MY JODY

You’ll never find a dog like my Jody was. 

In 1975, we saw an advertisement in the paper for "Mixed Terrier Puppy." It turns out, the owner was related to my uncle's wife. She called, and they brought this little six week old puppy to our home. It was love at first sight. But my Mom wasn't sure she wanted him. But the man was on his way to work and asked if she would at least keep him for the day. She did ... and by that night "Elvis" had become Jody and was a member of our family forever!

Jody was THE SMARTEST dog we have ever had, before or since. He was almost human. Everyone who met him said he should be taken to Hollywood because he would become the next Benjii. He was also the most well-traveled dog, because our family enjoyed traveling more than anything and refused to ever leave Jody at home. HE WENT EVERYWHERE with us.

And Jody loved everyone and everything.  He especially loved Christmas, always knowing which of the gifts under the tree was his.  He loved the Manger we set out every year, sometimes standing by the table it was on for hours just looking at it. 

When Jody was 9 years old (in 1984), he was diagnosed with acute leukemia. Even though we did everything we could (transfusions, etc.), he only lived for one week after the diagnosis was made. He left a void nothing could ever fill. He would have been 40 years old today. 

I’ve been posting when a celebrity passes away, but I saved Joan Rivers for today because she was a true Dog lover, too.  I didn’t care much for her harsh humor, but she was an excellent jewelry designer and some of my favorite pieces are from the Joan Rivers Classics Collection.  If you know anything about her, you know that Joan adored her little Yorkie, Spike.  He went everywhere with her.  After Spike’s death, she adopted Max, a Pekingese rescue and Lulu, a rescue Boston Terrier.  Joan’s last dog was a Japanese Chin named Teegan.  When Joan went into cardiac arrest, her daughter Melissa brought Teegan to the hospital, where he laid quietly beside her when she passed away on September 4, 2014.  God bless someone like Joan Rivers who didn’t always like people, but always opened her heart and her home to the animals she loved.

 

Joan and Spike

Max and Joan

Joan and Lulu

Teegan and Joan

CANINE COOKIES

1½ cups stone-ground whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup powdered or dry milk
½ cup quick-cooking oatmeal, plus extra for sprinkling
½ cup smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the two flours, the powdered milk, oatmeal, peanut butter, and wheat germ. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and 1 cup of water and mix just until it forms a slightly sticky ball.


Dump the dough out on a well-floured board (I use all-purpose flour) and knead it into a ball. Roll the dough out ½-inch thick. Dip the cookie cutters in flour and cut out dog bone shapes. Collect the scraps, knead lightly, roll out again, and cut more dog biscuits.


Place the biscuits on the prepared sheet pan and brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle with oatmeal and bake for 1 hour, until completely hard. Cool and toss.