Abuela Was Rolling Cookie Dough When Chispa Got a Little Too Close
Baking day leaves no one untouched, especially not the inspector. Abuela Rosa stands at a counter dusted white, glasses on and sleeves short, rolling little rounds of dough and setting them in neat rows on parchment. A wooden rolling pin rests beside a glass mixing bowl, a tiny dish of dark berries waits nearby, and the sunny kitchen behind her overflows with plates, plants and spoons. Front and center, Chispa has pushed her face right up to the work surface, and the proof is on her nose, a generous dusting of flour from a sneaky sniff. Her eyes glance sideways as if hoping nobody noticed.
A little plain flour on a dog's nose is harmless, but the kitchen does hold a few hazards during baking. Raw yeast dough can expand in a dog's stomach and is dangerous, so keep rising dough well out of reach. Chocolate, raisins, macadamia nuts and anything containing the sweetener xylitol are toxic to dogs. Butter and sugar are not toxic but can cause upset stomachs. If you would like to include your pup, there are many simple homemade dog treat recipes using ingredients like plain pumpkin, oats and peanut butter that is free of xylitol. When in doubt about an ingredient, talk to your vet.
Rosa will be finding floury paw prints on the floor for the rest of the afternoon. She does not seem to mind one bit.
