8 Incredibly Easy Dehydrator Dog Treats That Your Dog Will Love

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A lot of people think that it has to be a ton of work to make dog treats at home. It doesn’t have to be – not if you’re making dehydrator dog treats.

To be honest, they can be right. If you want to make the fancy stuff, like liver filled whoopie pies or intricately marbled banana carob dog cookies, then sure, it’s going to be a bit of work. What people don’t realize is that there is a really easy way to make dog treats at home without ever turning on your oven. Some of the easiest treats I make and the ones my dogs love the most are made in our countertop dehydrator.

Making homemade dehydrator dog treats can be easy as easy as slicing. Anyone can slice something right?

So today, instead of the fancy stuff, we wanted to showcase a few ridiculously easy dehydrated dog treat recipes that anyone (and I do mean ANYONE) can make in their own home.

A few things you need to know about dehydrating meat at home: in order to do so safely, it has to be cooked through and reach an internal temperature of 165F for poultry, 145F for beef or fish. Some dehydrators have a “meat” setting or a temperature dial to ensure this is met. If yours doesn’t, you can cook your meat in the oven before you dry it.

1. Homemade Chicken Jerky Dog Treats

Buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts and trim off any fat.

Slice the breasts with the grain, into 1/8″ to 3/8″ thick pieces.

Layout on your dehydrator trays and dry for 3 – 12 hours (They thicker your slices, the longer they will take.)

To check if it’s done, slice a piece in half. The middle should be dry and moisture free, with the same colour throughout.

To make sure all of the bacteria has been cooked out and your homemade dog treats are safe to eat, preheat the oven to 275F, layout your chicken jerky treats on a pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Want to get a little fancier?

Try making flavoured homemade chicken jerky for dogs.

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2. DIY Sweet Potato Dog Chews

Scrub sweet potatoes or yams. (No need to peel them, your dog doesn’t care, so why waste the time.)

Trim off any green areas on the peel. Slice into 1/8″ to 3/8″ pieces. Layout on your dehydrator trays and dry for 3 – 12 hours. (They thicker your slices, the longer they will take.)

Sweet Potatoes are done when you can twist and flex them without the chew breaking apart or if you prefer a crunchy chew made from thinner slices when the chew breaks crisp.

To make chews that will help freshen breath, try these Mint Sweet Potato Dog Chews.

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3. Super Easy Liver Dog Treats 

Buy your liver in any protein you like. (You don’t have to stick to the basic chicken and beef, my dogs love it when I make these from lamb or game meats).

Slice into 1/8″ to 3/8″ pieces. (Kol’s Note: You can also buy liver presliced if the thought of slicing it grosses you out.)

Layout on your dehydrator trays and dry for 3 – 12 hours. (They thicker your slices, the longer they will take.) 

The middle should be dry and moisture free, with the same colour throughout.

To make sure all of the bacteria has been cooked out and your homemade dog treats are safe to eat, preheat the oven to 275F, layout your dried liver dog treats on a pan and bake for 10 minutes

Want to be a bit different? Don’t limit yourself to liver, try making dehydrator dogs treat out of any organ meat.

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4. Dried Banana Treats for Dogs

Choose firm bananas. Slice into 1/8″ to 3/8″ pieces. 

Layout on your dehydrator trays and dry for 3 – 12 hours. (They thicker your slices, the longer they will take.)

Want to kick it up a notch? Try tossing the banana pieces in melted peanut butter or coconut oil before drying.

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5. Dried Green Bean Cruncher Dog Treats

Green beans are super low calorie and when they’re dried, they have a fantastic crunch that a lot of dogs love.

Cut or snap ends of beans, lay out on dehydrator trays and dry for 3 – 6 hours.

Beans are done when they snap crisply.

Want to trick your veggie hating dog into loving these treats? Dressing them with a bit of meaty treat dust can convert even the pickiest dog.

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6. Homemade “Pupperoni” Sticks

These were some of the easiest dog treats I have ever made and some of the dog’s favourite. Buy plain, unspiced low-fat turkey sausage. (Go for the thin, regular size ones, not the crazy big ones.)

Layout the sausage on the trays and dry for 6 – 12 hours until they are flexible, but the same colour all the way through with no moisture in the centre. 

To make sure all of the bacteria has been cooked out and your homemade dog treats are safe to eat, preheat the oven to 275F, layout your dehydrated sausage dog chews on a pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Want smaller bite sized treats? Slice the sausages into 1/4″ rounds instead of leaving them whole.

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7. Canned Dog Food Training Treats

For dogs with allergies or diet restrictions, finding treats can be so difficult. Taking your dogs favourite canned food and dehydrating it makes for an easy treat.

Spoon 1/4 tsp. amounts onto your dehydrator trays and dry for 6 – 8 hours.

If you’re good with a piping bag, it’s really easy to pipe small designs.

To make sure all of the bacteria has been cooked out and your homemade dog treats are safe to eat, preheat the oven to 275F, lay out your ccanned food dog cookies on a pan and bake for 10 minutes.

8. Tuna or Whitefish Chunk Dog Treats

Canned fish is my go to “holy cow this is easy” meaty treat to make when I don’t even feel like slicing.

Buy bone free canned fish, break it into chunks with your fingers and toss it onto your dehydrator trays.

Dry for 6 – 10 hours until it’s dried all the way through.

To make sure all of the bacteria has been cooked out and your homemade dog treats are safe to eat, preheat the oven to 275F, layout your crunchy tuna treats on a pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Want to kick it up a notch? Toss with dog-friendly herbs before drying.

Have you ever made dog treats in the dehydrator? What did you make?