I have always tried to take a conservative approach to dog
food and treats for my puppy people. I realize that people
have busy lives and some may not want to spend the time preparing dog
food. Actually it doesn't take that much
time once a pattern has been set, however, with all the news, recalls, and even
deaths associated with dog food/treats, I am to the point where I have to take
a stronger stand on this. There is
absolutely no reason why everyone can't make their own treats at least.
Have you tried kale?
George, Lusa, and Charo go crazy over kale, broccoli, and cauliflower. They won't touch a carrot, but many dogs love
carrots too. I use these treats for
training and often they spit the meat out and gobble up the veggies. Mojo,
however, will not place tongue to food if it has even been in the same bowl as
a veggie, so, yes, ever dog is different.
So do I mix up everything and make fancy little
cookies? Absolutely not necessary, and
the less time spent the better. The veggies I simply chop up but the meat I
boil and then chop into very small pieces and freeze in plastic bags. I try to put a days training treats into one
bag. If you really want something more
complicated you can mix the meat with cooked sweet potato, divide into
spoonfuls and bake in the oven. I never
put flour into any food I give my dogs.
My dogs love chicken, but I am now looking for a source of
chicken that is guaranteed not to be processed in China. Even chicken so called "for human
consumption" is now going to be processed
elsewhere. Even the chicken
treats made here in North America are
sending dogs into renal failure. I know about this because Mojo is now
suffering from this problem but that's another story for another day. So, I buy
whatever is on sale, pork loin, chicken, beef, and turkey, boil it, cut it up
and freeze it. Actually, if you place
the pieces on paper towels and let them dry out in the freezer before bagging,
the pieces last longer once removed from the freezer.
Placing the meat in a pan to boil, cutting it up afterwards,
and placing it in the freezer takes about 15 minutes max and there would be
more than enough for a week or two. I do
it for four dogs and that's all the time I spend on it.
Next I'll explain how I prepare the food for four dogs and
spend less than an hour a week doing it.
