How To Make Simple, Safe Jerky Treats for Your Dog

These delicious and simple jerky recipes make great treats for your dog, that you can share! Made with human ingredients by you, you won’t have worry about recalls or where the product was manufactured. You can also alter the recipes according to your dog’s personal tastes, so you can make a treat what will be sure to make him drool!

How to Make Dog Jerky

While you can buy a dehydrator, which are not very expensive and will make this job a lot easier, it is not necessary to have one to make jerky.

The Modern Caveman site has an excellent, in-depth article with great pictures on how to make jerky using your oven. Follow their directions using these simple recipes to make your dog yummy jerky he is sure to drool over.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Jerky

• 1 lb meat (beef, turkey, chicken, etc)
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 TB flaxseed oil
• ½ cup crushed blueberries

Applesauce Jerky

• 1 lb meat (beef, turkey, chicken, etc)
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1-4TB flaxseed oil, add until your applesauce is thin enough to be a marinade
• 1/2 cup crushed cranberries

Once you have decided on which jerky you are making, mix ingredients into a bowl big enough to fit strips of meat. Marinate strips in mixture for several hours to overnight. Bake as instructed in the how-to from Modern Caveman. Note: Different types of meats and how thick you slice it (as well as your oven), will affect drying time. Check your meat often to ensure correct drying time and then make a note for future reference.

Veggie Jerky

If your dog has a lot of allergies and cannot eat meat, or at least the kind you normally find at the grocery (good luck finding a pound of kangaroo anywhere nearby), these delicious bites are a great nutritious snack for your best friend.

• Package of Baby carrots
• 3TB flaxseed oil
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1TB of fresh parsley

Take your baby carrots and clean them well. Lightly grate them so that they will absorb the flavors. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Soak carrots in the bowl for several hours to overnight. Then, you can either freeze them to make a cool treat for your dog, stick the entire mixture, marinade included, in a Kong and freeze, or bake them in the oven in the same manner as the jerky except check after 20 minutes to see if they are done. You can also use green beans instead of carrots.

Now that you know how simple it is to make, be creative! Combine ingredients you and your dog both love to make a yummy snack. If you are unsure whether an ingredient is safe for your pet, check the Pet Poison Helpline site. They have an amazing catalog of what is safe and what is not.

About the Author

Based in Tustin, Calif., animal lover Kristina N. Lotz is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and works as a full time trainer. She also owns her own custom pet products company, A Fairytail House, where she makes personalized collars, leashes, beds, keepsake pillows and blankets, and anything else your imagine can think up. In her spare time, she trains and competes in herding, agility, obedience, rally, and conformation with her Shetland Sheepdogs.