Like many people, we always start the New Year off eating better and exercising more to recover from the holiday season. It’s a great opportunity to make sure your four-legged companions are in good shape too, especially since January is Walk Your Dog Month.

It’s fun to include a healthy reward for your pup as part of any exercise, and what could be better than a homemade dog treat? Here are three of our dog’s favorites.

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K9 Trail Mix

Based on an idea we saw in Dogster magazine, this trail mix is perfect to bring along on a hike or any other outdoor activity. You can change it up by using different unsweetened cereal or other dog-safe dried fruit.

What you’ll need:

• 2 cups of your dog’s regular dry food
• 1 cup dried or baked apples (make sure there is no sugar or anything else added), cut into small pieces
• 1 cup unsalted mini pretzels
• 1/2 cup low-fat small dog bones
• 1 cup Cheerios

What to do:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Transfer to individual zip top plastic bags for easy packing.

Pumpkin-Banana Frozen Yogurt

While this is a great treat in the hot summer months, our dogs like it just as much over the winter. We freeze the yogurt in 6 small ice cream cups and let the dogs lick it out. Both their faces and the floor can need a wipe-down after, but they have too much fun to mind.

What you’ll need:

• 1 15 oz can pumpkin
• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 5-6 oz containers plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon honey

What to do:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth, scraping down sides if needed.
2. Portion into individual freezer-safe containers and freeze until solid.
3. Transfer containers to a zip top plastic bag and return to the freezer until ready to use.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bones

These four-ingredient dog biscuits couldn’t be easier. We love our dog-themed cookie cutters, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Mini cookie cutters work fine too, but you’ll need to decrease the baking time.

What you’ll need:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour, plus more for rolling out
• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (make sure there is no xylitol in it)

What to do:

1. Stir together 2 cups of flour and the oats in a large bowl. Add the water and peanut butter and mix until a smooth dough forms. (I usually use my hands to knead it all together.)
2. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut out shapes. Re-roll dough once.
3. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350◦ for 30 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 225◦ and bake for an additional 45 minutes or until lightly browned and crunchy.
4. Cool fully before letting your dog enjoy.

Don’t forget it’s always a good idea to check with your vet before feeding your furry friend anything new or different.