Between My Potty-Training Puppy & Senior Goblin Dog, These Strawberry Swirl Valentine Treats Are ‘Perfect Training Treats’

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Potty training a 14-week-old puppy in February is already a full-time job. Add a senior chihuahua mix with goblin breath and a history of itchy hot spots, and dog treats start to feel like essential equipment. That’s how Charlee Bear Nuggets Straw-Beary Swirl Dog Treats ended up as our unofficial Valentine’s Day treats this year.

Each nugget is a tiny, crunchy cube with a soft strawberry center, about the size of a piece of Chex. One reviewer with an 11-pound Havanese puppy said her dog “went crazy for these when he first tasted them,” and started using them in his puzzle toy and as a recall treat because there were no “digestive consequences.” Another shopper with a picky goldendoodle said this flavor “won him over just like the others.”

The crunchy dog treat formula leans on chickpeas, pea protein and beets, with algal oil as a source of Omega-3s to support skin and coat. A longtime fan wrote, “I’ve been buying Charlee Bears for at least 10 years. My dogs love them and I’m happy they are made in the USA and are low in calories.” At under 4 calories per piece, they fit into training-heavy days or treat-dispensing toys without blowing up your dog’s diet.

In my house, these are high-value currency. My 14-week-old Lagotto Romagnolo puppy — a breed originally developed for truffle hunting — comes with a serious nose and a brain that needs constant jobs and scent work. She will happily cycle through every command she knows during our potty-training sessions if there is a Straw-Beary Swirl nugget in play. My 13-year-old chihuahua mix, who has had some hot spots around her mouth in the past, handles them easily and those spots seem less raw lately. As a bonus, her breath now smells vaguely like strawberries, which is a rare break from her usual goblin breath.

Other shoppers keep coming back to how training-friendly they are, too. One agility handler said, “Charlee Bear Nuggets are perfect training treats!! … The size and texture of the nugget is perfect for training pouches and pockets. No adverse smells and it does not crumble into bits.” Another shopper loved that they’re “only 2-4 calories per treat” across the brand’s lineup, calling the Straw-Beary Swirl “drool worthy.”

Usually around $10 for a 6-ounce bag, they’re currently about $8 on Amazon with a coupon at the time of writing, which feels fair for something my puppy, my senior dog and a whole chorus of reviewers are this excited about. If you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day treat that doubles as an everyday training reward, these strawberry-flavored dog treats from Charlee Bear are an easy one to test on your own chaos crew.

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