I’m not really a dog person, but I am completely smitten with Uncle Steve’s dog, Bob. He’s a very old curly retriever, and the gentlest of souls – whenever Steve is here, Bob just lies on the deck, completely content to be in company.
Inspired by Joanna’s post on dog treats, I tried to make some for Bob last week. Much to Pete’s disgust, I boiled up half a kilo of chicken livers, then blitzed the drained livers in the food processor with two cups of flour, an egg, a little oil and enough of the boiling liquid to form the mixture into a pliable dough.
This was then patted out and cut into shapes and baked in the oven at 175C (with fan) for about fifteen minutes. I didn’t have dog bone cutters, so I used Christmas tree ones. Bob loved them!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Oh, how could you not love a face like that?!
Oh Bob is so cute. We have a black labrador that is the best dog ever. He would eat about 50 of those treats though!
Postman Pate.
Oh, MY GOD!!!!
Now, you maybe know that I am a dog person all the way, so you can imagine my level of “meltness’ over here…
The last photo, of his full appreciation for the cookies, was just too much!
TWO PAWS UP, he says!
Sal, I knew you (and Joanna) were going to love this post.. :)
I think my dog Maxx would appreciate these. He loves liver. I do have some fire hydrant and chicken shaped cookie cutters that would do nicely. It’s harder to find the bone shaped ones than you would think.
I’m not really a dog-lover either, but those pictures are soooo sweet!
Thanks for all the comments! He really is the loveliest dog – he wobbles along a bit like an arthritic old man – and he doesn’t give the chickens a hard time! I am definitely going to have to get him some bone-shaped cutters – I saw them at the Fish Markets last time I was there (but you’re right Bethany, they’re not easy to find!).
We have five dogs so this one will be a winner. I don’t know how I’ll go with the livers though.
Meaghan, Pete was truly appalled. He refused to breathe in the kitchen while I was boiling the livers. He was even less impressed when I tried a bit of the dog biscuit to make sure it was cooked properly for Bob. :)
Think I could lure him my way for a little dog therapy? That whiskery chin and enthusiastic licking of chops are very endearing.
Brydie, I don’t think so, although I’d love to be able to send him over to keep your little Monkey company!
I used to make them for my niece’s dog.
Your pictures of Bob made me think of Rocky- he was a flat coat retriever and very sweet and appreciative as well.
It is funny- but bakers just seem to want to feed everyone around them- including the dogs (and chooks!).
I found a bone cutter and used it at Halloween as well. :)
Heidi, problem is now every time I walk past the back door, Bob leaps to attention (hard for an old dog), then sits in a very “I’m being a good boy” pose, waiting to be fed.. ;-)
Lucky Bob! I don’t think I’d be too keen on boiling chicken livers but I’m sure any dog would go crazy for your treats.
I actually grew up on chicken livers, and I quite like them. I was tempted to keep a few for myself.. :)
I know my two Border Terriers (Hazel and Rosie) would like Bob – and they’d polish off chicken livers in any form in a flash.
Bob looks so nice. The last picture really made me smile! “Mmmm, that was delicious.”
The good thing about home-made treats is that you know what you put into them.
Lovely Bob!
Well done on making old Bob a very happy dog.
I am sure my kitties would enjoy these too – just much smaller.
:-) Mandy
Bless him – what a happy looking chap! I don’t think I’ve ever blogged the recipe for liver cake, I didn’t think anyone would want it. It’s the equivalent of chocolate brownies for dogs. Tell Pete to go out for the morning. Skip the boiling part. Blitz chicken or lamb livers (what I use usually) with skimmed milk and eggs in blender, add rosemary, mint for fresher breathed dog, add flour and a little rising agent of some sort. Make a batter. Line tin with greased tin foil. Splodge into tin, bake till cooked through. Cut when cool, wrap and freeze.
You can use about 2 oz of liver to a lb of flour or more. Dogs noses are 4000 times more sensitive than ours and a little liver goes a long way….. sending you a pic …
Sally, it’s good they like them, because chicken liver is sooo cheap – I picked a tray up for $3/kg at the supermarket!
