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Yummy, fall-inspired, homemade dog treats and gift giving essentials for the New Pet Parent in your life!
Our friends just welcomed home a new fur baby! Aka a new dog that they rescued. 🙂 This makes my heart so happy because for years we have fostered shelter dogs and long before I became a momma to my (human) kiddos I had my fur babies. There were several years where being a traditional momma didn’t look like it would be a reality for me and those sweet, slobbery bundles of fur have been by my side through it all. They have always filled my heart with so much joy!
So in honor of them, to our friend’s new furry addition and to all dog families around the world, we are sharing our yummy homemade dog treat recipe, this is one that even has a fall twist to it! These treats are the perfect addition to your New Pet Parent gift basket that we are going to put together!
Our gift basket is going to give you some ideas of what to include for that New Pet Parent gift. These are inexpensive to put together, you can make most of the items yourself or pickup somewhere easy like Walmart (because they are everywhere). 😉
For starters we are going to include a bag of IAMSâ„¢ dog food, you can find it at your local Walmart.
Most of us know a happy dog when we see him or her. Smiling and wagging his tail. IAMSâ„¢ knows that a healthy dog is a visibly happy dog so they have issued a #IAMSVisibleDifference challenge! IAMSâ„¢ foods include fatty acids from fish oils, which promote excellent skin and coat health.
We switched our dog to an IAMSâ„¢ diet after my little black Pomeranian, Kenyon, had some issues with his coat losing some of it’s… oomph! After consulting with our veterinarian that he was healthy but could use an extra boost to his diet we took their challenge to see the visible difference their quality food could make. You can see from the picture below that he is fluffy and furry indeed! He’s lounging on a hotel bed because as a member of our family, he’s traveled the world!
Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to win IAMSâ„¢ for a year or Walmart eGift Cards!
#IAMSVisbleDifferenceSweepstakes
Beet pulp helps dogs maintain intestinal health and aid in their ability to absorb nutrients. This is found in the IAMS™ dog food. Their customized mix of protein and carbs contribute to healthy energy levels for your dog. They even have an 100% satisfaction or they’ll refund your money!
You can find out more information at IAMSâ„¢ dog food.
When switching diets for your dog it is VERY important to ease them into it. Here are the steps my veterinarian shared with me. These steps are great when you get a rescue dog that has already been eating another food.
- Day 1 – Mix 20% of the new food with 80% of the old.
- Day 2 – Mix 40% of the new food with 60% of the old.
- Day 3 – Mix 60% of the new food with 40% of the old.
- Day 4 – Mix 80% of the new food with 20% of the old.
- Day 5 – Feed 100% of the new food.
*If at any point during this process your dog stops eating or develops vomiting or diarrhea, do not feed any more of the new food and call your vet!
Please note I am not a vet and this is just a suggestion for a healthy dog. If you are dealing with bigger issues like gastroenteritis, heart failure, kidney disease, some type of bladder stones, canine cognitive dysfunction or food allergies PLEASE see your vet ASAP.
Next add TREATS! Here are my healthy Homemade Dog Treats!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup Pumpkin, canned
- 2 Eggs
- 2 tbsp Peanut butter
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, ground
- 2 1/2 cups Whole wheat flour
RECIPE:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Add all of the ingredients to a stand mixer bowl fitted with a beater attachment. Mix on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. Mixture should be thick and fudgy, not sticky, like cookie dough.
- Roll the dough in between 2 sheets of parchment paper until it’s ¼” thick. Use a dog bone cookie cutter to punch out bone shapes. Reroll the dough and punch out more cookies, until the dough is used up.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until firm and dry.
NOTES:
Store in a tightly sealed container at room temp for up to 2 days, then refrigerate up to 5 days.
For that tightly sealed container I like to make a DIY Homemade Dog Treat Jar! Of course you can store non- Homemade Dog Treats in there as well, we won’t tell. 😉
Turn any mason jar into a treat jar with these easy steps. There are so many sizes! I go with one that will fit enough treats for a week.
Easy DIY Chalkboard Mason Jar
What You Need:
- Mason Jar
- Chalkboard paint
- Chalk (optional)
- Paint brush
- Twine
- Paper towels
- Rubbing alcohol
Step 1
Clean the entire outside surface of the mason jars using paper towels dabbed in rubbing alcohol. This is done to ensure that the chalkboard paint will adhere better.
Step 2
Begin the painting process by taking your brush and brushing the chalkboard paint onto your jar. Start with the rim of the jar first then flipping it upside down and continuing painting with the rim facing your work surface. This helps create a layer that the rest of the paint can build on.
Step 3
Once the first coat is dried, you can apply the second coating. Let them dry overnight.
Step 4
You’re all done! Cut a long piece of twine and wrap it around the mason jar creating a ribbon or bow. I like to add a tag, a piece of chalk and maybe the new dogs name!
- All the supplies you need to DIY a chalkboard treat jar!
- Any type of mason jar will work
- Prep mason jar by cleaning with rubbing alcohol
- After cleaning, allow it to dry on a clean paper towel.
- Add the first coat. Make this a light coat.
- Let the first coat dry. This light coat will create a base for the next coat(s) to stick to.
- You’re finished! Use the chalk to decorate or leave blank for the new owners!
Now you just need to put the items together!
Items to Add to the New Pet Parent Gift
- Add a toy
- Add puppy pads (if they got a puppy or unknown rescue)
- A frame to put pictures of the new family addition**
- A pet cookbook, or write out this recipe and add to the bag. 🙂
- Pet cookie cutters
- Homemade dog treats
- Food
**Tip : Choose a color that complements the dog lover’s home decor. If in doubt, choose a neutral color.
We hope you loved this post (and our furry friends) as much as we do! What are your must have items for a New Pet Parent gift? Are you a dog lover???
XO~ M&D
