Homemade Doggie Treats
October 16th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
I have always been consious of what I feed my dogs, I have never been fond of prepared foods that one buys from the supermarket, you only have to look at the labels and the lists of ingredients to be concerned. If it is not fit or safe for us to consume, why should it be OK for a dog or Puppy. So I make everything.. our dogs only eat homemade dog food and are trained with homemade doggie treats. They love them and are always keen to get one when responding correctly during training.
Anyway a lot of friends are amazed that I make doggie treats, it’s interesting though, if their dog gets a choice, I will leave it to your imagination which they prefer.
Anyway I decided to put a video together on the recipe I use so everyone can benefit. I did not originate this by the way.
If your pup enjoys these and you would like to get the book it came from, you can get it here: Homemade Doggie Treats and more. Yes it contains 100s of recipes, we regularly use a variety of them and wouldn’t go anywhere else.
Puppy Training Tools
October 16th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Click here for The Clicker Training Book
I often wonder when pet owners will learn that admonishing a puppy for doing the right thing is a serious step in the wrong direction.
Think about it, you puppy takes off to play with a friend, of chase a brid, you know, the normal things a pup does when they are exploring the world… You call and call and eventually your pup comes back to you, having had a terrific time only to get walloped for their sins. What sort of message does this send?
To a puppy, the message is very simple: I come back and all I feel is PAIN! So why do I came back if I know this is going to happen? Who is the Dumb one??? The puppy or the Owner?
The issue is not what the puppy was doing, that is irrelevant, the puppy needs to have a reason to do something. In this case return to their owner, AND have their owner be really happy they returned, not vent their frustration on the pup’s backside! Is it any wonder some owners have trouble training their puppy?
All training must be based on positive reinforcement of the correct actions undertaken by the new puppy. The pup MUST realise they have done the right thing, done what their owner asked them to do, it is so simple, yet many new owners just don’t get it. If you develop fear in a puppy, no matter how much they love you, it will establish a mental barrier to any action request, because the puppy is confused about the consequences, so they are understandably reluctant to do what is asked.
If on the other hand a puppy that realises that the correct actions receive praise and reward, is much more likely to comply. Yes commands MUST be simple, ‘Sit’, ‘Stay’, ‘Come’ and so on, 1 word commands preceded by the pup’s name in order to attract the puppy’s attention before the request is given. If the command is long and complex, you may as well be talking gibberish, your puppy won’t understand.
So training is really pretty simple, ignore what goes wrong and reinforce what goes right. When I say reinforce, I mean put some effort into it, small special food rewards, a good rub and congratulatory pat, a quick game, anything that the puppy knows is special.
Have you ever seen the TV docos on Customs or Drug searches where a dog finds a drug concealment. What does the dog handler do afterwards? Yes, they give their dog a special toy or a big pat and play, they are telling their dog they have done well. This is behavioural reinforcement and is the most powerful training tool, bar none.
What is even better is anyone can do it! Want to learn more? Discover how easy Puppy Training can be, Click Here Now
Dogs, Poisonous Plants and your Home.
September 2nd, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Nerium Oleander
Tragically, the one environment often overlooked by people bringing home a new puppy is the garden. For dogs, poisonous plants that may abound in your garden are a major issue. Think about it… pups love to explore, tasting or chewing almost anything they can find, yes it goes well beyond your slippers!
For pups and dogs, poisonous plants are significant danger and your garden’s probably full of them. It may be a place of great beauty to you, the proud gardener, but it presents a death trap to a pup.
A question from a reader, brought this to my attention, and I realised that many dog owners may not be aware of the dangers presented by a domestic environment, normally nurtured and loved.
Within every garden lies a smorgasbord of plants just waiting for his taste test, but a large number of our garden plants harbor a cocktail of toxic chemicals, designed to protect from marauding insects and grazing animals. The trouble is your pup is on a learning curve and wondering at this new world, inquisitive to explore and check out all that is unknown, most plants are at a perfect height for him and they have no emotional attachment to his wellbeing.
Apart from electricity cords around the house, the garden has the potential to be the second most efficient killer.
There is no possibility of detailing all the toxic plants, the list is massive, but in an effort to present some awareness, here are a few common ones you might have in your garden. Some, such as bulbs, remain unseen as they lay dormant waiting for spring unless they are dug up, others are there year in year out.
Azaleas: The leaves will make any dog very sick, though their taste will tend to put a dog off. The same goes for Rhododendrons.
Aloe Vera: Though possessing wonderful therapeutic properties for us, to a dog this plant is highly poisonous causing vomiting, tremors and heart arrhythmia.
