Throw a Dog a Bone ... or Maybe a Chicken Foot or Sweet Potato Chip

Throw a Dog a Bone ... or Maybe a Chicken Foot or Sweet Potato Chip

- Culinary Creations from Gordon Hamersley

Spaniel customers wait patiently for chicken feet.

The first time I handed a crispy, desiccated duck foot to Jack, our 2-year-old springer, he took it out of my hand so gingerly I'm sure he thought it was some new horrible medication he wasn't going to like. When he realized it smelled pretty good but still didn't know it was for eating, he tossed it in the air, batted it around on the floor a bit, rolled on it and then proudly retrieved it to hand. When I gave it back to him, he finally decided chomping it up was what I wanted him to do, and he was sold.

Let me be clear: I am neither a vet nor a food nutritionist, and I'm pretty conservative when it comes to what I feed my dogs. When I make homemade biscuits and other treats, I use my best instincts as to what will work well and be good for the dogs. Anything controversial I always check with my vet to make sure what I'm doing makes sense and isn't going to be harmful. I do not rely on the internet for veterinarian or nutritional guidance, although I will consult my friend, Chef Google, for inspiration sometimes. Seriously, when in doubt, check with a professional.

Making dog treats is easy work. The rule of thumb as far as ingredients go is if it's OK for your dog to eat, you can probably turn it into a treat using either a dehydrator or your oven. Take vegetables for a start, ingredients like apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, blueberries, broccoli or green beans. Or meat like chicken, beef, liver, salmon or sardines. Do you have any less-than-perfect game bird meat, waterfowl or rabbits that didn't make it to the human table? As long as it's not spoiled, is free of dirt, hair, feathers and shotgun pellets, it's easy to prepare as snacks for the dogs.

These treats are ready for storage in the fridge or freezer.