Dog Treat Recipes

Should you give your dog treats or biscuits, one of the most common question that we dog walkers / sitters are asked. As always there is no simple answer. Dog biscuits are very useful for dog training purposes, we all need rewards in our life for when we do something well. The converse of no treat is an encouragement.

Giving a dog treat is good for both of us, sharing a moment and happiness is good for the relationship. So are all treats good for the dog? Commercial dog biscuits and treats are OK, but have a look at the label, some, particularly the moist / soft ones can have some nasty, but legal / FDA ingredients. I prefer to give a dog, the same ingredients I find in my kitchen that I use for my children and family. You know what goes in and it can be of the quality and cost that fits you.

Obesity in dogs is an increasing problem, which mirrors that of humans and has many of the same causes. Busy lifestyle, not giving enough time for exercise and easy to digest processed food. Treats are great for as part of a balanced diet.

The standard ingredients you can use are those that are common to your kitchen. Flour is a staple part of the recipe, most types can be used and if you do not have wholemeal flour, the recipes are often robust enough to take a mix. Using wholemeal flour really makes a healthy base to the biscuit, which can be reinforced with wheat germ, bran or oat meal. Eggs are also often used.

Making your own dog treats, like any baking of goods is very satisfying, but only bake enough for your dog, so do it when you are using something else. Small amounts. Just enough so they stay fresh. They are best for the first couple of days, but in a tight air sealed container, will last for a week. If like many of us you are busy, you can freeze a large quantity, in small bags, enough for a couple of days at a time. Margarine is often used, but other forms of fat can be used. Sometimes the dog treat will be raised with yeast.

The flavour for the biscuit is either added though meat or meat stock, sometimes with the use of cheese. Be careful with salt, as for us, do not overdo it in the recipe.

An advantage of baking your own, is that you can vary the recipe and see if your pooch loves it. Often the best and most practical are when you replace something in the recipe, because you do not have that ingredient in the house! For those older dogs that may find it hard to eat harder dog biscuits, try cooking for the same time at a lower temperature. Though generally this will shorten the time that a biscuit will stay fresh, safe and appetising.

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