I'm coming home...

Once there is a dog in the family holidays and trips away from home need a little more planning. Is the dog going with you? Will it be boarded for the duration? Perhaps it will go live with a family member or perhaps there will be a house sitter?

Then there is the added research of whether the place you are visiting is dog friendly whether it be family, a hotel or a holiday cottage? At present I am visiting deepest East Sussex and enjoying a weeks stay in a beautiful barn conversion in Broad Oak near Brede. Along with three friend I am working on my latest novel and enjoying the winter sun. Last year we were snowed in at Whitstable but that's another story.

I have two elderly dogs so what was I to do about them. My husband works full time and is away from home too many hours to leave them alone. It would not be fair on them to spend eight hours alone - it wouldn't be fair on my floors or their bladders either. They like to know we are close by even if they sleep many of the daylight hours.

They have their routine:
Doggy biscuits upon waking, cod liver oil pills straight afterwards. Sharing a biscuit with my elevenses and having their main meal mid afternoon. Then there is our walk around the garden at set times of the day - they are creatures of habit and I have to drop everything to go walk with them and watch as they sniff the grass, look to see if Mr Fox is around. Chase him off if he is spotted (there is no chance they will ever catch him but they enjoy the thrill of the chase)  then come indoors for a drink from their bowl of fresh water - woe betide anyone no to have topped up the bowl at this important time. They know when my husband is due home just as they know that they are allowed some gravy on a handful of kibble as we eat our meal. Any deviation from their routine and we are in trouble. There will be a look, a sigh or they simply turn their backs on us and ignore us completely.

So what to do for the week I was to be away from home? It was simple, my husband took the week off to dog sit. Armed with a list detailing the oldies' routine (just in case he forgot an important time when a biscuit was due) I set off to write my latest tome.

With Internet contact I am able to catch up on what they've eaten, what has come out of the other end and how they've slept. I know their blankets have been laundered and they've shared their Dad's dinner on a few occasions. The one thing that has confused them is that Mum is missing and they go to the door waiting for my return. No doubt when I arrive with my book written and a suitcase full of dirty clothes they will give me the silent treatment for abandoning them for the week - after eating their biccy presents that is!

Let's Get Baking!

Have you seen the price of dog biscuits lately? I know times are hard but we can't deprive our four legged friends of their treats can we? So why not bake your own dog biscuits? You'll get more biscuits for your money and your dogs will love you even more as they wait, noses twitching for their special treats to cool fresh from the oven.

I'm a great believer in baking without the need to weigh ingredients. Yes I know we have to do this sometimes but would your dog be any the wiser if you didn't weigh each egg or delicately grate a carrot? The enjoyment of baking for a dog comes with the sound of  licking lips and the wagging of a tail as they enjoy the results of a special  baking session.

I wrote Canine Cuisine in 2010 as a bit of light relief after my other book, Showing Your Dog, A Beginner's Guide. The idea was to cram as many recipes for dogs treats and dinners between the covers as possible. I managed just over 100. I wanted the book to appeal to young and old owners and not just to those who were master bakers. Many measurements are given in mugs rather than cups as I like the idea of making larger batches of treats so that our days are spent out with our dogs and not stuck in the kitchen. When I've worked out how to link to Amazon I'll leave the appropriate buttons to push in case you would like to purchase a copy of the book. It's available as a Kindle download as well, how modern is that? Until then here is one of my favourite recipes. This is a great recipe for children to follow, what could be more fun than cooking for their own dog?

GARLIC KISSES

Ingredients

500g plain flour

2 tablespoons garlic granules

250g lard

Cold water

To make

Set oven to 220 c Gas mark 7

Place the flour into a large bowl and stir in the garlic granules.

Cube the lard and add to the flour.

Using your fingers blend in the fat until the mix resembles very fine breadcrumbs.

Add enough water to make a stiff dough.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead well to remove any air pockets.

Roll out to a depth of a quarter inch.

Using a sharp knife cut into strips approximately half an inch by six inches.

Pierce each straw several times with a fork to prevent them rising too much.

Cross each end of the strip over and carefully tie in a half knot,

Place onto a greased baking tray.

Bake in the middle of the oven and check after 15 minutes. The straws should be golden brown and crispy, Check that the knotted part is cooked thoroughly.

Turn out onto a cooling tray and sprinkle on a little more of the garlic granules.

When cold store in an airtight container.

Tip: Adjust the size of biscuit to the size of the dog and don't feed too many to the dog at one time. These are not meant to be a meal replacement.

Another tip: Supervise children around sharp knives. If blood drops into the mix it won't bother the dog but parents are bound to complain if their beloved loses a digit or two and I can't afford to be sued!

Day One

Welcome to my new blog about puppies, it coincides with the launch of my latest book A NEW PUPPY IN THE FAMILY. The book is full of handy hints and information for those contemplating the purchase of a puppy and also families who already own a dog. I called on friends and colleagues to supply me with comments on their experiences of owning puppies whether pedigree, cross breed or rescue and these are spread throughout the book.


Feel free to browse and comment.


Elaine