Dog Treats: Weekly Experimental Post!

So, this last week I made some cut out treats.  I'm completely behind on this plan to do different treats each week, but it's mostly because I've picked up so many extra hours at work the last couple of weeks!

I bought some basic cookie cutters off Amazon in a few cute shapes, then ordered some custom designed cutters from HomePrint3D on Etsy.  Their customer service is AMAZING and I absolutely adore the work they did.

Idgie was also highly impressed

The recipe I used to begin with is a really simple milk-bone type recipe:
3/4 cup hot water
1/3 cup margarine
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3 cups whole wheat flour
In large bowl pour hot water over the margarine. Stir in powdered milk, salt, and egg. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Knead for a few minutes to form stiff dough. Pat or roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into shapes. Bake at 325 degrees for ~50 minutes. Cool. They will dry out quite hard. Makes about 1 1/4 pounds of biscuits. ((Make sure you put these on the middle rack... I had some on the middle and some on the bottom and the ones on the bottom were too done when I pulled them out!! ))

All three of the pups liked these treats as is with no extra seasoning in them. They're nice and crunchy and apparently tasty. =) I attempted a few batches with slight recipe changes and everything I tried, they loved. Beef or chicken broth in place of the water really got them excited. =) 

This recipe is pretty basic and nothing too thrilling about the cooking process - the excitement here is in the cookie cutters!!!! My initial batch was done with the cutters off of Amazon, and I used the fire hydrant and dog bone cutters for those.

After the etsy cutters came in, I had a blast making them with the logos!!

Each batch of dough made 12-16 of these larger cookies.

She really, really, really didn't want to hold still for this pic!!

Success!!!

BarkBox Review: July 2014 Box "Day at the Beach"

Another month has flown by and here we are opening up BarkBoxes again!! This month we got two of the same box, so this will be the only review. As I said before, I enjoyed getting two different boxes last month. However, it is kind of neat to be able to have the same things for both the girls.

For those of you who do not know, BarkBox is a monthly subscription service starting at $29 that has a few treats and 1-2 toys a month inside.  You can buy a 3,6, or 12 month subscription at a discounted rate.  I also encourage you to use my referral link and get 10% off!  You can also add on an extra toy for $9/month if your dog is really toy oriented.

BarkBox has the absolute best customer service of any group I've ever met.  Every question I have is quickly answered, every concern I have is thoroughly addressed, and I never feel like they're brushing me off.  They also make it really easy to unsubscribe if you just decide it isn't working out for you.

It was really rainy this week, so we opened it inside!

Our "unboxing":

9" Straight Pizzle - $4

Elsa really enjoyed the pizzle stick.

Bixbi Daily Chicken Breast Jerky Treats - $10

These were really, really, really, really yummy.

1.75oz Mr. Barksmith's Pina Colada Smoothie - $2

I saved these for a day that they had gone running at the dog park for awhile.  They love frozen treats and these were gone impressively quickly. 

11" Plush Shark - $12 

She hasn't figured out the shark has a squeaker in it yet, but she still prances around with it like it's the best thing EVER!!

Petsafe Indigo Triple Chew - $11

These chews didn't set well with our puppies' stomachs. They got pretty sick, and it made me very nervous. Elsa recovered pretty fast. Britta had a harder time. I emailed BarkBox and they are sent us both replacement toys and even a new toy for my foster pup who should be here Friday, Idgie!

In conclusion, we pay $19/month for the boxes (I strongly urge you to buy a subscription and save up to $11/mo), and the box's contents are valued around $37.

DIY Budget Dog Toys

Someone was talking about trying to get toys on a budget for their dog.  I will always and forever recommend BarkBox to anyone who will listen, but I understand sometimes that $20/month may not be feasible, whether unexpected vet bills came into the picture or whatnot.

So here are some ideas for dog toys that can be useful:

1. Water Bottle (with no cap!) inside of a Sock.  I up the ante on this one and put a little kibble in the bottle.  The rattle and crinkle sounds are fantastic.

2. Rope Toys.  As long as you use the correct kind (no flame retardants!), paracord can be woven into fantastic rope toys for pups.  There are a lot of knot designs for rope toys.  Here is one that is a ball that is amazingly fun!

3. Tennis Balls.  There are a thousand things you can do with tennis balls.  I like to take old dishrags, cut holes in the ball, and push the rag through.  It makes a great tug toy!  You can also use them for makeshift puzzle toys.

4. UN-stuffed animals.  Go to goodwill.  Buy a stuffed animal and open it along a seam.  Pull out the stuffing (add a squeaker or some cellophane for crackle noises?) and sew up the toy.

5. Stuffed fabric scraps. Jeans are a good choice for this.  Sew edges together with a thick thread (like embroidery) and stuff it with other scraps or stuffing.

6. Mini see-saw. All it takes is a piece of PVC pipe nailed to a wooden board.  This can be fun if you do agility or want to get your puppy used to some basic agility equipment.

7. PVC pipe. A few pieces of this can make a puzzle toy or several different types of agility equipment.


Remember: always supervise your dog when playing with toys!  Especially if they are heavy chewers.