A Dog's Best Friend Is His Personal Chef!
As the saying goes, a man's best friend is his dog. But who's a dog's best friend? Why, his personal chef, of course!
Bentley Woofs His Approval!
Just ask Bentley, a 7-year-old golden retriever. Bentley is the official taste taster for Bone-A-Fido Treats®, a small gourmet dog biscuit company operated by Inge Schermerhorn of Kingston, New Hampshire. "He sits there like a little kid waiting for Mommy to drop cookie dough on the floor," Inge said.
How Bone-A-Fido Treats® Started
Inge Schermerhorn, a gourmet cook and educator, said Bentley's late canine "brother," McDivot, a collie, was actually the impetus for her 5-year-old business.
As a long-time dog owner and mother of four children, with a considerable age difference in the two youngest and two oldest kids, Inge found that she needed to set aside time for special activities for each child.
She said that when her two sons were babies they needed extra attention.
Fun For Kids To Make
Meanwhile, Inge didn't want her pre-teen daughters to feel left out.
So, she asked the girls if they'd like to join her in baking up a batch of dog bone-shaped biscuits for McDivot.
"I wanted to do something fun with my daughters that had nothing to do with the little guys," she said. "And my kids loved helping to make these dog treats as much as the dog loved eating them!"
Oh, Happy Doggy Days!
McDivot gave the crunchy creations five wags, encouraging Inge to bake up 200 more to sell in one of the four New Hampshire wine and cheese shops she and her husband John owned.
"Our help teased me," Inge said. "You've got to be kidding. These will never sell," the employees chided her. The Portsmouth store sold out in a day.
As Time Goes On
As Inge became busy with the full-time job of raising four school-age children, the dog biscuit recipe was tucked away for several years. In 1996, Inge dusted it off, and preheated the oven.
McDivot Rejoices!
McDivot was thankful, considering store-shelf treats weren't as appealing to his sophisticated palate.
After all, when you have a personal chef working for you, it's hard to go back to ordinary boxed dog treats.
White Teeth And Healthy Gums
McDivot's lifelong vet noticed a remarkable change in his 10-year old patient's mouth. His teeth were white, and his gums were healthy.
"Do you brush and floss his teeth?" the vet asked Inge. Admittedly, getting the kids to adopt a regular routine of dental care was a formidable challenge in itself, Inge replied. Thus, brushing her dog's teeth was a feat she hadn't even considered. Perhaps, suggested the vet, there was a change in McDivot's diet.
Yet, after the visit to the vet, she stumbled upon the change in McDivot's routine. As she was giving McDivot his daily treat of three homemade canine cookies, Inge realized they were doubling as natural toothbrushes, resulting in a smile even the American Dental Association would applaud.
A Dog Treat Company Is Born
"I was thinking maybe I should sell these," she said.
Since 1996, she's been concentrating her efforts on Bone-A-Fido, the all natural gourmet dog biscuit mix.
All-Natural Wholesome Ingredients
Improvements were made to the old recipe, resulting in all-natural ingredients, ranging from cracked wheat and cornmeal for fiber, to vegetarian chicken broth granules for flavor, to flea repelling brewer's yeast and peanuts for treating doggie breath.
A Doggy Breath Mint Discovery!
Inge said the last ingredient was discovered by accident, as McDivot, who normally abided by the Emily Post rules of proper dinner party etiquette, sampled some snacks set out for guests.
"I guess he couldn't stand it, and he helped himself to some peanuts," Inge said. After she scolded McDivot, Inge gave him a hug and noticed that the peanuts seemed to act as a canine breath mint. Ground peanuts were added to the dog biscuit mix.
Our Grinning Dog Logo
The 16-ounce brown packages of Bone-A-Fido Dog Treat mixes resemble gourmet coffee bags and feature a brown and white label with the face of a comical dog. Twine is used to hold a dog bone-shaped cookie cutter.
Inge said the country packaging with the grinning dog has encouraged New England specialty shops and pet stores to stock the mix on a trial basis. Repeat sales prompt the businesses to restock their shelves.
About Our Gourmet Chef Founder
Inge Schermerhorn pioneered her company as a blue-ribbon gourmet cook and educator. Her past culinary accomplishments include award-winning recipes published in regional newspapers and Yankee Magazine. Inge's taught cooking classes for years and has co-chaired a local gourmet cooking club. She received her training through PBS chef Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, among other notable culinary masters.
Since 1997, Inge has been a contributing editor for Taste of Home, a national glossy country gourmet magazine published by Reiman Media Group Inc. in Greendale, Wisconsin.
Excerpts from the article "Table Scraps" by Colleen Lent, The Hampton Union, Hampton, NH