Wellness Weekly

By Sandy Considine

It’s no secret that dogs love treats! But if you buy your treats at the local pet food store, grocery store or even online, you often don’t know what’s in them — what exactly is “meat phosphoric acid”? — or how many calories it is, or if it’s safe.

There’s a simple solution: bake your own treats. If you’ve never ventured into the canine culinary world, don’t worry. Dogs will love your treats, even if they look like, well, dog food. Just make sure to check your ingredients to avoid anything harmful to your dog or puppy.

What I really love about making my own dog treats is that I control not only what goes in them, but the portion size. And often times making your own treats is a lot less expensive than buying them from the store — especially with these simple recipes because so many of them are made with things many of us already have at home. And it is fun making them!

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuit with Oatmeal
This peanut butter dog biscuit recipe is what you’re looking for if you want an easy recipe. With only four ingredients, one of which is water, you’re likely to have all the ingredients on hand in your pantry.
Ingredients:
2 cups of whole wheat flour (you can use another type of flour if your dog is sensitive to wheat)
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth (I used smooth this time)
1 1/4 cups hot water
Additional flour for rolling
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350° F
Mix dry ingredients together.
Mix in the peanut butter and hot water. You may need to add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
Knead the dough well.
Roll out the dough into 1/4” thickness and cut into shapes with dog cookie cutters.
Note – This recipe doesn’t call for it, but I put an egg wash (one egg whisked with a fork and then brushed on with a pastry brush) on the treats before I baked them. It gives them a nice sheen once they’re baked
Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and let them cool overnight.
If you and your dog can’t wait that long, cool them completely on a wire rack before serving.

Bacon Glazed Biscuits
These treats are pretty, full of great ingredients, and easy to make. But what puts them over the top is the glaze, a mixture of peanut butter and bacon fat. What dog could resist that?
Ingredients
1 cup of pumpkin
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup of oil
2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
Glaze:
2 tablespoons bacon grease, coconut oil, chicken fat, or any other fat that will solidify at room temperature, melted
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine pumpkin, peanut butter, eggs, and oil in a bowl. Add baking soda and whole wheat flour. Stir until a stiff dough forms.
Knead dough or mix just until flour is incorporated.
Roll out dough with a rolling pin and use a cookie cutter to cut out dog bone shapes or just bake into little circles like cookies. Bake for 15 minutes.
Whisk the bacon grease and peanut butter until it is very smooth. Drizzle over the treats and cool till glaze hardens (it does best in the fridge or freezer).

Spinach, Carrot and Zucchini Dog Treats
Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
½ cup old fashioned oats
3 cups of whole wheat flour, or more, as needed
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 zucchini, shredded
1 cup baby spinach, chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat pumpkin puree, peanut butter and eggs on medium-high until well combined, about 1-2 minutes.
Gradually add old fashioned oats and 2 1/2 cups flour at low speed, beating just until incorporated. Add an additional 1/4 cup flour at a time just until the dough is no longer sticky. Add carrot, zucchini and spinach, beating just until incorporated.
Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
Place it into oven and bake until the edges are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
Let cool completely.

Apple Carrot Treats
1 cup of whole wheat flour, brown rice flour, or gluten free flour
1 cup of grated carrots
1 egg
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
Instructions:
Preheat oven 350°F.
Mix ingredients together until dough forms.
Roll dough into small balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press dough down slightly so the biscuits are about 1/4 inch thick.
Bake until golden brown and let cool on a wire rack.
If the dough is really sticky, add a few more tablespoons of flour.
1/2 teaspoon of salt can be added to these treats to help extend the shelf life but, it is optional.

Please feel free to email on what you what to know about for a future article at
sandra.considine@yahoo.com