Why is my Goldendoodle so treat-motivated?

It's a common trait inherited from the Golden Retriever side of the breed, which is well known for a strong, reliable food drive. It's a real advantage for training, though it also means it's easy to give more treats than intended without noticing.

Do mini and standard Goldendoodles need different treat sizes?

In practice, yes — a treat sized comfortably for a standard adult over 30kg is a much bigger portion, relative to size, for a mini Goldendoodle around 15kg. Checking size guidance or breaking treats down accordingly makes sense given how much the breed varies.

How many training treats can I give a Goldendoodle in a session?

It depends on the treat's calorie content and your dog's size, but using low-calorie options and counting them as part of the day's total food helps prevent treats adding up unnoticed during a training-heavy session.

Are dental chews a good training treat for a Goldendoodle?

Not really — dental chews are generally larger and designed to be worked on over time, which doesn't suit the quick, repeated rewards training needs. A small, low-calorie treat is better suited to training, with dental chews kept as a separate, occasional item.

Best treats for a Goldendoodle

Goldendoodles inherit a strong food motivation from their Golden Retriever side, which makes them excellent, enthusiastic training partners and also means treat size and calorie content are worth watching, since the breed can range from a mini around 15kg to a standard well over 30kg — a very different treat portion at either end.

Why their food drive is genuinely useful for training

The Golden Retriever side of a Goldendoodle's heritage brings a strong, reliable interest in food, which is a real advantage for training — most Goldendoodles will work hard for a treat, making them easier to motivate than a lot of breeds. Small, low-calorie training treats that can be given frequently in a single session, without adding up to much overall, suit this well.

Because they're so consistently food-motivated, it's also easy to overdo treats without noticing, particularly during a training-heavy period like puppyhood. Using part of a Goldendoodle's actual daily food allowance as training rewards, rather than treats entirely on top of full meals, helps keep this in check.

Matching treat size to a size range this wide

A Goldendoodle can be anywhere from a mini, around 15kg, to a standard adult well over 30kg, and a treat sized for the larger end of that range is a lot of extra food for a mini Goldendoodle given several times a day. Checking the size guidance on treats, or simply breaking larger treats into smaller pieces, matters more for this breed than for one with a more consistent adult size.

This is also where a Goldendoodle's often curly or wavy coat comes in less than the treat itself — coat type doesn't change dietary needs, but body size across the breed's range genuinely does, which is the more useful thing to check before buying.

Keeping training treats calorie-conscious

Given how much a well-motivated Goldendoodle can get through in a single training session, low-calorie options — small freeze-dried pieces, or a soft treat that can be broken into tiny portions — let you reward frequently without the calories building up as fast as a full-sized biscuit treat would.

Dental chews are worth having as a separate, occasional category rather than a training treat, since they're generally larger and meant to be worked on over time rather than given rapidly during a session.

Pedigree DentaStix Light daily dental chews for medium and large dogs

£2.35

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Common questions

Why is my Goldendoodle so treat-motivated?: It's a common trait inherited from the Golden Retriever side of the breed, which is well known for a strong, reliable food drive. It's a real advantage for training, though it also means it's easy to give more treats than intended without noticing.
Do mini and standard Goldendoodles need different treat sizes?: In practice, yes — a treat sized comfortably for a standard adult over 30kg is a much bigger portion, relative to size, for a mini Goldendoodle around 15kg. Checking size guidance or breaking treats down accordingly makes sense given how much the breed varies.
How many training treats can I give a Goldendoodle in a session?: It depends on the treat's calorie content and your dog's size, but using low-calorie options and counting them as part of the day's total food helps prevent treats adding up unnoticed during a training-heavy session.
Are dental chews a good training treat for a Goldendoodle?: Not really — dental chews are generally larger and designed to be worked on over time, which doesn't suit the quick, repeated rewards training needs. A small, low-calorie treat is better suited to training, with dental chews kept as a separate, occasional item.

Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.

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Best treats for a Goldendoodle

Why their food drive is genuinely useful for training

Matching treat size to a size range this wide

Keeping training treats calorie-conscious

What we stock for this breed

Forthglade Soft Bite Grain Free Joints & Bones Treats

Forthglade Soft Bite Grain Free Good Gut Health Treats

Forthglade Grain Free Soft Bites Training Rewards Chicken & Liver 8pk

Forthglade Grain Free Soft Bites Fresh Breath Treats 8pk

Forthglade Grain Free Soft Bites Calming Treats 8pk

Forthglade Functional Soft Bite Treats - Plant Based Banana & Honey

Forthglade Natural Dental Sticks 5pk

Forthglade Dental Calming Sticks

Forthglade Soft Bite Grain Free Turkey Treat

Forthglade Soft Bite Grain Free Salmon Bites

Forthglade Soft Bite Grain Free Lamb Treats

Pedigree Dentastix Light Daily Dental Chews Dog

Common questions

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