Recipes for Dog Treats

Using healthy recipes for dog treats help reward your dog, particularly after good training sessions and/or good behavior (on your dog's part!). Dog biscuit recipes, dog cake recipes and homemade dog treat recipes using wholesome, organic ingredients are fun to make and good for your pet.

Try these recipes for dog treats instead of buying commercial dog treats with artificial colors, fillers, chemicals and other ingredients that aren't good for your pooch!

Homemade dog treat recipes aren't difficult, and you probably have most of the ingredients you need already in your pantry.

And in addition to knowing what all is going into the treats you're making, you will actually have some fun and maybe save some money on expensive store-bought dog treats.

Your dog is worth it!

Not sure where to start? Well, how about with a list of items that you can use in your dog biscuits:

• Bacon grease (frugally)
• Bone meal
• Carrots
• Cheese
• Chicken or beef broth (real not bouillon)
• Cornmeal
• Cracked wheat
• Eggs
• Flour
• Oats
• Peanut butter
• Whole wheat flour
• Yogurt

By the way, there are some homemade dog treat recipes online that include grapes and raisins. These have proven toxic to some dogs. Consult with your Veterinarian before including these items in any of your pet’s foods.

Before looking into flavored dog treats, having one basic recipe can get you started. Using this recipe will give you lots of room for adaptation flavor-wise.

• 5.5 cups flour (regular, unbleached)
• 1 cup cornmeal
• ½ cup powdered milk (skim preferably)
• 1 egg
• 1 package dry yeast
• 3.5 cups meat broth (not bouillon)
• Egg wash

Place the yeast in a small bowl with the warm broth (be sure it’s not hot or it kills the yeast).

Let the yeast begin to work. Meanwhile mix flour, cornmeal, and milk powder together. Pour the yeast and broth into the dry goods. Stir. Shape into a ball for rolling. You can use a cookie cutter to shape the dog biscuits.

Lay these on a no-stick cookie sheet or a lightly oiled regular cookie sheet and brush the top with the egg wash. Bake for 45 minutes at 300 degrees.

Leave at room temperature for one full day to harden then store in an airtight container (warning: do not leave these where your dog can reach them - you won't have any in the morning!).

In looking through recipes for dog treats, you can make some very simple adaptations so long as you watch portioning. For this recipe, for example, you might:

• Change the all purpose flour for whole wheat.
• Use vegetable broth instead of meat.
• Add shredded carrots and decrease the flour.
• Use ground liver for part of the flour (1:1 ratio).
• Add 1-2 tbsp. brewer’s yeast or garlic to the mix to deter fleas.*
• Add a tbsp. of oregano to sweeten your puppy’s breath.

* Garlic can be toxic to dogs. Please consult with your Veterinarian to make sure you’re not using too much.

Another treat you can make your dog, especially for an occasion like a birthday or holiday, is a cake.

Compared to most dogs' daily diets, a specially prepared cake is sure to leave him or her wagging for more. As with the homemade dog biscuits, most of the ingredients you need are already in your pantry so this won't become expensive.

Let's look at a sample dog cake recipe:

• 2 cups flour
• 1.5 tsp. baking powder
• 2/3 cup butter
• ½ cup olive oil
• 3 eggs

This recipe makes enough for a basic canine cake that's 8" x 8" (baked at 350 degrees for 45 minutes). Now, if you want to kick that cake up a notch, how about adding

• beef or chicken baby food
• bacon grease or bits (make sure these aren’t imitation)
• shredded carrots
• And no matter what, don’t forget the frosting! You can use yogurt, cream cheese or better still peanut butter.

Recipes for dog treats are everywhere. There are even whole books dedicated to cooking for your canine companion in fun and nutritionally healthy ways. A couple cautions: Dogs, like people, can develop allergies to certain foods (eggs, dairy, wheat). Test new foods cautiously. And if your dog has any special physical conditions, it's always good to check with your veterinarian before changing their diet.

One of the best reasons to make your own dog treat recipes is that you can control the ingredients. Many dogs have food allergies and require a controlled diet. Making your own dog treats and foods allows you to control what your pet eats.

If your dog has allergies that flare up and that result in itchy skin, we recommend PetAlive Allergy Itch Ease. This is a herbal remedy that will temporarily relieve skin allergies and itch, while you try to find out what your dog is allergic to and eliminate it. Make sure you talk to your veterinarian about using Allergy Itch Ease before you give it to your dog.

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