There are innumerable varieties of dog treats on the market today which range from soft chewy treats to hard rawhide treats which will keep your dog occupied for hours. They all have a useful purpose depending on the circumstance. However, dog treats should never replace a dog’s proper balanced diet as they do not contain the nutrients for healthy development and growth. Treats are best used as rewards for good behavior, to occupy a dog when left alone and can be useful when dog training or when a distraction is required. You can train your dog to do tricks with treats, such as balancing a biscuit on his nose.
What Are the Best Types of Dog Treats to Use?
Soft Treats
Soft treats are best used when training your dog. They don’t have to be packet treats. Soft treats could be cooked sausage or cheese cut up into little bits. The reason soft treats are best to use for training purposes is that the dog doesn’t have to stop and think about chewing them and, therefore, interrupting the training focus. Soft treats can be targeted more precisely and they slide down the dog’s throat so the reward is more in timing with the behavior.
The other thing is that soft treats are possibly best for an older dog whose teeth and gums may not suit chewing the tougher treats.
Dog Liver Treats (Soft)
Ingredients :
- 3 or 4 trays of either beef liver or lamb’s fry
- 4/5 heaped spoonfuls of cornflour
Dog Treat Recipe Directions :
Puree liver and cornflour in food processor. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and pour mixture onto it. Bake in 200C oven for 20 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool down before peeling off the foil. Once cool cut into desired sized squares.
It is best to store these in the freezer and keep what you require in the refrigerator.
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Chew Treats
These come in numerous forms such as biscuits and cookies, bones and chews, dental sticks, jerky, pigs’ ears, antlers. The choice is endless and the size of these range from small to large chew treats which will keep your dog occupied for hours. These treats are great for preventing your dog becoming bored while at home alone.
These treats should be used for special occasions and not part of an everyday occurrence. For example, to keep your dog occupied when you go out – while the dog is engaged with chewing the treat there is no digging, jumping or barking behaviors happening. They can be easily hidden under or behind things so the dog has to go hunting for them, thus giving him mental stimulation.
Your dog will be jumping out of his skin to get you to make these yummy dog treats from the recipes below! Great for positive and reward training or just for good behaviour around the house and yard you will find he will be there wanting to earn more. However, when training a dog with food, remember to cut back on the main meal a little so that he won’t be overfed and end up overweight.
DOG TREAT RECIPE – BAD BREATH BANISHERS
Dog Treat Recipe Ingredients : 
- 2 cups brown rice flour
- 1 tablespoon activated charcoal (find this at drugstores, not the briquets!)
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2/3 cup lowfat milk
or check these out for convenience
Dog Treat Recipe Directions :
DOG TREAT RECIPE – CHEESY GARLIC DOG BITES
Dog Treat Recipe Ingredients :
- 1 cup of wheat flour
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon soft butter or margarine
- ½ cup milk
Dog Treat Recipe Directions : Cheese n garlic dog treats
DOG TREAT RECIPE – PEANUT BUTTER POPPERS
Dog Treat Recipe Ingredients :
- 2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
- 1 cup milk
Dog Treat Recipe Directions :
Preheat oven to 375’F. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk, then add to dry ingredients and mix well. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Bake for 20 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container. — This is the original recipe, but I have found the cookies burn easily.
We hope your dog enjoys these free dog treat recipes.