Anthropomorphizing Your Dog

This morning, as I sat down to drink a cup of coffee, I read an article by K9 Magazine on whether or not it is wrong or even dangerous to treat your dog as a human. Honestly, it is the most well-round, thoughtful article I have read on the subject that brings to attention both needs of the symbiotic relationship between canines and humans. Let's face it, humans are humans and dogs are dogs. Humans are not dogs and dogs are not humans. BUT, we live together and have formed a close relationship for thousands of years. As the article states, "We share a common evolutionary history, our brains are remarkably similar, the areas of the brain controlling basic emotions such as anger, fear, joy, surprise, depression are exactly the same as are the neurotransmitters.
A lot of what we know about brain behavior relationships in humans is based on animal research. The limbic system which controls primary emotional drives is exactly the same in all mammals." Yes, dogs do feel emotions: pain, sadness, jealousy, happiness.  But, it is a fallacy for humans to think that the way a dog feels these emotions is exactly the same as we feel them, and that they go through the same thought process as a human. It is impossible to know EXACTLY what goes on in another organism's brain.

Often, I see humans trying to evaluate a dog's behavior through human eyes. We assume that a dog has the same ethical values as humans. That is where the mistakes start. Take for instance, a dog's "guilty" look. Let's say, you return home from work and you find your favorite slippers ripped to shreds. Your dog is cowering in the corner looking guilty. Our immediate reaction is to think the dog "knows" what it has done wrong. Let's think outside the box-- MAYBE your dog is cowering in the corner because it senses (through smell) your frustrated emotions, but it doesn't know why. Then you take the slipper that was chewed hours ago, and start disciplining the dog. Does the dog associate the chewing with why you are yelling? Probably not. All the dog knows is that you are carrying around an object that is really good for chewing and barking really angrily at them and they are scared. The best way to live a harmonious life with your dog is to start seeing them as... yes, dogs. Magnificent, wonderful dogs the way nature made them. Dogs do not see humans as other dogs. They see us as a different species from them, but they still live with us. It's a symbiotic relationship. I'm not saying it's not OK to throw your dog a birthday party or buy your dog Christmas presents. That's fun for you and the dog (maybe...depending upon the individual dog). But, you must realize that a dog does not know that it is Christmas or a birthday. It just knows it's getting some cool toys and treats that particular day. Carpe Diem! It is ok to share joy with your canine companion. BUT, we must be mindful in knowing that our reality may not match up with theirs.

The best way to live harmoniously and have a dog is to remain calm and train, train, train. Dog react to the emotions they sense on you and act accordingly, though they may not know why you are feeling the way you feel. To have a well rounded, stable dog, please remember to first and foremost provide your dog with adequate physical AND mental exercise. Next comes CALM training (no emotional response attached) in short 15-minute increments, and finally love and affection. You need to be consistent with these three things: exercise, training and love. Finally, you should always provide proper nutrition. 😋

For more reading:

• Here's How Your Dog Really Feels About You, According To Science, Huffpost: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/12/29/dog-psychology_n_8398778.html
• It's a Mistake to Humanize Dogs, Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/lifestyle/expert-its-a-mistake-to-humanize-dogs/
• The Real Problem With Anthropomorphizing, The Bark: http://thebark.com/content/real-problem-anthropomorphism

Sun-Dried Tomatoes= Pizza Dog Treats

Homemade pizza dog treats. What more can a dog ask for? For these treats, you can use store bought sun-dried tomatoes OR you can use sun-dried tomatoes that you have made from your garden tomatoes. I prefer to make my own, because honestly, I always feel like store bought sun-dried tomatoes have a funky taste for my human taste buds. I have no idea if my dog feels the same way. Plus, I always have a ton of tomatoes by the end of the summer from my garden. If you are not the gardening type, and also think store bought sun-dried tomatoes taste funky, you can always buy tomatoes from the store.

Before I move onto the actual pizza dog treats, I will first walk you through sun-drying your tomatoes in the oven. It is a relatively simple process that has a lot of wait time. You will need: tomatoes, basil and salt for the drying process:

Preheat the oven to 200-degrees, cut up your tomatoes and de-seed them by gently pressing the seeds out of the pockets with your thumb. Then, sprinkle with a little salt, add a bit of cut up fresh basil and bake...for about 8-hours. The result....

 

Sun-dried tomatoes that don't have that weird funky taste like some store bought! It's been about three-weeks since I made mine. I put them in a jar and they are still looking good! 

Now that you have your sun-dried tomatoes, here is your pizza dog treat recipe:

Pizza Dog treats 

Preheat your oven to 375.

