Homemade dog treat recipe bank

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats, blended into flour
• ½ cup plain cooked pumpkin or 100% pumpkin purée
• 1 egg

Method

1. Heat a fan-forced oven to 160°C and line a tray.
2. Mix all ingredients into a thick, slightly sticky dough. Add a spoonful of oat flour if very wet.
3. Pinch off pea-sized pieces and flatten them on the tray.
4. Bake for 18–22 minutes until set. Cool completely before serving.

Serve: Start with one tiny piece. Pumpkin is fibre-rich, so too much may upset the stomach.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked skinless chicken, very finely chopped
• ½ cup plain cooked sweet potato, mashed
• 1 egg
• ¾–1 cup oat flour

Method

1. Heat a fan-forced oven to 160°C and line a tray.
2. Combine chicken, sweet potato and egg. Stir in enough oat flour to form a soft dough.
3. Shape very small flat pieces so they bake evenly.
4. Bake for 20–25 minutes until firm and cooked through. Cool completely.

Serve: Use tiny pieces and refrigerate promptly. Never season the chicken with onion, garlic, stock powder or salt.

Ingredients

• 1 small apple, cored, deseeded and finely grated
• 1 small carrot, finely grated
• 1 egg
• 1¼ cups oat flour, approximately

Method

1. Heat a fan-forced oven to 160°C and line a tray.
2. Squeeze excess moisture from the grated apple and carrot.
3. Mix with the egg, then add enough oat flour to make a rollable dough.
4. Roll thinly, cut into small pieces and bake for 25–30 minutes until dry at the edges. Cool fully.

Serve: Apple contains natural sugar. Keep pieces small and never include apple seeds or the core.

Ingredients

• ½ cup plain, unsweetened natural yoghurt
• ¼ cup blueberries, mashed

Method

1. Mix the yoghurt and mashed blueberries.
2. Spoon small dots onto a lined tray or into a mini silicone mould.
3. Freeze until solid, then store frozen in a labelled container.
4. Soften in the fridge until easily mashable before serving. Offer a small, soft portion at a time and supervise; never serve hard frozen buttons.

Serve: Skip this recipe if dairy causes gas or diarrhoea. Check the yoghurt contains no xylitol or added sweetener.

Ingredients

• 1 small tin sardines in springwater, drained
• 1 egg
• ¾–1 cup oat flour

Method

1. Heat a fan-forced oven to 160°C and line a tray.
2. Mash the sardines thoroughly, including soft edible bones, and mix in the egg.
3. Add enough oat flour to form a soft dough.
4. Press into a thin layer, score into tiny squares and bake for 18–22 minutes. Cool before separating.

Serve: Choose sardines in springwater—not brine, oil or sauce. Fish is rich, so use tiny amounts and avoid it for dogs with a known fish allergy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup watermelon flesh with every seed and all rind removed

Method

1. Check the fruit carefully for seeds and remove the rind completely.
2. Blend or mash the flesh.
3. Pour a shallow layer into mini silicone moulds and freeze solid.
4. Soften in the fridge until easily mashable before serving. Offer a small, soft portion while supervising; never serve hard frozen or oversized cubes.

Serve: Watermelon is naturally sugary and watery. Give a small piece occasionally, not a bowlful. Read our fruit safety guide.

Ingredients

• 100 g peeled ripe banana
• 80 g plain rolled oats, pulsed into a coarse flour
• 1–2 teaspoons water, only if needed

Method

1. Heat a fan-forced oven to 160°C and line a baking tray.
2. Mash the banana and stir in the oats. Rest for 5 minutes. If crumbly, add water a teaspoon at a time; if too wet to shape, add a little more ground oats.
3. Divide into about 24 small pieces and flatten to roughly 2 cm wide and 5 mm thick.
4. Bake for 18–22 minutes until set and lightly golden. The centres may stay soft. Cool before serving.

Serve: Start with a pea-sized piece, not a whole coin. Banana contains natural sugar; check with your vet for dogs with diabetes. Avoid if your dog cannot tolerate oats.

Storage & thawing

Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Freeze fresh portions for up to 1 month; thaw in the fridge and use within 24 hours. These soft biscuits are not suitable for a pantry jar.

Follow the storage rules below for temperatures, cooling and leftovers.

