Bark City Doggy Daycare

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 fe...

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 ...

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. 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 ...

 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 an...

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 b...

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...