Soft treats should be used especially for puppies, older dogs and four-legged friends with toothache. Treats that are too hard can lead to injuries, especially when changing teeth.
In general, however, treats should never make up more than 10% of the dog's daily food. Because the macro and micronutrients are often not what dogs really need.
Here is an overview of the four best soft treats:
- Test winner: tube liver sausage from Amazon.
- Lots of protein: freeze-dried duck from Amazon.
- Grain-free: salmon softies from Amazon.
- Completely natural: Kangaroo Chewies from Amazon.
But some natural foods and homemade treats are also suitable here. So let’s go through all 13 options together.
>> Our top recommendations
#1 Liver sausage from the tube
Did you know that when it comes to wild wolves, only the alpha has the right to eat the liver of the killed wild animal? This is because it contains by far the most vital substances.
This also explains why magazines often refer to liver as an “animal superfood”. It is also chock full of B vitamins and iron.
The problem with normal liver sausage, however, is that it usually contains too much salt and spices. For this reason, I recommend a variant specifically for dogs.
My recommendation: Tube liver sausage from Amazon.
Dosing with this tube is absolutely brilliant. Because it is designed so that you can put the paste directly into the dog's mouth. Without any sharp edges or dirty fingers.
What I think is so great about it:
- Contains almost 90% meat
- Only natural ingredients
- Grain and sugar free
This also explains the more than 3,000 positive reviews on Amazon. In packs of 12, shipping is also free.
MoistureProteinFat57%13%30%
#2 Canned corn
In theory, you could also cook fresh or frozen corn instead of canned corn. In practice, however, canned corn is much less stressful.
The great thing about corn? It is rich in a variety of B vitamins and numerous minerals. Due to their size, these soft treats are also ideal for puppies.
My dog “Alex” loves canned corn. But he also likes to eat grilled corn in a complete package.
Important: Almost all commercially available cans often contain too much salt, sugar and other preservatives. Therefore, throw away the water and wash well.
Calories [100g]ProteinCarbohydratesFat69 kcal2.4 g10.5 g1.2 g
#3 Freeze-dried meat
Freeze-drying involves “shocking” meat under vacuum at temperatures below -40°C. The cool thing? Additional preservatives are completely unnecessary.
It is therefore not only considered the healthiest way of preservation, but also the most gentle. Because the meat retains most of its vital substances and aroma.
Freeze-dried meat can even be kept unpackaged for up to 2 years. The consistency is also significantly softer and more crumbly than normal meat.
My recommendation: Freeze dried duck from Amazon.
This freeze-dried duck and apple snack is internationally recognized as one of the healthiest and softest dog treats on the market.
What I think is so great about it:
- Contains almost 90% duck meat
- Completely grain and gluten free
- Without preservatives
What do others say? Well, just looking at the around 2,500 positive reviews on Amazon speaks for itself. If you order more than 10 bags, shipping is also free.
MoistureFatProtein12%7%75%
#4 Harz cheese
Protein should make up between 20-25% of daily calories in an adult dog's diet. For puppies even between 25-30%. [1]
However, most types of cheese contain significantly too much fat and are really fattening. Harz cheese is the exception here. Because it only contains around 0.5 g of fat per 100 g.
In addition, with a protein content of 27 g, it is an absolute protein bomb. This also explains why this type of cheese is so popular among bodybuilders.
You can now buy Harzer in almost every large supermarket. Thanks to its rubbery consistency, it is also ideal as a soft dog treat.
However, I would only use Harz cheese as a treat at home. It is not without reason that it is also called “stinky cheese”.
CaloriesProteinCarbohydratesFat113 kcal27 g0 g0.5 g
#5 Meat Softies
“Softies” are dog treats with a particularly soft consistency. Unfortunately, chemical additives are usually responsible for this consistency.
Fortunately, there are now also natural softies. Here the soft consistency is achieved through a high moisture content.
My recommendation: Salmon softies from Amazon.
In addition to salmon, this pack of 4 also contains rabbit, goose and ostrich. Their small size also makes them ideal for puppies and smaller dogs.
What I think is so great about it:
- Contains only meat and minerals
- Ideal for sensitive dog stomachs
- Gluten and sugar free
Despite their newness, these softies already enjoy more than 600 rave reviews on Amazon. The price-performance ratio is also absolutely fair.
MoistureProteinFat25%48%8%
#6 Peanut butter
Commercial peanut butter from the supermarket is anything but healthy for your dog. Because it usually not only contains too much salt and sugar, but often also other vegetable oils.
There is nothing wrong with natural peanut butter. You can dose it perfectly, it has a soft consistency and almost all dogs love it.
My recommendation: Natural peanut butter from Amazon.
The only disadvantage? Due to the high fat content, if consumed in excess, it can quickly put on your hips. I therefore only recommend smaller quantities of this treat.
