I should start by saying that this recipe is not for human consumption. However, the ingredients in it are all totally edible and these dog treats actually smell kind of incredible fresh out of the oven. So, if you’re looking for a savory cookie, go for it. You might just want to cut them in a shape other than dog bones. Or not. Whatever floats your boat.
If you’ve been reading WANM for a while, you’ve likely met Mitzi a time or two before. I consider Mitzi my cousin and when my aunt and uncle are out of town, I get to stay with her. Lucky for me, I got to spend all last weekend with her 🙂
There are 3 things in life that Mitzi loves:
1) Giving kisses (AKA licking your face)
2) Her green and pink tennis ball (give her 10 different color balls and she’ll ALWAYS go for the green and pink one.. who says dogs can’t see color?)
3) Chicken Nibbles treats
Her biggest problem in life is the fact that it’s not possible to do all three at once. In fact, I’m pretty sure she struggles daily (hourly?) over whether she’d rather hold on to her green and pink ball or kiss your face. Then, if you pull the chicken treats out, she loses all control and has no idea what to do.
Rest assured, if she’s not licking you or eating chicken treats, she’ll look like this:
The thing about Mitzi and her chicken treats is, they’re the only treats I ever see her eat. She has refined taste and turns her nose up at nearly everything, including some fabulous treats I’ve bought her from exquisite dog bakeries. She only likes these:
But still, I had to try. Could I make Mitzi a dog treat so good, she’d actually eat it? It was worth a shot.
While I know Mitzi loves peanut butter, I’ve noticed she isn’t really a fan of peanut butter dog treats. So, I immediately opted out of that, though there are tons of peanut butter dog treat recipes out there. I knew whatever treat I made had to have chicken in it.
So, I found a recipe for chicken dog treats, modified it a bit (I didn’t see Mitzi enjoying garlic powder), and brought them to her last weekend.
(Full recipe at end of post)
Whisk together the flour and powdered milk in a medium bowl.
Add in the beaten egg, chicken, carrots, and chicken broth and mix together. Start with 3/4 C of chicken broth and add more if needed. You want the dough to be very stiff.
Knead until the dough is firm.
Roll dough out to a 1/4-inch thickness on a well floured surface. And cut out your “cookies.” I’ve had a dog bone cookie cutter sitting in my kitchen drawer for legitimately 5 years.
Finally a use for it!
Place cookies on a baking sheet (you might want to lay parchment paper underneath… my cookies stuck a bit, though it wasn’t much trouble to get them loose without breaking).
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
And you have fresh-baked dog treats! Or savory human cookies if you decide to go that route. I’m not kidding when I say these smell really good.
Once I arrived at Mitzi’s and got the treats out, she was definitely giving me some skeptical looks.
But she was willing to see what I had to offer.
Food? OK.
So, Mitzi took the cookie and started walking away. She turned the corner to go up the stairs… Which is really odd since Mitzi NEVER goes upstairs by herself and generally won’t leave a room that people are in to go to an empty room.
So, of course, I followed her. And when I got upstairs, Mitzi was on the living room couch trying to bury the treat behind the pillows!
I got it back and gave it to her again. And she took it, went up more stairs and tried to bury it behind the pillows on the bed! I could take this in 2 ways. 1) she really hated the treat and wanted to get rid of it. or 2) she loved it so much she wanted to hide it somewhere safe for later. Hmm, we’ll go with #2.
I took the treat from behind the pillows and brought it back downstairs before giving it to her again.
This time, she lay down with it and started eating!
She actually seemed to be enjoying it and ate the entire thing. It’s a miracle!
I was kind of thrilled. Though I’m still quite certain, if given a choice, Mitzi would still go for those Chicken Nibbles. Sigh. Anyone else have a recipe that will allow me to show Mitzi there’s more to the wonderful world of snacks than Chicken Nibbles?
While I was hanging out with Mitzi this weekend, I also had a couple gifts to give her. Martha Stewart Pets for PetSmart sent me a cute little hoodie and a fun bowl to give to the pup.
Unfortunately, the hoodie was way too small for Mitz. But, this proves that she really is the BEST sport in the world. She let me put her in the too-small shirt without even flinching. And despite it being tiny, she seemed happy.
Mitzi is long and lean, but I think this shirt was made for a teeny tiny purse dog. Or a mouse. FYI this is a size medium if you want one for your dog. Check out the whole Martha Stewart Pets line for PetSmart because they have some adorable things!!
OK, she’s still pretty adorable in it.
I think she’d need a size XL in this hoodie, though. Clearly, Martha Stewart’s pet line is made for little dogs. In any event, you KNOW my someday dog will have every single item in Martha Stewart’s collection. I can’t resist.
