Happy National Dog Day or Who Rescued Who? Canines and Cookies
I turned on the news this morning and found out that it is National Dog Day.
This is Seamus. We adopted him at a benefit at the D'Art Center in Norfolk (a local artist's co-op). Each year they would have an event where several humane societies would bring cats and dogs to D'Art for possible adoption and fundraising. We had absolutely no intention of getting a new dog. Having recently suffered the loss of our Dalmatian, Captain (who actually had brown spots instead of black!), I did not feel it was the time to get a new dog- the kids were leaving home and I had envisioned travel and freedom from more responsibility. How selfish that sounds now!
Long story short- we fell in love with this big-eared baby who had been rescued by the XOXO Pet Rescue from a kill shelter in North Carolina. Every time I think about what could have happened to him, I tear up- I cannot imagine life now without my buddy. He and I take off in my Jeep to make visits or run errands (including some trips to the drive through- Shay knows which fast food restaurants give puppy treats. Don't tell my vet, but he does enjoy a french fry or two on occasion!). Sometimes we just go for a drive with the top back and tunes cranked up on the radio. He so laid back, wonderful with kids and other dogs and just a quiet, gentle soul (but we won't talk about the rabbit incident). I am often asked about what type of dog Seamus is- I honestly don't know. We think that there is some Malamute in there and maybe some Lab. I wish I knew- whatever he is, it is a wonderful combination of genes for a dog to have!
A few weeks ago we lost a beloved canine member of the family. My brother's dog, Athena, passed unexpectedly during the night. It was a great loss felt throughout the extended family. It was shortly thereafter that my dad suggested that maybe I might want to write a blog post about the wonderful dogs that share our lives, who are indeed beloved members of the family. They each have their own special personalities and characteristics and their own place in our hearts. National Dog Day seems like the perfect day for this tribute.
In addition to Athena, my brother belongs to Atlas, another Rottweiler who is a big sweetheart. When he first joined the family I have to admit I was a little afraid of him. He and Athena won me over with their gentle, protective spirits and I grew to love them very much.
Shortly after we adopted Seamus, my parent's adopted their beautiful Bella. She is a sweet, smart girl who loves everybody. She is the latest in a line of beautiful, sweet Golden Retrievers that my parents have had over the years.
My other brother adopted Pirate a couple of years ago. He is aptly named- a wild, crazy, sweet and very smart dog who is the life of any party. He is a "Jeep Dog" as well.
The dogs are included in most of our family gatherings. They love to go to my parents' home on the river, especially in the summer when they can swim and fish (yes, Atlas will fish!) and run free without fear of traffic or other harm. Bella will even ride on the paddle board and insists on riding in the Gator whenever someone drives it anywhere. It sometimes seems as though there are as many dogs as humans around!
Of course there are other beloved dog members of our family. There is Raleigh, my cousin's dog, who is a neighbor and fun loving buddy of Seamus. Noodle, a Golden-Doodle who belongs to a friend of my brother, often attends family gatherings as well.
So, you may know me enough by now to know that if I love you, I am sooner or later going to bake something for you. The dogs are no exception. After much trial and error, I discovered this Puppy Cookies recipe which seems to be well loved by all of our dog companions. The original recipe comes from the Things for Boys Blog .
1/3 cup butter (I guess you could use margarine as well)
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 beef bullion cube (stock cube)
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 egg
2 cups whole wheat flour
Preheat oven to 330 degrees. Line your cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper. Combine oatmeal, butter, bullion cube and water. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir in peanut butter and egg. Mix in flour until dough is formed.
Knead dough (lightly flour the surface if needed). Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness (Tip: to get dough rolled out to appropriate thickness, roll rolling pin on two 1/4 dowels- one at each end!) Cut with your favorite cookie cutter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool before serving. Store in an airtight container. The original recipe says that you can keep them in the pantry or freezer for at least 12 months. That would never happen in my house- the dogs love them too much!
Happy National Dog Day to you and your canine companions!
Thanks for stopping by!
