Carmel Dog Nanny Post: Homemade Dog Treats
I Recommend Baking Dog Cookies at Home Because …
There are several reasons for making doggy snacks at home. Winter is a good season with baking ingredients on sale all over town. The short daylight limits the outside activity schedule affording a little more time after dark. There are several recipes online worth trying. Just make sure you remember to label them just in case you mix the boxes up for a cookie swap!
The cost is obviously attractive.
The pet store I frequent sells frosted cookies for $3+a piece (it is Carmel after all,) about the same as the human version. I might indulge in them some holidays for a client gift, but I want to economize my gift budget. A left-over can of pumpkin puree from Thanksgiving, the half-bag of whole wheat flour you intended for healthy baking still sitting on the shelf, the overly ripe bananas in your freezer collecting layers of frost, they are perfect for the canine “pastry.” I understand the cost, effort, and love involved in retail baking, but I bet you already got ingredients in your cupboard.
You have control over what goes in them.
This is significant for many dog moms and dads. And for quality dog nannies. I do look at ingredient labels including the bulk bins. Many commercial treats do contain hydrogenated vegetable oil, sugar, and preservatives. I’m O.K. giving them out once a week, but we may want to treat them more often. I use unsalted creamy peanut butter from Trader Joe’s because it has only peanuts and nothing else. Sugar-free peanut butter could have the toxic xylitol, so beware. By producing the treats at home, you can leave out fats, salt, sugar, and pointless carob chips (I’m sure dogs know they are not chocolate which is toxic to them anyway) while adding parsley or ginger for digestion. Use cookie cutters in your drawer, or ball up and flatten them with a fork.
It’s just fun.
I don’t know about you, I need a simple activity to clear my head but between writing sessions and whatnot. Human cookies are not as easy as people think. 30 seconds are the difference between golden brown crispy and burned while dog recipes are more forgiving. Lower the heat and let them coast a bit to dry them out, but it doesn’t have to be like chocolate chip cookies. The simplest recipe I discovered online was a 4-oz jar of baby food and one cup of flour although I don’t know if they make jars as large as that. An added benefit is that you will not be tempted to eat them after enjoying a baking session.
While I still buy bags of training treats, occasionally making my own dog biscuits seems fun and economical. How about a doggy cookie swap with your fellow dog parents? I’m all for more fun with dogs and bringing people together through it. Let’s enjoy a new bonding experience!
Here is a simple recipe for peanut butter and banana treats.
Mix one ripe banana, 1/2 cup of peanut butter (no xylitol!), and 1 1/2 cup quick cook oatmeal (grind them a bit finer if you want.) Let it sit for a few hours for the oatmeal to absorb moisture. Put it in the frig if for overnight. Roll the dough out to a quarter-inch thickness, cut them out, and bake on parchment paper at 325*F for 18 minutes, a few minutes more or less depending on your oven. They should be dry.
