This is what happens when your dog beats you to the treat box!!!!
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Alfie – 6 months – wowzer
Huge thanks to those of you that passed on advice and tip bits!
We are making huge progress. 5 months on from me getting Alfie – he is now 16 months old. He is now dry in the house (such a relief!!!!!!!) – almost paper trained for his ‘jobs’ – but now goes in the street on the way to work! He has made a few doggie friends – and now is starting to make human friends. We are through all the panic attacks and night terrors – still have food / kitchen issues (I think noises may be a big part of this) – and wide space issues to cop with.
We recently had a big festival in the town and Alfie had to face walking through the most people he had ever faced – and a long walk to the car – he has ever faced. Yes – total panic – and so hard to lead work (me – a wreck!!!) – BUT – really in a really short recovery time – and no overhanging panic issues – did not hide when we got home – all he wanted to do was play.
His whole stance is so much more confident – he has to go to my shop everyday to work – my customers have been amazing in taking it all on board and are really helping him – and he is really working hard to do stuff. Luckily I lead a really calm, peaceful life – so he knows how things work.
I just can’t believe the progress we have made in the past 6 months to turn around this scared little wreck into a confident growing puppy.
Treats – the way to rule
Wet, Wet, Wet
It sure has been stormy this week – and that’s an understatement!
First waterproof coat of the season is waiting to be collected (as modelled by Muffin)
This week’s baking
I am a bit worried about me!
So – I am standing in the shop looking for some tins of fish to bake with – and I am thinking – ‘oooh – that will smell yummy’.
The ‘that’ of the idea was smoked mackerel. I like to buy known brands for my dog baking – so it has a traceable provenance – and so you know it’s reliable – and for my fish I have chosen John West for their company policies and track-ability. I know some people won’t agree – but I am not an expert and I have to take what they say on trust. It’s not as if they are some poky little back street company that you can’t rely on – their standards have got to be high.
So – this week – yummy smelling Smoked Mackerel Nibbles
Alfie Update
Alfie has been with me for almost 6 months now so her’s a quick little round up of his progress.
We are through the panic attacks – the night terrors – and he has the muscle control not to wet himself every time someone talks to him. He is dry in the house now – which is a huge relief I can tell you! – and he is almost there with his paper training.
It’s hard to find different, stimulating activities for him as still has outdoors fears – so this week we had a bath. He has quite a tight medication routine to solve some of the health difficulties he may have after his rough start – so there are only a few days in the month before he has his topical treatment that he can have a good scrub. He seemed to really enjoy it! He was a bit panicked when I lifted him into the water – but he soon settled and was perfectly still with no shaking while I was pouring the water over him – and the loved the soap rubbing!
Well – it seemed to tire him out – he still has very little stamina
Been Baking all week
The past couple of weeks sales – plus the on line box sales – and the giving away with jumper / coat sales = not much on the tray. Jeepers – my bad – wowzer – you love my treats.
Thank you soooo much for your faith in Posh Dog Bakes.
This week I have baked 2 different bakes every night all week to catch up with my boxes – which you can find HERE – and to refill general shop stock – and we have the Comic Fest in the town next weekend so I thought I had better get ahead!!!
This week I have baked twice a night – and come to a firm decision about size! From now on I will be ditching my larger size cutters – and just using the smaller size ones. It does take longer to cut them out – but they bake better, they handle better, and they post better.
We are almost totally gluten free now – which is a huge step. The labels are now fully in conformance – and we have introduced a colour coding system so you can see instantly what is gluten free – vegetarian – dairy free. The production system has been refined and is working really well.
Now available in box sets HERE
It’s not my fault – the internet ate it!!!
Between a shop refit – and internet hell I have been MIA for – EVVVVVVER – well it feels like it anyway.
I have Alfie updates – and new baking – and new sewing – and new knitting – and new stuff – and the fidget knickers on
and huge apologies for being away – will I improve )probably not( !!!
But – there is loads of Posh stuff going all the time!!!!
This week’s bake
Running very low on treats, they are doing so well now. I really need to do a week of baking every night but I don’t have the energy at the moment.
