Do you have a recipe that makes hard dog treats?

by Maryanne
(Roscoe, NY)

The softer ones spoil quicker and have to be stored in the fridge. How come the store bought ones don't need to be stored that way?

I make dog treats for my dogs, but can't seem to get the consistency that I want. I want to make really pretty decorative ones like in those fancy pet bakeries, any suggestions?

Chef's Answer ~ You have a lot of great questions! I'll try to answer each one.

First, recipes for hard dog treats. Yes, we have many. Check out our dog biscuit recipes. These are rolled and cut with dog cookie cutters and then they can be baked for longer than recommended for an extra hard and crunchy treat.

Second, store bought treats usually contain preservatives. Our homemade dog treats do not, so they have a much shorter life outside of refrigeration or freezing.

Third, fancy dog treats. Since I don't know which ones you are trying to duplicate, I'm not sure how to assist you. Many dog treat bakeries use icings to make their treats visually appealing. Check out our dog treat icing recipes for inspiration.

If I've missed something, or you have a specific dog bakery treat you are trying to duplicate, just let me know. :)

Comments for Do you have a recipe that makes hard dog treats?

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Dehydrator
by: Chad

One thing that you can do if you have the cash is to purchase a dehydrator. You can pick one up at Walmart for a low cost. If you put your dog biscuits into the dehydrator for a minimum of 10 hours it will draw the moisture out of the biscuits and this will extend the shelf life of your treats.

yak and cows milk
by: Maggie

Have you ever tried to make the super hard bones for aggressive chewers called Himalayan bones? How are they made by boiling? Do you know the ingredients and are they also good on longer shelf life because they are so hard- mom of boxers

Chef's Comments ~ No, I haven't tried to make a DIY version of the Himalayan bones. But, from what I have researched you can make them by boiling low fat milk for 3-5 minutes, add 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, then strain with several layers of cheese cloth for about 30 minutes. Then press the "cheese" with a heavy weight to get even more excess moisture out. When you have a firm ball that you can slice, you're ready to dehydrate. Slice up pieces appropriate for your dog, set your dehydrator for 130 degrees and wait patiently for 24 hours or more.

Again, this is what I have found from other websites and forums. I have not tried this recipe myself, so I can not guarantee that it will work or how long it will last.

I hope this information will get you started. :)

Dog bone
by: Joann Busch

My dog can not do raw hides so I want to make bones that she can get the chewing out of them real hard

Chef's Comments ~ A great alternative to raw hide bones are antler dog treats. They are healthy chews for most dogs and will hold up to most aggressive chewers.

Recipe for treats like K-9 Granola Factory?
by: AussieDexter

I love the hardness of the K-9 Granola Factory treats, and they smell so great too! The problem is their price! I am wondering if you have a recipe that is a VERY hard biscuit when baked, so it cleans the teeth a bit when chewed. I'd love to make my dog some good-for-you treats at home, for a much more reasonable price. Can you help?

Chef's Comments ~ Looking at some of the ingredient lists of the companies many treats, one thing stood out to me, there was very little "wet" ingredients. That would also make sense because their treats are very crunchy.

If you are willing to experiment, I would suggest my Chicken Broth dog treat recipe with some modifications. The first would be to omit the milk. Then reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 45 minutes.

These are all just suggestions, I haven't tried these variations myself. So, you will need to be flexible with these guidelines.

You can also do as one poster suggests and dehydrate your baked dog treats. You can do this in the lowest setting of your oven or a dehydrator machine.

I hope this helps. :)

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