Personal Picks for the Best Pitbull Treats for Puppies and Adults

Pitbulls love chewing! Be it your shoes or the squishy toy you gave, they won’t stop until their daggers prove it as easy pickings. Combine their affinity to munching and their tough mouths; it spells trouble if you don’t have chewy treats. From pastries to jerkies, you’ve got a lot of options to choose from. The best Pitbull treats can be used for training and in appeasing their gums. Here are two of the best picks from the market:

PITBULL TREATS	PRODUCT NAME	EXPERT RATING	PRICE
	Natural Balance Mini- Rewards Dog Treats		Check Price
	Rocco & Roxie Gourmet Jerky Sticks		Check Price

All dogs love food and if there’s one breed that can’t resist a treat, it would be Pitbulls. They are notorious for being hefty eaters. With that, you can use treats to augment hunger and make them follow your rules.

But before you purchase bags of treats, remember that not all products are for the money. Keep an eye on ingredients. Later on, we’ll discuss this. But for now, I want you to know the following points:

Purpose and benefits of Pitbull dog treats

Aside from being a tease to your Pitty, dog treats have its important purpose both in training and balancing dog diet. Most pet owners use dog treats for training, one thing that experts attest to. It’s the leading element of positive reinforcement that will help you transition the reward to affection.

Also, dog treats serve a big purpose to Pitbulls’s diet. Since they seem to be hungry all the time, a few treats a day would appease their growling stomachs.

For teething pups, chewy dog treats are heaven-sent. Instead of picking your slippers or carpet as a means of soothing the discomfort, they will find the treats more appealing. Aside from easing their gums, dog treats are packed with nutrients that support dental health.

In the case of Pitbulls, chewy treats will keep them occupied. If you’re going to run a short errand, a bone treat will keep his daggers off your valuables. If given properly, dog treats can actually dampen destructive chewing.

Lastly, dog treats provide additional nourishment. It can be used to supplement the dog meals you serve. If your doggo requires more vitamins or Omega-fatty acids, you can look for treats packed with these substances.

Just keep in mind that the rationale of dog treats isn’t random feeding. It has to be planned and in line with your pooch’s meal schedule.

Low-value vs. high-value treats

Dog treats are divided into two types: low-value and high-value. Low-value treats are little bits that are quick to chew and swallow. This means that the reward isn’t that grand. Pet owners use this if they want to encourage their Pitbulls to perform a small response. Low-value treats could be kibble or small baked goods.

On the other hand, high-value treats are those that can be enjoyed for long. It can be a tasty rawhide bone or a chewy jerky. This can be used to encourage a bigger response.

If you want dog treats to work, you have to utilize these differences. That way, your Pitty will always have its eyes on the prize. Also, your doggo will soon associate obedience to a bigger reward. Do this both during formal training or random tasks.

What makes perfect Pitbull dog treats?

Again, you have to be meticulous when purchasing the best Pitbull treats. Personally, I practice the same caution as if I’m buying dog food. And although it can be a drag sometimes, it saves my pooches from stomach problems and allergies. For me, the following makes an excellent dog treat for Pitbulls:

➕It has to be chewy

When it comes to Pitbulls, you’d want to maximize any possible way of channeling their chewing out of your shoes. I prefer jerky or rawhide bones BUT with some strong reservations that I’ll discuss as we progress here. Any treat that would take time to eat is excellent. Still, this is just one of the many criteria that I have.

➕It should be healthy

Whatever you feed your Pitbull, it has to be healthy. Since Pitbulls have higher sensitivity to various substances, I want to emphasize the importance of running a quick check on the list of ingredients. Avoid stuff that you’ll usually evade when buying dog food. Aside from that, the dog treat should be packed with essential nutrients.

➕It should be delicious

No matter how chewy or nutritious the treat is, your Pitty won’t touch it if it doesn’t taste good. The smelly it is the better. The treat should make your dog addicted to it. Once he’s hooked, you can lord over its ration.

➕Size

If you’re planning to use treats for training, I suggest that you get smaller treats. This way, it would be easy to eat and your Pitty won’t be too distracted on the drill. But if you want something that will last longer, get bigger ones.

Another thing I want to mention about size is the number of calories. Does it fall on the safe range combined with regular meals?

➕Convenience

Purchase treats that aren’t crumbly or too greasy. It should hold its shape well so you can keep it in your pocket when needed.

Top 2 Pitbull dog treats I recommend!

If I’m going to translate those five points into commercial options, these two picks make the cut:

⭐Natural Balance Mini-Rewards Dog Treats⭐

If you’re looking for a low-value treat or one that you can use for training, the mini dog rewards from Natural Balance is marvelous. This is moist, meaty treat with duck flavor. You can also get this best Pitbull treats in chicken and lamb formulas.

