Interview with DivineCanine PART 1

Well we are HUGE pet lovers and we love our animal to death. So what could be a better way to show your babies you love with some healthy pet treats! We here at the Muddy Moose give two paws way up for the treats from DivineCanine (http://www.divinecanine.etsy.com/)!

Our pooches can't get enough of 'em!

Both of our cuties are pound rescues. The smaller one is Daisy and she is about 11 years old. The BIG one is Stella and she is about 2 1/2 years old. We just adopted her about a month ago. They are posing waiting for their treats!

So we decided what a better way to get to know the person behind the shop than with and interview!


***TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF. My name is Jessica and I am 38. I have a husband and one son, Christian who is 7 and has (ASD) Asperger’s syndrome. I love cooking, baking, gardening, and pets. I went totally blind about 8 years ago, and I’m still trying to figure out how to do the stuff that sighted people like to do!

***HOW DID YOU GET INTO MAKING DOG AND KITTY TREATS? I have a graduate degree in blind rehabilitation teaching, and I taught up until the time my son turned three.I was a home mom for the last 5 years and decided that when my son went to school full time I needed something to do that was productive. I love cooking, but can’t afford the commercial kitchen required for catering and baking. I love pets and cook for them (as well as my human family members) and looked into the ins and outs of owning a pet bakery, then decided it sounded like too much fun to pass up!

***IS THIS YOUR FULL TIME JOB? Yes, I guess you could say that…and taking care of my home and family.

***HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT WITH DEVELOPING YOUR RECIPES? I read a lot about pet nutrition and what human food is ok or beneficial for them to eat in moderation. I also talk with my vet quite frequently about views on pet treats, foods, and nutrition. Then, I make batch after batch of treats until I feel I’ve got the right one…my dog Scarlet is starting to get quite the belly because she loves to eat my “oopses” and experiments that I don’t end up selling to the public.

***HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR LIFE/JOB/ETSY/FAMILY? Hehehe. I’m trying to figure this one out. I’ve noticed that I was spending too much time blogging, chatting, forums, anything out there to promote myself…and realized that the house and rest of my family were starting to fade into the distance…not good. So, I’m working on a business plan to help me decide how much time a day to spend on work, how much time on the computer, etc. I do most of my baking at night after hubby and child go to bed…I do my best baking at night for some reason.

Be sure to read the second part of the interview for her tips for sucess and building up you business and some of her up and coming new products! And stop by and pick up some treats for you pooches or kitty...they will thank you!!