If you’ve ever read any of this blog thing, you know that my love for my dogs is perhaps my least kept secret. I’m pretty crazy about them. And while Josh and I forbid begging and giving them scraps, we like to occasionally give them a treat. Usually this takes the form of whatever was on sale, often a milk bone-pig ear-bacon flavored something. (And sometimes Josh brings home some dog daycare freebies. That’s right, where my husband works, swag takes the form of the occasional free bully stick.)
Being the ever aspiring penny pincher and DIY devotee, I figured I should try to make some myself.
Here they are:
I didn’t say they were pretty. But my dogs seemed to really liked them.
Here are my dogs voraciously eating the treats:
And here are my dogs asking for a second treat:
They’re sitting because they know they can only get special things if they follow directions (and their directions were “sit”). Obviously, I rewarded them for following directions.
So here’s the recipe:
Peanut Butter & Cinnamon Dog Biscuits
2 cups flour (most people agree that white flour is less than awesome for dogs, so whole wheat flour is the recommendation here)
3 eggs
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. sugar
Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then add all of the ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon. Eventually, it will develop into a dough. Use your hands to continue kneading in the bowl until it is cohesive.
Once you have a ball of dough, you can roll it out flat onto a cookie sheet or fill mini muffin tins:
A bit rustic in appearance, but I’ve found that my dogs don’t care so much what their food looks like as much as how it tastes. Bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until they are hard. Dogs like the crunchy things — or at least I think they do — so that’s how I cook them.
Yes, I tried one. I ate a dog treat. Me. But listen, I’m the one who made them, so it’s not like I was eating dog kibble out of a PetSmart bag… I must admit they’re a bit dry, but this lends itself perfectly to the crumbly/crunchy-ness that my dogs love… and it encourages them to drink more water (and Josh and I firmly believe that our dogs don’t drink enough water).
But don’t take my word for it. See what my dogs had to say about it.
What? You can’t hear them? Sorry…. They must be shy around strangers. They talk to me all the time, though. In perfect English. No, seriously — they have lots to say.
Anyone else out there ever try their hand at dog treats? Or cat treats? (Do cats even eat treats? I wasn’t sure… I just figured they were too busy with hair balls. Can you tell I don’t really care for cats?)
Winter time is here, it’s cold outside, and if your furry family members are anything like mine, they are a bit reluctant when it comes to going outside.
Well, Nolais, especially since she has almost no body fat. Margeaux does a little better because she has a little extra “junk in the trunk.” We affectionately refer to her as Extra Cargo Margeaux (just more of her to love!).
With temperatures often being too low to take them to the park and let them run and play (a wind chill of nine degrees just doesn’t sound safe to me), and with my own human unwillingness to be outside for more than the time it takes me to walk to the car or subway station, we are left with two dogs with a serious case of cabin fever (or shoebox-sized apartment fever, in this case).
Cabin/apartment/whatever-small-space fever does not suit dogs very well, particularly mine.
See Exhibit A: My wedding shoes.
NOT the kind of open toed shoes I had in mind.
Tragedy.
I’d show you a pic of the other one, but it was chewed to smithereens.
Now, this type of destruction is rare, especially since our dogs are no longer puppies, but I still keep the shoe on our entertainment center as a constant reminder of the raw power of an unstimulated dog.
Of course, you don’t have to go spend a bunch of money on dog toys (though those are good too — try Dollar Tree and Rite Aid for $1-3 toys). Dog toys can be made from many common household items! You may remember my first post of this nature from a few months ago where we made a dog toy out of a plastic water bottle.
Today’s toy is also free and made from a material that you would otherwise trash or recycle: empty toilet paper rolls!
The method is super fast, easy, and — one more time, y’all — it’s free!
First take an empty toilet paper roll.
Fold it in at one end with your hands, making a triangle shape.
Fill with a treat(s) and close the other end in the same fashion.
Present to your dog and watch them work it out!
As with the plastic bottle dog toy, some dogs may struggle with it at first; others may open it immediately and find the treat.
If your dog is like Margeaux, she’ll use her paws and teeth to actually open the end of the toilet paper roll and daintily remove the treat (and then not so daintily eat it).
If your dog is like Nola, she’ll eviscerate the toilet paper roll, as well as the food inside, then she’ll try to eat the cardboard as well.
Yeah, we have to keep an eye on her.
While I’ve read from many sources that this kind of cardboard is relatively harmless if ingested, it’s always best to avoid it, so if you have a more Nola kind of dog, just throw away the rest when he or she is done with the actual edible components. Hooray! It’s a good brain workout for dogs, a confidence booster (once they actually succeed in removing the treat, that is), and definitely helps to expend a little bottled up energy And it costs zero dollars (also known as free. Hope your dogs enjoy it as much as mine do!
