We make six different duck treats, and about once a day somebody asks us which one they should get. It's a fair question. They all say duck on the bag, they all start at $9.99, and the product photos don't tell you much.
So here's the answer we give people in the shop.
Duck jerky is the all-rounder. Duck sticks are the training treat. Sweet potato twists are the ones that add fibre. Those three cover about 90% of customers. The other three are worth knowing about too, and most people don't realise we make them.
This guide assumes you've already settled on duck. If you're still working out whether duck suits your dog at all, read our post on whether duck jerky is good for dogs first. It covers how duck compares to chicken and beef.
All six duck treats, side by side
| Treat | Texture | Best at | Sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duck Jerky | Firm, chewy strip | Everyday treating | 227g, 454g, 1kg |
| Duck Sticks | Soft, tears instantly | Training, puppies, seniors | 227g, 454g, 1kg |
| Sweet Potato & Duck | Chewy twist | Added fibre, lower fat | 227g, 1kg |
| Duck Strips | Thin, flat, pliable | Portioning for small dogs | 227g |
| Biscuit Sticks with Duck | Crunchy | Dogs that like a snap | 227g |
| Calcium Bones with Duck | Soft, bone-shaped | Puppies and seniors, soft chew | 227g |
Duck jerky: get this one if you're only getting one
Duck jerky is a firm, air-dried strip. Your dog has to actually work on it for a minute or two instead of swallowing it whole, which is what most people picture when they say the word treat.
That firmness does a couple of useful things at once. It gives the jaw something to do, and it slows down the sort of dog who inhales food without noticing. Tear a strip into four or five bits and it doubles as a training reward, so you're not locked into one use.
Get it if you want one bag that handles everyday treating, the odd training session, and a reward after a walk.
Skip it if you've got a young puppy still on baby teeth, or a senior whose teeth aren't what they were. The firmness that suits most dogs works against those two.
Duck sticks: what the trainers buy
Duck sticks are softer and more pliable, and they come apart with basically no effort. If you've ever tried to tear a hard treat one-handed while holding a leash, a clicker and a poo bag, you already know why that matters.
You can get eight or ten pea-sized rewards out of a single stick. That means a full recall session costs almost nothing in calories, which is the thing that catches people out with training. The strong duck smell does the rest. A soft, smelly treat is what behaviourists call high value, and high value is what gets your dog to pick you over whatever's happening across the park.
The softness makes these the right choice at both ends of a dog's life. Puppies on baby teeth handle them fine. So do older dogs with worn or missing teeth, who often can't manage anything firmer.
Get it if you're training, you've got a puppy, or you've got a senior.
Skip it if you want the treat to keep your dog busy for more than a few seconds. Sticks disappear fast. That's the point of them.
Sweet potato and duck twists: the one with added fibre
Sweet potato and duck jerky wraps duck around a strip of sweet potato. It looks like a gimmick. It isn't.
Sweet potato brings fibre, and fibre is the thing missing from almost every meat treat on the shelf. Moving part of the treat budget over to these is a small change that customers tell us they notice. It also drops the fat proportion per treat compared to straight meat.
The twist is chewier than plain jerky so it lasts a little longer, and the two textures seem to hold the attention of dogs who get bored of the same thing.
Get it if you want more fibre in the rotation, a lower-fat option, or your dog has gone off their usual treat.
Skip it if you'd rather stick to plain meat. Jerky or sticks are simpler.
The three most people don't know about
Duck strips
Duck strips are thinner and flatter than the jerky, and they're the easiest of the lot to portion down small. If you've got a chihuahua or a toy breed and you're always cutting treats into quarters anyway, start here instead. Same duck, less faff.
Biscuit sticks with duck
Biscuit sticks with duck are the crunchy option. Some dogs genuinely prefer a snap to a chew, and if yours is one of them you'll know already, because they'll take a soft treat politely and then go looking for something to actually bite. These also don't leave your fingers greasy, which is a bigger deal than it sounds when you're handing out treats on a walk.
Calcium bones with duck
Despite the name, calcium bones with duck are soft. It's a soft bone-shaped centre with real duck wrapped around it, so your dog gets the shape and the satisfaction of a bone without needing the teeth to handle a hard one.
The softness is the actual point here. It suits puppies still on baby teeth and older dogs whose teeth aren't what they were. If your dog can't manage anything firm but you'd still like to give them something more substantial than a torn-up stick, this is the one to reach for.
