Are Pig Ears Good for Dogs? Pros, Cons & Everything!
Okay, so I've been hearing a lot about pig ears for dogs lately. My furry buddy, Max, has been getting a little bored with his usual treats, so I figured, why not give these a try? I'm always up for a little DIY project, especially if it involves spoiling my pup.
First things first, I headed to the local butcher shop. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but I asked for some pig ears, and the butcher, a friendly guy with a big smile, hooked me up. They were, well, ears. A little bigger than I expected, and definitely… piggy.
I brought them home and gave them a good rinse under cold water. I wanted to make sure they were nice and clean before I did anything else. Some folks online said to boil them first, but others said that was unnecessary, so I decided to skip that step for now. I wanted to keep things simple.
Next, I laid them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I didn't want them sticking, and I figured the parchment would make cleanup easier. My oven, which has seen better days, took a while to preheat, but I finally got it to a low temperature, around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The idea is to dehydrate them slowly, not cook them to a crisp.
I popped the baking sheet in the oven and set a timer for… well, a long time. I checked on them every hour or so, flipping them to make sure they dried evenly. The house started to smell…interesting. Not bad, exactly, just…meaty. Max was very interested in the whole process, sniffing around the oven door like it held the secrets of the universe.
- Rinsing: Make sure they are really clean!
- Baking: Low and slow is the key.
- Patience: It's gonna take a while, several hours, I mean it.
The Long Wait
After about six or seven hours, they started to look pretty good – dry, hard, and a little shrunken. I took one out and let it cool completely. Once it was cool, I gave it the ultimate test: I offered it to Max.
He went absolutely nuts! He grabbed it and trotted off to his favorite corner, happily gnawing away. Success! It was definitely a labor of love, and seeing how much he enjoyed it made the whole process worthwhile. The real challenge? Keeping up with the demand, Max is a fan.
I would say that this is very intersting and worthwhile thing to do! Just prepare for the smell!
