4 Great Home-made Tasty Doggy Treats

Buying doggy treats can be an expensive business, especially if you need to use lots during the many training sessions you do with your pet. The other thing is you never know what ingredients have gone into some of the treats you buy which can be a bit worrying. This is especially true if you decide to buy cheaper treats instead of good quality ones. However, there is a solution which is to make your own – not only will this prove a lot more affordable, but you'll soon see which treats are a “favourite” and which are not!

1. Make Up Some Beefy Treats – Ideal for Agility Training

If you do a lot of agility training with your dog or are about to start, then making up some soft beefy nibbles might motivate your pooch to do extra well when they're learning new things. These treats are really easy to make and you don't need to buy expensive ingredients, all you need is shown below:

• ½ lb of minced beef
• ½ lb of beef liver
• 2 ¼ cups of oats – preferably rolled
• 1 ¾ cups of wholegrain flour
• 3 to 4 eggs – free-range are the best choice!

Once you've got all the ingredients together you need to cut the liver into very small pieces and then mix it with the beef in a food processor. Then add the eggs, the oats and the flour and mix in the blender on a high setting for at least 3 minutes. Pour the mixture into a deep baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake for 20 to 30 minutes in a pre-heated oven where the temperature is set at 350° F/180° C. Once cooked, leave to cool down and when completely cold, cut into small squares around ½ inch or so and store in the fridge until you want to use them. Your dog will love them!

2. Delicious Salmon Cookies – The Perfect Reward!

If you want to make the perfect reward to get your dog's taste buds flowing, then consider making some doggy delicious salmon cookies. If you are training your pet to do a few of the more challenging things, this is the perfect reward to give them when they get it right and it will keep them motivated to get it right every time. The ingredients you need to make salmon cookies are as follows:

• 2 ½ cups flour – wheat flour is best
• Two thirds cup soft oatmeal
• ½ lb salmon (you can replace this with tuna if you prefer!)
• 1 egg – free-range is the better option
• 3 ½ Tbsp sunflower oil
• Around ½ cup water

To make your salmon cookies you need to pre-heat your oven to 300° F and then line a baking tray with some greaseproof paper. Cook the fish for around 15 minutes and then leave to cool. Once fish is cool, all you have to do is purée it adding some water and then mix in the flour and oatmeal before adding the egg and oil. Take an electric hand mixer and blend all the ingredients together until they form a dough and then roll this out to so it's around ¼“ thick. Use a fish shaped cookie cutter which makes the treats fun looking to cut out your cookies. Place the cookies on the baking tray and cook in the pre-heated oven for around 20 minutes keeping an eye on them so they don't get over cooked!

3. Tuna Fudge – A Dog's Delight!

This is one very healthy treat to give your dog as a reward for being good or because they have just learned to do a new trick really well. It's full of protein, lots of valuable vitamins and minerals as well as plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids! The ingredients you'll need are as follows:

• 2 tins tuna (6oz) do not drain – you may like to use tinned salmon if you prefer
• 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp garlic powder or you can crush a fresh clove
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten – preferably free-range
• A handful grated Parmesan cheese which is around ¼ cup

Tuna fudge is really easy to make and dogs love it as a tasty treat. All you have to do is mix the ingredients together using an electric hand blender before spreading it onto a greased baking tray (9”x 9”) and then pop it into a pre-heated oven set at 350° for 20 minutes keeping a close eye on them so they don't burn. Once cooked let cool and then cut into little pieces and store in the fridge – they keep nice where they keep nice and fresh for up to three days!

4. A Great Light Snack/Treat

If your dog is prone to putting on the pounds then you have to be a little careful about the treats you offer them as a reward. The following recipe is a great one because it's really healthy and light which means your pooch won't gain any unwanted weight. The ingredients you'll need are as follows:

• 2 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups oat bran
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 fresh pear – you can use carrot if you prefer
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• Around ½ cup water

Like the majority of home-made doggy treats, this recipe is really easy to make. All you have to do is pre-heat your oven to 320° F, line a baking tray with some greaseproof paper and then using an electric hand mixer, mix the flour, oat bran, cottage cheese together. Next purée a quarter of the pear with the water which you then add to the flour mixture adding the cinnamon at the same time. Mix the whole lot together until it becomes smooth dough. Roll the dough out to around ¼” thick on a floured surface. Next, using a fun doggy shaped cookie cutter, cut out your cookies and then place them on the baking tray and cook for around 20 minutes in your pre-heated over. This is great healthy treat that won't put on the pounds.

Conclusion

Offering tasty morsels as a reward when your dog has been good and well behaved is a great way to get their attention so they are totally focused on you. Getting your dog to pay attention when you are training them means things will go a lot smoother because if your dog is pre-occupied with other things, then you might find it really hard to teach them anything! Home-made treats are brilliant because you know what has gone into them and as a real bonus it works out a lot cheaper to make them than it does to buy them!