My dogs respond selectively to their names. If they were ever darting into a street, about to get hit by a car, all I have to do is yell "Cookie!" and they will stop dead in their tracks. This is how I get my boy to come out from hiding underneath my couch. Course, this trick won't work as well if I don't keep paying them off....
Claire is especially voracious, to the point some people are surprised at how she snatches a treat from their hands. She was a shelter rescue, and I've always attributed this to that fact. But it wasn't noted at the time that she'd been a stray so her behavior still confounds me. I've worked with her on this by hand feeding all her meals in small portions and waiting in between bites till she relaxes. This can take a very long time, but it's a fun ritual. She definitely knows where her meals come from.
The following is my favorite homemade dog cookie recipe. Not only do the kids love it, but it really freshens their breath, too. I get a bunch of parsley or mint from my local farmers market, mince it up, and drag out my cute little bone-shaped cookie cutters.
The first time I made these, the dough didn't stick together and I was left with crumbs. Dogs still liked the crumbs, and it's never happened to me since. I think if the parsley or herbs are not ground finely enough, the dough will not bind.
Recipe attributed to Laura M. Nilsen, reprinted without permission from Veggie Life Magazine, with no date on my copy, but many years ago. The recipe notes "Mincing the parsley in a food processor makes for quick work. Three cups (1 medium bunch) of parsley results in 3/4 cup minced parsley. Your hands are the best tool for mixing the dough. Makes 1 1/2 dozen treats."
3/4 C. Minced Parsley Leaves and Tender Stems
1/4 C. Finely Grated Carrot
1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
3/4 C. Whole-Wheat Flour
1/2 C. Corn Flour or Finely Ground Cornmeal
1/2 Tsp. Baking Pwder
1/4 C. Water
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together parsley, carrot, and oil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours and baking powder Add parsley mixture and work into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water, and mix and knead with hands until dough comes together in a smooth ball.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a small (2 1/2 inch) bone-shaped cookie cutter, cut out biscuits, re-rolling scraps as necessary. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and back 20 minutes for softer biscuits, or 30 minutes for hard.
Vegan; Per serving: 41 Cal., 1 g Prot., 1 g Fat (<1g sat fat), 7 g Carb., 14 mg Sod., 0 mg Chol., 1.3 g Fiber.
How do you bribe or spoil your pets? Leave me a comment if you have any stories to relate.
Claire is especially voracious, to the point some people are surprised at how she snatches a treat from their hands. She was a shelter rescue, and I've always attributed this to that fact. But it wasn't noted at the time that she'd been a stray so her behavior still confounds me. I've worked with her on this by hand feeding all her meals in small portions and waiting in between bites till she relaxes. This can take a very long time, but it's a fun ritual. She definitely knows where her meals come from.
The following is my favorite homemade dog cookie recipe. Not only do the kids love it, but it really freshens their breath, too. I get a bunch of parsley or mint from my local farmers market, mince it up, and drag out my cute little bone-shaped cookie cutters.
The first time I made these, the dough didn't stick together and I was left with crumbs. Dogs still liked the crumbs, and it's never happened to me since. I think if the parsley or herbs are not ground finely enough, the dough will not bind.
Recipe attributed to Laura M. Nilsen, reprinted without permission from Veggie Life Magazine, with no date on my copy, but many years ago. The recipe notes "Mincing the parsley in a food processor makes for quick work. Three cups (1 medium bunch) of parsley results in 3/4 cup minced parsley. Your hands are the best tool for mixing the dough. Makes 1 1/2 dozen treats."
Breath-Freshening Biscuits for Dogs
3/4 C. Minced Parsley Leaves and Tender Stems
1/4 C. Finely Grated Carrot
1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
3/4 C. Whole-Wheat Flour
1/2 C. Corn Flour or Finely Ground Cornmeal
1/2 Tsp. Baking Pwder
1/4 C. Water
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together parsley, carrot, and oil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours and baking powder Add parsley mixture and work into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water, and mix and knead with hands until dough comes together in a smooth ball.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a small (2 1/2 inch) bone-shaped cookie cutter, cut out biscuits, re-rolling scraps as necessary. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and back 20 minutes for softer biscuits, or 30 minutes for hard.
Vegan; Per serving: 41 Cal., 1 g Prot., 1 g Fat (<1g sat fat), 7 g Carb., 14 mg Sod., 0 mg Chol., 1.3 g Fiber.
How do you bribe or spoil your pets? Leave me a comment if you have any stories to relate.
Sounds good, except I'd have to modify it an remove the corn meal as Westies are notorious for Corn allergies and mine are no exception.
ReplyDeleteI make a treat called "Tuna Fudge". No there's no chocolate it's the consistency before baking that makes it 'fudge'. They love it. Basically it's one can tuna in oil, one can tuna in water, two eggs beaten, 1-1/2 C flour and a 'good handful' of grated parmesan cheese. Bake in a greased 9x9 pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes... Yum!
*I have experimented with garbanzo bean flour and rice flour also, I've mixed them and used instead of regular wheat flour.