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Store-bought dog treats are convenient, but once you’ve made your own you’ll understand why so many dog owners don’t go back. A food dehydrator gives you full control over what goes into your dog’s treats — and the results are something store shelves genuinely can’t compete with. Here’s everything you need to know to get started.
5 Reasons to Get a Dehydrator for Dog Treats
1. Your Dog Will Love Them More
A dog’s sense of smell is estimated to be 10,000–100,000 times more sensitive than ours. Freshly dehydrated treats straight out of the machine smell completely different to something that’s been sitting in a plastic bag on a supermarket shelf for months. My dog likes most treats, but he absolutely loses it for DIY homemade treats fresh out of the dehydrator — they’re the only treats he’ll uncontrollably drool for.
Image: Ayla Verschueren on Unsplash
2. You Know Exactly What’s in Them
A lot of commercial dog treats contain fillers, preservatives, artificial colours, and ingredients you’d never choose yourself. When you make dehydrated treats at home, the ingredient list is exactly as long as you make it — sometimes just one item. A bag of dehydrated chicken breast is literally just chicken. That’s it. You can also customise for your dog’s specific needs: lower fat for dogs watching their weight, avoid certain proteins for dogs with allergies, or add ingredients like sweet potato for dogs who need more fibre.
3. It Can Save You Money
Good quality single-ingredient dog treats are expensive in Australia. Dehydrating your own lets you buy human-grade meat on special — chicken breast, beef, lamb — and process it in bulk for a fraction of the retail price. If you have a dehydrator with multiple trays, you can make large batches covering several weeks’ worth of training treats in one session. The upfront cost of a dehydrator pays itself off quickly, especially if you use treats heavily for training.
4. It’s a Genuinely Fun Activity
Making your own dog treats is a satisfying process — slicing, loading the trays, checking progress, and eventually pulling out a batch of perfectly dried treats your dog will go berserk for. If you have kids, they tend to love it too: watching the process and seeing their dog’s reaction when treat time arrives. It’s one of the few cooking projects where the end consumer is enthusiastically guaranteed to love the result.
5. They Make Great Gifts for Dog Owners
A batch of homemade dehydrated chicken or beef treats, packaged nicely, makes a genuinely thoughtful gift for other dog owners. If you know someone who’s always spoiling their dog with store-bought options, homemade treats show real effort — and their dog will almost certainly prefer them. A good complement to other personalised dog gifts if you’re putting together something special.
What You Can Dehydrate for Dogs
The range of things you can safely dehydrate for dogs is broader than most people expect. Single-ingredient treats are usually the best starting point — simple, digestible, and easy to adjust quantities for training.
🥩 Good Ingredients to Dehydrate for Dogs
Chicken Breast
Lean, high-protein, and universally loved. One of the easiest things to dehydrate — slices evenly, dries quickly, and stores well. Great for training treats.
Best for: Everyday training treats, high-value rewards
Beef (Lean Cuts)
Lean beef like topside or silverside works well. Higher fat cuts like mince produce a lot of drip and can go rancid faster — stick to leaner cuts. See our beef jerky guide for more detail.
Best for: High-value treats, dogs who find chicken boring
Lamb
Good option for dogs with chicken or beef sensitivities. Slightly richer flavour — most dogs love it. Trim visible fat before dehydrating.
Best for: Dogs with poultry sensitivities
Sweet Potato
Slice into thin rounds or strips, dehydrate at around 70°C for 6–8 hours. Naturally sweet, high in fibre and beta-carotene. Popular with dogs who don’t do well on high-protein treats.
Best for: Dogs with sensitive stomachs, vegetarian treats
Salmon
High in omega-3 fatty acids, great for coat and skin health. Strong smell (your dog will love it; you may feel differently). Use fresh salmon — never raw salmon that hasn’t been previously frozen, as it can carry parasites.
