I am an animal lover. Like the crazy kind that chases dog walkers down the street, so I can pet their dog. I would break my television before I would watch another Sarah Mclachlan commercial. I cry at animal videos, happy and sad. And sometimes I cry about injured animals completely out of the blue. It’s awful, but it is something I want to turn into a positive at some point this year, whether it is through volunteering or dog walking.
Knowing that, you can imagine my love for my own animals and how sad I am to be traveling on Ivy’s sixth birthday. She is an adorable corgi with an abundance of energy and a bark you can hear down the street. She will fetch a ball until she cannot physically move and she loves, loves, LOVES to cuddle. She lays at the end of the bed to protect us every night and hates to have her feet tickled. She loves playing under a blanket and enjoys my midday dance parties.
We got her nearly six years ago when we had our other dog, Clover. Clover is a corgi mix we rescued from a shelter. She is a sweetheart, but from the beginning we could see the difference in the two dogs. Clover was a ball on my lap on the way home. Ivy barked the entire way. Clover was a bully with her toys. Ivy was timid and scared. After two years together, they started to not get along. It was heartbreaking. After more than a year of vicious fights, terrible bites (both the dogs and us), numerous vet bills and even a dog whisperer, we had to separate the two.
I have been against getting animals and giving up on them for as long as I can remember. This tore me apart. Fortunately, Clover adored my angel of a mother, who graciously took her in. After a week or so of tears and lots of anger towards Dave, I came around. Visiting her now, I see how happy she is and Ivy is much happier being the alpha dog.
Right now, I work half at home and half on the road, so I have the privilege of being home with Ivy most days. She has gotten me through some bad times with a cuddle and lots of licks, so because I am missing her birthday, I thought I would make her some pumpkin peanut butter dog treats. 
The recipe was only four ingredients, whole wheat flour, eggs, pumpkin and peanut butter. It was super simple, which I like. Mix, roll, cut and bake. I didn’t have any fancy cookie cutters, so I used an empty pill bottle to make circles. This recipe made a lot of treats, and I swear she knew I was making something special for her. Happy Birthday, Ivy. Thanks for all the smiles.
