Homemade Dog Treats - aka Bowzer Bites

I think I just may have the most spoiled, finicky and difficult to feed Maltese dogs around.  IF we find a food they deem "good" enough to eat, that food occasionally doesn't agree with their super sensitive digestive tract, and even if it does, occasionally they will still turn their noses up at it.  Usually enjoying their imported from New Zealand (read uber expensive), dehydrated lamb, they still occasionally impose hunger strikes in the hopes of finding something new and tasty.

Being a mom, when the boys don't eat, I worry.  Not that they are in danger of starving or anything (I really can feel their ribs if I push hard enough...), but I know they might get low blood sugar or something and we simply can't have that.

Checking the labels of doggie treats from local pet stores I'm continually unimpressed with the number of ingredients I can't pronounce, and even more unimpressed with the additions of sugars, salt and chemical preservatives.  Hence, we've started DIY Doggie Treats or... Bowzer Bites.

Homemade dog biscuits are not only easy to make, but they allow you to control what goes into the treat so you don't run into any "sensitivity" issues if your dog is so prone.  Even if your dog has no sensitivity issues, one simply rests easier knowing exactly what ingredients are going into your pooch and that the ingredients you choose are "real" food.

After years of begging and convincing my husband and I that we were "irreversibly harming" them, Liv and her brother convinced us that not just one, but TWO Maltese pups would be the perfect solution to their damaged psyches.  Arriving as 2 lb of pure white fluff, I didn't want to like them... let alone love them.

You see, 10 years earlier we had lost our beautiful Golden Girl, Yanah, and I never really recovered from it.  Hearing any sound similar to her collar jingles sent me to tears for the first few months, and continued to bring sadness for over a year.  Finally, pushing the grief away, I swore never to have another dog which would only pass away all too soon.  And I lasted 10 years.

Then the white fluff balls arrived, full of energy and spunk at 10 weeks of age and they proceeded to relieve themselves on every soft household item they could find... my entryway carpet being a favorite location.  Having to set an alarm to get up in the middle of the night to let them outside brought me back to my kid's baby years, and the constant watching of them was even harder than potty training the kids.  It wasn't too hard not to get too attached to them...  For about a week.

Then the snuggles and puppy kisses started to take their toll.  I felt those little strings in my heart tug, and I became their protective mama.  When they got sick, I sat in the chair and held them all night.  We celebrated when they learned to ring the bell to go outside, and even saved a small clip from their first haircut.

I fully admit it... I love these little guys.  They have completely wormed their way into my heart and I dread the day that they will age and I will lose them.

Today as I made a quick stop at the vet, I held the door open for an older woman who was clutching her little white ball of fluff and frantically rushing to enter.  She looked up at me and the tears began to flow.  She sputtered, "I think I've lost her... my baby.  I think she's gone.".  And she was.  The vet came and took the bundle while leading the lady (she was at least 80) into one of the private rooms.  But I could hear her sobs through the door.  And I sobbed along with her.

Understanding her pain, I immediately wanted to give her a copy of my friend Stephanie's new book, Golden Angels - Lessons in Love and Loss from Buddy Girl and Daisy Mae.  Stephanie's book is currently in e-book format, but she's working hard on her Kickstarter Program to get the book into print.

Stephanie lost her Golden, Buddy Girl, a little over a year ago and turned to writing to help her through her grief.  With 13 soulful essays combined with 13 recipes to feed the soul, her e-book became popular, but people are asking for hard copies to gift to people who lose their beloved pets and she's looking for help to get the book published.

So today we add the Liv Life Maltese Approved Bowzer Bites to Stephanie's Kickstarter Blog Hop entitled "The Dog Days of Summer".  Join us as we head on over to see what else she's got cookin', and grab a few treats for your pup!

Homemade Dog Treats - aka Bowzer Bites
Crunchy and flavored with a touch of organic chicken broth, these treats sat well with my sensitive pooches, and they haven't turned their nose up at one yet!  We love the Fox Run Dog Bone Cookie Cutter Set from Amazon to cut the dough into various sized bone shapes.
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1 cup oat flour
1 egg
1/4 cup organic chicken broth (we use low sodium)
2-3 Tbs finely chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350º.

Add ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low until a dough ball comes together (alternatively, mix with a wooden spoon and knead by hand).  Add a Tbs or so of water if the mixture is too dry, or a Tbs of flour if it is too wet.

Roll the dough to desired thickness (we liked ours thin, about 1/4 inch) and cut into desired shapes.  Transfer bones to a silicone lined cookie sheet, or alternatively a lightly greased cookie sheet and place in the oven until lightly browned and crisp.  Note:  baking times will vary based on cookie thickness and size.  Our bones were smaller in size and thin, they baked perfectly in about 11-14 minutes.  Increase baking time for thicker cookies.