Ruff ruff, woof woof!

When we were in Hawai’i recently, Len and I discovered a fun shop where every doggie can have his day.

The Hawai’i Doggie Bakery at the Ward Warehouse Shopping Center was one of our favorite stops on Small Business Saturday. Featuring healthy, handmade, vet-approved doggie treats made from locally grown ingredients, this charming bakery/boutique made us wish we could turn into dogs right on the spot (Len = Dalmation, me = Airedale). Yip!

I’d probably go for a Doggie Bento, cause if I were a cool canine living the good life in Hawai’i, I’d want my treats to be made from the best local foods (homegrown bananas, taro, breadfruit, Okinawan sweet potato, lean chicken) without any salt, sugar, butter or preservatives. I’d have the shiniest coat, the cleanest teeth, and believe it or not, be even spunkier and more lovable than any living person could ever imagine.

*rolls over*

It all started when Hawai’i Doggie Bakery founder Jen Kunishima Sarsuelo wanted to keep her pregnant dog Ipo as healthy as possible. She stopped feeding her canned dog food in favor of food grown in Hawai’i. She saw a noticeable improvement in Ipo’s energy level from all those good vitamins and nutrients, and Ipo gave birth to nine healthy pups!

Jen and her sister Trudi made crunchy biscuits using the same foods to help train the pups, and eventually went on to develop other tasty treats, all of them with a distinctly Hawaiian flavor and flair.

Where else could you find Woofles (heart-shaped waffles, a soft treat for dogs with sensitive stomachs), Surfdog Sushi, Poi Dog Pretzels and Pineapple Pooch Biscuits? Everything is made fresh daily and they also make custom cakes for special occasions.

*sitting up and begging*

It’s definitely a feel-good shop; besides all the delicious doggie biscuits, you can find lots of unique accessories like sushi dog toys, doggie aloha shirts and kimonos (!), Christmas collars, oh-so-comfy dog beds and fun t-shirts for doggie’s human friends.

It’s easy to see why the Hawai’i Dog Bakery is so pup-ular! We purchased a bag of Kalua Chicken-n-Poi Munchies (their original recipe) for our doggie nephew, Buddy (see him here). I know he’ll be scarfing them right up and lickin’ his paws come Christmas morning!

Check out this short video, where Jen shows us how to make Woofles:

♥ For the bakery’s complete menu, visit their website.

♥ For more tummy-rubbin’ cute dog pics, visit their FB page.

♥ See more Foodie Field Trips here.

SIT . . . STAY . . . EAT!!

*licks your face*

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*Some of the photos in this post from Hawai’i Doggie Bakery’s Facebook page.

Copyright © 2011 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.