1) Buy lots of stuffed shin bones. Let your dog enjoy those bones until the reachable stuffing has been consumed. (Nellie says you should give your dog all the bones at once, but I limit her to one bone a day.)
2) Clean the bones in warm water. (Nellie says this part isn’t necessary, but I do it anyway.)
3) Take one cup of old fashioned rolled oats and add a little over a cup of water. Mix together and microwave for four minutes. (Nellie is happy with quick oats, but old fashioned oats are better for her.)
4) Remove oats from microwave and, while still hot, mix in one-half jar (8 ounces) of peanut butter. (Nellie says any kind of peanut butter is okay with her, but it’s very important to use unsalted/unsweetened peanut butter. Avoid artificially sweetened peanut butter, as that could make your dog very sick. I use Crazy Richard’s brand, purchased on Amazon, as it is 100 percent peanuts.)
5) Let oatmeal/peanut butter mixture cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or you will burn the hell out of your hands. (Nellie hates the waiting part of this recipe.)
6) Using your hands, stuff the bones with the oatmeal/peanut mixture, but do not stuff so deep that your dog can’t get to it. (This part takes practice. If there are any leftovers inside the bone, be sure to wash them out before stuffing the bone again.)
7) This recipe makes enough for a dozen stuffed bones. If you don’t have a dozen bones to stuff, you can transfer the leftovers to a container and freeze until next time. (Nellie says that no matter how much is left over, you should just give the remainder directly to your dog.)
8) You’ve now reached Nellie’s favorite part of the recipe: Let your dog lick the excess oatmeal/peanut butter off your hands. Then, once your hands are thoroughly cleaned, let your dog lick out the bowl too.
9) Freeze the stuffed bones for at least five hours. (If you don’t freeze them, you will have a sloppy mess. Nellie thinks avoiding messes is overrated.)
10) Give a stuffed bone to your dog directly out of the freezer. Nellie gets one stuffed bone each evening (she says she should get six). Her nightly bone keeps her content (for a while), and her coat stays nice and shiny.
11) Re-use the bones until your dog breaks off a chip. Then distract your dog and toss the bone in the garbage. (Nellie says it’s time to buy more.)