Bindi was a shaggy haired mutt from Georgia. She was 6 months old when we welcomed her into our home, and was clearly under-socialized. She was reluctant, skiddish, meandered on leash, and was wary of any quick motion. The first time I went to pet her, this skinny collie-mix recoiled in instant fear. I worried that she had been rescued from a home of abuse and neglect (and was luckily disproved when talking to her rescuers). Bindi was unsure, under-confident and needing a guiding hand to teach her the world was a happy place.

Bindi was my first foster, and quickly taught me the value of time with rescue dogs.

Fostering dogs is easily the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had in my time working with rescue animals. I was originally connected through Georgia Peaches Puppy Rescue, where we adopted our pup, Pickle. The first few fosters that came to us because they were adolescent dogs that were in need of proper socialization. Puppies learn to accept the world best between 12-20 weeks, the most critical part of their socialization. Circumstance had limited our foster’s exposure to the real world during that most crucial window in their young life. Our job was to prepare acquaint them with the terror that was vacuum cleaners, semi-trucks, and wheelchairs. Humans take these things for granted because we have grown accustomed to them, but can you imagine the first time you heard a fire truck siren blaring in your ear? It is terrifying!

Slowly, patiently, we worked. We took walks through the neighborhood daily, first around the block, then around Lowe’s, then around a busy touristy spot. We slowly introduced the pups to more and more stimuli until they relaxed, and even welcomed the chaos! I saw these dogs blossom and become better forms of themselves, and become more adoptable in the process!

Fostering is not easy. You face behavioral and training issues, pour hours of time and energy into their well-being, and make a deep connection with an animal, all with the intent on getting them adopted to another family. This, actually, is the main reason people give for not fostering.

“I could never give them up, I would fall in love with them.”

But fostering, for me, is giving them up BECAUSE you love them. Not every home can commit to raising a dog for 12-15 years. But most homes can commit to training, caring and loving a dog for 2 weeks. That, in the end, is the most beautiful part of fostering. You commit a short time, and you save a life. Win-win!

Rescues are starving for fosters across the country, and a lot of rescues can only rescue animals if there are enough foster homes to care for these animals. Others face behavioral issues in their shelters that manifest from animals not coping well with shelter environments. Closed spaces, loud noises, changes in routines, and being torn away from their life leads to many dogs being fearful, aggressive, and destructive. But give those animals a shot in a home, and so many improve over night! And any glimpse of improving gives these animals a shot at a forever home.

Fostering saves lives! I highly encourage any home that can to open their homes to a rescue animal. Your short commitment provides a new opportunity to an animal in need and is, sincerely, the most rewarding gift you can give! I have helped foster over a dozen puppies between 8 weeks and 6 months, and offered advice to countless other foster families. I can’t speak highly enough of what this experience has offered me, the all the families, and certainly all the animals, I’ve helped!

If you need help getting connected to foster program, please contact us and we’ll certainly help you out!

I’ve explained before that socialization is a crucial piece of a dogs development. Properly introducing your dog the world around us will lead to your dog being a well-balanced, confident, relaxed dog and will create a healthy and long-lasting bond with you, the owner.

New puppy owners commonly become to focused not the idea that socialization is only about interacting well with people and other dogs. This a huge mistake and an unfortunate misconception of socialization. Socializing a puppy is about getting them used to the world around them, and the other dogs and people you interact with are only a small piece of the world they live in. Puppy owners must remember to acquaint their pups with the environment around them as well as the living things within it.

What do I mean by ‘the environment’? Think about your current living situation. If you live in a small apartment in a major city, you are surrounded by noisy cars, buses, shouting, music, construction, doors and windows opening and closing in neighboring apartments, you name it. If you don’t live on the first floor of your building, you have stairs, elevators, delivery workers, carpets, perhaps even hardwood or concrete floors.

Now look inside your apartment. Maybe you own a blender to make morning smoothies, or you like to watch the football game and jump and scream. Vacuum cleaners, slamming doors, water running in the sink, even the coat rack in the corner.

These are things that many people tend to take for granted because we are around them everyday. But they are brand new to a puppy, and the sound of rushing water or a running fan can be quite alarming when heard for the first time. The environment you live in is full of foreign sights and sounds that a puppy must be introduced to in a slow, positive way. They must be socialized to become familiar and comfortable with them.

So how in the world are you supposed to socialize your puppy to everything in the environment? Take advantage of the fact that you live within that environment. You will have the chance to introduce your dog to hundreds of different things every time you leave for a walk, and it’s your job as the owner to take advantage.

