The best treats for a Shih Tzu depend on what you need the reward to do. Zuke’s Mini Naturals Chicken Recipe is our pick for small, soft training rewards; Milk-Bone Flavor Snacks Mini’s offers a crunchy biscuit; and GREENIES Original TEENIE is a dental-chew option for dogs within its weight and age limits. This shortlist focuses on healthy adult dogs. Choose by your dog’s actual weight, chewing habits and diet, rather than the breed name alone.
We compared manufacturer ingredients, calorie information and feeding restrictions, then checked the exact packages linked below. These are recommendations by use case based on published information; we haven’t taste-tested the treats or measured their effects on dogs.
Best treats for Shih Tzus at a glance
| Treat and package | Best fit | Calories per piece | Main consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zuke’s Mini Naturals Chicken Recipe, 6 oz pouch | Soft training rewards | 2 kcal | Contains chicken; easy-to-tear texture |
| Milk-Bone Flavor Snacks Mini’s, 36 oz canister | Crunchy biscuit rewards | 5 kcal | Contains wheat and several animal ingredients |
| GREENIES Original TEENIE, 130-count single pack | Size-qualified dental chewing | 25 kcal | For dogs 5–15 lb and at least 6 months old; supervise chewing |
Zuke’s Mini Naturals Chicken Recipe: best for soft training rewards
At 2 calories each, these chewy treats give you a smaller reward unit than either other option here. Zuke’s describes the texture as easy to tear, which makes this our first choice when you want to divide a reward during a training session. The selected package is one 6 oz chicken-recipe pouch.
Chicken is the first ingredient, followed by rice and oats. Although the recipe contains no corn, wheat or soy, it also includes ingredients such as dried cultured whey. Check the whole ingredient list against your dog’s dietary restrictions. Supervise feeding and include every reward in the day’s treat allowance. See Zuke’s ingredients and feeding information.
Zuke’s Mini Naturals Chicken Recipe Dog Treats, 6 oz pouch
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Milk-Bone Flavor Snacks Mini’s: best for a crunchy biscuit
Choose these if your dog enjoys a crisp biscuit and you prefer a canister for home rewards. The miniature biscuits provide 5 calories per piece, compared with 2 for the Zuke’s recipe above. The linked option is a single 36 oz canister of Mini’s, so check that you haven’t switched to a larger biscuit size or a multipack.
The manufacturer lists wheat, beef-derived ingredients, poultry by-product meal, chicken meal and bacon fat. This is a mixed-ingredient snack, so it would be a poor pick for an unapproved addition to a restricted diet. Use the current package for the exact formulation and feeding instructions. We recommend it for texture and format, without assigning it a dental-health benefit. Check Milk-Bone’s product details.
GREENIES Original TEENIE: best for a size-qualified dental chew
The Veterinary Oral Health Council’s accepted-products list includes Canine Greenies for plaque and tartar control. TEENIE is the manufacturer’s size for dogs weighing 5–15 lb; it is unsuitable below 5 lb or before 6 months of age. The selected Original pack contains 130 chews. We do not recommend the larger Regular size merely because it appears beside TEENIE in a store.
Each TEENIE chew accounts for 25 calories, a substantial step up from these training treats. The maker directs one per day and warns that gulping edible items can be harmful or fatal. Only consider it if your dog can chew it properly under supervision and it fits their calorie allowance. Dogs outside the stated weight range need a different size. Read GREENIES’ size and feeding guidance.
A dental chew fits into an oral-care routine. VCA’s dental guidance recommends daily brushing with dog toothpaste and explains that established tartar needs professional removal. Ask your veterinarian how a chew fits alongside that care.
How to choose and budget treats
Start with a daily calorie target appropriate for your dog. AAHA’s nutrition guidelines advise that complete and balanced food supply at least 90% of total intake, with treats and other extras making up no more than 10%. Ask your veterinary team for a suitable target if you don’t know it. Add training rewards, biscuits and dental chews together before deciding how much room remains.
For illustration, if a veterinary feeding plan allows 300 calories a day, a 10% treat budget is 30 calories. One 25-calorie dental chew would use most of it, leaving 5 calories for other extras. That is arithmetic, not a recommended calorie target or a requirement to give a chew every day.
If your dog has a diagnosed food allergy, is on a therapeutic diet or is undergoing a food trial, ask the veterinary team which treats fit that plan. VCA’s veterinary nutrition guidance explains that unapproved treats and chews can compromise an elimination diet. None of the three products here is presented as an allergy treatment.
For value, compare the cost of the amount your dog will actually use, as well as the package size. A small pouch may be the more practical first purchase while you establish whether your dog likes the texture. Check the seal, storage instructions and best-before date on arrival, and keep fresh drinking water available when treating.
Frequently asked questions
Which treat is best for training a Shih Tzu?
Among these picks, Zuke’s Mini Naturals Chicken Recipe is our first choice for training because each soft piece is 2 calories and can be torn smaller. It still needs to fit your dog’s ingredients and calorie requirements.
How many treats can a Shih Tzu have each day?
There is no single count that suits every dog or treat. Use the daily calorie allowance set for your dog, keep extras within the recommended portion of that allowance, and follow each product’s feeding limits. A larger dog’s allowance should not be assumed to fit a smaller one.
Can every Shih Tzu have GREENIES TEENIE?
No. Check weight, age, chewing ability and calorie budget first. The TEENIE label specifies 5–15 lb and excludes dogs younger than 6 months. At the boundary between sizes, use the current package guidance and ask your veterinarian if the choice is unclear.
Are these picks suitable for a puppy?
This guide’s recommendations focus on adults. For a puppy, check the exact product’s life-stage instructions with your veterinary team instead of transferring an adult feeding plan. GREENIES Original TEENIE must not be given before 6 months of age.
Which treat should I buy for a dog on an allergy diet?
Use only a treat your veterinary team has approved for that particular diet. A familiar flavor or a short ingredient list does not establish that it fits an elimination trial. Bring the full ingredient list when asking.