And in case you hadn’t gotten enough pictures of my dogs…
If you’ve gone shopping for dog toys recently, you may have noticed they can be a little on the expensive side, relatively speaking. Of course, spending $6 on a toy is not big deal, but when you consider that it’s a dog toy, i.e., something that will be eviscerated by their teeth, paws, or a combination of the two within moments of receipt, it hardly seems worth spending more than a dollar on the things. When you multiply that by two (because we have two dogs!), this can really add up.
Here’s an example of team work a la Margeaux and Nola Donahue:
(I don't normally believe in clothing on dogs, but their grandpa was visiting for out of town, and I couldn't resist.)
FIVE MINUTES LATER
Behold the carnage.
We’re always searching for ways to provide the same kind of “play” and mental exercise that a toy can provide dogs without the high cost. Well… Josh, my husband, who works as a freelance dog trainer and handler, recently picked up some great, free dog toy tips from a colleague, and we just had to share!
And yes, in case you are wondering, the same husband-Josh who is a stage and camera actor and singer is also a dog trainer. He wears many hats. (Honestly, you think there’d be a law against being that multi-talented? Gross.)
Today, we’re going to show you the first of a few tips, thanks to Josh’s colleague, Benedetta (of PetPRO, an Italy-based dog walking and training company – they’re kind of a big deal). Today is also another first, as it will be our firstfeeblecharming attempt at a vlog.
(And because I know my parents are reading this, I’m gonna offer a little cyber lexicon help: Vlog, short for “ web video log.” You’re welcome.)
Please bear in mind because of our not-so-fab camera: the lighting is bad, the sound is bad, and the jokes are bad – we know, we know. However, we thought this particular post was best served in video form so we proceeded anyway! It resembles a home movie from the 80’s, but it stars the beautiful and talented Nola Donahue, so that should sweeten the deal!
Watch, enjoy (to the best of your ability), and in case the video isn’t clear, you can read the instructions below!
and if that was as clear as mud . . .
How to Make a FREE Dog Toy out a Plastic Bottle and Pencil:
Take an empty, clean plastic bottle and remove the cap (you won’t need this).
Poke two holes in the mid-section of the bottle – scissors should work fine. Make sure a pencil, stick, or the handle of a wooden spoon can go through the bottle (so, in one hole and out the other). You want to do this so you are able to hold the bottle upright by holding either end of the pencil/stick/whatever.
Fill the bottom of the bottle with dog food. Obviously, this needs to be some sort of solid kibble-type dog food.
Insert pencil and hold at either end so that bottle is upright.
Present the food to the dog. This is as simple as putting it in front of the dog’s nose, allowing them to sniff it and ascertain what it is, then putting it into the opening of the bottle, so they can understand that their food is in this bottle.
We recommend sitting on the floor, but perhaps if you have a Great Dane, it’s be smarter to sit in a chair. Simply hold the bottle by the end of the pencil, and let the dog begin to work out “the puzzle.” It may take some time, by they will eventually learn through trial and error that if they hit the bottle with their nose (or paws), they can tip it over, spilling the contents onto the floor.
While the dog is working out the problem, try to say as little as possible, until they have some success in moving the bottle. OF COURSE, as soon as they knock over the bottle, they are welcome to eat all of the food – it’s like a piñata for dogs!
Offer praise and encouragement after they have succeeded. This step should not be underestimated in its importance. Not only does this stimulate their brains, but it also helps build confidence – ALL good things for dogs!
If you watched the video, you probably noticed that Nola pretty much got it the second or third try – this wasn’t her first rodeo. Don’t be discouraged if your dog doesn’t get it right away. Our other dog, Margeaux, is an example of a dog who struggles with this puzzle and has never really been able to do it on her own; this doesn’t mean she’s stupid, nor does it mean your dog’s stupid for that matter. It’s just that some dogs have different personalities that have been shaped by their experiences (and in Margeaux’s case, her experiences were less than awesome before we found her). Her confidence level isn’t high-in-the-sky and the idea of a plastic bottle swinging like a pendulum (“Burn the witch!”) can be a little scary. Keep working with your dog (as we will do with Margeaux) – the more they try it, the more confident they will become and eventually they will get it!
This game is particularly good for dogs when they can’t get much exercise during the day because of inclement weather or a crazy work schedule. Benedetta tells us that this particular game gives dogs the same mental stimulation in fifteen minutes that a walk would offer in an hour!
Hope you enjoyed our first vlog and our first in a series of FREE dog toys and games. Let us know what you think!
Do you have a game that you like to play with your dog(s)?
Do you have any jerry-rigged dog toy ideas that you have tried or would like to try with your dog(s)?
What do you think of Josh and my mad improvisational singing skills at the end of that video? Pretty boss, huh?