Here are some things to remember when socializing your dog:

Keep it Positive: Remember to keep every new experience positive for your puppy. Get treats that drive your dog crazy and praise them when they are relaxed with new situations. Read your puppies body language carefully. If they are cowering, hanging their heads or tucking their tails then take a step back and give your pup space. Follow every socialization session with games, lots of praise and loads of delicious treats!

Textures: Think about everywhere your puppy will walk. Concrete, grass, sand, asphalt, hardwood, tile, carpet, your dogs need to be socialized to all these surfaces. Dogs can become uncomfortable on new surfaces and properly socializing them can limit any anxieties.

Visuals & Sounds: Busy crowds, festivals, fireworks, traffic, wheelchairs, skateboards, bicycles, door bells, all these are fair game. A major city has lots of firetrucks, garbage trucks and street music. Rural areas have livestock and wildlife. Depending on your neighborhood, your puppy could be facing lots of stressful situations.

Places: Hardware stores, playgrounds, parks, pet shops, vet offices, construction sites, dog friendly bars. Take them anywhere they are happy and comfortable.

Maneuverability: Moving a dog through elevators or up and down stairs can be tough. Exposing them to as many places as possible will make them more confident when navigating new situations.

Socialization is a long and windy road, but the hard work you put in now will pay huge dividends to your puppy becoming a respectful, confident, well-adjusted dog. Remember that socialization goes far beyond the interactions with other dogs and people, and though those are important, exposing your puppy to the environment will make their lives less stressful, and your life much easier!

Congratulations, you’ve finally decided that it is time to get a dog! You’ve committed yourself to putting in the time and effort to raise, care for, properly socialize, and make it the best dog it can be!

But one question still remains: What kind of dog do you want to get? The answer to that question can be critical in building a healthy relationship between you and your new pup. Having even a brief knowledge of a dog’s traits and how they match a person’s life would ensure that thousands of dogs are properly homed and not surrendered every year. A busy owner living in a studio apartment probably shouldn’t own a Siberian Husky. Marathon runners looking to bring their dogs on long runs probably shouldn’t own an English Bulldog.

Catch my drift?

Now, there are dozens of Breed Profilers out there that help to distinguish the different characteristics of purebred dogs. But thousands of dogs are adopted from shelters and rescues, and these mix breeds are a bit more challenging to pinpoint. My focus here is about picking a handful of general characteristics that are apparent in any dog, and highlighting how they may or may not fit into your life. Then, if you walk into a shelter and see a dog, you’ll have an idea what to expect, even if you’re not sure about the breed. Sound good? Cool, let’s get started:

SIZE

Maybe more obvious when you adopt an adult dog, but something to watch for with puppies as well. A large breed (75lbs+) would be a hard dog to manage if you live in a studio apartment, don’t have a yard, or if you’re elderly, especially if the dog is young. They typically require more exercise and food, costing you both extra time and money.

Consider that toy and terrier breeds tend to be smaller in stature, but still need to be exercised and kept entertained. Some small breeds can still make great running and trail partners, and can easily be carried if they are hurt or if you’re in a hurry.

Managing a large dog in limited space can be done, but it requires a lot more effort on your part. Matching a dog’s size to your lifestyle can be important on building a healthy bond.

HAIR

Long hair? Short hair? It all comes down to how much work you want to put in. Long hair means lots of brushing (to remove excess hair and tangles) and lots of trips to the groomer. Shorter hair means less brushing, easier clean ups, and dogs that can cool easier in warm weather. Trust me, I used to be a grooming assistant, and musing your way through matted Collie hair is not a good way to spend a Thursday afternoon if you’re not prepared for it!

NOSE

Bet you didn’t think about your dog’s nose as a crucial trait. If you are an active person looking to have an active dog, then pay attention. Smushed nosed dogs (Pugs, Bulldogs, Boxers, etc) have a more difficult time getting air into their systems through their shorter noses. These dogs are brachycephalic breeds (short nosed), and hot, humid weather can make life difficult when put under stress, and even become a health risk. This means that it only takes a little bit of strenuous activity to wear them out. Now this could be a good thing, I mean bulldogs that I’ve worked with only require one good walk a day and turn into couch potatoes. I wouldn’t recommend doing any marathon training with a French Bulldog, however.

A longer nose allows for working class dogs to have higher endurance, and make it easier for them to breathe in hot and humid conditions. Athletic breeds are typically equipped with a longer muzzle to allow airflow to their systems. But don’t be fooled, even Boxers have a long history of being service dogs.

