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An older man in glasses stirs cookie dough in a metal bowl while a small white Maltese watches closely beside the counter. 27 / 35

Grandpa Was on His Second Batch of Cookies. His Inspector Never Left Her Post.

AI imagemaltesebaking cookieskitchen

Flour is dusted across the countertop, a tray of freshly baked cookies cools nearby, and Grandpa Gus is stirring a fresh batch of dough in a big metal bowl. He wears a green and blue plaid shirt and his glasses, leaning in with serious concentration. Right at the counter's edge, Pearl stands with her fluffy head raised and her eyes locked on the bowl, her black nose twitching at the warm, buttery smell. The country kitchen around them is full of homey touches: jars of sugar and oats, a little bowl of brown eggs, a blue oven mitt on its hook, and a potted plant in the sunny window.

Baking day smells irresistible to dogs, but many ingredients are off limits. Raw cookie dough can be dangerous because uncooked yeast dough can expand in the stomach, and raw eggs and flour can carry bacteria. Chocolate chips, raisins, macadamia nuts, and the sweetener xylitol are all toxic to dogs. Even plain sugary cookies can upset a small dog's tummy. If you want to bake for your pup, look up simple dog-friendly recipes, often made with oats, pumpkin, or peanut butter that's free of xylitol. Keep the human batch well out of reach on the counter.

Pearl doesn't need a cookie to be happy. Watching Gus work and breathing in all the delicious smells seems like more than enough entertainment for one afternoon.

Every good baker needs a quality inspector, and this one takes her job very seriously.

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