By GORDON D. KING

Staff Writer

NORTHFIELD — What do you do if you have a dog that gets very sick from eating commercially made treats?

Grace LaPlante faced this dilemma a year ago after she and her husband, Joe, adopted a dog from the Granite State Animal League shelter in Franklin. It was their first dog. Previously they had just three cats.

The dog, a mixed breed Labrador retriever/border collie named Missy, became very sick from eating the treats purchased at a pet shop.

After having the dog treated, she searched the Internet for a recipe for dog biscuits using only natural ingredients.

"I did a lot of research and I eliminated all the extra ingredients," she said.

Missy starting eating then as soon as the first batch was baked. She didn’t get sick.

After this success she gave of her home-baked dog treats to friends. That prompted LaPlante to start marketing what she now calls "Missy’s Biscuits."

Business was a bit slow when she first started selling them in February, but the biscuits caught on and she eventually quit her part-time job so she could devote all of her time to making the biscuits.

"The business has really taken off in the past few months," she said.

LaPlante makes six varieties: Cinnabone, Bark-b-Que, Howl Wheat, PeaMutt butter, Paw Lickn’n Chick’n’ and Veggie Bite.

She said the Cinnabone biscuits gives dogs a sweet smelling breath.

The basic ingredient for each flavor is white or whole-wheat flour. Some have molasses, barbecue sauce, peanut butter, chicken broth or a variety of vegetables in them.

She makes them in three sizes — small, medium and large.

Each batch of dough makes four to five dozen biscuits, depending on the biscuit size. It takes about an hour to make a batch from start to finish. All are shaped like dog bones except for the sample that she gives away to prospective customers. They are shaped like a paw print.

"I spend 10 to 15 hours a week baking them," she said.

In addition to baking them, she packages them, markets them locally, and ships them for sale to out-of-state customers.

The Litterhof Kennel in Gilford purchases several dozen a week and is helping to spread the news about the biscuits.

She worked her first street fair in Tilton. It was a successful day for her. She sold 25 dozen and took orders for many more.

"I shipped out a batch to a woman in Brooklyn who wanted some," she said, adding that she is considering attending farmer’s markets so she can reach a larger customer base.

She would also like to find a store in the area where she can market them on a regular basis,

And she’s building a Web site and plans to change the labeling on the packages to include a photograph of Missy.

The Tilton Summer Festival was what LaPlante called "a confirming event" for her.

"It showed me that it wasn’t a crazy idea — pet-based businesses are growing fast," she said.

LaPlante also makes four varieties of treats for cats: Bare Claws, Kit N’ Trim, Pish N’ Chips and Cheese Naps. They, too, are made with all natural ingredients.

Her husband has offered her encouragement to go into business full-time.

"I love to bake. His nemesis is desserts. He says if I’m baking for pets, I’m not baking for him," she said.