BREED BACKGROUND

Regardless of whether you end up with a purebred or a mixed breed, dogs will always display certain characteristics that reflect the instincts bred into them. Shelters can typically give you an idea on the breeds when you are adopting a rescue, and it is your responsibility to know what to expect. For example, Hound breeds are trackers, bred to follow the scent of a trail. They will be looking for lots of mental stimulation and will not be happy to be let inside (and they’ll let you hear about it). You’ll need to set up simulated games (like hiding treats for them to find) to keep their minds and bodies active.

If you have any idea of the breed of the dog you are adopting, do your due diligence to research what they are all about.

Breed traits are a great way to sift through the countless adoption options you have. Remember that age and temperament also play factor. I wish this went without saying, but puppies are a ton of work. They require more frequent potty breaks and a lot more time and focused energy. I’ve heard trainers and owners say that “puppies are cute as a survival tactic.” Honestly, if people saw puppies as ugly, they probably wouldn’t take on such a monumental task.

Adult dogs are typically easier to gauge, and they have a history to help support if they are a good fit for your home. Rescuing an adult dog can be a risk, as they could be from an abusive home and need some serious training and attention to get back on track. Work with a shelter worker, or with a trainer to test the temperament of a dog at any age. Look for confident, curious and welcoming dogs, unless you are willing to work with dogs that are not as open to attention. Do justice by the dog, you don’t want them to be surrendered again.

Of course, dogs don’t always fit a perfect mold, but if you keep these things in mind, you should have a very happy relationship with your new dog!

If you are looking for a new pet, please consider adopting through a local shelter or rescue!

Raising a puppy is hard. Sometimes days go really smoothly, others go downhill fast. But all along the way you learn plenty of life lessons, and hopefully a little about yourself.

A great way to test whether you can actually have a puppy is to foster. Puppies usually go fast, so fostering a puppy usually only lasts a week, and you get the full experience of raising a dog without the commitment of keeping it.

The natural response I hear is “Oh no, I could never foster a puppy, I’d never be able to give the dog up.”

Yes, it’s hard to imagine spending time with a puppy and wanting to part ways. But I’d challenge people to spend a week, just a week, with a 9-week old puppy and then make that decision. Like I said before, puppies are hard work, and sometimes raising one into adulthood can be a daunting task. But for one week, you’ve provided a loving home and helped lead the dog to a forever home.

Kira, Pickle and I recently welcomed in our first foster puppy, Bindi. She’s not a 9-week old puppy, she’s actually a 6-month old Hound mix that Georgia Peaches Puppy Rescue brought up with a load of other puppies last week. The paperwork said Bind got along well with not only dogs and cats, but with pigs, too! She’s house broken, not territorial over food or toys, and was super friendly. Since I work in socialization, and since Pickle is so well-adjusted to having strange dogs at home, having Bindi was sure to be the easiest foster ever!

Well, let’s back up a second.

Paperwork is great, but it only tells half the story. Despite all those wonderful things, she’s still a puppy. She still likes to jump up on tables and counters, is terrible on leash, and just an hour or so ago snuck a chicken tender out of my lunch (not blaming her, I should no better!)

Bindi unfortunately was bounced around a bit while she was in Georgia. Originally adopted out at 11 weeks, Bindi’s family soon realized that they could not sustain having a puppy in their lives. Bindi was returned to her original fosters, and was eventually picked up by Georgia Peaches and flown out to Seattle. Somehow this wonderful, charismatic dog had fallen through the cracks and into my arms! (I had originally posted that Bindi was bounced from an adoption event to multiple shelters, and luckily was corrected by her former caregivers in Georgia.)

I wonder how many surrenders could be avoided if people were able to ‘test-drive’ a puppy before they adopted. Well, that’s what fostering is, giving a home to a puppy until they find their way to someone that can assure them a happy life. Bindi is an example of how even great dogs can just get unlucky, whether through bad timing or just getting dealt a bad hand. It’s no fault of the dog, and the owners often have the best intentions, but if you’re unsure about actually owning a puppy, maybe give fostering a try.

The beautiful part about fostering is that now I have a hand in making sure that Bindi doesn’t have to worry about moving around too much more, and soon we will be able to find her forever home. She is building confidence, and her character is shining through! Bindi is incredibly loving, playful and smart (dang she picks up on things fast!) In the words of someone who knew her from HSS, “Bindi has never met a stranger.” She truly melts hearts!

I know that saying goodbye to Bindi will be rough. As I write this, she’s resting peacefully after a long day with her head on my foot. I already feel an attachment to her, and as she learns to respond and respect Kira and I, I know it will get tougher and tougher to let her go. That is the risk of fostering, finding a dog that will break your heart when she leaves. But in the end, I know that for a short while I have made a difference in this dog’s life, and that is good enough for me.

Don’t let your fear of falling in love with an animal stop you from fostering. If we had not made the decision to foster Bindi, we would be missing out on all the crazy, wacky things she is doing, and all the love and morning snuggles she loves to give! Fostering is such a rewarding way to spend some time with an animal and see if you can make it as a pet parent, and it can have a huge impact. Whether it’s for a couple days or a couple weeks, even a little time can make all the difference in that pet’s life!

If you are interested in fostering and making a difference in an animal’s life, please contact your local animal shelter or rescue. For more information on Bindi, please visit the Georgia Peacheswebsite.

Contributed by Michael and his pup, Pickle

Raise your hand if your dog hates the vacuum cleaner. I’m guessing a majority of you reading this are raising your hand and wondering “Well duh my dog hates the vacuum! It’s a loud, moving monster of a machine the dog thinks is going to eat all of us!”

Commonly, dogs hate vacuum cleaners, simply for the points you as the reader are making. They are extremely loud when running, move unpredictably (to a dog), and they are completely foreign to the common way that dogs go about their day. They see cars and people all the time, but pull the vacuum out of the closet for the weekly run through the house, and all bets are off! Dogs will run in fear of the noise, or see the vacuum as a threat and try to ‘kill’ it.

I commonly saw this with dogs when I worked in a doggie daycare. Dogs of all ages and experiences would either cower in a corner, bolt to a safe spot outside, or come streaking across the room to bark and bite at the vacuum. It was unavoidable, with one dog even getting a hold of and ripping the guard off the front of the machine!

Simply put, dogs hate vacuums.

And then there’s Pickle.

It struck me today that Pickle must not be a normal dog, one who screams and runs frightened from the ‘cleaning-machine-of-death!’ See, we had a dog stay with us this weekend, and when she left this afternoon it was time to give the house a good vacuuming. Pickle, when she hears the sound of a vacuum, decides that it’s best for her to sit close, even sometimes nosing the machine while it’s running. I don’t know why it took until today to realize that this was odd (in the best way possible), but the more I thought about it, the more I realized this was a great way to illustrate why we socialize dogs.

So I gave it some thought. I can’t stand when dogs freak out at a running vacuum (maybe it’s from all the dogs at the daycare). I don’t want to have to worry about moving Pickle from room to room just so I can run a vacuum over the carpet. To avoid the extra hassle, Kira and I committed early to getting Pickle used to loud noises. Whether it’s our NutriBullet, music in the car, what ever it is, Pickle does not get startled by loud noises anymore. She has been socialized to understand the difference between a dangerous noise and an innocent one.

Then we tackled the vacuum itself. Each time one of us pull out the vacuum, we would set treats on it to make her feel like she is being given a reward, just for approaching the machine. That extended to giving her treats while the machine was running, then slowly putting treats on the vacuum while it was on. Magically, Pickle figured out that even though the vacuum was noisy and freaked her out, it wasn’t a threat to her well being and actually something to look forward to.

Now, some people think that it’s fun to chase a dog with a vacuum. Don’t be that guy. Generating fear in a dog over something like a vacuum can manifest into a dog having issues with loud noises outside the home as well. Save yourself the trouble and don’t do it. Plus, it’s mean!

I tried to vacuum once when we were sitting for a friend’s lab mix. Soon as I hit the power button, the dog was attacking the vacuum, seeing it as a threat and trying to kill it. To those noises, the dog was not adjusted, and it came out through barking and aggression.

When you get a puppy, do yourself a favor and help it to understand the difference between safe and dangerous situations. Don’t provoke a dog to be afraid of innocent things (like chasing them with a vacuum). Though a dog may never like being around a noisy machine, they can at least know that it is safe.

Socialization people, the opportunities are everywhere!

Let’s be honest with each other, even the most stern efforts to keep your new puppy off the furniture, from begging at the dining table or from getting that extra treat will result in you, the owner, giving in just a little. It’s hard to resist snuggling on the couch with your new puppy. It’s even hard to resist those big eyes putting at you for table scraps. You give in, and you beat yourself up every time because you think spoiling your puppy will ruin her for life.

I’m here to help ease that guilt.

Before I get going, I am not a vet or a certified trainer. I am an owner, a socializer, a teacher and a volunteer who has devoted a lot of time helping other owners to turn their puppies into well-adjusted dogs. My opinions are from the dozens of dogs I have worked with and the interactions I’ve had with their owners. I have spent hours helping owners to understand that sometimes, giving in is okay.

Your first responsibility as a pet owner is to be their parent. You are responsible for teaching a puppy to be well-mannered, obedient, respectful, and ensuring they are loved. You are NOT an overlord, depriving your puppy of all the joys of being alive. A parent does not dominate their children, rather they guide them through life’s twists and turns, and that is your job as a puppy parent.