Best for: Coat health, high-value rewards
Banana & Apple
Slice thinly and dehydrate at a lower temperature (around 55–60°C). Natural sugars concentrate during dehydration so feed in small amounts. Remove apple seeds and core before dehydrating — they contain trace cyanide.
Best for: Low-calorie treats, fruit-loving dogs
Foods to Avoid Dehydrating for Dogs
⚠️ Never Dehydrate These for Dogs
- Grapes and raisins — toxic to dogs, can cause kidney failure even in small amounts
- Onion and garlic — toxic in all forms including dehydrated; damages red blood cells
- Macadamia nuts — toxic to dogs, causes weakness, vomiting, and tremors
- Avocado — contains persin, which is toxic to dogs
- Anything with xylitol — the artificial sweetener is extremely dangerous for dogs; avoid dehydrating any processed food that might contain it
- Raw pork — can carry Aujeszky’s disease (pseudorabies), which is fatal in dogs; always cook pork thoroughly before or after dehydrating
- Corn on the cob — the cob itself is a serious choking and blockage hazard; never dehydrate it whole
What to Look for in a Dehydrator
Not all dehydrators are equal, and the difference matters when you’re using one regularly for dog treats. Here’s what to pay attention to before buying.
🔍 Dehydrator Buying Guide
Tray Count and Capacity
More trays means bigger batches — and with dog treats, bigger batches mean fewer sessions. A 9-tray dehydrator lets you process several kilos of chicken breast in one go. If you’re only making treats occasionally for a small dog, fewer trays is fine. If you’re batch-making monthly for training, go larger.
Adjustable Temperature
Different ingredients need different temperatures. Meat should be dehydrated at 68–74°C to safely reduce bacterial load. Fruit and vegetables can go lower (55–65°C) to preserve more nutrients. A fixed-temperature dehydrator limits what you can make safely. Look for a model with a range of at least 35–75°C.
Digital Timer
Dehydrating takes hours. A built-in timer means you can set it and walk away without worrying about over-drying. This is a quality-of-life feature that makes the whole process much more practical, especially for 8–12 hour meat batches.
Drip Tray
This one I learned the hard way — always use the drip tray. When dehydrating fatty meats, a significant amount of fat renders out and drips down. Without a drip tray in place, cleaning the bottom of the dehydrator is genuinely horrible. Check that any model you’re considering has one, and make it part of your setup routine every single time.
Horizontal vs Vertical Airflow
Horizontal airflow (fan at the back) distributes heat more evenly across all trays without flavour transfer between them. Vertical airflow (fan at the top or bottom) is more common in cheaper models and can result in uneven drying. For meat treats, horizontal airflow is worth paying for.
Easy to Clean
Meat residue and fat are stubborn. Removable, dishwasher-safe trays make cleaning manageable. Avoid models where the heating element is awkward to access or where grease can pool in hard-to-reach spots. Read reviews specifically about cleaning before buying.
Our Pick: BioChef Arizona Sol Food Dehydrator
I’m personally very happy with the BioChef Arizona Sol Food Dehydrator. It has an adjustable thermostat, 9 trays, and a digital timer. I’ve had mine for over 3 years now and I’ve never had a problem with it. We use it roughly once a month.
One thing I’ll flag: always put the drip tray in before you start. I forgot it once before making a big batch of beef jerky treats and it was really, really hard to clean the fat from the bottom of the dehydrator due to its design. 100% my mistake — but worth mentioning so you don’t repeat it.
Other than that, it’s one of the few dog-related purchases I’ve had for years and still use regularly. For the price point, the build quality and results are excellent.
Image: BioChef | Arizona Sol Food Dehydrator | Available from $328
Dehydrated Chicken Treats Recipe
There are lots of dehydrated dog treat recipes online, but below is how I actually make chicken treats using the BioChef — straightforward, minimal ingredients, and a method that’s been refined over a few years of monthly batches.
🍗 Dehydrated Chicken Dog Treats
Ingredients
- Bulk pack of chicken breast (human-grade, bought on special when possible)
- Nothing else — that’s the whole point
Method
- Buy a bulk pack of chicken breast from the supermarket.
