I am a little picky about what type of dog food to feed your dog. Dogs are carnivores, and their digestive systems are not made to digest so much grain! When was the last time you saw a dog pillaging a corn field? A good site to see if your dog food is a good choice is: Dog Food Analysis http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
Or Dog Food Advisor http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/dry/
I am not, however, as fussy when it comes to treats (except not to buy what is in the store!)
We have a few dogs - both large and small and we have been making our own dog biscuits for a number of years. Mariann is actually the one baking them. In fact, years ago she had a page on our site and sold dog biscuits. This was just before the big craze of dog biscuit stores.
Her variety of flavors for the treats:
Chocoholic Carob Cookies (with carob), Hush Puppies, Peanut Buster, Plain, Canine Breath Freshener (with mint), Cheese Yips, Fleas Navidad (garlic), Maltese Maple Munchies, Dalmatian Dipped, Scottie Biscotti, French Onion
Snickerpoodles, Big Dog Gone Bone (for large dogs!), Bacon Bit Biscuits and a Chocoholic Carob Birthday Cake with a white frosting
Most dog foods taste bland, the store-made biscuits taste like sawdust, so companies add a lot of salt to make it appealing to dogs.
Since my mother's elderly dog lives with us, I am making dog biscuits again. She is on a special low sodium diet, so by making biscuits on my own, I can control the sodium. We have a variety of dog biscuit cookie cutters, including large, medium small and tiny dog bones and a hydrant.
Here is a very simple recipe:
Microwave Doggie Doughnuts
2 c Whole wheat flour (you can substitute the flour with Rye or Buckwheat flour)
3 T Oatmeal
1 Egg; lightly beaten
1 ts Garlic powder
2/3 c Beef or chicken broth (low sodium - better yet, make your own)
Place flour in a bowl, add egg and broth, mix well. Blend in oatmeal and garlic powder. Roll dough into a ball, roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2" thick. Cut with small doughnut cutters. Reroll scraps and repeat. Arrange on a shallow baking dish or on a sheet or parchment paper in a single layer. Cook on HIGH 10 minutes or until firm.
Let cool until hardened. Store in covered container in refrigerator.
If you don't know how to make your own chicken broth, or want more recipes for dog biscuits, let me know and I will post them!
