Cookies Cooled on the Tray. Bruno Had His Eye on the Mixing Bowl.
Evening has settled over the kitchen, and the lamps are glowing as Grandpa Otis stirs a big steel bowl of cookie dough. A tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies cools on the left, flour dusts the countertop, and a jar of flour and a wooden spoon sit nearby. Otis wears a cream cable-knit cardigan over a navy shirt, his glasses low and his smile soft. At the bottom corner of the frame, Bruno has pushed up beside the counter with his brindle face tipped high, one dark eye locked on the bowl and ears pitched forward in patient hope. A dish towel hangs from a cabinet door.
Baking with a dog underfoot calls for a few safety rules. Chocolate, raisins, macadamia nuts, and sweeteners like xylitol are all dangerous for dogs, so cookie dough and finished cookies should stay well out of reach. Raw dough can also upset a dog's stomach, and a dropped chip is not as harmless as it looks. If your dog eats something he shouldn't, call your vet or a pet poison hotline right away. A good trick is to teach a settle on a mat in the kitchen and reward it with a dog-safe treat. French Bulldogs are very food-motivated, so a bit of planning keeps everyone safe and happy.
The cookies will come out golden and the kitchen will smell wonderful. Bruno's reward, for waiting so politely, will have to be his own biscuit.
