I am not the only one who loves pumpkin in my house. As soon as Zero, our dog, smells pumpkin and peanut butter at the same time, it’s like he knows I am in the kitchen for him. Canned pumpkin is healthy for doggie tummies. Sometimes if I have extra canned pumpkin I have been known to put a teaspoon on top of his dry dog food. Honestly, not too often do I have extra though, so it’s easier to bake these treats. To get everyone in the fall spirit in our house, Zero needed a pumpkin fall treat too. These peanut butter pumpkin dog treats are his favorite home made treats and his doggie friends like them too.
I knew that Zero was the dog for me the moment I laid eyes on him. Mr. Secrets and I were at the dog shelter looking to rescue a dog. We had gone past two dog rooms already and then I saw Zero. I looked at my husband and said, “That’s him. I love him.” My husband looked at me and said, “We haven’t even looked yet, how can you love him?” “I do,” I stated. “I love HIM.” I knew right away he was my dog. We walked all the way around the shelter. We came back and my husband fell in love with him too, especially after we took him out and got to hold him and play with him. Then the shelter volunteer told us, “I’m so sorry. We’ve made a mistake. This dog is already spoken for.” I thought I was going to burst into tears. My husband looked devastated. We told the volunteer, “Please will you double check, we really love this dog.” After what seemed like an eternity, which in reality was only twenty minutes, we found out someone had wanted the dog, but never came back to claim him. They called the phone number the person left and no one responded. They shelter discovered it had actually been over two weeks ago that the person had claimed him. So, good news, they decided he was OUR DOG! Zero had already had other owners and was dropped off in pretty rough condition in the over night bin. Then was dissed again by being claimed and then not claimed, so Zero was meant to come to his forever home with us. I knew it when I saw his brown eyes look into mine. It’s a real dog love story.
And part of the love is our mutual love of pumpkin. The best part about these dog treats is that they are only three ingredients. They are easy to mix together and they bake quickly. You can store them in an airtight container or freeze for up to three months. Zero likes them because they are soft and fun to eat.
I find it easiest to put the ingredients into my stand mixer, but you can easily mix this recipe with a hand mixer or even with your hands. To start, mix the three ingredients together until well combined. Here is the part where your dog comes in because he smells the peanut butter being opened. After everything comes together as a dough, roll out the dough on a floured surface. Use a cutter to make cute shapes. I prefer this super awesome dog bone.
I also make one pumpkin shaped one, this will be Zero’s special Halloween treat. Of course, he totally notices how cute his treats are!
After you get the treats cut out and place them on a pan, bake the treats in the oven at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
Let them cool and enjoy watching your dog eat his treat! Here is Zero giving his treat the stare down.
The look on his face tells you how good they are!
And finally the catch. He does look a little like a crazy dog in this photo. He really does love his treats.
Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Treats:
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour
1 cup of pure pumpkin puree (make sure it is not pie filling!)
1/2 cup of peanut butter
Directions:
Mix flour, pumpkin, and peanut butter until combined. If the dough is too sticky add a bit more flour. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured cutting board or flat surface. Use cookie cutters to cut dough. Place treat on prepared pan and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Recipe from kevinandamanda.com
Here is to all the good dogs,
Secrets of a Young Wife 