Tuesday, September 24, 2013

We Did It!

TA DA!  Murray and I completed our first training course!  It was awesome!  In a matter of minutes we started to learn new skills (or some might say tricks) that we spent several weeks adding to and strengthening.  We now know "go to mat", "targeting my hand" and "targeting a cup", with even more in the works!  I am completely amazed at how effective clicker training is.  I'm sold!  Now lets see...what will be next???  Hmmm

 

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Canned Food

Feeding my dogs a small amount of canned dog food each day has always been a part of my routine.  My guys love it!  I might even go so far as to say I think they would totally boycott their hard food if I stopped giving them their night feeding with a scoop some meaty recipe a can.  Of course I am careful as to which brand/kind of can food a use (I currently use Merrick), but I do in fact use it everyday.  I think I might be in the minority though.  Seems more and more dog people I speak to tell me they only feed dry food, day in and day out.  Maybe I'm missing the boat here, but I see some definite benefits to feeding wet food too...in moderation.

-adds water to the diet
-increases interest through stronger taste and smell
-easy to chew and swallow for older dogs or dogs with health/mouth issues

What are your thoughts???

Merrick





Wednesday, September 11, 2013

We Remember


One of more than 300 dogs sent to Ground Zero following September 11, 2001.  You and your humans will not be forgotten.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Scrub A Dub Dub!

Woo Hoo!  End of August/ beginning of September means fewer clippings and baths of the dog variety in our household.  Instead of every few weeks, we now cut back to every other month or so.  Of course we do maintenance trims and clean ups when we find matted fur or the occasional mud pile, but the full on shave down and outside baths under the hose will now be put on hold until next spring.  Murray (and I) are pretty excited about the break!  It's no easy task for he and I!  We did however discover a wonderful little tool for bath time this year that I have to share...a bath scrub brush for dogs!  Now I realize these have probably been around a long while, but in my mind, I didn't see the point of using a brush instead of my hands to scrub him up.  Well, for dogs with dry, itchy skin issues, there is a huge benefit!  Murray has always had allergy skin that much of the time gets dry, flaky and even from time to time a bit inflamed.  At the recommendation of our vet, we purchased a rubber brush specifically for dog baths.  Not only does he LOVE the feeling of the gentle scrubbing on his skin while I'm working the shampoo in, (which makes bath time much easier) but it has helped keep his skin clearer too!  It sloughs off the dead, dried up skin and really helps clean everything up!  With each bath this summer his skin was looking healthier and healthier.  Finally a brushing tool he doesn't run from! 

Bath Brush
 

She Deserves Better