What age can puppies start having treats?

Generally from around six to eight weeks old, once they are fully weaned onto solid puppy food. Before that point, a puppy is still relying mainly on their mother's milk and has little need for anything beyond their regular feeding.

How many treats can I give my puppy a day?

Treats should only ever make up a small share of a puppy's daily calories, with their complete puppy food providing the bulk of their nutrition. If you are doing a lot of training in one session, use very small pieces so the total stays modest across the day.

Can puppies have hard chews?

It is generally better to wait until their adult teeth are through, usually from around six months, before offering genuinely hard chews. Baby teeth are more delicate, so soft, puppy-sized treats and chews are the safer choice in the meantime.

Should treats be part of a puppy's training from the start?

Yes, small, soft treats are a useful tool for early training and positive experiences once a puppy is eating solid food confidently. Keep pieces tiny so frequent rewarding during a training session does not add up to more food than intended for the day.

When can puppies have treats?

Puppies can generally start having treats once they are fully weaned onto solid puppy food, which is typically from around six to eight weeks old, the age most puppies move to their new home. The key from that point on is keeping treats tiny, soft and infrequent, so they never crowd out the balanced diet doing the real nutritional work.

Weaning comes first

Puppies start the weaning process around three to four weeks old, gradually moving from their mother's milk onto solid puppy food, and most are fully weaned by six to eight weeks. Treats are not something to introduce before this point — a very young puppy still relying on milk has no need for them and a limited ability to digest much else.

Once your puppy has settled onto a complete puppy food and is eating it confidently, that is the natural point to start introducing the odd small treat, usually alongside basic training and handling from the point they arrive in a new home.

Keep treats small, soft and occasional

A general rule many owners and trainers work to is keeping treats to a small share of a puppy's daily calories, with their complete food doing the bulk of the nutritional work. A puppy's stomach is small and their nutritional needs for healthy growth are specific, so treats should genuinely be a minor extra rather than a meaningful part of their daily food.

Choose something soft and easy to break into small pieces for training, rather than a hard chew, since a young puppy's baby teeth are more delicate and hard items can also pose more of a choking risk at this stage. Introduce one new treat at a time and watch for any signs of an upset stomach before making it a regular reward.

Save harder chews for later

Puppies keep their baby teeth until somewhere around four to six months old, when the adult teeth come through, and their jaw and teeth are still developing well beyond that. Very hard chews are generally better saved until the adult teeth are properly in and the jaw has matured, since a puppy's baby teeth are more prone to damage from something genuinely tough.

In the meantime, soft training treats, or chews specifically designed and sized for puppies, give them something appropriate to work with without the same level of risk that an adult-strength chew carries for young teeth.

Common questions

What age can puppies start having treats?: Generally from around six to eight weeks old, once they are fully weaned onto solid puppy food. Before that point, a puppy is still relying mainly on their mother's milk and has little need for anything beyond their regular feeding.
How many treats can I give my puppy a day?: Treats should only ever make up a small share of a puppy's daily calories, with their complete puppy food providing the bulk of their nutrition. If you are doing a lot of training in one session, use very small pieces so the total stays modest across the day.
Can puppies have hard chews?: It is generally better to wait until their adult teeth are through, usually from around six months, before offering genuinely hard chews. Baby teeth are more delicate, so soft, puppy-sized treats and chews are the safer choice in the meantime.
Should treats be part of a puppy's training from the start?: Yes, small, soft treats are a useful tool for early training and positive experiences once a puppy is eating solid food confidently. Keep pieces tiny so frequent rewarding during a training session does not add up to more food than intended for the day.

Sources

Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.

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.