Dogs love home-made treats

YOU do not have to be hugely strict about doggie treats, but if you hand them out regularly you should reduce their meal by the same volume. This recipe was sent in by a reader who said her dog just loved the bars and they are very healthy.

Apple bones
5 cups of plain flour
1 cup of raw rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
50g butter
1 egg lightly beaten
1 cup of grated apple
1 tablespoon of water

Method: Mix together flour, oats, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Rub butter into mixture until it roughly resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in centre, add egg and mix throughly with a fork. Add grated apple, work through with hands until combined.

Add water to form a soft dough. Turn dough onto floured board and keep adding flour until dough is firmer and does not stick to the board. Roll out dough to biscuit thickness and cut out bone shapes - or triangles or bars if you are in a hurry.

Place bone shapes on greased oven tray, spray lightly with glaze. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown in colour. Cool on a wire rack until the biscuits harden.

Liver and gravy
1kg beef liver or lamb's fry
2 or 3 slices ham, bacon or pork
2 cups wholemeal breadcrumbs or rolled oats
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
Cayenne pepper, a few shakes
2 carrots
2 beaten eggs,
2 tablespoons wholemeal flour
Oil to cook
1.5 cups water
0.5 cup boiled rice

Method: Put the liver in a pot and just cover with boiling water, then lightly cook. Save the water and use instead of the water for extra vitamins.

In a food processor mix the liver with the ham, carrot and garlic. When mixed, add the breadcrumbs or rolled oats, and eggs. Stir all together and press into a loaf tin.

Bake in a moderate oven until the top has browned. Warm the oil in a pan and then stir to a paste with the flour. Add the water or liver water slowly and cook until it thickens.

The cooked rice can be added to the gravy or the loaf can be served in slices according to the size of your dog, with rice on the side and gravy poured over the top. Your dog will just love it.

Proper feeding of your dog is essential and requires an educated and responsible owner to work out what your dog requires to remain healthy and robust. Like children, if a dog is tired and has not had enough of the right foods it is harder for it to respond to training or even to play.

The necessary items in a dog's diet are protein - meat, eggs, cheese, milk; vitamins; minerals; and carbohydrates - vegetables, pasta and cereals. Protein is the building block for all animal tissue and the rest are just as essential requirements. Pure meat is really only a small part of the dog's diet. In the wild they eat all parts of a killed animal, including the stomach contents. And they supplement their food with berries, fruit and vegetables.