The scores
Charlee Bear Grain-Free Turkey Liver: A/90 — Excellent. Named muscle meat first, named organ meat second, grain-free, no artificial colors, natural vitamin-E preservation. The legume stack (chickpea + pea flour + pea protein) is the only real watch-item.
PureBites Freeze-Dried Chicken Breast: B/81 — Above average. Single-ingredient freeze-dried chicken breast, no preservatives, no fillers, 3 kcal per piece. The cleanest possible multi-purpose training treat panel.
How the ingredients compare
The leading ingredients are the structural difference between these two treats:
Charlee Bear: Turkey, Turkey Liver, Chickpea Flour, Pea Flour, Pea Protein, Flaxseed, Canola Oil, Natural Mixed Tocopherols (8 ingredients).
PureBites: Chicken Breast (1 ingredient).
These products approach the same goal — high-protein, high-palatability training rewards — from opposite ends of the formulation spectrum. PureBites is one ingredient: freeze-dried chicken breast, 3 kcal per piece, nothing else. The freeze-drying process removes water at low temperature without heat-denaturing the protein, leaving a shelf-stable crunchy treat that rehydrates in the dog’s mouth to nearly fresh quality. Charlee Bear runs a multi-ingredient grain-free baked jerky led by named whole turkey muscle and turkey liver, with a chickpea + pea flour + pea protein binder system for structural integrity. The difference in rubric outcome is structural: a single-ingredient freeze-dried product earns the +20 simplicity bonus but scores against a different rubric ceiling than a multi-ingredient grain-free organ-meat treat, which can earn additional function-class and organ-meat bonuses on top of the named-whole-muscle-meat-first credit.
Where Charlee Bear pulls ahead
Organ-meat density bonus: Turkey liver at position two delivers concentrated vitamin A, B12, copper, and iron. Our rubric awards a +4 organ-meat-as-secondary-protein bonus that single-protein PureBites cannot earn (chicken breast is whole muscle, not organ). For dogs benefiting from supplemental organ nutrition (especially seniors or active sporting breeds), the Charlee Bear panel delivers nutrients PureBites does not.
Grain-free function class: The grain-free designation in the rubric awards a +3 bonus when paired with named whole-muscle meat first, conditional on no top-3-grain (corn, wheat, rice, or oat) presence. Charlee Bear earns this; PureBites is in a different function class (single-ingredient freeze-dried) so the grain-free axis does not apply. The function-class differences are why both are top-tier despite being structurally different.
Softer texture for small and senior dogs: Charlee Bear is a baked jerky — firm but pliable, easier to break into smaller pieces and easier on aging teeth. PureBites freeze-dried chicken is crunchy and shatters when bitten, which some toy breeds and dogs with dental sensitivity tolerate less well. Shop Charlee Bear on Amazon →
Where PureBites holds its own
Single-ingredient simplicity: PureBites’ entire ingredient panel is one word: chicken breast. No preservatives, no binders, no humectants, no flavorings, no colors. For dogs with allergies, intolerances, or owners doing strict elimination-diet trials, the one-ingredient panel is the most defensible possible choice. Charlee Bear’s eight-ingredient panel introduces the legume stack, flaxseed, and canola oil — each a potential allergen for sensitive dogs.
No legume content: The FDA’s 2018-ongoing canine DCM investigation has flagged peas, chickpeas, and lentils in the top-three ingredient positions as a pattern-correlated formulation. Charlee Bear has chickpea flour, pea flour, and pea protein in positions three through five — all three legume variants. PureBites has zero legume content. For dogs with cardiomyopathy concerns or owners avoiding the FDA-flagged pattern as precaution, PureBites is the cleaner pick.
Lower per-piece calorie load: PureBites runs about 3 kcal per piece — tied for the lowest in the dog-treat category. For a 50-pound dog with a 110-kcal-per-day treat budget, that’s 35+ pieces of training-session capacity. Charlee Bear runs slightly higher per piece due to the binder system. Shop PureBites on Amazon →
The bottom line
Both are top-tier dog treats with genuinely different formulation philosophies. Charlee Bear scores higher on the rubric because the multi-ingredient organ-meat-and-grain-free panel earns bonuses that a single-ingredient muscle-meat panel cannot. PureBites is the cleaner panel for dogs with sensitivities, allergy diagnostics, or owners avoiding the FDA-flagged DCM-pattern legume stack. Many handlers stock both: Charlee Bear for everyday training and PureBites for elimination-diet periods or for dogs with confirmed legume sensitivities.
Read our full reviews of Charlee Bear Grain-Free Turkey Liver and PureBites Freeze-Dried Chicken Breast for the complete ingredient-by-ingredient breakdown.