This Newf Reviews: The Leo and Homemade Salmon Cookies

Since I cheated you all out of your This Newf Reviews segment last week, this week I will be running a special - two for the price of one.

So many dogs were excited about the Nippy Newfie ice cream recipe that I have decided to share with you my most favorite and secretest recipe of all - Salmon Cookies. If these don't get you drooling, nothing will.

In addition to revealing the secrets to making incredibly delicious salmon cookies, there is a toy that has recently come to my attention that I feel compelled to share with you all as well. And so, you lucky dogs, I hope you enjoy this week's...



THIS NEWF REVIEWS! The Leo



Weird looking, isn't it? It won Pet Product News' Editor's Choice Award for 2005 - presumably because it is insanely cool. Here's how it works. One of them, on its own, acts sort of like a Kong - your human put treats inside and then you play with the Leo by pushing it around with your nose, picking it up and dropping it, pawing at it, and grabbing it in your teeth and flailing around until one of the treats falls out the neck. Then you drop the Leo like a bad habit and gobble said treat. Hurrah!

However - if your person fetches you two or three of these things, then your person can put them together by shoving the neck of one of them into the x marks the spot of another one. Then the treats move around inside from one leo to another, making it harder to get the treats out! This is truly a toy for Dog Einsteins. On the testimonials page they have pictures of Oscar with a Leo, and of Joe Stains with a Leo...guys how come you never told me about it?!

Company Standards: The Leo is made by a company called Canine Genius. I approve of them based entirely on their name. It's about time someone recognized.

Size and Portability: The Leo comes in two sizes and two strengths. The sizes are the Leo and the Mini-Leo. The Leo measures 8" H x 4" W. The Mini-Leo measures 5" H x 2.5" W. The Leo size comes in two strengths, Regular (for medium to soft chewers) and Extra (for all the rest of us).

I would describe this toy as ridiculously portable. In addition, it floats, so even if you capsize your Leo will not sink to the bottom of the sea.

Newfy Drool-o-Meter Rating: I give this toy a one-slinger. It's a toy, not a treat, so it is obviously not going to get me that fired up - but for a toy, this one is super cool!



THIS NEWF REVIEWS: SALMON COOKIE RECIPE

Ingredients: 16 oz. canned pink or red salmon (boneless).
2 or 3 eggs
oatmeal (uncooked) enough to form dough

To Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Add enough oatmeal to form a relatively stiff dough. What you do with the dough as far as form is concerned is up to you - my mama has little doggy bone cookie cutters (Mama's Note: They were a christmas present. I'm not THAT obsessed...) which she makes my cookies with, but you can just press the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper evenly and score the dough with a knife into bite-sized pieces. Cook for about 30 minutes - checking the cookies for browning. After 30 minutes you may wish to remove them and rescore them with the knife - cooking for another ten minutes if necessary until cookies are golden and crisp on the outside. Put into an airtight container and refrigerate when not feeding.

(Mama's Note: People - these cookies STINK LIKE FISH which is one reason they taste so fantastic to the dogs. Cook them with a window open and don't cook them when you are anticipating having guests over! Follow this link for another great place for cookie recipes!)

Newfy Drool-o-Meter Rating: SIMULTANEOUS ROPES TO THE FLOOR! These suckers are DELICIOUS!


*Newfy Drool-o-Meter Key:

Dry Mouth: Zero interest or appreciation for the item in question - not worth drooling over.
Minicicles: Just the tiniest hint of a droolcicle starting at either corner of the mouth. Drool worthy? Barely.
One-Slinger: The treat is good - good enough to get the juices flowing but not so good that I would offer it as an aperitif on a first date with Sunshade.
Two-Slinger: Now we're talking! The drool is even, it's sling-able, and it has been earned.
Simultaneous-Ropes-to-the-Floor: The highest honor I, or any newf, can offer a treat or toy. So delicious and delightful that the drool flows like water.