Important: Some “healthy” types of peanut butter are sweetened with a sugar substitute called “xylitol”. This type of sugar is toxic to dogs even in small amounts.
Calories [100g]ProteinCarbohydratesFat643 kcal25 g19 g50 g
#7 Pressed minced jerky
Regular jerky is anything but soft. Because it contains hardly any moisture and is very tough. The situation is different with minced dried meat, which is then pressed.
But be careful! Here too, you should choose a variant specifically for dogs. Because the dried meat snacks for humans contain far too much salt for dogs.
My recommendation: Beef Ranchos from Amazon.
These soft dog treats are one of the best sellers for puppies. For smaller dog breeds, I would also cut the long snacks in half with kitchen scissors.
What I think is so great about it:
- Contains 95% meat
- Free from flavorings and colorings
- Without grains and gluten
The same pack is not only available with beef, but also with chicken and lamb. All 3 variants have almost a full 5 stars on Amazon.
MoistureProteinFat27%41%22%
#8 Baked vegetables
For dogs' stomachs, raw food presents a real challenge when digesting. However, things are different with boiled or baked vegetables.
And yet, many dogs are picky about vegetables. So here it's about trying over studying. For example, my dog “Alex” loves the following vegetables:
- Baked carrot sticks
- Baked sweet potato sticks
- Baked potato sticks
- Baked Hokkaido strips
My previous two Labrador Retrievers, on the other hand, were much more picky when it came to vegetables. They also ate mushrooms and spinach leaves raw.
Important! When feeding, pay attention to how your dog reacts to the treat. Does he eat it reluctantly or is he excited about it? If the former is the case, then it defeats its purpose.
Because a treat should be a reward and not a punishment. To prepare it, simply cut the vegetables into sticks and bake them with a little olive oil at 200°C.
You should also skip avocados, garlic, onions and asparagus when trying it out. For reasons that are still unclear, these vegetables are toxic to dogs.
type of vegetable [100 g]CaloriesProteinCarbohydratesFatCarrot sticks41 kcal0.9 g10 g0.2 gSweet potato sticks86 kcal1.6 g20 g0.1 gPotato sticks77 kcal2 g17 g0.1 gHokkaido strips28 kcal0.8 g5.2 g0 g
#9 Chewies
“Chewies” are special dog treats with a rubber-like consistency. But here too, unhealthy additives and preservatives are usually responsible.
Not so with the following treats! Here the soft consistency is achieved exclusively through natural ingredients.
My recommendation: Kangaroo Chewies from Amazon.
These dog snacks have been bestsellers on Amazon for more than 2 years. And both nationally and internationally. They are also real vitamin bombs.
What I think is so great about it:
- Over 50% kangaroo meat
- Grain, sugar and gluten free
- 100% natural
Oh yes, did I mention that they are also hypoallergenic? Shipping is also free for the XXL pack.
MoistureProteinFat23%11%5%
#10 Fresh fruit
Dogs try most types of fruit, but drop most of them on the ground after a few test bites. The same applies here: Trying over studying.
All my dogs have liked at least 2 types of fruit so far. For my Labrador Retrievers it was bananas and mangoes. But my current dog “Alex” loves even more:
- Bananas
- mango
- Watermelon
- Strawberries
He especially goes crazy with watermelon and banana. However, he stubbornly rejects apples, pears, plums and other types of fruit.
Here, too, you should observe your dog's reaction: Does he like to eat it, or is he just doing it for your sake? Because a treat should motivate.
Be careful with grapes, raisins and dried fruits. The former is toxic to dogs and dried fruits contain too much sugar for dogs.
Type of fruit [100 g]CaloriesProteinCarbohydratesFatBananas89 kcal1.1 g20 g0.2 gMango62 kcal0.6 g12.5 g0.4 gWatermelon30 kcal0.6 g8 g0.2 gStrawberries33 kcal0.7 g8 g0.3 g
#11 Cooked fish & meat
While advocates of BARF (“Biologically Appropriate Raw Feeding”) recommend only raw meat, I personally recommend the cooked or baked version.
It is true that dogs are descended from wolves and can therefore digest raw meat without any problems. By the way, we humans can do that too.
Nevertheless, raw meat often contains viruses, bacteria and other pathogens that even stomach acid is powerless to deal with. The study situation on the topic is also mixed. [2, 3]
The following types of meat are particularly suitable as treats:
- Baked minced meat
- Boiled shrimp
- Baked salmon and pollock
- Canned tuna
- Baked turkey and chicken breasts
Shrimp in particular are naturally the perfect size for a treat. You can often buy these in large quantities very cheaply at fish markets.
type of meat [100 g]CaloriesProteinCarbohydratesFatShrimp85…