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• Zuke's Mini Naturals Peanut Butter — Training treats for small dogs

Training a dachshund means working with one of the most stubborn breeds on the planet. My mini dachshund Oscar—three years old and opinionated as they come—will outright ignore me if the reward isn’t worth his time. That’s the reality of living with a breed bred to track badgers underground for hours. So treats are currency in our house, not snacks.

Zuke’s Mini Naturals Peanut Butter treats are tiny, soft, 2-calorie pellets designed for frequent training. Real peanut butter is the first ingredient, and each piece is small enough that your dachshund doesn’t stop to chew—they swallow and look up for the next one. After over 23,000 reviews on Amazon with a 4.7-star average, these have the mass-market confidence you’d expect from a brand found in most pet supply chains. Still, the real question is whether they actually work for a stubborn dachshund on a training day.

Why treat size matters for dachshunds specifically. IVDD (intervertebral disc disease) is a constant concern for the breed. Overweight dachshunds carry extra pressure on those long spines. A 2-calorie treat means I can run through a full 10-minute training session—sit, down, wait, touch—without adding more than 20 calories to Oscar’s daily intake. Plus, dachshunds have narrow mouths compared to Labs or Goldens. And these pellets are about the size of a pea, so no choking risk and no slobbering over a half-chewed chunk.

I’ve tested these during our morning nose work sessions for two weeks as our go-to training treats for scent work. The peanut butter scent is noticeable when you open the bag—real roasted peanut, not artificial. But Oscar perked up on day one. By day five, he was sitting at the treat pouch location five minutes before session time. That kind of anticipation is rare from a dog who usually pretends not to hear “come” when there’s a squirrel within 50 feet.

Texture and handling. The treats have a chewy, moist texture that doesn’t crumble in your pocket. Even after leaving a handful in my jacket pocket for an afternoon walk—they stayed intact, no oily residue. For outdoor training where you’re fumbling for treats one-handed, this matters more than you’d think. Solid Gold Tiny Treats, by comparison, are crunchier and leave more crumbs behind. Yet the Zuke’s pellets also don’t stick together in humid weather, which was an issue I had with Bil-Jac Little Jacs during summer walks.

What to watch out for. Not every dachshund will love the peanut butter flavor. Though Oscar is a peanut butter fanatic—he’d lick the jar clean if I let him. But I’ve heard from other dachshund owners whose dogs turned up their noses at these. So start with a small bag rather than the bulk size if your dog is particular about flavors.

The price is another honest consideration. But at roughly 35–45 cents per ounce depending on the bag size, these cost more than bulk training treats. So you’re paying for the low calorie count and the small pellet size. If your dachshund isn’t on a weight management plan and you just need a general treat, you can find better value elsewhere.

One note on the ingredient list: these contain wheat flour. If your dog has grain sensitivities, check with your vet before introducing them. Still, the limited ingredient lineup is solid—real peanut butter, oats, and barley—and the wheat is only the common allergen worth flagging.

Bottom line. Zuke’s Mini Naturals Peanut Butter treats earned a permanent spot in my training pouch. The 2-calorie size fits a dachshund’s dietary needs, the soft texture is practical for extended training sessions, and the peanut butter flavor keeps Oscar engaged longer than any chicken-based treat I’ve tried. Though they cost more per treat than bulk options, for training currency they deliver exactly what a stubborn dachshund owner needs: a reward that works. And after three weeks of daily use, I can honestly say these live up to the 4.7-star rating.

If you want to try them—start with the smaller bag and see if your dachshund does the pre-session anticipatory sit. That’s the real test.

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So I picked up a pack of Greenies Teenie Dental Chews. Here’s what happened over six weeks of daily use.

Why Greenies? And Why the Teenie Size?

Greenies are one of the most popular dental chews available — they’ve got the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal of approval, which means there’s actual clinical evidence behind the claims. Plus the Teenie size is for dogs 5-15 lbs, so it’s a perfect match for miniature dachshunds like Oscar (he’s about 11 lbs).

As for the ingredients, the list is straightforward: wheat protein, glycerin, soy protein, and a bunch of vitamins. No artificial flavors, and they’re supposedly easy to digest. The texture is that distinctive spongy, slightly chewy consistency that’s designed to rub against teeth as the dog chews. That said, some dogs might not love the feel — Oscar was fine with it from day one.

Now here’s the quick specs in a table:

Oscar’s 6-Week Test: The Good and the “Meh”

I gave Oscar one Greenie Teenie every evening after his dinner walk. Now here’s what I noticed:

Week 1-2: He took to them immediately. Zero hesitation. He’d grab the chew and trot off to his bed, spending about 3-4 minutes working through it. The texture is firm enough to provide some scrubbing action but soft enough that even a small dachshund mouth can handle it. I watched him closely the first few times because I’m paranoid about choking — the chews softened up as he chewed and didn’t leave sharp edges. So far, so good on the safety front.

Week 3-4: His breath was noticeably better. Not like a mint commercial better, but the difference was real. Before Greenies I’d sometimes catch a whiff when he yawned near my face; by week four that was mostly gone. The 47% tartar reduction claim comes from a published study, and while I’m not running controlled experiments in my living room, I could see less yellow buildup on his back molars. So the numbers seem to hold up in real life too.

The smell: Worth mentioning honestly. Greenies have a strong scent — green tea mixed with vegetable broth. Still, Oscar’s a garbage disposal with fur, so he didn’t care. The scent lingers in the bag and your hands after handing one out.

Week 5-6: By this point it became part of our routine. Oscar started waiting by the treat cabinet around 7 PM. His chewing motion was consistent — he used his back teeth primarily, which is exactly what you want. A 130-count bag at roughly $45 lasts about 4+ months for one small dog, so the daily cost is reasonable.

What to Watch Out For

Not everything’s perfect. Here are a few honest notes:

Calorie count. At 21 kcal each, one Greenie a day represents about 7-10% of a miniature dachshund’s daily needs. So if you’re free-feeding on top of regular meals, you could see weight creep. Dachshunds are prone to putting on pounds, so I adjusted Oscar’s dinner portion slightly.

Ingredient simplicity. These aren’t single-ingredient treats. That said, if your dog has sensitivities to wheat or soy (common allergies in some breeds), check the ingredients carefully — I cover common dog food allergens in my dachshund allergies guide. Oscar’s stomach handled them fine, but I’ve seen reports from other owners whose dogs didn’t tolerate them as well — individual results may vary.

Not a brushing replacement. No chew replaces actual tooth brushing. Still, Greenies are a good supplementary tool, not a substitute for veterinary dental care. If your dog has existing dental issues, talk to your vet first. Plus, for more on keeping your doxie’s mouth healthy through their senior years, my senior dachshund care guide covers dental routines worth checking out.

Bottom Line

If you’re exploring the best dental chews for small dogs, the Greenies Teenie are a solid option I’d recommend after six weeks of testing. They’re VOHC-certified, Oscar enjoys them, and I’ve seen real improvement in his breath over six weeks. The daily cost is low, the texture is safe for small mouths, and they’re easy to incorporate into a routine.

But are they the only dental option? No. Still, for a picky dachshund who thinks brushing is a personal insult, they’ve been a worthwhile addition to our evening routine.