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 Perhaps the most important thing to consider when choosing a treat recipe for your dog is your pet's own personal and individual needs. Dogs differ as much as people do. Some people cannot eat certain foods or they can get sick. Some people are picky and will only eat certain foods. Some will eat any type of food. Some people have a tendency to gain weight while others have trouble putting weight on. You will know your pet better than anyone else. Please bear in mind that the author of these recipes cannot be responsible for understanding you pet's unique needs. Remember, moderation is best, when feeding your pet new foods. As with any recipe, keep your pet's special needs in mind: read descriptions carefully and introduce new foods slowly.
Remember to check the ingredients of the dog treats you will prepare. These ingredients need to be safe foods for pets. There are foods that are ok for humans to eat, but they can be poisonous for dogs. There are other foods that can be consumed by dogs, but only in moderation.
If you decide to buy your own dog treats, is always good to check the ingredients. There are a lot of natural, healthy, and delicious treats for your dogs. Always check the recommendations for feeding any treats to your dog. Depending on their size, the amount of treats will change.
Enjoy this sample of free dog treat recipes!
"This recipe makes a nice apple-flavored, cracker-like treat. The little bites are crispy and sweet, without relying on processed sugar. They are also quite tasty for people as well, and are healthy and satisfying to people and their pets alike."
Ingredients:
4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium-sized apple
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/3 cups water
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the apple and water. Mix well, using any large utensil, or even an electric mixer, to thoroughly blend the wet ingredients into the dry until everything is completely incorporated, and a dough has begun to form.
- Using a vegetable grater, grate the apple, including the skin, but discard the stem, core and seeds. Then add the grated apple to the dough. Use your hands to knead and work the dough, and blend in the apple. Then slowly begin adding water, a small amount at a time, and mixing it in with your hands. The finished dough should be soft, and not at all crumbly. Use only as much water as you need to achieve this.
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Knead well. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a thin sheet, about 1/4" to 1/2" thick.
- Prepare a cookie sheet by lightly greasing it with margarine, oil, or non-stick cooking spray. Carefully transfer the sheet of dough on top of the cookie sheet. Trim any excess edges off, so that the dough fits the sheet perfectly. You may wish to incorporate the extra dough back in, but try to keep the surface as even as possible.
- With any clean, straightedge surface, or a pizza cutter, score the dough horizontally then vertically, making a "grid of squares, each about 1" square. It isn't necessary to cut all the way through the dough, just leave a light impression.
- Place the cookie sheet into the preheated oven. Bake for about for 1 hour, then remove from the heat and allow it to cool until safe to handle. When cool, use your hands to break along with "perforations" that you made, into tiny bite sized pieces. Serve when they are completely cool, or store in an airtight container until ready to use. Makes around 100 apple bites.
"These sweet, muffin-like treats are soft and tender when finished. They contain ingredients like apples, honey and vanilla, to give them a sweet flavor without using processed sugar. Both cats and dogs can appreciate their soft, spongy texture. Do not use fresh fruit for this recipe, and be especially wary of apple seeds, which can be toxic in some cases."
This recipe is good for most dogs.
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup dried apple pieces
1 tablespoon baking powder
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together water, applesauce, honey, egg, and vanilla. Stir and mix well.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, apple pieces, and baking powder. Stir to combine. When the dry mixture is even, slowly stir it into the wet ingredients. Mix well by hand, until all ingredients are completely blended a consistent mixture ensues. The mixture will have lumps.
- Grease miniature size muffin pans using butter or non-stick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling each one about 3/4 of the way full. When all the batter has been used up, place the muffin pans into the preheated oven. Bake them for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until they are slightly browned, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. Remove and allow to cool completely before serving to animals. For smaller pets, break muffins into pieces. Store excess muffins in a covered container. Makes about 25 - 30 miniature muffins.
"These biscuits are made from rice and flour, and are flavored with baby food. You can save yourself time by cooking the rice ahead of time, of the day before and keeping it in the refrigerator. You can also try using instant rice, which is usually very reliable, although some varieties might not give you very good results."
Ingredients:
1 large jar (about 6 ounces) any vegetable and beef baby food
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup uncooked rice
1 package unflavored jello
1 cup powdered dry milk
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)
1/3 cup very warm water (110 degrees)
1 egg
1 beef bouillon cube
3/4 cup water
Instructions:
- Cook the rice first, or ahead of time, if desired. You may follow the directions on the box, or add the rice to a heavy pot with a lid. Cover the rice with a generous amount of water. Then cover the pot, and bring the water and rice to a boil over high heat. When the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium. Let the rice cook for about 5-10 minutes more. Then reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is puffed and soft. When it is done, drain the rice well and let it cool completely.
- When the rice is considerably cooled, preheat the oven to 300°F. Add the 3/4 cup of water to a small saucepan. Heat it over medium heat until the water just begins to boil. Then turn off the heat. Drop the bouillon cube into the hot water, and stir it until it dissolves.
- Add the warm water to a small cup or bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and then stir gently until the yeast is dissolved.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, gelatin powder, and dry milk. Mix well by stirring or sifting together.
- Pour the bouillon mixture into the dry ingredients. Add the yeast/water mixture. Then add the baby food, the egg, and 1 cup of the cooked rice. Stir well, by hand, for several minutes, or until all the ingredients are completely incorporated into the mixture. You should have a dough begin to form.
- Knead the dough inside the bowl with your hands, working to blend in any remaining ingredients and help make the dough easy to manage. It should be very dry.
- Transfer the dough out to a floured surface. Knead a few times, then, with a rolling pin, roll the dough into a sheet about 1/4" thick.
- Prepare a cookie or baking sheet by greasing with margarine, oil, or by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. Then, using a cookie or biscuit cutter, cut the dough into the desired shapes. Or, you can use a knife to cut the dough into squares or bars. As you cut out each shape, arrange it onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Repeat with the remaining dough, reusing any scraps that form, until you run out of dough and can no longer make any more cut outs. Then once all the dough is arranged onto the cookie sheet, place it into the preheated oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the heat when finished baking, and let the biscuits cool completely. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen, depending on size.
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