How do you store moist dog treats?

by Angela
(Indiana)

I have a quick question for you and I am having a very difficult time solving it. I have baked dog brownies, peanut butter puff things and carob coated balls and all three of them have turned moist inside the storage bag. I have taken them out to dry again! and as soon as I put it back in the bag, more moisture shows up. My other question is, how long will they stay good for in baggies and will they hurt my dog if they are moist? ANY advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Chef's Answer ~ You're right to take note of the high moisture content in the storage bag. Some homemade dog treats are meant to be moist or soft, and that's what it sounds like you have made. For the more delicate treats you want to follow the same practices you would use for moist human treats. If they will all be eaten within a one or two days, lightly covered on the counter should be fine. However, anything longer than that they need to be refrigerated for about two weeks. If you have made more treats than your dog will eat in two weeks, you can freeze them. Depending on the treat you should freeze them for up to 2 months. Then let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

You need to be careful about feeding your dog treats that have been left out too long. The softer treats really should be refrigerated. My personal thought is that if there's a doubt, throw it out. There's no need in putting your dog through an upset tummy over something that is suppose to be a treat!

An option you can consider is to make your softer and moister treats harder, by baking them 5 to 10 minutes longer, and letting them stay in the oven overnight while they cool. But this is not necessary if your dog enjoys the softer treats. You'll just need to follow the guidelines above. For more information about how to store dog treats, check out our tips and techniques.