Get Joy vs Blue Buffalo Blue Bits: Comparing Popular Soft Training Treats

Updated: July 2026 · Reviewed against verified competitor data and Get Joy product facts · See our vet & nutrition experts

Both Get Joy Superfood Treats and Blue Buffalo Blue Bits are respectable training treats, so the honest question is not which brand wins in the abstract. It is what each is made of and how you want to train with it. Blue Bits Tender Beef Recipe are soft-moist training treats with real beef first, about 16 ingredients, 4 calories per treat, and no chicken by-products, corn, wheat, or soy. Get Joy Superfood Beef Organ Treats are one ingredient. If you want a pre-formed soft morsel with a clean mainstream spec, Blue Bits suit that well; if you want the shortest possible label with nothing added, a single-ingredient organ treat suits that.

Here is what most treat comparisons miss. The question is not whether a treat sounds natural. It is what it does for your dog. Blue Bits build their soft-moist texture from a supporting list of ingredients. A single-ingredient organ treat gets its palatability and shelf stability from the meat and the freeze-drying process, not from a recipe. Treats are extras either way, meals are the foundation, and at Get Joy that foundation is built around gut health.

What is the main difference between Get Joy and Blue Bits?

The main difference is ingredient count: Blue Bits are a soft-moist recipe of about 16 ingredients, while Get Joy Superfood Beef Organ Treats are one. Blue Buffalo built its reputation on cleaner-than-mass-market recipes, and Blue Bits reflect that. Real beef leads the panel, each bit is only 4 calories, DHA from fish oil supports cognitive development in puppies, and the recipe excludes chicken by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, and artificial preservatives. For a soft-moist training treat sold in every major retailer, that is a genuinely respectable spec.

Where the two part ways is the format itself. A soft-moist morsel needs binders and humectants to stay soft on a shelf. A freeze-dried raw treat does not. If you want a clear-eyed way to compare any two panels, our guide on how to read dog food labels walks through it.

Get Joy vs Blue Bits at a glance

Here is the head-to-head on the factors dog parents ask about most.

What is actually in Blue Bits?

Here are the two labels side by side. Get Joy Superfood Beef Liver: Beef Liver. Blue Bits Tender Beef Recipe: Beef, Oatmeal, Brown Rice, Cane Sugar, Potatoes, Vegetable Glycerin, Pea Protein, Flaxseed, Water, Natural Flavor, Salt, Fish Oil, Natural Smoke Flavor, Dried Cultured Milk, Lactic Acid and Mixed Tocopherols, Oil of Rosemary.

The gap between "no bad ingredients" and "one ingredient" is the theme of this comparison. Nothing on the Blue Bits list is a red flag. But cane sugar is the fourth ingredient, and the softness that makes the bits convenient is built from glycerin, starches, and binders. That is the price of the soft-moist format. Freeze-dried raw pays no such price: shelf stability and palatability come from the process and the meat, not from the recipe. Our primer on beef liver, heart, and kidney for dogs covers why organ meat is so nutrient-dense on its own.

What does natural really mean here?

"Natural" on a dog treat label is a loose regulatory term that mostly means no artificial flavors or synthetic preservatives. Blue Bits meet it honestly. But shoppers often read "natural" as "simple," and 16 ingredients is not simple. If simple is what you are actually shopping for, the label to look for has one line. This is where being outcome-led matters: the question is not whether a treat sounds natural, but what it does for your dog. Concentrated organ nutrition with nothing added is a clearer answer than a well-behaved recipe.

How do they compare for training and calories?

Both are strong training options. Blue Bits are pre-formed at 4 calories each, which makes portioning easy. Get Joy Superfood Treats snap into smaller rewards, so you can break a piece down during heavy training and keep reward frequency high while calories stay controlled.

Because organ meat is rich, the 10% rule matters here too: keep organ treats to a moderate share of the day, break them smaller during long sessions, and they stay a smart everyday reward. Training is daily and feeding is daily, so both are worth choosing with intent.

The final verdict: Get Joy or Blue Bits?

Blue Bits are one of the better soft training treats in mass retail, full stop. Get Joy simply plays a different game: not a better recipe, but no recipe at all. One ingredient, nutrient-dense by nature, chicken-free by definition, and connected to a complete routine. When "natural" is the reason you reached for the blue bag, the green bag is where that instinct was pointing.

Frequently asked questions

Are Blue Buffalo Blue Bits healthy for dogs?

Blue Bits are a reasonable mainstream training treat: real beef first, 4 calories per bit, and no corn, wheat, soy, chicken by-products, or artificial preservatives. They do contain cane sugar and roughly 16 total ingredients, so owners seeking maximum simplicity often step up to single ingredient treats.

What does natural mean on dog treat labels?

"Natural" generally indicates no artificial flavors or synthetic preservatives, but it does not mean few ingredients or minimal processing. A treat can be natural and still contain 16 ingredients. Ingredient count and named sources tell you more than the word natural.

What is the healthiest single ingredient dog treat?

Freeze-dried raw organ meat treats lead the category: one named ingredient, naturally concentrated micronutrients, no added sugar or preservatives, and low calories per piece when broken to training size.

How many training treats can I give per day?

Keep all treats under 10% of your dog's daily calories per AAFCO guidance, and break treats smaller during heavy training so reward frequency stays high while calories stay controlled.

Are Get Joy Superfood Treats chicken-free?

Yes. The entire Get Joy Superfood line is 100% beef organ, so it is a clean pick for dogs avoiding chicken. With multi-recipe brands, always check the specific flavor, since chicken versions can sit beside beef ones.

Blue Buffalo Blue Bits ingredient and calorie details are drawn from the product's own packaging and public retailer listings as of July 2026; two formula versions circulate at retail, so confirm the current panel before relying on it. Get Joy figures are from getjoyfood.com and internal product documentation. The 10% treat guideline follows AAFCO guidance. This article is for education and is not veterinary advice; consult your vet for your dog's individual needs.