Has anyone made Homemade Dog Treats?

Dog Food Advisor Forums Homemade Dog Food Has anyone made Homemade Dog Treats?

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  • #53885 Report Abuse
    Kayla
    Member

    I am thinking about making Homemade Dog Treats but I don’t know how or what recipes will be safe for my pup? Any one make them? Any tips and advice?

    #54442 Report Abuse
    C L
    Member

    Hi Kayla, There’s no need to buy treats when you can make much better ones at home. If you did try and buy better ones, they are extremely expensive. My recipe comes to about $2 a pound to make. I can’t find the exact recipe right now, but this is close. I made it up myself and all the ingredients are safe AND healthy!

    Costco organic peanut butter (has salt, has no sugar) 1/3 container = 9.3 oz.
    chick pea flour
    4 large eggs
    iodized salt (1 tsp)`

    Beat the eggs, beat in salt, then incorporate the peanut butter into it until it’s mixed pretty good. Add chick pea flour & mix in thoroughly. I can’t recall how much I use, approx 1 cup. The consistency should be extremely thick, if not, add more chick pea flour (possibly another 1/2 cup).

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

    Oil a baking sheet or pan. Oil your hands to keep the mixture from sticking. Grab about a lemon-sized amount in your hand and press between your hands to form a thick patty, about 3″ wide & 3/4 in thick. Place on greased surface, bake on 2nd shelf for 8-10 minutes. You can place the cookies close together, because they will not spread while cooking.

    I like them to come out firm, but soft. My dog likes them that way. I have a Chihuahua, so I keep one cookie in the refrigerator that will be good to feed her (pieces of it) for 4 days. I freeze the rest, since there are no preservatives. They are her most favorite cookie ever! My dog is 3-1/2 pounds so I don’t want to make the treats super small, but you may want to make it to a smaller serving size if you’re feeding an entire cooking at a time. Be aware, too many of these treats will make your dog fat. I give my dog a tiny piece when I go out (she can’t choke on it), and a tiny piece in the afternoon and a tiny piece in the evening. Good luck! Whoever makes this, your dog will love you even more!

    #54455 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I have a dehydrator and I just have the butcher slice meat for jerky then put it in the dehydrator. Since I don’t use all the salt and sugar that are in commercial jerky, I store it in the freezer.

    #54525 Report Abuse
    Dog_Obsessed
    Member

    I once made pumpkin peanut butter dog treats that were a huge hit, but I can’t do it that often because of the time it takes. I’m thinking of making a big batch and freezing part of it.

    Why was this topic reported? 🙁

    #54529 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    There is more than one person who accidently reports because they are trying to click on a nonexistant “LIKE” button.

    #54532 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Kayla, here is a link with some of my recipes. You can modify as you see fit, just make sure you use dog-friendly ingredients.

    #54706 Report Abuse
    Kayla
    Member

    I was wondering the same thing why it was reported…. I said nothing wrong! And thank you for all the ideas and recipes. I will be sure to look at them and give one or some a try very soon and update when I do 🙂 And, BC your comment about the nonexistant like made me laugh lol! ha

    What link Naturella, I don’t see a link.. :/

    #54722 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    We had a “LIKE” button for a couple weeks, but some software update got rid of it and we never got it back, but some are still looking for it, and it really was where the report button is now.

    #54726 Report Abuse
    Cyndi
    Member

    I FINALLY dehydrated (in my oven) a little bit of the deer liver I had gotten from a friend of mine. My Bailey is funny, she will eat chicken livers raw, no problem, but any other kind of liver she will not eat. So, before I dehydrated some of the deer liver, I gave her a little slice and she wouldn’t eat it. Damn mutt! So, I sliced off about 20 little slices and cooked them in the oven on low for a few hours and she LOVES it. It didn’t even smell all that bad while cooking, but it sure was gross slicing it up, lol! Next weekend I’ll do the rest and I’ll probably have enough treats to last a month. Yay for free liver treats! 🙂

    #54731 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I hate cutting up raw liver, so I throw it in a pot of water and boil it until it starts to turn grayish, then I cut it up and dehydrate it. That improves the texture or the finished product, too.

