Chef prepares burgers and casseroles for pet who is a 'fussy eater'

ETHEL Blair's dog Pepsi used to turn his nose up at all kinds of dog food and was often sick after eating a meal.

Now, the Miniature Schnauzer will tuck into almost anything after his chef owner started making him delicious doggie meals, including miniature hamburgers and casseroles.

The lucky pooch is even treated to fruit salads, and enjoys scrambled eggs for breakfast a couple of times a week.

Ms Blair, who is an expert in "K9 cookery" - cooking healthy food for dogs, said: "Having a dog who was a fussy eater could only happen to me.

"I kept going backwards and forwards to the breeder for advice on what to feed him. He gave me a book about nutrition for dogs and said I might as well cook for him. I think he said it as a joke. But I thought it would be easy and I could do it while I was cooking for my family.

"I did a couple of things and Pepsi loved them. Consequently I have a dog that eats very well; he will eat a lot of things that most humans don't eat."

Ms Blair got Pepsi around seven years ago while living in Barcelona and started preparing food for him more frequently after moving to Edinburgh in 2005, because Pepsi was not keen on British brands of dog food."When I'm making burgers for the family, I set aside a portion for Pepsi," she said.

The burgers are made from mince and are around the size of a small apple, while the doggie casseroles consist of chicken, brown rice and vegetables.

A chef by trade, Ms Blair, who is originally from Colombia in South America, owns the cookery school Cookingmania in Stockbridge, which provides cookery classes for adults and children.

She also hopes to offer K9 cookery classes in future if there is demand.

Ms Blair, who is in her 40s and lives in Trinity, will make her first UK television appearance when she demonstrates how to make her doggie dishes on STV's The Hour show next month.

Ms Blair added: "My grandmother always cooked for her dogs. I can still see the pot bubbling away and the dogs being fed, it definitely stuck in my mind.

"Cooking for an animal is part of caring for it. The benefits are similar to a human going from a bad diet to a good diet. People should think of it as an extension of their own cooking. It doesn't need to be a special day set out to cook for your dog, this is something you can do alongside cooking a meal for your family. You will have a happy and healthy dog as a result."

Ms Blair advised dog owners to consult their dog's vet and/or breeder before preparing food for their pet.