However when I did my research on Freshpet Select I was very pleasantly surprised as it gets a five star rating! And you can buy it in most grocery stores!!

This product comes in a roll, I take it and stuff my dogs Kong’s and that is how I now serve them there dinner.  Not only do the dogs love this new twist at dinner time, it takes them a while to eat it, so I get a few min to unwind or in most cases fix my two legged family their dinner.

We give Freshpet Selects Four Paws Up!   Let us know if your dog likes it as much as ours.

On the other hand I also hear people condemn people who buy a dog from a good breeder. Why? They say there are too many dogs that don’t have homes, too many dogs in our shelters. I agree with both of those statements but do not agree with the view that buying a dog from a reputable breeder is wrong. We seem to have gotten confused with where the problem began — with backyard breeders, those people who refuse to have their dogs neutered or spayed, and puppy mills. I would stand by stricter laws to govern the backyard breeders, the puppy mills and people who do not alter their pet, but in my mind there is nothing wrong with purchasing a puppy from a good breeder. A good breeder takes the time to make sure her puppies are socialized, usually housebreaks them, and they are very choosy about who gets one of their puppies. A reputable breeder keeps records of any kind of illnesses or diseases and is always willing to take a dog back if something happens that causes the family to be unable to keep the dog.

Sometimes trying to get a dog from a rescue group can be quite frustrating. They have many rules and regulations and in many ways these are good. The problem comes when there is no common sense used in the application of the rules. One of the rescue groups I know of has a rule that if you do not have a fenced in yard, you can not adopt one of their dogs. I know many people who have owned dogs all their lives and have never had a fenced in yard. The dogs had wonderful lives, they were walked, taken for runs in parks and taken camping, and yet the answer is still no.

I have known people who have tried to work with rescue groups that were turned down because they had a child under 10 in their household. I certainly realize that young children are not always ready to handle a dog but that’s not always true. There are many children who have been raised with dogs and are perfectly fine with them, but again the answer is just no.

I hear rescue groups send out messages, “Urgent, need help, foster homes, need adoptive parents,” and yet when people want to adopt they hit this brick wall. I realize a lot of this is a way of protecting dogs from bad situations, but I just don’t see any common sense being used. I don’t see people looking at a situation and evaluating that situation before making a decision.

All these brick walls end up sending people who would like to rescue a dog trying to find a reputable breeder instead. Unfortunately not all of these people know how to tell who is reputable and who is not and they end up purchasing a puppy from a backyard breeder or a puppy mill. There has to be a better way for everyone to work together, to make sure that people who want a dog and who are responsible enough to have a dog get one without supporting bad breeders.

What are your thoughts? What are your experiences? Are you as frustrated as I am?

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flower

1 1/2 Cup White unbleached flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup peanut oil

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup diced dried apples

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 digress; Blend together the apple, water, vanilla, eggs and peanut oil. Stir in the flower, oats, to form soft dough. Roll the dough into balls, put on a baking sheet, flatten (I rolled out and used cookie cutter) Bake for 25 minutes or until hard and crisp

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups cooked and pureed carrots

2 large eggs

1 cup oatmeal

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon canola oil

¼ cup wheat germ

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine and mix the carrots, eggs and oil.  In a separate bowl combine the remaining dry ingredients.  Mix both bowls together and knead until becomes a soft dough. Roll out on a floured surface and cut into desired shapes.  Bake 35-40 minutes. Turn off the oven and remove cookies. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and then return to the warm oven to dry for about an hour

Molasses is a sweetener that is actually good for your dog, providing manganese and other trace minerals.

4tbsp blackstrap molasses

1/2 cup of peanut butter

1 cup water

6 tbsp vegetable oil

11/2 cups rolled oats

2 cups wheat flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the molasses, peanut butter, water and vegetable oil. Combine the oats and flour.  Slowly add to the wet ingredients. Mix and drop tablespoon (large) teaspoons (mid) onto baking sheet and press down. Bake for 25-30 or till firm. Calories 84g, Protein 2.2g, carbohydrates 9.3g, Dietary Fiber 1.6g, Fat 4.5g

Pumpkin is very good for a dog’s digestive system and they love molasses

½ cup pumpkin puree

2 cups whole wheat flour

4 tbsp blackstrap molasses

1 tsp cinnamon

4 tbsp water (or beef broth)

¼ tsp baking powder

2 tbsp vegetable oil

¼ tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Blend together the pumpkin puree, molasses, water and vegetable oil. Stir in the flower, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda to form soft dough. Roll the dough into balls, put on a baking sheet, flatten (I sometimes roll out and used cookie cutter) Bake for 25 minutes or until hard and crisp

Notes: will last up to 2 weeks in airtight container Calories …. 35, Protein ….0.7g, Carbohydrates…. 6.1g, Fat ….0.9g