Bulbs: This includes Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinth etc. They contain Lycorine and all parts of the plant are highly toxic and have the potential to kill a dog.
Foxgloves: A beautiful tall plant cherished by cottage gardens. Foxgloves contain Digitalis which directly influences heart function and causes cardiac arrest.
Lilies: Leaves, stems etc are all highly toxic, even when dry. They contain Cardenolides and/or Colchicine, plus Lycorine, your dog or pup will not be around long if they chew on any part of this plant.
Oleander: One of the most poisonous plants in the world! It contains numerous toxins, and because of its toughness is extensively used for landscaping, but if a puppy chews even a dry leaf, he could be dead in minutes! Take note, the same applies to young children!
The Onion Family: They are rich in N-propyl disulfide, this includes garlic which is often included in home made dog food as a flea preventative. It doesn’t matter if they are raw, cooked or dried, they cause hemolytic anemia, and could mean your dog will require a blood transfusion. The damage may also be cumulative.
Poinsettia: A milky sap plant that is highly toxic, so keep your pup away or you won’t have him around by night fall.
Potato Plants: A member of the Solanaceae family which includes egg plant and night shade. The plant contains Chaconine and Solanine and is highly toxic as are green potato tubers.
Tomato Plants: Tomatoes contain Tomatine, an alkaloid related to solanine, plus atropine. The Tomato fruit metabolises the Tomatine as the fruit ripens. Tomatoes will cause a wide variety of symptoms including drooling, paralysis, heart arrhythmia, coma and death. The ripe fruit is less dangerous but every other part of the plant is toxic.
Wandering Jew: Often favoured as cascading house plant but well known to cause terrible skin allergies and lesions that will send a dog insane with the constant itching. Some dogs like Bull Terriers and Staffies are particularly prone to this plant’s irritating qualities and they will scratch themselves until they bleed. This one is a shocker from a dog’s perspective, so get rid of it.
Any plant that is known to be a human irritant, particularly those with milky sap, can have significant effects on pets. They are often the cause of skin irritations, and this sensitivity can be increased by your dogs diet, particularly by some of the economy brands of that can be excessive in their use of chemicals, such as preservatives, moisture stabalisers and colorants which may compromise the dog’s immunity.
This list is only a few of many plants poisonous to dogs, hopefully is will help create an awareness so you can protect your dog or pup before a disaster. You may even decide to have some of the really dangerous plants, like Oleander, removed to not only protect your pets but also your children. It was planted for hedging on our farm when we bought it, and I can assure you it was dig out very quickly!
Raising A Mastiff Pup
August 24th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Mastiff; the Gentle Giant
Mastiffs are the gentle giants of the dog world and their origins go way back to the days of chivalry and one day wars. Historic tapestries illustrate them as companions to knights, adorned with armour and escorting horses into battle.
Surprisingly, Mastiffs are a fairly lazy breed and are very comfortable lying by the couch all day, every day, so diet and exercise has to be an important consideration since weight gain can pose a significant problem. One of my dogs playmates is an English Mastiff and though gentle and loving by nature, his sheer size has caused a few injuries to Rigby.
A gently mouthing on a back leg whilst rolling around lead to a scream of pain and a dislocated hip, fortunately easily popped back in, but the damage had been done. There was no intent, simply a gentle grip and the dogs weight. Max, the Mastiff is now about 15 months old and weighs around 70kg, (150lbs) and he’s still not fully grown!
So if you wish to own one of these gentle giants, make sure you have a daily exercise routine in place, even better, twice a day for upto an hour at a time. Being fair, these dogs are not overly suited to apartment living, though their inate laziness will mean your residence will not be demolished by exuberant behaviour. Just watch out for the ornaments with the wagging tail! That Ming Dynasty vase won’t be around for long.
Due to their size and growth rate, diet for a Mastiff pup is critical, it needs to be high quality and ballanced to allow for correct body and bone development. Excessive feeding will lead to weight gain and the possibilities of painful joint problems later in life, so between meal snacks and treats should be used for training rewards only. After they have been separated from their mothers they should be fed about four times a day to help them to grow strong and healthy. As your mastiff gets older you can start to reduce the meal frequency and gauge the amount of food you give him carefully so that he grows but doesn’t get fat. Your butcher will soon become your best friend, you may even need to open an account!
Grooming a Mastiff is an easy process, being a short coat, you won’t have to spend hours combing through heavy fur. They are natural shedders (watch out in the spring time!), this can be sped up by using a rubber grooming mit. They do have natural oils in their coat to help protect their skin, so don’t over-wash your Mastiff; once a month should be more than enough.