Ingredients

• 60 g strawberries, washed and leafy tops removed
• 60 g peeled ripe banana
• 1–2 teaspoons water, if needed for blending

Method

1. Blend or mash the fruit until smooth, adding only enough water to help it mix.
2. Put in a covered shallow container and freeze for 30–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cold and thick but still soft. Freezers vary.
3. If it freezes solid, soften in the fridge until easily spoonable. Never offer a hard frozen lump.
4. Serve a small smear in a bowl or on a dog-safe lick mat and supervise.

Serve: Try ½ teaspoon initially. Fruit is naturally sugary, so this is an occasional small reward rather than a bowl of dessert. Ask your vet first for a dog with diabetes.

Storage & thawing

Keep the fresh purée covered in the fridge and use within 24 hours. Freeze clean, unserved portions for up to 1 month; thaw in the fridge and use within 24 hours. Do not refreeze thawed portions or save anything your dog has licked.

Follow the storage rules below for temperatures, cooling and leftovers.

Ingredients

• 80 g ripe rockmelon flesh, all rind and seeds removed
• 40 g washed cucumber, peeled and finely grated

Method

1. Wash the outside of the whole rockmelon under running water before cutting with a clean knife. Remove all rind and seeds.
2. Mash the flesh well, then mix with finely grated cucumber; blend if any firm chunks remain.
3. Chill covered in the fridge and serve a small spoonful. Keep the rest refrigerated immediately.

Serve: Start with ½ teaspoon. This does not replace drinking water or prevent heatstroke. Rockmelon contains sugar; check with your vet if your dog has diabetes.

Storage & thawing

Refrigerate promptly in a clean sealed container and use within 24 hours. For longer storage, freeze small clean portions immediately for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge, stir, and use within 24 hours; the texture will be softer and watery. Discard any licked leftovers.

Follow the storage rules below for temperatures, cooling and leftovers.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, shells discarded
• 30 g carrot, washed and finely grated
• 1 tablespoon (20 mL) water

Method

1. Heat a fan-forced oven to 160°C. Line a small baking dish, roughly 10 × 15 cm, with baking paper.
2. Beat the eggs with the water and stir in the carrot. Pour into the dish in a shallow layer. Do not add salt, butter, oil or seasoning.
3. Bake for about 12–18 minutes until fully set with no runny egg; check the centre reaches 75°C with a clean food thermometer. Cooking time depends on the dish.
4. Cool, then cut into about 24 small squares. Break smaller again when serving miniature dogs.

Serve: Start with a pea-sized piece. Egg is a potential allergen; skip it for dogs with an egg allergy. Grain-free does not mean suitable for every dog.

Storage & thawing

Refrigerate in a sealed container within 2 hours of cooking and use within 2 days. Freeze fresh portions for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge and use within 24 hours. Pack with an ice brick for outings; these are perishable, not pocket treats for an entire day.

Follow the storage rules below for temperatures, cooling and leftovers.

Ingredients

• 80 g freshly cooked plain turkey breast, finely minced; no skin or bones
• 60 g plain cooked pumpkin, mashed and cooled
• 50 g oat flour, plus a little extra if needed
• 1 egg, shell discarded

Method

1. Heat a fan-forced oven to 160°C and line a tray. Use thoroughly cooked, unseasoned turkey; avoid deli meat, stuffing, gravy and seasoned leftovers.
2. Mix the turkey, pumpkin and egg, then add oat flour. Add a little extra flour if needed to make a soft, scoopable mixture.
3. Spoon about 40 small portions onto the tray and flatten to roughly 1.5–2 cm wide and no more than 5 mm thick.
4. Bake for about 18–22 minutes until cooked through. Check a thick piece reaches 75°C with a clean food thermometer. Cool before serving and refrigerate promptly.

Serve: Begin with a pea-sized piece. Avoid for dogs with turkey, egg or oat allergies; turkey is not automatically a safe substitute for chicken allergy. Do not add onion, garlic or salt.

Storage & thawing

Refrigerate in a sealed container within 2 hours of cooking and use within 2 days. Freeze fresh portions for up to 1 month; thaw in the fridge and use within 24 hours. Keep chilled during training outings. Baking does not make old meat safe or reset its storage history.

Follow the storage rules below for temperatures, cooling and leftovers.