Homemade Chicken and Oat Dog Treats: Soft Training Treats
Soft chicken and oat training treats for your dog: one pan makes about 200 tiny pieces. How to bake them, cut them and freeze them for every walk.
- Time
- 40 min + 15 min resting
- Makes
- 200 pieces
- Type
- Treat
- Difficulty
- Easy
- 58 % skinless chicken breast
- 21 % oat flour
- 11 % egg
- 10 % carrot
Follows THE RULE. All 4 ingredients are on our safe list: nothing that could harm your dog.
These homemade chicken dog treats are soft rewards designed for training: a single sheet of chicken and oat batter that bakes in one piece and is cut into about 200 half-inch (1.5 cm) pieces. They are gone in a second, leave no crumbs and smell enough like chicken to compete with any distraction at the park.
In training classes, what works are small, soft, high-value treats, and these tick all three boxes. You can bake a pan on Sunday, cut it up and freeze it in small bags: every morning you grab one for the walk.
Why it works
Chicken breast is lean protein and the smell your dog associates with a reward. Oat flour and egg turn the blended chicken into a batter that bakes into a firm, sponge-like sheet that cuts cleanly. Grated carrot is optional: it adds color and a little fiber without changing the texture.
Step by step
Prep the pan
Preheat the oven to 180 °C / 350 °F and line a pan of about 8 × 10 inches (20 × 25 cm) with parchment paper.
Blend the chicken
Cut the chicken into chunks and blend it raw with the egg in a food processor until smooth, about 1 minute.
Mix the batter
Transfer the paste to a bowl and add the oat flour and the carrot. Mix with a spatula until you have a thick, even batter.
Spread
Pour the batter into the pan and smooth it with a wet spatula into an even 3/8-inch (1 cm) layer.
Bake
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until firm and lightly golden and no pink liquid comes out when you poke the center.
Cut into small pieces
Let it cool for 15 minutes and cut the sheet into 1/2-inch (1.5 cm) squares with a large knife or a pizza cutter. For small dogs, cut them in half again.
How many a day?
As a treat, keeping under 10% of what they eat each day.
— pieces a day at most
| Weight | 3 kg | 5 kg | 10 kg | 15 kg | 20 kg | 30 kg | 40 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pieces/day | 5 | 8 | 13 | 18 | 23 | 31 | 39 |
Puppy, senior, very active or on a diet? Calculate the exact portion.
- Energy
- 4.5 kcal/piece
- Protein
- 44 % dry matter
- Fat
- 10 % dry matter
Values estimated from the ingredients (BEDCA/USDA data). A treat: keep treats under 10% of what they eat each day.
Storage
Fridge: 4 days in a closed container. Freezer: 3 months. The practical approach is to freeze them in small bags holding one training session's worth: they thaw in 15-20 minutes in your treat pouch. Don't refreeze any that have been out.
If you don't have…
- Your dog doesn't tolerate chicken, or you prefer turkey
- Turkey breast in the same amount
- You want an oat-free version made with rice
- Rice flour in the same amount; it comes out a little softer
- You would rather use a green vegetable instead of carrot
- 30 g (about 1 cup loosely packed) fresh spinach, blanched for 1 minute and squeezed very dry; skip it if your dog has bladder stones
Cooking tips
- The 10% rule: it is easy to overdo it in a training session. All the treats in a day shouldn't exceed 10% of your dog's calories; check the table for how many pieces fit their weight, and if you use more one day, take a little out of their meals.
- A training treat should be so small that your dog eats it without chewing and without losing focus. For dogs under 10 kg (22 lb), pieces of 3/8 inch (1 cm) or smaller.
- If you need a top-value reward for tough situations, such as recall at the park, combine these with the liver treats.
Safety
- The chicken must be fully cooked: if you see pink areas in the center when cutting, put the sheet back in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Hygiene: wash the food processor, cutting board and your hands with hot soapy water after handling raw chicken.
- For puppies, cut the pieces even smaller and start with just a few to see how they digest them.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best treats for training a dog?
Small, soft, high-value treats that your dog can eat in a second without chewing. Baked meat pieces like these chicken ones work better than hard biscuits, which leave crumbs and distract them. Keep two levels: a regular one for everyday practice and a high-value one, such as liver, for the hard exercises.
How many treats can a dog have a day?
As many as fit within 10% of their daily calories, counting everything: biscuits, training bits and whatever falls off the table. On days of intense training, cut their main meal a little to compensate. That is why training treats should be tiny: with 3/8-inch pieces you can reward many times without your dog gaining weight.
Can puppies eat chicken?
Yes, well-cooked boneless chicken is a good protein for puppies and one of the most popular treats for training them. Cut it into very small pieces and count it toward what they eat in a day, because a puppy needs its kibble or complete homemade diet to be the foundation, not the treats.
What's in it, in detail
If they liked it, try
The fridge list
The foods your dog can eat, can have in moderation and must never eat, on a single printable page.