Making homemade dog treats is one of the nicest things you can do for your dog.  There are several reasons why it’s a good idea to make treats for your dog:

 

1.  It’s fun.  It’s something that you and your dog can (sort of) do together.  Your dog loves helping you in the kitchen, or at least licking the bowl.

 

2.  Making homemade dog treats is a great way to take charge of your dog’s diet. Are you concerned about your dog’s weight?  Does your dog have any health issues such as  diabetes  or pancreatitis?  Making his treats yourself lets you personally select every ingredient.  You can be certain that each ingredient is healthy.  No need to worry about anything being recalled.  You can even count calories if you have to.

 

3.  There are an infinite variety of treats you can make.  You can offer your dog a far greater variety of treats when you make them yourself.  No dog bakery and nothing for sale in a pet store can compare to the different kinds of treats you can come up with for your dog.

 

4.  Making homemade dog treats is easy.  There’s very little that’s complicated about making homemade dog treat recipes.  If you find a recipe that’s more difficult than you like, find a different one.

 

5.  There are few things that show your dog how much you love him as much as cooking for him.  Making treats for him is a very nice thing to do for your dog and it’s something that he will love.  Dogs love just about anything we make for them.  They’re very easy to please!

 

In order to make homemade dog treats you need the same kind of kitchenware that you use for yourself:

 

l        mixing bowls

l        spatulas

l        cookie sheets

l        cutting board

l        cupcake pans

l        muffin pans

l        oven

l        microwave

l        mixer

 

Once you’ve rounded up all of the kitchenware you need, you only have to choose a good treat recipe for your dog.  Does he like anything in particular?  Is he crazy for cheese?  Does he love liver?  Maybe he adores tuna or salmon?  If you know your dog has a favorite, you can whip up some special treats with that favorite ingredient.  Or, make something different each time you make treats.  Give your dog a little variety.  Find out what he likes best.  You may discover something new that he really loves.

 

Here’s a great recipe that dogs love.  You can make it special by using dog bone-shaped cookie cutters.

 

Birthday Bones

 

PREP TIME 

15 Min

COOK TIME 

20 Min

READY IN 

35 Min

  

Servings 18

 

INGREDIENTS

            •           2 cups whole wheat flour

            •           1 tablespoon baking powder

            •           1 cup unsalted natural peanut butter

            •           1 cup skim milk

 

DIRECTIONS

            1.         Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Stir together the flour and baking powder; set aside.

            2.         In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter and milk. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

            3.         Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

 

How simple is that?  Your dog will love them.  Most dogs love peanut butter and if you use the unsalted, natural peanut butter is has less trans fat.

 

There are lots of dog cookbooks and other places where you can find great treat recipes.  Try lots of them and see how your dog likes them.  He’ll really thank you.