I love holidays, especially the ones that have days off or delicious food to enjoy. I thought I knew them all but recently I learned that Feb. 23 is International Dog Biscuit Day – yeah, a day to celebrate dog biscuits. It’s not my cup of tea, but being the crazy dog lady that I am, I couldn’t pass up a day to spoil my pup. So, Miss Gabby enjoyed her very first dog biscuit holiday celebration.

I was feeling a little creative, so I decided to bake Gabby her very own treats. She is an absolute nut for peanut butter so I made her bone-shaped doggie oatmeal peanut cookies. They were so easy and I loved watching Gabby sniff the air as they baked. She had no idea they were for her. When I pulled them out of the oven to cool, she sat in the kitchen without moving a muscle. She began to dance around when she finally realized the cookies were just for her. I made the mistake, however, of not telling the husband what I had done. When I got home from my errands, some of those treats were missing. The husband loved them too, except he said they weren’t very sweet. Oops. Sorry, honey, they were for the dog!

There is a dog bakery in town I’ve wanted to try, so I packed Gabby in the car for a little road trip. I’m always amazed with her sense of smell. She can smell a pet store or dog park blocks away. This trip was no different. As soon as I got close, she started wagging and whining. The store was so cool. It had loads of great collars, beds and, of course, extra-fancy dog biscuits in a traditional bakery case. Gabby hit the jackpot. I couldn’t resist the cupcake-shaped one, the ones that looked like Oreos or the cannoli style. They looked so delicious, I started craving sweets.

On the way home, we stopped at the dog park so that Gabby could romp around with her buddies. Since the Boneyard has been closed for repairs, that’s something we haven’t done in a while. I had forgotten how much Gabby loves playing with her dog friends. It was another great way to let her celebrate dog biscuit day.

There was one last thing I did in order to celebrate, but Gabby had to stay home for this one. I adopted Gabby from Karma Rescue years ago. I also volunteer for the local shelter, and I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to make those shelter dogs’ day a little brighter. So, I went to the pet store and bought a bunch of dog treats and took them to the pound. I know the poor pups that are still waiting to find homes will love celebrating dog biscuit day too, even if only in one small way. I wish I could have really made a dog’s day and brought one home.  Maybe next year Gabby will get a full-time playmate for International Dog Biscuit Day.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Mix dry ingredients together.
3. Mix in the peanut butter and hot water. You may need to add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
4. Knead the dough well.
5. Roll out the dough into 1/4″ thickness and cut into shapes with dog-themed cookie cutters.
6. Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 40 minutes.

Turn off the oven and let them cool overnight.

After cooling, the cookies get very hard – just the way dogs like them.

Storing: This peanut butter dog biscuit recipe makes biscuits that will last in a sealed air-tight container at room temperature for one week. You can store them in the refrigerator for three weeks and in the freezer for up to six months.