When I brought home my first Papillon, Sophie, she was so small she could fit into the palm of my hand.

What she lacked in size she made up for in attitude. She would play dash-and-hide with our 55 pound Belgian Malinois, Winifred. She quickly discovered her voice—and has been using it liberally ever since. And she refused to sleep alone. After two sleepless weeks, Harry and I finally caved in and let her sleep with us.

Sophie-on-Red-Chair

Sophie

One of the biggest challenges of raising a small dog is house training.  Little dogs just don’t want to brave the wind, rain, cold weather, tall grass or bugs when there’s a perfectly good floor inside.

I’ve always been a carrot rather than the stick kind of gal, so I figured I would liberally reward Sophie when she did her business outside. “Good peepee!” “Good poopoo!” “Nice potty.”

And she would get a treat.

Sophie was so thrilled with this arrangement that she could muster up five, six, seven bits of business in a single outing, locking eyes with me the whole time to make sure I acknowledged her accomplishments.

This house training system worked so well that we also used it on our second Papillon, Sarah.

Of course, with all this handing-out-of-treats business, we must keep a jar stocked with treats in the house at all times. I certainly buy treats in bulk. But the best treats—the ones the little dogs love above anything else—are the ones Mom makes with simple ingredients and her own two hands.

dog treats 2

These are their favorite biscuits. They don’t have the multi-syllabic ingredients of the store-bought treats.  They are filled with wheat flour, cheddar cheese and oats. And I enjoy making little shapes, such as hearts and fish. I need to find a tiny cat-shaped cookie cutter too.

Sarah on Pillows 02

Sarah

ARF!

Here’s where I found their favorite dog biscuit recipe.

Share and Enjoy:
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • email
  • FriendFeed
  • LinkedIn
  • Technorati
Robin

12 Responses to “Dog Biscuits: From Mom With Love”

  1. Kylee from Our Little Acre Says:

    Awwww! Thanks for posting this pic of your baby! And what a good dog mommy you are.
    Kylee from Our Little Acre´s last blog ..The Dirty, Decaying Detritus of My Garden My ComLuv Profile

  2. Kylee from Our Little Acre Says:

    Oh. Only one photo showed when I first read this. I see both of your girls now! Soooo sweet!
    Kylee from Our Little Acre´s last blog ..The Dirty, Decaying Detritus of My Garden My ComLuv Profile

  3. Mr. McGregor's Daughter Says:

    They are so cute & pampered! I never made biscuits for my dogs, but I did train a sighthound to come every time I called her with the biscuit reward method. It’s so much more effective than punishment ever could be.
    Mr. McGregor’s Daughter´s last blog ..For a Good Time, Read This Book My ComLuv Profile

  4. joeltheurbangardener Says:

    What a cutie! Great recipe find -I’ll pass it on to my mom who is always looking for healthy treats for her allergic pooch.
    joeltheurbangardener´s last blog ..Hey Blotanists, Appalachia Needs Your Help ASAP My ComLuv Profile

  5. Tennille Says:

    What a pretty girl! She knew you would cave on the sleep situation … it was all a matter of time.
    Tennille´s last blog ..Peanut Butter and Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches My ComLuv Profile

  6. Carol Says:

    I live in the same area as you and was wondering where you got your girls? A breeder nearby?

    Thanks!

  7. Katie/Gardenpunk Says:

    Thanks for sharing the recipe. Thankfully we’ve been lucky with our dog and I can just say, “Go potty and I’ll let you back inside” and magically, he does! Perhaps such a good dog deserves tasty homemade treats.

  8. Lynn Says:

    What cute little doggies! And I’m sure they love your special homemade healthy treats! That’s just too cool that you make your own treats!

    On a related note, I trained my 2 cats to shake hands using treats. Animals can easily be trained with treats, I’ve found! Most animals want to please. Maybe I can start making homemade cats treats, too…

  9. Gail Says:

    They are adorable and do they get along with the girls and boys in the coop? gail
    Gail´s last blog ..The Remains Of The Garden~ November 2009 My ComLuv Profile

  10. Rick Says:

    Dee
    Thanks for the link to the recipe. I now have that stored in my digital cookbook.
    Rick´s last blog ..Do we live, or do we die… My ComLuv Profile

  11. Rick Says:

    Opps! One should always read what one types before hitting “SUBMIT” Not Dee, but Robin owns this blog! Boy is my face red…
    Rick´s last blog ..Do we live, or do we die… My ComLuv Profile

  12. Stacie Morris Says:

    This is so awesome!!! Would you give out your recipe for you dog treats??

    Dog Boarding Reno
    Stacie Morris´s last blog ..Home My ComLuv Profile

Leave a Reply

CommentLuv Enabled

Right Now at Bumblebee

July 24th, 2010

It was nearly 100 degrees while I was working outside today. I have a sliver of wood in my big toe, poison ivy and am covered in bug bites. Sometimes I think I need an easier hobby.

Robin

Share and Enjoy:
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • email
  • FriendFeed
  • LinkedIn
  • Technorati

June 24th, 2010

Holy moly, it’s hot. I was just outside providing drought assistance to the suffering greenery. Now excuse me while I cower here in the air conditioning for a bit before making dinner.

It has been such a busy work week. I have been chained to the desk. I can’t wait until the weekend. I have tomatoes to stake, flowers to plant, garlic to harvest, strawberries to keep in control, some clipping and pruning and, who can forget, weeding!

My friend Helen Yoest, from Gardening With Confidence, will be here in about 10 days. I plan to pick her brain and get advice about some real problem areas here. I was hoping for more time to prepare for an esteemed guest, but that’s just not to be. She’ll have to take me as I am.

I hope you’re all keeping cool.

Robin

Share and Enjoy:
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • email
  • FriendFeed
  • LinkedIn
  • Technorati

June 17th, 2010

You can’t pick up the newspaper or turn on the television without hearing more about the Gulf Coast oil disaster.

The wildlife population will be devastated for years, perhaps decades, to come. You can help with the conservation, monitoring and aid to the birds by donating to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This is the top school and science center for birds in the U.S. and sponsor of many, many programs, including citizen scientist-type programs. If you cannot afford to donate, it’s a great place to just be informed or to get involved through volunteer activities you can do in your own back yard.

Robin

Share and Enjoy:
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • email
  • FriendFeed
  • LinkedIn
  • Technorati

May 26th, 2010

Tonight I am grateful for the internets.

Over dinner we were talking about blast-from-the-past music and then blast-from-the-past comedy. Harry and I explained how we would play stacks of 45s on the turntable to my 19-year-old son. And I remembered my parents’ Dick Newhart album and “Driving Instructor.”  And while we were talking about old comedy, who can forget, George Carlin’s “Seven Dirty Words?” Ah, the things I am teaching my 19-year-old son! Yes, I taught him about seven dirty words!

I am also grateful that the chickens had walkabout time without destroying my garden this afternoon.

And I am grateful for that arms and shoulders P90X workout, although I will be sore again tomorrow.

Live the dream,

Robin

Share and Enjoy:
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • email
  • FriendFeed
  • LinkedIn
  • Technorati

View archived notes »

Robin Ripley's currently-reading book recommendations, reviews, favorite quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists