SIOUX CITY — While a dog is a “man’s best friend,” they are also seen as a member of the family.
When choosing what treats to give their dogs, some families opt for a more natural, locally made option, such as Sit Pretty Barkery.
Sit Pretty Barkery is a Sioux City business that specializes in homemade dog treats, birthday cakes and cupcakes. Owner Melissa Gritzmaker said people are choosing small businesses and keeping their money in town, versus buying from box stores.
Gritzmaker grew up baking cakes and decorating cookies with her grandmother, so baking came naturally.
When her sister-in-law opened the Bed and Biscuit dog daycare center customers were wanting to celebrate their dogs' birthdays.
"She approached me [and asked], 'Can you possibly make a doggie birthday cake?' " Gritzmaker said.
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At the time, homemade dog cakes and treats were not as popular, so Gritzmaker did the research and testing to make a recipe that is cake-like and dog safe. Her dog, Mabel, is the head taste tester.
No added sugars, all natural dyes, no artificial preservatives, healthy ingredients and dog favorite flavors are the highlights of Gritzmaker’s dog treats.
"I love keeping it natural," she said.
What started as an occasional dog cake or batch of cupcakes six years ago has turned into a full business for Gritzmaker. Twice a week Gritzmaker can be found at the Sioux City Farmers Market, selling her decorated cookies, doggy biscuits, pup cakes, treats and more. She also gets frequent orders for her celebration cakes and cupcakes.
“This is definitely my creative outlet,” she said.
This is Gritzmaker's third year selling her treats at the farmers market. While her iced dog cookies draw people in, the best seller this year is her sweet potato and oat chewy dog cookie.
Other treats that can be found at her farmers market stall include iced doggy biscuits, grain-free pumpkin dog treats, doggy donuts and pup cakes.
Gritzmaker's favorite part of running her business is meeting the dogs and hearing their stories. She also loves the creative aspect of it.
Sit Pretty Barkery's logo was created before the name was. Gritzmaker said she doodled a variety of logos first and wanted to incorporate a pun into the name. She said thinking about how dogs are trained, "sit pretty," stuck in her head.
"Birthdays are still one of the most popular things [I sell]," she said. Anything that can be done to customize the cakes specifically to their pets is what people prefer.
Sit Pretty Barkery is a registered business and, therefore, has to meet certain dog treat regulations.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship requires businesses to be registered and comply with Iowa regulations for the type of product before the item can be sold at farmer's markets.
When Gritzmaker comes up with a new recipe for her treats, she sends a sample to a lab that tests the ingredients and produces a “guaranteed analysis.” The analysis shows the percentages of crude protein, fat, fiber and moisture.
Just like treats found in pet stores, Gritzmakers are labeled with a list of ingredients, net weight, feeding directions, etc. The department of agriculture then reviews the labels and testing, before allowing Gritzmaker to sell the treats.
"I love letting people know my stuff is all lab tested," she said. "A lot of dogs have food allergies so everything on my [label] is listed."