I know everyone thinks their dog is the cutest. And though Mitzi isn’t my dog, she’s the closest I’ve got and I definitely think she’s the cutest.
We also got this super adorable bowl.
It’s also teeny tiny, but how adorable are the little bones? So, Martha Stewart!
Mitzi loved the bowl! OK, fine, I put chicken treats in it… Obviously she loved it 🙂
The bowl has a little cover on it, too, making it perfect for traveling with your dog.
I’m so lucky to have Mitzi in my life. She’s seriously the most loving, happy, easy-going dogs I’ve ever met. Growing up, I had a collie who had a similar personality. She wanted to be around people all the time and put up with me constantly dressing her up and making her wear sunglasses. What? Yes, I was that kid. I got bit by dogs quite often because I annoyed them when they were eating. I see a dog and I honestly can’t help trying to interact with it.
So I’m SO thankful that Mitzi puts up with me. In fact, as long as I throw the ball around, feed her Chicken Nibbles, and let her lick my face; she seems to be pretty happy.
If you have a pet, is it a picky eater? Also, what’s your dream pet?
- 2½ cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup nonfat dry milk powder
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ¾ cup cooked and shredded chicken
- ½ cup carrot, shredded
- ¾ cup- 1 cup low-sodium, low-fat chicken broth
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour and powdered milk.
- Add in egg, chicken, carrots, and ¾ cup chicken broth and mix together. You want dough to be stiff; add remaining ¼ cup chicken broth if needed.
- Knead until dough is firm.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to a ¼-inch thickness. Cut out cookies using cookie cutter of any shape.
- Place cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until turning golden around edges.
- Let rest in in pan for about 5 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.
[Sues]
I love that she tried to hide it! My dog used to try to hide his bones underneath the wires behind the tv (he would use his paw to part the wires then drop the bone – so cute). I might need to try these for my little man!
Laura
Gaaaaah, Mitzi is way cute! My dogs are similarly picky, and one of them eats his weight in Pupperoni on a daily basis. He’s old, so we cut him some slack. I’m glad you left out the garlic powder. I’ve heard garlic and onions aren’t good for pups.
So cute!! My mom makes little bone-shaped treats with whole wheat and veggie purees for her dog and mine – but never with chicken! I’ll have to try these for my pup, Sadie. She will eat ANYTHING (she’s a lab!).
ah, Mitzi is so adorable, I love that she picks the pink tennis balls, that’s so cute!
I’ll have to make a batch of these next time I go visit my parents (and their dog)
This blog post brought a huge smile to my face. You are a great cousin to Mitzi!
My beagle is definitely not a picky eater. He can’t let a treat or a piece of kibble sit idle for more than a millisecond. Although he will take his favorite treats (Greenies) over onto the carpet to enjoy. I guess things taste even better while laying on soft surfaces.
Cute post!
haha- thats awesome that she hid it behind the pillow! I’ve made Frank homemade treats once and he loved them! Hes not really a picky eater though….
If our old dog wasn’t wandering around with a tennis ball in her mouth, she was wandering around with an empty water bottle in her mouth. Those were her favorite toys. She loved the crunching of the plastic bottles, and it was like a puzzle for her. She would work on it until she unscrewed the top then come looking for a new one. 🙂
Her favorite (non-meat) treats were carrots, but she would eat pretty much anything. I did make cookies for her once but can’t remember the recipe now. She was a cheese hound, so I know they had Parm or Romano in them. Romano was her favorite cheese.
The dog we have now is a VERY picky eater. She turns her nose up at almost everything, but I just figured out she really likes cucumbers. I just make sure to give her the outside (without the seeds) so she doesn’t get gassy!
Given the option of another pet, I would DEFINITELY look for the same breed as our last dog. She was a Comfort Retriever – part retriever, part spaniel. She was the most loving, intelligent, expressive pet I have ever known! She was in my sister and her family’s lives for 18 years. I was lucky enough to have been a part of her last 4 years (they weren’t enough)! 🙁
As for the hiding of treats, I think most dogs do that on occasion, but some are obsessive about it. We have to be careful what we give our little one. You never know what will turn up where! LOL
Knowing Mitzi, this post literally made me laugh out loud! I hope her mom isn’t mad about the photos in the tight clothes 😉
thought it’s not really flattery, as carson will eat ANYTHING, i think my puppers would gobble those up. i keep meaning to make them treats from scratch! love the shape, too– and the fact that they’re the size of mitzi’s head
These are awesome. I’m always looking for homemade recipes and including the pets is great. My dogs are the least picky eaters in the world. The pug once found a 3lb stash of jelly beans and the basset hound eats without chewing.
I worry about them both. Sigh.
