Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 pinches ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chunky peanut butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup carob chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine that flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Place the peanut butter in a medium bowl and microwave at high power to soften, 5 to 10 seconds. Whisk in the milk, then stir the mixture into the dry ingredients.

Shape the dough into a long, flattened log and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes; remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Slice the log crosswise on an angle into 1-inch-thick pieces. Set the slices on their sides (they should look like biscotti) and bake until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes more. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Melt the carob in a microwave or on the stovetop over low heat. Thin the melted carob with 1 tablespoon water, if needed. Using a spoon, drizzle the melted carob over the biscuits. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Thanks to Rachael Ray!

Please send EverythingAmstaff your own pictures of you and your bestie!

As an owner of a Bully Breed, Rachael Ray is dedicated to feeding her PitBull, Isaboo, healthy homemade treats. I ran across some of her fabulous recipes for dogs and can only believe that since she feeds her PitBull these treats, they would obviously be just as healthy for an Amstaff.

Please try the recipes in this series and comment us back to let us know what you think!

Power Pooch Smoothies

• 1 (8-ounce) container plain yogurt
• 1 cup blackberries or raspberries or 5 large, hulled strawberries
• 1 mango, sliced
• 1 very ripe banana
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 cup ice water

Directions:
Process all ingredients in a blender at high speed until smooth. Pour pooch smoothies into small bowls and freeze. Remove from the freezer, set on the floor and let your pooch lick the treat.

Thanks to Rachael Ray for lending us her recipe!

For no other reason but out of sheer curiosity did I do a little research to find out which celebrities love Bullies as much as I do. Now, mind you, I know that many of these pooches are actually PitBulls, but I wasn’t able to find out which ones were Amstaffs specifically. As you may know, there is a common school of thought that PitBulls and Amstaffs are the same breed. According to the various kennel clubs, that isn’t true, but for our purposes here today, we’ll combine the two and give you a list of celebrities who love Bully Breeds in general. We’ll pretend Amstaff and PitBull are interchangeable titles…

• Jon Stewart of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart owns two pit bulls: Shamsky & Monkey.
• Ken Howard, award-winning actor from Crossing Jordon, was saved by his pit bull Shadow during a medical crisis.
• Movie star Alicia Silverstone owns a rescued pit bull named Samson.
• Adam Brody gave girlfriend and O.C. co-star Rachel Bilson a pit bull named Penny Lane as a birthday gift.
• Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, TV Personality Rachael Ray and Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker Joey Porter all own two pit bulls!
• Jessica Biel has a pit bull named Tina, and Jessica Alba owns a pit bull puppy.
• President Theodore Roosevelt, President Woodrow Wilson, singer Kevin Federline, radio personality Ira Glass, actor Fred Astaire, General George Patton, actor Michael J. Fox, actor Jan Michael Vincent, actor Jack Dempsy, Thomas Edison, singer Madonna, movie star Brad Pitt, actress Bernadette Peters, comedian Sinbad, actress Linda Blair, actor Humphrey Bogart, musician Usher, comedian Mel Brooks, actress Ann Bancroft, singer Pink, actress Eliza Dushku and actress Kelli Williams are just a few other celebrities who own or have owned a pit bull.

Thanks to Cesarsway.com.

I ran across this heart warming story from the Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

There are my two American pit bull terrier/American Staffordshire terriers, aka pit bulls, taking a time out and relaxing in a bit of warm sun shining through the window on a cold winter day.

Charlie, the white dog with the gray spot on his face, is a year and a half old. The vet guesses that Annie, the grey dog, is around 3 years old. They are both rescues from Country Kennel Bully Rescue in Akron, Indiana. Charlie was actually found as a young puppy, sitting in someone’s yard in Louisiana after hurricane Gustav hit. He was turned into a local animal shelter, where he was treated for pneumonia.

The shelter was so overwhelmed with dogs from the hurricane that Country Kennel Bully Rescue agreed to drive down and meet the shelter volunteers and take some of the dogs back to their facility.

I happened to be looking to adopt a dog shortly thereafter, and made a visit to Country Kennel, where I met and adopted my goofy-eared Charlie. He slept contently on my friend’s lap the entire hour ride home.

About a year later, a little gray pit bull found herself at the humane society in Gary, Indiana, and was about to meet an untimely death. She was one of the many dogs on the euthanasia list.

Fortunately, the humane society sent out e-mails to “bully breed” rescues to see if they would take in any pit bulls, and Country Kennel brought her to their facility.

