Homemade treats for your dog

Please your pets, get creative and, most importantly, have fun by making your own tasty treats for your four-legged friends.

There are so many benefits to making your own dog treats at home. You can control exactly what goes into the recipe, so you can rest assured your dog is getting the best and feel safe knowing there are no hidden ingredients. You can save money by freezing your treats in bulk and you can tailor-make the treats just to suit your pet’s particular taste buds (peanut butter anyone?). It’s also a great way to get the whole family involved in the kitchen.

We’ve compiled a list of some easy-to-make recipes to inspire you and get you started on creating delicious and nutritious home-baked treats. We’re sure your canine pal won’t mind being your taste tester! Don't forget that treats should not make up more than 10% of your dog's daily calories, so make sure to only give treats in moderation.

Make sure to check out the no-go list of foods for dogs so you avoid anything that could harm your dog in any way. Feel free to send us pictures of your results or the happy recipients!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons single-ingredient peanut butter
• ½ cup mashed kumara

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2. Place flour and oats in a bowl and stir together
3. Slowly mix in the kumara mash, egg and peanut butter
4. Knead dough, adding water if needed, until texture is firm
5. Roll dough until ½ cm thick
6. Cut into squares (or shapes, such as bones, for the more creative!)
7. Place dough pieces on lightly greased baking paper
8. Cook for 20 minutes or until golden and firm

Ingredients:

• ½ cup pumpkin, mashed
• 2 tbs honey
• 2 tbs water
• 1 c rolled oats
• 1 c wholemeal flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2. Mix mashed pumpkin, honey and water together.
3. Add the oats, flour, baking powder and cinnamon to the mixture and stir until dough forms. If the consistency is too wet, add oats until firm.
4. Scoop out small spoonfuls of dough and roll into balls on your hands.
5. Set the balls onto lightly greased baking paper and flatten slightly with a fork.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until dough is hardened.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups wholemeal flour
• 2 large bananas
• 2 cups water
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and lightly grease muffin tins.
2. Mash banana in a large bowl
3. Add water and egg
4. Add flour and baking powder to banana mixture
5. Pour into muffin pans
6. Sprinkle extra oats on top for extra crunch
7. Bake for 30 minutes

Start with the recipes above and get experimenting by incorporating small amounts of these healthy dog foods:

• Kumara
• Banana
• Pumpkin
• Carrot
• Cabbage
• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Parsley
• Peas
• Broccoli
• Cooked potatoes

• Chocolate
• Garlic
• Onions
• Grapes and Raisins
• Avocado
• Coffee
• Salt
• Dairy
• Xylitol