FEBRUARY 19, 2023
Everyone should take note that I’ve been SUFFERING through accounting worksheets, so my reward activity had to be really fun.
“Iron chef enrichment”
It’s like TV, but way less planning and lots more winging.
Tonight I made 2 new toy fillers (out of what I had)
– “ice cream” (0 fat greek yogurt, blueberries, sweet potato)
– chicken liver mousse (chicken livers and broth.) Y’all, I only cook livers and goat for a paycheck, but I made an exception for the offal and the ol’ cast iron stomach came in handy again.
I added kibble to some toys, banana to others, slathered up some lick mats, and put everything in the freezer. There are easier ones for Hascal and Archie and harder ones for the more advanced chewers.
I let the audience do a spatula taste test and although they enjoyed both concoctions, I’m afraid the liver will take the blue ribbon. 
Tomorrow we’ll test!
FEBRUARY 21, 2023
Time well spent in the kitchen!
Bottom line is that freezing your enrichment toys makes them last exponentially longer and having something stinky inside keeps dogs engaged in the work.
The challenge is mentally stimulating, but the act of chewing and licking is calming.
These toys are invaluable tools, and making up different types of filling is cognitively stimulating for me.
Thank you to everyone who has donated to “project enrichment.”
MARCH 7, 2023
Fishy pops! They’re all the rage around here. Thanks to a vast collection of molds (these from the thrift shop) I inadvertently created a perfect filler for the West Paw toys! Not only that, but I can make these pops in bulk and freeze them independently of the toy. Major upgrade to the system! Sardine popsicles are a game changer, and thank you Lori (Gideon’s mom) for sharing your secrets and great ideas. So what if it smells like a skipjack in here. The dogs are happy!
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1337748060128470
AUGUST 9, 2023
TWENTY PLUS – is the number of gloriously quiet minutes it took Cookie to consume her breakfast from this new mat.
There is no measure for how much fun I had filling it, nor the peace I enjoyed during its consumption.
We have a winner!
OCTOBER 25, 2023
Refrigerator clean-out. I have never made anything they hated.
