Just like humans, dogs love an occasional treat! Not only are treats a great way to bond with and reward your pooch, but they can also be useful tools in training. Of course, these treats should ideally be healthy, packed with beneficial ingredients, and free from fillers or artificial additives, just like your dog’s regular food.
PetSmart is one of the biggest specialty pet retailers in the United States, with over 1,660 stores across the U.S. and Canada. The stores sell small pets and accessories, as well as a variety of foods and treats for cats and dogs. If you’re looking for a treat for your pooch, PetSmart is a great place to find one!
Of course, a large franchise like PetSmart sells a ton of different treat brands and varieties, so choosing the perfect one can be challenging. We rounded up eight of the best dog treats at PetSmart, along with in-depth reviews, to help you narrow down the options and find the perfect treat for your canine companion!
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A Quick Comparison of Our Top Picks in 2024
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall  | Hill's Natural Soft Savories Dog Treats | CHECK PRICE | ||
Best Value  | Blue Buffalo Blue Bits Beef | CHECK PRICE | ||
Premium Choice  | Milk-Bone Soft & Chewy Dog Treats | CHECK PRICE | ||
| Merrick Power Bites Dog Treats | CHECK PRICE | |||
| Beggin' Strips Bacon Flavor Dog Treats | CHECK PRICE |
The 8 Best Dog Treats at PetSmart
1. Hill’s Natural Soft Savories Dog Treats — Best Overall
| Weight: | 8 ounces |
| Key Ingredients: | Peanut butter, potatoes, wheat flour |
| Caloric Content: | 27.33 kcal/treat |
Hill’s Natural Soft Savories dog treats contain real peanut butter as the first ingredient for a delicious taste that your pooch will adore. The treats have a soft and tender texture that makes them ideal for growing puppies, as well as adults and seniors. They are packed with healthy ingredients to give your pooch a treat that is healthy, wholesome, and tasty. The treats are free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives and made in the U.S.A.
A handful of customers reported that these chews weren’t as soft as advertised, and many senior dogs had a difficult time chewing them, but overall, we found these to be the best dog treats at Petsmart.
- Real peanut butter is the first ingredient
- Ideal for puppies, adults, and seniors
- Added healthy fruits and veggies
- Free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives
- May be a bit tough for senior dogs
2. Blue Buffalo Blue Bits Tender Beef Recipe — Best Value
| Weight: | 4 ounces |
| Key Ingredients: | Beef, oatmeal, brown rice |
| Caloric Content: | 4 kcal/treat |
Blue Buffalo Blue Bits contains tender beef as the first ingredient and other healthy additions, like oatmeal, peas, and brown rice. They are the best dog treats at PetSmart for the money. The bits also contain flaxseeds to provide a natural source of omega fatty acids that are great for your dog’s skin and coat, along with salmon oil that is loaded with DHA to support healthy cognitive development in growing puppies. The treats are perfectly sized for training sessions and walks and are free from poultry by-product meals, grains, and artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.
These treats have a pungent odor, though, and some pet parents reported that the treats may have caused gas and loose stool in their pooches.
- Inexpensive
- Beef is the first ingredient
- Packed with DHA and omega fatty acids
- Free from by-product meals
- Free from artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors
- Pungent odor
- May cause gas and loose stools in some dogs
3. Milk-Bone Soft & Chewy Beef & Filet Mignon Recipe Dog Treats — Premium Option
| Weight: | 25 ounces |
| Key Ingredients: | Beef, chicken, soy |
| Caloric Content: | 24 kcal/treat |
Milk-Bone Soft & Chewy Dog Treats are great if you’re looking for premium treats for your pooch. These savory treats are made using real beef filet mignon infused with a natural smoke flavor, along with chicken for an 18% protein content overall. The bone-shaped treats are soft and easy to chew and great for puppies and seniors alike. Not only will your pooch love the flavor, but these treats are also fortified with 12 vitamins and minerals to help keep your dog healthy.
The major issues that we found with these treats are the inclusion of sugar in the ingredients, which is disappointing, and the addition of artificial colors and preservatives.
