Dog gone it!
My life has gone to the dogs as of late.
It all started with a good intention of buying my dogs “organic” treats.
I’m very picky of what I feed my dogs…
No table scraps…
Holistic food….
Veggies for snacks…they love fresh green beans, red peppers, carrots and cabbage!
I got reeled in by good marketing and packaging. What a disaster!
Their reaction to the new snacks didn’t go over well. It started as a small ripple and turned into a full blown tidal wave. I’m not going into the ugly details here. Just trust me – it was ugly. We finally rented a carpet cleaner on Sunday – a half hour after we returned it to the store – bam!
Needless to say, I threw everything out and resolved to make treats for them myself. It ended up being easier than I thought. My kitchen smelled wonderful…in fact, my Hubby came home and took a bite out of one just because they smelled so good. Other than not being sweet and a bit hard – he said they tasted great!
Basic flavor comes from peanut butter, pumpkin and cinnamon…
Add more wholesomeness with whole wheat flour, eggs and a pinch of salt.
Mix in your mixer adding a big of water (a tablespoon at a time) until the dough pulls away from the bowl.
Dough will be dry and sticky.
Doggies like dry and sticky – or is it stinky?
Roll the dough out on a well-floured board to 1/2″ thick.
Cut with a cookie cutter.
Place on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degree until hard and crunchy.
Cool and…
well…
What are you waiting for?
dog treats, doggie treats, dogs, wholesome dog treats Baking, Fun food
Awww! I gave my mom-in-law a dog cookie baking set, because she’s got a husky, but so far she hasn’t done it. I’ll bookmark this and whip up a batch next time we visit.
You’ll love this recipe Kiri! So easy to make and they smell delicious. My tribe loves them!
Just made them for my Border Collies and they LOVED them…I even tried one myself and they’re REALLY good….so now at least I know they’re eating something SAFE. What finally did it for me, along with all the recalls, was when I got a report last week that even MILK BONES has ‘Formeldahyde” and animal remains in it….and they’re made by PURINA….so that did it for me…NO more of that junk…
Thank you for this recipe….it’s really yummy…I tried one! lol And the girls LOVED them!
I’m glad you and the girls loved them! They are so easy to make and healthy!
can i use regular flour instead of wheat flour?
Regular flour should work just fine!
I made these today for my dog. I took 2 different store bought treats and this home made one and placed on the floor. My dog went for the home made treat. They are a hit with my dog!
These would be a hit with my dogs – they love anything with pumpkin or peanut butter. I’ll be making these this weekend! Thanks for the recipe
You’re welcome…your dogs will thank you too! Mine have been following me around the house constantly since I’ve made them!
Just made these! We didn’t have any peanut butter so I used a bit of honey instead, and added a little oil and some more flour. I hope our guy likes them, they smell awesome, and have way fewer ingredients than some crazy packaged dog treats I’ve seen.
Oooo! Let me know if your poochie likes them!
do you know if these freeze well? or how long they’ll stay fresh in an airtight container?? THanks!
Hi Erica! Woofies do freeze well! Simply put them in a freezer bag or airtight container and they’ll keep for 6 months. In an airtight container on your counter, they will keep up to 3 weeks. (I’m sure they won’t last that long!)
Just wanted to let you know that I featured this on my blog!
Thanks Meredith! You can a cute blog and I’m very honored!
I love these dog treats – I substitute squash and sweet potato for pumpkin sometimes, also I’ve added oatmeal and flax meal to the flour, and every time they turn out fantastic and my Bella the Basset Hound adores them! Easy too and it makes me feel good to know exactly what she is eating.
Those sounds like good additions! I sometimes bake a sweet potato for my pups for dinner!
These sound just what I am looking for EXCEPT we have Wheaten Terriers and they are not supposed to have wheat or corn flour. Do you think it would work if I used regular flour? We have one old guy who is very picky about his treats and one puppy mill rescue girl who will eat anything!!!!
I would suggest trying rice flour since regular flour is still a wheat flour. I’m sure the recipe is pretty flexible. God bless you for rescuing a dog – we have a rescued shih tzu that was one week from being euthanized at the pound. She’s the best dog I’ve ever had!
I was so excited to try out this recipe and ran out to the store to grab all of the ingredients; however, I realized that I accidentally purchased the Libby’s canned easy pumpkin pie mix, rather than just canned pumpkin. Do you know if it would still be alright to use that in this recipe and okay for the dog to eat?
