How To Make Your Own Tasty & Soft Dog Treats

Soft dog treats are a fun way to reward your dog for a job well done or just to provide a little snack. Unlike crunchy dog biscuits, soft treats are gentle on the gums of your dog and make a great treat for older dogs or those with dental problems. You can purchase soft treats at your local pet store, but these can be expensive. The other option is to make your own at home with just a little effort and much less money.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 lb. raw chicken or beef liver
  • Paper towels
  • Knife
  • 1/3 cup grated carrots
  • 1 egg
  • Food processor
  • 1-1/2 cup wheat flour
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Wooden spoon
  • 8-by-8-inch baking pan
  • Cooking spray
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Zip-top bag
  • 7-1/2 oz. beef or chicken baby food
  • Powdered milk
  • Wheat germ
  • Air-tight storage containers
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Instructions

  1. Soft Liver Snacks

    • 1

      Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

    • 2

      Rinse 1 lb. of raw chicken or beef liver under running water. Use paper towels to pat it dry. Use a knife to cut the liver into 1-inch cubes.

    • 3

      Place your cut-up liver, 1/3 cup of grated carrots and a whole egg into a food processor. Turn your food processor on and allow it to run until the ingredients become liquefied. If there still are a few small chunks, this is OK. For the carrots, you can use pre-shredded carrots or you can grate them yourself over a box grater.

    • 4

      Place 1-1/2 cups of wheat flour, 1 tsp. of oregano and 1 cup of cornmeal in a medium mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon to combine these dry ingredients.

    • 5

      Pour the liver mixture into the flour mixture. Use your wooden spoon to continue to mix the ingredients together until they are completely mixed together.

    • 6

      Grease the inside of an 8-by-8-inch baking pan. You can use cooking spray or butter. Or you can line the inside of the pan with parchment paper. Pour your batter into the pan.

    • 7

      Bake your liver snacks in the oven for 30 minutes before removing them. Allow them to cook in the pan for another five minutes. Then run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn the snacks out on to a wire cooking rack. Leave them to completely cool.

    • 8

      Use a knife to cut your cooked snacks into 1-inch squares. Store your snacks in a zip-top bag for up to a week. These will need to be refrigerated. You can also freeze your snacks for up to 6 months.

    Soft Dog Cookies

    • 9

      Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

    • 10

      Empty 7-1/2 oz. of beef or chicken baby food into medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup each of powdered milk and wheat germ. Use a wooden spoon to stir to combine thoroughly. If you do not have wheat germ, you can substitute cream of wheat.

    • 11

      Grease a cookie sheet using cooking spray. If you prefer, you can line the sheet instead with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

    • 12

      Form the batter into balls and place them onto the cookie sheet. You want balls that are about the size of a large grape. Space them about an inch apart. Use the underside of a fork to flatten the balls down.

    • 13

      Bake your cookies for 15 minutes. They will turn brown. Remove them from the oven and transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Your finished cookies can be kept in an airtight plastic storage container for up to a week or frozen for up to three months in zip-top bags.