Last week a private training client mentioned that their dogs had some dietary restrictions, but were allowed to have salmon. Fortunately for me, I had just roasted salmon for our dinner and had some left over, along with brown rice and chopped herbs. Yay! Aside from working with dogs and their humans, I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen, especially when I have a goal of coming up with special treats for inquisitive canines.
Thanks to the food processor, an egg, and some flax seed, the mixture turned out quite lovely. Low and slow in the oven (40 minutes, 325 degrees convection), cooled and sliced up with pizza cutter made for quite a large batch of these morsels that both dogs found quite rewarding.
So, before you decide to swipe your plate into the trash, or toss all the old containers out, experiment with creating your own custom canine creations so you can continue to reward those behaviors you want. Your dog, your budget, and our landfills, will appreciate it!
Custom Salmon Treats
Add all ingredients into bowl (salmon, brown rice, herbs, ground flax meal mixed with water)
Place in food processor and blend until smooth
Add one egg, blend until smooth (helps with binding, alternatively double flax meal)
Spread onto baking sheet lined with oiled foil (so doesn’t stick).
Bake at 325 degrees 35-45 min or until firm.
Cool and cut into desired size pieces. Note, this batch made a lot. I am keeping extras in the fridge and will experiment with freezing too.
2 Responses
I love that idea! I’ve made my own dog treats before using ingredients such as peanut butter or sweet potato, but had never thought about healthy leftovers as a chance to experiment. Thanks for the great tip!
Hi Bradley – thanks for joining the conversation, and for the accolades. Nice to meet like-minded dog folks who enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. Cheers to you and your inquisitive canines!