By George Rowand

By George Rowand

Rappahannock News Staff Writer

Sometimes a good idea for a business pops up right in front of your face. It seemed to for Laurie Smith when she went looking for some treats for her dogs.

Smith, who lives in Amissville, has three dogs herself, so she knows what it’s like to try to find something special for her canine companions.

“I started out making them for my dogs,” Smith explained. “I eat well. I want them to eat well, and commercial dog treats are kind of sorry. Well, my treats turned into a big hit. All my friend’s dogs liked them.”

All organic

Smith said that her dog treats are made from organic materials. And the recipes are ... different from what you might expect.

“I found a bunch of recipes on-line, tried them out and settled on four flavors: peanut butter Parmesan, apple oatmeal, bite-free bites and safari bites,” Smith recounted.

“All of the treats are made with human-grade ingredients, (for example) free-range chicken broth, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, all natural peanut butter. Brewer’s yeast is a good flea deterrent. v

“The treats contain no filler, no by-products,” she continued. “The dogs really like them. I have people who call me at home and tell me to bring them some treats, and when people buy these from me, they’re supporting [a] small, local business, which I think is important.”

Smith said she has started small.

“I make them in small batches, about two pounds at a time. I sell them at fall festivals, like the ECOW (Epicurious Cow, in Ben Venue) annual Apple Festival, on my Web site, and I’m trying to get them into stores in the area.”

Smith bakes her creations at ECOW, the natural food marketplace located on U.S. 211 west of Warrenton.

“They’ve been very nice to me to allow me to make my treats here,” she stated.

Some dogs can’t seem to get enough of the goodies that Smith turns out.

“My own dogs have kind of turned into Pavlov’s dogs when I’m baking them,” she said. “They just stand around and drool.”