Right treat for the right dog
| Your situation | What we'd hand you |
|---|---|
| Puppy under six months | Duck sticks, torn small |
| Puppy who needs something soft but substantial | Calcium bones with duck |
| Training or recall work | Duck sticks |
| Senior with worn teeth | Duck sticks or calcium bones |
| Adult dog, general treating | Duck jerky |
| Toy breed or very small dog | Duck strips |
| Picky eater who refuses everything | Duck jerky first, then sticks |
| Want a change from chicken or beef | Jerky, sticks or strips |
| Want more fibre in the rotation | Sweet potato and duck twists |
| Want a lower-fat option | Sweet potato and duck twists |
| Prefers a crunch | Biscuit sticks with duck |
| Power chewer who destroys everything | None of these. See below. |
When duck isn't the answer at all
This one saves people money, so we'll say it plainly. If what you need is something to occupy a determined dog for an hour, no duck treat will do that. Every one of these is a treat, not a chew. A serious chewer gets through a strip of jerky in well under a minute and then looks at you like nothing happened.
For that you want an actual chew, and you'll find those on our natural dog bones shelf instead. Our cow hooves guide and bully stick buyer's guide both walk through how to size one properly, which matters more than people think.
Most households we deal with end up with both. A bag of duck for training and rewards, and something longer-lasting for wet Sunday afternoons.
Do you have to pick just one?
No, and most of our regulars don't. The usual setup is duck sticks in the training pouch, duck jerky in the jar by the front door, and twists in the rotation for a bit of variety.
Rotating solves something people underestimate, which is treat fatigue. A dog getting the same reward every day for six months stops finding it interesting, and your recall gets worse as a direct result. Swapping formats every few weeks keeps the value up without changing protein.
If you'd rather not decide, our dog treat box puts a mix in one order. The treat box guide explains what's in it.
A word on bulk
Jerky, sticks and twists all come in bigger bags, and the 1kg is noticeably better value per gram. Duck keeps well too. Resealed in a cool, dry cupboard it holds its texture for weeks.
Our advice: buy the 227g first to confirm your dog actually likes that format, then size up on whichever one wins. Free shipping kicks in at $85, which two 1kg bags will clear on their own.
Common questions
Are duck treats good for dogs?
Yes. Duck is a lean meat with a rich, savoury flavour, and because fewer dogs eat it regularly it makes a good change of pace from chicken or beef. It's a favourite with picky eaters and with trainers.
What's the difference between duck jerky and duck sticks?
Texture, mostly, and what that texture is good for. Jerky is firm and takes a minute or two to get through, which suits everyday treating. Sticks are soft and pull apart instantly, which suits fast training reps, puppies and older dogs.
Which duck treat is best for training?
Duck sticks. You can portion them one-handed into pea-sized rewards and they smell strong enough to keep a dog focused through a long session without eating a day's calories.
Are sweet potato and duck treats good for dogs?
Yes, and they're the pick if you want more fibre in the rotation or a lower-fat option. Sweet potato adds fibre and lowers the fat proportion per treat compared to straight meat.
Are calcium bones with duck hard?
No, they're soft. The name suggests otherwise, but it's a soft bone-shaped chew wrapped in duck, which makes it easy for puppies and older dogs to manage.
Can duck treats replace a chew?
No. All six are treats. A determined dog finishes any of them inside a minute. For real chewing time you want something from our natural dog bones range instead.
How many duck treats a day?
Keep all treats to roughly 10% of daily calories. Rough guide: half a strip to one strip for small dogs, one to two for medium, two to three for large. Tear them smaller when you're training.
Can puppies have duck treats?
Yes, once they're weaned. Duck sticks and calcium bones are the easiest for a puppy to manage because both are soft. Supervise, and introduce anything new gradually.
The short version
Training, puppy or senior? Duck sticks. Puppy who needs something soft but substantial? Calcium bones. Adult dog, everyday treating? Duck jerky. Want more fibre or lower fat? Sweet potato twists. Very small dog? Duck strips. Wants a crunch? Biscuit sticks. Needs something that lasts an hour? You want a bone, not a duck treat.
Still stuck? Send us a note with your dog's age, weight and what you're trying to sort out. We're dog owners too, and matching the right treat to the right dog is the best part of this job.
