Bake your (dog's) vegetables!

Do you bake for your doggies??  I do. When I first started my business, Little Black Dog Boutique, I started out baking all natural and organic dog treats for my dogs.  I'm relatively new to being a dog parent, and when I started finding out all of the stuff that dogs weren't supposed to eat, and/or were not the best for our dogs to eat, I decided to pay attention to what was in the food my dogs were consuming.

Now don't get me wrong, there are plenty of good dog treats out there, and there are even more healthy choices now - but if you are so inclined, you can make your own doggie treats in your own kitchen!  It'll save you some money AND you'll be able to control the ingredients. It's a win-win!

I bought two dog cookbooks to start, but I also alter recipes that I find to suit the dogs.  I try not to let them have salt, sugar or corn in ANY of the recipes. All natural works best for me. I've even made some treats gluten free, since some dogs have gluten sensitivities - mine do not, thankfully, but be aware of what works best for your pup! The two cookbooks that started me on my journey are:"the organic dog biscuit cookbook" from the Bubba Rose Biscuit Company and "Three Dog Bakery Cookbook" by Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff. (Both are available on www.amazon.com.)

My dogs love everything I have cooked them, but the recipe that almost made them fight each other was for the Carrot Cake, which I found in "the organic dog biscuit cookbook". I actually taste everything I make - if I wouldn't eat it, I don't serve it to my dogs! This cake was actually so good that I ate one fresh out of the oven.  Since it uses all organic, "human" ingredients - you could even make it for yourself! lol (Or perhaps a diabetic friend or relative.)  Copyright laws prohibit me from publishing the recipe, but if you email me I bet I could help you figure it out......  ;)

Try something fun! Find a recipe for yourself and get in the kitchen - I bet your fur babies would LOVE it - even if it doesn't look pretty, or you overcook it. You don't have to be an award winning chef to make treats your pups would love.  :)  Bone apetit!