More and more dog lovers are becoming aware of the need to make their own homemade dog treats.

Why is this? Well, while you’ll certainly find a wide variety of choice on market shelves in both supermarkets and specialized shops, the sad fact of the matter is that so many dog treats and dog foods use extremely low-quality and low-protein ingredients, choc-a-block full of preservatives. This, of course, makes the products both hard to digest, and not the healthiest of options for your furry friend, and is also one of the reasons why some dogs develop allergies.

On top of this, in recent years, there’s been a terrific increase in the popularity of organic food, as well as a general movement to make people eat healthier food and to cook more in the home. So, it shouldn’t really come as a surprise - especially considering past problems within the industry - that numerous dog lovers choose to go one step further and prepare their own homemade dog treats for their four-legged friends.

Making dog treats in your own kitchen allows you better control of both the quality of the ingredients you use, as well as which ingredients you use.

Before actually making homemade dog treats for your furry companion, it’s important to fully understand that a dog’s digestive system is entirely different to a human’s. In other words, some ingredients which we take for granted in our diet, are positively toxic for a dog. One well-known example of this is chocolate. Most humans adore it of course, but even a tiny quantity of chocolate can cause sickness in your poor dog.

What other ingredients should you avoid when making homemade dog treats? Well, another surprising ingredient on the list of "no-no’s" is onions. Despite the fact that onions give most of our food a great taste and also bestow several health benefits on humans, a dog’s digestive system just cannot deal with them. Feeding onions to dogs can result in them suffering from anemia and experiencing breathing difficulties.

What about using baby food in the preparation of dog food? This is a good, tasty idea. But, you need to ensure you only choose baby foods made out of organic food, for you’ll discover that many non-organic baby food products out there contain loads of extra sugars and salts that will certainly not be beneficial to your pet.

Another interesting point to consider is that some pets - just like us humans - are lactose intolerant. If this applies to your pet, make sure you replace any dairy product in a recipe with a lactose-free product.

On the whole, though, most things that would be healthy for you the owner to eat, will also be healthy for your dog to eat. So, let’s take a look at a nice, quick recipe for making delicious dog biscuits that your dog’s bound to love.

Homemade Dog Treats Recipe

Start with two jars of strained baby food meat. This can be beef, chicken or lamb. You could also use an equal amount of finely minced raw meat of the same kind. Then, add to the meat:

• 2.75 cups of whole wheat flour (do not use cornmeal)

• 1/2 cup powdered milk

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 egg

• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 8 to 10 tablespoons of water

Mix and knead all the ingredients together for about three minutes. Next, roll out to about a half inch thick. Then, all you have to do is to use a dog-bone cookie cutter, placing the resulting biscuits onto a baking sheet. Pop into a preheated oven at 350 degrees Farenheit or 180 degrees Celsius for around twenty to twenty-five minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool.

Your four-legged friend is sure to love these scrumptious homemade dog treats!