3 Treat Recipes Your Dog Will Love

Are you tired of feeding your pup the same old store-bought dog treats every day? They may be sick of it too! 

Many commercially produced dog treats sold in stores contain unnecessary fillers and rendered animal byproducts that aren’t good for your dog’s health. So why not try making your own dog treats at home? Baking DIY treats gives you more control over your canine’s diet and is a great way to switch things up.

Here are 3 tasty dog treat recipes for try out!

Peanut Butter and Bacon Biscuits

What better way to treat your fur baby than by mixing together their two favorite things! 

Ingredients 

• 1 Cup of natural peanut butter
• ¾ cup of nonfat milk
• 1 large egg OR ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• ⅓ cup of oats
• 2-3 strips of cooked bacon, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, gently mix the peanut butter, milk, and egg together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add the flour and baking powder. You may need to turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and use your hands to work in the flour. Mix in the oats and bacon. The dough is extremely thick and heavy.
3. Using a floured rolling pin, cut into shapes using cookie cutters or a knife. Arrange on the baking sheets. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the bottom. Remove from the oven, and flip the treats to bake the other side for 10-12 more minutes.
4. Allow to cool completely before serving to your pup. Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Grain-Free Salmon Pumpkin Treats

For our grain sensitive pups, here is a fan favorite grain-free options that is sure to please!

Ingredients

• 1½ cups of coconut flour
• 1 cup of canned wild caught salmon, drained
• ½ cup coconut oil, melted, but not hot
• ½ cup pumpkin puree (you can also use pureed sweet potato or squash!)
• 4 large eggs

Directions

1. Add all of the ingredients to your food processor. Process until well blended and it easily forms a ball, when you take a little in your hand. If it feels a bit too wet, add just a little more coconut flour, but know that the coconut flour in the dough will absorb as the dough sits.
2. Gently flatten the ball into a disc and place into an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Place the dough disc between two pieces of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out until it is about ⅛ to ¼-inch thick.
5. Using desired cookie cutter shape(s), start cutting and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Don’t waste any of the dough, use the leftover scraps, roll what’s left into a rope, cut into little nuggets and bake. They make great little tiny bite-sized training treats.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown and hard. It is important that biscuits are completely dried out or they will go bad.
7. If you take them out and as they cool, if they feel moist at all, I recommend placing the biscuits in a single layer on an oven-safe cooling rack, and place into a 200ºF oven for 10-20 minutes, until they are dry, hard, crisp and have no moisture at all.
8. Let cook completely and store in an airtight container for a few weeks.

Watermelon Popsicles

These are especially great for the summer, help your dog cool off on hot days with these easy two ingredient watermelon popsicle treats!

Ingredients

• 2 cups watermelon, cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt

Directions

1. Combine the watermelon and the yogurt in the blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into molds or ice cube trays. 
2. Place the molds in the freezer until frozen solid. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer.

We hope you enjoy spoiling your dog with these delicious treats! Little Friends Pet Sitting & Dog Walking has over 10 years of experience of spoiling the pets of Charlotte NC. Looking for reliable pet care in the Charlotte area? Give us a call! New clients can use code: 2FREENEW and get their first two visits up to 30 minutes for free!