Bark City Doggy Daycare

Some of us celebrate Thanksgiving, some of us celebrate Friendsgiving and some of us just feast in gratitude. If you plan on feasting and including your canine friends, please remember: some of these foods can be shared with our four-legged loved ones and some of them can be dangerous. Please remember that things like mac 'n cheese and cranberry sauce should be in small quantities. These are an "occasionally" treats because of the fat and sugar. Also, be careful about the pumpkin and sweet potatoes. Pumpkin and sweet potato dishes can have nutmeg in them, which is poisonous to dogs. The rule of thumb is to make sure you know what you are feeding Fido. Check the ingredients and make sure nothing sneaky is in the dish (sage, garlic, nutmeg, ect..) To make it easy for myself, before I start seasoning the heck out of everything, I set aside a small quantity of the unseasoned foods for my canines. I realize that setting aside a portion of unseasoned turkey is a difficult...

Over the years, as I have written this blog, I have often talked about the necessity of mental stimulation for a canine in addition to physical exercise. As dog owners, giving our dogs physical exercise is top on our priority list for canine health. But often, dog owners neglect the mental stimulation a dog needs on a daily basis-- and they need a lot. A domestic dog's wild relative-- a coyote, a wolf, etc. -- will spend the day hunting, scavenging and foraging for food. Our domestic dogs need the same sort of stimulation on a daily basis. Otherwise, we pay the price in unwanted behaviors that cause stress to the human- dog relationship. When a dog is mentally bored, unwanted behaviors pop up: excessive barking, digging, escaping, inappropriate chewing and other destructive behaviors. The dog is bored. This can also lead to a mental decline in happiness, aka canine depression . Mental enrichment on a daily basis stimulates and assists a dog's brain growth, improves proble...

Thinking about planting a garden? If you are the type of person who has always wanted a garden, but has a dog and are not sure if the two can co-exist together, here are some helpful tips! Get to know your dog's personality : Is your dog a sunbather? A loyal companion that sticks by your side? A runner that uses your yard as a race track? Observe your dog's personality and how he/she uses your yard.  Avoid anything formal that sticks out: You will want your garden and yard to be a cohesive unit that flows together. That one thing that sticks out like a sore thumb, will of course, draw your furry friend's attention! Establish Pathways for your racetrack : If you have the kind of dog that runs and runs and runs and runs, they have probably established some worn paths in your yard. Keep these paths, but make them part of your landscaping. It's best not to build your vegetable garden right in the middle of your dog's racetrack. Unless you want them running right ...

         The above video, by Rodney Habib of Planet Paws, has been circulating around Facebook for quite a while. I am sure most of us have watched it. I also am guestimatting that most of us have also given our dogs rawhide chews. I know I have! Until one of my dogs inhaled a huge chunk of it and then hacked it up hours later. It made me realize that a rawhide is like playing Russian Roulette with your dog. It's only a matter of time until that twisted hunk of hide becomes an obstruction in your furry friend's stomach. And let's face it, watching the above video and actually seeing how a rawhide is made is somewhat cringeworthy. GROSS. Dogs need to chew on things. It not only cleans their teeth and is a natural way to strengthen their jaws, but it also combats boredom and relieves stress and anxiety. For puppies it also alleviates the pain that comes along with teething. Today, I have made a list of seven alternatives to a rawhide che...

We would all love to bring our four-legged friend with us on vacations, but sometimes it is not feasible. When that happens, you have to find someone to take care of your dog. There are many available options. It's up to you to find the right choice for your specific dog. All dogs are different and what will work for one, may not work for another. Of course, we would LOVE for all dogs to come to Bark City!! (We think we are the BEST!!! Haha.) BUT, we also recommend you do your homework and decide for yourself. That is why I am going to post what you should look for in a boarding facility, what are big red flags and what questions you should ask when shopping around. What Should I Look For In a Kennel? SUPERVISION -- This is an important one. Whether or not the facility is partially kennel free or totally kennel free. When you have a bunch of dogs together, things can escalate pretty quickly. Dogs, like people, can get over-stimulated, tired and CRABBY. To minimize the cha...

I'm a lady of convenience and when it comes to making things, I like to make it as easy as possible. Especially, when it comes to making summertime treats for myself AND my dog. I don't want to be using two separate bowls, with separate ingredients. To me, that equals MORE dishes and MORE prep. That's why I like to make things that my furry love and I can both enjoy. Hence, coconut, peach "Ice cream" (or Kong filler!). It's super easy to make and even easier to enjoy! All you need is: - A bowl full of frozen or fresh peaches (you can also do other fruits to your liking) -A can of full fat coconut milk - 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (not that gross corn syrup-y fake stuff) Then, all you do is puree all the ingredients in your blender and freeze. If you want to stuff a Kong with this mixture, you freeze it until it is thick, but still able to pour. Then, take your Kong and place it upside down in a cup to hold it in place and pour. Place it back in the...

At Bark City, we have a "No Collar Rule" while the dogs are in the daycare. When two dogs are playing and have collars on, they can quickly become entangled. Teeth, jaws and feet can get caught.  Once the entanglement happens, things can escalate quickly. A dog can start to panic: twisting, turning and pulling to get free. This can result in an injury to the area of the body that is trapped. In addition, there is the risk of the twisted collar on the dog cutting off the oxygen supply resulting in asphyxiation. Outside of a dog care facility, collar safety is a must for owners as well. There are three basic types of collars: Each collar serves a different purpose and should be used at the appropriate time. I am using examples found on 2 Hounds Design , simply because they had images of the three types of collars I am want to discuss: This type of collar is called a Martingale Collar and is often used with dogs that have a smaller head than neck. Owners often use the...

These fancy dog treats are relatively easy to make and have lots of good things in them. Valentine's Day is a little under a month away, why not start plotting a gift basket full of these cookies for your favorite canine friend? Here is the recipe:  Ingredients 1/3 c. rolled oats 2 1/3 c. unbleached flour 1/4 c. pumpkin seeds 1 Tbsp. flax seeds 4 carrots 1 apple 1/2 c. peanut butter 1 tsp Better Than Bouillion Vegetable base 1 Tbsp honey 1 egg 4 pieces of bacon (cooked) 1 Tbsp bacon grease Step 1: Using your food processor with the grating blade, grate the carrots and apples. Transfer them to a medium sized bowl. Step 2: Swap out the grating blade on your processor for the standard blade. Add the rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and bacon to your processor. Grind them up. Add them to the carrot apple mixture. Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients to the medium bowl and mix. Once everything mixed thoroughly, transfer to a floured surface. Roll out your dou...

2020 is right around the corner and it is sure to be the year of leading a healthy, balanced lifestyle, so why not start with your dog? The little steps you take starting today, will help in give your dog a happy and healthy life. With all celebration, I have created 8 New Year's Resolutions for you: Stay consistent on all the medical stuff : This means making sure your dog is taking a monthly heartworm medication, getting a flea/tick preventative, up to date on their vaccinations and yearly veterinarian check ups. It is also a good idea to do an overall body scan of your dog monthly to check for any unusual lumps or bumps.  Brush those teeth : Like humans, a dog's mouth is the gateway to health. Dental problems can lead to a myriad of life-threatening infections. Online, there are recommendations ranging from brushing your dog's teeth everyday, to three times a week, to once a week. If you don't brush your dog's teeth, I think a good place to start is...we...