Hi Nicole – Check the ingredient on the label. If it’s all just spices (which I think it is), it shouldn’t hurt. You may want to hold back on adding cinnamon to the recipe. Good luck! Your pooch will love these!
I made these for my Basset Hounds today. We’re trying to get them on a more natural diet as yucky dog food makes them have tummy aches. I used half wheat and half white flour. Dogs love them and stood under my feet while I was making them! Will do again. Thanks!
They are so easy, aren’t they? I’m glad your pups loved them!
look and sound wonderful, and so healthy, going to try this for our three doggies!
Do you think it’s a big deal I forgot the eggs? Dogs seem to still like them.
If they came out – it’s no big deal! Just don’t tell the dogs
Pugsley(my 6 month old Olde English Bulldogge) Is allergic to grains. No wheat,corn,or well anything like that.Is there another substitution for the wheat? I would love to make these for him. Thank You
I would suggest ground up oatmeal but I would suggest experimenting with non-grains. The recipe is very flexible.
I used Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free All purpose baking mix. I actually found it at Wal-Mart! Also instead of the peanut butter i used regular butter. They turned out great! Pugsley loves them. Thank You so very much
These are great I just wish they were a little softer. Is there any way to make these softer? Or does anyway have a recipie for softer pumpkin dog treats?
I’ll look for one and try them soon! I do have a few doggie cookbooks here!
These treats are really good! I tried one myself:) They smell amazing and my babies love them<3
How can you figure out how many calories they have? My vet said my bulldog needed to loose a few pounds.
I don’t have the nutritional breakdown – but from first glance the only ‘fattening’ ingredient is peanut butter.
Create an account on myfitnesspal.com
One done you can enter your review and enter the number of treats/servings and get the nutritional information that way
Good advice! Thanks.
Hi! I’m looking forward to trying these! How many does it make?
Thanks!
Hi Stacey – Depending on the size of your cutter, I get about 3 – 4 dozen. Enjoy the recipe!
Thanks!
I found your blog via Pinterest, and I am so glad I did.
We have a husky who gets bored with his food very easily. He is currently sitting in front of the oven waiting for the most recent batch (5th time making) to pulled from the oven. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe.
You’re very welcome! I’m glad you stopped by!
I loved this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing it! My dog loves them! It was so easy! No problems—no need to add water. I used my stand mixer and they were perfect!
It is easy and oh-so-good for your doggie! Thanks for stopping by!
I made these today. They are very easy and my babies love them!
Wonderful! I’ll be posting new puppy treat recipes soon!
I absolutely LOVE making these! They make my house smell wonderful. Today I made a double batch and realized that I only had 1 can of pumpkin purée. I ended up substituting with 1 cup of natural apple sauce. They still turned out great! I also like to throw in some dried parsley for that horrible doggy breath! My 3 (4 month old Pit Bull (Chuy), 1.5 year old mutt rescue (Spencer), & 1.5 year old Beagle mix (bailey)) absolutely live them!!! Thanks for the great recipe!!!!
I’m an obsessed dog owner (even have my dogs paw print tattooed on my foot) and i well do anything for him. Made these for and my best friends dog who has a sensitive, both Loved then! I didn’t bake as long just long enough to get a slight crunch. Thanks so much! From all of us!!!
Hi! I wanted to let you know that I tried these out (and used on my blog) and attached your website as to where I found the recipe. I tried these out last night and decided to package them up for friends and family who have dogs, as a little Christmas goodie bag. They look amazing and I can’t wait to get feedback on how their dogs like them! I bet they are as amazing as everyone else is writing! Thanks so much for such an easy and yummy recipe!
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I’ve never known a pup not to like them! You may also want to try Barkie Banana Biscottis. I made them last week and they are equally easy and tasty! Happy Holidays!
Can you use different type of flour ?
Yes. I like whole wheat but regular white flour works great too!
I made these over the weekend and let me tell you, AMAZING!!! My 3 chihuahuas loved them, I froze half to make for them later and gave a couple to my friends with dogs all wrapped nice. Great recipe!!!
Awesome! I love when puppies are happy! Thanks for trying the recipe!
This might be a silly question but, because they have eggs in them, how long will they last for? Would they last longer if i made a bunch to store without eggs? or does it even matter? thankyou!
They will last about two weeks in an air tight container. They freeze well too!