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4- 2 cups water
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs parsleyw
• 1 tsp basil (fresh chopped or dried)
  
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 cup grated cheese (anything that suits your fancy)

Once you have gathered your ingredients, mix them all into a big bowl minus the water. Next, you will want to slowly add the water to get the right consistency. You will want to make sure your dough is not too dry or too sticky, because we are going to roll it out! After you get your dough to a good consistency, flour a surface and then start rolling out your dough. You will want it to be about 1/2" thick. Now, take your favorite cookie cutter and start cutting out your shapes! Lay each shape onto a greased baking sheet to bake for 40-minutes. After 40-minutes, brush the treats with a bit more olive oil and sprinkle with a tiny bit of cheese (for delicious decoration). Then, bake for 10 more minutes. Take treats out of oven and cool! Now you have an ample amount of treats for your dog. But, please remember that treats are treats and should not be over used. 

**NOTE to parents of two-legged children-- This is good activity for your children. My two-legged children had a lot of fun cutting out all the shapes for the dog treats. Plus, it's enjoyable for them to see their furry family members eat the treats they helped make!**

Camping With Your Dog

Camping! Camping with your dog? Even better. But before you hit the woods with your favorite four-legged family member, go through a check list of what to bring for your dog. If you don't have a check list, no worries, I made one for you:

 

Here is link for making a dog-friendly first aid kit--> HERE.

And Last, but not least...

Never Leave Your Dog Unattended!

Maple Bacon Kong Filler

Maple. Bacon. Ice. Cream.

This recipe is adapted from  Apron Strings. The Apron Strings version is for humans. My version is for canines. It is dairy free and has two ingredients that are considered "super foods": Coconut and maple syrup.
 

• Coconut oil has antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antimicrobial properties. That is a lot of "anti". Because of this, it can support your canine against illness and help speed the healing process. You can read more about it here. (and all the other amazing health benefits.)
•  Maple syrup is rich in Manganese, zinc and natural antioxidants. It also has a lower Glycemic Index than regular sugar. But let's face it, sugar is sugar and it's not entirely good for dogs. They should only have it occasionally. So, this recipe is a sometimes treat. Do not try to substitute with artificial sweeteners--which are poisonous to dogs.

Adapted For Dogs--Maple Bacon Kong Filler
Ingredients:

• 1//2 lb of bacon
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 can regular coconut milk
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp of kosher salt

1. Fry bacon until it is crisp and brown. Let cool and then crumble. Set aside. 
2.  Heat water in a small saucepan and set a metal bowl on top (or just use a double boiler if you have one); make sure the water doesn’t  touch the bottom of the bowl. Add coconut milk, as it heats up, whisk until smooth. You want the coconut milk to heat up, but you do not want it to boil! Once it’s hot, add about 1/4 cup of the coconut milk to the egg yolks and whisk vigorously. Continue this process of adding 1/4 cup of coconut milk to the eggs and whisking until you have used 1/2 the coconut milk. The slow introduction of the milk (aka "tempering") is to prevent the eggs from overcooking or scrambling. Now, add this mixture back into the "double boiler" with the rest of the coconut milk.
3. Continue whisking for another 5-10 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken. 
4. Remove from heat and add the maple syrup, salt and bacon bits. Refrigerate for about an hour.
5. Either transfer it to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacture directions OR transfer to a tupperware and place in the freezer. If you go the tupperware route, you will need to stir it occasionally as it gradually freezes in order to minimize ice crystals forming.

Once it's "soft ice cream" consistency, you can now transfer it to your kongs and then continue freezing. You can also get creative with this recipe and put it in ice cube trays. Or, you can skip the whole kong hassle and just give them a bit in their bowl. It will probably not last as long as it would in a kong, though! Remember: because this recipe contains a bit of salt and some sugar (maple syrup), it should be a "sometimes" treat! I hope your dog enjoys!

The Scoop on Poop

 I know, I know, this is not exactly a glamorous post. Nobody likes to talk about poop, unless you are my children! But recently, I got into a discussion with a friend on why it is important for doggy daycares to clean up dog waste (including urine) immediately. Contrary to popular belief, dog poop is not a natural fertilizer. Quite the opposite, it is one of the top contributors to water pollution. The EPA has deemed that dog poop can be as toxic to the environment as chemical and oil spills. Our waste water treatment systems are not designed to filter dog waste and 1 gram of dog feces is estimated to have 23 million fecal bacteria. This includes:

• Campylobacteriosis (symptoms: fever, vomiting and swollen lymphnodes.)
• Salmonellosis (symptoms: fever, shock, lethargy, dehydration and more.)
• Toxocarisis...aka.. roundworms (symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea and worms in feces.)
• Coccidia (symptoms: bloody diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration.)
• Cysticerosis (symptoms: anemia and anorexia.)
• E-coli, Giardia and Parvo (symptoms: diarrhea and vomiting.)

These bacteria can contaminate our beaches, lakes, streams and drinking water by seeping into the soil. It is recommended that dog owners clean their own yards every 1-7 days in order to keep bacteria at bay. Our natural ecosystem can handle about 2 dogs per square mile. A daycare has WAY more dogs than that and cross contamination can occur very easily. Dogs can step in it, roll in it.... EAT it.  In fact, if fecal matter is not properly taken care of it can linger in the soil for years. Then humans can come in contact with it through gardening, walking barefoot in the yard, playing sports, ect... This kicks off a harmful cycle that can affect your human family and pets.