This is Seamus. We adopted him at a benefit at the D'Art Center in Norfolk (a local artist's co-op). Each year they would have an event where several humane societies would bring cats and dogs to D'Art for possible adoption and fundraising. We had absolutely no intention of getting a new dog. Having recently suffered the loss of our Dalmatian, Captain (who actually had brown spots instead of black!), I did not feel it was the time to get a new dog- the kids were leaving home and I had envisioned travel and freedom from more responsibility. How selfish that sounds now!
Long story short- we fell in love with this big-eared baby who had been rescued by the XOXO Pet Rescue from a kill shelter in North Carolina. Every time I think about what could have happened to him, I tear up- I cannot imagine life now without my buddy. He and I take off in my Jeep to make visits or run errands (including some trips to the drive through- Shay knows which fast food restaurants give puppy treats. Don't tell my vet, but he does enjoy a french fry or two on occasion!). Sometimes we just go for a drive with the top back and tunes cranked up on the radio. He so laid back, wonderful with kids and other dogs and just a quiet, gentle soul (but we won't talk about the rabbit incident). I am often asked about what type of dog Seamus is- I honestly don't know. We think that there is some Malamute in there and maybe some Lab. I wish I knew- whatever he is, it is a wonderful combination of genes for a dog to have!
A few weeks ago we lost a beloved canine member of the family. My brother's dog, Athena, passed unexpectedly during the night. It was a great loss felt throughout the extended family. It was shortly thereafter that my dad suggested that maybe I might want to write a blog post about the wonderful dogs that share our lives, who are indeed beloved members of the family. They each have their own special personalities and characteristics and their own place in our hearts. National Dog Day seems like the perfect day for this tribute.
In addition to Athena, my brother belongs to Atlas, another Rottweiler who is a big sweetheart. When he first joined the family I have to admit I was a little afraid of him. He and Athena won me over with their gentle, protective spirits and I grew to love them very much.
Shortly after we adopted Seamus, my parent's adopted their beautiful Bella. She is a sweet, smart girl who loves everybody. She is the latest in a line of beautiful, sweet Golden Retrievers that my parents have had over the years.
My other brother adopted Pirate a couple of years ago. He is aptly named- a wild, crazy, sweet and very smart dog who is the life of any party. He is a "Jeep Dog" as well.
The dogs are included in most of our family gatherings. They love to go to my parents' home on the river, especially in the summer when they can swim and fish (yes, Atlas will fish!) and run free without fear of traffic or other harm. Bella will even ride on the paddle board and insists on riding in the Gator whenever someone drives it anywhere. It sometimes seems as though there are as many dogs as humans around!
Of course there are other beloved dog members of our family. There is Raleigh, my cousin's dog, who is a neighbor and fun loving buddy of Seamus. Noodle, a Golden-Doodle who belongs to a friend of my brother, often attends family gatherings as well.
So, you may know me enough by now to know that if I love you, I am sooner or later going to bake something for you. The dogs are no exception. After much trial and error, I discovered this Puppy Cookies recipe which seems to be well loved by all of our dog companions. The original recipe comes from the Things for Boys Blog .
Puppy Cookies
.
1 1/2 cups regular oatmeal1/3 cup butter (I guess you could use margarine as well)
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 beef bullion cube (stock cube)
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 egg
2 cups whole wheat flour
Preheat oven to 330 degrees. Line your cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper. Combine oatmeal, butter, bullion cube and water. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir in peanut butter and egg. Mix in flour until dough is formed.
Knead dough (lightly flour the surface if needed). Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness (Tip: to get dough rolled out to appropriate thickness, roll rolling pin on two 1/4 dowels- one at each end!) Cut with your favorite cookie cutter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool before serving. Store in an airtight container. The original recipe says that you can keep them in the pantry or freezer for at least 12 months. That would never happen in my house- the dogs love them too much!
Happy National Dog Day to you and your canine companions!
Thanks for stopping by!
~Cynthia
I did enjoy reading about the furry members of your family, Cynthia. AND I just realized that the thing that's missing from my latest creation is... a puppy! Thank you! : )
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