Treats and chews
What is the 10 percent rule for dog treats?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
The 10 percent rule means treats, chews, and any extras should add up to no more than 10 percent of a dog's total daily calorie intake, with the remaining 90 percent coming from a complete, balanced main diet. For a 20 kg dog eating around 900 kcal a day, that caps treats at roughly 90 kcal. The rule exists to stop treats from diluting the nutrients in a complete diet, not just to manage weight.
Where the figure comes from
Complete commercial dog foods are formulated so that every calorie carries a proportional amount of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Once treats make up more than about 10 percent of intake, the overall diet's nutrient balance starts shifting away from what the food was designed to deliver, even if total calories stay reasonable. Vet nutritionists commonly cite this figure as the point where the main food's formulation can no longer be trusted to cover the dog's needs on its own.
Applying it in practice
For a 12 kg dog eating around 550 kcal daily, 10 percent is about 55 kcal, which might be two medium training treats plus a small chew, or a single mid sized dental stick. Working this out once for your dog's typical daily calories, then checking it against the label of whatever treats you actually buy, is more useful than trying to recalculate it every day.
When it is fine to go slightly over
A working or highly active dog burning noticeably more than its baseline, for example during a long hiking weekend, can tolerate treats above 10 percent occasionally without harm, since total energy expenditure is higher too. The rule is a steady state guideline for an average day, not a hard ceiling that applies identically to every single day of the year.
Key takeaways
- Treats above 10 percent of daily calories can dilute the nutrient balance of a complete diet, not just add extra weight.
- For a 20 kg dog eating about 900 kcal, that caps treats around 90 kcal a day.
- Work out your dog's rough daily calories once, then match that against the treat bag's kcal per piece.
- Very active days can absorb slightly more treats without issue, since overall energy use is higher.