Peanut Butter Oatmeal Dog Treats

I’m a pretty lucky girl when it comes to the people I’m privileged enough to call my friends. They’re a really loyal, loving bunch, and I know I can depend on them when I need them the most. Whether they’re offering an open ear, a good laugh, or a shoulder to cry on, I know they’ll always be there for me. Some of them will even give me a big kiss if they know I need extra cheering up, or even if they’re just really happy to see me. Usually, though, it’s if I have food they want; they will do just about anything for a treat.

Before you get any ideas, let me clarify that within my tight knit group are a few four-legged “friends.” Dogs seem to sense exactly what’s on your mind and know what kind of day you had as soon as you walk in the door. Though they can’t verbally respond or give you the amazing advice you may be searching for, they can lay their head in your lap to cheer you up when you’re in a funk or even wag their tail in excitement and take a celebratory long walk with you after you get the promotion you’ve been working so hard for.

Though they rely on us humans as care-takers, we sometimes need them just as much as they need us.  There is a reason, after all, why dogs are referred “man’s best friend.” It may be getting too hot to bake, and you may be too busy planning your 4^th of July barbecue, but set some time aside to make these peanut butter and oatmeal treats for your furry friend. Since you will be loading up on burgers, corn-on-the-cob and apple pie, they should be eating well, too. 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Dog Treats

1 ½ cups of what flour

½ cup of corn meal

½ cup of oats

2 Tablespoons of baking powder

1 cup of creamy peanut butter

1 cup of milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, corn meal, oatmeal and baking powder. Once thoroughly combined, mix in peanut butter and milk until a dough forms. Work the ingredients together with hands, and roll into small balls, about 1 Tablespoon of dough. Place dough on parchment lined baking sheet and flatten with the prongs of a fork twice, adjusting the positions of the prongs 90 degrees the second time. Bake for 20 minutes and allow to cool on a rack before giving any to your doggy friends.

In the name of good reporting, I did taste test the treats. Unlike boxed biscuits, though, I knew the ingredients used; with the mere addition of some sugar and maybe a little butter, this recipe would have been a cookie for humans. Though they seemed a little dry to me, it made me very happy to have the opportunity to see several dogs enjoy them; some of them even worked a little harder to obey their owners’ commands in order to get them.

You can bet if your dog smelled the delicious scents of peanut butter and oatmeal warming in the oven, they would be extra good; they may not help clean the dishes, but will definitely thank you in more ways than one.