Liver cake is a fantastic way to get your dog’s attention. They absolutely love the taste of it, which makes them the perfect recall treat for training!
This easy homemade liver cake recipe for dogs will show you exactly how to make recall treats that your pup will go crazy for, along with some great tips on how you can use them effectively.
Why is Liver Cake a great Recall Treat?
Liver is a nutritional powerhouse. Densely packed with high-quality proteins and lots of essential vitamins and minerals, making the perfect recall treats.
Dogs know this, and that’s why they go absolutely bonkers at the slightest whiff of it.
Bake this into a cake and voila – you’ve got a magical recall treat that’s delicious enough to stop them in their tracks! It is also one of the most effective treats for preventing dogs from eating poop.
(Plus, it’s homemade, natural, cheap, and very easy to make!)
How to use Liver Cake for Recall Training
Once baked, liver cake can be cut into small chunks and placed in the freezer for handy access to off-leash training treats for months.
- Before a walk, remove a few pieces (they will naturally thaw in your pocket within 15 minutes) and let your dog know that you are in possession of them by giving them a sniff.
TIP: Place the liver cake into yellow or blue colored bags so that your dog can easily see them being waved from a distance
- Just before you take them off leash, give them a piece of liver cake and let them watch you put the rest back in your pocket.
- When you first start training with liver cake, give them a small piece every time you have success with recall.
- By limiting the use of liver cake just for walks, they will draw an association with being rewarded the most high-value treats with good behavior off-leash.
Word of Warning: Beware that other dogs will also sniff out these recall treats, so be on your guard at all times! We have previously been surrounded by more than 10 beady little eyes all begging for the goods!
Note: Liver cake should only be used as a special, high-value treat. Reward your dog with 4-5 pieces at the most during a walk. Only recommended for dogs and puppies over the age of six months old.
5 Tips for Making Liver Cake
1. Try not to be tempted to add more flour. We like to keep ours meaty so that the liver remains deliciously stinky for those hounds!
2. There is no need to overcook. Depending on your oven, you may need to remove the liver cake as soon as it begins to brown on top so that it remains soft inside.
3. Bake earlier in the day. This will allow the pieces to cool down before freezing, plus, you’ll need a few hours to air the house out after!
4. Be sure to grease the baking tray. Due to the lack of grease in liver cake, if you forget to line the tray with butter or greaseproof paper you’ll find it almost impossible to get it out in one piece!
5. Guard the goods! You’ll be very well aware of this one, but leave it unattended at your own risk! If there’s anything a dog is willing to get in trouble over, liver cake is most definitely it!
Ingredients
- 450g (1lb) Lamb Liver
- 350g (1lb) Self-Raising Wholemeal Flour
- 2 Eggs
- 100ml Milk
Method
- Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk together
- Blend the liver in a food processor
- Add liver to the egg mixture
- Blend in the flour
- Add milk slowly until a runny paste is consistently achieved
- Empty the contents into a greased baking tray at least 2 inches (5cm) deep
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C / 350°F (160 fan) for 30-40 minutes
- Allow to cool on a rack before cutting into pieces
- They’ll be good for three months in the freezer
TIP: Split the pieces into several batches and place them inside individual freezer bags. The bags that remain unopened will keep for longer
Lamb’s liver is the best type to use for a Liver Cake Recipe for dogs.
Add milk until a runny consistency is achieved. Don’t worry about under-cooking the liver cake – soft and moist is far better than bone dry!
Cut into small pieces once it has completely cooled down, and don’t forget to guard the goods whilst you wait!
Once very patient little beagle bum!
Our Favorite Liver Cake Recipe for Dogs
Liver cake is one of the most high-value dog treats and is a great tool to use when trying to keep pups close when off-leash.
No matter what breed of dog with use them with, it is always the most effective at keeping them in check!
If you want a great shot at training your pup to succeed at recall, then you must give this easy, homemade liver cake recipe for dogs a go!
5 thoughts on “Liver Cake Recipe for Dogs: #1 Most Effective Recall Treats”
To Rebecca inquiring about cooking these in silicon molds
Hi Rebecca,
I have just finished making these in my Collory silicon molds. They came out great, but let me clarify, it is no longer a cake like treat. I use them like dried treats. They are baked until hard, (no longer look soft or cake-like) I then dehydrated them further in the microwave. I keep these in a treat jar on the counter. If you choose not to dehydrate them, you could also keep them in the freezer or refrigerator. I can’t advise you how long they will keep so you will have to watch them for any signs of spoilage. My two fur nanies prefer these to any treat I have found.
Regards, Paula
I don’t have a source for lamb’s liver. Will beef liver work as well?
Hey Lura, beef liver is a good substitute, although it’s not as smelly (and tasty) as lamb liver, however, it does have marginally less fat! Give it a try and let us know how you get on!
do you think this could be baked in those silicone mat that are for cooking greasy foods in the oven but you turn them over and there are perfect round holes or squares to fill. I have seen a few people using them to make treats and now am looking for easy recipes.
Hey Rebecca, we’ve never tried baking liver cake in silicone molds, but if they are suitable for baking normal cakes then we’re certain it’ll work just fine!