- Made with real beef
- Tasty, smokey flavor
- Soft and easy to chew
- Fortified with 12 vitamins and minerals
- Added sugar
- Contains artificial ingredients
4. Merrick Power Bites Real Texas Beef Recipe Soft & Chewy Dog Treats
| Weight: | 6 ounces |
| Key Ingredients: | Deboned beef, potatoes, peas |
| Caloric Content: | 5.4 kcal/treat |
Merrick Power Bites contain real, deboned beef as the first ingredient and healthy vegetables like potatoes and peas. The bites have a protein content of 16% overall. The treats are loaded with protein and essential omega acids for optimal skin and coat health and are completely free from grains like soy or corn. They have a soft, chewy texture. These treats are 100% free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives and cooked in FDA-approved kitchens in the U.S.A.
These treats have a pungent, artificial odor that many dogs won’t enjoy. Also, they’re hard and crumbly, not chewy as stated, causing some dogs to not eat them.
- Contains real, deboned beef as the first ingredient
- Added healthy veggies
- High protein content
- Free from grains
- No artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives
- Made in the U.S.A.
- Pungent odor
- Hard, crumbly texture
5. Beggin’ Strips Bacon Flavor Dog Treats
| Weight: | 25 ounces |
| Key Ingredients: | Pork, barley, rice |
| Caloric Content: | 36 kcal/treat |
Beggin’ Strips Dog treats contain mouth-watering smokey pork as the first ingredient, providing a 15% protein content overall. They come in three different sizes: 25-, 40-, and 48-ounce bags. These treats are soft and tender and easy to chew, making them ideal for older puppies and seniors alike, and they can be torn easily into smaller pieces for training. The treats are free from artificial flavors and colors and contain real bacon for an irresistible flavor, and they’re produced in the U.S.A.
These treats contain several questionable ingredients, including sugar, corn syrup, and various grains. They also have a pungent odor that some dogs do not enjoy.
- Pork is the first listed ingredient
- Three different package sizes
- Easy-to-chew texture
- Contain real bacon
- Free from artificial flavors and colors
- Contains several questionable ingredients
- Pungent smell
6. SmartBones SmartSticks Chicken Dog Treats
| Weight: | 9 ounces |
| Key Ingredients: | Rice, cassava, corn |
| Caloric Content: | 45 kcal/treat |
SmartBones SmartSticks Chicken Dog Treats mimic the taste and texture of rawhide but without the potential digestive risk. These treats are highly digestible, with 1.5% fiber content, and like rawhide, they are great for your dog’s teeth and gums. They are enriched with vitamins E and B12, minerals, calcium and zinc, real chicken, sweet potatoes, and cassava. The delicious flavor and stick shape of the treats make for a healthier and safer alternative to rawhide.
These treats do contain questionable ingredients, like corn and soy, and artificial preservatives and flavors. Also, they are hard and brittle, which some dogs may not enjoy, and produced outside of the United States.
- Mimic the taste and texture of rawhide
- Highly digestible
- Enriched with vitamins and minerals
- Contains healthy vegetables
- Contain grains
- Contain artificial ingredients
- Not produced in the U.S.
7. Old Mother Hubbard Classic P-Nuttier Baked Dog Treats
| Weight: | 20 ounces |
| Key Ingredients: | Whole wheat flour, oatmeal, wheat bran |
| Caloric Content: | Mini: 10 kcal/piece, Small: 34 kcal/piece, Large: 136 kcal/piece |
Old Mother Hubbard Classic P-Nuttier Baked Dog Treats are slowly oven-baked to a crunchy texture with an irresistible peanut butter flavor. They contain healthy fruits and veggies, like apples and carrots, and have an overall protein content of 12%. These biscuits are great alternatives to chew treats, perfect for puppies and senior pooches, and they are free from artificial preservatives and meat by-products. They also contain herbs, like rosemary and spearmint, to keep your dog’s breath smelling great. They come in three different sizes and are made in the U.S.A.
These treats are in biscuit form, and a handful of customers report receiving bags full of broken treats and crumbs. Also, even the smallest sizes are too big for small dog breeds, and they may have difficulty eating these treats.
