PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA ICE CREAM
The quickest way to a man’s heart might be through his stomach, but since dogs are wired differently, the message goes right to the brain. Training can become much more effective with a little morsel in your hand. The size of the treat doesn’t matter as much as the reward of a treat itself. Try using healthy items like Cheerios, the recipe for Good Girl Gizzards, or even pieces of safe, pitted and cored fruits (see here) instead of cheese or hot dogs, which are both high in fat and sodium.
Treats can also be used to provide a little energy boost or to keep your dog busy. Leaving a mischievous dog at home when you go to work? Try stuffing a Kong, a hard rubber toy designed to hold treats, with something that will keep your dog busy. Kongs not only get your dog chewing, which helps maintain dental hygiene, they also make your dog work to get the treat out, so they act as great mental stimulation. Most damage in your home occurs shortly after you leave, so if you can keep a dog occupied both physically and mentally, a dog will have less energy to spend making trouble.
If you don’t like the idea of feeding your dog raw bones as treats, or it’s the middle of winter and not the best time to set your dog in the yard for a gnawing session with a messy bone, consider giving your dog a stuffed Kong to keep her mentally stimulated and occupied with a fun game.
As your dog’s talent for treat extraction develops, increase the difficulty; freeze the food the night before, or put the filled Kong in a clean sock. If your dog becomes proficient at getting the Kong out of the sock, try tying the sock in a knot. This also has a great benefit of “brushing” your dog’s teeth while working the knot out. Dogs should be monitored with this sock “puzzle,” however, and this should not be done with dogs who are known to swallow inappropriate objects.
Cheddar cheese melted in the microwave bubbles up and sticks to the sides of a Kong, really making your dog work to get it out. A great way to make a little bit of food stretch your dog’s enjoyment is to stuff a few strands of cheese in a Kong and melt it in the microwave at high heat for 15 seconds. Allow the Kong to cool in the microwave for at least 3 minutes; otherwise, the cheese tends to drip out and/or your dog might burn himself while devouring this treat.
Cream cheese is useful for hiding pills, and even better if it’s fat free. Cream cheese has great sticking power inside a Kong, giving your dog a real challenge. You can make the cream cheese easier to smear by mixing in a few drops of hot water.
Freeze unsweetened applesauce inside a Kong for a delicious, low-calorie cooldown treat. Plug the open end with another dog treat or a scrap of bread first, then add the applesauce, to prevent any spills in the freezer.
Cottage cheese and rice is often suggested as a gentle meal for dogs with sensitive stomachs, and it can be frozen in a Kong as another summertime treat.
Peanut butter and plain Cheerios mixed together provides a sticky and crunchy teaser; follow the suggested amounts in the “Foods Worth Sharing” section (see here).
Yogurt mixed with a high-quality dry dog food makes breakfast last longer and provides probiotics to help your dog’s digestive system.
My friend Robert gave me this recipe that he used in training his Welsh Corgis. These treats drive our dogs bonkers, but they quickly settle down and wait patiently to be the first in line. For an effective training reward these can’t be beat, but let’s be honest: beef liver stinks. I prefer making them in the summer, when windows and doors can be opened to air out the kitchen. If you have a gas grill with a burner, you can also experiment with making these outdoors!
5 cups water
1 pound beef liver, sliced ¼ inch thick (ask your butcher to do this for you)
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Decrease the heat to a simmer and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Drain the liver and set aside to cool. Save the broth for any recipes in this book calling for stock, or to pour over dog food.
Preheat the oven to 275°F.
Bake for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and allow the liver to cool on the baking sheet in the closed oven.
After the treats have cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| ½ teaspoon | 1 teaspoon | 1½ teaspoons | 2 teaspoons | 1 teaspoon |
When I make this, the dogs finish it up and then follow me around for the rest of the day, wondering if there’ll be a second helping. There will be more, but since liver is so rich, I space out the servings to every three or four days.
Just a bit smeared inside a Kong toy will keep your dog busy and mentally stimulated. If your dog is new to the joys of having a snack inside a Kong, this is an irresistible treat for getting started. If your dog hasn’t had liver before, start out using small amounts and see how your dog tolerates it.
1 slice bacon
½ pound chicken livers
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup plain low-fat yogurt
⅔ cup panko bread crumbs
Remove the livers from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or spoon into ice cube trays, freeze, and then transfer the frozen cubes to a plastic bag and store frozen for up to 2 months.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| ½ teaspoon | 1 teaspoon | 1½ teaspoons | 2 teaspoons | 1 teaspoon |
Light and fluffy, these are a great treat for stuffing into a Kong. If you’d like to give them as gifts or just speed up the process, you can use a pastry bag with a decorative tip.
If using homemade pumpkin puree, prior to adding the pumpkin into the other ingredients, set it in a fine-mesh strainer for 5 minutes to allow some of the liquid to drain off.
