How To Puff Yak Cheese For Dogs

Today I’m showing you how to puff yak cheese for dogs!

For anyone who doesn’t know what yak cheese is in the first place, here’s a quick explanation.

Yak cheese from the Himalayas is turned into a so-called Yak Cheese Dog Chew.

Aka Himalayan Dog Chew.

Aka Himalayan Cheese Chews.

And you can probably find a few more names!

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What Are Yak Cheese Dog Chews?

But either way, they’re hard cheese chews for dogs that are long lasting and fully digestible. That makes them a great boredom buster for dogs, and a limited ingredient one at that.

Because besides the milk from Yaks, there’s only a little lime juice and a tiny amount of salt in there as a natural preservative. Some Yak Cheese Dog Chews also use a mix of Yak and Cow milk, but that depends on the respective recipe.

The cool thing about these dog chews is that although they’re made from milk, they’re virtually lactose-free. That’s because the curing process gets rid of almost all of the lactose.

So there’s less than 1% of lactose in Himalayan Dog Chews. The first time I personally came across these chews was back in 2012 at a local pet store. It was either a PetSmart or a PetCo, I can’t remember.

But I do remember that it was the Himalayan Dog Chew kind.

Either way, I bought some for my first dogs Missy & Buzz.

Later, I came across them again when I worked for Mighty Paw. That’s when the brand introduced Yak Cheese Dog Chews as their very first dog chew.

Below is a picture of my Feist mix Wally with the Mighty Paw yak chews.

Why & How to Puff Yak Cheese

So here’s the thing – although this dog chew is on the longer lasting side, your pup is eventually going to get it chewed down to a small end piece.

That’s where it can get dangerous because the nub can turn into a choking hazard.

Now, I’m not saying that it WILL get stuck in your dog’s throat, but it may, especially if your dog’s a gulper.

So to prevent this from happening, take the end piece away and turn it into a yak cheese puff.

It’s fun to watch the transformation because the nubs will turn into 2-3 times their original size!

Plus, they’re yummy – my Feist mix Wally LOVES his yak cheese puffs!

Now, all you need to make one is the end piece of a yak chew and a microwave.

Put the end piece into the microwave for 45-60 seconds, and voilà, there’s your crunchy yak cheese puff! Make sure to let it cool off for a few minutes before you give it to your pup.

Optional: A bowl of water. If you want, you can soak the end piece for 5 minutes before you put it into the microwave, but it’s not 100% necessary.

I’ve tested both approaches – soaking it and not soaking it – and they both turned out nice.

You can watch our video of how to make yak cheese puffs below:

How to PUFF YAK CHEESE for Dogs

Watch this video on YouTube.