Manuela, I must admit this is the first time I’ve baked for a dog. Pete’s threatening to take the chickens away if I start cooking special meals for them.. :)
Deb, Mandy, thank you – he is a lovely old dog! :)
Jo, I would definitely have to send Pete out for the morning if I made that! But I bet your darlings love it! Steve asked me to go easy on the milk, as it makes Bob windy and stinky.. ;-)
water is fine too! I’m glad you have a dog to love – part time dogs are brilliant :)
he looks adorable! wish we had a dog. . . even though boiling liver seems a bit fragrant!! mind you, i do like pate, so i shouldn’t be too picky. . .
My Ruby loves the bought liver treats so I’m sure she would love those. Her trick is to put her paw in the cat’s dish when it is empty and look sad. I fill it up with dry cat biscuits and then Ruby runs over to the pantry and sits in front waiting for a liver treat,,, as if to say ‘well, the cat has food, where is my liver treat?’ She has us well trained.
I think Bob loves your cooking!
Ahh, will you just look at Bob licking his chops there! Obviously he approves of your baking, Celia! ;)
Hmmm….use the chicken livers for dog treats or pate, dog treats or pate…. I would choose pate- until those big brown eyes turned on me!
Anne, Becca, I love pate too, but I’ve never made it at home!
Shangri La, it sounds like Ruby has you well and truly trained! What a clever girl! :)
Chris, I hope so. Bob is probably the world’s best rent-a-pet – he goes home with Steve, but he’s happy to come and spend the day with us! :)
The last photo of Bob in this post says it all! Dogs absolutely do talk.
Bob looks like one seriously cool dog. I love that you’ve made dog biscuits – that’s awesome Celia :)
Bob has a beautiful face – can’t you just see in that face that his entire life goal is to make you like him, and he’ll do anything to make that happen.
I love dogs, but we are now without one – we are carefully looking, but as of yet, haven’t found the right one. If we found a ‘Bob’, we be in heaven, and I know just from his look that he be sure to keep the deer out of my garden.
What a beautiful retriever he is! The last pictures says it all,….
Now, this dog will always be back at your house for more,…. :)
Dear Celia,
Thanks for the fig salad recipe! Much appreciated too! :)
what a sweetie
Jan, Anna, he is a very cool and laid back dog. Or maybe he’s just too old to move very much! :)
Doc, as I said, he’s an old man, but he does love chasing “wild things”, as Steve calls them. When he lived in the country, he used to chase guinea fowl and rabbits, but not the chickens – because the former acted like “wild things”, but the chooks would just look at him as if to say, “what do you want, dog?” ;-)
Sophie, thank you! And I hope you enjoy the fig salad! Good luck with the house move!
Norma, that’s a good description – he really is a very sweet! :)
Awwwe. As you can tell by my nickname I love cats. But hubby and I got a dog 3 years ago – little chihuahua mix and we absolutely adore her. I never would have thought I could be a dog person too. :) I’ll have to try these treats out on her because she’s an absolute spoiled princess (my fault for the most part) and will only eat the chicken/duck jerky. I’m always trying new treats for her and end up giving them away because she won’t eat them. At least chicken livers are fairly inexpensive – and I like them too – mind you I don’t think I’d eat chicken liver cookies…
Thanks for bringing Joanna’s dog treats recipe to my attention. If we ever manage to get ourselves organised and look for another little jack russell after our loyal, 17 year old Rosie passed away last year, these doggie bones will definitely be on the agenda. Honestly Celia, I could see these walking out the door at a farmer’s market or more likely an inner city market. People love spoiling their four legged friends these days. Gotta be potential in that.
Bob is so handsome!
His treats look fun :)
Cat, this was really a cheap experiment – I got three takeaway boxes full of dog treats for about $3. Pete thought I was mad to taste them – they’re actually not that nice – but apparently dogs don’t have taste buds, only a very acute sense of smell (so I guess they “taste” through smell), so the stinkier and meatier the treat, the better! ;-)
Mariana, I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that there are people making something similar and selling them at farmer’s markets now. And Lorraine at NQN posted about a dedicated dog restaurant in Sydney a few months ago!
http://www.notquitenigella.com/2010/08/09/chew-chew-dog-restaurant-wollstonecraft/
Erin, he is handsome, isn’t he? We’ve just found out we’re babysitting him for five days, which will be nice for Small Man!
I am sending Milo (our dog) over to your place Celia. You already wow my kids so you may as well get the dog totally under your spell as well. :)
Just thought I’d let you know that ‘wheat flour’ is not great for dogs. Try some gluten free flour or ‘maize cornflour’ next time for an even happier dog. Sure dogs will eat it but it will make for runnier poos!