Easy Homemade Dog Treats!

Your dog deserves homemade dog treats this DOGust. Just like us, your pup likes to have a variety of food in their diets. Eating the same food day after day can get boring. So why not spice things up these awesome homemade dog treats recipes?

Wheat-Free Roasted Sweet Potato Dog Treats

Who says sweet potatoes are strictly a fall food? Most dogs absolutely love them no matter what time of year it is! Thanks to their high fiber content, sweet potatoes help support a healthy canine digestive system.

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins for sweet potatoes, 45 mins for treats

Yields: ~48 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 large Sweet Potatoes 
• 4 cups oat flour
• 2 cups barley flour
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup flax seed
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2-3 cups hot water

Pre-heat oven to 325° F.

Roast Sweet potatoes whole until soft (approximately 45 minutes). Allow to cool, then split potatoes in half and scoop out flesh.

Combine dry ingredients; add sweet potatoes, honey, and 2 cups of water. Add additional water if required. If dough is too soft, allow it to rest for 15 minutes. 

Roll to one-quarter inch thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake for 45 minutes at 300°F. Turn oven off and leave treats in oven to allow for curing.

Recipe courtesy of K9 Biscuit Company, a Vancouver-based doggie bakery where nutrition is paramount (but taste wins the day).

Berry Bountiful Bars

These treats are packed with nutrients, perfect for those high-energy activities of summer. Blueberries for antioxidants, honey for it's antimicrobial and antifungal properties, and molasses for calcium, iron, potassium, and vitamin B6!

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Yields: 1 cookie sheet

Ingredients:

• 6 cups large-flake rolled oats 
• 1 Tbsp carob powder (DO NOT substitute for cocoa powder)
• 6 Tbsp cold-pressed safflower oil or another oil of your choice
• 4 Tbsp unsulphured blackstrap molasses
• 2 Tbsp unpasturized honey
• 1 tsp Manuka honey (can substitute for unpasturized honey)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sun-dried unsulphured blueberries
• 1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Process 2 cups of the oats in a blender or food processor until finely ground. Mix together all the ingredients except the water, then slowly add the water a little at a time, continuing to blend the ingredients until all the water is absorbed.

Spoon the mixture onto the baking sheet and press down with a wooden spoon until the mixture is an even thickness.

Bake for 45 minutes, remove from the oven, and score into small bars. Allow them to cool completely before storing in an open container.

These bars freeze well and the recipe can easily be doubled. 

Recipe provided by Dina Coreale of Endless Pawsibilities.

Flea-Be-Gone Treats

Here's a tasty recipe you can use to treat your dog and help make them less attractive to fleas* at the same time! Cut the treats into fancy shapes to make them more appealing. 

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 15-20 mins

Yields: 24 Treats

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour 
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup brewer's yeast
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup beef stock

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Mix the vegetable oil and beef stock together, then slowly ass to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into desired shapes. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until firm and crisp.

These treats will keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container.

*Brewer's yeast may help to repel fleas, but it is not a substitute for good flea control, especially for dogs allergic to flea bites.

Recipe comes from the book "The Healthy Dog Cookbook: 50 Nutritious and Delicious Recipes Your Dog Will Love" published by TFH Publications.

Frozen Tuna Treats

Help your pup beat the heat with these tasy treats! Tuna is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which can help decrease inflammation.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Yields: 1 ice cube tray

Ingredients:

• 1 can of water-packed tuna
• 1/2 cup water

Pour the contents of the can of tuna into a bowl (including the tuna-water) and mash with a fork.

Add the water and either continue mixing and mashing with a fork, or pour everything into a blender to create a smooth mixture. 

Pour the mixture into a Ziploc bag and cut a small hole in one corner. This helps prevent a huge mess while filling the ice cube tray.

Fill your tray and freeze for a couple of hours. Let your dog lick the mixing bowl clean!

These treats keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.

Recipe courtesy of Dana Fox

Which homemade dog treat recipe are you going to try?

Don't have time to make your own dog treats? Try these super tasty cricket treats from Jiminy's! Although they might sound unusual at first, crickets are packed full of nutrients to keep your pup strong and healthy! These critters have a nutty flavor your dog will love coupled with the fact crickets have more essential vitamins per pound than meats like chicken or beef. These treats are are humanely sourced, better for the environment (using less natural resources and emitting fewer greenhouse gases than other animal proteins), and hypoallergenic. Use the code SUN10 at checkout to get 10% off your purchase.

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