This January, my mom got a puppy. He’s a Wheaten Terrier and it’s been kinda fun to see him grow up in the three visits we’ve had with him over the past year. Despite his high energy, he’s really good with the girls and they absolutely love him—especially two-year-old Jade. In fact, when my mom came to visit us in September, all Jade talked about was, “When Toto coming?”
So I thought the girls would have fun making Frodo (his real name) a treat.
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Making homemade dog treats is a fun way to combine baking with a little kindness. Kids can help measure ingredients, mix the dough, roll it out, and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Then, once the treats are baked and cooled, they get the fun of giving their finished project to a dog.
Dog treats are actually very easy to make in your own kitchen—much like baking cookies for your kids. Homemade treats can also be a budget-friendly alternative to buying packaged treats at the store. And if your dog has dietary restrictions or you simply want to know exactly what’s going into his snacks, making them yourself gives you more control over the ingredients.
Peanut butter seems to be a common theme in homemade dog treat recipes, although there are plenty of other options too. When making treats for a particular dog, it’s important to choose a recipe with ingredients that are safe for that dog (and to check with the dog’s owner if you’re baking treats for someone else’s pet).
For our family, the best part of this craft was that the girls weren’t just making something to put on a shelf. They were baking something for a puppy they loved. There’s something satisfying about watching a child proudly hand over something they’ve made themselves—especially when the recipient is a very enthusiastic dog!
Homemade Dog Treat Recipes
Here are a few recipes to get you started:
- Ordinary Lovely’s dog biscuits are chicken and cheese flavoured. She has a cute bison-shaped cookie cutter for this project, but you could use any small cookie cutter you have at home.
- It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken has a peanut butter banana dog treat with just three ingredients, making it a particularly simple recipe to try with kids.
- Tasty Thrifty Timely has another 3-ingredient dog treat recipe that offers some extra fibre for your dog.
- Fresh April Flowers has a bacon-flavoured dog treat (with no peanut butter, for dogs with nut allergies).
- The Soccer Mom makes homemade dog treats even easier, with just flour and sweet potato puree.
You don’t need much special equipment for this kids’ craft. A mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, a rolling pin, and a dog bone cookie cutter are usually enough. Younger children can help with simple jobs like pouring and stirring, while older children can take on more of the measuring and preparation with an adult nearby.
Of course, the actual baking should be done by an adult or an older child who knows how to use the oven safely. And since these treats are for dogs rather than people, resist the temptation to sample the finished product yourself!
Homemade dog treats can also make a cute little gift. If your children have a friend or relative with a dog, they could bake a batch, package a few treats in a small bag, and give them as a homemade gift. Just make sure the dog’s owner knows what’s in the treats and that the ingredients are appropriate for their pet.
Cost: $5–10, depending on the ingredients you have on hand
Difficulty: Easy (suitable for ages 5+ with help)
This dog treat activity is part of my 31 Days of Useful Kids’ Crafts series, where I share kids’ crafts that are fun to make but also have a practical purpose. Because sometimes the best kids’ crafts are the ones you can actually use when you’re finished!
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