Every Dog Has Its Day

Vinnie and Juneau are well-loved and some would even say spoiled, but they get their treats and lots of love all the time. I always make their wet food for them. One batch lasts about a week. They get all kinds of goodies. Like our meals, I balance them with protein, veggies and starches, but much heavier on the proteins, since that’s what dogs, particularly working dogs, need. Both Vinnie and Juneau are working breeds, although in our house, sometimes they are only working for treats. This week they are dining on hamburger with carrots and potatoes in a gravy sauce. Juneau, along with her friends Fritzie and Sitka, were busy helping me make their dinner for the week.

I am a few days late with this, but Vinnie and Baby Juneau don’t mind. Fortunately for me, they don’t know how to read calendars (at least not yet anyways). February 23 was International Dog Biscuit Day. Dog biscuits come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and flavors. They serve to reward a man’s best friend for good behavior as part of their training. Dog owners may also give a biscuit to show their canine companions just how much they love them, too. Sometimes, dog biscuits serve to deliver vitamins and medicines we may have difficulty getting our pooches to take otherwise.  Vinnie and Juneau LOVE their treats. In addition to their normal wet food that I make for them all the time, this week, my two loveable canines also got some homemade bacon and cheddar doggie treats too. Making doggie treats is no more difficult than making cookies. The ingredients are different, and not always a combination we would want to eat, but they are perfect for the dogs. My dogs love it when I make them doggie treats. When you make their doggie treats, you know what’s in them and they are generally healthier than some of the store bought treats you find.

Grilled Cheese and Bacon Dog Biscuits

1 cup flour

1 cup wheat flour

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

6 bacon strips, fully cooked and crumbled

1 egg

3/4-1 cup of water

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180* C.

Cook the bacon strips fully, then place them in a food processor to crumble them into tiny pieces.

Mix all the ingredients together until it makes a dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 25 minutes, or until they are firm and crispy. I let mine stay in the oven for about 1 hour after I turned off the heat to make them even crispier. Dogs like things that crunch. At least mine do.

Let the doggie cookies cool completely before giving them to your dogs. Sometimes dogs can’t handle it when they are hot and it upsets their tummies.

The ultimate test …. Give them to the dogs and see what their reaction is. Vinnie is already licking his chops. I think they gave their pawprints of approval.

Stay safe, stay well and stay warm Everyone. ‘Til next time.