Bark City Doggy Daycare

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...

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 ...