DIY Chicken Jerky Dog Treats

Dogs love chicken jerky dog treats because they satisfy the chewing urge.  A thick, crisp piece will keep a dog entertained. It is easy to digest. These jerky treats are healthy all natural dog treats - simply pieces of dried chicken with no added ingredients.

Make your own chicken jerky for dogs using your own oven if you do not have a dehydrator. Takes little preparation and even less effort!

Chicken jerky dog treats

What you need:

• Frozen baked chicken cut into 1/4 inch strips. Some bakers recommend baking it first to make sure that the meat is not raw prior to drying, which could be a source for bacterial contamination. Sometimes frozen meat is easier to cut. Make sure to remove all the fat (which will keep it moist and prevent drying.)

Directions:

• Place chicken strips on a baking sheet. 
• Leave strips in the oven. (Some bakers recommend leaving the door slightly ajar for ventilation.) Set your timer for at least 4 hours. Depending how dry you want the jerky, you may need to leave it in longer. 

As you can see in the image of the dog jerky above, I did not dry the chicken out completely. (That was because I ran out of time and did not feel comfortable leaving the oven on.) Those strips were in for approximately 4 hours, but I did not remove all the fat which is glistening in the photo. The end result was a chewy treat, but would have been chewier had I dried it out a little bit more. Needless to say, my dogs did not care...

A dehydrator runs at a lower heat setting - 160 degrees F - using less energy. You can leave it without worry. The professionals use dehydrators and dry the chicken for a very long time to ensure there is no bacterial contamination, and to prolong shelf-life. 

However, if you are making this for your own pets, you are not going to be concerned about packaging and shelf-life. Just make sure that the chicken is cooked all the way through.

If you would rather let someone else do the work, please buy jerky treats made in the USA. We can recommend a dog bakery close to you or one that will ship so you can get freshly made all natural chicken jerky treats. Be wary of those that say "made in China" on the package. The manufacturing plants in that country are not regulated and there are too many reports of dogs becoming seriously ill from undisclosed additives.

See Chicken Jerky Treats for Dogs with Struvites for a recipe modification for dogs with that particular health issue.

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.