Walk down the treat aisle at any big-box pet shop and you'll find bags with 40-word ingredient lists and colouring agents. They're cheap, they smell good, and dogs eat them. But natural treats — real meat, minimal processing, honest ingredients — are genuinely better. Here's why, and what to look for.

What "Natural" Actually Means

In New Zealand there's no legal definition of "natural" on pet food labels — so manufacturers can use the word loosely. For our purposes, a natural dog treat is one where the primary ingredient is a recognisable protein source (meat, fish, organ) and the list of additional ingredients is short, pronounceable, and serves a purpose.

What to Look for on the Ingredient List

The first ingredient should be a named protein — "lamb", "venison", "chicken", "salmon". Not "meat meal", not "poultry derivatives" — a named animal.

The Case for Bulk Buying

Natural treats cost more per bag than commercial ones — but buying in bulk closes that gap significantly. A bulk bag of lamb treats from Whinny & Co works out to a fraction of the cost of supermarket single-serve packets, and you're getting a genuinely better product.

Bulk buying also means you always have training treats on hand — which matters if you're trying to maintain consistent training sessions.

NZ Brands Worth Knowing

Whinny and Co

NZ-made, single-source protein treats with impressively clean labels. Their lamb and venison lines are well-sized for training — small enough to use frequently without blowing the daily treat budget. Our most-reordered bulk treat brand, and for good reason: dogs go consistently wild for them and the ingredient list is exactly what you want to see.

Good Noze

A NZ brand built around functional ingredients — each treat is designed to do something beyond just taste good. Their range covers skin and coat health, digestive support, and joint care, using real proteins alongside targeted natural additions. Great choice if you want your training treats to pull double duty as daily supplementation.

Platinum Ranch

Premium single-ingredient treats — freeze-dried liver, lung, and heart. Minimal processing, maximum flavour. Platinum Ranch treats are particularly popular with owners doing serious training work, because the intensity of the smell and taste holds attention even in high-distraction environments. One ingredient on the label, full stop.

Woof Treats

A Kiwi brand keeping things simple and honest. Real meat, short ingredient lists, and formats that work across different dog sizes and training styles. Their baked range is great for dogs who prefer a bit of crunch, and the softer options are ideal for puppies or dogs with dental sensitivities. A solid everyday treat from a brand that knows what matters.

How Many Treats Is Too Many?

Treats should make up no more than 10% of your dog's daily calorie intake. For training-heavy days, use tiny pieces — a lamb jerky strip can be broken into 8–10 rewarding fragments. High-value treats don't need to be large to be motivating.

Natural treats are genuinely more nutritious than commercial ones, but quantity still matters. A good rule: treats should complement the diet, not compete with it.