This week I have revisited the ‘Just Carrot’ – gone gluten free – and left the carrots rough instead of pureeing them. It’s really pretty to see the little strips of carrot in them.
We are just about completly gluten free now. The new flours are working out very well – they make a really crunchy biscuit that keeps along time
I will just leave this here
I have to apologise – my posting is all over the place at the moment. There is so much going on in the shop – and my Fibro / ME is playing up something wicked – I am just not getting through all the jobs.
I have opened the order books for the coming winter coat season and I am filling up already – so shout before I get swamped. I have just finished this dressing gown for a huge ball of fluff that feels the chill after a bath – and being a real mucky pup – he’s always in the bath!
This one has a back length of 18″ and is made from an 80% cotton towelling so it will soak up the damp. There is a big, baggy hood so he can get his ears dry too!
The cost of this is £18.50
Contact me with your orders for the next month – kittenandgoat@gmail.com
***POST WARNING***
Happy Birthday to you – Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear doggie – have a cake
We now bake gluten free Birthday cakes. They are available in peanut butter and apple or peanut butter and carrot – they have a yogurt and peanut butter ‘icing’ and are topped with grated carob curls.
I had one in the shop to share – and they have gone down a storm. I have had just one refusal from a greyhound – and one little chap had to be shown how to eat it as he had never had cake before – but he soon got the hang if it.
They cost £4.50 for a single layer heart shape about 4″ across – and at the moment they are collect only from the shop.
Alfie is legal!
I finally got round to getting Alfie a name tag – and I got the most wonderful tag
I love the heart shape – and it’s thinker than normal. And I love that you can see someone has engraved it – not a machine.
But – you know me – have to fiddle! Alfie has several collars (and I always getting a new one!) – so I wanted an easy way to swap it about.
If you would like to get your own disc made – the link is here
https://www.consciouscrafties.com/handmade-gifts/personalised-2-5cm-heart-pet-id-tag/
When you come to the end of your lollipop
– To the end, to the end, of a lollipop,
When you come to the end of a lollipop,
Plop goes your heart!
The yellow honey bee fabric has been my most popular E-V-E-R. If I could get another 10 metres I would – – but it’s all gone – this is the very last scrap
The last little useable bits have gone into a couple of poo bag holders and a couple of key fobs. These last bee goodies will be in the shop soon!!!
This week’s bake
Anyone who makes scented candles – or soap – should make a peanut butter scent. I have been baking with peanut butter all day – and the house smells amazing!!!
2 experiments – First pup cake peanut butter and carrot – gluten free
Bit of work still to go in to the proportions – peanut butter is such an odd thing to work with. All the tester don’t seem to mind though – it’s gone down very quickly. I also had a try with coconut oil. First time I have used it – but everyone keeps going on about it and I have never tried it. Don’t like it – won’t be swapping my olive oil. It is way too heavy and greasy for what I want – and it’s not a wet enough ingredient for something that is wet and not a solid. I will use the rest of the jar up in a human bake that needs butter – that may be better.
Second bake – luxury ‘chocolate’ cookies.
No our type of chocolate of course – a grated carob bar – and – good old peanut butter – yumms
OOOOOh yummie
New fabrics
There are some really pretty fleeces about for the coming season – can’t wait to cut them up!!!!!
You’re fired!!!
honestly – I think I should sack my ‘tester’ dogs – they just love everything!!!
This week I have come up with a new invention – Caribbean Crush. It’s pineapple – mango and banana – and the dogs can’t get enough of it!!
This is the weighing station – the final part of the process. I think I am finally there with all the labeling – I have just started to add colour coding so you can see at a distance the different types. This one is not Gluten free – but it is vegetarian – and as there are no egg in it – it’s vegan too.
Gosh we have come along way!
New member of The Posh Dog gang
Tink is rocking here new bandanna
She had a box of treats too – and was over the moon at that!
