Granddogs

We have only had two of our own dogs through the years. Bucky, a girl dog, so named because two-year old Josh said "ALL my life I've wanted a dog named Bucky."  And Roxie, a dog about whom Jake said "A dog is someone you can tell your secrets to and you know they won't tell."

They were great dogs, but just dogs, grown dogs when we got them.  Bucky had been a stray that our friends rescued but couldn't keep.  We got Roxie from the pound.  We chose her because she was the only short-haired dog in the place who was not actively giving birth at the time.

The year before Jake and Robyn got married Jake (not living at home at the time) acquired August, a pure-bred German Shepherd puppy.  Granddogs are a little like grandkids. You get to enjoy them but you send them home for potty training etc.  We knew August was very special because he liked to wear lip gloss but we don't spoil our grandkids and we didn't spoil him.  If their parents make rules we always follow them.

Well, Dennis was maybe a little indulgent.  Jake had said August had to stay in the garage at night so when I woke up in the middle of the night once when we were dog-sitting, and Dennis wasn't in the bedroom I went looking for him.  He was sitting in the car holding August. "He's afraid to stay in the garage by himself," he told me  And he did let August sit on his lap while he was cutting the grass with the riding lawn mower.  But that was all.  We really didn't spoil him.  Except for maybe giving him a teeny amount of table scraps.  And taking him to Doggy Day Care the week we kept him while Jake and Robyn were on their honeymoon.  What??  We couldn't let him stay at home all by himself all day while we were at work!

Now we have Gus, a Yorkie.  Hayley, our granddaughter, got him when he was a puppy but a little later they also got a Great Dane and while Ty, the Great Dane, stayed in the fenced backyard with no problems, Gus became an escape artist.  No matter how many times Jake fixed the fence Gus found a little place to squeeze through and went on an adventure.  He is so little that it would be very easy for a driver not to see him running down the street and finally Jake said Gus would have to find a new home.  Hayley, of course, was devastated so that is how we got permenant custody of Gus.

Gus is certainly not spoiled.  I mean, we have him all the time so we are very careful about that.  Just because he wants to sit on my lap even while I'm typing doesn't mean a thing.  Yorkies are bred to be Lap Dogs.  That's their job. And just because if he is sitting on my lap in the evening while we are watching television and I have to go to the bathroom so bad I almost wet my pants but I don't get up if he is comfortable doesn't mean he's spoiled.  He mainly only sits there when I have the down throw across my lap anyway...every evening. Gus loves down!

He doesn't really sleep with us either.  Well, not exactly.  I fold the comforter into thirds and make a really high, soft spot for him and he sleeps at the foot of the bed.  Until about 4 a.m. when he comes up and snuggles into the back of my knees.  I hardly notice him unless I want to turn over.  Then he just gets up and settles in on the other side of me.  I don't think he really even wakes up.  And he hardly snores at all.

Today I'm going to make home-made dog biscuits.  I've got varying sizes of dog-bone cookie cutters and I usually make some in each size for all the granddogs, Gus, CoCo, and Ty.  They would eat the kind you buy from the store but why should they have to?

                                                       Dog Bone Recipe

1/4 cup hot water                            1/2 cup margerine, melted
1/2 cup powered milk                      1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten                                   2 teaspoons sugar
3 cups whole wheat flour                 1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules

Preheat oven to 325; stir bouillon into hot water;  
In large bowl, stir in bouillon, powdered milk, salt and egg
Add flour 1/2  cup at a time
Knead for 5 minutes to form a stiff dough, roll out to about 1/2 inch thick
Cut into shapes with cookie cutter (use a dog bone cutter if you have one, but the dog won't care if you don't)
Bake at 325 degrees for about 50 minutes. Turn off oven, prop open door and leave till oven cools off.
Store in  zip lock or plastic container.