    #54734 Report Abuse
    Cyndi
    Member

    Very good to know. I’ll have to try that with the rest of it. Thanks! 🙂

    #54776 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I’ve made the pumpkin dog treats from this site. It’s very easy and quick and I actually added just a pinch of cinnamon. I used brown rice cereal instead of cream of wheat.

    http://www.all-natural-dog-treat.com/homemade-dog-treat-recipes.html

    #54794 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    BC. How thin do you ask the butcher to slice the meat to put in the dehydrater? I recently got a dehydrater and so, of course, I’m running around dehydrating everything. The slicing of the meat is now losing its appeal not to mention time consuming and the occasional slicing of my finger tips. lol

    Slicing liver is so gross. Thx for the tip about boiling first.

    • This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by Dori.
    #54797 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I tell the butcher that I want it “beef jerky sliced” and most of it comes about 1/4 inch thick.

    #54798 Report Abuse
    Naturella
    Member

    Kayla, my bad… Here is the link: /forums/topic/homemade-treats/

    #54799 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Thx BC. I’ll have the butcher do likewise. It was kinda fun at first like getting a new toy. Now I want the butcher to cut the meat.

    #54801 Report Abuse
    USA
    Member

    Hi Dori and BC and Cyndi,

    A few tips on slicing meats for jerky that make it easier and cut down on smell! Take the meat you are going to slice out of the refrigerator and put it into the freezer for an hour or two. The goal is to get it to firm up without being frozen. So by trial and error you can find out how long to place the liver or chicken breast or ? in the freezer for it to be firm and ALMOST frozen.

    I have a freezer with a special thermostat that I set at 24 degrees F and it gives me meats that are perfect for slicing.

    Congrats on your new dehydrator Dori!!!

    #54805 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    I’ve used the almost frozen trick many times and it does work wonderfully!! Alas, I have arthritis in my hands and doing that much cutting HURTS. I should invest in a meat slicer, but I’d need a new kitchen then, just not enough space.

    #59865 Report Abuse
    Dog_Obsessed
    Member

    I just made dog treats with a recipe composed of various recipes I had seen online, here it is:

    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

    2. Combine the following ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir:

    3/4 of a cup Garbanzo Bean flour
    1/2 a can wet dog food (I used Nulo Turkey and Sweet Potato)
    1/4 of a cup plain canned pumpkin
    2 teaspoons plain peanut butter
    A bit of water if needed

    3. Slightly grease the baking sheet(I used Safflower oil, might not be necessary.)

    4. Scoop out little balls of dough onto a baking sheet.

    5. Bake for ~25 minutes, until slightly brown and a fork comes out clean when stuck in.

    6. Let the treats cool for a few minutes.

    7. Feed to your dog!

    Makes about 20 treats.

    I will store these in the fridge for a few days and the freezer for longer. Lily seems to love them!

    • This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.
    #59912 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    I see you’re keeping busy during the crazy storm out West. Hope you and your crew are well. Praying for no mud slides for all of you.

    #59923 Report Abuse
    Dog_Obsessed
    Member

    Thanks Dori! It is getting pretty crazy out here. That raincoat I got Lily a few weeks ago is a lifesaver! No 40mph winds though, or not yet anyway. Knock on wood!

    • This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.
    #59940 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Keep us posted so we know you and your family are alright. I was just watching the news and weather and it sounds like you guys are going through some hairy/scary times. When I lived in Cali. all we had to worry about were earthquakes. It never rained. No mudslides. Keep safe and be well.

    #59944 Report Abuse
    Dog_Obsessed
    Member

    I think some parts of the state are worse than others. As annoying/scary as it is, we all know we need rain badly, and so there is a good side too. I’m just glad I’m not camping now, while my trip in October was awesome, but I wound NOT want to be there now. I will keep you updated.

    #61655 Report Abuse
    Gloria K
    Member

    Dori what kind of dehydrator did you get? Do you like it? I’m wondering if I make dog biscuits and cookies in the dehydrator inside of the oven will they be, crisp and crunchy rather than chewy? Anybody know the answer to this?

    #61822 Report Abuse
    Dori
    Member

    Hi Gloria K. I have the TSM Stainless Steel Food Dehydrator with 5 stainless Steel Shelves. It was recommended to me by USATreats (one of the posters on DFA). It’s available at Amazon.

    As to making biscuits and cookies, I’m sorry I can’t answer that question. I only use it as a dehydrator for making jerky and dehydrating fruits and veggies. Hopefully someone else will come on and answer that part of your question.

    #61896 Report Abuse
    USA
    Member

    Hi Gloria,

    A dehydrator would be best for fruits and whole meats sliced thinly. For biscuits and cookies an oven would be the better choice.

