Meet the pups and homemade dog biscuits

I used to have 5 kids living at home, now I have 5 dogs, 4 boys and a girl just like my children.  I want everyone to know I did not bring a single one of these dogs home, but I sure love them all.

Tucker always has his tire with him where ever he goes!

Tucker came to us by way of Golden Retriever Rescue.  He was rescued from the island of xxx as a stray.  Dave brought him home because I lost in cards and this is what we were playing for (I was playing for diamonds).  Tuck is 10 years old now.  When he was a puppy, he was in a sky kennel in one of the boys' rooms when we had our house fire.  It saved his life.  Our other two dogs didn't make it.  Tucker is an easy going guy with a bit of an anxiety disorder.  He can't be kenneled with the rest of the dogs.  He gets the run of the house while we are gone.  He is also the dog that figured out to pull the edge of the table cloth to get to what ever is cooling on the table (see Dec. 30th post).

Lobo did not like posing for the camera.  He doesn't usually look this sad.

Lobo is also a rescue dog.  After our fire everyone was looking for dogs for us.  Golden Retriever (GRR) had Lobo and it was love at first sight.  He was two and had been a companion dog for an elderly gentleman.  When Lobo needed a new home, GRR thought of us.  He is such a big, gentle boy, and afraid of his shadow.  Bo is 12 now and we cherish every day we have with him.  He is also famous.  He does t.v. adds for our favorite feed store, Cold Spot Feed.  But it hasn't gone to his head.

Riley is ready to move to Arizona.  He is always cold and looking for someone's body heat.

Lobo also allows Riley to sit on him.  Riley was a gift to me from my husband. I got him as a Christmas gift 9 years ago. He is a miniature dachshund and STUBBORN.  He is also very cold and is always trying to sit on someone to get their body heat.  When Riley was a tiny pup, he started crawling up on Lobo and has done it ever since.  Lobo is so tolerant.  Riley is the little prince, or at least he wants to be.  I think he is, and he is very handsome, even with his white face.

Hershey is the boss of all the dogs.

Hershey is an unfortunate looking dog.  He used to live across the street.  When that family realized they were too busy to take care of him, they asked us if we wanted him.  My husband said we would try it out.  Hershey came home on a Friday afternoon and then Dave left for a week with one of our sons for a soccer tourney in Anchorage.  I had this little dog, who was not house broken, wouldn't come to his name and had no social skills with other dogs.  I went to the store and bought a rotisserie chicken and he was so much better by the time Dave got home.  He is also the dog that ate a piece of a dog toy that got stuck in his stomach and it cost us $1,472.15 for the vet to preform a colon massage to get it out!  Yes, I LOVE that dog.

Lilly in her favorite spot, the green chair!

Lilly is the last dog we acquired.  She belonged to my youngest son, Mason.  When he left for college in Oregon, Lilly stayed behind.  Lilly has made herself at home.  She loves her green chair.  Now you say, "Go to your spot." and she jumps into the green chair.  She was a runner when she first came to us, but she is slowly learning to stay in the yard.  She is such a pretty girl.

They are such good dogs that every once in a while they need a special treat.  These fit the bill.  The rice flour make them easy to digest, so no tummy troubles for the pups.  They love them.  I also made an extra batch for a friend who just adopted a new puppy.  I hope her new puppy likes them too.

Be careful when making homemade treats for your dogs.  Many foods we eat have very dangerous side effects on dogs.  Among other things dogs must stay away from garlic, onions, chocolate, and grapes.

Dog Treats
from simmer till done (find it here)

2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons dry milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups brown rice flour *
1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
In large bowl, whisk together eggs and pumpkin to smooth. Stir in dry milk, sea salt, and dried parsley (if using, optional). Add brown rice flour gradually, combining with spatula or hands to form a stiff, dry dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface (can use the brown rice flour) and if dough is still rough, briefly knead and press to combine.
Roll dough between 1/4 – 1/2″ – depending on your dog’s chew preferences, ask first – and use biscuit or other shape cutter to punch shapes, gathering and re-rolling scraps as you go. Place shapes on cookie sheet, no greasing or paper necessary. If desired, press fork pattern on biscuits before baking, a quick up-and-down movement with fork, lightly pressing down halfway through dough. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully turn biscuits over, then bake additional 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on rack before feeding to dog.
* Brown rice flour gives the biscuits crunch and promotes better dog digestion. Many dogs have touchy stomachs or allergies, and do not, like many people I know, tolerate wheat.
Makes up to 75 small (1″) biscuits or 50 medium biscuits
Please note: This is not professional medical advice. These biscuits are a healthy everyday treat, and useful for a dog with a sensitive stomach, or minor digestion issues. If your dog is showing any signs of serious distress, remove all food and contact your veterinarian immediately.

May 21, 2012     Daylight 19 hours, 27 minutes, 22 seconds     Current Temp. 57ºF