Dog treat business spotlight

Thinking about starting a dog treat business?

Want to expand on your hobby of making homemade dog treats?

Can't decide on a good name?

Would you like to see how others are packaging dog treats? 

Just need a little inspiration or motivation?

Dog treat business spotlight

Follow the link to MarketingDogTreats.com where we post interviews with independent dog treat business owners from our dog bakery community.

As of this date, you can read about:

• The Gourmet Greyhound
• Baron & Henry's Homemade Dog Treats
• The Pawtastic Barkery

We have many more exciting stories coming!

Who knows? Maybe you will be next.

Gluten Free Dog Treats Recipe

Gluten free dog treats are very popular! We offer another of the easy dog treat recipes that our bakers in the Facebook group Homemade Dog Treats are excited about. This gluten free and wheat free dog treat recipe is offered by Cristina's Dog Treats based in Tillamook, Oregon.

This photo shows Nanqu, the dog bakery's expert taste tester, presiding over a basket of just-baked Cheesy Pawz. These turn out as soft dog treats.

Gluten free dog treats

Cheesy Pawz

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup tapioca
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1 tablespoon flax seed meal
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups garbanzo bean flour

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Grate cheese (can be done in a food processor)
• Mix the water and the flax seed together.
• Mix in the cheese
• Let the mixture sit for a little bit
• Mix in the tapioca flour
• Slowly add in the garbanzo bean flour
• Knead into a dough
• Roll out 1/4 inch thick
• Cut with cookie cutters into desired shapes
• Bake for 15 minutes
• Yields 16 dog biscuits as seen in the photo

Cristina (and Nanqu) note: Tillamook Smoked Cheddar Cheese provides a pleasing aroma and flavor. Working with cheese while it is cold makes it easier to create a nice consistency.

They also want you to know that arrowroot can be used for tapioca flour. Potato flour can be substituted, but it may make the dog treats a little bit sticky.

By the way, Nanqu says he would love for you to visit him on Facebook. 

Fruit Dog Biscuits

Make homemade fruit dog biscuits and your kitchen will smell fresh and inviting!

This recipe is for those dogs that enjoy citrus flavors. These fruit dog treats were baked by Cristina's Dog Treats, a dog bakery based in Tillamook, Oregon.

Fruit dog biscuits from Cristina's Dog Treats

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup oatmeal 
• 2 cups flour or rice
• 1 orange zested and juiced
• 1 lemon zested and juiced

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Zest the orange and the lemon
• Microwave for 10 seconds to help release the juice
• Mix all the ingredients together to form a dough
• Knead the dough and roll out
• Cut shapes as desired
• Bake in oven for 15 minutes

The recipe asks you to "zest". Just what does that mean?

As Cristina explains, "You take the fruit peels and scrape the very top. Do not use any of the white part of the peel." The white part, or "pith", tastes bitter which is why you do not want to include any in the dough!

There is a baking tool called a zester made just for this very instruction and makes it easy. Move the zester all across the peel in a horizontal direction.

Join the Facebook group "Homemade Dog Treats" and learn about baking for your pooch! 

Gluten Free Dog Treats

Gluten free dog treats are necessary for those pets that are gluten intolerant or have a gluten allergy. 

In dog breeds, the Irish Setter is known to have a genetic predisposition to developing celiac disease - a condition causing damage to the small intestine so that certain nutrients cannot be absorbed. 

Gluten free dog treats may be what your dog needs

Sufferers of celiac sprue, as it is called, cannot eat wheat, rye or barley, foods containing gluten. It is the body's reaction to gluten that leads to the intestinal dysfunction. 

If your dog is gluten intolerant, we have a nice dog treat recipe to share with you so that you can make your own dog treats if you desire. 

Easy recipe for gluten free treats for dogs - click here:

Gluten Free Tropical Doggie Treats courtesy Tami's Bow Wow Treats
in Daytona Beach, FL.

If you would like to order some gluten free treats already made by a dog bakery, so that you do not have to worry about the ingredients and whether or not you can include them, we would be happy to help you locate a trustworthy dog treat business.

Click here to learn more about what gluten is and the purpose it serves: gluten free dog treats.

P.S. Fido's Frosting dog treat icing is gluten free.

Allergy Free Dog Treats

Allergy free dog treats are available for those dogs that have allergic reactions to common food ingredients such as wheat. These treats are also called "hypoallergenic dog treats." Food allergies are at the root of about 10% of allergic reactions in dogs, so they are not rampant. 

Typically the dog will have itchy skin and a dull coat. Wheat allergy is one type of food allergy in dogs. Many dog biscuits are made with wheat flour so it is an ubiquitous ingredient. Wheat flour is not only economical, but easy to work with. 

Allergy free dog treats are available
for dogs with wheat allergies

There are other flours that are not implicated in causing allergies, but require some knowledge of how best to use them in baking.

Some dogs, just like people, develop a sensitivity to certain ingredients. Your veterinarian will be able to help determine if your dog truly has a wheat sensitivity or intolerance and will need wheat free dog treats.

If your dog has a specific allergy, and you would like fresh, handmade treats, where you know exactly what ingredients are being used, please visit the following webpage: Allergy Free Dog Treats and fill out the form. We will refer you to a knowledgeable dog bakery that can make your dog the special treats he needs.

Dog Christmas Cookies Decorated With Royal Icing

Don't forget the pooches at Christmas! 

Take a look at these beautiful dog Christmas cookies decorated with royal icing made by Lazy Bones Pet Treats, a dog bakery based in Kansas City, Missouri. Fido's Frosting Royal Icing for Dogs takes color well and creates vibrant Christmas dog treats! 

