Homemade Dog Treat Recipes

Dog treats are great for training and rewarding good behavior. But some treats may contain ingredients that don’t agree with your dog’s belly or have preservatives that you may not want your buddy to ingest.

If you are looking to find some alternatives that contain ingredients you know won’t upset your dog and can save some money, you might want to try making your own treats.

You can try peanut butter biscuits:

1 package dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 cup milk
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose white flour


Preheat oven to 325

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in water. In a large saucepan, mix together the potatoes, milk, molasses, stock, and peanut butter. Heat the mixture, stirring frequently until boiling. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Add yeast mixture. Gradually blend in the egg, wheat, rye, and rice flours. Add enough white flour to form a stiff dough.

Transfer to a floured surface and knead until smooth (about 3-5 minutes). Shape the dough into a ball and roll to 1/2-inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut out biscuits. Place on un-greased baking sheets, spacing them about 1/4-inch (6 mm) apart. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool overnight. Makes several dozen hard treats.

Now that summer is here, maybe a cold treat is in order for your canine companion. You can make chicken flavored ice cubes for your dog to enjoy. These can be low-fat too if you use non-fat plain yogurt.

You’ll need the following:

16 oz. plain yogurt 

3/4 c. warm water

1 chicken bouillon cube

Dissolve the bouillon cube in the warm water.  In a blender, combine the water and yogurt.  Pour the blended mixture into ice cube trays and freeze.

Maybe you’re looking to make a “homemade dinner” for your dog and want to find something healthy, low-fat, and no salt. Rachel Ray has several recipes that are good for your dog such as mini dog sliders.

You’ll need the following ingredients:

1/2 pound ground lamb or chicken
1/2 cup cooked white or brown rice
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
4 small round dinner rolls

Combine the meat, rice, yogurt, and spices and make 4 small patties. Coat both sides with a little bit of olive oil and cook them in a non-stick pan for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Serve them on a bun and you’re done! It only takes about 10 minutes to combine the ingredients and about 10 minutes to cook up, not counting the time it takes to make the rice.

You can serve the mini slider to your dog chopped up into smaller pieces with or without the bun. It can be a supplement to their regular dinner or given as a treat after a great training session or fun romp around the dog park.

If you’re unsure of your cooking skills – there are more and more dog treats on the market that are healthy, organic, and contain the mix of minerals and vitamins that dogs need each day. You can find them in your local pet store, at a farmer’s market, and at dog boutique stores as well as online.

Remember your dog is what they eat, breathe, and drink.