A Little Somethin’, Somethin’ for the 4 Legged Member of your Family
This weekend my sweet little Chihuahua, Chica, was attacked by a Standard Poodle who did quite a number on her neck. She is having a rough go of it but, thank God, will be fine; it was quite a traumatic experience for both of us.
Today I decided to post – a day late, sorry I was a bit sidetracked – a dog treat recipe for the furry members of our families. I admit, I have not tried this recipe yet, but I trust Caesar Milan to provide a healthy, good for doggies, recipe and hope to make these for my baby girl as soon as she recovers. I have made a few adaptations which I italicized. I hope your dog will love these too!
Healthy Pumpkin Balls
½ c. Organic canned pumpkin
4 T. Molasses
4 T. Water
2 t. Vegetable oil
2 c. Whole wheat flour*
¼ t. Baking soda
¼ t. Baking powder
1 t. Cinnamon (optional)
A heart full of love
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the pumpkin, molasses, vegetable oil, and water together in a bowl; add the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon to the mixture and stir until dough softens.
Scoop out small spoonfuls of dough, and roll into balls in your hands (wet hands work best), or use a small cookie scooper. Set the balls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and flatten with a fork.
Bake approximately 25 minutes until dough is hardened.
Option: I saw this idea for shaping homemade dog cookies on Martha Stewart’s website and thought it was pretty cute. I know the dogs won’t care what their cookies look like, but I like to be creative in the kitchen whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Flatten the balls out with your fingers, instead of a fork, into small, flat rounds; make an indentation with your thumb 
toward the bottom of the cookie, then, using the tip of your pinky finger, make an arch of 4 small indentations on top of the thumbprint to resemble a paw. This will produce a more rough-around-the-edges cookie than Martha’s, but I think the rustic look with the paw print will be too darn cute!
Cook’s Note: This dog cookie is filled with fiber, vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium, and iron. Store the cookies in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months; allow the cookies to thaw for 10 – 20 minutes before feeding them to your dog.
*“When preparing homemade dog treats, make sure you take into account any allergies that your pet has to specific ingredients. You will want to avoid adding any ingredient that you know that your pet has reacted poorly to in the past. If you are experimenting with new flavors, feed the treat to your dog in a small amount to see how he reacts to it before distributing an entire treat.” ~Caesar Milan
Bone Appetite!
Thank God Chica is ok, big hugs to both of you !
Thanks so much Michelle. Xo