    #63598 Report Abuse
    Danita G
    Member

    Pinterest has some good doggie recipes. Give it a try!

    #63601 Report Abuse
    Gloria K
    Member

    Danita, I have a terrific board on Pinterest titled DOG FOOD AND TREATS. Look me up on Pinterest and take a look. Great recipes for treats and biscuits

    #156455 Report Abuse
    Hannah B
    Participant

    I’ve got a Cuisinart FS-75 meat slicer (find a review here). It serves my purpose really well, which is to buy the big pounders of solid ham/turkey and then slice it up and store it in my freezer. After cutting up a ham and turkey this has already paid for itself. My dog adores it 🙂

    #156480 Report Abuse
    Chipy
    Participant

    Hi Kayla,

    So awesome that you are thinking about making homemade dog treats. Your pup is lucky to have you!

    Here is a link to a video Dr. Dobias recorded making a dehydrated meal for his dog. I like to follow his recommendations and prepare dehydrated treats for my pup.

    How to make homemade dehydrated dog food:
    https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/how-to-make-homemade-dehydrated-dog-food

    Dehydrated meat should keep for up to a month if it’s been stored correctly. The shelf life can be extended by placing the treats in a fridge or freezer. I recommend checking out some additional online sources about making dehydrated treats and meals as well as best practices to store.

    I tend to make small batches in order to ensure freshness, rather than making too much and having some spoil and go to waste. This online Recipe Maker provides guidance on amounts of each ingredient and which ingredients are best.

    https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com/

    I hope this helps. Wishing you and your pup the best in good health! 🙂

    #156995 Report Abuse
    Frenky C
    Participant

    Mostly I go for dehydrated meat mixed with some other food for my pup

    #163194 Report Abuse
    The Dog Bakery
    Participant

    You can try our Top 20 healthy homemade dog food recipes your dog will love – https://www.thedogbakery.com/blogs/news/top-20-healthy-homemade-dog-food-recipes-your-dog-will-love

    #168655 Report Abuse
    Debbi S
    Participant

    I make homemade dog treats and sell them at local festivals. I am looking for a natural preservative that will extend the freshness of my dog treats without having to refridgerator or freeze them. I want to sell them in some local stores in sealed bags but I am afraid they will mold too quickly. Any suggestions. Also I can not figure out how to post on this site. Thanks

    • This reply was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by Debbi S.
    #171833 Report Abuse
    Wrishov R
    Participant

    3 Fundamentals of a Dog’s Homemade Diet

    1. The importance of variety

    Don’t limit yourself to just one recipe. Feed your dog a variety of foods, including chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, fish, and eggs. We also mean feeding your dog different parts, such as muscle meat and organ meats, when we say “variety.” Remember that different types of meat and cuts of meat have different nutrient profiles. Include a wide range of fruits and vegetables.

    By varying what you feed your dog, you are providing a wider range of nutrients to your four-legged family member. It’s perfectly fine to have a few recipes that your dog eats on a regular basis. But don’t just serve one or two and leave the rest out.

    2. Maintaining Balance Over Time

    I’m pretty sure you don’t eat a complete and balanced meal every day of the year. Your dog, like us, does not have to eat a complete and balanced meal every single time. What matters is that their nutritional requirements are met over a period of days or weeks. Only if you feed your dog a single recipe should you be concerned about providing a complete and balanced meal every time. As a result, the first rule we mentioned, variety, is crucial.

    3. Understand which ingredients are safe and which are not.

    Some of the ingredients we use in our cooking are toxic to dogs. As a result, you should be aware of which ones are safe to use in your dog’s meals and which are not.

    Onions, for example, are poisonous to dogs. As a result, never include onions in your dog’s homemade diet. Dogs are also poisoned by avocados, macadamia nuts, grapes, and raisins. You might be interested in the Dog Food Secrets 5th Edition, which includes a list of Safe Ingredients for Homecooked Meals for Dogs. That’s a great place to start, especially if you’re new to cooking for your dog.

    So those are the three fundamental principles of a homemade diet for dogs. They’re quite simple!

    Here’s wishing your dog good health, happiness, and a long life!
    3-Super-Simple Tricks For Getting Your Dog to Eat Every Vegetable You Serve=https://itswrishov1996.systeme.io/0b3a8158

    #172708 Report Abuse
    Johnah R
    Participant

    It really depends what size your dog is. I got Dobermans, so I make them Satin balls. I usually add more powdered vitamins there.

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