Let's face it, no one likes to pick up dog waste. It's gross. And in the winter, it is easy to just let your dog outside to do business while you stay warm inside. But, then it snows..and freezes... and snows again... and you can't find your dog poop. In the spring you have a big toxic wasteland. That's REALLY gross. When looking for a doggy daycare, check the cleanliness of their yard and ask about their dog waste policy. If you notice piles of dog poop everywhere or urine all over the floor, this is a big red flag for the facility. In addition, all yards should have snow shoveled on a regular basis. Lastly, all yards should have a proper drainage system installed underneath the turf. Turf SHOULD NOT just be laying directly on top of the ground without proper drainage. To read more about that, please click here.

Let's all do our part to keep ourselves, pets and environment healthy!

8 DIY Enrichment Games for the Canine Mind

As winter continues on, we all try to ward off the winter blues by taking our handful of vitamin D daily and watching endless hours of Netflix. Sometimes, we take hikes in the winter wonderland...or there is skiing...or ice climbing.  But let's face it, winter is a time of hibernation and cabin fever can take it's toll. A dog's mental health can suffer. While you can go skiing and ice climbing, a dog can't. They get bored when mental and physical exercise are not consistent. And a bored dog equals a mischievous dog. Luckily, humans are also a creative species and below I have found a bunch of DIY enrichment games for dogs. So start crafting away the winter canine blues!

What you see above is a "snuffle pad". You can purchase these or make them. The picture above is a snuffle pad from an Etsy store: FleeceBeWithYou. The price of these mats vary depending upon size and weight ($9.00- $50.00) Snuffle pads are also fairly easy to make, but can be time consuming. Just gather all your materials and hit "play" on that favorite Netflix movie as you make this. You can find the instructions here at The Wolfdog Blog. Once your snuffle pad is made, you hide little dog treats in the the rug and let your dog sniff them out.

 This one is a feeder tube and can be used on cats as well! The instructions can be found on the blog, The Dogtipper. Basically, you drill holes in a PVC pipe, seal the ends and let your dog try to get the kibble out by rolling it around (or shaking it). This kind of feeder is great for animals that like to "scarf and barf" as well.

 This toy is for blind dogs! The idea comes from the now defunct website Slim Doggy. Just make sure that you monitor your dog's play with this one so they do not swallow the jingle bell.

 This one is called a "Flirt Pole" and the instructions are found on Almost A Real Thing. A flirt pole is an excellent choice for dogs with a lot of pent up energy or a high prey drive. Basically, you swing this baby around and let your dog chase after the toy on the end. You can also run around the house dragging it behind you. Good exercise for you and the dog!

 A good ol' frozen sock for the big time chewers. Plus, you can find a use for all those socks without a pair! I found this idea on Instructables. 

I have to admit, there is something so satisfying about catapulting stuff. Here is a catapult you can make, again off of Instructables. As an extra challenge for your dog, catapult a ball up some stairs and let Fido get in some stair climbing!

 This one is great for the dog that likes "crinkly" sounds. And, it's simple to make: just wrap a water bottle up in some fabric. You can even get fancy and braid some of the fabric at the bottom to make a rope chew at the end. You can find the instructions at Ammo The Daschund. 

I think I have blogged about this one before, so it must be one of my favorites. This toy was found on the blog, Leopold's Crate and is great for dogs that like to shred things. You simply stuff a bunch of strips of fabric inside the ball. In the middle of the strips of fabric, a favorite treat is hidden.

Happy crafting everyone and may the force be with you for the remainder of the winter. Be sure to share your Netlix account information with a friend that is suffering the winter blues. 😉

4 DIY Dog Shampoo Recipes

For the month of February we are running a Winter Skin Care Special!!! Schedule your dog for a bath or groom in the month of February, and for just an additional $10 you can upgrade them to the skin care special. With this upgrade they will receive a bath in our soothing Lavender and Chamomile shampoo, a soothing paw treatment to help moisturize their feet after the all the mud and snow and spritzed with a olive oil leave in conditioner to help make their fur look extra shiny. They will also receive a stylish bandana to wear around town. This is only a "While supplies last" situation,  so make sure you don’t wait to long. 

 Dogs have sensitive skin and should only be bathed at most once a month. Over washing your dog can dry out the skin and remove too many natural oils, which will eventually cause more skin problems. One solution to over-washing your dog is to use a dry shampoo in between washings. I have included a dry shampoo recipe at the bottom of this list.

Please remember, you should never apply shampoo to your dog's face. Wash Fido's face gently with a wash cloth, not by dumping water on the head. Your four-legged family member will be forever thankful.

Last but not least, here is a link on "Winter Proofing Your Dogs Paws" which included a paw butter recipe. Your dog's paws will thank you! 🐾