The question of when puppies can have treats comes up for most people as soon as the little newcomer has moved in. The short answer is that a puppy can have treats already from around eight to ten weeks of age, that is, from the age at which most puppies leave home. What matters is not so much the age, but what the treats contain, how big they are, and how many your puppy gets over the course of a day. Treats are a wonderful tool in early training and socialisation, but they should be treated as part of the puppy's overall nutrition and not as a detached extra.

In a puppy's first months, the foundation for a whole life is laid, and the digestion is still sensitive and developing. That is why it is not only about when your puppy may have treats, but just as much about choosing the right ones. With a little thought, treats become a tool for motivation, contact and good experiences, without upsetting the puppy's daily balance.

The right age to introduce treats

The first weeks with you are first and foremost about security, calm and a stable transition from the breeder. Once your puppy has settled in and is eating its puppy meals with a good appetite, it is also ready for the first small treats. For most puppies, this naturally coincides with the start of early training, where responding to its name, recall and the first house-training are to be practised. Here, a small, soft treat is an effective way to reward the desired behaviour in exactly the moment it happens.

What is important in the early phase is to proceed carefully. Introducing one new treat at a time lets you keep an eye on whether your puppy's stomach tolerates it well. Choose something that is easy to chew and smells and tastes distinctly, so motivation is high. If you are unsure about what suits your particular puppy's age and size, ESSENTIAL FOODS' nutrition advisers are ready by phone, chat or email to guide you on feeding and treats.

How many treats can a puppy tolerate per day

A good rule of thumb is that treats should make up at most around ten percent of the puppy's total daily intake. The rest should come from the nourishing puppy meals, which are composed to give your puppy exactly the energy, proteins and minerals that a rapidly growing body needs. If the puppy gets too many treats, you risk both a full puppy that turns down its meals, and an imbalance in the nutrition that is meant to support growth.

In practice, this means you may benefit from using small bites and breaking treats into even smaller pieces during training. A puppy is just as motivated by a tiny bite as by a large one, and this way you can reward many times without unnecessarily filling the stomach. If you use many treats on a busy training day, you can subtract a little from the puppy's next meal, so the overall balance adds up.

How to choose high-quality treats

The quality of what your puppy gets between meals deserves just as much attention as the meals themselves. Look for treats with a clear ingredient base, where meat and fresh ingredients are at the centre, and where no unnecessary fillers, sugar or artificial additives have been stuffed in. A treat with human-grade ingredients and carefully selected raw materials gives you peace of mind, because you know exactly what you are rewarding your puppy with.

At ESSENTIAL FOODS, the entire philosophy behind the puppy meals is that quality must be top-notch from the very first bite. The same thoughtfulness is worth carrying over when you choose treats. If your puppy has a sensitive digestion or signs that it does not tolerate everything equally well, grain-free treats and meals can be a natural choice, because they keep the ingredient list clean and simple. If, on the other hand, there are actual stomach concerns that do not go away, you should always discuss it with your vet.

Treats as part of the puppy's meals

Treats make the most sense when they are considered as part of the whole of what your puppy eats. The cornerstone should always be nourishing puppy meals, prepared and composed for the finest start. The BEGINNING series is created for exactly this: luxurious, grain-free puppy meals with fresh ingredients, human-grade ingredients and carefully selected local and regional delicacies, entirely without grain and unnecessary fillers. Once the foundation is in place, treats become the little extra that supports training and contact rather than disturbing the balance.

You can also use the meal itself creatively in early training. A soft and tasty PÂTÉ can be spread on a lick mat or given in small portions as a reward, so you get plenty of motivation out of something that is already part of the puppy's nutrition. This way, treats and meals do not have to be two separate worlds, but can work together in a well-considered daily routine.

Get help in the Puppy universe

Getting to grips with a puppy's feeding, treats and daily routines is a journey you do not have to take alone. In ESSENTIAL FOODS' Puppy universe, you will find a well-considered place where the advice comes directly from ESSENTIAL FOODS, and where you can learn more about everything from the first meals to transitions and good habits. This makes it easier to make the right choices from the start, so your puppy gets the best possible beginning.

Once you know the simple framework - the right age, the appropriate amount and the right high-quality treats - treats become one of your best tools during puppyhood. They create motivation, strengthen the bond between you and turn training into a shared pleasure. And as long as the nourishing puppy meals still make up the majority, you can confidently let your puppy enjoy the small bites along the journey towards a healthy and happy adult life.