- Slowly oven-baked
- Contains healthy fruits and vegetables
- Free from artificial preservatives and meat by-products
- Contain breath-freshening herbs
- Available in three different sizes
- Break and crumble easily
- Large size not suitable for small dog breeds
8. Zuke’s Mini Naturals Holiday Trees Turkey & Cranberry Recipe Dog Treats
| Weight: | 5 ounces |
| Key Ingredients: | Turkey, barley, rice |
| Caloric Content: | 2 kcal/treat |
Get into the festive spirit with Zuke’s Mini Naturals Holiday Dog Treats! These festive, Christmas tree-shaped treats have turkey as the first ingredient, along with wholesome sweet potatoes and cranberries. The treats are free from corn, wheat, and soy. At less than 3 calories per treat, they are ideal for treating your pooch without the risk of added calories. They have a soft and chewy texture and are crafted in the U.S.A.
These treats may be low in calories but are small in size and not ideal for large dogs. They also come in a small package for the high price, and some customers reported that they had a strange odor that their dogs did not enjoy.
- Turkey is the first ingredient
- Unique, festive shape
- Low in calories
- Made in the U.S.A.
- Small size
- Expensive
- Pungent odor
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Dog Treats at PetSmart
There are a ton of dog treats on the market, and not all are created equal! Some of these treats contain only the best ingredients that are actually healthy additions to your dog’s diet, while others contain ingredients that should not be given regularly, if at all.
Treats are a great way to reward your pooch and are essential training tools, too. During the initial training stages, you’ll likely be giving many treats to your pooch, so you’ll want them to be not only tasty but also healthy. Let’s look at a few factors to consider when buying treats for your canine companion.
Ingredients
Ingredients are the most important things to look for in dog treats. Like your dog’s food, you want the treats to be free from any fillers, sugar, or artificial ingredients and be packed with as many healthy additions as possible. As with your dog’s regular food, you want the first ingredient to be from an animal source, like beef or chicken. The treats you choose should have recognizable ingredients, like meats, vegetables, and fruits, and should be free from dyes, preservatives, and human foods like sugar.
Calories
Calories can add up quickly, and the number of calories per treat is an important consideration. Naturally, the smaller the treat, the fewer calories there’ll be; otherwise, you can try to break the treats apart, which can be difficult with chewy treats. The calorie content is especially important if you have a dog that is trying to lose weight or you are training your dog often using treats.
Texture
Most dog treats on the market are chewy in texture, which is great because these take a while for your pooch to eat. That said, if the treats are very chewy, they can be difficult to break apart and difficult to eat for senior dogs. Biscuits may be a better option for senior dogs or puppies, although chew treats are great if you need to distract your pooch for any length of time.
Our Dog Treats at PetSmart Selection Process
The dog treats we reviewed in this article were chosen by PangoVet’s writers and editors, in collaboration with our experienced veterinary team, based on personal experience with the product, knowledge and expertise about the pet’s care needs, brand reputation, and reviews across multiple retail outlets from other customers that have purchased and used the product. The combination of these factors allows us to gather a wide range of information to help you choose only the best dog treats and ensure you have the most accurate information about these products to promote proper care, health, and well-being of your beloved pets.
Why Trust PangoVet?
PangoVet’s licensed and experienced veterinarians have a knowledge base that extends to all kinds of pets—furry, scaly, and feathered—and want only the best for pets of all shapes and sizes. We also have experienced writers and editors who are pet owners with a variety of different pets, and we love our pets as much as you do. We recognize pets as part of our family. We make sure to only choose products from reputable brands highly rated by customers as well as products that we have personal experience with, to ensure that every dog treat featured in this review is high-quality and safe for your pets.
Conclusion
The Hill’s Natural Soft Savories Dog Treats are our pick for the best dog treats from PetSmart overall. They contain real peanut butter, a soft and tender texture, and healthy ingredients that are free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
Blue Buffalo Blue Bits contain tender U.S.A. beef as the first ingredient and are the best dog treats at PetSmart for the money. The treats contain flaxseeds and salmon oil loaded with DHA, are perfectly sized for training sessions and walks, and are free from poultry by-product meals, grains, and artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.
Milk-Bone Soft & Chewy Dog Treats are great if you’re looking for premium treats for your pooch. These savory treats are made using real beef, filet mignon, and chicken, are soft and easy to chew, and are fortified with 12 vitamins and minerals to help keep your dog healthy too.
PetSmart is a great place to get food, accessories, and treats for your pooch. There are a ton of options, though, and it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. We hope that our in-depth reviews have narrowed the options and helped you find the best treats for your canine companion!
Featured Image Credit: Christian Mueller, Shutterstock