Christmas dog treats made by
Lazy Bones Pet Treats

Colored sesame seeds complete the all natural decoration. Buy the colored sesame seeds or with a little bit of effort, color them yourself. Use then just as you would sprinkles or jimmies on other treats for dogs to keep the sugar content at a minimum. 

More Christmas treats for dogs from
Lazy Bone Pet Treats

Fido's Frosting royal icing is perfect for flooding an area with color as seen in the stars and the bell above. Or just drizzle green and red dog treat icing for an interesting "painted" effect, as seen in the image below.

Dog Christmas cookies with drizzled dog treat
icing from Lazy Bones Pet Treats

Come join us in Homemade Dog Treats on Facebook and get more ideas for making and decorating your own dog treats.

DIY Christmas Dog Gifts

Unique Christmas dog gifts are always a delight for pet parents looking for that perfect gift! Create it for them! Wow your family and friends this holiday season by making original gifts for their pets. 

This unique Christmas craft idea is courtesy of Treats By The Pawful, a dog bakery based in Minooka, Illinois.

Do it yourself Christmas dog gifts
by Treats By The Pawful

What you need:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup regular salt
• 1 cup water
• Food coloring - colors of your choice 
• Cinnamon optional - makes them smell great
• Cookie cutters - designs of your choice. For this project, bone shaped cutters and fish cutters made the main designs
• Paint
• Polyurethane sealant
• Ribbon

Depending on the dough, you may need to add more water if it's too dry or more flour if it's too sticky.

Directions:

• Combine the flour, salt, water, cinnamon to form a dough
• Roll out the dough and cut out shapes with the cookie cutters
• Add food coloring if you desire to various parts of the dough
• Poke holes in the top of the cookie with a toothpick
• Bake at 200 degrees for about 2-3 hours until completely dry.
• Let cool.

The little dog head and the holly were additional cut outs using cookie cutters to create the shapes. 

Some crafters add a touch of cinnamon to give them a wonderful aroma.

After the cookies are cool:

• Spray or paint polyurethane to seal them and give them a shine
• Add ribbon to turn into a hanging ornament

You can personalize them by painting on a dog's or cat's name. Although the ornaments will smell wonderful, they are not for consumption. 

This is a wonderful kids' Christmas craft.

 Let them have their own "pet" project.

Join us in the Facebook group "Homemade Dog Treats" for more exciting craft projects for pets!

If you have a craft idea you would like to see in action, leave a comment and we will work on it.

Dog Bakery Treats For Halloween

Dog bakery treats for Halloween are popping up! It is October and time to get ready for this "holiday" which is becoming more and more popular in the United States.

Halloween is a family oriented holiday, and family includes you know who...the dog. 

Have some fun and send some Halloween cheer to your friends who are dog lovers with dog bakery offerings such as these gorgeous decorated dog treats made by My Doggy Delights, a dog bakery located in Hollywood, Florida:

Dog bakery treats for Halloween from My Doggy Delights

Get a variety of 6 Halloween Happiness treats available in Bacon Cheddar, Cinnamon Apple, Honey BBQ and Peanut Butter flavors!

These dog treats were decorated with K9Cakery.com's award-winning dog treat icing: Fido's Frosting brand Royal Icing For Dogs. It dries hard and smooth, and will not melt. This dog icing requires no refrigeration, so there will be no worry about passing these treats out to trick-or-treating dogs.

To see more treats from dog bakeries, visit K9Cakery on Facebook. You can find dog treat recipes at DogCakeWorld.com.

Dog Birthday Cake Made In Foil Bone Shaped Pan

A dog birthday cake is an easy order from the folks at Black Pearl Bakery, an online Etsy shop. 

They simply used one of K9Cakery's reusable foil bone shaped cake pans. Look how perfect this dog cake came out!

Dog Birthday Cake from Black Pearl Bakery

Piper and Frank are two lucky dogs! 

The birthday cake for dogs can be easily packaged in the aluminum pan that comes with its own matching lid. Makes it easy to ship or wrap. And then, the recipient gets a second dog gift as well! The foil cake pan can be reused to make more dog birthday cakes!

These bone shaped pans are on sale at a very, very low price, which, we might add, makes for a third gift included! 

See the pans and more dog bakery supplies at K9Cakery.com.

Dog bone cake pan

Starting a dog bakery business from home - question

Q: I am planning to start a dog bakery business out of my apartment. What do you recommend I buy to get going and to get my name out there? Where can I find recipes?

A: Basic supplies to start baking dog treats would be the following:

1) K9 Katie's peanut butter dog biscuit mix

2) Fido's Royal Icing for Dogs to decorate your biscuits

3) The food color powdered coloring pack to color the dog treat icing

4) K9Cakery's set of 6 dog bone shaped cookie cutters which will allow you to cut out various sizes of treats

5) For dog cakes, K9 Katie has a peanut butter cake mix or you can choose from a variety of other pre-made mixes if you want the quick and easy way where you do not have to worry about what to add to bake from scratch!

6) Fido's Frosting yogurt dog treat frosting to frost the cakes

7) The mini paw shaped silicone cake pan makes the popular paw shaped treats - use it for either cakes or biscuits!

Make mini paw shaped dog treats 

For recipes, start with the following:

1) http://www.DogCakeWorld.com

2) http://www. YouTube.com/TheFrostingGuy

3) Join our group on Facebook: Homemade Dog Treats and ask our members for suggestions!

Good luck!