Training treats for Dachshund and Beagle households

A treat-stealing Beagle and a sneaky Dachshund — that's a classic combination of chaos. The most effective training treats are pea-sized, smelly, and high in protein so the dog eats them instantly without breaking focus, and they need to feel more exciting than whatever the other dog just nabbed. What are you training each of them on right now, and does either dog have any dietary restrictions I should know about?

Good context. Recall training for a Beagle needs a very high-value treat — Beagles are scent-driven and easily distracted, so you need something that genuinely competes with whatever smell just hijacked his attention. The Dachshund's weight concern is important too, especially with her build — dachshunds are prone to back problems and extra weight makes that worse. How are you currently training them — separately or together? That'll affect whether you need one treat that works for both or whether you can use different things.

Right, so the real problem is the Beagle treating every training session as an opportunity to raid her supply. The solution there is actually using the same treat for both — ideally something small enough that even if he swipes one, it's not worth derailing the session, but still exciting enough to hold his attention when it's his turn. For the Dachshund, small size also means you can keep her calories in check without having to stop and break things up. My recommendation is Lily's Kitchen Grain Free Training Treats — they're tiny (genuinely pea-sized), they smell strong enough to hold a Beagle's attention, they're around 2 calories each so safe for the Dachshund in volume, and they come in a resealable pouch which helps with keeping them fresh and smelly. Lots of trainers use them specifically because they're consistent — same size every time, which matters when you're doing rapid repetitions.

Beagles who ignore treats are usually being under-rewarded relative to what they're being asked to do, or the treat just isn't exciting enough to compete with the environment. Lily's Kitchen treats have a strong liver smell which tends to cut through even for easily distracted dogs — but the bigger factor for recall is making sure you're only using them for that specific exercise so they stay high-value. If he's getting them as casual snacks too, they'll lose their pull. Keep them purely for recall work and he'll stay interested. The Dachshund won't care either way — she'll work for almost anything at that point.

Start with one bag and see how quickly you go through them — with two dogs in active training you'll get through it faster than you expect, but it's worth confirming both dogs are keen before buying in bulk. The 70g bag is a good starting size. Once you know they work, the multipack is better value.