“Dogs are our link to paradise.” - Milan Kundera

Happy Wednesday! Here's the scoop:

• Does your dog know they’re being cute?

• Say goodbye to dog breath

• Have a merry corgi Christmas with these 18 easy gifts

True or False...
The Shih Tzu breed originated in China.

(scroll to the bottom to find out!)

Do dogs know they're being cute?
We’ve all gone weak in the knees a time or two when a dog’s done something absolutely adorable. Usually this little song and dance is followed by us overreacting and immediately giving them a smooch or dog treat or endless praise. It also leaves us asking the age-old question: do our dogs know when they’re being cute?

History suggests that early wolves hung around our ancestors’ campsites to scavenge for food, with the less aggressive ones eventually living in close proximity to humans. It’s believed that they taught their offspring that docile dogs were rewarded with food, and that’s likely how domesticated dogs came to be.

Today, our dogs still rely on us for survival, and many seem to have added sympathetic facial expressions (see: puppy dog eyes and that aww-inducing head tilt) to their repertoire. Dogs have trained themselves to act cute, knowing that they’ve essentially trained us to reward them for these irresistible antics.

Call it cute or call it doggone manipulative, we don’t care. Those good boys and good girls are getting a treat every single time.

Do(g)-It-Yourself

Once that sweet “puppy breath” turns to “dog breath” it’s no joke, y’all. We should know, one of our family dogs once cleared out an entire room when she haphazardly yawned post-meal.

Fortunately, we’ve found DIY Breath Mint Dog Treats that double as thoughtful holiday gifts for fellow victims. (Their green flecks make them the perfect seasonal treat!)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup regular rolled oats

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce

• 2 tbs canola oil

• 1 egg

• 3 tbs finely chopped parsley

• 3 tbs finely chopped mint

• parchment paper

Instructions:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Place oats in a food processor and process for about 30 seconds (they should be almost flour consistency).

Step 2
In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, applesauce, canola oil, egg, parsley, and mint. Stir together until a dough forms.

Step 3
Fold out the dough on a well-floured surface and roll to 1/8-inch thick. Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter of your choice (we love a seasonal one during the holidays!), cut out your treats. Arrange on your parchment-lined pans.

Step 4
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until treats are dry to the touch and bottoms are light golden. Cool completely before serving or storing.

Screenshot or save this recipe and be sure to send us a pic of your pup enjoying their breath-freshening treats!

What we're digging
We’re huge corgi fans over here (Domino, the star of our website, probably gave that away). How could you not be? They’re like adorable little loaves of bread with legs, and corgi butts are some of the cutest things on earth.

If you or someone you know is equally smitten with these small dogs, we’ve found the paw-fect list of the 18 best gifts for corgi owners and corgi lovers alike.

The best news? All are still able to ship in time for the holidays. Start shopping and have a merry corgi Christmas!

True or False...
Answer: FALSE! These popular pups originated in Tibet but later became very popular in China, where they were prized by the royal family who are thought to have received them as gifts from Tibetan monks.

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