Doggy Treats!

Sam is one high-maintenance creature. He is like the kid you knew in elementary school who ruined classroom birthdays because he would break out into vicious hives if he got within 10 feet of cupcakes.

Corn, wheat, soy, beef, and chicken are the veterinary-defined "foods to avoid", but there are other things that will cause him to break out into itchy, pinkish hives, or cause a rancid ear infection, which David and I think exudes an odor similar to either stale, cheap tortilla chips or stale, cheap popcorn.  It's a toss up.

When we feed him something that he's never had before or that has a plethora of unknown ingredients in it, we are taking a gamble. So, around here, we stick to the things we know.  Exorbitantly-priced dog food, peanut butter, cheese, and apples are pretty much his dietary staples. I don't venture into store-bought dog treats because even after analyzing labels and being completely reassured by the teenage "expert" working at the pet store, without fail, Sam will be scratching his belly the following morning.

Sometimes Sam and I will share an apple, which he absolutely loves. I just love to watch him carefully crunch on a slice- it will melt your heart, I swear.

I have toyed with the idea of making Sam's dog food at home with basic, fresh ingredients, but because his approved proteins are lamb, fish, bison, and venison, I can only imagine what my kitchen would smell like.  So, while I will still fork over the big bucks for Taste of the Wild Venison & Wild Rice each month, I decided I would make him some dog treats.

A friend shared this recipe with me. Sam loves it, and it was profoundly easy to whip up, so I am sharing it, so you, too, can impress your canine children with your culinary skills.

Puppy Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt Treats
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup plain yogurt

Just combine the two ingredients with a hand mixer until they resemble a cake frosting. I used crunchy peanut butter because it's what I had in the pantry, but smooth would be fine, too.

Our taste-tester waiting for his treats...

Scoop small portions into miniature cupcake liners and put them in the freezer to set (approximately 1 hour).  I would estimate that a single recipe makes roughly 4 dozen cups...

Note: The picture above shows TOO big of portions- Sam just about choked getting his first one down.  See below.  Whoops. I would suggest only filling the cup with about a tablespoon of yogurt.

Even though it appears like he didn't enjoy his treats (or live through the first one), I can assure you, he most certainly did.

After I froze all of the yogurt, I dumped the cups into a Ziploc container and keep them in the freezer for easy treats! Bowwow appetite!