This treat also has brown rice and potato for an added dose of carbs for your pooch. Also, this is a good source of protein and fat to support muscle growth. And even if it contains 28% moisture, the shape holds well.

The good news here is that each piece contains 5 calories only. Also, it’s free of soy, wheat, artificial flavors, preservatives, or colors. This is excellent even for Pitbulls with food and skin allergies.

This treat is fit for all life stages and dog breeds. So if you have multiple pooches at home, you can buy multiple packs. I like that this treat has a molasses-like smell which entices my Pitty to be in focus. I just shake the bag and he’ll come running in front of me.

⭐Rocco & Roxie Gourmet Jerky Sticks⭐

For a choice of high-value and chewy treats, I can’t recommend the Rocco & Roxie Jerky Sticks enough. I usually reserve this whenever I have to go out for a while or if my Pitty is consistent with being a good boy until the end of a training session. It comes in beef, turkey, and chicken formula.

My Pitbull simply can’t resist the beef flavor of this best Pitbull treats. Each stick is smoked for 10 hours to achieve the rich smell and flavor. It’s made of tender American beef with zero fillers and grains. Each stick is packed with 20% protein which is excellent in keeping up with my Pitty’s muscle growth.

The jerky sticks are also moist which makes it easy to eat. You can give the whole piece to your dog or break it into pieces to encourage him to obey. It has a strong yummy smell which is irresistible for dogs. Another plus point for me is it doesn’t leave any stink on my hands.

But if it’s not in your Pitty’s liking, Rocco & Roxie will give you a full refund. That’s a nice guarantee since this pack is a bit on the steep side.

Caution about jerky and rawhide treats

The only concern that most dog owners have about jerky and rawhide bone treats is the possibility of choking.

Even Pitbulls with large jaws stand the chance of experiencing this risk. It’s best to monitor your dog when you toss a whole stick. If he chokes, take the treat out of his mouth and tear it into pieces.

As for the rawhide bone treat, retrieve the rawhide once it run out of flavoring. Most choking incidents happen when the treat is small enough to get stuck in the throat or if it’s starting to shred.

Back in 2014, the FDA raised concerns about the possibility of jerky treats causing illnesses to approximately 5,000 dogs. However, no solid proof was found. With that, the FDA just encouraged pet owners to check the ingredients and the origin of the Pitbull dog treats they are buying.

Personally, I advise that you trust products that are popular within the community. Also, check for feedback of other buyers. As for the two treats I suggested here, I’m proud to say that it has an 83% average satisfaction rate. That’s way better than tons of other cheap treats you’ll find in the market.

How to give out dog treats

One mistake Pitbull owners commit is neglecting the calorie count of the treat. Always set a number of treats you’re going to give per day. After that, reduce the amount of food you’ll serve during regular meals. This way, you’ll prevent giving your Pitty excess food which can cause obesity or overnutrition. Remember the 10% rule: treats shouldn’t go beyond 10% of your dog’s overall food intake per day.

Also, don’t throw treats randomly. Let your dog earn it.

Still, don’t allow the reward system to turn into bribes. The trick here is to keep treats visible but not always giving it out. Soon, your Pitty will realize that the presence of treats doesn’t always mean he’s going to get it. This uncertainty will keep your dog following without resorting to bribery.

Commercial Pitbull dog treats are much better than table scraps. If you’re thinking of using this as an alternative, always think twice. Table scraps are filled with salt, grease, spices, and herbs that aren’t suitable for your Pitbulls’ tummy.

Lastly, give treats in between – and not – during meals. Scattering this extra food will keep your Pitty full all day. This spares you from the whining and food tantrums.

Remember: treats, not staples!

Fight the urge to spoil your Pitty with treats. As much as you want them to enjoy yummy bits, keep it as treats, not staples. If your doggo can survive a day without treats, then it’s safe to say that you’re giving it out properly.

What I always avoid is associating treat-giving with love. I don’t like my dog to love me just because I give treats. Because soon enough, I will transition from a treat-based reward to an affection-based reward. If this worked out as planned, yummy treats would just be a bonus for my pooch. You might also consider doing the same thing.

Just because you have a treat in your pocket doesn’t mean you always have to give it. Like what I said earlier, let the dog earn his keep.

Keep the food reward random and less frequent if your doggo can respond to commands 90% of the time in different contexts.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that not all dogs will have the same response to a single treat. If my pooch likes jerky, yours may not. It’s a matter of experimenting and finding out what appeals to them the most.  Personally, I have to switch to two or three treats before I finally found the best Pitbull treats.