Recipe Reviews for Dehydrated Liver Dog Treats

Read all the reviews for this recipe, and then try it out for yourself. Don't forget to come back here and let us know what your dog thought or if you have any questions.

Treat to die for! My method is a little different

by Barry Coleman
(Midlands, England)

My lurcher really (no REALLY) loves these and so does every other dog I am allowed to treat. Ask first though, I once gave one to a vegetarian dog without asking the vegetarian owner. The dog loved it!

My method is a bit different. I lay the liver out flat on the lined baking tray as it comes out of the fridge after thawing. This is more fun than doing a jigsaw. I do 1 hour each side on the lowest heat my electric fan oven will do. By then it is hard enough and soft enough to cut up into treat sized chunks with scissors after cooling.

Then it's back into the oven to finally dry off on the same low heat until it feels about right for handling with minimum stickiness in the treat bag. It should rattle like beans in the Tupperware I use for fridge storage.

I get food grade liver from the supermarket as I find it very tasty as well and my hound shares some with me.

I use any liver. I.e. pork, beef, or lamb.

All this was by trialing different methods and it works for me, my oven and my dog. Just develop your own method, oven times etc

Best Dog Treat in My House

by Barbara V
(Riverside, CA, USA)

I've been giving these to my dogs for years, and it's by far their favorite treat. They even know the container when I take it out of the fridge. As long as they don't eat more than 10% of their Total Daily Intake they'll be safe.

Instead of using the oven, I use a dehydrator and I put it outside on my enclosed porch otherwise it would drive my dogs crazy with the scrumptious smell, and I don't want my house smelling like liver. It's the only thing I use this dehydrator for. I make sure to spray the trays with non-stick spray otherwise they'll be too brittle when taken off.

I use a pizza cutter to slice them into strips. I don't make them too small because my dogs will inhale them so fast and I want them to enjoy them.

Important!!! Make sure you buy Calf Liver because they don't have the toxins that the Cow Livers have since they're still young.

Tried chicken livers?

by Cindy
(Tukwila, WA)

My dog seems to have a beef allergy. Does this recipe work with chicken livers?

Chef's Answer ~ Chicken livers would be a great alternative to the calf liver used in this recipe. They are smaller, so you will probably not need to cut them. Since they may be a little thicker than a slice of calf liver, you may need to adjust the drying time. You're looking for a dry touch, but a still flexible treat.

Keeping liver treats longer?

by Russ Coker
(West Linn, Oregon)

When I make liver treats, as per the trainer.

Dump liver into water and boil, until cooked 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and dice to treat size. Place on flat cookie sheet and cook until dry. low temp.

I will normally cook for about 40 min. at about 175 deg. and finish in a kiln or drying rack at about 100 deg.

My treat is good for about 3 wks. then turns white. I'm thinking it is mold or a fungus.

The question is how do I change my recipe to make it last longer? and Can I add any thing such as olive oil to seal the outside.

Chef's Answer ~ I'm glad you found a recipe that works well for you and your dog. :)

It sounds like 3 weeks is quite a nice amount of time for these treats to stay fresh. My first thought is to freeze any extra treats that you won't use that week. Keep them in small freezer bags and thaw in the fridge overnight for use during the week.

I wouldn't recommend using olive oil as it may have the tendency to go rancid on the treats before they are consumed.

Liver dog treats were a big success!

by Charlotte

Love your site!! Tried the dried liver treats and they were a big success! I needed something different to train Roxie with and she really responded to the liver.

Thank you so much! Good luck in all your endeavors. Charlotte and Roxie

Liver treats from Elk

by Marla Hawkins
(Livermore)

I was looking for an easy liver treat to make for my dogs. There isn't anything easier than this one that I have read so far.

I have not made them yet, but I will be using elk liver and heart. Can't get more organic than that. I'll let you know how they turn out.

Cutting Liver for homemade dog treats

by Karen Pearce
(San Antonio, TX)

I have found the easiest way to cut the liver into strips is to use kitchen shears. Makes it so easy, I also leave the liver treats out in a cool place overnight (out of dogs reach of course) to dry out. The dogs sit by the stove while they cook. We call them oven lovens.

Simple Dehydrated Liver Treats

I use plain chicken breast and plain liver for treats to train our poodle puppy.

What I love about these simple treats is that they are simple and effective. There is no need to bake for hours on end and its a healthy treat used in combination with the healthy kibble we feed our pup and the veggies and fruit he loves to sample. The simplest things are the best things!

Can I use a dehydrator for liver treats??

Can a food dehydrator be used to make liver training treats? I tried it to make chicken treats for training and it was a disaster---the dogs either choked on them or threw them up.

Chef's Answer ~ Yes, a dehydrator can be used to make liver dog training treats. I'm not exactly sure why your dogs either choked or threw them up, but below are a few things to keep in mind when dehydrating any meat for your dogs:

• Seasonings - spices and even salt are not needed for your dogs jerky.


• Texture - make sure that the texture is chewy or flexible. It should not be so dried out that it can break or have any sharp edges.


• Size - you need to make the treats small or size them to your dog. A training treat for a great dane and a maltese will be different sizes, but they will still both be small. This may have contributed to your dogs choking.


• Moderation - any treat should be used in moderation. Any food your dog has never had before should be introduced slowly and in small amounts. This may have contributed to your dogs having an upset tummy.

Keeping these few tips in mind may help make your next dehydrating experience more enjoyable for your dogs and you, too! :)

Liver dog treats

by Sharron

I have not made it yet, but am so excited, this recipe and photo and entire description was the best ever, the most understandable and informative in every way, especially about the vitamin a stuff, etc. I am wondering, since I just bought a big container of chicken livers yesterday if I can make this same recipe with chicken livers? Please advise as soon as you can. Very appreciative and thank you so much.

Chef's Comments ~ Thank you for your kind words! :) Yes, you should be able to substitute chicken livers for the calf liver. Just watch the amount of time that they are cooked since the chicken livers could be thinner that the calf liver. You do not want any pieces to be dehydrated to the point that they have sharp edges. Enjoy! :)