Category: Recipes

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Thanksgiving dinner, dog style!

Our dogs are like our children, we spoil them like crazy because they are our lives. It only makes sense that they should celebrate holidays too, right?

As you saw from our last post, we made puppy pumpkin pies, and they loved them but we wanted to do more. We had some leftovers from our dinner that we decided to split them up on 7 little plates and give our dogs a special dinner too.

We believe that “human food” in moderation is just fine for your pups, but be sure not to feed them food that can be toxic for them, such as onions, grapes, raisins, chocolate, etc.

They were eager to try their meal, as you can see! Their plates were made up of turkey, a small bun, a mixture of carrots, stuffing, and sweet potato and of course their puppy pumpkin pie! It was just as much fun for us to watch them all choose their favourite from the plate as it was for them to actually eat it.

We put a lot of training into our dogs, we make sure they don’t act like complete spoiled brats, we make sure they get healthy food and tons of exercise, but sometimes it’s not about training or anything else; it’s just about enjoying their company and giving them more than they could ever want. There’s a reason people call them their “fur babies”, because they are like our children!

Enjoy the photos and let us know what your pups got for thanksgiving!

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Puppy Pumpkin Pies

It’s almost thanksgiving! Last year we made our dogs some puppy pumpkin pies, they were a huge hit for the most part. However some dogs thought the crust was a little plain and didn’t want to finish their pie, so naturally we came up with a new and improved recipe for this year. Let me tell you, they LOVED these pies, every last crumb was devoured; then they begged for more! These are healthy, natural, human grade, good for dogs with belly issues and allergies , not to mention absolutely delicious. Ready to make your pup a delicious treat?

What you’ll need:

  • 1 cup of oatmeal
  • 2 cups of flour (you can use any type)
  • 1/4 cup of apple sauce
  • 1 tbsp of cinnamon
  • 2 cups of pumpkin puree
  • 1 large sweet potato (cooked)
  • 1 banana
  • 1/4 cup of coconut oil melted
  • 1/4 cup of yogurt (we used a coconut yogurt alternative)

Pie Crust:

Preheat the oven to to 425 degrees.

Combine 1 cup of oatmeal, 2 cups of flour, 1/4 cup of apple sauce, and 1 tbsp of cinnamon , 1/2 cup of water and mix together, then add more water 1 tbsp at a time until it makes a pie crust texture.

Roll out on a floured surface, and use a round cookie cutter to make circles. We used a mini muffin tin to shape, it makes about 24 mini pies, or 12 regular size (cupcake size) pies.

Grease the muffin tin with a bit of coconut oil, then form a mini pie in each section.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Pie filling:

While the crust is baking, you can get started on the filling. You can either use a blender for this or mix by hand.

If you haven’t done so already, cook your sweet potato and mash it up, and put 1/4 cup of coconut oil in the microwave to melt.

Mix together your mashed sweet potato, 2 cups of pumpkin puree, 1 mashed banana, 1/4 cup of coconut yogurt and 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil.

Finally, fill your pie crusts, top with a small dollop of yogurt and sprinkle with cinnamon and they are ready to feed!

You can store them in the freezer to thaw before feeding, or store in the refrigerator if you’re planning to use all within a couple days.

We purposely make too much filling, because it makes a perfect Kong filling, and a great meal topper! Enjoy! Comment and let us know how your pup liked them!

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Savory & Sweet Kong recipe!

We’d go crazy without our Kong’s, especially during a heatwave when our dogs can’t play outside as much during the day; These frozen treats keep our pups cool and occupied when they have to stay inside!

We like make new recipes multiple times a week to keep them fun and exciting, while adding different health benefits with our ingredients! The fact that these have all healthy ingredients, mean that they can have them multiple times a day if we wanted, and they wouldn’t cause issues.

Keep in mind that our dogs are very used to new treats, for dogs that aren’t, they should be introduced to new treats slower and use a moderate amount of filling.

Ingredients

  • 1, 13 oz can of wet food (You can use whatever brand your dog is used to or you’d like to try)
  • 3/4 cup of apple sauce
  • 3/4 cup of pure canned pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup of coconut oil, softened
  • 1/2 cup of natural peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup of raw honey

Mix all the ingredients together and fill into Kong’s or any interactive toys you have. We freeze overnight and they’re ready to go for the next morning!

