4 Best Homemade Dog Treat Recipes & 4 Foods Not to Feed your Dog

Why cook homemade dog treats?

These homemade dog recipes collated by Pet Food Leader through various vendors can turn you into the superhero dog parent. These DIY dog treats may not be as easy as buying some dog treats from our dog treat range but your dog really will appreciate the extra mile you have gone to accommodate for his needs. I mean what dog wouldn’t love some homemade treats just for them. 

If impressing your dog is what you are truly after you can make for them one or all of the homemade treats me have given recipes for located below. Every one of our dog treat recipes below have been vet approved and has been taste tested by all our furry friends to ensure the highest quality for your pooch. 

We have limited the amount of sugar in these treats and introduced an optimal level of fiber and antioxidants for a healthy packed treat. 

Are you ready to start baking goodies for your dog. Then whip out your baking mitts or you know just use your bare hands and let's get started. 

Dog Treat Recipe #1 Pumpkin Spice Latte Homemade dog treat  

Ingredients: 

• ½ cup canned puréed pumpkin 
• ¼ cup all-natural chicken broth (be sure it does not contain garlic or onions) 
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon plain low-fat yogurt 
• Several ice cubes 
• Dash of cinnamon 

Instructions: 

First place ice, chicken broth and pumpkin in to a cocktail shaker and or whipping contraption. Shake and mix well and then in a ¼ cup of yoghurt and shake again. Once done strain the mixture into cup or a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of yogurt, dash of cinnamon and stir. Serve in a cup of your choice or add to dog feeding bowl. 

Dog Treat Recipe #2 Yoghurt drop cupcake treats

Non-fat and unsweetened yogurt drops is a low-calorie treat that benefits dogs suffering from a range of conditions, including gastritis, diarrhoea, constipation, and yeast infections that irritate the skin, ears, and paws. You will find that feeding your dog 1-5 WAG Yoghurt drops a day can provide your dog a higher quality of life. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 Ripe Bananas 
• 150 g Peanut Butter (it is very important that the peanut butter that you choose to use does not contain xylitol, which is considered extremely dangerous and deadly to dogs) 
• 2 Medium Eggs 
• 75 g Honey 
• 100 g Whole meal Flour 
• 75 g Rolled Oats 
• 1 tsp Baking Powder (optional) 
• 125 ml Water 
• 7-12 WAG yoghurt drops melted down (saucepan or microwave) 

Instructions:   

Preheat your Oven to 180C/160C Fan and get 12 cupcake cases ready whatever shape suits your fancy. Add your Banana to a bowl and mash up. Then add in the Peanut Butter, Eggs, and Honey and mix together till combined. Add in the Flour, Oats and Baking Powder and mix till combined then add in water gradually at a time until all mixed in.  Once done split the mix evenly between the 12 cases, and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until browned on top. Leave the dogs cupcakes to cool fully. Once cooled remove from their cases and keep out of reach of your dog you know just in case they try to eat them. 

Dog Treat Recipe #3 Homemade dog pancakes

Ingredients:  

• 2 eggs 
• 1 banana 
• 1-2 spoons of peanut butter (it is very important that the peanut butter that you choose to use does not contain xylitol, which is considered extremely dangerous and deadly to dogs) 

• ½ cup oats 
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed 

Instructions:  

Firstly, start by Whisking all the ingredients together by combining the dry and wet ingredients, cook on a hot pan and wait to cool before feeding your dog. To get the fluffiness of the pancakes to a desired level use the following method. Mix dry and wet ingredients separately at first then combine just before cooking. You can mix the dry ingredients as much as you want and do the same for the wet ingredients, but when the two mixtures come together, use a light touch. Over-mixing the batter is a common mistake — it makes them heavy and flat, not fluffy. 

