The Healthy Hound Cookbook: Over 125 Easy Recipes for Healthy, Homemade Dog Food--Including Grain-Free, Paleo, and Raw Recipes! (11 page)
Authors: Paris Permenter,John Bigley
Unlike jerky for humans, doggie jerky is mild and generally unseasoned. Dehydrating the jerky makes it stay fresh longer (although your dog may have other ideas!) and makes it easier to put in your pocket as a training treat. Remember that you’ll need
many
training treats when initially training your dog, so the key is first to make training treats very small (pea-size) and compensate by reducing your dog’s meal size as well. Low-sodium soy sauce or blackstrap molasses can be substituted for teriyaki sauce. Dogs also love the flavor of the turkey alone.
YIELDS: About 50 (6") treats
2 pounds lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce (optional)
- Preheat oven to 170°F.
- Fill jerky gun (see sidebar) with ground turkey and slowly squeeze out jerky onto baking screens with drip trays underneath them.
- Bake for 2 hours.
- Turn each of the pieces, then cook for 30 minutes more. Cool completely before refrigerating. These can be cut into training treat–size portions as well! Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
A jerky gun can make preparing treats from processed ingredients quicker and easier. These kitchen tools typically cost between $25 and $40 and allow you to squeeze out uniform amounts of the mixture by pulling the trigger, much like a cake decorating gun.
Numerous recalls of chicken jerky chews in recent years have understandably alarmed dog lovers. Along with omitting preservatives and other additives, creating your own easy-to-make chicken jerky gives you quality control over your dog’s snacks.
YIELDS: 12 strips,
1
⁄
4
" × 4"
1 pound chicken breasts, deboned
- Preheat oven to 170°F or lowest temperature setting.
- Lightly grease a cookie sheet. (Use one with a small edge because there will be water and juices running from the chicken during the first hour of cooking.)
- Slice chicken breasts in strips no more than
1
⁄
4
" thick. Place slices on cookie sheet, leaving at least
1
⁄
2
" between slices. - Bake for 2 hours. After 2 hours, check the slices and see if they’re dry.
- Continue baking until slices appear very dried.
- When done, remove the treats from the oven and cool on a drying rack.
- When the treats are completely cool, bag in zip-top bags or place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
It’s easiest to slice the chicken breasts if they’re slightly frozen. Slice with the grain of the chicken, rather than against it, to make the treats a little chewier for your dog.
These chewy chips make a healthy option for dogs who love to gnaw on their treats!
YIELDS: About 2 cups, or 25 chips
1 pound fresh beets
Nonstick cooking spray or olive oil, as needed
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Wash and peel beets. Remove stems. Slice beets
1
⁄
4
" thick. (In a rush? Buy a can of low-sodium sliced beets. Drain and rinse the beets before baking.) Spray beets lightly with cooking spray or olive oil. - Place beet slices on parchment paper with no edges touching.
- Bake for 30–40 minutes. Turn off oven and allow beets to remain in oven for 10 additional minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack.
- Cool completely before serving or refrigerating. Store in the refrigerator for 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Beets are filled with beta carotene, fiber, iron, potassium, and magnesium, as well as vitamins A, B, and C. Especially recommended for dogs with liver illnesses, beets are a great boost to any dog for their detoxifying qualities.
Looking for a way to use the pulp left after juicing your favorite fruits and vegetables? Turn them into irresistible treats for your pooch!
YIELDS: About 30 (2") treats
1
⁄
2
cup ground flaxseed
1 cup water
1 cup sunflower seeds, chopped peanuts, or your dog’s favorite nuts
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
4 cups pulp from dog-safe fruits and vegetables (see lists in
Chapter 1
)
- Soak ground flaxseed in water for at least 30 minutes. Drain.
- Preheat oven to lowest setting. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix flaxseed, seeds or nuts, molasses, and pulp, then spread on parchment-lined cookie sheets to about
1
⁄
4
" thickness. - Bake sheets for about 12 hours until treats are crunchy and dry.
- Cool completely before serving or storing. Store in the refrigerator for 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Training Treats
We love positive reinforcement training, and our dogs do, too! Training is part of our daily lives with our dogs; they receive pea-size bits for good behavior and for responding to a request. We alternate treats with praise, and sometimes give a “jackpot” of several treats so they never know quite what to expect (much like a person at a slot machine!). The key to making training treats is to find a treat that’s easy to break into small pieces (because you will be using many each day) and using strong-smelling meat. Meat-based training treats are more successful with most dogs; warming them in your pocket or hand will make them even more tempting!
Always be sure to use garlic powder, never garlic salt, in dog treat recipes. The strong smell of the garlic makes these quite appealing as training treats.
YIELDS: 25 (2") treats
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1
⁄
2
cup milk
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except the milk by hand. Slowly add in the milk a bit at a time, and mix until all ingredients are combined.
- Turn out dough on a floured surface and knead; roll out the dough to
1
⁄
4
" thickness. - Cut dough with your favorite cookie cutters and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- To make treats extra crispy, turn off the oven, crack the oven door a bit, and allow the treats to cool completely in the oven.
- Refrigerate for 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Garlic is a member of the same family as the onion, a food you should never serve to dogs. Garlic, too, can lead to anemia when eaten in large doses. Talk with your veterinarian about safe levels for your dog.
Wondering what to do with that stale bread? Croutons are easy to make for you and your dog; add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to your portion if you like them spicy.
YIELDS: 60 (1") square croutons
6 slices whole-wheat bread
1
⁄
2
cup grated Parmesan cheese
1
⁄
2
cup melted bacon fat or olive oil
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Use kitchen shears to cut bread into 1" squares.
- In a medium bowl, add Parmesan cheese and toss the bread squares with cheese. Drizzle bread with fat or oil while continuing to toss the bread so all the cubes are coated.
- Spread croutons on a cookie sheet and bake for 30–40 minutes. Turn the croutons midway through baking to brown evenly.
- Remove croutons from the oven and allow them to cool before refrigerating or serving. Refrigerate for 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.