Something Yummy for Puppy’s Tummy
Homemade Dog Treats are a great alternative, in light of often sketchy and purposely misleading advertising and the truly overwhelming plethora of so called “healthy” and “all natural dog treats in stores. DIY is the safest way to truly know what you are treating your dog with – and it may even save you some $$$!
So, how about some baking for Barky?!
A while back I found this awesome all-natural and easy to make recipe for dog treats on Itchmo’s Blog for “Harvey’s Favorite Molasses Cookies”, that you may want to give a try…
Ingredients:
3 cups flour (go with Rice Flour, if you want gluten free or Almond, is weight is no issue)
1 cup oats
1/4 cup oil (I like to use Coconut Oil for health properties!)
1/4 cup molasses (hint: measure the oil first, then use the same cup to measure the molasses – it’ll slide right out! …btw: molasses is great for your pup’s cartilage and getting unintended floppy ears some help standing up)
pinch of salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Mix flour, oats, oil, molasses and salt until it has the texture of cornmeal. Gradually add water and knead the dough. The dough will be dry until the kneading is done, then it will be rubbery.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll to 1/4″ thickness. Cut with a knife or cookie cutters (amazon has a huge selection of cute doggy-style cutters in many different shapes and sizes!).
Bake on an un-greased cookie sheet 30 – 35 minutes, then flip the treats. Bake another 10 – 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow the treats to cool on the sheet in the oven. This will make them crisp.
Store the dog treats in an airtight container.
Mix it up, make it your own!
You can use a flour of your choosing – go grain and/or gluten free (especially, if you know your pup is sensitive) and pick only organic ingredients, to create the healthiest most natural dog treat, if you’d like. Instead of just plain water, you can use homemade low sodium broth of beef or another meat to add that extra flavor and smell your puppy loves…
But, as with any other treat: be mindful of the amount you are letting your dog snack. Too much of a good thing, is still too much of a good thing and even the most natural, organic treat will also make your pup fat, if its not fed in moderation – causing all sorts of unwanted health issues…
Please do share your experience in the comment section below, if you have given these treats a try! Also, we’d of course love to hear of any other recipes your dogs have “endorsed”! 😉