Man's best friend
Puppy love: Where to buy all-natural treats for your four-legged friend
Why should humans get all the love? There are plenty of edible ways to show man’s best friend you care — and they’re all natural enough for human consumption! We rounded up some of the best handmade, gourmet dog treats around town, some fit for a special occasion and others perfect for standard, daily bribery.
Woof Gang Bakery
1204 N. Lamar Blvd.
Stepping into Woof Gang Bakery is much like arriving for high tea.... at Betsey Johnson’s house. Chandeliers illuminate tiered dessert stands piled high with vivid iced cupcakes, cookies and pretzels. Cake stands display biscotti, cannoli and petit fours ($0.99 an ounce for these a la carte treats). Hot pink shelving units hold packages of house-made, wheat-free and low-fat treats in flavors like peanut butter and honey, barbecue bones, pumpkin softies, cheese and honey, and peppermint. ($6.99-$8.99).
They even create custom peanut butter birthday cakes for your tail-wagger, who’s always welcome in their downtown or Westlake locations.
Groovy Dog Bakery
4477 S. Lamar Blvd., Suite 580
Austin’s Urban Vet Center on Fifth Street carries Groovy Dog’s yogurt-iced UT and A&M cookies ($6.50) for your loyal canine, carob bow wow bonbons ($14.99) you’ll be tempted to try and bags of veggie- and cinnamon-enhanced bones ($6.99). But the Westgate store has much more to choose from, including doggie bagels, pizza, and beef ribs ($0.20-$2.00) and bulk bin cookies ($7.99/lb).
Do you own the ultimate party animal? Book the “Pawty Room” for a private event; $8 a dog includes a birthday bone cake, Groovy smoothies, party hats and a scarf for the dog of honor. If your furry friend is more of homebody, they even package a mix to whip up your own cake at home ($6.99).
Lofty Dog
2700 W. Anderson Ln. #402
Austin’s recently relocated Lofty Dog is a one-stop shop for all your snackable needs. They carry a case of freshly baked oat-flour based confections from Paw Bakery (formerly sold at the Downtown Farmers’ Market), including adorable yogurt-dipped lollipops and cake balls, pint-sized pepperoni pizzas, parsley and mint green fresh breath treats, cheese crunchies and more.
Several bins carry all natural rawhide from sources like Wholesome Hide and Canine Cattle Company ($9.99-11.99), as well as nose-to-tail treats like beef ears, pig snout, duck feet, pork knuckles and cow hooves from Red Barn Naturals ($0.99-$6.99). The back of the store houses several freezers filled with frozen raw bones (lamb femurs, turkey necks, beef marrow, bison ribs) from Primal Pet Foods and Rawsome Bones ($9.99-$14.99), and dog fro-yo from Yöghund.
Healthy Hound makes four different blends of dog food in addition to three types of treats: chicken breast, beef and sweet potato. All treats are salt- and sugar-free, using only pineapple juice as a tenderizer before they are dehydrated. Find Healthy Hound at the Barton Creek Farmers’ Market on Saturdays and the Hope Farmers’ Market on Sundays.
Though currently on hiatus until Austin’s bipolar weather warms up more consistently, Bow Wow Chow is the first food trailer in town catering to canines. Usually found at dog parks around town, Bow Wow Chow peddles Groovy Dog ice cream as well as homemade treats in human-friendly flavors like banana, cheesy apple, bacon and egg, and salmon and Parmesan.
$1.00 gets you a single treat and a bottle of water, and a baker’s dozen is only five bones! Follow Bow Wow Chow on Twitter for up-to-date locations.