Tuesday Topics #34 - Birthday Bone

Little Miss Cabana is 2-years old today! Almost a year ago, when Cabana was career changed, and we were trying to decide whether to keep her or have her placed by Guide Dogs with another family, I was SO unsure about what to do. I KNEW Cabana would be a great dog when she matured. But since most people say Labs don't outgrow their puppyhood until about 4 years of age, I thought, wow, can I deal with Cabana being "too much dog" for the next THREE years?

But at 2, Cabana has already matured into a GREAT dog. I really can't imagine having a better dog or loving her any more than we do. She still has some dog distraction, but we can now walk her in a flat collar 99% of the time (I still use a training collar at puppy meetings). Sure, she likes to eat some nasty things (i.e. dog vomit, cat poop, goose poop), but is there a dog out there that doesn't? At the dog park, Cabana is known by humans and dogs alike as one of the friendliest, happiest dogs around. She can charm the grumpiest old dogs and embody a chew toy for exuberant puppies. She is always calm and considerate in the house, but she has plenty of effervescence and spunky personality outdoors.

So how do we celebrate this special dog today? I thought about baking her a cake, giving extra kibble, going on a special outing. But then, I wondered if those things were too humanizing. I tried to think like a dog--what would Cabana the Dog most like? Probably the best birthday present I can think of for Cabana is a big meaty bone. Since all of my human family members are vegetarian, Cabana has NEVER had a big hunk of real meat--no meat table scraps, no pieces that fall off the barbecue, no chicken morsel from a chicken salad sandwich. And the only bones she's ever had are clean, sterilized bones (not even with any filling).

But what kind of bone do I buy her that will be totally safe? I looked for a long time at the smoked bones in the pet store, but I worried they might not be safe. Everything I've read says that cooked bones are dangerous. Isn't smoked the same as cooked? So do I just buy a big raw bone from the butcher at the supermarket? I have no idea how much to buy, what kind to buy, and how long it's okay to let Cabana chew on it. Or should I just give up on the meaty bone idea and give her some cooked hamburger meat?