I rarely make cookies for humans, so it was quite unusual for me to make treats for my dogs, Sanchez and Gina. But, I received this recipe for “Pumpkin Squeaks” Dog Treats from ProtectYourBubble.com at Barkworld, and it looked so easy that I gave it a try. Now, I can’t believe that I didn’t start making my own dog treats sooner. Taking an hour out of my hectic day to make something healthy for them gave me great joy. The experience encouraged me to slow down and enjoy the holiday spirit instead of rushing through it. The above picture is my final result of this recipe, which is also gluten free and human grade. And, I was delighted to discover that they can be broken into tiny bites, which is always helpful for training.

“Pumpkin Squeaks” Dog Treats (compliments of Protect your Bubble pet insurance)

2 cups rice flour
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup pumpkin puree (one low in sugar)
2 eggs (I used 3 for more moisture)
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix ingredients together until blended, then spread dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into desired cookie shapes. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Let cool before serving. Store in refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Makes This Many

Super easy recipe for Sweet Potato Chews:

Slice a sweet potato in thick slices, with a ridged cutter if you have one.
Bake at low heat of 200 degrees until they have dried out. Fido will be working on this longer than a dog biscuit, so it’s great to leave him with a chew or two when he is alone and Through a Dog’s Ear music is keeping him company.

Sanchez and Gina patiently wait for their cookies

Recipes for dog treats from Three Dog Bakery:

Gar “Licky” french fries

4 medium potatoes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Pinch of paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Peel and cut potatoes into ½-inch strips.
Toss strips in oil and garlic powder, and spread on baking sheet.
Bake 30 minutes, turning several times, until golden.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with paprika.
Cool before serving. Refrigerate in sealed container.

Another way of combining music and dogs

Banana “Mutt” cookies

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups oats
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet and flatten with fork.
Bake 15 minutes. Cool on rack and store in airtight container.

Cheesy apple nips

3 oz. low fat cream cheese
2 oz. blue cheese
4 medium apples

Beat cream cheese and blue cheese together until smooth. Core apples and fill with cheese mixture.
Chill 2-3 hours. Cut into 16 wedges
Refrigerate in sealed container.

In addition to my own dogs, I decided these would make great holiday gifts for our four-legged friends. What could dogs want more than treats personally made for them along with music specially designed to keep them calm?

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