Search Results for: blog homemade dog treats

Treats for Pets with Dietary Restrictions

When it comes to food, my two dogs are very different. Lally is the sort of dog who will only eat when she’s hungry; I could leave a bowl of food out all day and she’d regulate herself. Moose is a chow hound; he’ll eat until there’s nothing left and then eat some more. I can’t leave food out for him, because he’d never stop eating! It’s very hard to manage Moose’s weight when he never turns down food. The vet suggested that we avoid chewy snacks — they generally have a higher fat content than crunchy, dry snacks have. … Continue reading →

I’ve Become the Crazy Dog Lady

It occurred to me this evening — as I was dicing chicken and string beans for the dogs’ supper — that I’ve become the Crazy Dog Lady. I really think I crossed the line when I started making my own dog food. There was all the time spent figuring out my recipe. There was all the prep work and planning — bake the chicken, chop the veggies, cook the rice. Now I’m performing mental math, wondering how long each batch of meat, rice, and vegetables will last, and how many meals the dogs will get. Is this cost effective? Am … Continue reading →

Teach Your Dog to Leave It

Leave it is an amazingly useful and versatile command — it can save your dog from eating something dangerous or instigating a fight with another dog or chasing your cat. Here’s one way to teach your dog to leave an object/treat: Find some treats your dog can’t resist. Keep all but one out of sight. (The one is for training; the rest are for rewards.) Place that one treat on the floor or on a low table that your dog can reach. Your dog will almost definitely pay attention if the treat is good enough! As you set the treat … Continue reading →

Teach Your Dog How to Lay Down

If your dog already knows how to sit, it will be relatively easy to teach him or her to lie down. This is especially easy if you have some kind of irresistible treat to work with. (For my dogs, that would be anything involving chicken.) Step One: Ask your dog to sit. Always start with the basics! Step Two: Stick that irresistible treat in front of his nose. Step Three: Slowly move the treat down towards the floor. Step Four: Say DOWN or whatever command you’ve chosen as your dog begins to follow the treat and lie down. Step Five: … Continue reading →

Teach Your Dog How To Shake

Once your dog knows how to sit on command, you can use that as a starting point for other tricks, like “lay down” and “shake”. Whether you want to call it “shake hands” or “give paw” or “high five”, teaching your dog to shake on command is an easy trick that will get you (and the pup) lots of oohs and aahs. Get your dog to sit. Hold his attention with a treat. Pick up one of his front paws and hold it VERY loosely in your hand. Say SHAKE (or whatever command you want him to learn). Reward him … Continue reading →

Cooking for the Dog

I wish I could tell you that since this week is National Turn Off Your TV week that I had fun non-TV activities planned for every night of the week. The bad news though (and the honest answer) is that I don’t. The good news is that boys are thinking of things to do on their own. We are in the process of training our puppy, and are going through a lot of dog treats. So tonight we made homemade dog treats. The boys have wanted to do this for a while and there never seemed to be a good … Continue reading →

Talking to the Owner of a Chained Dog

If you are concerned about a dog who lives his life on a chain, you aren’t helpless! There are lots of different things you can do to try to help. Keep a few things in mind: Be constructive, but not critical. Most people don’t react well to criticism. Try to educate the owner. It is possible to teach the owner how to treat his dog as a living, loving family member. Helping an abused animal a little bit is better than doing nothing. You may not be able to save the dog and find him a new home, but you … Continue reading →

Save Money on Your Pets This Christmas

Whether you already have pets that are expecting presents under the tree (or kids who expect presents for the pets) or will be getting a new pet or two this Christmas season, chances are that you would appreciate being able to save money on your pets. Here are some excellent ways to have your cat (or dog, or bird or frog) and save money too. Free Product Coupons Petsmart usually offers at least one free can of food per month for your pets, as well as other great coupons when you sign up for their Pet Perks program. Adopting a … Continue reading →

Holiday Gifts from the Heart

The holiday season is an ideal time to teach kids about the importance of giving.  This year, though, consider doing one better by giving your children the opportunity to take a hands-on approach to gift-giving. There’s no need to break the bank purchasing expensive holiday presents for loved ones when you can use your creativity and other talents to craft a slew of special treats.  Show kids that by putting their heart into making a personal present for a loved one they will be giving a giving a gift you can’t put a price tag on. Some simple ideas include: … Continue reading →

Silly Gourmet Pet Foods

While on a walk with my dog in a nearby town I discovered a doggie cafe. I thought that perhaps this establishment was a cafe that, if it didn’t cater to dogs, at least allowed owners to take their dogs inside. I knew this was unlikely, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to take a look inside. What I found, to my disappointment (but not to my surprise) was a pet supply store. The reason it called itself a cafe was tucked into a side room. There, stretching along the entire back wall, was a bakery display case filled with … Continue reading →