The spotted dog jar

A few weeks ago, I found a cookie jar on eBay that looked a lot like our spotted dog Gumbo.

In the bidding process, I discovered the person selling it had border collies, and was also involved in border collie rescue.

We corresponded. I won the cookie jar for a remarkably low price -- guess there's not a lot of demand for spotted dog cookie jars.

When it arrived, I could hear something rattling in the box. I feared the worst -- a zillion pieces of spotted dog pottery.

But the jar was intact, and the rattling was a box of maple-flavored baby teething biscuits. The seller sent it as a gift to Gumbo and Roux, saying it was her border collies' favorite treat!

I vowed to always have a jar full of treats, and Lindsey and I have been experimenting with some homemade dog biscuit recipes that go beyond our world famous "Gumbones" that dogs will jump on top of the refrigerator for.

A new peanut butter recipe has been a big hit, as has one that uses sweet potatoes.

Now, these are dogs who turn up their noses at a regular Milk Bone, so you know this stuff has to be pretty good to capture their imagination.

It has taken absolutely no time for us to teach this command:

"Who wants a cookie?"

They beeline to the spotted dog jar!