re: Pet treats

CA POPPY wrote:
I tossed them out. They wouldn't touch them, didn't like the smell, and I thought Darcy would eat anything

I started making the new batch for our trip and based on your comment I offered an undried treat to both dogs. The young one wouldn't even touch it but at least the older one mouthed it for a bit before dropping it on the floor. When dry (rock hard), they both love these as treats.

When I'm finished with this batch I'll post a link to pic's of the process. I do the dehydration outside on the patio and seem to get the job done in half the time.

CA POPPY wrote:
I picked up a couple of "sweet potatoes" so marked in the produce section but the checker rang them up as red yams. Does it make a difference? So I have one of them sliced up and in the oven for two hours @ 200 degrees. They are at this point, still rubbery. I am hoping to get them at the magic window before they turn rock hard. Do yams cook differently? I wish we had a dehydrator, but it looks like they take up a good bit of room and our kitchen is small.

Much more time. Like 8 hours.

I tossed them out. They wouldn't touch them, didn't like the smell, and I thought Darcy would eat anything.:(

Sweet potatoes/yams, I don't really think it makes any difference. I would dry them the same. The only difference is that I always dry mine completely so they are rock hard. The provide a crisp treat that my little guys like.

The puppies at lunch in ME

I picked up a couple of "sweet potatoes" so marked in the produce section but the checker rang them up as red yams. Does it make a difference? So I have one of them sliced up and in the oven for two hours @ 200 degrees. They are at this point, still rubbery. I am hoping to get them at the magic window before they turn rock hard. Do yams cook differently? I wish we had a dehydrator, but it looks like they take up a good bit of room and our kitchen is small.

witchy1 wrote:

Best treats for training and rewarding is beef heart. Its also great for dog show bait.

Cook it by steaming or boiling. Let it cool. Slice it and then dice it into about 1/4 inch cubes. Put in small baggies and freeze. Its low fat, healthy, not overly rich like liver, and clean. Beef heart is a lean muscle meat and tastes similar to roast beef. Its not the size of the treat that is important to the dog, its the flavour reward. The small size also allows you to treat frequently for good behaviour without filling up the dog. ..........

X10 on the beef heart! Just ask your butcher at any store to get you the full beef heart fresh.

I used to feed my Great Danes this prepared like you said and added it to their dog food. Even the pickiest eater will then eat. Used as bait in the ring and stand back!

Not to mention when used for bait your pockets on your suit coat don't get all scummy like from liver! :W:B

Best treats for training and rewarding is beef heart. Its also great for dog show bait. Cook it by steaming or boiling. Let it cool. Slice it and then dice it into about 1/4 inch cubes. Put in small baggies and freeze. Its low fat, healthy, not overly rich like liver, and clean. Beef heart is a lean muscle meat and tastes similar to roast beef. Its not the size of the treat that is important to the dog, its the flavour reward. The small size also allows you to treat frequently for good behaviour without filling up the dog. One of the biggest scams is large dog cookies which use up the calorie amount that the dog should get during a day. If you give it in treats, expect to take it out of their regular dog food allowance or you will get fat dogs. If your dog likes veggies, a piece of carrot will do. Avoid packaged dog treats if you can as they are full of chemicals. Many dogs that have been given treats (especially from places like China) suffer from liver and kidney failure due to the chemical contaminents used for processing and preserving. Be cautious with rawhide treats as they do not break down properly in the intestine and can cause blockage and choking if the dog tries to swallow it all at once. Bully sticks (from North America) are less dangerous for the intestines, but again there is a choking risk. I have smaller terriers and they eat it down to about 3 inches and then try to swallow it whole to stop the others from getting it. Once they are that small, I have to take it away. I prefer to give my dogs antler pieces -4 inches or larger- to chew on, and the occasional chunk of raw beef bone. Only the leg bones in 3 to 8 inch lengths. Avoid anything that may have sharp points (like steak bones) and never cooked bones as it makes them brittle which can lead to the dog eating slivers of bone which can penetrate the intestine. If your dog isn't used to the bones, you may want to start with the marrow scraped out to avoid the dog getting the runs.

I have also heard rumours in the last year that some dogs that are eating lots of pig ears are starting to come down with diseases only before found in pigs. They say you are what you eat....

CA POPPY wrote:
Rock, is this your old min pin? Funny, that almost anything is a "treat" if they get it one-at-a-time from our hand. Unless it's an obvious pill, of course. :R

Yup he turned 14 this year! Going strong and knock knock on wood the seizures have completely stopped.

I now have the other 3 thinking these (ground&soaked dog food kibble) meatball TREATS are to die for too! Go figure!

Cheap, easy to make, healthy, they like them, I'm happy. :C

vic46 wrote:
Not sure this makes sense as dried should be safe but, not a big deal to be on the safe side. Now, one difference is that I use the oven method as I do not have a dehy!. Perhaps that is the key!

Vic - you live a few miles north of us and I suspect that you may have some humidity. We're in dry, hot Arizona so that may make a difference. I make the slices no wider that 3/16" and do the dehydrating outside where it's really dry. Our current humidity is 9%. We usually go through a batch over a 2 month period. This year we're heading your way and beyond, so I plan on making a 5-6 month batch. The pups get no more than 1-2 slices a day. Here's the pups.
Clifford and Jewel Boothbay Harbor ME

Rock, is this your old min pin? Funny, that almost anything is a "treat" if they get it one-at-a-time from our hand. Unless it's an obvious pill, of course. :R