Healthy Homemade Dog Treats: More than 70 Simple & Delicious Treats for Your Furry Best Friend

By Serena Faber-Nelson

Say hello to your beautiful, modern dog treat bible! We know you love your dog. We know you want what’s best for them.

But we also know if you’re faced with a dog treat recipe that calls for eight obscure ingredients, requires forty minutes of prep, and still ends up looking a brown, crumbly mess—you’re reaching for that bag of ready-made dog treats faster than we can say “fetch.”

Pet lifestyle expert Serena Faber-Nelson puts the fun back into dog treats—with easy, everyday recipes for go-to pet treats you’ll actually be bothered to make (and find yourself using over and over again). These nutritious, delicious, budget friendly, and oh-so-simple-to-make dog treat recipes include:
 

• Tasty Kong stuffers and healthy chews to keep your pup entertained while you go to work
• Easy, no-bake bliss balls that pull double duty as training treats
• Yummy biscuits that help freshen your doggo’s breath
• A whole section devoted to birthdays, holidays, and special occasions, of course
• And so much more!

With a huge variety of treats to reward, train, and pamper, every recipe is designed to make life easier and sweeter for you and your dog. Packed with mouth-watering images, easy step-by-step instructions, handy hints, allergy alternatives, nutritional info, and more, Homemade Dog Treats is the must-have recipe handbook for every dog owner.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Skyhorse
• Release date: Aug 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9781510744738

Serena Faber-Nelson

Serena Faber Nelson is the founder of the internationally popular pet lifestyle destination, Pretty Fluffy–an online home where dedicated dog owners find stylish products, modern advice, and inspiration for living well with their pets. Her modern, stylized take on DIY dog treats has seen her recipes viewed millions of times over; and she is a regular contributor to publications such as Everyday with Rachael Ray, Modern Dog Magazine, Cesars Way and more. Serena currently lives in Sydney, Australia with her young family and pup, Butterscotch. She uses the dog emoji way too much.

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Copyright © 2019 by Serena Faber-Nelson

Food photography by Serena Faber-Nelson

Additional recipe development and food photography by Sarah Dickerson

Part openers and lifestyle photography by Alexander Mayes Photography

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or [e-mail].

Skyhorse® and Skyhorse Publishing® are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.®, a Delaware corporation.

Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Faber-Nelson, Serena, author.

Title: Healthy homemade dog treats: more than 70 simple, delicious & nourishing recipes for your furry best friend / by Serena Faber-Nelson.

Description: New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing, [2019]

Identifiers: LCCN 2019006606| ISBN 9781510744714 (hardcover: alk. paper) | ISBN 9781510744738 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Dogs—Food—Recipes. | Dogs—Nutrition.

Classification: LCC SF427.4.F34 2019 | DDC 636.7/083—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019006606

Cover design by Daniel Brount

Cover photo by Alexander Mayes Photography

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-4471-4

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-4473-8

Printed in China

Disclaimer: The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book. Before making any changes or additions to your dog’s diet, remember to check with your local vet regarding your dog’s nutritional needs.

For Soda.

CONTENTS

Welcome

Why Do We Give Dogs Treats?

Why Make Homemade Treats?

The Pantry

Healthy Allergy Alternatives

Dog-Friendly Fruit & Vegetable Seasonal Guide

Charts & Conversions

A Handy Guide to Buying Organic

What are Dog-Safe Foods?

Foods to Avoid

Further Notes for the Reader

No-Bake Treats

Kong & Treat Ball Stuffers

Biscuits & Snacks

Cakes & Slices

Chews

On the Grill

Special Occasion

Icing & Dips

Thank You

Index

WELCOME

I’m unbelievably excited to welcome you to my first book—Healthy Homemade Dog Treats. Or as I like to call it—your modern dog treat bible.

If you’ve bought this book, I know you love your dog. I know you want to have more control about what exactly goes into their diet. I know you want to look after your furry best friend the best way you can.

Yet, in my years of expert research and kitchen experiments, I’ve discovered the biggest roadblock for dog owners in making their own dog treats is the recipes themselves.

If you’re faced with a dog treat recipe that calls for ten obscure ingredients, requires forty minutes prep, and still ends up looking like a brown, crumbly mess—you’re reaching for that expensive bag of ready-made dog treats faster than I can say fetch. And I’m with you—I’d much prefer to be snuggling on my couch with my pupper, binge watching Netflix, than wasting hours in the kitchen cooking some treat my dog barely cares about.

So of course, when I was writing this book I knew the recipes had to be tasty and healthy for our pups, quick and easy for us to make, and finally, useful in our everyday lives.

We’re dog owners—we want treats our dog can happily chew on while we head out to work, yummy high-value training treats that gets results, or treat-ball fillers that keep their attention for longer. We want simple, we want easy, we want delicious.

That’s why this book is based around quick, easy, everyday recipes that deliver beautiful, snackable results.

Unlike many other dog recipe books, the dog treat recipes in this book focus on all natural, nourishing, human-grade ingredients. Many recipes share staple ingredients that can be found at your local supermarket, easy to follow cooking methods, and use basic equipment found in any kitchen. The end results are healthy treats that look so good you’ll want to eat them yourself.

With an allergy alternatives guide, easy read buttons for Dairy Free, Grain Free, and Vegetarian dog treat recipes, I’ve made it so you can see what’s in each treat at a quick glance. Recipes that can be made in less than fifteen minutes also have a special icon (because who doesn’t love things quick and easy?). Breakout boxes highlight the benefits of ingredients (did you know raspberries are an excellent source of fiber for dogs?). And because I know we all love to celebrate with our doggos, there’s a whole section dedicated to special occasions such as birthdays and holidays.

Every single recipe in this book is suitable for a beginner treat maker. Just pick your favorite to start and keep going (after reading all the important health and produce notes in the beginning chapters, of course!).

I’d encourage you all, once you master the recipes in this book, to start experimenting with your own creations (always checking with your vet first!) and have fun with the treat making process. Your dog will love you for it.

Now go forth and Treat Yo’ Dog!

—Serena xx

www.prettyfluffy.com

WHY DO WE GIVE DOG TREATS?

When it came to writing this book the most important message I wanted to convey was why we give treats to dogs, and how treats form an integral part of the bond between owner and dog. Let’s take a closer look at just why we give our dogs treats.

Treats for Training

It’s widely recognized that using treats in positive reinforcement training is the kindest and most effective form of training for dogs around the world. When presented with a treat, a dog’s attention will become instantly sharper and focused—making results happen swiftly.

Treats for Distraction

Whether it’s a piece of jerky to chew, or a treat ball filled with goodies, treats are a great way to distract your