I bake dog treats most Sunday afternoons — partly because my two Labs act like I’ve abandoned them if the oven stays off for more than a week, and partly because as a CPDT-KA certified trainer, I’d rather know exactly what’s going into the thing I’m using to reward good behavior. Store-bought treats are convenient, but a lot of them are mostly filler. Homemade ones let me control the ingredients, the size, and — just as important for training — how quickly my dog can eat one and get back to working with me.

You don’t need a bakery setup for this. Here’s what actually sits on my counter.

The Base: Pumpkin, Peanut Butter, Oats

My go-to treat is embarrassingly simple: canned pumpkin, a scoop of oat flour, an egg, and a spoonful of plain peanut butter (always check the label for xylitol first — it’s toxic to dogs and shows up in more “natural” peanut butters than people expect). I keep a case of pumpkin puree made for pets on hand rather than the human pie-filling aisle stuff, since it skips the added sugar and spices that don’t agree with a dog’s stomach.

Mix it into a thick, moldable dough — not batter. If it’s too wet to hold a shape, it’ll puddle out in the oven instead of baking into a firm treat.

Shaping: Silicone Molds Over Cookie Cutters

I used to use cookie cutters and a rolling pin, and it was fine, but silicone treat molds are faster and give you consistent, training-sized pieces every time — which matters more than people expect, since a treat that’s too big slows down a training session and one that’s too small doesn’t register as a reward. I use a silicone dog treat mold set that comes with its own storage container, so the finished treats go straight from the oven into the fridge without a second dish to wash.

If you bake a lot of other things too, a good stand mixer makes mixing dough for a double batch painless — I borrow my sister’s when I’m doing a big treat-bake alongside regular baking, rather than mixing dense dough by hand.

Finishing: The Air Fryer Shortcut

For treats that need to be properly dried out and crunchy — jerky-style sweet potato or chicken strips, for example — a low, slow oven works, but it ties up the oven for hours. I’ve switched most of that to an air fryer on a low dehydrate-style setting instead. It’s faster, it doesn’t heat up the whole kitchen, and it’s easier to pull a batch early and check texture without losing all the residual heat the way you do opening a full oven.

A Few Things I’ve Learned the Hard Way

• Portion size matters for training. Pea-sized pieces keep a training session moving. Anything bigger and your dog is chewing instead of paying attention to you.
• Always check for xylitol. It’s in more products than just gum now — peanut butter, some yogurts, baked goods. One ingredient check before you bake saves a vet visit.
• Refrigerate, don’t pantry-store. Homemade treats have no preservatives. Mine get used within a week or frozen in small bags.

Ingredients I Keep Stocked

Beyond pumpkin and oat flour, I always have plain canned sardines (packed in water, no salt added) for an occasional protein-forward batch, and a jar of ground flaxseed for dogs who need a little extra fiber. I avoid anything with added salt, garlic, onion, or artificial sweeteners — garlic and onion in particular are easy to miss in pre-made broths and seasoning blends, so I only ever use plain, single-ingredient items I’ve checked myself.

None of this needs to be complicated. A mold, a base recipe you trust, and a way to finish them off — that’s the whole system, and it’s held up through two very food-motivated dogs testing it daily.