Content courtesy of the kitchn & Dog Treat Recipes

Everyone loves getting cookies and treats but dogs may be the most appreciate recipients of all!

With ingredients like peanut butter, bacon, and carob, these dog biscuit recipes are sure to have tails wagging… And at least some of them are tasty even by human standards!

• Bachelor Dog Treats — Spago Executive Pastry Chef Sherry Yard shares her recipe with LA Weekly.
• Best of Breed Dog Biscuits — A vegetarian, vet-approved recipe at King Arthur Flour. (pictured above)
• Carob Crunchers — Doggy Dessert Chef developed this recipe for wheat-sensitive pups.
• Cinnamon Bun Bites — These treats from The Family Kitchen look so good, even we got hungry.
• Dog Biscuits — According to one of the reviewers of this Gourmet recipe, “My Great Danes loved them, so did my husband.” Others said they were good with cheese! (pictured above)
• Homemade Doggie Treats — Dogs will love the bacon fat in this recipe from The Kitchn. (pictured above)
• Homemade Flax Seed Dog Biscuits — A great recipe accompanied by priceless photos from White on Rice Couple.
• Nutty Bacon Dog Treats — Dog Hill Kitchen’s recipe includes bacon and maple syrup.
• Peanut Butter and Banana Dog Treats — This gluten-free recipe from Whole Foods includes parsley for breath freshening. (pictured above)

Non-baked Treats

Don’t worry if you don’t bake (I don’t bake either!) because there are so many healthy dog treats that don’t have to be in the form of biscuits, cookies and bones. Here’s some dog treat recipe ideas that don’t require preheating your oven:

• Yogurt & Cottage Cheese — Does your pooch love ice cream as much as mine does? Too bad it’s not very good for them. Give him or her some yogurt or cottage cheese instead! It’s a great alternative that will make your dog just as happy as cleaning his ice cream bowl.
• Pumpkin — Next time you open a can of pure pumpkin, give your pup some. A word of caution, though, your dog will be begging for more! Pumpkin is fantastic for dogs and loaded with fiber and vitamins. Just make sure to use pure pumpkin and not pie filling that’s loaded with a lot of fat, sugar and spices.
• Egg Whites — Keep some hardboiled eggs on hand and give your dog just the egg white as a treat from time to time. They’re high in protein and tasty. Make sure that’s it’s just the white, though, because those yolks have a ton of fat and calories.
• Rice & Pasta — If you keep it plain, these 2 are great alternatives to high-calorie dog treats. Most dogs would love to have a little rice or pasta mixed up with their food. If your dog’s on a weight control diet, putting some rice into the mix is a great way to add bulk without adding fat and calories.
• Popcorn — Provided your dog isn’t allergic to corn, unsalted, plain popcorn makes great treats for dogs. And no baking! You just need a microwave.
• Veggies — Get your dog to eat his veggies! Carrot sticks and green beans make wonderful dog biscuit alternatives. All of the crunch, but none of the fat.

So the next time you’re thinking about grabbing for that box of dog biscuits, consider giving your dog something a bit healthier to snack on. Just last night Rosco & I snacked on some tasty edamame — he so patiently waited for me to pop the soy bean from the pods and then hand it to him.* 🙂

We humans have an ongoing battle going with their weight. Always keep in mind that obesity is a huge problem for dogs, too, so making a few easy healthy dog treat recipes from time to time will keep you doggies both happy and healthy.

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*Always remember: Beans may make your dog gassy so be don’t over-indulged with the soy beans. However, the pods are OK for them so alternate the beans and the pods. They just love getting the treats.

Photo Credit: Romula Yanes/Gourmet; Whole Foods; King Arthur Flour; Regina Yunghans, Mr. Wok