Best low-calorie treats for Whippets

Whippets are naturally lean and their metabolism means even modest treat overload can shift their body condition more than you'd expect — so you're right to think carefully about this. The best treats are high in protein, low in additives, and sized appropriately. Most popular branded treats are loaded with fillers and sugars that add calories without nutrition. Single-ingredient treats — dried meat, fish skin — are almost always the better call. To point you to the right one: what are the treats mainly for — training, general rewards, dental, or enrichment? And does your Whippet have any dietary sensitivities?

That's a good weight to protect. For training and frequent rewards, the biggest risk isn't any single treat — it's the cumulative calories from giving them repeatedly across a session. You want something very small, very lean, and high enough value that she'll work for it without you needing to give a large piece. What's your current treat situation — are you using something specific already, or starting fresh?

Dry food rarely cuts it for training — the motivation just isn't there. You need something with genuine smell and flavour to hold her attention. My recommendation is Forthglade Pure Chicken freeze-dried treats. They're single-ingredient — nothing but chicken — so there are no hidden calories from fillers or additives. They're naturally low in fat, which matters for a lean breed like a Whippet. Crucially, they come in small pieces and you can break them down even further, so you control exactly how much she gets per session. She'll find them far more rewarding than kibble, and you won't be fighting her weight in a few months. Available on Amazon UK and reasonably priced for the volume you get.

A general rule for any dog is that treats should make up no more than 10% of their daily calorie intake. For a 12kg Whippet eating a balanced diet, that's roughly 50–60 calories from treats at most. Freeze-dried chicken is very calorie-dense by weight, but because the pieces are small and you're breaking them down further, you have a lot of flexibility — you can give 20 to 30 small pieces across a training session without coming close to that limit. Just weigh out your treat portion at the start of the day and work from that, rather than grabbing from the bag freely.

Good choice. She should take to them well — Whippets tend to be food-motivated when the treat is actually worth their attention. Stick to the 10% rule, keep pieces small, and her weight should stay right where your vet wants it.