That is cute! Love the idea of making treats for pets… they don’t need all that added gunk either!! We have three cats.. one will eat anything he sees you eating.. anything… even grapes!! lol
Such a cute post! I am a sucker for all things dog related – I have one, Holly, who is oddly picky about her food, but I am sure she would love one of these!!!
I’ll pass this on to all my friends who own dogs.
Sues–thank you for the sweet comment on my blog! It sucks but I know I’ll get through it, and now that my blog hiatus is over I’ll be happily cooking away and messing up my parents’ kitchen double-time.
I am so going to make these treats for my little Yorkie, Tocha–actually my parents’ Yorkie but I love her to bits and she’s a picky cookie eater.
your pup is so cute!!! i haven’t seen homemade chicken dog treats before, this is neat!
What a sweet pup! I’ve been meaning to make homemade dog treats for Shelby, but just haven’t gotten around to it yet. These look great, and I’m sure she would love them.
hehe, love it. glad she was a fan of the treats!!
awww..that is so sweet of you to make a homemade treat for her…and I’m glad she liked it..
Aww, Mitzi is adorable! I bet he loved the treats. My cat is not picky at all – he wants to eat everything I do.
Mitzi sure is a cutie! I don’t have a dog, but I always get a Christmas present for my canine “nephew.” Maybe he’d love some of these homemade treats! 🙂
Pampered pups everywhere will love you :-). I’m passing your recipe onto some dog lovers I know. We are cat people. Any ideas for feline treats? Have a great weekend.Blessings…Mary
How hilarious and adorable!! I wish I had a dog to make these for!
She is so cute in that hoodie and what a great recipe, I’m adding it to my facebook page right now. Woof!
I think I’ve asked this before, Mitzi is a cockapoo right? Looks just like a light version of my dog, who also likes to hide and bury. Once I gave him a piece of lamb on the bone..yummy, yummy good lamb and he hid it behind a couch cushion. Take it as a compliment!
I made these this weekend and both my dogs absolutely love them. I have a question though. Because of the chicken, do you know how long these will last? I’m keeping them in the fridge.
Cheers and thank you!
Knowing Mitzi; you captured her personality exactly. It must have been a lot of fun to see her hide the treat…..loved all the pictures. We should all have such loving and adorable “cousins”. Thanks.
@John- I kept mine in the fridge, too… I wouldn’t keep them for more than 3 days, but they *might* last longer. I just wanted to play it safe!
I have 3 dogs all different 1.cocker 2.Heinz 57. 3 is boxer pit mix thank goodness none are picky eaters the pit mix is still a puppy so not sure about her stomach yet the Last batch i made p.nutbutter buiscuits were eaten with much gusto or like a vacum cleaner “ssllllurp” I hop yours goes the same way they sound great.
These are great, my St Bernard loves them, but how do you store them ,in the frig, just in a container ?
Thanks for the great recipe! Our dog loves anything to do with chicken, duck, pigeon 😛 Cooking them now… I am so sure he will love them he is sitting by the oven waiting.
btw didnt have milk powder so I just left it out but they are looking great!!
Zorro sends his regards 😀
Hi!
Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe. After my dog’s favorite chicken treats called recalled, both my husband and I got worried about purchasing them again. We are worried to purchase any retail treats for that matter. So we both opted for home made treats and I must say my dog Tabasco has quite the full belly. He loved them!
Thanks again.
Parisa
First off, what a cute dog you have there. I really loved the post.. It was informative and helpful and the treats look like they turned out pretty great.
I think I will give this recipe a try. Great stuff, and I really appreciate it!
Thank you for this recipe! After rolling them out, I just cut them into squares with a pizza cutter – couldn’t have been easier! I subbed the dry milk with some nutritional yeast (vegans use it for a “cheesy” flavor) I had from another dog treat recipe. And I used oat flour in place of wheat. Just thought I’d share the sub in case anyone else’s dog cannot have wheat! The next time I have leftover beef, I plan to try that, too.
Taking a treat and trying to bury it is a definite sign that a dog likes it. Really, really likes it a lot.
My canine “niece” is extremely fussy. The only homemade treat she has ever eaten was peanut butter oatmeal biscuits. But I might give this a try and see how it goes. It might work better with fish than chicken, since her favourite treat is actually sea food medley flavour cat treats.
I added the garlic and find these very yummy. Fortunately my 4 dogs do also. Thank you.
I made these when friends came Charlie and Babe loved loved loved them. 8 paws up!!!!!!!!
How long will these last. Can I freeze the baked ones? Or, would I do best freezing them uncooked to bake at a later date. I just got through making some small heart shaped ones and ended up with 88 treats!
@Melanie- You can definitely freeze them, though it would probably be best to freeze before baking. I don’t think your pup will mind though and might even enjoy eating them frozen 🙂 Unfrozen, I’d say they’d last in the fridge for about 5 days!