A dog's life can be a real treat when your human mom owns a gourmet dog bone company - and you're its mascot.

Brandi Duis' dog, Dub, whom she calls "a handsome mutt," is the four-legged taste tester for Chew, a doggie divine delicatessen.

"He gets as many as he wants," Ms. Duis says.

So does Tori Spelling's dog, but don't tell Dub.

However, its Dub's mug (turned into a cartoon) that graces each package of the gourmet dog bones, not Tori's pampered pug. And it's Dub who stars on the Web site, chewfordogs.com, and who even offers a testimonial. Eat your heart out, Tori, can your doggie do this:

"I was fortunate as a young puppy to go from rags to riches. I went from being homeless in a snow ditch to being adopted by the President of Chew! Let me tell you, I hit the jackpot. There is no life like the Chew life!"

And there's no life like the Chew life for its company's owner. Ms. Duis, who grew up in St. Joseph, has recently returned to her hometown, compete with dog in tow, a company to run and a wedding coming up this month.

The idea for the gourmet dog business came to Ms. Duis when she returned to Kansas to help out in the family business, Duis Meat Processing. Gourmet dog bones were one of the most popular items in the company's gourmet meat market, according to the Web site. The name Chew was a natural, as well. That's what dogs do with treats, Ms. Duis says.

The bones are all natural - they are the femur bones from a cow that have been hickory smoked. The ends have been sawed off to expose the marrow. They don't splinter and won't stain, Ms. Duis says.

"It's like a doggie babysitter," she says, "It takes a while for them to wear down."

The bones can be ordered from the Web site (Brandi's mom, Connie Duis, makes the deliveries in St. Joseph) or purchased from Fantastic Fido's.

"My living room looks like a boneyard," says Fantastic Fido's owner Monica Davis.

Even after her two dogs strip the marrow from the bones, they like to chew on them. The bones are selling well, she adds.

At the present time, the bones must be refrigerated or frozen, but Ms. Duis is working on extending their shelf life. She also hopes to grow the company.

As for Tori Spelling's dog, she got to try the product during the Silver Spoon Dog and Baby Buffet event in LA. Don't tell Dub.

Lifestyles reporter Cathy Woolridge can be

reached at cathyw@npgco.com