11 Feb

Sweet Treats for Your Pup this Valentine’s Day

You need treats to train.

Period.

Food is the best motivator we have.

Of course, toys and praise are also good rewards, but for most dogs, nothing seems to beat a nice big ol’ treat.

There are a ton of options of treats–we are way beyond the days of boring milk bones.

If you are buying your treats, try to look for treats that have no artificial preservatives or sweeteners, and don’t rely on wheat, soy, corn, or seeds. Also try to buy treats that use real meat instead of meat meal. If you don’t want to use store-bought treats, you can always use any of these healthy human snacks to give to your dog: apples, bananas, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, and eggs. You can also add peanut butter, yogurt, pumpkin, oatmeal, into any meal or into a Kong and freeze it for a tasty treat.

But if you have concerns about ingredients or you want to do something extra special this Valentine’s Day, why not make a batch of treats yourself? I found two of the easiest recipes (I am a much better dog trainer than I am a cook!) and included the recipes below.

I’m going to give you a blow by blow on the process and the reaction of my faithful treat tester, Wayne! He is very upset about having to do this!

Vegan Peaut Butter and Banana Cookies

DIY 3-Ingredient Vegan Dog Treats

Ingredients

1 cup Oat or Rice Flour, any works
2 ripe Bananas, mashed
1/4 cup Peanut Butter*, smooth (unsweetened)

Instructions

Peel your bananas and mash them with the peanut butter until smooth.
Measure and pour in your flour, adding half at a time. Mix until evenly combined and add the remaining half.
Fold together until combined. Use your hands as needed to form a solid ball of dough.
Chill the dough for 20 minutes*. Optional, but it helps firm the dough more.
Remove the dough from the fridge and place on parchment paper or a well floured counter.
Preheat your oven to 325 F.
Roll out the dough to a 1/3-1/2 inch thickness.
Using your cookie cutter, cut out shapes as desired.
Transfer your cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Use a fork to poke 4 holes in the center of each, to allow steam to escape.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Remove and let completely cool before transferring to an air-tight container.
Give to your pup as desired! (They’re people safe too!)

Recipe the property of the Plant Philosophy. Pop on over there for additional information.

Tip: I would definitely recommend chilling the dough. It made it stick together better and was a lot easier to roll out.

Quick break to lick the dough off my hands!

I used a very tiny bone cookie cutter. I would suggest getting a bigger one! I also rolled the dough out too thin the first time and decided to cut my losses and roll it out again. This helped to keep the cookies together and in a bone shape.

My oven is a little wonky so they got a bit crispy, but Wayne didn’t mind at all. I also tried them and they weren’t bad. A little plain for us humans, but healthy and enjoyable for our pups!

Wayne gives it a 9 out of 10 rating!

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

1 Sweet Potato
1 tbsp Coconut Oil (melted)
Spices – Turmeric, Cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Wash and peel the sweet potato
Cut the sweet potato into evenly sized long skinny (fry shaped) pieces
Coat with oil and spices – Mix in a large bowl or Ziploc bag
Place fries on baking sheet in one layer
Bake for 15 minutes
Flip over fries for even baking
Bake for another 10-15 minutes
Let cool before giving to your dog!

Recipe written by Beagles and Bargains. Pop on over there for additional information on dog-safe spices!

This was my first time cooking with a sweet potato, but after learning how simple it is to make sweet potato fries, we will definitely be making these again!