Look, when Oscar was 10 weeks old, I bought a $12 bag of “premium training treats” the size of poker chips. Ten sit-reps meant 40 calories and a quarter-bag gone. After a week I’d spent $12 and Oscar hadn’t learned any faster. That’s when I realized: training treats need to be small, cheap, and low-cal — not Instagram-worthy.

So I started looking for something that didn’t cost a fortune or fill Oscar’s bowl before dinner.

That search led me to Bil-Jac Little Jacs Small Dog Training Treats (chicken liver flavor). And three months of daily use later — Oscar uses them for about 90% of training sessions — here’s my honest read. You can check the current price on Amazon here.

Why Size Matters for a Dachshund

Look, dachshunds have narrow snouts and small teeth. A treat the size of a Milk-Bone Mini (about 1.5cm) takes Oscar a few chews to get down — and in those few seconds, his focus drifts. He’s looking at the squirrel again, not at me.

Bil-Jac pieces are roughly 0.5cm — about the size of a fingernail. Oscar takes it, swallows in under a second, and locks back on me. That might sound minor, but over 30 reps in a session those extra seconds add up. And with a breed as stubborn as a dachshund, you need every millisecond of their attention you can get.

Honestly, I didn’t realize how much the size difference mattered until I switched back to bigger treats for a day. Oscar took twice as long to finish each rep and checked out halfway through our session.

The Calorie Math — Why It Matters for Back Health

So here’s the number that convinced me: Bil-Jac is under 2 calories per piece.

I run about 20 training reps a day with Oscar — that’s a maximum of 40 calories from treats. Compare that to an average training treat at 3-5 calories per piece, and the same 20 reps would cost 60-100 calories. But that’s just daily training — not counting extra sessions on weekends.

And dachshunds are an IVDD-prone breed. Every extra pound puts strain on that long back. I’m not saying treats alone prevent IVDD — but at <2 cal per piece, I can train Oscar daily without guilt-tripping over his weight.

So the calorie math matters more for a dachshund than it would for a lab. That long back doesn’t forgive extra pounds.

Does Chicken Liver Actually Work? Yes — Especially Outdoors

Sure, dachshunds were bred to track badgers — their nose is the primary input device. I tested Bil-Jac’s chicken liver smell at the dog park when Oscar was locked onto another dog’s tennis ball. Shook the bag — ears perked, nose twitched, he trotted over. That potent smell cuts through outdoor distractions better than any peanut butter treat I’ve tried.

Bil-Jac vs Zuke’s — Different Tools for Different Jobs

Zuke’s Mini Naturals has been my go-to high-value treat for a while. But Bil-Jac fills a different slot in my treat pouch.

Here’s the thing: Bil-Jac lives in my treat pouch, my car, and my jacket pocket — it’s the everyday workhorse. Zuke’s is the reserve chute — saved for the dog park when Oscar decides squirrels are more interesting than me. Both have their place. For the full breakdown of when Zuke’s takes over, read my Zuke’s Mini Naturals Quick Review.

Honest Limitations

Of course these aren’t “clean label” treats — chicken liver, wheat flour, glycerin, sugar, soybean lecithin. Not organic, not grain-free. If your dachshund has chicken sensitivity, skip these entirely. The resealable zipper pops open sometimes too — I keep mine in a sealed container.

But that’s not Bil-Jac’s job. It’s not the treat you put in a fancy ceramic jar. It’s the one you buy in bulk, stuff in your jacket pocket, and reach for without thinking.

Bottom Line

Bil-Jac Little Jacs isn’t a treat you brag about at the dog park. But honestly, that’s part of why I like it.

It’s the one you buy in bulk, stash in every bag, and reach for 50 times a day without thinking about cost or calories. For dachshund owners who train daily — which should be all of us — that’s exactly what you need. Under $12 for a bag that lasts weeks, Oscar uses them for 90% of his training. I don’t have to think twice.

So grab a bag on Amazon here and see if your dachshund reacts the same way Oscar did — I’d bet that chicken liver smell does the trick.