First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage…

Our Family Is About To Grow By Four Feet (Paws)We interrupt this regularly-scheduled blog post to bring you… our newest family member!

About a year ago, our old dog Calvin passed away. He wasn’t exactly the brightest dog you ever met (he got by on his super-fluffy good looks, mostly), but he was well-loved, and he left us with many fond memories. Ever since then, though, the house has felt a little empty without the pitter-patter of paws on the floor.

Well, finally, that’s about to change…

Meet Neko - Our Newest Family Member!

Meet, Neko!

Just eight weeks old, and already showing off his smarts. Not that he’s learned his name yet or anything, but you can totally tell by the way he looks at you. It’s like he knows he can control your every move. Puppy mind-control is no joke, people.

Meet Neko - Our Newest Family Member!

Resistance is futile.

It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for cute dogs. In fact, it was T-Hub’s dog, Calvin, who helped bring us together in the first place. I was working as a pet-sitter at the time, and, well, one thing led to another…

And now we have a puppy!

I’ve always thought of dogs as being a part of the family, and yet, I’ve never really understood when people refer to their pets as their children… until now. Having a puppy in the house, it’s hard not to see the similarities. And, just like any new parent, it’s tough not to think your baby (err, puppy) is the cutest there ever was.

Meet Neko - Our Newest Family Member!Meet Neko - Our Newest Family Member!

I mean, come on? He’s pretty cute, right?

Of course, it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t spoil him just a little… so, in honor of little Neko’s arrival, I’m making a big batch of these Pumpkin & Peanut Butter dog biscuits. (You can click the photo below to be redirected to the recipe.)

Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits - tummy friendly treats

These treats are a favorite of mine, because they’re made with healthy, all-natural ingredients that are easy on a dogs digestion.

Neko got here just in time to watch us harvest our pumpkins from the garden, and he was clearly very intrigued by them. Hopefully he likes eating them as much as he does playing with them!

Meet Neko - Our Newest Family Member!

What are some of your favorite treats to feed to your pets? This little guy’s got a big appetite, so I’d love to hear your suggestions!

 

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Still hungry? Try these:

21 Responses to First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage…

  1. Foodie Stuntman October 2, 2013 at 4:23 am #

    Congratulations on the addition to your family!

  2. Simon Rolka October 2, 2013 at 6:02 am #

    Oh my goodness, I want to be part of your family!

    • Willow Arlen October 3, 2013 at 5:21 pm #

      Haha, I’m sure that could be arranged… ;)

  3. movita beaucoup October 2, 2013 at 10:16 am #

    Squeeeeeeeal! Cutest puppy ever. Congrats on the new addition! I’m sure you’re equal parts thrilled and exhausted right now. That face, that face…

    • Willow Arlen October 3, 2013 at 5:22 pm #

      Thanks! A little more thrilled than exhausted, actually… he’s fairly mellow! Definitely got lucky with his disposition. :)

  4. Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes October 2, 2013 at 12:41 pm #

    He is absolutely adorable!!! Love the name too :) Anna loves Max & Ruffy’s treats (vegan & all natural) and healthy hips duck or chicken chews – she is also a fan of carrots!

    Congrats on your new addition to the family, can’t wait to hear about all the mischief and adventures he will have :) xo

    • Willow Arlen October 3, 2013 at 5:23 pm #

      Thanks, Heather! I love giving carrots as treats… I just gave Neko his first one to see what he thought, and he LOVED it. Yay!

  5. mimi rippee October 2, 2013 at 2:43 pm #

    He’s beautiful! Hide your shoes!

  6. leaf (the indolent cook) October 2, 2013 at 2:54 pm #

    Oh my dog, he is so CUTE! So cute so cute so cute. x

  7. Cassidy October 2, 2013 at 5:00 pm #

    Aww! Congrats!! We’re big peanut butter fans here with our dog, but we have a basset and he’ll literally eat everything… including a whole bunch of non-edible things (oh the vet bills!). Good luck with the new addition. Love his name!

    • Willow Arlen October 3, 2013 at 5:26 pm #

      Haha, oh noes! Neko has a fondness for chewing on fabric (like blankets and clothes), that we’re hoping to wean him of, but so far he’s pretty good about most things. Definitely a fan of peanut butter, too! :)

  8. Abby October 2, 2013 at 10:59 pm #

    Eeeeeee! He is so stinkin’ cute!!!! Welcome Neko! Our bulldog is allergic to everything it seems, but he lovvves apples, sweet potato, and yogurt. Have fun with your new pup!

    • Willow Arlen October 3, 2013 at 5:27 pm #

      I had a dog once who adored apples — he’d literally grab them off the counter and eat them whole! I’ll have to try introducing them to Neko and see what he thinks (it would be great if I could get him to snack on fruits and veggies every once and a while).

  9. Kavey October 3, 2013 at 7:11 am #

    He’s utterly adorable. :-)

  10. shannon weber October 3, 2013 at 1:52 pm #

    aaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhh HE’S SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! puppy faces are like my favorite thing! he’s SO FLUFFY!!! i love him. now is it that he loves “hiding under THINGS” or “hiding UNDERTHINGS,” because the latter could be a real problem for you. ;) too cute. congrats to both of you…he’s adorable. i love those little puppy feet.

    • Willow Arlen October 3, 2013 at 5:29 pm #

      Hahaha — he loves hiding under THINGS, thankfully. He goes under our porch to sleep (probably to keep cool, as well), crawls under our couch, under chairs, everything. If there’s something to go under, he’s all over it. :)

  11. Mrs. Witmer October 5, 2013 at 8:44 am #

    Ermahgersh! He’s super duper cute!…but don’t tell my puppies I said that since ya know, I’m supposed to think they’re the cutest things ever. (MUST HAVE ALL THE FLUFFIES!) My pups (yes, I was deranged at the time and got two puppies within a couple of months of one another) like to chew on blankets as well and despite this sounding like it would only encourage the bad behavior more, once we got them their own blankets, they’ve stopped messing with ours. We also make sure to keep plenty of the harder rubber chew toys in the house for them to sink their teeth into. One thing they both L O V E is when I take sweet potatoes, slice them, and just bake them. Goodness me. The moment I start slicing a potato, they’re stuck to my ankles like white on rice until I give them one. Lol. Congratulations and I definitely look forward to seeing more pictures as he grows. :-)

  12. Emily June 24, 2017 at 11:32 am #

    Hi Willow! I was curious if we could use your photo of the couple holding hands with a collar saying “we’re growing by four feet” and edit out the dog’s name? It’s for a print brochure for a non profit group assisting a municipal shelter. We would give you credit. Please let us know as soon as you can. We can send you a copy of the brochure if you’d like as well.

    • Willow Arlen July 17, 2017 at 11:32 am #

      Hi Emily, I’m so sorry I didn’t see your comment sooner! If you’re still interested in using the photo for your brochure, go ahead. Thank you so much for asking permission first, and including credit back to me as the photographer. My apologies again for not getting back to you sooner!

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