If you’re going to take the time to raise a puppy, you should probably take some time to enjoy it, right?

This is what I tell new puppy owners: If your dog does something you want them to do (like snuggle in bed), then why is it a bad thing? Lots of dog trainers are on this kick lately that you must be the dominant alpha overlord of your dog in order for them to be good dogs. After spending a year raising my own dog, I can tell you that’s not the case. So don’t fret if you want to treat your puppy. Turns out, you’ll be treating yourself, too.

If you are okay with your dog being in the bed, then let them cuddle with you at night. Pickle is allowed on our furniture, and she crawls into bed every morning with us before starting the day. But as soon as we walk into someone else’s home, she must adopt the rules of THEIR house. If they don’t allow dogs on the furniture, then Pickle stays on the floor, it’s that easy. She is only allowed to do what we tell her, and she has learned to respect that. Are we spoiling her at home? Maybe, but it’s up to her to maintain the boundaries we have set.

When it comes to treats, string cheese is god’s gift to dog training. Puppies can’t get enough of the stuff, and when you are training you must load up on the tastiest treats you can find. Every good deed should be rewarded and praised like it’s Christmas. I know lots of trainers who believe praise is enough to convince a dog to follow your command, and I think that’s a stretch. You must build trust and rapport with your dog. Treats are the best way to maintain their focus, and front loading the treats keeps their attention through hard training sessions. You can taper the treats as your puppy becomes more responsive. And I stand by the string cheese!

And what about table scraps? As long as it’s dog friendly, why not? Avoid certain foods from the table, but as long as the dog is taking them under your supervision and with your permission, I say go for it.

So what do you do when a vet scolds you because you are making your puppy fat? Well, you listen. A puppy with an extra pound or two is not a big deal. I would rather have a chunky puppy who listens and trains well then a slim dog that won’t come to me when called. When your dog reaches full size, and is developed enough to exercise extensively, you can easily adapt their diet and increase the exercise. They can shed the weight in a healthy way, and you still get a happy dog!

In the end, spoiling your puppy means you are building a strong and loving relationship. Don’t mistake this for saying your dog is in charge. You are the parent, it is your responsibility to act the part. But while you are spending all that time training and cleaning up after your pup, you should be able to enjoy a cuddle once in a while! If you want to throw your pup an extra piece of bacon from the breakfast table, then do it! Keep things on your terms, train your pup to respect your voice, and treating them will become a reward. You will both be happier for it!

I am a strong advocate for puppy socialization. I am a firm believer that the more experience a puppy can get in that crucial socialization window (between 8-20 weeks of age), the more successful the puppy will be in life.

But socializing an 8 week old puppy can be tricky. There immune systems are young and vulnerable, they have not been fully vaccinated. So exposing them to new dogs and new environments will leave them susceptible to illnesses.

But here’s the thing. I would rather have a puppy that is properly socialized and gets kennel cough (easily treatable) then have a dog that was kept in a bubble as a puppy and comes out afraid, aggressive and dangerous. Pickle has lived through kennel cough (twice!), and a stomach parasite, and she’s fine. She has also become skilled at reading dog signals and doesn’t pick fights with even the most persistent of pups. I’d call that a worthwhile trade off.

But why take my word for it?

Experts are now pushing owners to socialize their puppies in safe, low risk situations, like puppy classes:

“Puppy socialization classes offer a safe and organized means of socializing puppies. Each puppy should have up-to-date vaccinations and be disease and parasite free before entering the class. Where possible, classes should be held on surfaces that are easily cleaned and disinfected (e.g., indoor environments). Visits to dog parks or other areas that aren’t sanitized or are highly trafficked by dogs of unknown vaccination or disease status should be avoided.”

Really, it takes a little common sense, but there is no reason a puppy should be sheltered until they are fully vaccinated (which happens sometime around 20 weeks!). You are wasting valuable time to adjust your dog to the world, and leave them vulnerable to behavior issues later on.

Let’s take a different approach to this. Think for a second about the number of dog that are in shelters/rescues across the country right now. How many of them do you think were surrendered (by very well intentioned owners) because that dog bit someone? How many dogs a year are euthanized because they came from puppy mills and were never socialized to the outside world?

My point is, even owners with the best intentions can get it wrong. Being overly protective of your puppy is great and will probably save you a little money on vet bills. But what will you do when your puppy bites and seriously injures a child because they have never seen one before?

If you are still at a loss for what to do, here are a couple hints:

1) Introduce your puppy to familiar, vaccinated dogs. It will reduce risk, but still allow your dog to interact and learn lessons from the older dog.

