Best Treats for French Bulldogs

French Bulldogs are highly food-motivated, which makes treats an effective training tool. It also makes them prone to weight gain if treat use is not managed carefully. A 10kg Frenchie does not need the same volume of treat that a 30kg Labrador might use, and the choices that work best for training are not always the ones marketed most aggressively.

What makes a good training treat

Small size. During a training session, a dog might receive 20 to 40 reward repetitions. If each reward is a large treat, the calorie total quickly becomes significant. Training treats should be no larger than a pea, ideally smaller. Many commercial training treats are still too large; break them into smaller pieces before the session.

Soft texture. Soft treats allow the dog to swallow quickly and return focus to training. Hard crunchy treats slow the session down as the dog chews. Soft treats also tend to be more aromatic, which increases their reward value in distracting environments.

Simple ingredients. Treats with a short ingredient list are less likely to contain anything that aggravates the breed’s tendency toward digestive sensitivity. Grain, artificial preservatives and added sugar are worth avoiding, particularly for dogs with known sensitivities.

High palatability relative to calorie content. Freeze-dried meat treats, chicken, salmon, beef liver, duck, are extremely palatable to most dogs and available in very small quantities. They tend to be expensive per bag but are used in such small amounts that a bag lasts considerably longer than the price implies.

No toxic ingredients. Avoid treats containing onion, garlic, xylitol, grapes or raisins. The full list of harmful foods is in the foods to avoid guide.

Treat categories and what they are best for

High-value training treats

Freeze-dried single-ingredient treats are generally the best option for active training because they are highly palatable (they work even in distracting environments), single-protein (useful for allergy management), and easily portioned small. UK product ranges worth considering include single-ingredient freeze-dried or air-dried lines from brands like Lily’s Kitchen, Natural Instinct and Forthglade. Check ingredients against your dog’s specific sensitivities regardless of brand.

Mid-value training treats

Soft training treats in a small size (2 to 3g per piece) work well for practice sessions in lower-distraction environments. These are less intensely palatable than freeze-dried meat but adequate for familiar settings. They often come in resealable bags suitable for a treat pouch.

Dental treats

French Bulldogs benefit from dental treats given the breed’s tendency toward dental disease due to their compressed jaw anatomy. The criteria for a useful dental treat: the dog actively chews it rather than gulping it, and it contains no added sugar or colourants. Products carrying the VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) seal have independent evidence for reducing plaque or tartar.

Dental treats should be given once daily at most and counted within the day’s calorie total.

Long-lasting chews

For occupying a Frenchie rather than for training, longer chews, bully sticks, air-dried tendons, fish skins, work well. Choose products that are digestible and soft enough to avoid dental fractures. Avoid very hard chews: antlers, hard nylon and compressed rawhide carry a real risk of dental fracture for the breed’s jaw structure.

Never give cooked bones of any kind; they splinter and cause internal injury. Raw meaty bones, if given at all, must be appropriately soft (chicken necks, duck necks) and supervised.

Kibble as treats

For low-value training in familiar, low-distraction environments, some of the dog’s regular daily kibble portion works as treats. This is the lowest-calorie approach and prevents any additional intake. The limitation is that kibble has lower reward value than meat-based treats and may not hold attention when distractions are present.

Managing calorie intake

Treats should represent no more than 10 per cent of the dog’s daily calorie intake. For a moderately active adult Frenchie at around 400 to 500 calories per day, that is approximately 40 to 50 calories in treats.

A single medium commercial treat biscuit can contain 25 to 50 calories. Three of them and the treat allowance is spent before any training session begins. During an intensive training period, a new puppy, teaching a complex behaviour, it is easier to reduce the meal portion slightly rather than cutting treats and compromising training progress.

Treats for dogs on an elimination diet

For dogs on a food elimination trial for suspected food allergy, treats must contain only the trial diet’s protein and carbohydrate source. Most commercial treats are off the table during this period. Plain cooked or freeze-dried versions of the trial protein (if chicken, for example, is the trial protein) used in very small quantities is the practical alternative.

The broader feeding context, daily portions, dietary selection and nutritional requirements, is in the feeding guide. For how treats integrate with training technique and the reward-based approach that works for the breed, the puppy training guide and the training guide cover the full method.