K-9 LifeSavers

It's Monday and Beatrice is craving a treat, why not fix up a batch of all natural dog-friendly candy canes?  These dog treats are great rewards for your own pooch or terrific gifts for those dog lovers on your list.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp dry milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp dry yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 3 tbsp rolled oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Yogurt for icing

Directions:

• If using a bread machine, mix all ingredients together and place everything in machine on the dough cycle.
• If using a mixer or by hand:
   - Dissolve the yeast into water
   - Mix in the vegetable oil
   - Mix in the flours, dry milk, sugar, cornmeal, oats and cinnamon
   - Knead the dough (using hands or dough hook on a mixer) into a ball, cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

When dough is ready divide it into 3 pieces and roll each piece out to 1/4" thickness.

Use a candy cane shaped cookie cutter* to cut out your treats and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake the treats at 275 degrees for about an hour, checking to make sure they don't get to brown.  Turn off the oven and allow them to remain in the oven to dry overnight. When completely dry, the treats should be dry, hard and crisp.

Decorate the treats by painting stripes with the yogurt as icing.

The treats may be stored at room temperature for a month as long as they have been sufficiently dried.

* If you don't have a candy cane cookie cutter, you may roll out small ropes and shape them into candy canes

It's tricky Tuesday again, and we know that some days you are just so proud of your four-legged friends you want them to take a bow, so here's how to teach it.

The idea: your dog bows by keeping his back legs upright while bowing down on his front legs until his front elbows touch the floor.

1. Have your dog stand facing you.  Hold a treat in your fist at nose height.
2. Gently press downward on your dog's nose while giving a verbal cue to "bow."
3. As soon as your dog's elbows touch the floor, release the treat and back your hand away.
4. Practice 6-10 times per session, as long as it stays fun.  After a few sessions your dog should be bowing easily when you press a treat to his nose, so gradually lighten your touch on his nose so that he begins bowing on his own.

Troubleshooting:

• If your dog sits down instead of bowing: you are holding your treat to high, start at nose height and press toward your dogs hind paws.
• If your dog lays down release the treat sooner.  You may have to reward him before his elbows hit the ground.  If this still doesn't work, try putting your foot on the floor under him to keep him from going all the way down.