Chewy Dog Treats

Bocce’s Bakery is a fun brand to try and one of the best in terms of quality, health-focused ingredients. Top features on their limited list of 100% natural ingredients include oat flour, peanut butter, coconut glycerin, and flaxseed. There’s no wheat, corn, or soy to cause an upset stomach, and they offer the perfect amount of sweetness to entice your dog without overloading them with sugar.

The only surprise is that they may arrive harder and crumblier than expected, given their relatively low moisture content. Although they’re still one of the best soft dog treats you can find, you might want to look for a different chew on the list to play it safe if you have a senior dog with significant dental sensitivity.

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7. Wellness Rewarding Life Grain-Free Treats – Best for Puppies

Although the format isn’t as puppy-friendly as some of the low-calorie bite-sized treats, Wellness Rewarding Life dog treats are easy-to-tear squares that make the perfect training treat for puppies or, when whole, a fulfilling reward for a larger dog.

Meat is the top ingredient in these grain-free treats, while a blend of veggies, fruits, and other wholesome natural ingredients work together to make an all-around nutritious, delicious snack.

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8. Buddy Biscuits Original Soft & Chewy

Buddy Biscuits aren’t the most nutritious treats, and with whole wheat flour as the first ingredient, some people may not feel they’re as good of a value as a more low-carb treat. But after reading the list of natural ingredients, you’ll have little reason to worry about your dog’s health.

The soft and chewy Buddy Biscuits provide a delightful texture that any dog should enjoy. Although each bite packs 10 calories, you can easily snap them in half for a training treat.

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9. Blue Dog Bakery Softies

Despite the low price, Blue Dog Bakery Softies still supply a thoughtful array of all-natural ingredients in a soft, chewy morsel. Blue Dog bakes its snacks fresh in the USA, using only high-quality whole wheat and peanut butter alongside molasses and other simple ingredients to make these treats equally easy to digest and tasty. Additions of flaxseed and eggs give your dog’s fur and skin a healthy boost to keep their coat sleek.

Although you can feel good about the ingredients, the Softies are doubtlessly a treat. Each square packs in a whopping 40 calories, and sugars feature prominently in the flavoring. Dogs receive treats sparingly anyway, and the quality of the ingredients should be reassuring. However, you’ll nevertheless want to monitor how many you give your dog during the day.

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10. Rachael Ray Nutrish Savory Roasters

While the quality of the ingredients isn’t as certain, Rachael Ray Nutrish Savory Roasters nevertheless keeps the filler to a minimum in its treats featuring chicken, chickpeas, and dried potatoes as its top ingredients.

With decent amounts of protein and fat, these savory snacks keep the good stuff while dismissing any grains or soy ingredients that might cause GI issues. Each treat is a bit hefty for small dogs, but the soft texture makes them easy to break up and chew.

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Soft Dog Treats

Soft dog treats are an ideal solution for dogs with dental issues, and with their easy-to-break texture, you can often get one bag to satisfy all dogs, big and small. Although treats are only a tiny portion of your dog’s daily diet, being discerning with ingredients and nutritional quality will reduce the risk of GI upset and other adverse effects and improve your chances of finding a treat your pet will love. Here are a few essential criteria to consider.

Ingredients

In general, the best soft dog treats have ingredients that are natural, easy to pronounce, and limited in number. High-quality protein sources are ideal primary ingredients, and you want to avoid artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Although they often don’t have the same shelf-life as other preservatives, mixed tocopherols are natural ingredients that won’t adversely affect your dog’s short or long-term health.

Grain-free dog treats are a popular choice for any dog, especially those with sensitive stomachs. If your dog has gas, nausea, or food allergies, a grain-free treat may ease digestion and let them get the most nutritional value out of each bite.

The same is true for sugary additives. Although healthier than corn syrup or plain sugar, alternatives like molasses and maple syrup are still not ideal for dogs with sensitive stomachs or diabetes if they’re prominent in the ingredient lists.

Nutritional Value

Dog treat manufacturers show you a nutritional breakdown, including the crude protein, fat, and moisture in each serving. Dogs get most of their usable energy, alongside several other health benefits, from protein and fat, so higher values are preferable.

A higher moisture content, meanwhile, will generally indicate a softer, easy-to-chew treat. When the percentages of these components are higher, there are fewer carbs, like starches and sugars, taking up space.

Calories

Treats should only account for about 10% of a dog’s daily caloric intake, which depends on their size. With some treats only having 2 calories per piece and others having over 40 calories, checking the calories in each treat is crucial in maintaining your dog’s weight and avoiding overindulging.

Considering calories should be a top priority for puppies, and you’ll give them a regular supply of rewards when you train them.

Size

The size of the treat should fit the size of the dog. Many people buy treats that are too small for their adult German Shepherd, while others are frustrated at having to break up large chunks of food for their Maltese.

As you’re counting calories, consider how easy it will be to treat your dog, and look for a treat that you can hand out as conveniently as possible.

Conclusion

As an excellent product at an amazing price point, Full Moon Natural Essentials Savory Bites are a winner on every level for dog owners wanting a healthy, high-value soft treat for their best friend. Newman’s Own Snack Sticks stays reliable as ever, offering their Snack Sticks as only one of their many nutritious and affordable options, while Blue Buffalo Blue Bits and Zukes Mini Naturals deliver some of the best training treats for a developing puppy. To reward your dog in the healthiest, most considerate way possible, follow these reviews and insights on the best soft dog treats of this year.

See also:

• Best Organic Dog Treats – Reviews & Guide
• Best Puppy Training Treats – Reviews & Top Picks 

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Featured Image Credit: Nau Nau, Shutterstock