Dog Photography Blog

The turkeys are being bought, the stuffing stuffed, the cranberries are singing, being de-canned or compoted, while potatoes prepare to be mashed and smothered in matching turkey gravy. The end of the meal has released the belt at least two notches,  a statisfied sign, a burp then the wafting goodness as the last element of classic Thanksgiving is pulled from the oven.

PIE!

Around here pumpkin pie with an over generous heaping of whipped cream caps off the meal.

Which got us thinking, could dogs delight in the same pie goods as us humans? In a way yes.

Traditionally pumpkin pie is made with nutmeg which very very BAD for dogs! Which means dogs can’t eat our pumpkin pie, but we can always MAKE them their own pies!

Here’s a handy recipe to make your dog his own pumpkin pies!

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Pumpkin Pie For Dogs

(Found on Rover.com)

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Want to try a different type of pie? Substitute out the pumpkin and whip up:

• an apple pie
• a banana pie (mix in some peanut butter for an Elvis vibe)
• a blueberry pie
• a cranberry pie
• a peach pie
• a pear pie
• a raspberry pie
• a strawberry pie (or mix all the berries!)

All the fruits listed above are dog edible. If you make any of them just be aware of too much added sugars that could upset your pup’s tummy. 

If we were crafting a dog pie, we’d aim towards a blueberry or peach (perhaps a blueberry peach one!).  What kind of pup pie will you create for your dog this Thanksgiving?

The turkeys are harvesting, beginning their defrost to thawdom and epic feasts abounding with foods of the stuffed, canned, baked and freshly cut varieties, Thanksgiving is nearing, to be followed by naps and frantic shopping for THE deal of the year. 

Onward we continue with our favorite things series, this time we feature ourselves, About A Dog Photography. Not just photography sessions with your dog (which are always our FAVORITE thing) but something else solidly awesome. 

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Our favorite things: Dogs of Minneapolis book

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! We have WRITTEN A BOOK!!! And…… its REAL!!! Snag one and get your hands all over this hunk of 11×8 awesomeness! Ooooo la la! A book by us! SWOON!!!

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And take a breath…. (can you tell its one of our favorite things?)

This was an epic adventure full of amazing dogs and their people (18 sets of dogs including a dynamic duo and a quad with squad goals down) paired with those iconic locations found around Minneapolis. They helped raise: $1620+ for Secondhand Hounds, Ruff Start Rescue & Great Dane Rescue of MN & WI! (You can help raise even more! 10% of each Dogs of Minneapolis book purchase will be given to one of the three rescues!).

A few snafoos (overly bouncy pups, overly shy pups, permits and weather oh my!) didn’t keep this idea from growing into a tangible touchable book. We learned, we grew and we’ve got approx 500 more ideas for books to come. (Want to be part of the next one? Drop us a line at & we’ll get you on the waitlist! BTW the North Shore will be in the near future…)

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A HUGE thank you for all the dogs who are part of the Dogs of Minneapolis. Without you, there would merely be pictures of murals, sculptures and buildings. Thank you a bazillion!

Show them the love:
– Ruby
– Bailey
– Murphy
– Kaiser
– Armani
– Luna & Zoey
– Austen
– Owen
– Panda
– Shanook & Shiloh
– Rocky, Arlee, Gemma & Mortie
– Nessa
– Sherman
– Jax
– Zuzu
– Bo
– Kona
– Diamond

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This is part of our blog series “Our Favorite Things”. Did you miss the previous interviews? Find the CuddleMutt one here, and the Val’s Brew Treats one here. 

Winter has arrived, full frozen force like Elsa tossing a pout in a dusting of snow, the coverage give or take your location. Couldn’t we ease into this a bit more?

On your quest to stay warm and cozy today, tip your hat to our veterans (thank you everyone who has served in the military, we appreciate it to the highest degree) and snuggle in for another addition our favorite things.

Today’s feature is Val’s Brew Treats. Kattie (pronounced Katie for those unsure) is a spunky, sweet, awesome woman doing epic things with… spent grains!

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Our Favorite Things: Val’s Brew Treats!

Hello Kattie!

How did you get started?
It all started as most endeavors start: over a few beers at a brewery. We realized that after the brewing process, the spent grain is usually just thrown away despite the fact that it can still be used for baking. We took the spent grain, incorporated other natural ingredients, and baked a small batch of treats. Val readily volunteered to be our taste tester. Spoiler alert: he loved them!

Where did you get the idea for Val’s Brew Treats?
From our dog Val and the brewing community we love!

What’s unique about Val’s Brew Treats? (And do you only offer dog treats?)
Our dog treats are made with the leftover beer grain from the brewing process. We work directly with Twin Cities breweries. We are passionate about reusing and recycling to create a more sustainable way of living. 

We also make high quality pet products such as bandanas and bow ties. We even make paw & nose balm to help your pet in the winter.

We are a zero waste company. 

What is something that surprised you about owning a business? 
How much I enjoy it. I love being able to work from home and spend time doing what I love. And of course spending time with my dog. 

Did you have any early challenges? If so how did you overcome them? If not, what is something you’ve accomplished with Val’s Brew Treats that makes you mega proud?
How long it actually took to get the treats approved and ready to sell. I spent months working with the Department of Agriculture making sure my labels were correct. 

What is some advice you’d give someone just starting out? 
It’s hard work. Be prepared to work 16+ hours a day. But being your own boss is awesome!

What is you most popular product?
Buffalo plaid anything. 

