Easy, Quick and Healthy Homemade Dog Treats – for spoiling the dogs we love!

As you’re planning to drop off or pick up your pet from our Brisbane Pet Resort, you might look for some extra special treats to spoil your best mate. Or, if you have a beloved pup or two keeping you company at home and need to say thanks for taking you on all those extra lockdown walks, couch snuggles and quiet nights-in during QLD Covid, you probably want to spoil them now, more than ever. 

Although they are “our best buddies,” a journey down the virtual pet aisle searching for snacks might be daunting.

You want to find something your dogs will love, but you also want to keep them healthy. A quick local search in Brisbane shows everything from processed-preservative-filled mainstream brands to subscription treat boxes. From home-delivered pet meals (that look better than I had on my wedding night) to gluten-free, vegetarian, environmentally friendly, and organic unicorn flavoured kibble toppers – how do you choose! 

There are more options than ever, so we asked a treat loving animal expert, Elise, to help narrow down the choices and streamline your treats. Elise has studied performance animals, animal therapy and worked in all aspects with dogs and cats in her professional life, including at the RSPCA. Elise has a full-on Jack Russell called Peachie-Sparkles and in the past has helped all kinds of breeds, sizes and personality types rehabilitate into family life. 

The treats Elise recommends to help teach ‘old dogs new tricks’ and her favourite options for sharing at shelters are kitchen or homemade treats and their regular kibble diet – just in a fun way!. 

Remember that treats don’t mean a meal. Too many treats can cause unbalanced diets. Eating too many high-calorie snacks will actively harm your dog. Elise suggests that dogs who love their food and can not afford extra treats (like Labradors) can have their regular diet as a treat. The way to make it fun is to feed the kibble like you would a treat. So, when you are walking or training, substitute high-calorie treats for the kibble – they’ll love it even more as a reward.

Elise says you can avoid the pet aisle altogether by searching your kitchen for unexpected dog treats. “I tend to stick to fruits and vegetables as treats because obesity can be a big issue for our modern- dogs.” Easy human food treats include apples, bananas and cucumbers, blueberries, carrots, green peas, broccoli, watermelon, cooked sweet potato, and pure pumpkin purée. Remember to slice fruit and veggies and remove all the seeds before serving any to your dog. Other treats could include cheerios, lean meats, cheese and peanut butter.

Elise says, ‘I generally have to watch our dogs pretty closely to stop them stealing the ponies apples and carrots!’. They just love them!

For those energetic and often lighter breeds like border collies and Jack Russells or picky eaters, oldies, anxious, or highly strung pups, below is her go-to homemade treat. 

This simple dog treat recipe is easy to make and has lots of variations to try.

It’s my favourite not only because we can share with the fur-babies or because it is so easy anyone can do it … but because when I feed this up and down the shelter dog aisles – every single dog just loves it! Sometimes the shop-bought varieties are hit and miss with the dogs, but this healthy dog treat recipe is always a winner. 

Healthy Sweet Potato Treats For Happy Dogs

Ingredients

Cook time approx 30min.

Prep time approx 5min if you don’t have too many extra ‘helpers.’ 

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

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to your ‘normal’ temp – let’s be honest, we all have a ‘spot’ the oven dial usually sits on
2. Peel and cut the sweet potato
3. Coat with oil and spices
4. Pop in the oven for 15 minutes
5. Check and flip if needed before baking for another 10-15 minutes
6. Let cool and enjoy

Other variations; Mash the sweet potatoes and add whatever you like to make ‘treat balls’. For example, try a can of salmon, eggs, dog safe flour (we use Coconut Flour), offcuts or lean mince.

If you are looking for extra spice combinations, generally speaking here are some safe dog spices:

Basil, Turmeric, Cinnamon, Coriander. Dill, Garlic (in small amounts), Ginger, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Tarragon, Thyme, Turmeric

As with anything, if you try new foods, or create a change in routine, be sure to keep an eye on your dog and introduce changes slowly. Every dog is different; always check with your vet before implementing new foods and changes to your dog’s life.