TAKEOUT: Doggy Treats

To Stay healthy, dogs need to eat some of the same things you do: protein, to help the body repair itself, carbohydrates, for energy, and a little bit of fat, for a shiny coat. Most dog foods have all these ingredients in the right amounts, so they're nutritious-but pretty boring, too. To really reward your pet, try these dog-tested recipes for tasty homemade treats. We know your pooch will be eternally grateful. (Ours was.)

If you can't find any metal cookie cutters for your Cheese Biscuits, try these. Cut the shapes out with scissors, place them on rolled-out dough, and use a butter knife to trace around them.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and garlic powder. Then, in another bowl, beat the egg with a fork, and stir in the milk and cheese.

3. Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture and stir. If the mixture becomes too stiff to stir with a spoon, use your hands to knead it in the bowl.

4. Sprinkle extra flour over the counter or table. Take out the dough and sprinkle a little more flour on top. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it's ¼-inch thick. Use a cookie cutter or our shapes to cut out the biscuits.

5. Put the cut-out biscuits on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. When the biscuits are done, use a spatula to move them from the cookie sheet to a wire rack to cool. Store the leftovers in an airtight container.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

2. In a bowl, stir together the baby food, milk powder, and wheat germ or cream of wheat.

3. Scoop up a tablespoon of the dough and roll it into a ball with your hands. Put the ball on the cookie sheet. With a fork or the palm of your hand, flatten the ball into a cookie shape.

4. Bake the cookies in the oven for 15 minutes.

5. When the cookies are done, use a spatula to move them to a wire rack to cool. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer.

Don't overdo it with the treats. One or two per day is plenty, says veterinarian Nancy Willerton. "Treats should be considered junk food. One candy bar may not be a big deal, but eating five or six is."

1. Mix together the yogurt, banana, peanut butter, and honey in a big bowl.

2. Use a tablespoon to scoop the yogurt mixture into the paper cups or the holes of the ice-cube tray.

3. Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze overnight.

4. When you're ready to give your dog a treat, tear off the paper cup or pop a cube out of the tray. Let the treat thaw for 10 minutes before giving it to your dog.

Variation, for a fishy frozen treat: Substitute 1 can tuna packed in water (drain the water out of the can first) and 1 teaspoon garlic powder for the banana, peanut butter, and honey.

Canine Cookies

You'll need:

One 2 ½-ounce jar of baby food, beef or chicken flavor

¼ cup dry milk powder

¼ cup wheat germ or uncooked cream of wheat

Yogurt Pup-sicles

You'll need:

2 cups plain yogurt

1 ripe banana, mashed up

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

Small paper cups or an empty ice-cube tray