Turns out pumpkin, in addition to filling pies, soups, and being eminently carve-able, works a certain enzyme magic on stomach irritation. Does it work on people?  I don’t know.  My job was to get it into the dog. “Feed her a tablespoon of pumpkin,” he said, “mixed in her food. Or right from the spoon – if she’ll take it.”

Would she? Her first move was to stuff her mouth with Ducky, thus avoiding whatever was on the spoon. Take it?

No.

And no.

And no way.

So I mixed it with her food – and for a time, she snubbed the food. She finally ate it, never making the connection that snacking on shrubs, or snail shells, or used Kleenex would earn her dinner a pumpkin garnish.  Now, I have cared for and loved three dogs. I have seen a lot of 3 a.m’s, a lot of snowy, moonlit grass. I wanted a better pumpkin delivery system, and for me, baking something “in” is an easy answer – especially for Cleo, who is sweet and trusting, and not bright enough to suspect a biscuit.

Rolling dough got her attention…

…and while they cooled on the counter, she even forgot the edible bits in the yard. Dogs love these simple biscuits and sick or not sick, they make great treats. They’re delightful – but my best advice? Buy wastebaskets with lids. Don’t plant poisonous shrubs, shut bathroom doors, avoid the tastiest pens. And by all means, keep a handy can of pumpkin.

Cleo’s Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons dry milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups brown rice flour *
1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

In large bowl, whisk together eggs and pumpkin to smooth. Stir in dry milk, sea salt, and dried parsley (if using, optional). Add brown rice flour gradually, combining with spatula or hands to form a stiff, dry dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface (can use the brown rice flour) and if dough is still rough, briefly knead and press to combine.

Roll dough between 1/4 – 1/2″ – depending on your dog’s chew preferences, ask first – and use biscuit or other shape cutter to punch shapes, gathering and re-rolling scraps as you go. Place shapes on cookie sheet, no greasing or paper necessary. If desired, press fork pattern on biscuits before baking, a quick up-and-down movement with fork, lightly pressing down halfway through dough. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully turn biscuits over, then bake additional 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on rack before feeding to dog.

* Brown rice flour gives the biscuits crunch and promotes better dog digestion. Many dogs have touchy stomachs or allergies, and do not, like many people I know, tolerate wheat.

Makes up to 75 small (1″) biscuits or 50 medium biscuits

Please note: This is not professional medical advice. These biscuits are a healthy everyday treat, and useful for a dog with a sensitive stomach, or minor digestion issues. If your dog is showing any signs of serious distress, remove all food and contact your veterinarian immediately.

And that’s where reality breaks. For people who are not hunters, people who do not shoot waterfowl or sit in cold duck blinds, we sure do think it’s cute.  Labs and ducks…so very Orvis, so by-the-fire!  Josie won’t touch real duck – not roasted or smoked, not cherried or stuffed, she declares it just too Donald.  “They swam in the pool,” she’ll remind us, “at the Wilderness Lodge.”

The duck makes us do stupid things.  I run around yelling “Get Ducky!” and ring like Eliza Doolittle – “get ducky, guv’na!” When we urge Cleo to entertain us with a “killing,” we’re suddenly a plush toy lynch mob. Not one of us would ever hurt a duck.  Maybe a slice of smoked duck breast now and then, fine, as long as I didn’t make it, but…there’s no getting around it.  There’s just something about those eyes and that floppy green neck…

“Kill Ducky!”

By Cleo.

You can see by her nylabone and sweet glazed stare that she’s settling into the house nicely. Like she’s always been there.

I’d been worried. And though I’m quite sure I wasn’t the first to fret about a transitioning dog, it sure seemed like it around here. Greg said she’d be fine as long as she had her pooch pad.

Check.

Josie said she’d be fine as long as she had Josie.

Check!

We boarded her on the moving days, so she wouldn’t be underfoot in the chaos that she hates. Cleo is very much a peace-and-quiet girl. She likes everyone to be non-threatening friends who share toys and treats.

Here, she suspiciously mistakes a black sock – I swear – for another lab.

She’s a sweet girl, but no genius.

Now we hear her padding and clacking up three floors of stairs and down again, over, and over, and over. She’s sniffed every corner, discovered the fridge, and picked her sunny spots.

Now prints track the floors and I’m tripping on bones – a sure sign things are going well, going normal. Wet spots on the floor lead to her water dish.

Turns out every window is lab-head height, making each one a lookout. I mean, there’s a whole neighborhood of new squirrels out there.

She’ll never get one, of course, but a dog can dream…

…and think glorious thoughts about absolutely nothing.