We love Kong’s because they’re the tough, easy to fill and use, and the one pictured above has lasted us years!

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Upset belly blend

Nobody likes when their dog is feeling sick, so when tummy troubles arise, I want them to stop as soon as possible!

Petunia had some unexpected tummy troubles yesterday, she was having liquid diarrhea every 10 minutes, she was drooling and puking. I was concerned about my girl, but she was acting completely normal otherwise. She was running around like the little psychopath she is, wanting me to throw her Frisbee, bringing me her ball. She had been with me all day and I knew with certainty that she didn’t get into anything or eat anything out of the norm for her. If she were lethargic, not drinking and refusing food, I would have rushed her to the vet. It’s always best to consult your vet if you are unsure, and know where the nearest emergency vet is.

Luckily I was fairly sure the heat was just getting to her despite having access to water, she plays hard and doesn’t handle heat well. So a quick hose down, a drink of water and laying in the shade was step 1 for this girl since we weren’t home at the time. I knew what she needed when we got home though, our delicious upset belly blend!

I’m not promising it will work for your dog, or that it will work this quickly. As soon as she ate it she didn’t get sick again for the rest of the night (I thought for sure i’d be up all night with her) and this morning her stool was almost completely normal. I made enough to feed her last night, this morning and this evening, then she should be good to go back to her normal food!

Disclaimer: This is not a balanced diet or something that can replace their food long term. This is a short term solution to fix some belly issues, make them feel better quickly, or to supplement their normal diet for chronic issues.

Ingredients:

  • Cooked white rice
  • Boiled unseasoned chicken
  • Canned pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
  • Slippery elm tea (It comes in powder form and we mix 1 tsp with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil.)

Take 1 cup of cooked white rice and 1 boiled chicken breast. Shred the chicken and mix it in with the rice. Next add 3-4 tbsp of pumpkin, and 9-10 tbsp of slippery elm tea.

This batch is about 3 meals for Petunia. She’s 40-45 lbs, if you have a larger or smaller dog feed accordingly!

Leave a comment below to let us know how this recipe works for your pup!

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Tuna fudge recipe

Does your dog get easily distracted on outings? Do you want your dog to be EXTRA motivated during training? Do you want to make your dog an extra special yummy treat?! If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you need to check out this super simple, healthy, yummy recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans (6 ounces) of tuna (do not drain)
  • 1 1/2 cups of flour (we used plain white this time, but you can also use whole wheat, coconut flour, almond flour etc)
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
  • Coconut oil for greasing the pan

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Add all your ingredients to a large bowl and mix together until smooth. The consistency should be slightly softer than cookie dough.

Once mixed grease a large pan with coconut oil and add your mixture to the greased pan.

Smooth it out and place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cut into cubes or use a cookie cutter to cut shapes, and break the extra pieces into training treats.

We doubled the recipe as we have 7 dogs, and do a lot of training, but a single batch is probably fine for single pup homes. Keep in the refrigerator for up to a week or if you make too many put the extras in the freezer! Like anything, feed in moderation, especially if your pup isn’t used to new food or treats.

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DIY frozen dog treats

What you’ll need:

  • Coconut oil
  • Plain Yogurt
  • Pumpkin
  • Small treats (we use dehydrated chicken for this)
  • Measuring cup to melt the coconut oil
  • A Bowl
  • A spoon
  • Ice cube trays and/or silicone molds

Start by melting your coconut oil in the microwave until it’s liquid, and pour until the mold or tray is about 1/3 full. Place ice cube trays with coconut oil in the freezer until solid (5-10 minutes). Next add the pumpkin until the cube is 2/3 filled. Then with the remaining 1/3 add plain yogurt. Lastly take a small treat, we use dehydrated chicken for this and place it in the middle. The order you place the ingredients really doesn’t matter!

Freeze overnight then in the morning your pups will have a delicious and nutritious treat! Play around with the amounts of everything you’ll need, depending on how many trays you’re making! Once frozen they can be bagged or put in a container and kept in the freezer. Silicone trays can have the treats popped right out quickly, if you used a plastic tray, simply allow to thaw for 5-10 minutes then they should slide right out. These are perfect for hot summer days to cool your pup down after playing outside!

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is super nutritious and beneficial for your dog, and most dogs absolutely love it. It’s one of our favourite things to feed! You can find pure canned pumpkin at most grocery stores. Make sure you get the “pure pumpkin” because the pumpkin pie filling has too much sugar!

