Tag Archives: dog treats

It’s Pumpkin season!

Pumpkin season seems to start at the very first sign of the fall temperature drop.

There’s a certain coffee company that has a specific drink that people seem to go crazy for and when the rumors start about its availability, that seems to signal everything else pumpkin related.

I may be the only person on the planet that doesn’t like the idea of pumpkin spice in my coffee, but I do love pumpkin pie and pumpkin muffins. I also love finding the perfect assortment of pumpkins, large and small, to add to my porch and window box decorations. I usually put them out a couple of weeks before Halloween and hopefully they last until Thanksgiving.

Since this is Thanksgiving week, I thought it was appropriate to share my recipe for another seasonal doggie ice cream flavor. (I usually make frozen treats during the summer months but Maisie has decided she likes ice cream before bedtime, so now I try to keep some on hand all of the time.)

This month’s flavor: Pumpkin Apple!Pumpkin Apple pup treats-3

In honor of Annie…

June 7th will be our annual dog birthday party.

Annie was the first dog of my dogs to have a birthday party.  She had never had the opportunity of feeling special before she was rescued and I was compelled to give her as many celebrations as possible.

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Annie’s first birthday party, Annie turns 10! 06/07/16
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Annie turns 11! 06/07/17

This year she would have been 12.  Last year, I knew that chances were slim that we would be having another party for her. 12 is a ripe, old age for a Newfoundland but I was hopeful.  She had some chronic conditions that we were managing, but none of them were fatal and she was so happy with us.  I knew she wasn’t going to give up easily, she was enjoying the good life and for her, every day was a happy day filled with love.

Winn turned 1 on March 6th and Maisie turned 5 on May 12th.  Rather than doing birthday parties for them, I decided we would wait until June and have our first annual doggie birthday celebration.  I pulled out the hats, made some pupcakes and frozen yogurt sundaes and gave them these special treats after dinner. I remebered Annie and it felt good to have another celebration in her honor.IMG_3979.JPG Happy Birthday girls, and Happy Heavenly Birthday Annie!

 

Are you looking for a quick and easy dog treat to make at home?

disclaimer: we received free samples of this product with no promise of a favorable review.  These are our honest opinions.

Last week when we were at the Blogpaws conference we discovered a DIY dog treat called Whisk and Wag. Maisie loved hanging out by their ovens and sampling the different flavors.  I loved making the discovery of a quick and easy mix that is made from high quality ingredients.IMG_6551They come in four flavors: Honey & Oats; Apple & Cinnamon; Cheddar & Herb and  Sweet Potato & Spice for the Holiday Season.

All of the mixes are corn and wheat free and contain a nutritious proprietary brewers dried yeast that is good for their skin, coat, gut and bone health.  Apple & Cinnamon and Honey & Oats are also soy free and non-GMO.

They couldn’t be easier to make: add water and oil, stir and roll out to cut shapes or make small balls and flatten.  Cook for 20-25 minutes and they’re done!IMG_2950IMG_2960I did find the dough to be pretty crumbly but I after adding an extra tablespoon of water, the dough came together as I continued to work it into a ball.  The texture is similar to pie dough and was easy to work with.

After they were cooked and cooled, the girls were eager for sample.  As you can see, the waiting was too much for Winn and she charged in and took as many as she could. Poor Maisie, she tries so hard to follow the rules but she got her fair share and they both thought they were delicious!IMG_2982IMG_2971I love that these are so easy, the container doesn’t take up much room in the pantry, and I  can pronounce all of the ingredients on the label. Whisk and Wag is a family owned business that has created a product that allows us to make fresh, nutritious dog treats without a lot of fuss.  I think we will be adding these to our autoship!

They retail for 9.99 and you can find them at Chewy.com or Amazon.

Maisie and Winn give Whisk and Wag a 4 paw review!IMG_6716

 

Celebrating Annie

Having a puppy reminds me of the years when my kids were little and we counted their age progression in months. 3 mos., 8 mos., 17 mos., etc.

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My life-sized Christmas bear

Winn turned 9 mos. this week and as fun as is to watch her grow and change, I am also reminded that Annie continues to age as well. She has a few more grey hairs on her muzzle and is having a slow recovery from recent oral surgery.  Aside from those two reminders, she still acts like the Annie that I know.

Every morning she runs to the back door with an urgency and expression that says, “outta my way, I gotta pee!” and I smile as I watch her quickly go down the stairs and run around the yard looking for the perfect spot to relieve herself.

She sleeps a lot and I love watching her snuggle up in her bed as she snores away the afternoon. When she is waking up, she will rub her face and head all over her bed, groan, snort, and roll around.F3900E19-B1D5-40C7-B1B1-D1F7B7397FC7

Her stomach is her time clock. She gets restless and lets me know with an elbow nudge, a bark or a stare when she thinks I should be in kitchen preparing her meal. Currently, she’s on multiple, small meals which suits her just fine. I think she takes great pleasure in getting fed more times than other two! (Of course they get a little smackerel while she’s occupied with her bowl.)

Since it is recommended that senior dogs get twice yearly health checks, I think it’s only fair that they should have twice yearly birthday celebrations. Yesterday Annie turned 11 1/2!

I decided not to put on birthday hats, instead I tied a big red ribbon on each of them.  I froze some vanilla yogurt in my cupcake mold and brought them out after dinner. They were a big hit! It was such an easy treat to create, and they loved it. They knew something good was coming their way when the camera came out and after they each had one, they chased me into the kitchen for seconds. IMG_6837

We love you Annie, you make every day a wonderful day. We will plan a HUGE celebration for your 12th birthday in June!