How do you keep the cream cheese dog treat icing from cracking?

I have made homemade dog treats a few times and I love to decorate them with the cream cheese icing, but I always have the same problem the day after when they dry, the icing cracks. What can I do to prevent this problem?

Chef's Answer ~ There are a couple reasons why icing may crack. One is that it has been applied too thin. Then when the icing dries or the dog cookie is moved, the dog treat icing cracks.

Another reason, and this is the most common, is that every kitchen environment is a little different. A dryer climate will make your icing crack easier. Try adding 1 tsp of canola oil if you live in a dry area.

As always, be sure that your cookies are completely cooled before decorating. You may need to make one batch of your cream cheese icing, and break it up into small batches and add either canola oil, water, or even shortening to them to see which one of these additions is best for your area.

Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)