Bark City Doggy Daycare

Winter is COLD... and it certainy has been cold lately! Certain breeds are more susceptible to cold: little dogs, short haired dogs. lean dogs (like a greyhound), puppies and older dogs. There are dogs that are "cold weather dogs". This means their fur and body is build to handle colder temperatures. BUT, even these dogs can get cold if left outside for too long or the temperature drops below zero. How can you tell if your dog is cold? A sure sign is if they start to SHIVER. They will also hunch their back (trying to make themselves smaller!), make sounds of distress and try to go to any shelter they can find (veer towards the neighbors porch while on a walk). If the vulnerable padding on their paws starts to freeze or becomes compacted with snow, they will limp or lift one paw up at a time. Cold weather can be extremely dangerous for animals. Yes, they can get hypothermi a which can lead to death . Here are some tips to keep your dog warm and safe this winter: Do...

Because we have a great Enrichment Program , I thought it would be fun to post some enrichment games you can make for your dog at home:  Image: Yes Missy The Muffin Tin Game is somewhat like Hide-and-Go-Seek, but with treats instead of humans. It's pretty simple and easy to put together. You just grab a muffin pan, and place a few treats in random indentations in the pan. Then, place tennis balls over all the indentations. You dog needs to A) figure out how to get the balls out and B) figure out which indentations hold the treats. A full tutorial can be found here: Yes Missy . Image: The Nerd's Wife This enrichment game was found on The Nerd's Wife and will keep your dog entertained for hours. I do want to write a little disclaimer: The Nerd's Wife tutorial on how to make this enrichment toy also endorses Purina Beyond Pet Food. Though Bark City thinks this is an awesome idea for an enrichment toy, we are not endorsing Purina Beyond.... Because, well... ...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

You've done your research and have decided to switch your dog over to a raw food diet, but feel completely overwhelmed and a little bit scared all at the same time. No fear! In this post, I will give you the general "ins and outs" of making your own raw food. Because let's face it, buying pre-made raw dog food can get super expensive! In addition, at the end of this post, I will give you some handy links for further reading to reassure you that you will not kill your dog. First, let's talk parasites. That is probably the number one (or two) concern when switching to a raw diet. There are two things you can do to eliminate the probability of giving your dog parasites: 1. Do not feed your dog the guts. Guts are where parasites harbor. By taking the guts our of your dog's meal, you drastically reduce the probability of there being parasites in your raw food. 2. Freeze your raw meat for three days before serving. Freezing will kill any parasites that have tra...

The summer heat is slowly creeping up on us and it's time to remember to keep your dog cool during these next few months. Last summer, I wrote a post on ways your can Keep Your Dog Cool . Today, I am going to list a few of my favorite pupsicle recipes: There are actually five different recipes on this link from The Dogington Post . There is whole fruit pupsicles (featured above), Apple-honey, bacon, chicken and Banana Peanut Butter. These Gourmet Pupsicles are from Wear. Wag. Repeat. and have THREE ingredients: peanut butter, yogurt and blueberries. Another simple three ingredient recipe for doggie ice cream brought to you by  Dog Milk . The Ice cream pictured above is strawberry, but they also have a recipe for peanut butter. If you are feeling a little crazy, you could probably add carob chips to make it peanut butter, "chocolate" chip! (Remember to always use carob chips for dogs! Actual chocolate is poisonous to our four-legged friends.) I think ...

One of my favorite cookies can also be eaten by my dog! We share. These cookies are vegan, gluten free and have carob chips in them.... and I really don't feel all that guilty if I eat half the batch in one day. In fact, I have been known to give them to my (human) kids for lunch. Here are the ingredients: 1 can of chickpeas 5/8 c. of natural peanut butter (usually I just "guesstimate" on this measurement)... and yes, using the natural peanut butter does work better than Skippy of Jiff for some reason. 1/4 c. honey 2 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. baking powder  1/2 c. of carob chips (as I human, I prefer CHOCOLATE chips. But if you want to share with your dog, use carob chips because chocolate is poisonous to our four-legged friends.) All you have to do is blend the ingredients (minus the carob chips) in a blender: The peanut butter has not been added in, yet! I usually heat the honey and peanut butter up for about 10 sec. in the microwave before I blend.  Stir...

Occasionally, on those really hectic days, I swing by the grocery store to buy a rotisserie chicken for dinner. After my family has devoured most of the meat, I use the left over scraps (bones included) to make chicken broth. Lots and lots of chicken broth that can be froze and used for any future recipe. I should first note, that some of these pictures contain ingredients like ONIONS or GARLIC (I was making it for humans, not dogs). Never give you dogs onion (or garlic). It's poisonous. And when in doubt about your ingredients, you can always double check on this Humane Society link .  Here are some ingredients that are good for dogs that would be good in any chicken stock: Parsley Greek Oregano Basil Thyme Carrot Celery Green Beans Peas  Squash and of course: Chicken scraps and bones  Now for the chicken broth steps: First grab a giant stock pot with a colander that fits inside of it.   Next grab your ingredients. In this picture, I have s...

Fall is quickly coming. Soon it will be time for pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bread... pretty much pumpkin anything and everything. Did you know that pumpkin is an amazing food for your dog (or cat)? Pumpkin helps with digestion, urinary health and weight loss (Google it!). BUT, you do not want to give your dog canned pumpkin PIE filling. It has sugar and spices that are not so good for them. Instead, opt for the plain canned stuff or you can easily roast your own pumpkins! This summer, I grew sugar pumpkins for the first time and just found out TODAY that I can roast them in the oven whole! This makes the infamous "cutting and gutting" a lot less time consuming. In fact, I roasted seven little pumpkins, cut them and froze them today.... all on a whim! Here is the process: Beautiful pumpkins. Note how I placed them next to various other fruits in an attempt to show you the approximate size of a sugar pumpkin? Yes, that is a green tomato in the background... It was a cas...