Save extra on your grocery shop by making these DIY doggie treats at home

With the ever-rising weekly grocery bill, consider making these cheap and easy dog treats to keep your best friend happy.

When it comes to cutting the cost of the weekly shop, the first thing families tend to do is cut out treats and “nice to have” foods.

But with the cost of owning pets also rising, should you cut out treats for your furry friends as well?

With about five million dogs in Australia now, we are spending $2.4bn on dog food and almost $350m a year on dog treats alone, suggesting it’s a notable cost for many families.

Dog treats serve multiple purposes including as rewards during behavioural training, dental health, bonding and as a supplement to their diet. So cutting them completely is not always a family’s first choice, but there are ways to trim the cost of doggie treats by making your own at home – and many of them can help improve your dog’s health at the same time.

You can make your own dog treats to lower the grocery bill each week.

Using some key ingredients that you can buy in bulk, you can create up to four weeks worth of treats in one go. Remember to introduce new food slowly in small quantities and monitor. If you are unsure about any of the ingredients in these recipes, please consult your vet.

Here are four of our favourites dog treat recipes from PetStock.

PEANUT BUTTER BALLS

Makes 25-30 treats

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup coconut yoghurt

• 1 cup peanut butter (ensure it’s 100 per cent natural, and doesn’t contain nasties like xylitol)

• 3 cups rolled oats

METHOD

Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl. Combine with a spoon. Shape into bite-sized portions suitable for the size of your dog. Place on tray and refrigerate. Can be stored in fridge.

FROZEN FRUIT TREATS

INGREDIENTS

• Coconut milk

• Mango

• Pineapple

METHOD:

Chop fruit and blend all ingredients together, adding enough milk to ensure you can evenly pour mixture into an ice cube tray. Place in freezer for three hours. Remove from tray for the perfect ice-cold treats.

Dog cookies.

DOG COOKIE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup wheat flour

• ½ cup coconut flour

• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil

• 2 eggs

• ¾ cup blueberries (optional, halved)

METHOD

Combine flours into mixing bowl. Add in coconut oil. Add in eggs. Combine blueberries. Roll dough into fist-sized balls before rolling dough out onto floured surface. Cut out cookie dough with doggie cookie cutters if you have them or any cutter shape. Place on a baking paper lined oven tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown

Notes: Coconut flour is highly absorbent and can be difficult to work with and roll out, so use plenty of flour on your working surface and rolling pin. For grain-free pets, you can use coconut flour only, however you will need to increase the liquids used and add slowly to get the desirable consistency.

Reduce your baking time slightly to create soft doughy cookies, or lengthen baking time for a crunchier treat.

Dogs love the combination of apple and peanut butter.

INTERACTIVE APPLE TREAT

INGREDIENTS

• Apples

• Peanut butter

METHOD

Core the apple and use a knife to place the peanut butter inside. This will keep your dog entertained as they roll the apple and try to lick the peanut butter from inside before eating the apple as well.