Are Homemade Dog Treats Safer Than Store-Bought?
Updated: May 31
Are Homemade Dog Treats Safer Than Store-Bought?
Before JUST CHKN was a business, it was just something our family did at home. We made chicken jerky for our own dogs because we wanted to know exactly what was in their treats. No mystery ingredients, no preservatives we had to look up. Just chicken.
So when people ask me are homemade dog treats safer than store-bought ones, I feel like I have a pretty honest perspective on both sides. I've been the home treat-maker. Now I'm also the small commercial maker. Here's my real answer.
Where Homemade Has a Clear Advantage
The biggest advantage of homemade treats is control. When you make treats yourself with a single ingredient, say, chicken breast, you know with complete certainty what your dog is eating. There's no supply chain mystery, no hidden additives, no cross-contamination from other ingredients. You bought the chicken, you sliced it, you dehydrated it. That's it.
This matters especially for dogs with food sensitivities or allergies. When you're trying to figure out what's triggering a reaction, the ability to control every variable is genuinely valuable. Homemade single-ingredient treats make that easy.
Where Homemade Can Go Wrong
Here's where I'll be straight with you, because I think a lot of "make your own dog treats!" content glosses over this part.
Temperature and moisture are critical. Dehydrated treats need to reach a safe internal temperature to eliminate bacteria like Salmonella. If your dehydrator doesn't get hot enough, or you pull them too early, you can end up with treats that look done but aren't safe. The USDA recommends poultry reach 165°F internally. A lot of home dehydrators run cooler than their dials indicate.
Storage matters more than people think. Homemade treats without preservatives have a shorter shelf life, and if they're not dried completely or stored in airtight containers, they can develop mold faster than commercial products. Moisture is the enemy.
Recipes with multiple ingredients get complicated fast. Stick to single-ingredient treats and the risk profile stays low. The moment you start adding things -- even well-intentioned things like garlic for flavor, the complexity (and risk) goes up. Garlic and onion, for example, are toxic to dogs even in small amounts.
What to Look for in Store-Bought Treats
Not all commercial treats are equal. When I'm evaluating a store-bought treat, here's what I look at:
Short ingredient list. The fewer ingredients, the less there is to worry about. A treat with 20 ingredients including multiple preservatives and "natural flavors" is a different product than one with 1-3 recognizable ingredients.
Named protein source. "Chicken" is better than "poultry" is better than "meat by-products." The more specific the label, the more trustworthy the source.
No BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin. These are chemical preservatives that have raised questions in veterinary circles. There are better ways to preserve treats.
Country of origin. This matters. There have been multiple recalls and safety issues with treats manufactured overseas, particularly in countries with less rigorous food safety standards. If a bag doesn't tell you where the treats were made, that's a flag.
Curious about Making your own Dehydrated Treats?
Check out one of our other articles
Where JUST CHKN Fits In
We built JUST CHKN to offer the best of both worlds, the simplicity and transparency of homemade, with the food safety rigor of a proper commercial operation. One ingredient, made in the USA, with the kind of temperature and moisture controls that home kitchens often can't guarantee consistently.
It's not that homemade is bad. I did it for years and loved it. But not everyone has the time, equipment, or bandwidth to do it right every time. That's what we're here for.
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