To celebrate my dog Clipper’s first birthday I thought I would delve into the (probably crazy) world of homemade dog biscuits. I always give him my empty tuna cans for him to lick clean, and he loves the flavor so much that we eventually have to pry the dented can from his jaws. Knowing his affinity for the fish, I created a personalized doggy treat for Clipper that he gobbled right up.
Homemade Tuna Fish Dog Biscuits
You may have heard that you should avoid giving your dog garlic. I researched this and, while raw, cooked, and spoiled garlic can be toxic, I felt safe adding a small amount of garlic powder to these treats. You can omit this if you don’t feel comfortable.
- 1 can tuna in water, not drained
- 1 egg
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup whole wheat, or all purpose flour plus more for rolling dough out
- Non-stick cooking spray (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dump the entire contents of the tuna can in a food processor and pulse until the meat is completely pulverized. If you don’t have a food processor, try a blender or just mix it by hand until the chunks are mostly gone. Pour tuna into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the egg, lemon, garlic powder, and baking powder and stir to combine. Add the flour and stir until it is the consistency of wet cookie dough.
Generously flour a large cutting board (or your counter) and your hands, and press the dough into a thin, even, flat patty. Spray a cookie cutter with the non-stick spray and cut biscuit dough as you would regular cookies. Place cut-out biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet. Continue to roll out dough, cut out biscuits, and add to the cookie sheet until you have only scraps left. I had to add more flour to my hands and my cutting board each time I re-rolled out the dough. Bake the dog biscuits for 20-25 minutes, or until the treats are firm. Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate or freeze.
I used two cookie cutters for Clipper’s treats, a large one for when he’s extra good, and a smaller one for more regular snacks. The large cutter I chose was in the shape of a fish (fitting, for tuna treats) and the smaller was in the shape of the state of Texas. You can use anything you like, from specialty cutters to regular biscuit cutters, to just a knife and your own imagination.
My dog went completely nuts for these things! I wanted to post a picture or video of him enjoying them but I couldn’t get him to sit still while I held the treat and the camera in front of him – he kept performing every trick in his repertoire to warrant more biscuits. And yes, I even ate a piece myself, and they are pretty good (sort of like a dry, bland, tuna cake)! Happy Birthday to you, Mr. Clipper. Hope your pups enjoy…
