Puppy Obsession!
For Christmas my husband, David, gave me the promise of a puppy. I have been wanting one for a few years now and was just waiting for David to be ready to have a dog again. We’ve had a few wonderful dogs, over our 28 year marriage. Although, my poor husband has had the unhappy job as the angel of death. Unfortunately, over the years his job has been to help put our cats and dogs to a peaceful end (with the vet), when it was their time. This has taken a tole on him and he hasn’t been willing or eager to love a dog again until now.
We/I chose a breed, a breeder and we are expecting our little girl cockapoo in about a week. I am SO excited! It has been a long time since we’ve had a puppy and I have been researching everything from potty training to vets to healthy dog food and treats. I want to make sure we do it right so that she is a positive, healthy, well mannered, and happy member of the family. Being a cook I have been reading and playing with recipes for healthy treats to have for training. I want to share with you what I have created thus far. We will see what she actually likes and that will help me to hone in on what I focus on going forward. I just wanted to make sure I had something to start our training with when she arrives.
Why the puppy obsession? I’m not quite sure. It may sound strange, but now that my kids are mostly grown, I should probably be getting ready to be a grandparent, but I’m not. As a teacher of elementary age students I have enough exposure to kids, but I’m still feeling maternal in a way. I love the idea of having a dog to come home to, that is excited when I walk in the door, to take a walk with, to snuggle with, to take care of, but that does not talk back to me, that does not constantly negotiate with me, that does not require the same type of energy that people do. I am wholeheartedly ready to expend the energy that a puppy requires, but as an introvert, I’m not ready to expend the energy that humans require. I’m not sure if that makes sense to anyone that isn’t an introvert. In general, I find interacting with people, except for my family and very close friends absolutely exhausting, but that’s not true for pets.
Update:
We’ve had Bailey; our little, furry, ball of joy for about 4 months now and she is such a happy addition to our family. She is a definite puppy and we have lots of continued training ahead of us. Although, she is picking certain things up quickly. She bonded with us right away, she knows the commands sit, down, off, and come fairly consistently, but she has trained us to come when she rings a bell (the bell was meant for her to ring when she wants to go out).
Bailey, like most dogs, will eat anything, but she does have definite preferences. Her favorite treats are roasted sweet potato bites, raw carrots, and PPB treats which I will share at the end of this post.
PPB Treats
1/4 c peanut butter
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
Mix all ingredients until smooth. Gather into a ball and roll between 2 pieces of plastic wrap until about a 1/4 inch thick. Use your favorite cookie cutter and place on parchment covered baking sheet. Use tooth pick to poke 3 holes, like a traditional dog treat, if desired.
Bake at 375 for about 10-12 minutes or until dry and firm.
Cool and store in air tight container and use in 1 week or freeze and take out as needed.
Makes at least 30 1 1/2” tiny bone shapes (for training or tiny dog) and 80 3/4” mini bone treat shapes.
I hope your dog enjoys them as much as Bailey does : )
