Community Corner

Bites Nearby: Pet Bakery Quest

I have a dog, and occasionally I write about her. This time I'm putting her in our latest Bites Nearby.

My dog is persnickety, and well, weird. (I can say that. She's my dog, afterall.)

Happy will not eat anything out of anyone else's hands, but she rifles through dirty laundry and likes to kick around the clean laundry -- basically making it dirty again.

She steals my sister's dog's food every morning at the same time, but lets her dog food (the expensive kind) sit around until 2 a.m. I'll be finishing Patch work, or asleep (rare), and she leaps out of her doggie bed with the early morning munchies. (Huh? Go to sleep!)

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She likes bananas and ice cream, and bowls of oatmeal that I forget to put out of her reach. But, she will NOT drink water from the common doggie bowls placed out at pet places or coffee shops. She sniffs it and walks away.

To make matters worse, most of the doggie treats out there on the market give her a tummy ache, though she will eat them -- a whole bag full if you leave them out. She's a bichon frise, so I'm not surprised that most treats aren't good for her.

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So, trying to find her treats she likes is pretty interesting and frustrating: Enter Chateau Le Pup, an all-natural pet bakery in Gwinnett.

I bought a few from the vendor, which is currently at the Snellville Farmers' Market, and Happy loved them. She seemed eager after that, like, "Hello, don't you have anymore?"

I first ran into Chateau Le Pup last year at the market, and Akens, who works out of her home in Sugar Hill, started her business because of the finicky eating habits of Vanna, her maltese.

"I started the actual company on accident," Akens said. "Instead of buying commercial treats that were full of junk, I wanted to make them for her."

Chateau Le Pup has eight flavors of bones, a variety of dried fruits and vegetables, and a number of novelty treats. All bones contain flax, which helps with coat and skin health. With the exception of bananas, the fruits and vegetables used are locally grown.

Since price is no object for people who treat their dogs like their kids, it was fine with me if it was fine with Happy. (Besides, I don't remember balking at the price.)

The business has been around for about two years, and can be seen this year at the Sandy Springs farmers' market and the one in Snellville.

I know, I know this is an unconventional Bites Nearby, but Happy's a member of the family, and she's got to eat, too. Right?

Anyhow, I've listed a few other pet bakeries that readers submitted to us and ones I found on the Internet. Hope this list helps people like me, who believe deep-down that their best barking pal is really a human, and should be cared for as such.

The (Short) List:*

Big Daddy Biscuits: According to the company's website, the business listed the Lilburn Farmers' Market, and the Decatur Farmer's Market, among others, as locations where the organic treats can be found.

Pooch N Paws: This business is really a boutique, but they do have a bakery case. There are locations in and

Located in Decatur, this pet bakery has lots of treats -- natural and homemade, according to the website. And, they also have doggie treat decorating, doggie birthday parties and more.

This business is located in Norcross, and has a wide range of organic dog treats and baked items, such as peanut butter apple snacks and organic salmon jerky. They also do shipping.

The location is in Buckhead, and it specializes in healthy, natural pet foods and treats, fresh-baked goods, and gourmet dog treats. They also do special orders and have other products there for sale.

Happy has not been to all these places. But, if you have a favorite pet food baker, let us know in the comment section below!

This article first appeared on Snellville Patch.


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