2) If your puppy is small enough, carry it in a bag (with it’s head out to breathe). Many pet stores sell ones like these, which we used to socialize Pickle before she was vaccinated. People will get to see, pet and give treats to your puppy, and they are away from danger the whole time!

3) Play pass the puppy! Find a dog friendly bar, invite a couple friends, and tell them to go make friends with your puppy. No one in their right mind would refuse the chance to hold a new puppy! Kira and I still have friends that we made this way!

4) Carry your puppy through a plaza, hardware store, pet store, anywhere that dogs are allowed. The more exposures the better! Carrying them will again keep them out of harms way and you can manage their level of exposure.

5) Have a puppy party! Pickle was home for approximately 24 hours when we had 10 or so friends over for a Seahawks party. She adjusted to people coming into the house, being handled, exposure to loud and sudden noises, the whole shebang, all while being in the comfort of her own home! If you have friends with children, I’d encourage they come as well. Teaching a puppy to be respectful to children (and vice-versa) is great for a little puppy!

Socialization is all about positive experiences, so make sure your puppy is happy and comfortable with all the new situations. Starting the socialization process early will give you more chances to expose your puppy to new people, places and environments. There are ways to safeguard against your puppy being unvaccinated, and taking a few simple precautions can open a door of possibilities for where you can take your puppy. If you are willing to take the time to socialize your dog, you will create a much happier and more stable relationship with your dog!

Notice that your dog is becoming bored with the everyday, store bought kibble? Does your pup have a history of tummy issues or allergies from eating overly processed food? Turns out, there’s an alternative! Whole foods can make for a healthy and happy dog, and dogs ca benefit from a little home cooking every now and then!

We’ve talked about good and bad for your dog. Now it’s time to take those new found goodies and put them to good use! Remember though, if switching your dog to a whole food diet, it is best to consult with a vet to make sure your dog is getting all of its essential nutrients. 

Here’s a short list of great recipes for treats, meals, and even a dessert!

DOG TREATS:

Chicken Jerky

Simple, chewy, protein packed alternative to raw hides.

Ingredients

• 2 to 4 chicken breasts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Remove any excess fat from the chicken. Turn the chicken breast on its side and use a paring knife to slice the chicken breast into 1/8 inch thick strips.
3. Set the strips on a baking sheet. Bake for 2 hours.
4. Check the chicken before removing from the oven. It should be dry and hard, not soft or chewy. Allow the chicken to cool completely before serving.
5. Store the jerky in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

NOTE: Substitute sweet potatoes or other veggies in recipe for vegetarian alternative!

Frozen Yogurt Pops for Dogs

Great low fat treat for your pup on a hot day!

Ingredients

• 6 oz. container of plain, non-fat frozen yogurt
• 1 cup of no-sugar added fruit juice
• 1/2 cup of carrots, minced

Directions

1. Add the yogurt, fruit juice, and carrots into a medium-sized bowl. Stir until the ingredients are smooth and well-blended.
2. Drop the mixture into the ice cube trays by spoonful.
3. Freeze until the ingredients are solid.

DOGGIE DINNERS:

Store bought foods can be filled with fillers and additives, and honestly be very boring for dogs. Cooking your own dog food can take a little while, but I like that both of these recipes can be frozen and kept for up to a week. (And hey, they’re pretty good if you want to have some, too!)

Turkey and Vegetable Dinner

Simple recipe for your poultry friendly diet. Rich in lean protein and veggies for a balanced diet!

Ingredients

• 4 cups of water
• 1 pound of ground turkey
• 2 cups of brown rice
• 1 cup of carrots, chopped
• 1 cup of green beans, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of fish oil (optional)

Directions

1. Cook the ground turkey in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until the meat is cooked through.
2. Add the brown rice, turkey, and water to a large pot and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook an additional 15 minutes, or until the rice is soft and tender.
4. Add the carrots and green beans and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
5. Allow to cool before serving.
6. Store extra dinners in the fridge for up to five days.

Beef Stew

Gravy! Little more labor intensive, but a rich beef flavor and veggies pack a tasty punch!

Ingredients

• 1 pound of beef stew meat
• 1 small sweet potato
• 1/2 cup of carrots, diced
• 1/2 cup of green beans, diced
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/2 cup of water or organic vegetable oil, plus 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Cook the sweet potato in a microwave for 5 to 8 minutes until firm but tender. Set aside.
2. Slice the stew pieces into smaller chunks, about the size of a nickel.
3. Cook the stew pieces in a tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until well-done.
4. Remove the beef chunks from the pan, reserving the drippings.
5. Dice the sweet potato.
6. Heat the drippings over medium-low heat. Slowly add flour and water into the dripping while whisking to create a thick gravy.
7. Add the meat, sweet potato, carrots, and green beans into the gravy and stir to coat.
8. Cook until the carrots are tender – about 10 minutes.
9. Serve cool.
10. Store remaining stew in the fridge for up to five days.

