A diet gone to the dogs: Homemade dog foods

Imagine eating the same bland food twice a day your entire existence, with little variation or hope of getting anything really tasty. Welcome to the culinary life of your dog.

Yes, when it comes to what we feed Rover, we tend to assume they’re getting all the vitamins and minerals they need through store-bought food. And as long as they keep eating it and are healthy, all is presumably well.

But if they could talk, maybe we’d find out they’re not as satisfied as we think. So if you’re ambitious and want to introduce your dog to the good life, there are a number of content producers on the Web ready to teach you the finer points of cooking for Fido using fresh, nutritious ingredients. So, boot up the laptop or tablet, log on, and find out how you can feed your dog better than most humans eat.

CookingForDogs (www.youtube.com/user/ CookingForDogs): Australian canine advocate and lifelong dog owner Christine Byers is your host for this series of tutorials on how to make healthy, fun recipes for your pup, with meals ranging from turkey meatballs and a hound-dog hot pot to spaghetti Bolognese and chicken rice risotto. And for treats, there are how-tos on all manner of comestibles like cupcakes, cookies and milkshakes. It’s fare for the sophisticated canine palate.

Kiki’s Canine Kitchen (www.youtube.com/watch ?vifEWyKvULoo&listPLFEVUcQYgTIpxLZKiqIt3 ic-478kZ4cWX): Dog chef and blogger Kiki Kane hosts this series of informative videos on the Rover. com channel on YouTube, offering up ideas for a chicken pot pie, marinated jerky, a veggie turducken, carob cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, and even a birthday cake. No word yet on what wines pair with these.

JustFoodForDogs.com (www.youtube.com/ channel/UCa9Tr6pgQcxm2tLry0AogMA): With a mission to increase the quality and length of life for as many dogs as possible, Just Food for Dogs offers up a mix of videos not only on homemade dog food, but also on a plethora of health-related topics ranging from veterinary specialists and surgical procedures to toxic foods, allergies and cancer diets. Among the recipes you’ll find are turkey and whole wheat macaroni, chicken and white rice, and even venison and squash.