Alfie update
I am soooo proud of the Alfster – – he has gone 1 whole week being dry in the house! That is so amazing – not 1 single ‘accident’ – and he fetched me to his paper space so show me what he had done – so that shows that he is starting to get muscle / brain messages happening – gosh – so proud!!
Bare in mind that 4 months ago this dog had never had any personal contact at all – no idea of what snuggling was – how to get on a sofa – and was totally freaked by the TV – how far have we come!
Yeah – next week we will have ‘accidents’ – and we still have such a long way to go – – but ‘this week’ – scrummie puppie takes all the prizes
This weeks bake
I am way behind this week – I haven’t finished yesterdays chores – never mind starting to days!
This week I have done my first fully gluten free bake for public sale. I have used Buckwheat flour (it’s not a wheat – it’s a flower) – and a coarse ground polenta (maise). It makes a beautiful silky dough – I would still like a bit more of a rough texture – and gives a really crisp biscuit. My 2 main testers can’t get enough of them – they are hopeless as testers really – they love everything!
A comment was made about the work that goes on behind the scenes re the paperwork for DEFRA – so I thought I would show you my stack of books
I have a ‘goods in’ book to write what ingredients come in
a rough notes recipe book of mixes I am working on
a diary log to write down what I have done in the kitchen that day
a technical file with all my procedures and risk analysis for each recipe
and – a final recipe book for when I am finally happy with the mix and the control procedures
It did take me hours of practice to get the system organised – but I have got the evening’s paper work after a bake down to about 2 hours now
The treat boxes have launched on-line HERE
More products will be added as I bake more stock
New ‘find’
I had to empty the fabric cupboard the other week so the chap could change the metres – and look what I discovered.
I bought 5 metres of the ages ago – and I had forgotten all about it. Love the bright colours – I have already started chopping it up!
Bandannas in the SHOP NOW
Bit of housekeeping needed
I have been doing really well with my reorganising. I have my high desk clear and undercontrol – the kitchen counter is clear and fully useable again – even the back room floor is nearly clear – may even be able to vacuum soon!
The elephant is the room – – – my big office desk!!
Serious head down and clear the backlog of paperwork and listing is needed this week!
SOoooo- where can you get the very best hand baked dog treats then?
This a very 
serious matter – no laughing needed there poochie!!!
Posh Dog bakes are getting so popular more people want to know where they can get their paws on them!
The bestest doggie news is that the treats are now available in 2 real bricks and morter shops and on line.
shop outlets –
No 26
26 Kempock St, Gourock PA19 1NA
no website – but contact on facebook no 26 HERE
The Kitten and The Goat
9 New Shambles, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4TS
website – www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
The treats have a long shelf life – and I am baking all the time – so you should get a decent verity when you call in for your treats.
On line –
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk – in The Posh Dog section
www.consciouscrafties.com – in The Posh Dog Clothing Company shop
when you are shopping on line please bear in mind we are not a mass production factory – I hand bake a limited run of whatever takes my fancy. Stock levels chance – flavours change – the yumminess stays the same – and – as always – just ask if you want something
AND I can do requests – special diets and dietary advice are all part of the service
Any shop looking to stock seriously real home baked dog treats email me @ kittenandgoat@gmail.com
This weeks bake
This week I thought I would experiment with buckwheat flour. It is gluten free – and I want to be able to offer that option.
It is a really fine, light flour – and I missed the bran roughage of the wholemeal flour. I obviously could not add a bit of bran – so I added some oatmeal. Technically oats are Gluten free – but because they are grown / processed along side wheat – they are at risk of cross contamination and you can’t call them that. Long term I need to find some sort of roughage to add instead of the oats.
The buckwheat makes a really light, crisp biscuit – which my 2 little testers liked!
This week’s bakes
Sorry – My silly camera has decided not to transfer photos – so I have been a bit stuck!!
I have finalised the Cheese Love recipe this week. I have added more cheese and a portion of rolled oats. Oats are really healthy – they are good for the heart – give you extra fibre – and add texture to the treats.
I am also working on a colour coding system so that you will be able to see clearly if a product is vegetarian – vegan – gluten free – low fat and so on.