Do you have any pets?
Val. He’s 6.5 yes lab/shepherd mix. We adopted him 4.5 years ago. He’s a wonderful dog who brings us joy daily. 

Val has many jobs at Val’s Brew Treats. His titles include: quality control, taste tester, model, and snuggler.

Tell us about the humans behind Val’s Brew Treats:
I’m Kattie and my boyfriend/partner is Ben. We are both originally from New Jersey and moved to Minneapolis almost 5 years ago. 

I grew up in my grandmothers sewing room. She is the most talented women I’ve ever met and I’m blessed to have 1/10 of the talent and skill she has. I’ve always been passionate about design/sewing. I also enjoying working with leather, watercolor, sculpture, and cooking. I love working with my hands and being able to create. 

Ben is my behind the scenes operations. He does labeling, social media, and booth helper am heavy aka heavy lifter.

Where can we find Val’s Brew Treats?
At one of the many markets we do each month (follow us on Facebook and Instagram to know where we’ll be) and our website https://www.valsbrewtreats.com/

Thank you a ton Kattie! Head over and snag some of those famous treats (Bender rather enjoyed his peanut butter ones) as well as some dapper accessories perfect for the holiday season!

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Did you miss the CuddleMutt interview? Find it here: CuddleMutt

We have made it past the ghoulish fun of Halloween, traipsing right into the oncoming holiday season. (Egads, there’s a smidge over 7 weeks until we are merrily gathered around the Christmas tree, yule log ablaze, our spirits warmed by frothy spiked eggnog!)

Inspired by the Holiday Gift Guide featuring the season’s must haves and a few of our favorite things (find the guide here:) we thought it would be awesome to get to know the people behind the businesses!

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Our Favorite Things – CuddleMutt!

Kristen of CuddleMutt is AMAZING! She’s sweet, kind, brimming with personality and a HUGE heart (her business is built on giving back to shelter dogs). AND…. CuddleMutt just turned 2 in September!

Hello Kristen!

Bender… don’t pee on that! Don’t pee on that either! Get out of the garden! Don’t eat that! Yucky! (Boy dogs, what else can we say?)

Spring has solidly arrived, the grasses and plants pushing upwards past the nuggets of not gold strewn about from the winter past.

Time to activate the green thumb you may or may not have. (Ours is moderately green, though perennials are very appreciated for their hardiness…)

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[Backstory: At the end of September last year we bought our house. Nearly half of the huge backyard was a “jungle” – plants tall and thick that hid the fence, 2 bushes and a small tree, and everything shorter than knee high.

The jungle was hacked through, plants removed to the point of a rough strewn canvas of dirt. Winter arrived. 

Spring arrived. Ground level was lumpy, unlevel dirt. And from the dirt has sprung forth a multitude of green plants in a plethora of styles.

Currently identified as of May: Tulipa Tarda (love these!), Siberian Squill (everywhere in the yard…), Glory of the Snow, a pink and green Hellebore, wild ginger, and white Bleeding Hearts, as well as a large pink Bleeding Heart, white Magnolia, pink Azalea, two pink & one orange Rhododendron, plus a chokecherry & crabapple and variegated lilacs called Sensation.

There are approx 7+ peonies that are budding too!

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Don’t pee on that!
Bender you’re sooo “helpful”…

(Bender gets tied up away from the garden because his “helpful” is stepping on plants, peeing on them then enthusiastically kicking up dirt as he marks his yard with the biggest doofus smile on his face. Thanks for the help buddy.)

Let’s get to gardening!

Step 1: Prep

Evaluate old mulch, add or replace as needed. Decide if you’re going to reduce or expand beds, or if you are keeping the plants that are long time residents, moving or removing them.

(We decided removal was the first step for the jungle last fall. Moving will happen progressively as plants start arriving this spring and after they have been identified.)

The timing is also perfect to divide and split clumping perennials (things that grow from bulbs, tubers etc) to give the roots more growth room.

Bonus: you have extra plants to add to empty spots in your garden!

• Adding in new plants? Aim for  for flowering plants that are bee friendly – here’s an awesome list from the U of M!
  
  FYI in St. Cloud we are Zone 4a / 4b, while closer to the Minneapolis & St. Paul area the zone is 4b. Growing zones give you an idea of what plants will be the hardiest for the area’s weather.
  
  The higher the number the warmer the climate the plant needs and less hardy it will be in colder seasons. Which means the 7a perennial you love won’t make it through a Minnesota winter.

• In any sort of gardening with dog, safe animal friendly plants is something to be aware of. If you have the kind of pup who enjoys tasting everything that grows, its good to know which plants are toxic!
  
  Here’s a mega list from the ASPCA: Toxic Plants for Dogs. (Hmm, hostas are on that list… good thing there is a bazillion of them in our yard…luckily Bender doesn’t munch on the garden plants!)

Step 2: Plant

Prep finished, plants moved/removed or picked out, let’s get gardening!

Layering is key! Just like layering decorative pillows to dress up your bed, layering plants will dress up your garden throughout the seasons.

• Height layering: tall plants in the back, mediums in the middle, shorts in front. Straightforward. (Granted sometimes your talls are short and the shorts go tall, adjust your bed if this is the case).

• Seasonal layering: based on when the plant grows & flowers. Spring plants are first up, first to flower and can leave you with decorative bushes the rest of the season (peonies are early summer masters at this). Summer plants will give flowers from June to August, and late seasoners will flower until frost.

The best made garden transitions throughout the seasons with blooms in each season so there is no lack of color throughout the warm months.

Step 3: Water, weed & enjoy!

…. DON’T PEE ON THAT!!!!!!