I was looking for a companion for Charlie, so I went back to Country Kennel to find a dog… and that is when I adopted Annie. I chose the name Annie for her because she was “little orphan Annie” until she found her forever-home with me.

Charlie and Annie have been the sweetest, most loving, playful dogs anyone could ask for. They thrive on the company of people, family and strangers alike, and are most eager to greet people with big smiles and lots of kisses. Despite the unfortunate bad rap pit bulls get, these two are true ambassadors of the breed.

The original story is here.

I attended the Rose City Classic yesterday in Portland, Oregon and it was my first of what I hope to be many dog shows. It was an amazing experience. It was so nice to be surrounded by so many dog lovers, all there with their precious pooch friends. I was able to see a couple of the American Staffordshire Terriers directly from Macy’s lineage and it was a real treat. I ended up giving in to the cutest Old English Sheepdog puppy you’ve ever seen and when I got home, Macy looked at me as though I’d just returned from a brothel. Cheater!

Pictures below:

One of my favorite artists is Christine J. Head, not only because she is a fantastic artist, but because her prints have a purpose. She donates the majority of her proceeds to canine rescue organizations and her art often depicts anti-breed legislation messages, featuring bully breeds. We’ll begin a new series showcasing Christine’s art and we’ll kick it off with a little info about the artist!

Christine J. Head’s sought-after, limited edition prints and posters have helped numerous rescues raise much needed funds.

Initially, Christine did “hands-on” rescue work, housing several foster dogs and going through the painstaking process of finding the right permanent home for each of these dogs who already found a permanent place in her heart. Eventually, her interests in the creative arts and canine needs combined and she discovered the best way to apply her talents to raise money and awareness  for animal rescue.

Christine started The Puppy Sketches in 1999 and has been contributing to rescue organizations ever since by creating original and limited edition posters. Originally, her beautiful portraits of dogs in need of urgent medical care and adoption accompanied by the dog’s poignant story, raised thousands of dollars for individual rescues.

Currently, Christine’s focus is on highly stylized vintage/Art Nouveau-style posters prints that raise money for multiple breed rescues. These posters are sold almost exclusively through rescue organizations.

Some notable animal lovers and celebrities who collect her work include actresses Jorja Fox and Mary Steenburgen, and Comedienne Elayne Boosler.

Artist info courtesy of Pit Bull Rescue Central.

My favorite American Staffordshire Terrier breeder, Grimloc Kennels, has puppies available and they are DARLING! If you are a nice person with a good heart and are looking for a lifelong companion, not a home security system or a fighting dog, please check this out. And if you aren’t looking, but want to take a peek at some super cute puppies, they’re right here for the peeking.

If that link doesn’t work, try this: http://www.amstaffordshireterrier.com/Available_Puppies.htm

It is with great joy that I get to announce the Rose City Classic this weekend in Portland, Oregon. There is no better way to spend a few hours this weekend than taking in the beauty at the dog show! I am a nut, though. I greatly anticipate televised dog shows and find them to be very entertaining. I have to admit, a great deal of the information I’ve learned about various canine breeds comes from internet research and watching dog shows. In fact, I like to play a little game that is similar to that roadtrip game that is played in the car during long car rides…. is that the alphabet game? Instead, when watching the dog show, we try to call the name of the dog breed before it is announced and the person that gets the most right, wins. Dorky, I know.

Anyway, the Rose City Classic is this weekend at the Portland Expo Center. The schedules and spectator information can be found online here. Although the show is 5 days long, the best days for spectators are Friday through Sunday and there will be over 4,000 dogs prancing their way around the expo center over the course of the show. Dogs not competing are not allowed to attend. Sad? Most definitely.

Admission Price
$10 per person
$20 per family [up to 5)]
$15 Two-day pass, individual
$30 Two-day pass, family
Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult
Seniors [62+] are free

An owner in Pennsylvania writes:

“Before my divorce I had owned an Amstaff, and I have to say, she was the best dog I had ever owned in my entire life. Like everyone else, my husband was skeptical about getting her, because we had small children at the time, but I couldn’t have asked for a better dog. She was smart, and house trained very quickly. She learned the basic commands easily, and could be let off leash with out running away. She was so patient with the kids. They would climb and poke at her and she would just lay there. When she had had enough, she would just get up and walk away. There was an incident one day when we were all out for a walk, and a Pitbull came crashing through it’s fence, and she did everything she could do to protect us, and keep the other dog as far away from my 4 yr old son as she could. I would absolutely recommend getting this breed from a good breeder, and as soon as I am able, I will be getting another Amstaff.”

Review courtesy of Viewpoints