Have You Ever Made Homemade Treats for Your Dog?
It’s customary to wake up thinking about our day and all that may go into it. One of the more creative jobs many of us face daily is what to feed our families. That especially includes our precious canine kids that have lovingly stolen our hearts forever. So, what can we do? We try to make them as happy and healthy as we can with high quality foods, snacks, exercise and plenty of tender loving care. Making delicious, healthy, homemade dog treats is one way to give your precious pooch the rewards he lives for.
Let’s show our furry, paw shaking citizens some serious puppy love. How about some healthy dog treats ideas that will keep our canine darlings wagging their tails for more?! After all, they deserve nothing but the best of our time, attention and kitchen cuisine!
FIRST THINGS FIRST – BARE DOG-BONE FACTS ABOUT COMMERCIAL DOG TREATS
Parents of precious pups want nothing more than to feed their fur babies well. Store-bought or commercial dog treat company brands offer hundreds of selections. They aim to entice dog owners to purchase their wares. Sadly, many of these products are highly deficient in nutritional value and ingredients. Are you surprised at the added sugar content in your dog treats? Why would a dog need sugar? Fact is, they don’t. This is just one very unnecessary ingredient hiding in treats. There are many more undesirables like starches, grains, additives and preservatives.
Of course, not all commercial dog treat brands are created equal. There are some brands out there that try to incorporate a better selection of ingredients. Here’s the short and sweet of it. Commercial brands of human-grade dog foods and treats could and should include a ratio of 75-80% real meat and 20-25% fresh veggies. Also important are naturally sourced trace mineral blends to get off to a good start.
The term ‘food grade’ does mean ‘edible for human consumption’. It doesn’t mean that certain human foods are always appropriate for your dog. For example, grains are edible; but are not always a great food option for dogs. They challenge most dog’s stomachs and don’t offer much nutritional value. As they do in humans, grains can also trigger allergies in dogs. Be wary of them. Also, explore fat and carbohydrate levels for your dog’s breed. This offers personalized nutritional value.
Keep in mind that all foods, snacks or meals are a complete make-up of your dog’s caloric intake. Just because the bites are small doesn’t mean the weight won’t add up to an unhealthy number. Being mindful of the size, weight and breed of your dog will help owners make the best decisions where mealtimes and treats are concerned.
NOW FOR THE FUN PART
Are you a novice in the kitchen? Great! This is the perfect place to become a culinary success. You can learn how to throw a few good homemade dog treats together for your furry friends. Making your own healthy dog treats doesn’t take much time or energy. Your doggies will absolutely love these delicious treats more than the store-bought treats you may have relied on in the past. Don’t be surprised if your pooch begins to hang out more in the kitchen with you once he gets a whiff of what’s coming together in that bowl!
Before we move on to recipes, take a look below of our list of veggies and fruits that are good choices. There are also some that you may want to skip over due to toxicity concerns. Keep in mind to remove any seeds and rinds of most fruits. Use only small and/or confirmed recipe measured amounts of each of the veggies and fruits under the GOOD columns. Remember to keep honing your homemade recipe researching habits. You’ll find even more food safety information to help keep your dog healthy. Safety first!
– Good Veggies and Fruits
apples, bananas, watermelon, mango, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, oranges, blueberries, pineapple, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, celery, pears, potatoes.
– Not-So-Good/Bad Veggies and Fruits
grapes, raisins, tomatoes, avocado, mushrooms, onions, asparagus, cherries. Pretend chocolate is a fruit or vegetable if you like. Just remember, it too is a bad choice for your fur baby.
TASTY DOG TREATS YOU CAN MAKE YOURSELF
These easy recipes include all the instructions needed to make truly scrumptious doggie treats. Not only could they put more pep in Fido’s step; they will probably become the norm as his favorite treats from here on. These are great when used as training tools, too.
Any unused leftover ingredients can be stored and used again for other recipes. One more thing, if you make enough, you may also have a meal fit for the king or queen cook of the house. Sampling is a good thing! So, let’s get started!
RECIPE #1 – YUMMY TURKEY BALLS
Shopping Basket:
1 pound ground turkey
1 egg
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1/4 cup shredded cheese (optional)
1/2 cup chopped veggies (optional)
cookie sheet
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all the goodies in one bowl to thoroughly combine. Shape into bite-sized balls or chunks. Bake until brown, about 10 minutes. Cool and serve. These easy treats can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer until ready to serve.
RECIPE #2 – FROZEN BANANA DOG TREATS
Shopping Basket:
2 ripe bananas (mashed)
3 Tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter (no hydrogenated oils, please!)
24 ounces of low fat yogurt (plain yogurt has less or no added sugars)
2 Tablespoons applesauce
ice trays
Preparation:
Soften peanut butter in microwave to make mixing easier, if necessary. Blend all the ingredients in a bowl. Then, spoon into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, pop these cool and delicious treats for your pet to enjoy during warm weather or anytime!
RECIPE #3 – OATMEAL BONES
Shopping basket:
2-1/2cups rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup unsalted beef or chicken broth
wax paper
fun cookie cutter
parchment paper
cookie sheet
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine salt, broth, egg and 2 cups oats in large bowl. Add additional 1/2 cup of oats and combine. Empty mixture on wax paper and knead dough for approximately 3 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes for mixture to firm up. Then, press mixture into 1/2-inch thickness. Use cookie cutter on mixture and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. These great little treats can be stored in an airtight container for easy-access or placed in plastic freezer bags for later use.
