To celebrate 150 years of The Kennel Club, why not try some of our tasty dog treat recipes below.
Our recipes
Your dog may love these delicious dog treats, but it’s important to remember to only give them occasionally as part of a well-balanced diet. Some of these recipes may not be suitable for dogs with nut allergies or other special dietary needs.
Find out more about portion control and other things to think about when treating your dog to one of our celebratory snacks.
Find out more about portion control and other things to think about when treating your dog to one of our celebratory snacks.
150 years birthday cake
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- ½ cup apple sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Frosting:
- ½ cup plain yoghurt
- ¼ cup peanut butter (xylitol-free)
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180°C/ 160°C Fan/ gas 4
- Wisk the egg in a large bowl
- Add the flour, baking powder, apple sauce and olive oil to the bowl and mix
- Pour the mix into a small round cake tin
- Make sure you smooth the top of the cake mix to allow the frosting to sit on top once baked
- Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked all the way through
- For the frosting, mix the yoghurt and peanut butter together
- Place in the fridge for an hour
- Once the cake has cooled, add the yoghurt and peanut butter mixture to the top of the cake
Party pupcakes
Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 mashed banana
- 1 diced apple
Frosting:
Mashed banana
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180°C/ 160°C Fan/ gas 4
- Mix the eggs, milk and honey together
- Add the flour and baking powder and mix
- Mix in the mashed banana and diced apples
- Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases and fill each one until it’s ¾ full
- Bake for 15 minutes
- Frost the pupcakes with some mashed banana
Star shaped cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups plain flour
- 1 peeled and mashed sweet potato
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 grated carrot
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180°C/ 160°C Fan/ gas 4
- Whisk the egg then combine with the flour, mashed sweet potato and olive oil and mix until a dough is formed
- Add the grated carrot to the dough
- If your dough is very dry you can add a little water or milk
- Roll the out the dough until it’s around ¼ inch thick
- Use star shaped cookie cutters to create your cookie shapes
- Place on baking tray and bake for 20 minutes
Party ring biscuits
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup peanut butter (xylitol-free)
- ¾ cup milk
Frosting:
- 2 tbsp corn-starch
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 – 3 drops dog-friendly food colouring or fruit of desired colour
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180°C/ 160°C Fan/ gas 4
- Add flour, baking powder, peanut butter and milk to a bowl
- Mix everything until combined
- Roll out dough into ½ inch square
- Use ring shaped cookie cutter to create cookie shapes
- Bake for 15 minutes
Frosting
- Mix together corn-starch and water
- Then add a few drops of desired food colouring or use fruit as replacement ingredient for the food colouring. E.g., five mashed blueberries for a blue colour or five raspberries for red
- Place mixture over biscuits and leave aside to harden
Strawberry ice-cream
Ingredients:
- 1 cup strawberries
- ½ cup plain yoghurt
- 1 tsp honey
Method:
- Add strawberries to a blender and blitz
- Mix in the yoghurt and honey
- Place in the freezer for at least 5 hours
- Allow to thaw for a few minutes before giving to dogs
Tip: Try adding your ice cream mix to moulds before freezing. Once frozen, these can be popped out and kept in a bag in the freezer.
Things to consider when making homemade treats for your dog
Is it safe to give my dog frozen treats?
Giving your dog ice cubes, frozen treats or putting ice in their water can be a great way to keep them cool, but is there any risk of them breaking a tooth, getting it stuck in their throat or causing them to develop life-threatening bloat?
Generally speaking, giving your dog a homemade frozen treat is ok, but there are some issues to be aware of and some precautions that we recommend you take.
All of our recipes for frozen treats contain fruit, making them softer and easier to chew than solid ice. However, to be on the safe side, and to reduce the risk of damaging teeth or causing a blockage, we recommend that you:
Generally speaking, giving your dog a homemade frozen treat is ok, but there are some issues to be aware of and some precautions that we recommend you take.
All of our recipes for frozen treats contain fruit, making them softer and easier to chew than solid ice. However, to be on the safe side, and to reduce the risk of damaging teeth or causing a blockage, we recommend that you:
- Take the treats you want to give to your dog out of the freezer a few minutes before giving to them. This should help to make sure that they're not too hard for their teeth
- Use smaller moulds to put in the freezer to make them less hard and less likely to cause a blockage if swallowed whole
Portion control
The snacks we’ve listed above should only be given as an occasional treat and must be given in moderation. Giving too much food in one go can be dangerous to dogs and could cause life threatening bloat, particularly if they’ve eaten immediately before or after exercise. Large amounts of certain foods, especially fatty foods, can also cause a painful and potentially severe condition known as pancreatitis. If you ever suspect your dog has bloat or pancreatitis, then always contact your vet immediately.
It's easy to give your dog extra food throughout the day, but doing so regularly can be damaging to their health and can make them less happy in the long run. It’s vital that you take care of what food you give to your dog. Maintaining good feeding habits will allow your dog to live the healthiest and happiest life possible.
It's easy to give your dog extra food throughout the day, but doing so regularly can be damaging to their health and can make them less happy in the long run. It’s vital that you take care of what food you give to your dog. Maintaining good feeding habits will allow your dog to live the healthiest and happiest life possible.
Counting the calories
It’s important that you divide your dog’s total calorie intake for the day between each meal so that you're not overfeeding them. If you like to give them treats, make sure that you assign a certain amount of their calories for these before working out how much to give them for each meal.
Cautions about peanut butter and xylitol
Some of the recipes above use peanut butter. Do not use these recipes if your dog has a nut allergy.
Although dogs love peanut butter, and it’s a great source of protein, you must be careful which type you use. Always avoid feeding dogs peanut butter that is high in salt and sugar and it should never contain artificial sweeteners.
Xylitol, also known as birch sugar or E967, is an artificial sweetener that is highly toxic to dogs and can cause an otherwise healthy dog's blood sugar level to drop to dangerous levels or could cause liver failure. If your dog ever eats xylitol then contact your vet immediately.
Although dogs love peanut butter, and it’s a great source of protein, you must be careful which type you use. Always avoid feeding dogs peanut butter that is high in salt and sugar and it should never contain artificial sweeteners.
Xylitol, also known as birch sugar or E967, is an artificial sweetener that is highly toxic to dogs and can cause an otherwise healthy dog's blood sugar level to drop to dangerous levels or could cause liver failure. If your dog ever eats xylitol then contact your vet immediately.
Suitability
These recipes may not be suitable for all dogs, particularly those on a special diet or those that suffer from obesity, pancreatitis, diabetes, a sensitive stomach or those with problems with their kidneys or liver. If your dog has any pre-existing health conditions then always talk to your vet about any special diets that they may need, or what treats you can give them.