Plain Yogurt

Plain yogurt has many benefits for your canine companion, and we’ve never met a dog that didn’t like it! It is good for tummy troubles and perfect if your dog happens to be on antibiotics due to all the good bacteria in plain yogurt.

Coconut oil

Pure organic virgin coconut oil is also great for your dogs! It may not be the “cure all” that many people claim; but it has some great health benefits, especially for your dog’s coat and breath. We get ours in bulk from Costco, its the most cost effective.

Dehydrated Chicken

Everyone knows that dogs need meat, dehydrated chicken is the perfect thing to add to any meal, any treat and is even more perfect for training. Dogs are obsessed and more likely to try harder if you have a delicious treat, not to mention it’s choc full of vitamins and minerals that your pooches need!

Thanks for reading, we can’t wait to hear how your dogs like these. Comment below and let us know!

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Banana Kong Recipe

We use frozen Kong’s a lot in our household, it’s a perfect way to keep your pup busy in their crate while you’re gone, entertain them while you’re working from home or even to cool them down on a hot day! We’ll most likely start sharing new Kong recipes weekly as we test them out! Your dog will LOVE this one if they love peanut butter and bananas!

You’ll need:

  • Natural peanut butter
  • Coconut oil
  • Ripe bananas
  • A bowl
  • A fork to mash and stir together
  • A butter knife (we find this is one of the easiest ways to fill the Kong)
  • A Kong of appropriate size for your dog

We took 2 bananas and mashed them up, then added 1/2 cup of natural peanut butter and 1/2 cup of softened coconut oil. Mix it all together and now you have a delicious treat for your dog! This will fill quite a few Kong’s dependent on the size of your dog, we have a variety of large, medium and small Kong’s for our pack. Once filled we place in the freezer for a couple hours or until we are ready to feed!

It’s important to note that our dogs eat different food and treats daily so their stomachs are strong and used to every treat. If your dog is used to only eating their kibble you should introduce new treats slowly and in moderation to avoid an upset tummy!

Nacho testing the new recipe for us, I think he liked it!

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Benefits of pumpkin for dogs

Panda is one of our professional taste testers!

Most dogs are obsessed with the taste of pumpkin so you don’t need to try to convince your furry friend to eat it, in fact they’ll be begging you for more! You can freeze pumpkin in ice cube trays for a frozen snack, put some pumpkin in a Kong toy, add it to their food or simply give them some by the spoonful! Most grocery stores sell pure canned pumpkin. Just make sure you get the “pure pumpkin” as the pumpkin pie filling has too much added sugar. We always have a can or two in our pantry in case one of our dogs has an upset tummy or in case we want to spontaneously make some treats!

Digestive health

Whether your dog is having constipation or diarrhea, a tbsp of pumpkin added to their food will help solve their problems.

Weight management

Is your dog a little on the hefty side? Pumpkin is full of fiber to help keep your dog full without adding too many calories. Simply replace a portion of your dog’s food with pumpkin, there’s a good chance it’ll help them lose some weight!

Immune boosting

Pumpkin is full of antioxidants and vitamins needed to boost your dogs immune system. Kennel cough season is just around the corner, so why not give your dog’s immune system a little extra boost!

Healthy skin and coat

The moisture, vitamins and minerals in pumpkin is perfect for their skin and coat. They’re skin will be softer and less likely to have dandruff, and their coat will shine more than ever.

Pumpkin is delicious

Last but not least, pumpkin is delicious; even the pickiest dogs tend to love pumpkin. Using the delicious taste of pumpkin you can help picky dogs eat their kibble, or even to help hide a pill if your dog requires medication.

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Benefits of Slippery Elm

Slippery elm is a must have in our house, we never let ourselves run out, and here’s why!

Treats Diarrhea

Slippery elm is our go-to for any type of stomach upset for our dogs. In our experience it can stop diarrhea in 1-2 doses. We will also give this on days where we may be feeding them some extra treats or snacks. We always give them a dose or two of slippery elm for doggy birthday parties, it keeps them regular and prevents diarrhea!

Treats Constipation

Slippery elm is also perfect for constipation, this “magic” herb works both ways!

