How to Make Dog Treats – FAQs

Tips on how to make dog treats and info on how to get started making homemade dog treats, even if you are just beginning to cook.

While making dog treats is not really hard, the best part about making homemade dog treats is that dogs are very patient with you…

Your dog will be right by your side during the learning process.

And, trust me on this–all your “experiments” will be gratefully eaten!

Making your own dog treats is not very different from baking desserts and breads for your family.

The techniques are just like those for making cookies.

In fact, the main difference is that you have to be careful to use ONLY human grade ingredients that are good for dogs.

Anyone can learn how to make dog treats.

FAQS – How to Make Dog Treats

I receive a fair number of emails with questions on making dog treats. I’ll answer some of the most popular here:

Can you substitute flours in a recipe?

Yes, you can. If your dog is on a special diet or has allergies, you may need to be especially careful about which flour you use.

Unbleached white flour and bleached white flour are made from whole wheat.

Some whole grain flours that are healthy include oat flour, barley flour and brown rice flour.

If you substitute one flour for another, you may have to add or subtract some of the liquid. There is no general rule for this, as flours have different qualities.

You’ll just have to experiment a little until you get the right combination. Keep a record each time you do it, so you don’t forget…

Can you freeze dog treat dough?

Yes. Just let it come to room temperature before you try to roll it out or shape it. Your dough may be more wet after being frozen.

Flour your hands and work some flour into the dough if this happens.

Isn’t Yeast Harmful to Dogs?

Yes and no. I’ll explain. Raw dough with dry yeast is harmful if your dog eats it, mostly because the yeast will continue to rise in your dog’s stomach—making her very sick.

However, yeast in baked dog treats is just fine and will not hurt your dog.

If you are uncomfortable using yeast, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of baking powder–or just leave the leavenings out.

If you don’t use a leavening, your dog treats will not rise and they will be heavier. You may have to bake them a little longer, but they will still be good dog treats.

I should also mention that brewers yeast which is NOT an active yeast (It is a nutritional yeast, different from active dry yeast) is very healthy for dogs. It is loaded with B vitamins, and has been recommended for years, as a dog food supplement to repel fleas.

I live in the EU. How can I convert your recipes to metric measurements?

It can be done. If you go to this site, you’ll find a metric conversion tool that will do the calculations for you.

Are there natural preservatives for dog treats?

Yes. A tablespoon or less of honey is a natural preservative, but it does keep treats softer. It’s used in bread as a natural preservative.

If you don’t want to use honey because it is a sugar, you might consider rosemary extract. Bakeries use .01 % of the recipe. You’d have to calculate that, based on the amount of dough.

However, a conservative ball park approach is to use 3-4 drops per batch of dog cookies having 3-4 cups of flour.

Is food coloring safe for dog treats?

Yes it is. People food coloring is safe to give color to homemade dog treats.

However, I prefer to use natural coloring, such as beet powder (red), spinach powder (green) or turmeric (yellow).