Why we smoke over post oak
Central Texas barbecue is smoked over post oak because post oak is what grows here. It's a mild, dense hardwood that burns slow and clean, with a smoke that's sweeter than hickory and less sharp than mesquite. Brisket and post oak have been together for a century.
When we started making treats, the obvious shortcut was to skip the smoker and use a dehydrator with 'smoke flavor.' Liquid smoke is condensed smoke and is safe in small amounts, but it's also a seasoning, and the whole point of these chews is that there is no seasoning. Just the meat.
So we run a 1,000-gallon offset smoker, the same kind barbecue joints use. Brisket goes on at 225°F for 14 hours, then into the dehydrator until it's shelf stable. The smoke does two useful things besides flavor: it dries the surface, which helps preservation, and dogs can smell it from across the house.
We buy post oak split and seasoned from a wood yard in Bastrop County. About a quarter cord a week, lately.