Short answer on the best freeze dried treats for Australian Shepherd training: Kai has four, and they split into two jobs. Three are freeze-dried beef liver (Pupford, Nutri Bites and Muenster), and one is freeze-dried salmon (Nutri Bites). Pupford and Nutri Bites did the same job for him, so I don’t rank one over the other. The Costco salmon is on Amazon in the same recipe, just a different size.
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Kai is my red merle Australian Shepherd, born July 2024. His everyday training treats are soft bites, and those live on the best training treats for Australian Shepherds page. This page is only the freeze-dried bags. If you want the soft everyday bite or the light crunch for long sessions, go there. If you want freeze-dried liver treats for training, or freeze-dried salmon treats for a dog who likes fish, stay here.
Liver or salmon: how the four split up
Freeze-dried treats are dry and light. They break down into small pieces, which is the whole point for an Aussie. A herding breed learns fast and gets bored fast, so you want a bite that marks quick and doesn’t fill the dog up. That’s where these four sit.
Beef liver for training: Pupford, Nutri Bites and Muenster
Pupford freeze-dried beef liver was one of Kai’s training treats. It was a training bite, and that’s the whole history. The single-product page is the Pupford liver treats for Australian Shepherds review.
Nutri Bites freeze-dried beef liver did the same job as Pupford for Kai: a training treat. Kai has had both of these. No tiebreaker here. Buy whichever bag is in stock at a price you like. The brand page is the Nutri Bites treats for Australian Shepherds review.
Muenster freeze-dried beef liver is one ingredient, just beef liver. Ours comes from Costco. It’s one of three freeze-dried livers Kai has had.
Salmon: Nutri Bites freeze-dried salmon
The one fish bag on this page is the Nutri Bites freeze-dried salmon. We buy the big bag at Costco, and Amazon has the same salmon recipe. If your Aussie lights up for fish more than beef, this is the one to try. If you don’t know yet, start with a liver bag and watch how hard your dog works for it.
The four Kai-tested freeze-dried treats
One of Kai’s liver training bites. Freeze-dried beef liver. Break it small and mark fast.
Honest flaw: I don’t have a long report on it. It was a training bite, and that’s the whole history. Liver is rich, so keep the pieces small.
Another liver Kai has had. Same job as Pupford. Freeze-dried beef liver for training reps.
Honest flaw: no tiebreaker. It did the same job as Pupford for Kai, and I can’t tell you one beat the other. Keep the pieces small.
The fish bag. We buy the big bag at Costco, and Amazon has the same salmon recipe. For an Aussie who works harder for fish than beef.
Honest flaw: the Amazon bag isn’t the Costco bag we buy. Same recipe, different size, so check the size before you order.
Ours comes from Costco. One ingredient, just beef liver. One of three freeze-dried livers Kai has had.
Honest flaw: it’s a Costco bag, so you’ll find it in the store. Keep liver pieces small.
Side by side
| Treat | Protein | Job | Bag note | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupford freeze-dried beef liver | Beef liver | Training bite | Check the bag size | Short history. A training bite, nothing more to report. |
| Nutri Bites freeze-dried beef liver | Beef liver | Training bite | Check the bag size | Same job as Pupford. No ranking between them. |
| Nutri Bites freeze-dried salmon | Salmon | Fish bite for dogs who prefer it | Costco big bag; Amazon has the same salmon recipe | Amazon bag is a different size than ours. |
| Muenster freeze-dried beef liver | Beef liver, one ingredient | Training bite | Costco | Costco bag, in the store. |
Bag weights and piece counts aren’t on this page on purpose. Bag sizes change. Check the size on the page before you order.
How to choose freeze-dried treats for an Aussie
Start with what your dog works for, then decide where you shop. The treat isn’t the training. It’s the paycheck, and an Aussie notices when the paycheck is boring.
Liver or salmon first
If you’re buying one bag, buy liver. Three of Kai’s four freeze-dried treats are beef liver. Pick Pupford or Nutri Bites, or the Muenster if you shop Costco. Save the salmon for a dog who clearly prefers fish, or for when you want a change of smell without changing the job.
Freeze-dried or a soft bite
Freeze-dried treats aren’t the whole answer for an Aussie. Kai’s everyday training treat is Bocce’s Quack, a soft duck bite, and the higher-value beef for hard asks is Full Moon. BIXBI Ruff Puffs are the lighter crunch for longer practice. Soft bites suit high-rep learning, and a lighter crunch adds marks without piling on meat calories. The freeze-dried bags sit next to those, not in place of them. The split is laid out on the training treats guide, with brand pages for Bocce’s Quack treats, Full Moon beef treats and BIXBI Ruff Puffs.
Freeze-dried wins when your dog has stopped caring about the soft bag, or when you want crumbs small enough for a puppy. A different texture and a stronger smell can buy you a few more good reps.
