Homemade Dog Biscuits for Henry's 1st Birthday

I wanted to do something to celebrate Henry's birthday, I mean besides making him wear a bow-tie all day, so I started looking for a good dog treat recipe.  I've never tried to make dog biscuits before but I thought it might be a fun endeavor and something he could share with his friends like Bill and Marley and Cayenne (a playful Burmese Mountain Dog, a handsome Rhodesian Ridgeback and a energetic black lab).  I found a super simple recipe for Peanut Butter Dog Treats and just used a star cookie cutter because who has a dog bone shaped cookie cutter anyways.


In addition to special treats and a funny bowtie, I took Henry for a long run in the park for his big day. As he ran me around, introducing me to all of the other dogs, I started to think about the last year and all of the things I've learned about owning a dog.  I thought I would share a few with you:

• Owning a puppy usually means giving up your right to a full night's sleep
• Giving a pup raw hide to occupy him while friends are over is only a temporary solution, you may have yourself a very sick puppy the next day
• Many pups eat their own poop (disgusting, I know) and sometimes they enjoy rolling around in other animal poop
• Taking a strong puppy on a walk when there may be ice on the sidewalk is never a solid idea
• No matter how good you think you may be, the groomer always does a better job
• Dogs have anal glads (I'll spare you the details on that one)
• Dogs make life more funny and light; you'll laugh and smile more often
• If you can pick a snuggler out of a litter bring him/her home because there's not much better than waking up to a dog paw across your face.

When I really look back, I forget most all of the bad or at least laugh at it, and I am just thankful for the ray of sunshine that Henry has brought us.

I love the look Henry was giving me as I took photos of him while taunting him with these delicious treats.  By the way, these treats are perfect if you want your dog to stay still for a photo.

Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats
adapted from Sweet Paul Magazine

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl combine peanut butter, oil and water until well combined.  Then mix in both flours and work the dough together with a spatula or your hands.  Wrap dough in plastic and let set for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Knead dough into firm ball then roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutter to cut out shapes then place onto greased and floured cookie sheet (or parchment lined).  Bake for 12 minutes then cool on wire rack.  Store in a container with a tight lid (I used an old oatmeal can).