Anyone with a finicky dog knows the challenge of finding acceptable delectable treats, and up until now, Maggie has been less than enthusiastic about every homemade biscuit offered her. I first started trying 
dog treat recipes from different websites (which shall remain unnamed to protect the innocent) last December only to have my efforts met with complete disgust. Those perfectly decent biscuits were given to the less picky wieners, Noah and Gigi, who will eat anything up to and including grasshoppers and dirt.
I came across Real Food For Real Dogs while ordering Christmas gifts on Amazon. What set it apart from other dog treat books was the subtitle, 50 Vet-Approved Recipes to Please the Canine Gastronome. It's important to me, not only that Maggie likes the flavor, but that she is eating treats that are healthy.
Only one recipe, Parmesan Pleaser, gave me cause for concern because garlic powder was listed among the ingredients. Contradictory information exists on whether garlic is good or bad for dogs. Some swear by garlic as a health supplement and flea repellent, while others claim its toxins can cause anemia, bleeding, and even death. In examining the facts, it seems that dosage may be the key, but as a dog enthusiast, I suggest avoiding it all together. It's just better to be safe than sorry. Also, if you have any concern about baking treats at home, always talk to a vet you trust. That being said, there are 49 other recipes that are just terrific.
Some of the recipes include:
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Chicken Dipped Treats
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Dog Biscuits Baked with Love
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Lip-Smacking Green Beans
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Leftover Heaven
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Howling Good Stew
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Bark-va-lous Dish
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Pooch Pancakes
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Birthday Breakfast Bonanza
Contents of the book include Treats, Meaty Meals, Fish and Fowl, Vegetarian Meals, Special Occasion Meals (Birthdays!, Thanksgiving!), Special Diets, Glossary, References, and a Metric Conversion Chart. Interestingly enough, it also includes a section on foods to limit or completely omit. Yay!The Special Diets chapter covers such things as Puppy Growth Diet, Meal for Active Dogs, Meal for Senior Dogs, Doggie Diet for Inactive Canines, and Hypoallergenic Diet. I have a few inactive dogs in the house (wieners!), so I am happy to see a recipe that will maybe shrink those dachshund love handles. The author suggests giving a begging overweight dog plain lettuce as a snack. I don't know a dog on the planet that will go for that one. A dog that will eat lettuce probably won't need diet food anyway.
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