1 large egg
⅔ cup cream of wheat or cream of rice cereal
¼ cup nonfat instant powdered milk
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin puree or homemade puree (see here)
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Nonstick cooking spray
Bake until lightly browned, 20 minutes for a soft and chewy treat or 25 to 28 minutes for a crunchier treat.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or the freezer for up to 2 months.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| 2 treats | 3 treats | 5 treats | 7 treats | 9 treats |
Cutting the croutons ¼ inch larger than the hole in the Kong will help hold the croutons inside and give your dog something to work at.
1 water-packed sardine
1 slice whole-wheat bread
Cut the bread into ½- to 1-inch cubes, depending on the size of the Kong opening.
Add the bread cubes to the mashed sardine, and mix well to coat the bread.
Refrigerate any unused portion for up to 3 days.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| ¼ slice bread | ½ slice bread | ²∕³ slice bread | ¾ slice bread | 1 slice bread |
A serving of fish is just the thing for Labradors or other water breeds. The oils in the fish go right to improving the quality of coat and skin. The soft nature of this treat makes it easy for you to put it into a Kong and easier for your dog to get it out.
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon dried kelp
2 (5 ounce) cans oil-packed tuna, drained
2 cups panko bread crumbs
Nonstick cooking spray
With a knife, cut all the way through the biscuits in four lines in each direction, approximately 1½ inches apart, to make 25 treats.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow the biscuits to cool, and then tear them apart at the score lines to make individual treats.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| 1 biscuit | 2 biscuits | 3 biscuits | 4 biscuits | 5 biscuits |
Rather than let extra rice go to waste, transform it into a casserole for your dog. Softening the rice with water makes this dish easy to digest, and the cheese helps to disguise the fact that healthy vegetables are inside. This makes an excellent Kong stuffing or it can be used to hide medicine.
Nonstick cooking spray
2 large eggs
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup cooked rice
½ cup finely chopped or grated carrots, broccoli, or green beans
¼ cup water
¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
Add the rice, vegetables, water, and cheese and mix until well blended.
Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and bake for 25 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the top is lightly browned.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| ¼ cup | ¹∕³ cup | ½ cup | ¾ cup | 1 cup |
Did you know that dogs don’t sweat? It’s the panting that helps them cool their head and to some extent their body. To help your dog keep cool, try ice cream. This is a treat best served outdoors, as it can be kind of messy if your dog noses it across the floor while licking away. It’s also a great treat for stuffing in a Kong.
Chopped-up dog cookies or other treats like Good Girl Gizzards can also be mixed in if you don’t have chicken livers on hand.
For older dogs with sensitive mouths, allow the frozen cubes to thaw for a few minutes before feeding.
1 cup water
2 chicken livers
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 cup solid-pack pumpkin puree
Spoon the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze for 4 to 6 hours.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| 1 cube | 2 cubes | 3 cubes | 4 cubes | 5 cubes |
This recipe offers another delicious way to keep cool. The molasses is included not only to sweeten the ice cream a bit but also to provide important nutrients like calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium. Be sure to buy blackstrap molasses to ensure that it contains the important vitamins and minerals; other forms of molasses are mostly just sugars.
The peanut butter in this ice cream increases the fat content, so it’s higher in calories. Please note the reduced feeding amounts.
For older dogs with sensitive mouths, allow the frozen cubes to thaw for a few minutes before feeding.
½ ripe banana
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons peanut butter (natural style preferred)
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
Spoon the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze for 4 to 6 hours.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| 1 cube | 2 cubes | 3 cubes | 4 cubes | 5 cubes |
Here’s a little Asian–Italian fusion for your dog. The beauty of wonton wrappers is that they have no desire to be the star of the show. In Asian restaurants, wonton wrappers are used to deliver tasty fillings and dip into both sweet and savory sauces. They stay in the background in this recipe as well, letting the true star—a tiny bit of Parmesan cheese—take center stage. If you’d like to add even more of a twist, cut each wonton wrapper into four lengthwise strips, cover with the toppings, and then twist lightly before baking.
Nonstick cooking spray
12 wonton wrappers
1 egg white, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crumbled
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cut each wonton wrapper twice diagonally using a knife or pizza cutter in an “X” motion, creating 4 triangles.
Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, until the edges are brown.
Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| 2 treats | 4 treats | 7 treats | 9 treats | 12 treats |
Who doesn’t love a good brownie? There’s no reason to leave your dog out of the brownie fun: Simply substitute liver for chocolate. This makes a soft, dense brownie that is excellent for stuffing inside a Kong. Your dog will want you to choose beef liver because dogs love it, but chicken livers work just as well and don’t have such a heavy scent.
Because liver is high in vitamin A, share this treat sparingly. It freezes well for up to 3 months, so store some away as a special treat.
