How Long Can You Store Dog Treats?

We put treats for two days in our USA-made Paws for a Cause treat jars…and Irie and Tiki KNOW they’re in there!

Wondering how long you can store your dog treats? We’ve got an easy rundown here for both commercial and homemade treats!

Storing Commercial Dog Treats

Commercial dog treats include preservatives to make them shelf stable. Typically they are intended to be stored in their packaging which has been developed to extend the freshness. Look for a “best by” date on packaging.

If you find a favorite brand on sale, you can freeze commercial treats to extend their freshness. (See below for our freezing tips.)

Storing Homemade Dog Treats

Because homemade treat don’t include preservatives, they have a short shelf life. It’s important to completely cool the treats before storing to prevent moisture from shortening the shelf life (and creating a soggy treat!)

Homemade meat treats have a shorter shelf life than baked goods like peanut butter treats. To be safe, meat treats should be stored in the refrigerator 3-4 days, much like your own leftovers. Baked goods can be stored in the refrigerator about a week.

The best place to store a large batch of homemade treats is in your refrigerator or freezer, although your dog might have other ideas! When we have homemade treats, we keep them in the refrigerator and put just a day or two’s worth in the cookie jar at a time. Letting the treats come to room temperature will make the treats stronger smelling, especially important for training treats.

Freezing Dog Treats

Freezing treats is a great way to handle the large volume you might have when making your own treats.

How long can you freeze treats? According to the US Food and Drug Administration, freezing at 0°F keeps food safe indefinitely but the quality of the food may change after a certain period. Food stored for long periods will remain safe, but if you’re sharing it with your dog, you may notice a change in texture or flavor after a 4- to 6-month period for most foods. Regardless of freezer time, it’s always important to use airtight storage to avoid freezer burn.