DIY tricks and treats for your doggie

Give your dog the royal treatment with these tasty and nutritious treats (and a side of cool tricks).

• Pick up an inexpensive plastic shower cap (or save a free one from a hotel) to use as a portable pet water dish.
• Stick it in your pocket when walking your dog, and when needed, pull it out and fill it from a water bottle or the nearest faucet or water fountain.

People do like to make a fuss over their dogs, and why not? For a birthday or adoption anniversary, you can go to a very fancy pet store and spend a lot of money or you can make up this nutritious treat (to be meted out during the week) for a few dollars. Here's a cake that you can feel good about offering him.

What you need:

• 1 small package cornbread mix or 100 g (1/3 c) flour
• 100 g (1/3 c) cornmeal, bran or rolled oats
• 7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) baking powder
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) garlic powder
• 500 g (1 lb) ground chicken
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) honey
• 1 large egg
• 50 g (1/4 c) live-culture plain yogurt
• 20 ml (4 tsp) vegetable oil
• 125 g (1/2 c) whipped cream cheese
• Dog biscuits, as needed to decorate cakeWhat to do:

  1. Preheat oven to 175ºC (350ºF). In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre and add chicken and wet ingredients. Stir just until mixed (or substitute cornbread mix made according to directions and combined with chicken).

  2. Pour into greased cake pan and bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is done and a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

  3. Turn out onto a cake rack to cool.

  4. Frost with cream cheese (thin, if needed, with a little milk) and decorate with dog biscuits. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to one week. Makes one cake with four to six servings, handed out to your happy pooch during birthday week.