Photo by Ed Waters, Jr. Elizabeth, the namesake for Lizzy Treats, shakes hands with owner Dawnetta Glenz in turn for a treat.

Then they made some treats for their neighbors' dogs. And the neighbors, in turn, told their friends.

Suddenly last fall, the couple found themselves entrepreneurs, starting Lizzy Treats, a company producing all-natural dog food.

Now they make about 18 pounds of dog treats a week in their kitchen. They purchased a 20-quart commercial mixer and a cookie press on eBay.

"I can make 1,200 cookies in eight hours," Dawnetta Glenz said.

"If it keeps going like this we may need a large commercial space," she said in the kitchen of their home near Urbana .

The name of their product comes from their current pet, Elizabeth, an American Eskimo, described as energetic, an independent thinker and the driving force behind healthy pet treats.

The commercial pet-food industry is a $15 billion a year field. About $30 million of that, or about 0.19 percent, is in organic pet foods.

The Organic Trade Association predicted organic pet-food sales to have risen 36 percent in 2006, although complete figures are not available. Sales of organic pet foods are expected to rise 24 percent each year from 2007 to 2010, the association states.

Many sought alternatives to store-bought pet foods when a recall was announced in May. Pets were sickened and some died from pet foods tainted by malamine, used in fertilizer, and cyanuric acid, used to chlorinate swimming pools. Many of the affected pet foods originated in China.

Although human-grade ingredients are used in their products, the couple emphasized that just because humans eat something it doesn't mean it's good for a dog.

One of the major factors is digestion, Dawnetta Glenz said.

Her husband, who works for the D.C. Metrorail, said their aim is to provide the best quality ingredients, but it's becoming hard to keep prices down. "Egg prices go up and down all the time," he said.

They use top grade beef and chicken, as well as other items, to make dog nuggets, jerky, cookies and French fries, a product that developed by accident.

"I was making a batch and they stuck to the pan and so I cut them," Dawnetta said. "I thought, wow, they look just like French fries."

Products have to go through three bakings to get the right consistency, she said. The meat is cooked thoroughly to kill bacteria.

While she begins at 8 a.m., it is usually midnight by the time a batch is processed. It can take another 12 hours for some crunchy treats.

The cookies come in peanut butter and oatmeal, treats in beef and chicken, but in various shapes and sizes.

"We made gluten-free vegetable treats, and they sold out," Dawnetta said. "The are made from sweet potato, carrot and red potato."

The treats are hypoallergenic. A lot of pets are allergic to gluten and wheat products, and can't digest them.

James Glenz said the products are treats and not food supplements.

"People want to buy human food for dogs, but it is not always good for them," he said.

Dogs like the treats because of the natural ingredients, he said. "There's no artificial fillers or colors."

People really like them, he said, because they can carry them in their pocket without smell or stains, like other treats.

And they taste better for dog owners. Trainers and dog-show participants often hold treats in their mouths during shows, a place that is more convenient than having them in a pocket.

Once the couple decided to make the treats a business, they began selling at dog shows -- still their biggest market -- but are also going to craft shows and wine festivals.

"We also are selling on the Internet," Dawnetta Glenz said.

The line has expanded to include gift baskets and even apparel -- bandannas for dogs.

Just as with any food product, the treats needed government approval. Everything was tested and was required to be listed on the label.

While the company may have started in fall, approval to go commercial didn't come until February.

"It takes a lot of work to be natural," James Glenz said.

Tim Allen, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal Welfare Center in Beltsville, said that agency hasn't set any standards for organic pet foods, but has guidelines for any animal food products.

Although they can sell on the web worldwide, selling Lizzy Treats in a store means meeting health standards in each state. They are available at South Mountain Creamery, which delivers the treats along with milk, and Central Dogma on East Patrick Street. They also sell through Two Paws Up in Myrtle Beach, S.C. (unconnected to the store of that name in downtown Frederick .)

Besides approval in Maryland and South Carolina, they are working on state health approvals from Virginia and North Carolina.

"We are still feeling the market, and would like to get pet groomers and others to sell the treats," Dawnetta Glenz said.

One of the biggest sales is in gift baskets. The couple just acquired a bone-shaped basket.

One person who has been a major help to the couple is Gary Sandman, president of Signature Supplements, and a neighbor. His firm creates custom vitamins for clients based on specific health needs.

He offers a service that tests dogs, just as he does with people, to see if they need a specific vitamin, or if they can't eat something because of an allergy.

"The dogs might have lyme disease or an infection or a low-energy level. Females, pass on a lot to the puppy -- or the infant in humans -- through breast milk. It's like putting the software into the child's or puppy's system, creating their immune system," Sandman said.

His health approach is backed by more than 3,000 tests at the National Institute of Health, he said.

James Glenz also said he is trying to turn his hobby of photographing dogs into part of the business.