Making your own dog treats is a great way to ensure that your furry friend is getting wholesome, nutritious snacks. Homemade treats are often free of preservatives and additives, and you can customize them to suit your dog’s tastes and dietary needs. Here’s how to make your own dog treats:
- Choose the Right Ingredients: Choose ingredients that are safe and healthy for dogs. Some good options include peanut butter, pumpkin puree, oats, and whole wheat flour. Avoid using ingredients that are toxic to dogs, such as chocolate, grapes, and onions. Check out our Toxic Food Guide for Pets for a list of more foods to avoid adding to your homemade dog treats.
- Find a Recipe: There are countless recipes for homemade dog treats online. Find one that suits your dog’s needs and tastes, and make sure to follow the recipe carefully. We love Pinterest and Tiktok for finding the best recipes. Consider searching short phrases like “dog treats with pumpkin” or if your dog is more sensitive to certain foods try, “dog treats without [insert food they are sensitive to]”.
- Gather Your Supplies: Gather all the supplies you’ll need, including mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, a rolling pin, and cookie cutters. Ensure you have baking sheets clean and ready. This is a great time to preheat the oven if needed! Don’t you hate when you have everything ready to go and then “Oops! Forgot to preheat the oven!”
- Mix the Ingredients: Mix the required ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until a dough forms. You may need to add water or flour to adjust the consistency of the dough. Flour will firm the dough up and water will make it a little more moldable.
- Roll Out the Dough: Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness.
- Cut Out Shapes: Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes from the dough. You can use bone-shaped cutters or any other shape that you like. We love this variety pack of Dog Shaped Cookie Cutters.
- Bake the Treats: Place the treats on a lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven according to the recipe’s instructions. Keep an eye on them and don’t forget to set a timer!
- Cool and Store: Allow the treats to cool completely before giving them to your dog. Similarly to humans’ food that is too hot will burn their mouth as well. Store the treats in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
Making your own dog treats is a fun and rewarding activity that can benefit your furry friend’s health and well-being. Choose the right ingredients, find a recipe, gather your supplies, mix the ingredients, roll out the dough, cut out shapes, bake the treats, and cool and store. With these tips in mind, you can create nutritious and delicious treats that your dog will love.
Now that we’ve got treats covered let’s go back to the basics where we will share 5 of the Best Dog Food Brands with you!
