The A-Z of Bruce’s world: B

We may inhabit the same physical world as our four-legged friends, but we see that world in very different ways. This week, B is for …

Beef bites

If there’s one thing guaranteed to get Bruce salivating, it’s a homemade beef bite. There’s a world of processed dog treats out there but, like many off-the-shelf treats for humans, it’s not always clear what’s in them. These beef bites are 100% lean beef, so you can dish them out with confidence.

To make Bruce’s beef bites, buy some lean beef. Chop the meat into cubes, around 1cm big. Whack some baking parchment on a baking sheet and scatter the cubes of meat on it, fairly close together. Put the tray into a cold oven and heat it to 150°C. Cook the meat for one hour. After an hour, reduce the temperature to 100°C and prop open the oven door to let the moisture out. Leave the meat in the oven at 100°C with the door propped open for a further two hours to dry the meat. Once out of the oven, let the beef bites dry overnight at room temperature and pop them into an airtight container the next day. They’ll keep for up to year in there. Beef bites, done.

Bruce leaves the other standing
Photograph taken on an iPhone (not professional!)

Ball

The guy adores his ball. Nothing else – and no one else – exists if he’s running after his ball. It’s funny, he never used to be into playing with a ball, until he realised he could beat his best friend Buddy at the chase and win every time. Since then, he’s been mad for it. He literally runs as fast as he can and, if another dog comes to play, they don’t stand much chance of winning the race.

Best chums

Buddy and Monkey – two miniature dachshunds belonging to our best friends – are Bruce’s best friends, which is handy. Buddy is the eldest, and he did a dreadful job of disciplining Bruce when Bruce arrived as a puppy. Bruce used to terrorise poor Bud, and it was a dark day for the dachshund when he discovered Bruce was now big enough to jump onto the sofa and there was no longer any sanctuary to be found. It’s not pleasant having a puppy swinging from your cheeks night and day. Monkey is the youngest – he may be the smallest but he’s definitely the loudest.

There’s no point even throwing it – you know I’m going to win!
Photograph taken on an iPhone (not professional!)

Biscuits

The word ‘biscuits’ is banned in our house (as is the word ‘bone’), unless we want to send Bruce into a frenzy of excitement at the mere mention of the word. Biscuits are also known as ‘bribery’ at Mighty Pooch HQ – we use them to ensure Bruce is pleasant on the lead as he passes other dogs. He has learned to expect a biscuit if he doesn’t grizzle at other dogs while he’s on the lead. While Bruce is lovely off the lead and will play with other dogs happily, he’s not perfect on it at all times. We think it stems from the time a dog who was off the lead leaped on him unpleasantly while Bruce was on the lead. Nonetheless, with the aid of our trusty biscuits, Bruce gets better every week. We’ll share a delicious homemade biscuit recipe next week (even Michael loves to snack on them!).

I think you’ll find it’s tea time
Photograph taken on an iPhone (not professional!)

Boss pot

Bruce is a dreadful boss pot. He demands star treatment every day. For example, he won’t arrange a blanket around himself on the sofa; instead, he has a little paw action he does to order the nearest human to do it for him. He (like many other dogs I’m sure) will also demand his tea at five o’clock sharp with a hard stare. He also orders extra walks with a hard stare and an exasperated huff. We once asked a dog behaviourist what that huff means and she confirmed it – he’s basically saying “Come on now, get a move on!” We hear the huff a lot if we’re all ready to go out and someone has lost a glove, which delays departure. Personally, I think it’s rude to swear, but try telling that to Bruce!

Next time in Bruce’s world, we check out the Cs. Head back to A is for … here.

Words: Aislinn Kelly

Email Aislinn and Michael: hello@themightypooch.co.uk

The Mighty Pooch are specialist dog photographers based in Yorkshire but happy to travel for photoshoots. Go behind the scenes of some of our shoots. Visit our website at http://www.themightypooch.co.uk/