Here at LWAG we like to share information on local businesses that can help your dog.  Purely Oh Dog Bakery, based out of Fremont, NH, is one such business.  Our first Golden Retriever, Lemmy, had severe food allergies.  At that time several years ago, we had trouble finding dog treats that he could digest.  That’s why we are so happy when we recently learned about Purely Oh Dog Bakery.  The following is our interview with owner, Sarah.

LWAG:  What is the story behind Purely Oh Dog Bakery?

Sarah:  Our Oscar, whom we affectionately call O-dog, was never a good eater.  He would pick at his quality brand kibble at meal time and often just walk away when he decided he’d eaten enough.  We didn’t think much of it other than he was not a “food dog,” a concept that was completely foreign to me having grown up with a Lab.  In early 2008, at age of 3, Oscar completely erupted with what we now know were food allergies.

LWAG: What are Oscar’s allergies?

Sarah:  After a couple of years of research, testing, and trial & error, we have learned the following:  Oscar absolutely cannot tolerate any grains, seeds, raw vegetables, raw fruits, anything too fibrous; and anything with too many ingredients just throws his digestive system into a tailspin.  The treatment that has worked well for Oscar is a very strict, limited ingredient, all natural, grain-free, gluten-free diet.  While we were able to find commercial kibble that fit our criteria, we struggled with finding biscuits and treats.  As a result, we started making our own treats on a regular basis.

LWAG:  That is awesome that you were able to able to find a way to give your dog treats.  How did this develop into Purely Oh Dog?

Sarah:  When we were going through the diagnosing period, we felt very alone.  Over the years, we have learned that we are not the only pet parents with similar dietary restrictions.  There are other Oh Dogs out there.  We decided that we wanted to share our experience and help other families.  We filed our paperwork with the State of NH in September 2013 which we refer to as the birth of Purely Oh Dog Bakery and opened for business in August 2014.

LWAG: Thank you for helping other dog owners who are in a similar situation.  We, too, felt alone when dealing with Lemmy’s diagnosis.  What would you like our readers to know about your business?

Sarah:  We truly care.  Our dogs are an integral part of our family; as we know that dogs are for so many families.  We care about the health and wellbeing of our dogs just as we do for our friends’ dogs, our neighbors’ dogs and our customers’ dogs.  We feel your pain when you share your stories with us of trying to diagnose your furbaby’s allergies, sensitives and ailments.  We only use human-grade ingredients and yes, you can eat them, we get that a lot!  We are also very willing to refine and develop recipes to cater to individual allergies.

LWAG: I saw on your website that you use local New Hampshire ingredients?

Sarah:  We like to support our local economy and use NH ingredients and services whenever possible.  We are always looking to find personal connections with our neighborhood farms and businesses.  Just recently, we made a personal connection with Ben’s Sugar Shack and are using their honey in some of our treats.  We are also working on a maple syrup treats using their fresh maple syrup.

LWAG: Sounds delicious! Where can people purchase your dog treats?

Sarah:  We have a website, www.purelyohdog.com that you can order directly from us.  We are at the Portsmouth Farmers’ Market as a guest vendor once a month (7/18, 8/22, 9/26, 10/17).  We will be in the NH Made tent at the Stratham Fair on July 19^th.  We will also be at the NH Animal Rescue League Pet Fair fundraising event in Manchester on Sept. 19.  At this time, our treats are regularly stocked at Play All Day Doggy Daycare in Exeter.  Also, our treats are carried on occasion at Canine Cupboard and Club Canine, both in Portsmouth.  Most recently, New Hampshire’s Finest Marketplace in Hudson has started carrying our treats and we are thrilled to be on the shelves amongst fellow NH vendors.  We are continuing to talk to other NH shops and our list may soon grow!

LWAG: That’s great news!  How is Oscar doing today?

Sarah:  Oscar, a white boxer, will be 11 on June 28.  He is the inspiration for our business.  Our other dog, Charlie, is a fawn boxer and will be 5 in July.

LWAG: Happy Birthday Oscar!  What is a dog friendly place that Oscar and Charlie like to visit?

Sarah:  We tend to check out different places.  Two good ones are Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, NH and Fort Foster in Kittery, ME.

LWAG:  Thank you Sarah for taking the time to tell our readers about Purely Oh Dog Bakery, and on a personal note, thank you for helping other families such as ours when faced with dog food allergies.

To order treats from Purely Oh Dog Baker, please visit their website at www.purelyohdog.com.

To learn more about Fort Foster in Kittery, check out our LWAG review.