Over the
weekend Cramps turned to me and said to “you’ll never really understand love
until you get a bulldog, will you?” To which I had to totally agree.
Now don’t
get me wrong, we don’t have children, so we’re not experts on unconditional
love but we’ve both had other dog breeds before and stand by the fact that nothing
can prepare you for the love (hair, puddles of wee, poo, ruined rugs…) that a
bulldog brings to your life. We didn’t take the decision to get a puppy lightly.
Our research told us the breed was fairly low maintenance in regards to
exercise but needed a lot of love. They could be stubborn but were very loyal
and affectionate. It seemed a great fit for our lifestyle. We had both been
totally won over by the bags of character the breed have, a quick search on
YouTube and you’ve got more hilarious videos of bulldogs than you can shake a
stick at.
Part of
their charm is their tough appearance that melts away in an instant! In fact I
would say Benson is the soppiest dog I have ever met. This is a dog who despite getting on for 25kg
feels climbing onto your lap for a cuddle is a totally appropriate thing to
do. He will sit on feet while we are
eating at the table and never leave our side once all day. He even follows me
into the toilet or bathroom when I shower. His love knows no bounds. He is
obsessed with soft things, cushions, rugs, blankets and will often burrow into
said soft furnishings for a quick nap leaving a trail of dog hair and a musk of
hamster bedding…hmmm aren’t we just so lucky. Forget independence Benson hates
being left alone, the guilt inducing face he has perfected for when I try and
leave the house is so perfect that he often rides shotgun while I do my
errands. He is never left alone for more than 3 hours and that is only when
absolutely essential.
He has about
100 different facial expressions, each one incredibly funny. To him you are
everything. While it hasn’t always been easy to adjust I love having Benson in
our little family. You will never feel as loved as when you walk through the
front door to a bulldog that’s shaking with excitement to see you. If you have
the time and commitment that it takes to look after a dog who needs so much
love I can’t recommend this breed more. If you already have one then you will
know what I mean. A truly special breed, one in a million.
While this
isn’t my usual kind of recipe I decided to create this for a couple of reasons.
My little mutt is so sensitive- he seems to be allergic to everything! Nightly Sudocrem
massages and an avoidance of any foods with artificial colours help to keep his
itching to a minimum. We once tried one of his dog treats to see “what all the
fuss was about” I swear they are made of compressed cardboard. So as a token of
my appreciation for his love and ensure I know what he was eating I had a go at
making some tasty little dog treats for him. Really these biscuits could be
eaten by us too as they are much like a savoury oat cake, however I think I’ll
leave these for Benson, sharing food with a pet is a questionable at best. Once
made they will keep for a week or so in an airtight container. He loved them;
mind you he would literally eat anything if he had his way.
Bensons Biscuits
Makes about
50 small biscuits.
180g
wholemeal four
100g polenta
55g oats
30g wheat
germ
50g light
brown sugar
½ tbsp.
baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
½ cup water
85g butter,
cold, chopped into pieces
1 egg
1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put all the
ingredients, apart from the egg in a food processor and pulse until the mixture
resembles crumbs. Add the egg and pulse
again then gradually add up to 50ml of cold water until you have a soft but
dough. Divide into two balls and roll out each one in turn on a floured surface
about ½ cm thick.
2 Stamp out hearts, bone shapes or whatever you fancy. Vary
the size if you like depending on how good/big your dog is. Divide between flat
trays lined with parchment. Re-roll any trimmings. Cook on the middle and
bottom shelf, swapping the trays half way through, for 18-20 mins, until light
golden and crisp. Cool. Keep in an airtight container.
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