- Put the chicken breast in the freezer for 30–60 minutes so it’s firmer and easier to slice thinly.
- Cut into thin, even slices — the thinner the slices, the quicker they’ll dehydrate and the crispier the result.
- Lay slices flat across all 9 trays of the dehydrator, leaving a small gap between each piece for airflow.
- Put the drip tray in first.
- Set the dehydrator to 70°C and run for 10 hours.
- Check progress occasionally — thickness and moisture content vary, so adjust timing if needed. Treats are done when they snap cleanly rather than bend.
- Let cool completely before storing.
How to Store Dehydrated Dog Treats
📦 Storage Guide
Pantry (up to 2 weeks)
Store in an open container with a paper towel on the bottom to absorb any residual moisture. This is what I do — the paper towel prevents any condensation from softening the treats. Keep out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources.
Fridge (up to 3 weeks)
A sealed container or zip-lock bag in the fridge extends shelf life. Useful if you’ve made a particularly large batch or live somewhere very humid. Let treats come to room temperature before giving them to your dog — cold treats straight from the fridge are less aromatic and less appealing.
Freezer (up to 3 months)
Dehydrated treats freeze very well. Portion into smaller bags before freezing so you’re only defrosting what you need. Defrost overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for a few hours. Refreezing is not recommended.
Signs treats have gone off
Any visible mould, unusual smell, or soft/tacky texture means they should be discarded. Properly dehydrated treats (no moisture remaining) last significantly longer than under-dried ones — if in doubt, run them for another hour or two rather than risk it.
Image: Xolodan on Shutterstock
Frequently Asked Questions About Dehydrators for Dog Treats
❓ Common Questions
Can you make dog treats in a dehydrator?
Yes — a food dehydrator is one of the best tools for making homemade dog treats. You can make jerky-style meat treats, fruit and vegetable treats, fish treats, and more. The key is using dog-safe ingredients, dehydrating meat at a safe temperature (68–74°C), and making sure treats are fully dried before storing. Always give the dehydrator a thorough clean between sessions.
What is good to dehydrate for dogs?
Chicken breast, lean beef, lamb, salmon, sweet potato, banana, and apple are all popular options. Single-ingredient treats are a good starting point — they’re simple, digestible, and easy to adjust for dogs with sensitivities. Avoid anything on the toxic foods list: grapes, raisins, onion, garlic, macadamia nuts, and avocado.
How long does it take to dehydrate dog treats?
It depends on the ingredient and how thinly you’ve sliced it. Chicken breast sliced to about 5mm takes around 8–12 hours at 70°C. Sweet potato rounds are usually done in 6–8 hours. Thinner slices dry faster and produce crispier treats. Always check regularly rather than relying on a fixed time — moisture content varies between batches.
Why are dehydrated treats good for dogs?
Dehydrated treats can be made from very simple, clean ingredients with no fillers, preservatives, or additives. Because moisture is removed, they last longer than fresh or wet treats and are less messy to handle during training. They’re also highly aromatic — which dogs respond to strongly, making them excellent as high-value training rewards.
Do food dehydrators use a lot of electricity?
No — dehydrators are very efficient compared to ovens. Most electric ovens draw 2,000–5,000 watts. Our BioChef draws just 600 watts. Running it for 10 hours in Queensland at around 20c/kWh costs approximately $1.20. Making the same batch in an oven would cost $4–10 — and fit about a third of the quantity. We estimate it took around 15 uses to recoup the cost of the dehydrator through electricity savings alone.
Can I use a regular oven instead of a dehydrator?
Yes, with limitations. Set your oven to its lowest temperature (usually 60–80°C) and prop the door slightly open to allow moisture to escape. It works, but it uses significantly more electricity, fits less food, and requires more attention. If you’re making treats occasionally, the oven is fine. If you’re doing it monthly or more, a dehydrator pays for itself quickly in convenience and running costs.
