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Business & Tech

Healthy Treats Keep Tails Wagging

Maxx and Gigi's Dog Bakery and Boutiques specializes in all natural treats and handmade pet accessories.

The concept behind Maxx and Gigi’s Dog Bakery & Boutique is simple: pets should have the same access to healthy foods as their owners.

Owner Katherine Hanaghan first came up with the idea for her business last October when her mother decided to start a clothing line for pets. For their booth at the , Hanaghan offered to bake some treats for the burgeoning business.

“It turned out that people loved the treats,” said Hanaghan. “So we decided to do some research on what is a healthy treat … and what’s generally good for a dog. In educating ourselves I came up with a bakery.”

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In January, Hanaghan took the leap into sole proprietorship of Maxx and Gigi’s.

Patch recently caught up with Hanaghan to talk treats and what's next for the bakery:

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Patch: How did you come up with the name?

Hanaghan: I wanted dog names that people could relate to. I decided to look for the most popular male and female dogs. Since we’ve been at the Saturday Market, we’ve had quite a people come in and say ‘I have a Gigi or I have Maxx.' I think it’s helped to convey what we do here.”

Patch: Do you create the recipes on your own?

Hanaghan: Yes. Almost all of the recipes that I have are not actual dog cookie recipes. They’re actually grain-free, gluten-free human recipes. A lot of times, I have to alter them because I want to exclude extra salt and extra sugars. All of the ingredients here are typically human grade. They are the same products that you and I would eat, just made into a dog form.

Patch: How do you come up with your recipes?

Hanaghan: Coming up with the recipes are easy, naming them is the hard part. It’s a lot of trial and error. When I first started, I wasn’t aware of the benefits of having a grain free diet for dogs. I was using a regular wheat flour. Through customers and educating myself, I realized that a grain free diet helps provide a diet that’s more similar to a dog’s natural diet. I had to learn how to make recipes that don’t have gluten or binders. I had to learn how to bake all over again.

Patch: Are your pets the official taste testers?

Hanaghan: My dogs do taste, but actually me and my mom and sometimes the kids taste test the cookies. If we hate them, then there’s no chance that the dog is going to like them. Why should they have to eat something that we couldn’t stand ourselves?  We taste test everything except for the liver brownies.

Patch: What are the benefits of a grain free diets?

Hanaghan: What vets and animal nutritionists are saying now is that a dog’s diet did not naturally consist of wheats and grains. They were generally protein. The garbanzo bean flour that I use provides a lot of protein without any grains. I also use gluten free oats which contain soluble fiber. It just helps provide a healthier treat that isn’t going to give them a lot of extra calories that you might find in rice or potato treats.

Patch: How long do the treats last?

Hanaghan: I have two varieties. The hard cookie and the soft brownie. The hard treats will last on the shelf for about 10 days. I suggest that they all be refrigerated. If they’re refrigerated they should last up to a month. The soft treats, the brownies and the "ruffins" (dog muffins) last on the shelf three days. Refrigerated they last about two weeks. The treats also freeze well so they can be doled out in smaller portions.

Patch: Do you sell any items besides treats?

Hanaghan: Yes. In addition to the bakery we have a boutique which consists of some store bought items such as leashes, halters and a small portion of store bought apparel. The  majority of our boutique is all handmade dog apparel and accessories.

Patch: Will you expand your treats for cats?

Hanaghan: I am trying to come up with something that the cats can enjoy, too.  Some of the cats enjoy the liver brownies. I have two cats, and one of the two cats like them. For cats, that’s not too bad.

Patch: Are there any other places where hungry dogs can find your treats?

Hanaghan: Right now we’re solely at the , but we’re looking to expand possibly to the Seminole Heights market next year. We’ve heard a lot of good feedback about Seminole Heights, and in the next year or so we're hoping to have an actual shop.

For more information on Maxx and Gigi's Dog Bakery & Boutique visit them on Facebook. The is every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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