Gourmet Dog Biscuits: From Your Bread Machine

I was very disappointed that the author did not have a chapter devoted to allergen free recipes. To me, one of the biggest reasons to bake rather than buy treats, is to provide something that the stores don't provide. This book definitely does not do that. It gives you the opportunity to experiment with different flavors with your dog, but if your dog has a sensitive stomach, you probably don't like to do that anyway.

This is definitely more of a "fun, whimsical play with your dog" kind of book than it is a "provide the right nutrition for your dog" kind of book.


My dog and I thank you!!   October 15, 2002
J. Schrader (Gambrills, MD United States)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

I bought this book in a fit of self-indulgence... I am 40 pounds overweight and I love to cook all sorts of ethnic and gourmet meals. I was facing the prospect of trying to diet, and I was feeling very sorry for myself, not only for the fact that I'd have to eat much more sparingly, but because that also meant I would have to COOK much more sparingly. I don't like to be obligated to cook, but I sure do like it as a hobby, and I've failed many a diet before by convincing myself that food isn't fattening if it's homemade.

When I saw this book, I realized I had a key ingredient to my OWN successful diet. I could spend time in the kitchen, but I could spend it baking for my DOG. I've made dog cookies before, and while I enjoyed it once, the whole dough-blending process is laborious, and not something I wanted to repeat too often. And I own a bread machine, which I love to use, but which lies around gathering dust because when I bake bread, I eat bread, and I get fatter.

This book is just great. Each recipe is sort of a variation on a theme, and even though the recipes have a zillion ingredients, I have found them to be very tolerant of reasonable substitutions, once you figure out which ingredients are sort of interchangeable. And yet, the huge variety of recipes, complete with their cute little margin stories, make each round of baking a little adventure. I've made four recipes so far, some of which my dog has grudgingly shared with her various doggie friends and cousins. The reviews have been great across the board.

My recommendations if you buy this book: Do check the dough, as advised, 15 minutes after blending starts, because it's not uncommon to need a little more oil or water. Buy a nice size jar of yeast and a nice size jar of brewer's yeast and stick 'em in the fridge; have a shopping spree on a bunch of weird kinds of flour and brans and such, put them all in tupperwares so it'll all last, and then just bake, bake, bake. I've been baking about once every other week, and I'm not at ALL tired of it yet.

And I've lost eight pounds!!


Love your dog, LOVE THIS BOOK!   May 10, 2001
Sondra Macdonald (Northeast)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful

I smiled and chuckled through EVERY PAGE! Not only was it fun to make the biscuits , but the reading was so enjoyable. Everyone I know who loves dogs and has a bread machine is going to be getting this as a gift!