Doggie Cookbooks

Since Bella and I came to live with our family Mom has collected more than one bookcase full of books.  Everything from training, behavior, massage, holistic, health, cookbooks and many more.  One of our blog friends Lilli expressed interest in our collection of cookbooks.  As I watched Mom pull some cookbooks off the shelf I was hoping she was going to make us some yummy goodies because she has been in the kitchen most of the evening but I do not recognize the smell as something she has made for us before.  I did hear her saying something about having never tried this before and she had to throw something away and start over.  Hey ! I would have eaten it ;)    Oh, she said she is making food for a cookout tomorrow.  Strawberry pie and Deviled eggs.  I sure hope they save us some eggs.  It turns out she got the books out to help me write this post.  She said we will make some goodies very soon because our new sister Sweet Pea has never had homemade food before.  I can't wait to share with her.  Once she tries them she will never want those sugary, empty calorie, artificial, yucky store bought cookies ever again.

Mom has made us birthday cakes, cookies, kibble toppers for holidays and just because.  She has even made them for festivals and craft shows.

Peanut Butter Cake

Peanut Butter Cake w/Peanut Butter Cream Cheese frosting

 

After Bella and I came along Mom started reading everything dog.  She came across a book called "Amazing Gracie"  by Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff.  It's the tale of a Great Dane.  

She decided she wanted to try the recipes from their cookbooks.  

She wanted us to have healthy homemade treats.  Then Bella was diagnosed with a lot of food and environmental allergies and it became necessary to cook and bake for us because it's difficult to find store bought items that are totally free of all allergens.  Thus began our kitchen adventures as official taste testers.  

Now whenever Mom sees a doggie cookbook it usually finds a new home with us.  I just wish she would start actually baking and cooking more of these delightfully decadent goodies.

Here is a list of the cookbooks and nutrition related books we have and it might be fun to post some of these recipes on a weekly or monthly schedule.  Maybe Food Friday??????????

• Home Prepared Dog & Cat Diets The Healthful Alternative by Donald R. Strombeck, DVM, PhD
• What a Dogs Life
• Bone Appetit
• Baking for Your Dog
• Cooking for Your Dog
• Make Your Own Healthy Dog Biscuits
• MacPherson's K-9 Cookbook
• The Pocket Idiot's Guide To Homemade Dog Food
• Real Food for Dogs
• Throw Me A Bone
• Cooking The Three Dog Bakery Way
• Barker's Grub
• Feeding Fido
• Presents for Your Precious Pets Gift Jar
• K9 Kitchen
• Cooked Diet Recipes
• Home Feeding Primer
• Feeding Older Dogs
• The Doggie Biscuit Book
• The Ultimate Dog Treat Cookbook
• The Natural Pet Food Cookbook
• Doggy Desserts
• Pup Snacks
• The Ultimate Pet Food Guide
• The Healthy Dog Book
• Home Cooking for a Healthy Dog
• The Whole  Pet Food Diet
• The Everything Cooking For Dogs Book
• The Dog Lover's Cookbook
• No Catnapping in the Kitchen
• The Smiling Pets Recipe Book
• You Bake'em Dog Biscuits Book
• The Good Treats Cookbook for Dogs
• The Organic Dog Biscuit Cookbook
• Three Dog Bakery Cookbook
• Wee Paws in the Kitchen
• Chow Hound
• Dog Treats
• Better Food for Dogs
• The Good Food Cookbook
• Give Your Dog a Bone
• The BARF Diet
• Food Pets Die For
• Natural Health for Dogs & Cats
• Wellness & Longevity
• Animal Nutrition
• Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 3rd edition and 4th edition
• Super Nutrition for Animals
• Dog Health & Nutrition for Dummies
• The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog
• Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats

 For balanced and veterinary approved recipes for daily feeding I highly recommend the book "Home Prepared Dog & Cat Diets" by Donald R. Strombeck  There are many recipes for all sizes of dogs and helpful information on specific health conditions.

Here are some older cookbooks I like for their clever and witty illustrations.  They just make me smile :)

And this book has a kitty hidden in EVERY illustration.  How very cute and clever.  Mom loves to look at this book and try to find the hidden kitty....that kitty sure knows how to hide.  Take a peek.

 
 Did you find the hidden kitty?

If anyone is interested in cooking or baking for their dogs there are a lot of books available at Amazon and Dogwise.  You can sometimes even find used books on ebay.  Make sure you are not paying more for a used version with shipping than you can get a new one for.

** Just remember not all the doggie cookbooks out there have the dogs safety as first priority or maybe the authors were just unaware that some "people" foods are toxic to dogs so make sure you regularly review the ASPCA list of foods toxic to dogs to keep those harmful foods fresh in your minds so your beloved friend isn't eating any of them.  Something as simple and healthy for humans as a grape can be fatal to us dogs.

Links for a list of foods toxic to dogs:

• http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/a-poison-safe-home.aspx
• http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1659&aid=1030
• http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/foods_poisonous_to_pets.html
• http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-poison-control/people-foods.aspx

Emma