Move over, Rover: Hybrid labradoodle replaces Scottish terrier token
USA TODAY

The labradoodle makes a token appearance in Monopoly’s new version.

By Julie Ward, USA TODAY
The Scottish terrier has always been among the most popular Monopoly game tokens, according to Matt Collins, vice president of marketing for Hasbro Games. So there was no doubt a dog would be among the icons for the special edition Monopoly: Here & Now.
“In research over the years, the dog was one of the most heartfelt tokens,” Collins says.

A labradoodle got the nod as representative of the growing number of hybrid dogs. A cross between a Labrador retriever and poodle, the labradoodle has recently become popular in the USA after first being bred in Australia as a guide dog.

Tiger Woods is among those owning a labradoodle. Woods got a puppy after winning the PGA Championship last month. The puppy, named Yogi, joined Taz, a border collie, in the Woods’ household in Florida.

Writing about the dogs in his website newsletter, Woods said, “They’ll definitely keep us on our toes.”

Labradoodles are very intelligent, easy to train and are very sociable, says Ken Fischer, general manager of the Australian Labradoodle Association of America.

“They can open doors, even sliding doors, pop open baby gates … having that poodle in them means they use their front paws like hands,” Fischer says.

The cost of a labradoodle ranges from $2,000 to $3,000. Part of the dog’s popularity stems from its appeal to allergy sufferers because its curly coat is less prone to shedding.

Says Fischer: “We bought the dogs because they weren’t well known. For whatever reason, they’ve become extremely popular and are everywhere, and I’m not sure that is always a good thing.”

Fischer, who lives in Cincinnati, has four labradoodles and also runs a dog rescue website.

One of our very own, Manor Lake’s Wally just celebrated his first birthday here are a couple pictures from his party!

What is the best dog birthday cake recipe so your dog can celebrate with his other puppy pals? How do you plan the best bow wow birthday party? One of the best accessories these days is petite doggie, a pet beloved by both a-listers and the lonely old doggie lover who has no time for folks, but cherishes every moment with her precious pooch. So, how do you show Fido that you think he is just fabulous even though the years are showing? An annual requirement for any pup parent is the hip birthday party.

Whether your doggie is celebrating with a super shin-dig with all of his personal pup posse or it will be an intimate celebration with just the two of you, finding the best dog birthday cake recipe is essential for those who want to show how much they care by preparing the pup confection themselves instead of a store our boutique-bought snack. These are three of the best dog birthday cake recipe ideas, which are some of the most puperiffic recipes you can follow, though I do not recommend them for human consumption.

Kibble Cake Dog Birthday Cake Recipe

1c powdered dry kibble (kibble sent through either a coffee grinder or blended into powder in a food processor)
½ c all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ c olive oil
½ cup butter, softened
1 jar strained veal baby food
4 eggs, slightly beaten
4 strips bacon dog treats cut into small 1” squares

Icing recipe for topping dog birthday cake recipe:
1 c cottage cheese
1 T powdered kibble
1 T shredded carrot

Commercial dog biscuits for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flower small round cake pan. Mix dry ingredients in a glass bowl. Set aside. Cream butter and eggs until thoroughly mixed. Fold in oil and baby food until evenly distributed. Mix with dry ingredients until batter is thoroughly mixed.

Pour batter into the pan, and set bacon pieces on the top of the cake, being careful to poke them into the batter slightly using a toothpick to push them down into the dough. Bake for 1 hour until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Frost with special icing and add dog treat garnish. Store in a refrigerator until the event.

Chicken Chompers Cake Dog Birthday Cake Recipe

3 c flour
1 T baking powder
½ c butter
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c applesauce
2 jars organic chicken baby food
1 can chunk chicken, drained

Icing for Dog Birthday Cake Recipe:
1 pkg Neufchatel cheese

Mix dry ingredients. Mix in everything else. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes in a sheet cake pan, or until toothpick comes out clean. Ice with a thin layer of Neufchatel cheese.

Simple Dog Birthday Cake Recipe

2c flour
4 jars baby food (any meat)
1 can dog food
½ c honey
½ c olive oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 T baking powder

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes in a sheet cake pan. Ice with a paste of dog food and garnish with dog biscuits.

Other ideas for great dog birthday cake recipes are:
If your dog is not corn sensitive, use a corn bread mix and instead of adding milk, stir in two jars of baby food along with the eggs mentioned on the box.
Offer your dog a quiche or pot pie instead of a dog birthday cake.
Consider dog-food based pate in special dishes for dogs with weaker digestive systems over dog birthday cake.

Never let your dog eat the whole dog birthday cake. A good preference is to make cupcakes, but do not leave them in the paper. If your dog is allergic to wheat, use rice flour as a substitute for the all-purpose flour. Never put chocolate in a dog birthday cake recipe. If you want chocolate flavor, try carob. Never use ingredients that hurt your dog’s sensitive stomach when following a dog birthday cake recipe. Substitute whenever necessary!

For favors, it’s a great idea to have plenty of dog bones handy. Be sure to remember to keep your dog birthday party short, as dogs tend to have short attention spans.

http://www.dogbirthdaysandparties.com/Qstore/dogbirthdaycakerecipe.htm

http://www.dog-treat-recipe-exchange.com/dog_birthday_cake_recipes.html

Eau to Joy

Who its for: Your friend with the new puppy, who sends you 15 new photos a day.
Why she’ll love it: She has photos of the puppy all over her house, in her bag, and at her office, and now she can have one on her bottle of fragrance (a fresh, bright, optimistic floral), too.
Where to buy: Clinique Happy Personalized Photo Bottle $52; clinique.com

Funagle

It’s not Cranium, but it will make you use your brain…your dog’s too! Funagle is a new board game people and their dogs play together. Players have one minute to “funagle” their dog into performing activities called out on removable tags that make up the game board. With each task completed such as “Moonwalk,” “Do the Wave” and other tricks, you win a tag. The team with the most tags wins! No skill is needed to play…just plenty of treats, a sense of humor and your best friend.

$35.50 at darfinc.com

It is October – Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Show your support!

Fashionably Aware Dogs: Show your support with a breast cancer awareness collar and lead for your Australian Labradoodle. (felinefido.com)

Carpet One - Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Canadian Cancer Society (bcrfcure.org and cancer.ca)
Take a giant step toward finding a cure. 25% of sales of this doormat $22, will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society (800-227-7381 for Carpet One locations)

KitchenAid
Susan G. Komen for the Cure – In addition to their pink applicance collection that gives a portion of its proceeds to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, KitchenAid invites its customers to raise funds through the Cook for the Cure program. Party kits, custom invitations and recipes can be found on the Website. (cookforthe cure.com)

I liked this cause as well -

Harry Barker - Pet Helpers – (pethelpers.org)
Former Ford model Carol Perkins started sewing pillows and quilts for dogs as a form of therapy after a life-threatening brain tumor. Her South Carolina company, Harry Barker, pays disabled workers at the Charleston Disability’s Hope Center to package products like these bone pillows, $8 – $12. All of the proceeds from the sale of the bone toys are donated to Pet Helpers, a pet rescue and adoption shelter, and to a program that provides assistance and pet therapy to hospitals, nursing homes and disability center. (harrybarker.com)