Nov 14
2009

Dog Biscuits: From Mom With Love

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.

Be Sociable, Share!
Robin
There are 12 comments
Filed in: Pets, The Little Darlings (Dogs)
Tags: , , ,

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

  1. Kylee from Our Little Acre Says:
    November 14th, 2009 at 9:33 am

    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 =-.

  2. Kylee from Our Little Acre Says:
    November 14th, 2009 at 9:34 am

    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 =-.

  3. Mr. McGregor's Daughter Says:
    November 14th, 2009 at 11:42 am

    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 =-.

  4. joeltheurbangardener Says:
    November 14th, 2009 at 11:47 am

    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 =-.

  5. Tennille Says:
    November 14th, 2009 at 1:52 pm

    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 =-.

  6. Carol Says:
    November 14th, 2009 at 11:28 pm

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

    Thanks!

  7. Katie/Gardenpunk Says:
    November 15th, 2009 at 2:45 pm

    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:
    November 15th, 2009 at 8:52 pm

    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:
    November 18th, 2009 at 11:51 pm

    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 =-.

  10. Rick Says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 11:32 pm

    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… =-.

  11. Rick Says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 11:33 pm

    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… =-.

  12. Stacie Morris Says:
    December 8th, 2009 at 1:47 pm

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

    Dog Boarding Reno
    .-= Stacie Morris´s last blog ..Home =-.

Right Now at Bumblebee

February 3rd, 2012

If you’re in the neighborhood and just happen to have your paintbrush and paint clothes with you, stop on by. Harry and I are taking the day off from work to start painting the master bedroom. We figure it’ll take until Sunday. Harry does most of the rolling—no small chore with high ceilings—and I do all the tedious detail work. You, of course, can pitch in wherever you like.

We’re painting it a dove grey. So if you see some grey in my hair in the next few days, it’s paint. Got it? The grey is paint.

Robin

Be Sociable, Share!

February 2nd, 2012

Happy Groundhog Day! What are you doing to celebrate?

We’ll have a special dinner of NOT groundhog. Dinner will be a special pasta (TBD) and some yummy homemade yeast rolls. Then we’ll pull out the photo album of past Groundhog Days and reminisce. We will toast Puxatawny Phil by opening the first bottle of my homemade apfelwein, which I hope is sparkly by now. If it’s any good, you’ll hear more about it.

Cheers!

Robin

Be Sociable, Share!

February 1st, 2012

Working from a home office is not always what it’s cracked up to be. I have a lousy IT department (me). Interruptions range from barking dogs to crowing roosters. I hear my business phone ring during non-business hours.

But there is a lot good about a 15 step commute. Such as today. It’s cloudy and a bit drizzly, but the temps will climb into the mid 60s for the second day in a row. I will turn off the heat, throw open the windows and give the house—and office—a good airing. Ahhh!

Robin

Be Sociable, Share!

January 22nd, 2012

It’s cold here with a bit of ice and snow on the ground. The hens hate it.

There was a huge, chicken-y traffic jam at their window/door this morning. As I opened it three hens bolted outside. But they beat a hasty retreat back into the coop while other hens were still trying to get out. There was an impasse and much chicken shoving. There were no injuries—unless you count my sore sides from laughing so hard.

Robin

Be Sociable, Share!

View archived notes »