High Value Dog Treats UK: Recall and Flyball Rewards

High value dog treats UK: recall, puppies and flyball rewards

I've bought silly amounts of training treats over the years. Some earned a permanent place in the bag. Some turned into expensive pocket dust. A few were rejected so dramatically that I felt personally judged by my own dog.

High value dog treats are the rewards your dog will choose when the world gets interesting. For recall, puppy class, busy parks and early flyball foundations, I want tiny soft pieces that smell good, disappear quickly and feel worth coming back for.

For safety and reward based training, the PDSA and the Royal Kennel Club both back positive reward methods. That matches what I see at club too. Dogs repeat the stuff that pays well.

This is a practical guide to what actually works: shop bought treats, high value options for recall, puppy safe choices, DIY rewards and the treat pouch setup I would use for flyball training.

Quick answer: best high value dog treats

• Best everyday high value treat: Forthglade Soft Bites or another soft, smelly training treat.
• Best recall reward: tiny pieces of cooked chicken, hot dog or JR meat sticks.
• Best puppy option: Barker and Barker Little Trainers, or soft bites broken very small.
• Best flyball groundwork option: fast to eat chicken pieces, Forthglade or a tug reward if your dog values play more than food.
• Best budget option: a small amount of chopped fridge food saved for harder moments.

What makes a dog treat high value?

High value is not a brand label. It is your dog's vote in that moment. If they can turn away from a sniff, another dog or the lane because you have the reward, that reward has value.

Smell, softness and novelty usually matter more than tidy packaging. The same treat can feel exciting in the kitchen and boring at a tournament, so test rewards where you actually train.

I would test rewards in stages: kitchen first, then garden, quiet walk, puppy class, ringcraft area or flyball training. Some flyball dogs will still tell you a tug is worth more than any food.

Quick answer: best dog training treats for puppies

• Best all-round puppy treat: Barker and Barker Little Trainers, or Forthglade Soft Bites broken smaller.
• Best high-value puppy recall treat: tiny pieces of cooked chicken.
• Best budget puppy option: part of the puppy's normal food for easy home repetitions.
• Avoid big, hard or crumbly treats that slow the puppy down.
• Keep rich foods tiny and count treats as part of the daily food allowance.

Puppy treat comparison

• Puppy class: Barker and Barker Little Trainers, because they are tiny, neat and easy to feed often.
• Recall practice: cooked chicken, because it is higher value and easy to cut small.
• Everyday home reps: normal puppy food, because it is cheap, familiar and less rich.
• Sensitive stomachs: simple single-protein treats, because it is easier to track what agrees with them.

High value treat ideas by training job

• Recall around distractions: cooked chicken or hot dog, because the smell is strong and you can cut pieces tiny.
• Puppy class: Little Trainers or soft bites, because they are small, neat and quick to swallow.
• Flyball focus work: chicken, Forthglade or a tug reward, because the payoff is fast and does not slow the session.
• Sensitive stomachs: single-protein meat sticks, because it is easier to track what suits the dog.
• Budget training: chopped fridge food, because it is cheap, smelly and useful for hard moments.

Best dog training treats I would buy first

These are the options I would put in a new handler's bag. Prices move around, so treat them as rough UK shelf prices rather than promises.

Forthglade soft bites

Forthglade Soft Bites are still the easiest recommendation for most dogs. They are small, soft and smelly enough for proper training without being disgusting to handle.

They usually sit around £3.50 to £4.50 for a 90g bag. That is not cheap if you are training every day, but the texture is spot on. They work well for puppy class, basic recalls and groundwork before a flyball session.

The downside is crumble. In warm weather, or if the bag has been squashed under a water bottle, your pouch can end up with a layer of treat dust at the bottom. Dogs do not care. Your washing machine might.

Best for: everyday training, puppy rewards and quick repetitions.

JR Pet Products pure meat sticks

JR Pet Products Pure Meat sticks are a good pick when you want something simple. Most are single protein, so they are handy for dogs that do not get on with mixed treats.

You usually pay around £4 to £6 for a pack, depending on flavour and size. I like them for recall because you can tear off pieces that feel special. The smell is strong enough to get attention without making your hands unusable for the rest of the day.

The faff is the tearing. I always tell myself I will prep them the night before. I almost never do. If you are more organised than me, they are a strong option.

Best for: recall, sensitive dogs and higher value rewards.

Lily's Kitchen training treats

Lily's Kitchen training treats are the tidy, slightly posher option. Many dogs love them, and owners tend to like the ingredient list.

They are often around £3 to £4 a bag. I find them useful for normal training rather than the really hard stuff. Some dogs think they are amazing. Others prefer smellier meat based treats, which feels about right for dogs.

If you are training a puppy and want a treat that feels gentle and easy to carry, these are worth trying. For full chaos recall around squirrels, I would still take chicken or hot dog.

Best for: puppy classes, manners training and lower mess sessions.

Wagg training treats

Wagg Training Treats are not glamorous. They are cheap, easy to find and small enough for lots of repetitions.

A 125g to 200g bag is often around £1.50 to £3. That makes them useful when you are burning through rewards while teaching simple behaviours. I would not use them as my top recall reward, but I do use budget treats for warm ups and easy wins.

Some dogs love them. Some dogs accept them with the enthusiasm of someone eating a plain rice cake. You will know which dog you own after about ten seconds.

Best for: budget training, known behaviours and big volume sessions.

Barker and Barker little trainers

Barker and Barker Little Trainers are tiny, which is exactly what I want for puppies and clicker work. You can reward often without handing over half your dog's dinner.

They normally cost more per gram than supermarket treats, but the tiny size makes a tub last longer than you expect. I would use them for teaching marker timing, loose lead basics and puppy focus games.

They are not my first choice for muddy field recall. They are small and neat rather than wildly exciting. That is fine. Not every reward has to be a jackpot.

Best for: puppies, clicker training and small dogs.

Cooked chicken, cheese and hot dog

The best dog training treats sometimes come from your fridge. Cooked chicken, tiny cheddar cubes and chopped hot dog pieces are still hard to beat for recall.

They are cheap compared with many branded treats. A little goes a long way if you cut pieces small. They also have proper smell, which is what you need when your dog is choosing between you and the interesting hedge.

The trade off is mess. Cheese gets sweaty. Chicken needs safe storage. Hot dog pieces can make your pouch smell like a burger van. I still use them, because dogs are honest and they keep telling us this stuff works.

Best for: recall, distractions and jackpot rewards.

Best puppy training treats

Puppies do not need huge treats. They need lots of tiny wins. The best puppy training treats are pea sized or smaller for most puppies, soft enough to swallow quickly, and interesting enough to keep them choosing you.

I would start with Barker and Barker Little Trainers, Forthglade Soft Bites broken smaller if needed, or a mild soft treat your puppy already digests well. If your puppy has a sensitive stomach, keep new foods boring and change one thing at a time.

Use part of your puppy's normal food for easy work at home. Save the better treats for recall, handling practice, puppy class and new places, where the world is much more exciting than you.

For early flyball foundations, focus games and happy recalls matter more than jackpot treats. Keep sessions short, keep the rewards tiny and stop while your puppy still wants more.

Puppies do not need huge rewards. If a treat makes them stop and chew, it is too big for most training repetitions. If a new treat gives them a dodgy tummy, stop using it and go back to something boring. For ongoing stomach issues, speak to your vet.

Best treats for recall training

Recall is where high value dog treats earn their place. You are competing with other dogs, smells, people, wildlife and freedom. A dry biscuit is not always going to win that argument. With puppies, start generously when they are close and distractions are low, so coming back feels like an easy win from the start.

• Easy home recall: normal food or everyday soft treats.
• Garden and quiet walks: Forthglade, Lily's Kitchen or similar soft treats.
• Busy park recall: cooked chicken, hot dog, cheese or JR meat sticks.
• Emergency recall: the best reward your dog knows, paid generously and rarely.

The reward should match the difficulty. If your dog comes away from a sniff, pay well. If they come away from another dog, pay very well. If they turn on a sixpence away from a rabbit, give them the good stuff and try not to look too smug.

Your treat delivery matters too. Do not call your dog, give one tiny treat, clip the lead on and march home every time. That teaches them that recall ends the fun. Call them, reward them, have a little party, then let them go again when it is safe.

For more on building that habit, read our recall training guide. Treats help, but the training pattern does the heavy lifting.

