Harry’s Tailwaggers Dog Treat Recipe

February is the month of love. People who know me, know I love animals (thankfully, my husband is as crazy about them as I am). All this month, Foodie Friday will be all dog and cat treats.I started making treats when our 'All American Love-dog' (mutt) was with us. This was the very first recipe I worked on, named after our belovedHarrison, aka Hot FM Harry, Muttley and Fuzzy Butt Banana Nose. We still miss him.

*Do not give to dogs that have thyroid or other health issues involving intolerance to any kind of fat. Check with your vet if you are unsure!

Harry's Tail-Waggers (makes 56 21/2 inch bone-shaped cookies. Prep time 1 1/2 to 2 hours due to time to roll out and bake time)

3 C. whole wheat flour (plus 1-2 C as needed for kneading and 'bench' flour for rolling)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 C. instant dry, non-fat milk

1/4 C. plus 1 Tbl. vegetable shortening (0 transfats!)

1 egg

1 tsp. brown sugar

1 C. beef broth (low sodium, if possible)

1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 C. bacon bits (low fat, if possible)
Pre-heat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheets with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper. Mix flour, dry milk and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Drop the shortening in, small spoonfuls at a time. You can 'cut' in the shortening using a couple knives. But I just rub it in with my fingers until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Beat egg and mix the brown sugar into the egg. Add to dry mixture. stir in beef broth, bacon and cheese. Add additional flour, as needed, to make the the dough workable, but it will be pretty wet. Flour a flat suface for kneading with more whole wheat flour. Work the dough until it is smooth and pliable, adding flour as needed. Roll the dough until about 1/4 inch thick and cut with a cookie cutter (obviously I have bone shaped ones in several sizes as well as doggie, cat and fire hydrant ones. Shop around and have fun). Prick the treats a few times with a toothpick to speed crisping. Bake for a half hour to 45 minutes, moving tray from bottom rack to top rack halfway through, until the cheese that oozes out a little browns up and the treats are a little crisp. They won't be really crisp but have a little crunch. Cool on wire racks and move to paper bags or to an old, cardboard, treat box. You can refrigerate, if you won't use them fairly quickly, but they will get more soft in plastic containers in the cold.

You could, at the end of baking, turn off the oven and leave them in to get a little more crunch. I find it's not that practical, since I end up with about four cookie sheets for a batch and the dogs don't mind if they are soft or more hard.

Again, check with your vet if your dog has any sort of health or dietary issues!