I have to admit that I run hot and cold on football, but when it gets down to the Superbowl, I am all about it! Give me the food, the drink, the friends, the commercials and the puppies! Yes, I am guilty of watching Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl (off and on) during the big game. It only takes a few puppy cam seconds to put a grin on my face and my lab-mix, Regina, loves the on-screen action and sounds. Best yet, Animal Planet uses rescue puppies for the event in hopes that the cuteness overload will coax us off the couch and into our local rescues. 

Pre-game day, Carla's newly rescued family member (unnamed at publish-time) relaxes in the comfort of Wrapsit™ on the family room sidelines.

In honor of all the whining, slobbering, biting, yelping game day celebrations (and, yes, I am talking about the puppies - not the humans) centered around an attractively "chewable" oval ball, I have made a couple of like-shaped treats for any four-legged game guests. 

Sweet Potato Pigskins

Dehydrated sweet potatoes contain all of the nutrients of the hydrated ones. However, since they have no water, moderation is key to prevent tummy upset. 

• Preheat oven to 250° F. (Can use  dehydrator.)
• Scrub the sweet potato. No need to peel.
• Cut lengthwise into 1/4" to 1/3" thin slices. 

Place slices in single layer on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 250° for 3 hours for slightly chewy treats or a bit longer to get them crunchy. (Timing will vary according to the thickness of your slices.)

Slobberknockers

• Preheat oven to 350°
• 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour*
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 2 T natural peanut butter

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. You may add water a little at a time to help make the dough workable, but the dough should be dry and stiff. Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick roll. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.** Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until dry.

* I replaced the flour by food processing some dry kibble that I know Regina has no problems with. This is why the treats aren't smooth.  

**I was into a game day theme, so I formed 1 inch long ovals (you can imagine what this looked like on the cookie sheet) and flattened each to create a football shaped treat. They were not uniform in size, so I had to keep an eye on them and adjust the baking time accordingly.

Enjoy all your game day events, and don't forget go to Animal Planet Puppy Bowl where you can check out the starting lineup, create your own Fantasy Puppy Bowl XII team, watch the puppy cam and even begin the adoption process for your new best friend!