Why am I writing about dog treats in a section normally reserved for human food? If you remember, last week I featured a recipe for pumpkin caramel blondies. Fresh out of the oven, my boyfriend and I sampled them the night I made them. I was very happy with the outcome and couldn't wait to share them with friends. The morning after I made them, I photographed a few to use in this section and put the plate of the entire batch on the stovetop. A few hours later, I hear a gasp come from the kitchen area and I find my boyfriend in the kitchen holding an empty plate next to a guilty-looking dog. Apparently, my dog decided to have the whole batch (minus two) to herself. Hey, at least she licked the plate clean.
A week later, I was trying to come up with something to write about for this section. I turned to my boyfriend for inspiration and he reminded me of the pumpkin blondie situation (that we now laugh at) and suggested I make something similar that would be safe enough for the dog to enjoy. Thus, these dog treats were born.
First, I wanted to research what foods were safe for dogs. Everyone knows that chocolate is a big no-no, but the ASPCA also lists grapes, raisins, yeast dough, raw meat or eggs, Xylitol (an artificial sweetener), onions, garlic, and cultured dairy products on their toxic foods list. I'd also suggest checking with your vet as to what foods are okay for your pup, especially if they have food allergies. Believe it or not, like us, dogs can also have allergic reactions to wheat, nuts, dairy and soy, among other things.
This article appears in Nov 11-17, 2010.