Best Training Treats for Alaskan Malamute

A one-year-old Malamute in full training mode is a serious dog with serious nutritional needs — standard commercial treats that are mostly starch or glycerin are going to be basically useless for a dog burning that much energy. The best treats are high in protein, low in additives, and sized right for the dog. Single-ingredient dried meat or fish options are almost always the better choice over anything with a long ingredients list and heavy marketing behind it. To point you toward the right thing: does your Malamute have any known allergies or sensitivities, and how are you using these treats — short reward bursts during obedience training, or longer sessions like sled work or recall practice?

Got it — so you need something that works as a fast reward signal during obedience work but has real caloric density because he's genuinely working hard. That rules out most soft training treats which are tiny, low-calorie, and designed for lap dogs. What you want is something with a high meat content, moderate fat, and no cereal fillers. How large is he right now — is he near his adult weight, or still filling out?

At 38kg and still growing, he needs treats that aren't just empty reward markers — they should contribute something. My recommendation is Icelandic+ Lamb Lung Bites. They're a single-ingredient treat — just dried Icelandic lamb lung — so no additives, no grain, no glycerin. Lamb lung is naturally light and airy but high in protein and easily digestible, which matters a lot when you're going through volume during a training session. They break apart easily so you can snap them into smaller pieces for rapid reward delivery, and because they're pure meat they have a strong smell that keeps a high-drive Malamute focused. For a dog his size doing real physical work, this is a much better option than anything like Wagg or Bakers treats which are mostly cereal and will give you nothing. They're widely available on Amazon UK and reasonably priced for the quality.

With a dog his size and activity level, you have more leeway than most — he's burning real calories. That said, treats should generally stay under 10% of daily food intake. Because lamb lung is so low in fat compared to something like beef liver, it's actually quite forgiving in volume. If you're doing a long hike with ongoing reward work, just account for it by slightly reducing his main meal that evening. The bigger risk with high-volume training treats isn't usually weight gain with a Malamute — it's loose stools if you introduce a new protein too fast, so ease in over the first few days.