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 large eggs
¼ pound liver (beef or chicken)
2 cups seven-grain cereal (look for it next to the oatmeal)
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. (Immediately rinse the food processor to prevent any remaining liver from sticking.)
Allow the brownies to cool to room temperature, then cut at 1-inch intervals in both directions.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| ½ square inch | 1 square inch | 1½ square inches | 2 square inches | 3 square inches |
JerkyMy mom assisted me each week in the Dog Stew kitchen and came up with this recipe on her own. You can also substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the beef heart. The molasses provides sweetness to the jerky and the anise adds a delightful scent that dogs will appreciate.
Nonstick cooking spray
1 pound beef heart
6 cups water
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (with the “mother,” see here)
½ teaspoon ground star anise powder (optional)
Drain the beef, reserving the broth for use in other recipes. Allow the beef to cool, then slice into strips ¼ inch thick, cutting in the direction of the meat’s grain to make the meat even chewier.
Add the sliced beef to the molasses mixture and stir to coat evenly.
Place the beef strips on the baking sheet, slightly separated, and bake for 1 hour, or until dry.
Store at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| 1 strip | 2 strips | 3 strips | 4 strips | 5 strips |
Sure, they’re small. But pulling these out for dog training makes your dog as happy as you used to be when somebody offered you a piece of candy as a child. The joy is the same even if the treat is not.
Try this small batch to start. Next time, you may want to make double or triple the batch size. It’s barely any effort, and your dog will definitely deserve more as your training progresses.
5 cups water
1 pound chicken gizzards
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Drain the gizzards and allow them to cool enough to handle. Reserve and freeze the stock for use in any recipe in this book calling for chicken stock.
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Cut the gizzards into ¼-inch slices.
Bake for 1 hour, tossing 2 to 3 times.
Turn off the oven and dry the gizzards in the oven for 1 hour.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| 1 teaspoon | 2 teaspoons | 1 teaspoon | 2 teaspoons | 3 teaspoons |
Many dogs on restricted diets due to possible allergies are often prescribed a duck and potato diet. Duck is a novel protein source that most dogs have not been exposed to earlier in life, and they are therefore less likely to have an allergic reaction to it. If your dog has allergy concerns, you should also limit the protein sources in treats. Although this recipe was created for dogs with allergies, it’s a great treat for any dog. I bake them longer, until they’re dried and crunchy, and dogs love them. The softer version provides a great place to hide medicine.
Duck hearts are often available at Asian grocery stores, but if you can’t find them you can always substitute chicken hearts, as long as your dog does not have any allergy concerns.
Two batches fit well on an 11 by 14-inch baking sheet if you would like to double the recipe.
1 pound duck hearts
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crumbled
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to achieve a soft browned treat perfect for senior dogs. Or cook for a total of 1 hour 15 minutes, until crunchy and dry, to prolong their shelf life. Toss every 30 minutes to ensure even cooking.
Store soft treats for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer. Store crunchy treats for up to 1 month in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| 2 pieces | 3 pieces | 5 pieces | 6 pieces | 8 pieces |
If we took a poll based on the number of wagging tails, beef would probably come up as the number-one favorite canine flavor. This stock is incredibly easy to prepare, and using beef neck bones is an inexpensive choice that also utilizes a secondary cut of meat left over from human food production. If your local grocery store doesn’t carry neck bones, try to find an Asian grocery store, where you can usually find these bones for just a couple of dollars.
While you’re waiting for the stock to cool, grab a leash and the garbage, and then head out for a walk after stopping at the trash can. By immediately taking out the trash, you can prevent curious noses from instigating a garbage party and ingesting dangerous pieces of bone.
2 pounds beef neck bones
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
6 cups water
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 Roma tomato, sliced into quarters
Turn the bones over and roast for another 20 minutes, until the bones are browned. The meat on the bones will not yet be fully cooked through.
Decrease the heat to low and simmer with the lid on for 1 hour. The stock will be pretty good at this point. If you simmer the stock for 2 hours, it will be even richer tasting and you’ll be tempted to use the stock in your own cooking.
Strain the stock. The small amount of meat can be removed from the bones and shared over dinner for an extra-special treat. Discard bones and vegetables.
The stock and meat can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 6 months.
| BEEF STOCK ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| ¼ cup | ¹∕³ cup | ½ cup | ²∕³ cup | 1 cup |
| MEAT FROM BONES ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| 1 tablespoon | 2 tablespoons | 3 tablespoons | ¹∕³ cup | ½ cup |
When making this stock for the dogs, you can pack it with flavors and use it as an excuse to clean out the fridge a bit. If you have saved other fruits and vegetables that are still fresh but not likely to be used in the next couple of days, go ahead and add a cup or two. Don’t worry so much about precision—you never have to make the same stock twice because you may not be stocking the same ingredients in the fridge.