Soothes sore throats and coughs

Kennel cough is so common, especially if your dog is a social butterfly like our puppies. We’ve had our dogs catch kennel cough multiple times despite our best efforts; slippery elm tea is perfect to soothe their throats and stop their coughs. If your dog socializes with other dogs, goes to pet stores, grooming shops, doggy daycare or dog parks there is always a risk of kennel cough. If your dog catches it, keep them home, make them some slippery elm tea and let them rest!

Immune system

Slippery elm has vitamins and minerals and it has been known to help boost the immune system. It definitely doesn’t hurt to try it!

Topical use

Slippery elm can also be mixed with a bit of water to make a paste. This paste can be used topically on cuts, scrapes, abscesses and hot spots to promote fast healing. The perfect thing about using it topically, is it’s completely edible therefore safe to lick so you don’t need to worry about your dog ingesting it!

Where to buy and how to feed

We buy our slippery elm powder from Totally Raw (click here), as directed we mix 1 tsp of powder with 1 cup of cold water (we typically double or triple the recipe since we have a large pack) then whisk and bring to a boil. Allow to cool then add the proper dosage to their meal and either refrigerate (good for up to a week) or freeze in an ice cube tray! Our ice cube tray holds 1 1/2 tbsp of tea per cube, which is the perfect dose for our little dogs.

We feed our small dogs 1 1/2 tbsp 1-2 times a day as needed. Our Aussie’s get 2 ice cubes (3 tbsp) 1-2 times a day as needed, and Mable, our Doberman gets 4-5 tbsp 1-2 times a day. Read the package and start out with the recommended dose but then you can play around with the amounts slightly to see what works for your dog!

When we first got Mable she had the worst stool quality; It was constantly runny. She was otherwise happy, active and eating well. With the right food and supplements, her stool is almost always solid now and slippery elm has played a huge part in that, we recommend it to everyone!

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Welcome to our blog!

Are you obsessed with dogs? Are you always wanting to learn new things about dogs? Does reading and seeing cute pictures and videos of dogs make you smile? If you answered yes to any of these questions then this is definitely the blog for you!

Throughout this blog we will be talking about all things dog related, including recipes. We will be sharing all our best recipes including dog cakes, cookies, pies, frozen treats, kong recipes and our favourite supplements to feed and what they’re good for. These recipes are tested on all of our dogs (but everyone knows they aren’t picky haha) as well as other pickier dogs. These recipes will be picky dog approved!

Our next category is going to talk about all of our favourite products. We will share all our favourite treats, food, toys, beds, collars, leashes and bandanas! All of our dogs have different favourites, and with our wide variety of dogs in our pack, I’m sure we have one that relates to your pup!

We will also be talking a lot about training, as it’s a huge part of our lives and our dogs lives. Our youngest pups typically have 2 formal training sessions daily, but their whole lives are revolved around training. Off leash hikes are a great source of enrichment and exercise but also a wonderful time to practice “leave it” “come” “stay with me” “fetch” and many more commands! Our older dogs don’t get as many formal training sessions as they aren’t involved in dog sports and they know all the basics. Some of our dogs don’t know many tricks, so we will probably use them to explain how to teach different tricks from the start! We are not trainers, we are just two people who have tons of experience training different dogs and want to share our journey with whoever wants to read about it.

Another category will be entirely about canine enrichment. A tired dog is a happy dog right? Who hasn’t heard that saying before? Most people think of a tired dog as a dog that’s just run a marathon, but what many people don’t understand is that a truly tired dog has to be mentally tired as well as physically tired. Training is one good way to achieve a mentally tired dog, but in this category we will talk about different puzzle games that you can put together for your dog easily, and anything that is considered mentally enriching for the dog! We will also talk about the best mentally stimulating products that are out there!

There will also be a section on dog grooming. We are both dog groomers and will be sharing different tips for nail trimming, properly brushing, bathing and sharing our experiences with grooming in general. We will also help show you how to deal with dogs that may not love grooming, or dogs that have some fear of grooming. During these hard times with COVID-19 many dogs will not be able to get to their regular groomers, so this section will likely help you keep your dogs in better condition until you can get to a groomer again!

Our final category is probably going to be the one we use the most, this section will be all about our fun adventures with our dogs. Having fun with our dog is the most important thing in the world to us. We are excited to share our gorgeous pack with you, and all our fun adventures! We’d love if you would follow along! Follow us on Instagram to see when new blog posts are up, itsallaboutthebarks.