Thursday, May 6, 2010

Homemade Dog Treat Recipe (Salmon)



We all love our dogs and want to give them treats, so many of the store bought treats are full of fillers and in general just not a good choice for your dog, this is not to say that there are not some great dog treats on the market. We at pupznpalz recommend natural, organic, grain free dog treats. We will be posting some great recipes that you can make at home for your dog and even give some to friends!!Making your own homemade dog treats can be a fun project, and is a great way to get all members of your household involved with caring for your dog. Dog treats are fairly simple to make, since they are meant to be used as a reward for your dog (not for nutritionally balanced feeding)! However, it’s still important that you use high-quality ingredients in your dog treat formula. This will help to ensure that your homemade treats still have some health benefits for your dog, and will not contribute to any health problems. There are thousands of recipes available for making your own dog treats, each of which use different ingredients. Here is a simple recipe for homemade dog treats that can be easily modified if you feel the need to add additional ingredients.


SALMON DOG TREATS (GRAIN-FREE)

1. Gather all of the ingredients that you will need for making your dog treats. In this recipe, you will need one can of salmon (organic), ½ cup of grated parsley, 3 cups of potato flour and three eggs (including shells). Optional ingredients include ½ cup of ground flax seeds, sesame seeds, or other nutritious ingredients you wish to add to the formula. It’s best if you only use organic ingredients in your dog treats, since this will allow you to make a treat that is free from pesticides, preservatives and artificial growth hormones.

2. In the next step, you will need to thoroughly blend all of the ingredients. Add the Salmon, parsley and eggs to a food processor, mixing them on a low setting. Once these ingredients are mixed, you can turn the speed of the processor up slightly to a middle setting. Add the flour (and flax, sesame or other ingredients) gradually, through the top of the food processor while it is still mixing the ingredients.

3. Once the mixture has reached the consistency of cookie dough, take it out of the food processor. Knead the dough on a floured cutting board, making sure that the consistency of the dough is even. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin so that it is from ¼ to ¾ of an inch thick, depending on how big you want your treats to be. Once your dough is flat, you can either cut it with a cookie cutter, or simply slice it into small squares with a knife. Try to ensure that all of the pieces are the same size, so that they will all have approximately the same cooking time.4. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with a non-stick cooking spray, or simply line the cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place your dough pieces about an inch apart on the cookie sheet, using even spacing.5. Cook the dough mixture in the oven at approximately 375 degrees for about twenty minutes. If you want harder cookies, you can rotate your cookie sheet after 20 minutes and bake for another few minutes.

Do you have any homemade dog treat recipes that you would like to share? Please post a comment below!