The resulting stock will be rich with flavor, vitamins, and minerals and can be used to moisten dry food or in any of the cookie recipes.
10 cups water
Bones from 1 chicken carcass, all skin removed (see Note)
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 apple, cored and chopped
1 cup packed fresh spinach
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Decrease the heat to low and simmer with the lid on for 40 minutes.
Strain the stock and discard the bones and vegetables.
The stock can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 6 months.
Note: To create a richer-tasting broth that you can use in your own meals as well, first preheat the oven to 400°F and then roast the chicken bones for 15 to 20 minutes, until they turn a rich golden brown. Proceed as directed.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| ¼ cup | ¹∕³ cup | ½ cup | ²∕³ cup | 1 cup |
Most of the cookie recipes in this cookbook call for chicken or beef stock, but you can easily substitute fish stock to make treats even more tempting. Occasionally, we buy a whole salmon and combine the backbone and parts that were mangled in the filleting process with a few cups of water, and 20 minutes later we have a rich-tasting fish stock. Nothing else is needed because the fish will tell the tale on its own. I love to give the dogs a little freshly made and cooled broth as a post-walk treat. Mackerel, halibut, and orange roughy are also good choices. If you’re feeling ambitious, go ahead and pick the fish off the bones after making the stock, and serve that as an extra-special treat over the evening’s dinner.
Fish (anything you can spare, such as heads, backbones, or scraps)
Water
Decrease the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow the stock to cool.
Strain, cool, and give a bit to your dog while it’s fresh.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| ¼ cup | ¹∕³ cup | ½ cup | ²∕³ cup | 1 cup |
Do you ever buy a bunch of parsley for a recipe that requires only a couple of tablespoons and then put the remaining parsley back in the fridge? A week later it’s a wilted mess. Instead of letting your extra parsley go to waste, put it to use in freshening your dog’s breath by sprinkling this over her dry food. The Brazil nut is a good source of selenium, and the cheese makes the combination irresistible.
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Brazil nut
Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze in portions in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, the ice cubes can be stored in a plastic bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon | 2 teaspoons | 3 teaspoons | ¼ cup |
Some people like to use turkey giblets in their Thanksgiving gravy, but many people just throw these nutritious morsels out. Give your dog something to be thankful for with this delicious and easy way to dress up kibble. As long as the potatoes are free of eyes or green spots, keep the skins on. The bulk of iron and calcium in potatoes is in the skin, as well as nearly one-quarter of the total nutrition.
2 medium russet potatoes
Giblets from 1 turkey, including the neck, liver, heart, and gizzard
4 cups water
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Remove from the heat and strain the stock. Discard the neck. Allow the stock to cool to room temperature.
Pulse the stock, the remaining giblets, potatoes, and parsley in a blender until smooth.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| 2 tablespoons | ¼ cup | ¹∕³ cup | ½ cup | ²∕³ cup |
Small sugar pumpkins and squatty Cinderella pumpkins can be found in stores, or you can grow your own pumpkins especially for this purpose. When we cook pumpkins, I bake three or four at a time to make the process more efficient. However, once a pumpkin has been carved for Halloween, toss it in the compost pile, away from your dogs, to avoid bacteria and mold.
For your dog, pumpkin puree is the great equalizer; whether your dog is constipated or has diarrhea, the soluble fiber helps bring your dog back to center. Have a can on hand or some homemade puree in the freezer for whenever your dog’s digestive tract is off track.
1 (3- to 4-pound) pumpkin
Place the pumpkin quarters flesh side down in the bottom of a large roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, until the flesh is tender.
Allow the pumpkin to cool, and then scoop out the flesh and discard the skin.
Puree the pumpkin in batches in a food processor for about 30 seconds, until smooth, or mash with a potato masher.
If using the puree in recipes, place in a fine-mesh sieve to drain excess liquid for 5 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. (You can pour the liquid over dry dog food.)
The pumpkin puree can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| 1 tablespoon | 3 tablespoons | ¼ cup | ¹∕³ cup | ½ cup |
The secret to crunchy seeds is boiling them first. If you don’t feel like boiling the seeds first, spread them out on a baking sheet and let them sit overnight before baking. Your dog can snack on them after baking, or you can pulse them in a food processor first; they are a natural remedy for preventing or eliminating worms. This recipe uses a modest amount of garlic salt for flavoring, but garlic powder can also be used as a low-sodium alternative.
Raw pumpkin seeds from 1 pumpkin
6 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until lightly toasted.
Store the seeds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
| ALLOWANCE PER DAY | ||||
| 10-pound dog | 20-pound dog | 40-pound dog | 60-pound dog | 80-pound dog |
| ½ teaspoon | 1 teaspoon | 1½ teaspoons | 2 teaspoons | 1 teaspoon |