We all want our furbabies to feel like they’re part of the family, and it’s so tempting to slip them some of our dinner scraps under the table. Unfortunately, what makes a comforting meal for us is often not as agreeable with our pets’ tummies -- and can even be toxic in some cases. Sticking to a daily regimen of natural, animal-approved dog chow is the trick to keeping your pup happy and healthy -- but for an occasional special treat, bake a little love into his biscuits using this savory recipe from AllRecipes.com.* Buy a few seasonally themed cookie cutters like these we found on Wilton, and voila! Guilt-free gourmet that’s actually best served in a doggie dish.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups sifted whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1 cube beef bouillon, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooked ground pork
1 cup grated carrot
6 tablespoons shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup cold water

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil two cookie sheets.

In a medium bowl, stir together the whole-wheat flour, milk powder, beef bouillon, and salt. Add the ground pork, carrot, shortening, and egg; mix into the flour mixture while gradually adding water to form a stiff ball of dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut using cookie cutters, and reroll scraps until no dough is left. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bottoms of the cookies are browned. Allow cookies to set for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

* The ingredients in this recipe are vet-approved, but a little goes a long way! Make sure to serve sparingly and in small portions -- any big changes to your pet’s diet can cause upset stomach.

-- Colleen Canney

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