Big bag or small bag
If you’re trying a treat for the first time, start with the smallest bag you can find, because you don’t know yet if your dog cares. Once you know, size up. Either way, read the size on the listing. The Nutri Bites salmon on Amazon is the same recipe as the Costco bag, just in a different size.
Puppies and first treats
A puppy needs tiny pieces, and freeze-dried liver crumbles, so it works for that. Keep the pieces small and keep sessions short. If your puppy is on a new food, add one new treat at a time so you know what caused a loose stool if you get one. Ask your vet about treats at the first visit, the same way you’d ask about food. My notes on the bowl, including what Kai ate as a puppy, are on the best food for Australian Shepherds page.
How to use them safely
Freeze-dried treats are easy to overdo because the pieces look small. Liver is rich. The short list:
- Break the pieces small. If a bite is too big or too boring, an Aussie invents his own job. Small and fast to deliver is the goal.
- Treats ride on top of meals. Treats count, so keep them small and count them. If your dog is padding out, cut treats before you cut dinner.
- Go by body condition, not by the bag. You should be able to feel the ribs without pressing hard and see a waist from above.
- Mix the paycheck. Use freeze-dried for the reps that matter and a cheaper soft bite for the easy ones. One bag doesn’t have to carry the whole session.
- Close the bag between sessions. Dry treats are dry because the bag stays shut.
- Watch the first few days with any new treat. New protein, new stool. Pull it if something changes and ask your vet if it doesn’t settle.
- Keep the bag away from the dog. A freeze-dried bag is light and crinkly, and an Aussie who finds it on the counter will not ration.
Kai doesn’t eat kibble alone. I cook his base and mix ORIJEN into it, and treats ride on top of that. If you cook for your dog too, have your vet check the recipe, because a home-cooked base is not a complete diet on its own. The recipe is on Kai’s bowl, the home-cooked recipe.
What isn’t on this page, and why
PLATO fish treats aren’t freeze-dried. They’re air-dried Baltic herring, a different process, so they’re off this list. Kai used the bag as a training treat, and that was it. The write-up is the PLATO fish treats for Australian Shepherds review. If you want fish in freeze-dried form, the Nutri Bites salmon is the one Kai has had.
Nummy Tum Tum pumpkin is a food topper, not a training treat, so it isn’t on this list. Bocce’s Bakery Bone Broth treats are soft, not freeze-dried, so they stay on the Bocce’s page.
Two buying mistakes to skip. First, Nutri Bites sells both a liver and a salmon. Both are on this page, and both are Kai-tested, so read the listing title before you click and make sure you get the one you meant. Second, don’t assume an Amazon bag matches a Costco bag. The recipe matches for the two Costco picks here. The size doesn’t.
FAQ: freeze-dried treats for Australian Shepherds
What are the best freeze-dried treats for an Australian Shepherd?
Kai has four. Pupford, Nutri Bites and Muenster are all freeze-dried beef liver. Pupford and Nutri Bites did the same training job for Kai, so either one is fine, and the Muenster is the Costco bag. The Nutri Bites freeze-dried salmon is the fish option. Buy liver first unless your dog clearly prefers fish.
Are freeze-dried liver treats good for training?
Yes, as one part of the treat pouch. They break into small pieces, which suits fast marking. Liver is rich, so keep the pieces small and use a soft everyday bite for the easy reps.
Pupford or Nutri Bites liver, which is better?
Neither, on this site. Kai has had both livers, and they did the same job for him. Buy whichever is in stock at a price you like, and check the bag size on the listing.
Is the Costco Nutri Bites salmon the same as the Amazon one?
Same salmon recipe, different bag. We buy the big bag at Costco. The Amazon listing is the same recipe in whatever size Amazon carries, so check the size before you order.
Can an Australian Shepherd puppy have freeze-dried treats?
Check the bag for any age guidance and ask your vet at the first visit. Freeze-dried liver crumbles into tiny pieces, which helps with a puppy. Keep the pieces small and add one new treat at a time. Watch the stool for the first few days.
How many freeze-dried treats can an Aussie have in a day?
There’s no number on this page, because it depends on your dog and your dog’s food. Treats ride on top of meals, so keep them small and count them. Go by body condition. You should be able to feel the ribs without pressing hard. If your dog is padding out, cut treats first, and ask your vet about weight at each visit.
Related guides
- Best training treats for Australian Shepherds, the soft bites and the crunch, with how the bags split up.
- Pupford liver treats for Australian Shepherds, the single-product page.
- Nutri Bites treats for Australian Shepherds, the single-product page for the liver.
- Best food for Australian Shepherds, the bowl the treats ride on top of.
- PLATO fish treats for Australian Shepherds, the air-dried fish that isn’t freeze-dried.
- Australian Shepherd gear Kai uses, what lasted and what broke.