Hi Erin,
Love the recipe and plan to make it for my Buddy. I love the picture of your dog. I’m an artist and was wondering if I can use the picture as reference for a painting?
I’m flattered that you asked. Please do and send me a picture of the piece! Thanks so much for asking!
Thank you. I will send a picture
Great recipe…Since I didn’t have pumpkin, I used pureed carrots and my two dogs LOVED them! I will definitely be making these from now on rather than store bought treats. I will have to try with the pumpkin next time:)
Yummy recipe, can’t wait to make them for my rescue pup. Your dog is beautiful. what breed?
It looks like a schnauzer to me, or a mixed breed of some sort. Mostly just schnauzer. (Or 100% schnauzer)
Just a note to say thank you for letting me use the photo of your cute little dog as reference for a painting. You can view the finished product at linda-cleveland.artistwebsites.com.
Oh my! The painting is amazing – we are thrilled! We want to buy a copy – what is the best format to do so? Canvas print? Let me know!
Hi I just love this recipe I was wondering if I could use it in my business I’m a pet sitter
You sure can! My groomer sells my batches. Just remember – there are no preservatives so the shelf life is about two weeks. After that, they get moldy. Enjoy!
could you use a different type of squash than pumpkin? like butternut?
You sure can! Sweet potatoes would work well too!
Hi there! Your pictures are amazing and I just wondered if you would tell me what kind of camera that you are using? Thank you. Mike
Hi Mike! I have a Nikon D5000 camera and use a 50mm 1.8 lens for most of the food photos.
I just got done making these (still baking) but the dough was too sticky to roll. I even added more flour to the mix but still too sticky to roll out so I couldn’t use my cut dog bone cutter:( I had to just use a cookie scoop instead. What did I do wrong?
Sounds to me like not enough flour? It is basically a sticky dough and cookie cutters should work fine. I use a bit of flour when rolling them out as well.
We recently lost our 7 yr old blue tick. Her pancreatic failed her. During that time I started making my kids there own dog food and treats. We have never given them table scraps unless they jump on the counter and finish the plates off..I’m constantly looking and trying new and better recipes for them. This one sounds great. I’m going to make it right now. Our dogs r our children and human children we always watch what they eat and put into there mouths so why not do tht with our four legged children..thank you for posting this..
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. I am also very picky of what goes in my mouth along with my pups. I have two Schnauzers (schnauzers tend to get diabetes) and a Shih Tzu. I give them holistic dog food and for treats – carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans and these biscuits. you will love them!
I can not wait to try this with my gradaughter. She is going to love it!
If she eats one, it won’t hurt her!
My dogs absolutely love these treats, I usually add a 1/2 cup of oats and an extra teaspoon of peanut butter and it turns out great. I started making all of our dogs treats after all the recalls and health scares associated with the foods and treats. After I took a good look at the ingredients on the “big name” treat boxes and did the research on them I no longer wanted to feed them to my dogs. Recently our 8 yr old Yorkshire Terrier had to be put on a veterinarian low-fat dog food due to being on the verge of pancreatitis and having inflammatory bowel disease which in his case means a low fat & low protein diet (including treats). I was wondering if you happen to know the nutritional breakdown of these treats or how much the recipe yields so I can calculate it for him so I can adjust it according to his needs. Thank you.
Made these tonight for our two Great Danes and they are in love! Thanks so much for the recipe! And – love that you have their paws tattooed on your foot! I’ve always wanted to get it done but didn’t think it would be possible!? Any advice you can share on how you were able to accomplish this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much again!!
Tried these and my dog loves them…. didn’t think it was possible. Very cool! thank you
My dogs go crazy for them even before I take them out of the oven!
I made these today for my puppy to take to her boarder while we’re on vacation next week! I used a tiny bone and got 100+ cookies! Because they are so little, it only took about 20-25 minutes in the oven. She seems to really like them. My husband tried one and he said it was bland, ha, but all that counts is that the furry babes like them! My dough was very sticky so just make sure you sprinkle flour before rolling out.
One of my puppies favorite recipes! Glad you like it!
How should they be stored and for how long will they last in storage? Freezer, refrigerator or dry storage ? Thank you ?
Freezer – 6 months; dry storage – 1 month. I wouldn’t refrigerate them for they would loose their crispiness.
I made these this afternoon for my dog she loved them! However I did omit the 1/2 teaspoon of salt as salt is not good for dogs. Two thumbs (or paws) up!
I’m sure your pups didn’t even notice!