A Boy and His Dog

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Today, I’m cooking up something a little different….dog treats!

I talk about my family often here but there are a couple of “members” I haven’t talked about much…our dogs. 

Meet Bella.  Her name means Beautiful in Latin. (and Spanish and I’m sure other Romantic languages) and she’s an Aussiedor.  In case you’re not familiar, that’s half Australian Shepherd and half Labrador…. So, Aussiedor.  Really, just a fancy sounding name for a mixed breed.  

We got her several years ago from a neighbor whose dogs had 10 puppies!  Yes, ten!  

These puppies had escaped from under the fence one day.  We saw them, returned them and somehow, the next thing I know….we had a new puppy!  

We already had two dogs!  Pugs, small, lap dogs.  I wasn’t sure I was ready for a big dog, or any puppy for that matter.  Puppies chew things and big puppies chew big things…like sofas and chairs.  We had only been in this home a couple of years and all of our big stuff was new!  I didn’t really have anything I was ready to part with.  

But, our son was about six and he very much wanted a “big dog”.  Boys need big dogs.  Haven’t you read Old Yellar?  So, Bella became “his” dog.  

They do school together…

They play together…

Go for walks, even in the rain…

She watches him when he’s outside….

And, she loves to have her belly rubbed.

Recently, we made a trip to PetSmart for Purina® Pro Plan® food and Bella came with us.  She loved riding in the truck.  At PetSmart, they welcome well-behaved pets so it was fun to have her along.

Purnina® Pro Plan® is a new food for Bella and she can be a little picky.  There were several varieties to choose from and it was super easy to find.  We saw it right away when we walked in.  We decided on “Savor” because chicken is her favorite.  Chicken was the #1 ingredients so we were confident this would be a good choice.  The goal with Purina® Pro Plan is to give your dog the nutrition to be his absolute best, to be energetic and resilient, and maintain an ideal body condition, healthy skin, and a stunning coat.

First, she was curious about this new food 

Then she let us know she was anxious to try it!  

Sure enough…she LOVED it!

Because Bella is picky about her food and treats I decided to try making some homemade dog treats.  They were really easy, used simple ingredients and she loved them.  Confession….I tried them…a little bland for my taste.

Here’s the Recipe:

• 1 banana, ripe
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
• ⅛ cup water
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mash banana and add to shredded carrots, mix well

Add applesauce and water stir until well combined

Add oats and stir

Gradually add flour, stirring until soft dough forms

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface

Pat to about 1/2 inch thick

Using a cookie cutter (I tried to find a bone shaped but couldn’t) cut in shapes and place on lightly greased cookie sheet

Roll remaining dough and repeat

Bake in preheated oven 25 minutes

Turn oven off (don’t open door) and allow them to stay in for another 2-3 hrs, or longer

This removes most of the moisture and makes them crunchy as well as prolongs their shelf life.

Nothing like a boy and his dog!

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