Treats for flyball and high drive dogs

Flyball dogs can be weird about food. Some are so toy obsessed that food barely registers near a lane. Others will work for a crumb if it means they get another go.

For actual run backs, many handlers use a tug rather than food. A good tug keeps the dog's head up, builds return speed and keeps the game moving. If your dog loves toys, our tug toy guide is worth a look.

I still like food for the bits around flyball: focus near other dogs, start line manners, body awareness, box turn foundations and calm waiting. For puppies, keep this short, fun and foundation based, with no pressure on joints and no formal box work. That is where the best dog training treats earn their space in the bag.

For fast repetitions, choose soft tiny treats. Forthglade, Little Trainers and small DIY chicken pieces all work. For bigger wins, use something smellier. The reward has to feel worth it when your dog is full of adrenaline.

If you are new to the sport, the flyball gear guide covers the rest of the kit you actually need.

Treat pouch setup that does not drive me mad

A treat pouch sounds boring until you use a bad one. Then it becomes the most annoying bit of kit you own.

I like a pouch with a wide opening, washable lining and a clip that does not ping off when the dog jumps up. Magnetic closures are nice, but I do not trust them with greasy chicken unless the pouch is deep.

Keep two reward levels if you can. Normal treats on one side, jackpot treats in a small tub or separate pocket. That makes it easier to pay properly without digging around while your dog wonders what happened to the game.

A cheap silicone food pouch works for wet rewards. A fabric pouch is nicer for dry or semi soft treats. If you train in rain, pick something that rinses out easily. Flyball fields are not kind to cute little canvas bags.

Good options to search for are dog treat pouch with washable liner or silicone dog treat pouch.

How to use high value treats without overdoing it

Cut rewards smaller than feels natural. Pea sized or smaller is plenty for most training repetitions, especially for puppies and small dogs.

Save rich rewards for hard jobs rather than every sit in the kitchen. If chicken, cheese or sausage comes out for everything, it stops feeling special and it adds up fast.

Count treats as part of your dog's daily food. Watch for itchy skin, upset stomachs or gassy reactions when trying something new.

Ask a vet before changing treats if your dog has allergies, pancreatitis, weight problems or a prescribed diet.

Life rewards still count. Release to sniff, run to a toy or chase you for three steps. Food is useful, but it is not the only thing your dog can earn.

Quick buying guide

If I were setting up a new treat kit today, I would buy one everyday soft treat, one high value meat treat and one pouch that can be washed properly.

For puppies, I would start with Little Trainers or very small soft bites. For recall, I would use cooked chicken or JR meat sticks. For flyball groundwork, I would use Forthglade or chopped chicken because they are fast to eat.

For budget work, Wagg is fine. Do not let anyone make you feel bad for using cheap treats if your dog likes them and they suit their stomach. Expensive treats are not magic. The dog decides what has value.

Avoid hard biscuits for fast training, giant treats that need chewing, and anything that makes your dog itchy or gassy. Also avoid buying ten bags before testing one. Dogs enjoy making fools of us like that.

My honest pick

If you only buy one bag, buy Forthglade Soft Bites or something very similar: small, soft and smelly. If you are working on recall, add chicken or hot dog pieces for the hard stuff. If you have a puppy, keep the pieces tiny and do not overdo the rich rewards.

The best dog training treats are the ones your dog will work for in the place you are training. That might be a branded soft bite. It might be leftover roast chicken in a sandwich bag. It might be a tug toy because your dog thinks food is boring.

Try a few, watch your dog, and be honest about what gets the best response. Dogs are not subtle. If the treat is good enough, they tell you.

FAQ

What are high value dog treats?

High value dog treats are rewards your dog really wants when training gets harder. For many dogs that means tiny pieces of cooked chicken, hot dog, cheese, soft meat treats or smelly training treats. The best option depends on the dog, the setting and the job, so test a few and keep the pieces small.

What are the best dog training treats for puppies?

The best dog training treats for puppies are small, soft and easy to eat quickly. Barker and Barker Little Trainers, broken-up Forthglade Soft Bites and tiny pieces of cooked chicken are good UK options. Use normal puppy food for easy practice at home and save richer treats for recall, handling and new places.

Related: If your dog needs more than food rewards, start with dog sports for high energy dogs or our guide to how to tire out your dog.