DOGGIE DESSERT:

Because even Fido deserves to indulge once in awhile! For a fresh take on dessert, layered fruit parfaits are great (fruit, non-fat yogurt, repeat). But I like the iea of making a cake for your dog. Here’s a great recipe for, I don’t know, their birthday?

Dog Birthday Cake:

Ingrediets

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup honey (optional)
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup whole wheat or white flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 6 cup ring mold.
2. Combine the egg, peanut butter, oil, vanilla, and honey, if desired, in a large bowl; blend well. Stir in the carrots and mix thoroughly. Sift together the flour and baking soda and fold into the carrot mixture. Spoon cake batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes; then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

(Candles on top are optional!)

Hope you ad your pup can get some use out of these recipes! If you have any favorites that you’d like to share, please visit our Facebook and Twitter pages!

Fostering puppies can be a very rewarding experience. Providing an in-home experience to an animal to relieve it from living in a shelter can enhance not only their life, but yours!

When taking a dog into your home, you should look beyond the simple feedings and walks, and seriously consider some quality training for each dog you care for.

Enter Piper.

Piper is our latest foster pup. We’ve had her for just over three months now while she awaits her forever home. Piper is a 9 month old Redbone Coonhound Mix, with the typical energy and stimulation needs as any other puppy of her age. After doing some research, turns out Coonhounds are a sensitize, yet stubborn breed that need appropriate training or they can become bored and destructive. To compound our issues, however, is that Piper has a history of seizures that are more prone to occur if she doesn’t get the proper physical and mental stimulation during the day. Add on the fact that a puppy that lounges around all day doing nothing is bound to wake you up at four in the morning needing to go to the bathroom, and we have been set up with a 45 pound pain in the rear.

Solutions needed to be found. Piper’s energy levels had started to put a strain on our patience, and the lack of sleep with her waking in the middle of the night was making it rather difficult to get anything productive done during our own work days. We needed to incorporate some more mental games to help get Piper through the day. Enter scent training! Being a hound, Piper has a VERY active nose, and her tracking instincts are obvious anytime we enter a dog park or let her out into a back yard. If we can harness those instincts into something constructive, then we could give her tools to become a better puppy!

Training a puppy can start at any age. A dog is never too young to start learning basics like “wait” or “touch”. And there is a lot to be said about proper socialization for your pup from an early age. Hound dogs are born with tracking instincts, so it’s never too early to start with their scent training either!

Setting the Stage:

Starting scent training is very easy. Find an area in your home, maybe a side bedroom or the kitchen, where you can scatter the puppies kibble. Spreading the food around the room means your pup needs to use its’ nose to sniff out where the food is. After awhile they catch on that the food is in different places, and you’ll see their nose rise in the air searching for new food piles!

The trick is to keep it simple for the first week or two. You can condense the piles to make it harder to find, and start hiding kibble under blankets, in boxes, etc. Be creative! But make sure to move at your puppy’s pace so they can learn without becoming frustrated!

Incorporating Scent:

Your pup will inevitably catch on to the kibble hiding game, and they’ll be turning over pillows and waste baskets to find the morsels of food you obviously hid around the house! To make it more of a challenge, you can start replacing food with scents.

Hopefully you’ve been doing clicker work with your pup to start getting them acquainted with the rewards of a job well done! If you haven’t done so, here’s a pretty good guide on charging a clicker.

Grab your clicker, along with an Altoid tin (or some other small metal container, I like metal because it’s durable against mouthy dogs like Piper), some high value treats (like string cheese), and a strong, dog friendly scent (I prefer peppermint since it usually stands out against other smells).

Poke a few holes in the top of an Altoid tin, place a drop of the scent inside the tin to lure the dog, and place the tin around with the different piles of kibble. Whenever the pup finds the kibble, mark it with a clicker, and reward the puppy with a special treat (something really stinky to get them excited!). After a while, you will find that your pup searches out the scents instead of the food, because they know a higher value reward is on the way. Every time your pup finds the scent box, click and reward. This may take some time, but patience will set the stage for more fun games with your pup once they get the hang of it!

Take it Outside:

As soon as your pup gets the hang of finding the food or scents in the house, take the fun outside! In the back yard, in the garage, heck even in the car, you can replicate the same exercises by hiding food or tins of the scent around the area you are in, and when you pup finds the target, mark it and reward!