Mastiffs are a beautiful, gentle and protective breed that and if looked after in the proper manner, will be a very important part of your family life. They are great with children, but as with any dog, never leave young children unattended since the dog will assume an “Alpha” role and if the child miss-behaves adopt a disciplinary role with potentially devastating consequences. They are intelligent and respond well to training if started early, the Clicker Training technique is very effective and it is important to socialize them with other dogs from a young age. Clicker Training is a fast way to train these giants to walk on leash properly, since if they leash pull, you have no chance of controlling a dog as powerful as a Mastiff.
If you decide to have a Mastiff as a companion and you look after him properly, you will have a friend for life. Oh yes, a final point… they have a tendency to slobber, so keep plenty of towels handy….
Picture Credit: jlinsnider.wordpress.com/…/
Make Dog Food | Homemade Dog Food
August 3rd, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Making The Homemade Dog Food Recipe
Rigby’s health and vitality is really important to us, so spending a small amount of time each week to make dog food is never a consideration. This recipe takes me about 20 mins at the most and will last him for 4-5 days when mixed with raw meat.
There are some obvious benefits to making dog food, plus some special ones:
- I know what’s in the food; No Preservatives, No Fillers, No Artificial Additives, No Chemical Colors, just natural goodness.
- On the very rare occasion he has had “Pet Food”, which is usually from our emergency supply of dried food because we have miss-calculated and run out of something, he soon becomes very flatulant (farts a lot, smelly as well!), on homemade dog food this stops.
- On “Pet Food” his stools (poop) were large and didn’t breakdown in the garden, on homemade dog food they are much smaller and break down quickly. This tells me two things; he is better able to digest the food so he’s getting much better nutrition and the natural enzymes are still available to digest the food properly so his waste breaks down better. No chemicals to kill the enzymes.
It is easy to vary this recipe, I sometimes include low fat ricotta cheese, 1/2 lb or 250 gms, sometimes a drained can of chick peas, I can vary the vegetables, and the dried stock, all change the taste to keep it interesting for him. Another occasional add is natural yoghurt, just a treat when serving, not in the main mix. This is also brilliant if for some reason he has had antibiotics. It goes a long way to minimizing loose bowels, which are often caused by the drugs… also works well with humans!
The vegetables do not have to be cooked, they can be raw, BUT they MUST be very well blended, otherwise a dog will be unable to digest them, and that’s a waste.
For growing puppies it is worth adding a calcium supplement and maybe a vitamin/mineral supplement, though the Treacle/Molasses goes a long way in providing a lot of vitamins and minerals.
I can’t claim to have created this recipe, it originated in ‘Healthy Dog Food, Homemade Recipes‘, though it has been adapted slightly. This book has other recipes I use as well and I find it to be a superb source of ideas, Rigby is a great tester and never complains!
Now you have your homemade dog food, how much should you serve? Well this will depend on your dog, their age and their activity level. The biggest problem most people have with feeding is over feeding, this produces obesity and significantly shortens a dogs life. Provided the nutrition is good, it is better to slightly under feed, not by much and your dog should be able to maintain his correct weight and energy levels. If he gains weight, you are over feeding and is he looses you are obviously giving him too little, you have to assess this yourself.
Yes, I know they will look at you and make you feel guilty, pleading for a bit more, they are very good at it, but weigh up the consequences; overfeeding produces obesity, canine diabetes, arthritis, heart problems, the list goes on. The big thing to keep in mind is; if you make dog food, the nutrition level will be higher than most dry foods, dog sausages, and other processed foods, because of this the volume you give your dog will be less. I hope this helps.
Incase you missed it in the video, here are the ingredients:
- 1lb, 500gms Pasta, spirals, shells, penne, any small piece style. Cooked until quite soft and added to blended vegetable mix when still hot so the eggs get cooked.
- 1lb, 500gms Mixes vegetables, either par boiled, steamed or raw
- 1 tblsp Treacle/Molasses
- 2 eggs
- 2 tblsp dried beef or chicken stock
- 1/2lb, 250gms Low Fat Ricotta (Optional)
- Calcium and or vitamin/ mineral supplement if feeding puppies.
I hope your Dog enjoys this as much as Rigby does.
Beagle Puppy Training for the First Time Beagle Owner
July 16th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
There are few things in life that are cuter than a beagle puppy, with his floppy ears, inquisitive eyes and a tail that always seems to be in motion. Those cute pups can be quite a handful however, so it is important to arm yourself with information about proper beagle puppy training before you bring your new addition home. Fortunately, there are many great resources that can give you the basics of beagle puppy care, from your veterinarian to your local library, and even on the Internet. Read the rest of this entry »
