Sit, Lay Down, Roll Over...

Homemade Doggie Biscuits

This is Nico. He is a YorkiePoo. He is really a great dog, but does have some issues. He is pretty much neurotic. Cute as a button, and very smart though.
And picky, picky, picky.

Lately he has an issue with his bum. Not to gross anyone out too much, but he has a little pain when he does #2 and lets out a cry. I brought him to the vet and he said it is most likely an allergy, gave me some antihistamine with cortizone and told me to add pumpkin to his food (so as to ease the process of doing #2).
Luckily he loves the pumpkin. A few weeks ago, I found homemade pumpkin dog cookies at my local farmers market. HE LOVED THEM. To the point of doing tricks that he hates to do, like rolling over. Asking Nico to roll over is like trying to give a sick child cough medicine. He runs just at the command. But just the sight of one of these cookies and he is rolling all over the place.
So I went back to the farmers market and unfortunately the lady that was selling them wasn't there. So I figured, how hard could it be to make dog cookies??? I looked online and found a pumpkin doggie biscotti recipe. He should love it, right? Well, he will eat them but he's not rolling over at the mere sight of them. These are more like a pumpkin toast and hers were more of a cookie texture. I don't understand what the problem is, I tasted them and they are actually pretty darn good. I guess he prefers the cookies. Spoiled brat!

NB:This recipe is for doggie treats. It should not constitute the primary diet of your dog, and is not suitable for cats.

Mom's Famous Pumpkin Biscotti
- From Better Food for Dogs

Makes about 1 lb of Biscotti
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Nonstick baking sheets
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
(not pie filling)
1/4 cup each liquid honey and water
2 tbsp canola oil
1 large egg 1
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

1. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, honey, water, oil, egg and vanilla. Stir in flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda until well incorporated.
2. In the bowl and using hands, knead until dough holds together. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a log. Flatten the logs to make about 4 inches wide.
3. With a fork, poke holes all over the surface of the logs. Place about 4 inches (10 cm) apart on baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until firm. Place pan on a rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
5. With a sharp knife, cut each log into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place, cut side down, about 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake for 30 minutes longer or until hard. Transfer cookies to a rack and let cool completely. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 30 days.