Grain-free training treats for Westies

Training treats need to punch above their weight — small enough to eat in one bite, smelly, high in protein, and genuinely more exciting than whatever's in the bowl at home. That rules out a lot of the biscuit-based options, which is actually fine because the best treats tend to be meat-based anyway. To point you to the right thing: what size is your dog, what are you training them to do, and are there any dietary restrictions I should know about?

Good context — grain sensitivity is really common in Westies, and it's worth taking seriously because even a handful of the wrong treats per day can keep a flare ticking along. Recall and loose lead are both high-repetition work, so you'll be going through a lot of these. What does she normally eat day-to-day — wet, dry, raw? And does she have any protein intolerances on top of the grain issue, or is it purely grain that's the problem?

Perfect — if chicken is already her base diet, I'd actually nudge you toward a different protein for training treats. Using something novel like salmon or lamb means the treat stays higher value than her regular food, which matters a lot for recall especially. That said, if budget or availability is the priority, chicken treats will still work fine. Given all of this — small Westie, grain sensitivity confirmed, high-rep training, needs something irresistible — I'd go with Lily's Kitchen Chicken Treats for Dogs. They're fully grain-free, made with around 50% chicken, soft enough for quick eating, and genuinely pea-sized. They have a strong smell that dogs respond to well, and the ingredient list is clean with no hidden grains or fillers. They're widely available on Amazon UK and used by a lot of trainers working with sensitive dogs. If you want to keep that novelty factor I mentioned, Lily's Kitchen also do a salmon version in the same range — identical format, just a different protein.

For a Westie — typically 6 to 9 kg — treats should make up no more than 10% of daily calories. Lily's Kitchen training treats are low-calorie by design, so you can realistically use 20 to 30 in a session without needing to adjust her dinner much. For a longer session or a particularly food-motivated dog, just reduce her kibble by a small handful that evening. The key is keeping the treat rate high enough that she stays engaged — don't ration them so hard that the reward stops feeling worth it.

Good call — and it's an easy switch back to chicken if she ever seems less motivated by salmon after a while. Rotating proteins occasionally is actually a decent way to keep training treats feeling special long-term. Good luck with the recall work.