Dog Treat Recipe #4 Doggo Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• ½ Cup Peanut Butter (it is very important that the peanut butter that you choose to use does not contain xylitol, which is considered extremely dangerous and deadly to dogs) 
• 1 Cup Pumpkin puree 
• ¼ cup olive oil 
• ½  cup honey 

• 2 large eggs  
• ½ cup of water (add more is necessary) 
• 1 ½ cup of all-purpose flour 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 170C and line a 9-12 muffin baking tray with paper liner and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine peanut butter, pumpkin puree, olive oil, honey and eggs. Whisk together till all ingredients have completely morphed together. Add water to make mixture a little fluffy. Now whisk together the dry components flour. Now add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir thoroughly. Be careful not to overmix the mixture as this can prevent the cupcakes from being fluffy instead, they will be dense and dry.  Once done mixing evenly distribute cupcake mixture throughout your muffin baking tray. Place in preheated oven and bake till you can insert a toothpick or knife end into the center of the cupcake and it comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in muffin tin before serving to your dog, we recommend 25-30mins cooling. 

What is xylitol? 

Xylitol is not actually dangerous for humans and many other animals, but because dogs have a different metabolism for xylitol it affects them in much more dangerous way.  Xylitol is a sugar alcohol used in things like gum, toothpaste, chewable vitamins and other mass-produced products.  Xylitol can create a massive insulin release in dogs. This can bring the blood sugars way down and can cause hypoglycaemia. Hypoglycaemia is condition in which blood sugar is lower than normal, essentially a dog major source of energy supply. A few symptoms of hypoglycaemia in dogs include and are not limited to the following:  

• Weakness  
• Staggering  
• Vomiting  
• Liver damage

Is flour safe for dogs? 

Yes, dogs can eat flour but some types of flour may cause allergies to your dog so selecting specific flours for your specific fur friend will vary from dog owner to dog owner. Both whole grain and non-grain flours is advisable for good health of your canine. These types of flour provide natural nutrients that benefits your dog's health. Some of whole grain flours dogs can eat when mixed with other organic ingredients include: 

• Brown rice flour  
• Oat Flour 
• Sorghum Flour  
• Buckwheat Flour  

All-purpose flour is lighter than whole grain flours which makes it more palatable for more dog breeds. Mixing small quantities of this flour into dog treats is not of harmful to dogs providing these dogs treats are fed in moderation and your dog does not have allergies. 

What to never feed your dog? 

Remember the last time you had some bad food and spent the rest of your week puking all over bathroom at least 4-5 times a day??! Well, that is exactly the case with your dog, they might not even survive the night if fed anything toxic. No matter how much they look at you when you are eating or drinking the following do not give it to them under any circumstance.  

1. Sweats, gums and/or baked goods that aren’t specially made for dogs  

You might think depriving your dog of all the heavenly goodness that the above treats has to offer is a bad thing but believe me it’s for their own good. 

Xylitol is an artificial sweetener found in most sugar-free goodies especially the ones above and although it is safe for human consumption it is anything but safe for dogs. The toxicity levels of xylitol in your dog's system can be extremely fatal.  

     2.Chocolates 

Whether sugar free or not. Keep this away from dogs. You don’t want a sick, lethargic, throwing up and diuretic dog. 

Theobromine and caffeine found in chocolates especially dark chocolate may boost you up but do the exact opposite for your furry friend. 

     3. Alcohol 

I understand there would be times in your life when you would badly want to share a drink with your furry friend, but trust me; it takes a lot of the alcohol to send your dog to the grave that it takes for humans. If its consumption didn’t prove to be fatal, your dog would suffer from breathing problems, coordination problems, diarrhoea and vomiting just to name a few.    

     4.Onions, garlic, avocadoes and grapes 

We all know your dog as well as mine loves burger patties, sausages and pork chops but keep it simple for dogs, flavouring of any kind is only for humans and can be very toxic for dogs. 

     5.Dairy 

No ice-creams, milkshakes, frozen yoghurt, cheese, butter, or any dairy for your pup. They are strictly lactose intolerant post feeding of their mothers. 

You know what makes my day the most? When I come home from work and my dog jumps straight to me and greets me with his aggressive licks. I suppose it’s the same for you, isn’t it?! It will remain this way for a prolonged period of time if you take care of them from when they are a pup to adult providing you do not feed them any of the above-mentioned products 1-5.