Hide-n-seek:

Ever wanted to teach your dog to find you at the dog park or around the house? Scent work translates great with these “find it” games. Hide yourself in a different room of the house, and when your ready, tell your pup to find you. As soon as they sniff you out, flood them with praise and reward! This is an excellent way to keep your dog engaged at the dog park to avoid them running around ignoring you!

The beauty of these games is that they’re easy to incorporate into any regular training routine and work really well on most of the basic obedience needs of your pup. In reality, we should never be feeding dogs out of basic food dishes. They’re boring! I’d rather see people scatter kibble on the floor and make their pups hunt for the pieces, at least that way they can’t eat too fast! Scent hunting gives an amazing amount of mental stimulation that dogs desperately crave, and with a dog like Piper, you are tapping into a natural instinct that focuses in on one of her most basic urges. This ends up being a win for everyone!

Although hound breeds are more prone to want to track scents and trail targets, scent work can be done with any dog! I have used these games with Pickle in the past and she loves them! The important part is to have fun!

For more in-depth steps on how to teach scent training, there are countless Google and YouTube pages that are helpful! Happy sniffing!

I woke up to this message from an old college friend this morning:

Do you have tips for dogs that are super anxious/nippy when getting their nails clipped? 

This is actually a question I get quite often. Nail trimming can be very uncomfortable for a dog, whether it be with actual clippers or with a grinder. Unfortunately, a lot of dogs aren’t socialized to a nail trimming at a young enough age, or they have a bad experience and are now afraid of getting their nails trimmed. If you think about it, a cut quick is a great way to encourage a dog to avoid getting their nails cut again.

So, how do we get our dogs happy and content getting their nails trimmed? Well, first understand that I’ve done over a 1,000 trims and have yet to meet a dog that likes to get it’s nails trimmed. What I’m talking about is working towards an acceptance of nail trimming, and ways to make it as comfortable as possible. I’m going to break this down into two areas: desensitizing and outsourcing/outlets.

DESENSITIZING

This works much easier the younger you start to desensitize your dog, but even old dogs can learn new tricks! The trick here: BRIBERY! Dogs react pretty well to high value treats like hot dogs or string cheese (with Pickle we’ve had to use brisket!), so when desensitizing to anything, come prepared!

1. Build a trusting baseline by getting the dog acquainted with the clippers/grinder. Have the dog sniff and investigate the clippers, and reward them with treats. Easy. With a grinder, you want to get them used to the noise, so turn it on and reward calm behavior with treats!
2. Touch the clippers to the dogs nails without clipping. You’ll need to make sure the dog it comfortable having its’ paws touching and handled. Lift the paw, bend the leg, touch the nails with the clippers, etc. All calm reactions should be rewarded. Remember, GO SLOW. If your dog becomes nervous or uncomfortable, back off. It doesn’t help to make them more stressed.
3. If you’ve made it this far, move on to clipping the nails. Start by only cutting off the very tips, and work slowly. It’s better to leave a little extra nail than to cut their quick. With every clip or every pass of the grinder, Fido gets a hot dog!

I can’t stress enough the importance of reading your dogs body language. This needs to be a positive experience to be effective, and causing stress and discomfort is probably what led you to have issues in the first place.

OUTSOURCING AND OUTLETS

This is where I admit that I don’t cut my own dogs nails. I don’t like cutting dog nails, despite having a lot of experience doing so. But my own aversions to cutting their nails hasn’t eliminated the need for our dogs to need trims.

My solution is to fold. First, always have a good groomer on call. A good groomer will have the knowledge and, sometimes more importantly, the equipment to safely cut even the most stubborn dog’s nails. I am forever indebted to a former coworker who taught me so much about dogs (and will inevitably tease me for not doing my own dogs’ nails despite all of her tutelage).

The second solution for us was to actually teach our dogs to “dig” on command as a way to file down their nails. Well, teaching them “dig” also taught them “NO dig”, which was important after we planted our garden. But it’s also a great way to keep their nails short! I had a former client, a massive chocolate lab/pit/grizzly mix whose owner would go to the tennis court around the corner and play fetch for 20 minutes a day. The running on the rough surface would file the nails down and they’d never need trimming.

(NOTE: We still have to keep track of their dew claws, which don’t get filed down by digging or exercise. Don’t forget those!)

Nail trims are an essential part to a dogs well being. Nails that are allowed to grow too long can make it very uncomfortable for a dog to walk, and nails that go long enough run the risk of bending back and growing into the paw pad. Long nails can split and crack more easily. These things can become quite painful for you dog, and no one wants that! Keeping up a regular routine of nail trims will keep your dog running happy!