Cooking for my Dogs!

Well, I didn't think it would come to this ... all my friends think I'm nuts, like I've really gone off the deep end now. I'm actually cooking for my doggies! What's funny is that I have been a vegetarian for about four years now, but I buy chicken thighs and turkey breasts and livers and gizzards for my doggies -- gross!

But I have to tell you, my dogs LOVE IT!! They go crazy for my homemade stew!!

You can find excellent recipes here: Dog Food Secrets.

I finally came to the realization that DOGS ARE CARNIVORES. And I just heard too many things about regular dog food kibble -- how processed it is, how non-nutritious the ingredients are -- you read some of the articles out there, and it will make you sick! No wonder our dogs die earlier than they should. It makes me sad that I gave them the cheapest store brand for years -- there's VERY LITTLE nutrition in them.

Later in life, when I started making more money and reading more about what I was feeding them, I did spring for the better dog foods, but even some of the PREMIUM brands have nasty, unhealthy things in them.  

Also, my cocker mutt, Roby, has had a hard time with ALLERGIES, which end up making his ears all itchy and smelly and gunky; and I've read that natural food, without preservatives and all kinds of chemicals, could lessen his misery. It's too early to tell for Roby, but many dogs develop food allergies, and it's certainly worth a try.

This is an EXCELLENT resource for finding out more about what's in dog food, and what you SHOULD be feeding your doggies: Dog Food Secrets.

What I usually do is put a couple of pounds of chicken thighs or turkey breasts in my big slow cooker. I add some carrots, peas, green beans, celery, garlic, sweet potatoes, yellow squash and zucchini to the pot and a pitcher of water (I do follow a recipe, but this is to give you a general idea). I cook it overnight, and in the morning, the dogs come up to my bed to wake me up early because they've been smelling this wonderful concoction all night long! I also add rosemary to the stock, and it definitely smells good enough to eat. Notice, I don't add salt or pepper to it.

You don't have to cut it up much -- just enough so it all gets cooked evenly. In the morning, I put a bunch of it in a blender and blend it a little. It's still somewhat chunky when it's done. I put the rest of the stew in the crockpot in my fridge.

I serve it over brown rice or oats, which I have cooked the day before.

I really do highly recommend the book Dog Food Secrets to you. It gives LOTS of important information about commercial dog food, and LOTS of great recipes for making your own dog food. It's not difficult, and really doesn't take that much time. And you won't believe how much your dog(s) will LOVE YOU FOR IT!

I do want to warn you, though, Dog Food Secrets is not for the faint of heart. Be aware that you may be shocked and sickened by what you read. ... But then again, be aware that your dog is probably being sickened by what you're feeding her if you're giving her only commercial dog food.