Dog food treats are available in all shapes and sizes, but they can be expensive and difficult to select if your dog has multiple allergies. Canned dog food can provide a healthy treat, prepared many different ways.
Au Natural
If you have leftover canned dog food, just use it throughout the day as a treat for your dog. Some foods are more moist than others, but you can always use a spoon. You can also pull out the meat chunks, which are the best anyway, dry them with a paper towel and refrigerate them for later.
When selecting a dog food, check out the ingredients. Look for foods that are primarily protein and vegetables. Avoid brands that have wheat, corn, meat byproducts or preservatives.
There are some that are so enticing your dog will prefer them to a treat, such as Merrick's. Dogs love the flavors such as Cowboy Cookout, Turducken and Thanksgiving Dinner, all of which use mostly meat, vegetables and water. Natural Balance also has a lot of moist food so enticing that many dog trainers cut it up and use it as a treat on its own.
Cooked Wet Food Treats
To make harder treats that last a little longer, cook your canned food in the oven and give the treats as large pieces or break them into smaller pieces for training. Some foods can be sliced into thin pieces while others must be spooned, but place the drops on cookie sheets. Cook at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.
To make these treats more enticing, consider adding people food as a topping, such as shredded meat, cut apples or diced carrots. These additions can make the treats different and exciting to your dog, especially if you mix and match the toppings. Because they are cooked, these treats can be preserved longer than a can of food in your refrigerator.
Stuffed Kongs
There are lots of recipes for stuffing Kongs, the hollow rubber toy famously made to be stuffed with whatever ingredient your dog likes, such as peanut butter or cream cheese. Using canned dog food can be one of the healthier fillings, and a great way to feed your dog his meals when you aren't home and need to distract him.
Stuff the food in the Kong with a treat or little bit of peanut butter at one end to keep it from dripping out. Add peanut butter, cream cheese, kibble or treats to make the stuffing more exciting, but a good wet food will stand on its own. Finally, freeze the Kong over night to make it more difficult for your dog to get his reward. This will keep him busy even longer.
If you don't have a Kong, you can also use a hollow marrow bone, which is available at most pet stores. However, these could hurt your dog's teeth if he tries to chew it.
There are many options for entertaining your dog with simple canned food. Be creative and add enticements to see what your dog likes best.