Dog Treat Recipes

[Guest]

[Penny]

Hi,

Does anyone have any good dog treat recipes? Ones that are good for training (not crumbly) would be ideal.

Thanks!

[spottedeverywhere]

oh yes yes YES, let's all use less crumbly treats in the training room!  LOL, my pup's almost always a bit of challenge at first with the amount of crumbs on the floor...

I'm assuming you are wanting healthy or more economical options to the packaged training treats?

Mostly I use her kibble soaked in just enough water to make it soft but not mushy, a bit of olive/flax/salmon oil, and grated parmesan cheese.   Experiment based on your brand, but I put about a half cup of high quality puppy kibble, or the super tasty Evo brand, none of the grain filled grocery brands, in a ziplock with about 2 Tablespoons of water and a teaspoon of oil (alternate kinds or what yours prefers).  Mix it up good and let it sit until the liquid is absorbed.  It should be soft but not mushy and the grated (very fine, not shredded) parmesan should stick to it when tossed in the bag.   Sometimes I add a 1" ribbon of that cheese in a can if I need extra power <smile> but I'm trying to use healthier treats.

Speaking of healthy, keep the moisted kibble treats in the fridge until you are ready to use them.  I don't leave mine out for more than a couple of hours and I give her whatever's left at the end of the day in her crate and night and make a fresh bag for the next day, to absorb the parmesan flavor in the fridge overnight for the next day.  Be sure to subtract the amount you use from her daily ration if you're concerned about weight.

The puppy kibble or Evo Small Bites are usually small enough, but sometimes I'll squeeze them in half when training if I want smaller pieces and since they are soft they don't crumble at all.

Sometimes I'll add a bit of microwaved until soft peanut butter and/or dark molasses to the water and oil mix, that works well too.  The main thing I find with my pup is to vary the flavors from day to day to keep her attention.   

Most vets I've talked to say the garlic warnings are overblown IF IF *IF* you use the tiniest dust amount only for scent and flavor in the bag and most dogs love it, but check with your vet if you're concerned about using garlic.

String cheese is my fall back treat, never fails with her, she should do one of those "behold the power of cheese" commercials.  Dehydrated slices of cheese break nicely into little training bits too, I dehydrate mine by just leaving them open in the fridge in a single layer on a paper towel.  Break them up after they get to the leathery stage, then the bits don't stick together.  If they do a little depending on the kind of cheese, you can toss them in a ziplock with a teeny bit of flour or corn starch.

The latest treat I've discovered by accident that she prefers over meat treats even ( !!!! ) is dried bananas!  I'm experimenting with different ways of doing them now.  She *loves* the commercial dried banana chips, I break them into training size bits and they don't crumble unless they are super fresh and dry.  After the package is open a few days, they don't crumble anymore.  I do want to limit her sugar consumption so I'm limiting this one, but it sure gets her attention!

I usually start a training session with the flavored soft kibble, and move up the scale as attention and circumstances suggest.

[Marjorie]

My favorite technique is to take a hotdog (organic, grass-fed beef--I don't eat meat myself, but only the best for the dogs ), cut it cross-wise in half, then take each half and cut it lengthwise into 8 "logs" and then slice the logs into tiny treats, about the size of a pencil eraser.  Then I put them in a glass baking dish and microwave for 5 - 7 minutes (stir part way through).  The time varies, but the idea is to harden/dry the pieces up a bit so they don't fall apart, don't make quite as much of a mess of your treat pouch, and keep fresh a bit longer.  You'll have to experiment with your microwave to find the right cooking time to achieve the perfect chewy texture.  When the hot dog bits are done, I stir a bunch of Cheerios into the pan to infuse the Cheerios with the delicious essence of hot dog.  Makes for a good combo--not quite as rich or caloric as all hot dog would be.  But fair warning--my puppy will work for anything even remotely edible, so if your pup has a more discriminating palate, the hot-dog-flavored Cheerios might not work.

Marjorie (with puppy Roshi and rescue boy Barkley)

[Grisha Stewart]

Great treat recipe ideas, you guys!!  Keep them coming!  They sound easy enough that even I could do it... I don't cook much for myself, but for the dogs ... maybe!

[sorthund]

I mostly use hotdogs and string cheese, however also use baked liver and heart (both beef - chicken liver crumbles too easily).

Cut meat into thin strips, boil for a few minutes (I put a bit of garlic powder and rosemary in the water). Place on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven at 350 for about 5-8 minutes. Cool and cut into appropriate size pieces. I usually make a big batch, freeze and then just thaw what I need as I go.

--Charlotte--