Do any of you bake your own dog treats or know of any recipes for them? There are a lot of dogs in my family and I thought it would be nice to give them a basket for Christmas with new toys and treats. I can't cook anything with corn because I don't feed it to Vader and my mom's two shelties are both allergic. I'm looking for easy healthy recipes to make.

My wife bakes dog treats I will get the recipe she uses and post later on this evening... I think they are apple and cheese flavor, all natural ingredients... They taste good and the dog likes them too

 Quote: Olivia Brown

Do any of you bake your own dog treats or know of any recipes for them? There are a lot of dogs in my family and I thought it would be nice to give them a basket for Christmas with new toys and treats. I can't cook anything with corn because I don't feed it to Vader and my mom's two shelties are both allergic. I'm looking for easy healthy recipes to make.

It's tricky without freezing or refrigerating the treats, because you don't want to bake a wheat flour-based item (which is what many so-called gourmet dog treats in specialty shops are). Can the basket be kept cold?

If not, I'd probably lean towards microwave jerky-type treats.



PS
Also, this thread features tiny marker treats that could be split into baggies with a cute tag telling the flavor on each one.
http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=306240#Post306240

I beleive the reicipe uses rice flour does this make a difference, I didnt realize other than allergies that flour wasn't good.

 Quote: kyle deserio

I beleive the reicipe uses rice flour does this make a difference, I didnt realize other than allergies that flour wasn't good.

It does make a difference. Rice flour is far better than wheat, since it's a non-gluten flour and gluten in wheat, etc., is a frequent problem.

Dogs are designed to process meat, but of course a bit of "glue" is needed to make most homemade treats. The issue I have with the "gourmet treat" counters in doggy delis and the like is that too many of those items are almost all wheat flour. If flour is the top item, I don't want it for a dog.

Some very good all-natural and mainly-meat treats do have a bit of flour (not wheat because it's not just the gluten that's a problem -- it's the fact that wheat, along with corn and soy, is so common in commercial dog products that it has become one of the common allergens).

I look for "no corn, soy, or wheat," and then for meat or fish or whatever it is to be at the top of the I.L.

I have been tempted to try some using quinoa flour. I don't know how it behaves in baking, but as far as grains go it is one of the healthiest available, gluten free and high in protein.

I have used the grains in place of oatmeal when making satin balls.

If you use Peanut Butter in them, make sure to let them dry from about a week or else they mold! Even though PB is no good for dogs or humans...

I've been using oat flour in the treats I'm making.

I'll get you the recipe for those and salmon brownies tomorrow.

Sounds good..thanks!! I can keep the treats cold or frozen..whatever they need. I just wanted to try and make my own since buying them is so expensive and I'm never sure of the quality.

Ripley's Biscuits

1 c flour (oat, rice, or spelt work well)
1 c oats
1 tbsp baking powder
1 c skim milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 c peanut butter

Optional ingredients:
flax seeds
cinnamon
ginger
Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp molasses
May substitute chicken broth for the milk
1 c mashed banana
1 c cooked sweet potato
1 c pumpkin
1 c chopped apples
1 c grated sharp cheddar


Mix liquids & peanut butter (microwave helps). Add dry ingredients (including cheese if you add it). Add oats/flour as needed to make mixture dry enough to handle without sticking.

Roll dough ¼ inch thick and cut into shapes, OR drop spoonfuls and flatten on greased cookie sheet. No need to leave room between cookies, they won’t spread or rise. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes until golden brown (they won’t brown much). For extra crunch, I usually turn them over and bake them another 10-15 minutes. The baking time can depend on how big you make the individual cookies and how crunchy vs. chewy you want them to be. It’s easy to experiment and have fun, the dogs love them regardless!