Whipping up tasty, healthful treats for your dog is both fun and easy. And while your dog gobbles up your homemade goodies, you'll feel good knowing that there are no additives or hidden ingredients. Plus, if you can find cookie cutters shaped like dog bones, your dog's eyes will light up even more!

Use a low-sodium teriyaki sauce, especially for older dogs.

1 pound ground turkey, or substitute ground chicken or beef
3 teaspoons teriyaki sauce
1 to 2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Preheat the oven to the lowest setting, 150 to 170 degrees. Mix all ingredients and spread thinly onto a cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake for two hours. During baking, keep the oven door propped open. After two hours, remove the jerky from the oven and blot any grease with paper towels. Slice the jerky into 1-2 inch strips. Turn the slices over and return to the oven and bake two more hours. Allow them to cool, then store in the freezer.

Makes about 2 dozen treats.

Flea-Away Dog Biscuits

The flea repellent in these biscuits is the garlic. You can also try mixing a little raw garlic into your dog's regular food.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup brewers yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil or sesame oil
1 cup chicken stock, or beef or vegetable stock

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease two to three baking sheets. In a medium bowl, combine the first four ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the garlic and oil. Alternately, add the flour mixture and the stock into the oil and garlic, beating until the dough is well mixed. Shape the dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 12-inch circle. Using a two-inch biscuit cutter, cut the dough into rounds. (Or use a cookie cutter with a dog-biscuit shape.) Transfer the biscuits to greased baking sheets. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the biscuits are well browned. Turn off the heat and allow the biscuits to dry in the oven for several hours or over night. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Makes about 2 dozen biscuits.

2 cups flour
1 cup wheat germ, or 1 cup cornmeal, or 1/2 cup of each
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or 2 teaspoons dried
1 cup chopped chicken livers, cooked

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and wheat germ or cornmeal. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg with the oil, then add the broth and parsley, and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time, stirring to combine. Fold in the chicken livers. The dough will be firm. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it briefly. Roll the dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch, and cut it into desired shapes. Place cookies one inch apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm. Store cookies in the refrigerator or freezer.

Makes about 24 small, or 15 medium-sized cookies.

If you have any cats, they'll love these, too!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the first six dry ingredients. Slowly add oil, broth and chicken, and mix well. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch, then place it on a greased cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown. Cool, then break into bite-sized pieces. Place pieces in a bag with the brewers yeast and shake to coat them. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen pieces.

Your children and your pets will both love these cooling snacks.

Pour your dogs favorite juice (such as apple, orange, peach or lemonade) into a large bowl. Add the banana, then blend in the yogurt. Pour the mixture into popsicle containers and freeze. Hold the popsicle for your dog to lick, or place it in his water dish.

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 medium eggs
1/4 cup natural crunchy peanut butter
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together the water, oil, eggs, peanut butter and vanilla. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the dry ingredients. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Roll the dough into a ball and place it on a sheet of floured wax paper. Roll or pat out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Cut the dough with a cookie cutter (preferably one shaped like a dog biscuit) and place the biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the biscuits in the oven for one hour.

Makes 1 to 2 dozen biscuits, depending on the size of your cookie cutters.