Dots? We love them lots! We’re using healthy chia seeds to create homemade Dalmatian spotted dog treats, just for fun. Because we love everything spotty, including treats! Hehehe… Here’s how our Dalmatian spotted dog treats were made, and other ideas for spots and dots.
Gone to the Dogs!
The treats may tempt the dogs, but it’s the treat making that tempts me. Haha! I bought my dog-shaped cookie cutter at a specialty kitchenware shop. Admittedly, I paid way too much, but when I saw it I simply had to buy it. If you have time and patience, shop around. They come in different shapes for dog breed body types, too. You can check out the dog shaped cookie cutters on Amazon (affiliate link) for product examples and ideas. The bone is still my go-to favourite for cutting treats, though! I have a few different type of bone shaped cookie cutters (affiliate link), but this one is just the perfect size for my style of baking.
Dalmatian Dogs and Dalmatian Treats
Doggone Delicious Dog Shaped Dog Treats
It was only a matter of time, really. Ever since buying my “Dalmatian” dog-shaped cookie cutter, Dalmatian spotted dough has been on my mind. I truth, it’s a Lab, but hey! Close enough to my boys! I’ve made chocolate Labs with carob dough, golden Labs with peanut butter dough (a favourite), speckled dogs with bacon (mmm….bacon…), and more. Look at those crazy eyes and butt sniffs in the collage below. Haha! Time to add some Dali dots to our dog treat collection.
Creative Options for Spots and Dots
Dalmatians could be made by grating carob into a dough or marbling treats, but these would be patches more so than dots. I decided to play with black chia seeds on a pale treat dog dough base as a very simple way to create small Dalmatian dotted treats.
White Dog Treat Dough Options
I made these homemade Dalmatian spotted dog treats using black chia seeds and my simple apple cinnamon dog treat dough. It’s not quite as pale a white as a sour cream, yogurt, or cream cheese dough may be once baked (especially since I also use brown rice flour). But the recipe is easy, smells great, our boys love them, and the treats are pale enough for the black and “white” Dalmatian look when combined with the speckled contract of the black chia seeds. Creating white when baking dog treats is tricky. Many of our favourite doggy doughs are naturally coloured by their base ingredients. For those that aren’t, very few will stay white when baked. As I often say in treat posts, embrace a little beige! It will make baking options much easier and the dogs won’t care.
Chia Seeds for Dogs (and Dots)
Chia seeds can be healthy for dogs and people. They’re are packed with protein, fibre, and beneficial nutrients. Unlike many seeds, there’s no strong taste or scent (at least not to our human noses), which makes them a flexible option for recipes, toppers, and supplements. But they’re also rich, so moderation is essential. Also, be aware that these little seeds are VERY absorbent. Soaking (or using in a rested dough mix) can help make chia seeds more digestible, but since I’m using them primarily for looks as spots, they’re going straight onto rested and ready dough prior to baking. See the note at the end of the post about how things may be a little messy, though.
Making Dalmatian Spotted Dog Treats with Chia Seed "Spots"
To make similar homemade Dalmatian spotted dog treats, you’ll need to use a dog shaped cookie cutter with a Dalmatian-like body type. If you don’t have one, you can still make dotty dough, but you won’t have (of course) the dotted Dalmatian dog-shaped treats.
Making the Treats:
Preparing the Dough:
- Preheat the oven and gather your baking supplies and equipment.
- Mix a pale rolling treat dough according to your chosen recipe. Rest if/as required.
Dotting and Cutting the Treats:
- Roll the prepared dough to almost to desired thickness
- Sprinkled lightly with chia seeds, then roll to set the seeds into place.
- Cut shapes and place on a prepared pan.
The large dog shapes were cut, then the smaller bone shapes for maximised cutting prior to any re-rolling. The chia seeds sprinked as spots will be mixed into the treat dough during any re-rolls, making the subsequent treats (if sprinkled again) spottier, richer, and also drier (chai seeds soak up moisture), so sprinkle and cut with that in mind.
Finishing and Baking the Treats:
- Optional: Use a light wash or spritz of dog-friendly liquid over the top of the cut biscuits to help keep the seeds in place after baking. They do tend to pop out as the treats bake and dry. Adding a little liquid can help your chia seeds stick and hold better.
- Bake according to recipe.
- Cool before serving and storage.
To keep my dough pale and limited crackling, I baked lightly then dehydrated to further crisp things up. Check out our post on making homemade baked biscuit style dog treats for more tips and tricks.
Doggone Delicious Dotty Dogs!
The taste testers were very excited for an extra special spotty spotted bum sniff when it was finally time to nibble a sample or two. Mixing the seeds into the dough is not nearly as defined a spotted look, but sprinkling is far less secure. As mentioned above, the chia seeds need to be firmly pressed into place. Even then, some seeds may pop out as the treat bakes and dries, but these are just for fun so who cares? Certainly not the drooling duo tasting the treats at our place! Any voids still blend in with the spotty decoration and loose escapee chia seeds are easily shaken out of the treat jar or treat bag, if needed. Sprinkle them into the dinner bowl if you’d like to make sure they’re eaten.
Hungry for more tasty treats? There are all sorts of homemade dog treat ideas in our blog archives. You can use the category and tag labels to find recipes that might be of interest or use our internal search tools to find something specific. Remember, treats (bought or homemade) are for spoiling your pup in moderation. We share ideas from treats that we’ve made ourselves for our pets, but different animals have different preferences (likes/dislikes), just like people. Some pets may have special dietary requirements and/or food allergies/intolerances. If you are ever in doubt or have questions about what’s suitable for your pet, have a chat with your trusted vet.
