Dog Ballz! 4 Healthy Treat Recipes for Dogs

Today, we’re diving into 4 special treats for your dogs, with a focus on health & happiness. I’m excited to share these delicious, mess-free meatball recipes: DOG BALLZ, DUCKS NUTZ, CACKLE BERRIES, & Fishy FunBALLZ. (many Dad jokes incoming!) These little guys are perfect for training, enrichment, & post-op crate rest care.

Before I get into it, let’s talk about why these meatball recipes are more than just treats—they’re a game-changer for your dog’s quality of life. Each recipe is crafted with wholesome, real ingredients to support reward, enrichment, training, & recovery, especially for those pets on extended crate rest.

First, reward

These meatballs are high-value treats that motivate your dog. Made with nutrient-dense ingredients like Beef, Duck, Chicken, & Tuna, they offer a tasty incentive, & the variety keeps it exciting. No one wants to eat the same old treats all the time!

Second, enrichment

The small, firm texture of these cooked balls encourages mental stimulation. Whether stuffed in toys or offered in a puzzle, they engage your dog’s mind, reducing boredom and anxiety, key for overall mental health, especially during recovery periods.

Third, training

These treats are perfect for teaching commands or new skills. They’re mess-free, making them ideal for consistent rewards during sessions, helping your dog learn faster while enjoying nutritious food. The protein & fibre content supports sustained energy without sugar spikes. You don’t send your child off to school with a lunch box full of yummy lollies and expect them to be able to be calm & focus on learning!

Finally, post-op crate rest care

For dogs recovering from surgery or with mobility issues, these meatballs eliminate the need for bowl feeding. Ingredients like Chickpeas, Hemp Seeds, Pumpkin, & Spinach provide fibre & anti-inflammatory benefits, aiding digestion & bowel mobility during limited movement. The dry, firm texture, achieved with longer baking, ensures easy eating without mess, supporting paralysed pets or those confined to crates.

If you’ve ever had a dog in a crate - mess, the ‘going in mess’ & the ‘coming out mess’ becomes a real thing! So, this is where I want to dedicate these recipes to the Dashund Rescue Teams around Australia, & the world, who foster and support so many dashies with IVDD - a spinal condition that often can paralyse a lot of these guys. Devoted to Dashund Rescue is an amazing Aussie group of humans dedicated to leaving no dog behind! Check out their work, this team of volunteers work around the clock, rehabilitating and rehoming hundreds of dogs every year.

That being said, they’re simple, freezer-friendly, and packed with benefits — and they are just plain yummy!

First up, the aptly named DOG BALLZ

The three ingredients are:

500gm of Beef Mince

2 Eggs including the crushed up Shells

1 Can of Chickpeas, drained well & mashed (High in Plant-Based Protein & insoluble Fibre)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. With wet hands roll out small balls, around 2cm in diameter. Line a baking tray with Parchment (Baking Paper).

Space the Balls out and cook in a 180-degree oven for 40 minutes. The longer you cook them, the drier and firmer they become. An Airfryer is brilliant for these, it will reduce the cooking time.

Allow to cool, and pop them into a Zip Lock Bag or freezer container. Freeze. The Chickpeas are full of insoluable fibre and great to help those dogs on crate rest/reduced movement pass their poop easily.

DUCKS NUTZ

The five ingredients are:

500gm Duck Mince (you can use Turkey if you can’t find any)

2 Eggs, including the crushed up Shells

1 Grated Zucchini (squeeze all water out)

1 Grated Carrot (squeeze all water out)

1 Cup Ground Hemp Seeds

Same method again, Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. With wet hands roll out small balls, around 2cm in diameter.

Cook in a 180-degree oven for 40 minutes. The longer you cook them the drier and firmer they become. Once again, my go to is the airfryer. Hemp Seeds are high in protein, omega fatty acids, crucial for reducing inflammation and heart health.

CACKLE BERRIES

The four ingredients are:

500gm Chicken Mince

2 Eggs including the crushed up Shells

1 Cup Cooked Mashed Pumpkin

1 Cup Coconut Flour

Simply combine, roll and cook. Coconut flour offers several health benefits due to its high fibre & protein content, while being low in digestible carbohydrates.

Fishy FunBALLZ

The four ingredients are:

500gm Tuna in Springwater drained

2 Eggs including the crushed up Shells

200gm Chopped Frozen Spinach (thawed and water squeezed out)

1 Cup Coconut Flour

Exactly the same method, mix, roll & cook. Tuna is a lean meat. It’s relatively high in protein, but low in calories, which means that it keeps you full longer and stops you from eating more, great for all those chunky monkies out there or those with limited mobility.

So, why spend a fortune on store-bought treats full of rubbish ingredients when you can make these today for your doggo!