Dogs are no longer called just pets. In many homes, they are actually part of the family. They are considered our fur kids, our babies, and our grand dogs. People are sharing life with their dogs and dogs sleep in their bedrooms, go where they go, and travel where they travel. Similar to human children, some pets wear costumes at Halloween and most find presents from Santa under the tree on Christmas morning. Many pampered pooches are also eating gourmet dog treats.

Gourmet dog treats are becoming a big hit with people who like to give their dogs natural foods, as well as people who prefer healthier snacks for their dogs, even if they are still giving them the same brand of dog food. Some dog treats are being made with the same types of ingredients that you would find in the food that we eat. Their popularity is increasing all the time.

At pet food bake shops, dogs can now bring their owners and shop together for their freshly baked doggy donuts, cakes, brownies, and cookies in all shapes, flavors and sizes. Don't you have a pet food bakery in your town?

You can find the gourmet pet treats, which are natural and free of preservatives, packaged in little plastic bags or window boxes, at pet stores, gift boutiques, grocery stores, retail outlets as well as online. There are online gourmet pet food bakeries. Some businesses focus on dog treats, low calorie treats or treats made for pets that are sensitive to certain food.

A word of caution in case your dog is overweight. Even though gourmet dog treats are made with human quality, healthy ingredients, the calories and fat content can sometimes be quite high. If your dog has a weight problem, then check the ingredients and stick with the lower fat treats. Please note that treats should not make up more than 10 percent of a dog's daily diet.

If you are one who enjoys baking, then you can easily pamper your dog with these types of treats, straight from your own kitchen, and at a much smaller cost then buying them. For some of these dog food recipes you probably even already have the ingredients necessary, especially if you like to make bread.

It usually takes more time to bake dog biscuits than it does to bake most of our cookie recipes. That is because, even though you mix and bake it the same way as other cookies, the dough is thicker than other cookie dough. Your dog may also like Flint River Ranch dog food.