Get Joy vs Zuke's Mini Naturals: What Makes the Best Training Treat?

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

Zuke's Mini Naturals Beef Recipe is a soft, baked, roughly 18-ingredient training treat at about 2 calories per piece, and Get Joy Superfood Beef Organ Treats are single ingredient freeze-dried raw organ meat you break to size, so both are legitimate training tools that simply solve different problems. Zuke's wins on pre-portioned convenience, while Get Joy wins on ingredient simplicity, nutrient density, and the routine behind the treat. That means Zuke's suits fast-paced class work where you would rather not break a treat, and Get Joy suits parents who want maximum scent value and one-ingredient simplicity at training volume.

Both earn a spot in a well-run treat pouch, so this is not a takedown. It is a look at what each treat is built to do, where they overlap, and how to choose the right one for the way your dog trains.

What is the main difference between Get Joy and Zuke's?

The main difference is ingredient count and format: Zuke's is a soft, baked morsel built from about 18 ingredients, and Get Joy is a single ingredient freeze-dried raw organ treat. Zuke's Mini Naturals are among the most recommended training treats in the category for good reasons. At only 2 calories per treat, they are pre-portioned for high-rep training, soft enough to swallow fast so sessions keep moving, made in the USA, and free of corn, wheat, and soy. The beef recipe also contains no poultry, which matters for chicken-avoiding dogs. For puppy class and rapid-fire marker training, the format is genuinely convenient.

Get Joy takes a different route to the same job. One ingredient, freeze-dried, that you snap to size, and a treat that shares a brand and a standard with the Freeze-Dried Raw Meals with Belly Biotics in the bowl and the rest of the routine. Both are legitimate; they solve different problems.

Get Joy vs Zuke's Mini Naturals at a glance

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

What is inside each treat?

Get Joy Superfood Beef Liver lists one ingredient: Beef Liver. Zuke's Mini Naturals Beef Recipe lists Beef, Rice, Oats, Glycerin, Potatoes, Cane Sugar, Malted Barley Flour, Potato Protein, Salt, Dried Cultured Whey, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Cherries, Vinegar, Turmeric Spice, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Proteinate, and Mixed Tocopherols. Nothing on Zuke's list is alarming, and that deserves saying plainly. But it is 18 ingredients doing the job one ingredient can do. Real beef is first, followed by grains, starches, a sweetener, and binders that exist to make a soft, shelf-stable morsel. Freeze-drying achieves shelf stability with zero additions, which is the quiet advantage of the format. If reading panels is new to you, our guide on how to read dog food labels helps.

The training math: calories, scent, and reward count

The old knock on organ treats for training was size and calories, and freeze-dried organ meat solves both: it snaps cleanly into pea-sized pieces, and a broken piece lands in the same low-calorie range as a Mini Natural. What you gain is scent. Freeze-dried raw liver is dramatically more aromatic than a baked morsel, and scent is what makes a treat high-value when you need attention around distractions. Many trainers run a two-tier pocket: everyday morsels for easy reps, organ meat for recalls and hard asks. With Get Joy, both tiers can be one bag.

A training treat is repetition, and repetition is where ingredient quality compounds. Fifty rewards a day from an 18-ingredient morsel is a meaningful slice of your dog's diet coming from binders and cane sugar. Fifty rewards from single ingredient organ meat is concentrated whole-food nutrition. And because Get Joy treats share a standard with Freeze-Dried Raw Meals with Belly Biotics and the rest of the routine, heavy training weeks never pull your dog's diet off course. Keep all treats to no more than about 10% of daily calories, break treats into smaller pieces on big session days so the reward count stays high, and reduce meal portions slightly when you train hard.

Are these treats chicken-free?

Both qualify in beef: Get Joy Superfood Treats are 100% beef organ meat with no poultry, and Zuke's Mini Naturals Beef Recipe contains no poultry ingredients per Zuke's published panel. That makes either an option for dogs avoiding chicken. Always check the specific recipe, since other Zuke's flavors are chicken-based, and confirm with your veterinarian if your dog has a diagnosed allergy.

The verdict: Get Joy or Zuke's?

Zuke's built a great tool for one job. Get Joy built a treat that does that job and belongs to a bigger system. If your dog trains hard, what fills the treat pouch is part of their diet whether we call it that or not, and one ingredient beats eighteen.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best treat for dog training?

The best training treats are small, low calorie, fast to eat, and exciting enough to hold attention. Soft morsels like Zuke's excel at speed and portioning; freeze-dried organ meat excels at scent value and ingredient simplicity. Many trainers carry both tiers.

How many training treats can I give my dog per day?

Keep all treats to no more than about 10% of your dog's daily calories. During heavy training, break treats into smaller pieces so the reward count stays high while calories stay controlled, and reduce meal portions slightly on big session days.

Are organ meat treats good for dogs?

Yes. Organ meats are among the most nutrient-dense whole foods a dog can eat, naturally providing vitamin A, B vitamins, iron, and amino acids. Their strong scent also makes them excellent high-value training rewards. Feed in moderation as treats.

Are Zuke's Mini Naturals chicken-free?

The beef recipe contains no poultry ingredients per Zuke's published panel, making it an option for dogs avoiding chicken. Always check the specific recipe, since other Zuke's flavors are chicken-based.

Are freeze-dried organ treats too high in calories for training?

No. Broken to pea-sized pieces, a freeze-dried organ treat lands in a similar low-calorie range to a small baked morsel, so you can keep the reward count high. Keep total treats under about 10% of daily calories and break pieces smaller on high-rep days.

Competitor details (ingredient panel, calories, sourcing) are drawn from Zuke's own product pages and public retailer listings as of July 2026; recipes and specs can change, so confirm the current panel on each brand's site. Get Joy figures are from getjoyfood.com and internal product documentation. This article is for education and is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian for your dog's individual needs, especially for diagnosed allergies. Learn more from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).