Shedding

With the warm weather becoming a norm, Kingsley has started shedding more, and I'm sure you're fur baby is, too.  I wanted to include some basic tips that have helped us tremendously.

First of all, when I can afford it, Kingsley goes to the groomer to be raked... vacuum powered raking.  But when we can't afford that luxury, we try to work as hard as the groomer does to get all the excess hair off of him.  The benefits include not just less hair to vacuum off the floor or furniture, but a happier more spry dog.

Step 1: Brush Regularly

All year, it is good to brush your dog weekly.  This removes lose dead hairs and keeps the skin and coat healthy.

Step 2: Rake

Raking is a great way to get excess hair off of your dog.  Beware of the rakes with razors, because they are very irritating to your dog's skin.  They're safe to use, but you shouldn't rake over the same area twice.  I prefer the style of rake as pictured to the right.  It grabs any loose hair from the undercoat without being overly irritating to the their skin, so you can repeat multiple times.  When raking, it's best to take your doggy outside if it's a pretty day, or non carpeted area to avoid getting dog hair on your furniture or clothing.  There will be a lot of hair.

Step 3: Wash

Washing is a great way to get excess hair off of your dog.  Make sure to lather well and massage your dog's skin to promote a healthy coat.  If you wash your dog frequently, weekly, it's best to use a puppy formula or shampoo with oatmeal to prevent skin irritation.  If your dog's fur gets matted easily, you may want to use a conditioner after washing.  Rinse well.  Most lose hairs will rinse off in the bath tub keeping more hair off of your floors, furniture and clothing.

Step 4: Dry and Brush

Completely dry your dog's hair before brushing again.  If you have a young dog, you may be able to teach your dog to tolerate a hair dryer or vacuum brush attachment.

After your dog's coat has dried, use a regular brush to smooth and remove any final lose hairs.  Continue to brush once or twice weekly.  I am in love with our new brush that has a quick clean button on the back.  Just place your fur filled brush over a trash can, press the button and watch all your dog's hair neatly fall into the trash can.

Happy brushing!

Click here to shop great deals on self-cleaning grooming brushes.

Treats! Fresh from Your Kitchen

The quality of ingredients in our dog's food and treats are slowly improving, even getting some attention in advertising.  I'm so glad it's getting easier to find healthy treats, but if you're still concerned about the ingredients in your dog's treats, why not try to make them yourself?  We have had a blast and saved some cash!  Here's a few of my dog treat recipes that have been approved by my Maeby and Kingsley... but they're not picky.


In case you're in need of some cute cookie cutters, check out these cute little sets. Before I found these, I made the mistake of spending a lot for what I've found to be over sized and over priced Martha Stewart cutters at PetsMart.  At least the cookies are breakable!


Peanut Butter Dog Treats

2 cups flour
1 cup peanut butter (creamy)
1 cup water
1/2 cup oatmeal
1TBSP baking powder 
1 TBSP Honey

Preheat oven to 375 and lightly grease baking pan.  In a mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder and oatmeal. Mix, then add peanut butter, honey and water. Stir until dough forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it and then roll it out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the dough into desired size and shape. Place onto lightly greased pan and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and store in airtight container.


Apple Cinnamon Dog Treats

2 cups flour
1 chopped apple, with peel for extra fiber
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 TBSP peanut butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon


Preheat oven to 375 and lightly grease pan.
Mix flour, oatmeal, apple, peanut butter and cinnamon together, adding water to make dough workable. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead and roll the dough out into 1/2 inch thickness. Cut and place on lightly greased pan and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Pumpkin Dog Treats

2.5 cups flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2 TBS peanut butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together the flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter and cinnamon in a bowl.  Add water as needed to help make the dough workable, but the dough should be dry and stiff.  Roll the dough into a 1/2 inch thick roll and cut. Bake for 40 minutes.

Refreshing Summer Dog Treats

16oz plain yogurt

2 mashed bananas or 1 chopped apple (peel on for extra fiber)

2 TBSP peanut butter

2 TBSP honey

Mix and spoon into ice cube tray and freeze.

Thanks to my friend, Penny Arnett, for taking these great photos.

Ikea Hackers!

I'm very excited to show off our Ikea hack we came up with for our doggies! It's a steal of a deal. You'll know what I'm talking about if you've ever shopped out elevated dog bowls. For only $27, you can make a very modern doggy diner. Ikea offers this table in a variety of colors, too.

Home made dog diner

Project made of:

Ikea Lack side table, white     $7
2 small stainless steel bowls   $10
1 large stainless steel bowl     $10

Grand Total                         $27



My husband simply used a dremel to cut out the holes to set the bowls into.  It may be smart to line the inside edges with foam to keep water from seeping into the table.  I haven't dont that, yet.  I also need to saw the legs down at least an inch or two, so their heads can be even with their shoulders when they eat.

The purposes of elevated bowls are two-fold.  1) The dog ingests less air, so they don't get as bloated.  This was Maeby's problem before the elevated dog bowls.  She would regurgitate her dog food frequently after eating.  2) It takes less stress off of the dogs joints.  Would you like to stay standing in a squat the whole time you eat?  I wouldn't!  This was to help Kingsley, who is predisposed to joint problems.  I highly recommend it for your doggy.  Dog diners come as short as 3" and as tall as 18."  If you would need a shorter version, Ikea also has a Lack rectangular shelf that would work perfectly!  I've actually seen people mount them to the wall at whatever height is appropriate for their dog and cut the holes in it for their dog's bowls.  It's very doggy chic when done that way, however you would have less color options.


I have seen some very good deals for dog diners that you don't have to build yourself.  I have to share a favorite of mine I found on Etsy.  How cute are these?!  Sold by ModPet, they are very unique!  If I had the space for multiple doggy diners, one for each of my dogs, I would do it!  They are only $38 - $48 depending on size.  ModPet also makes some very modern chic dog furniture.  You'll have to check them out!

There are plenty of other awesome doggy diners out there.  I just wanted to show off ours, really.  =)  I hope you check them out for your dog.

Identity

We all love to decorate our dog through their collars, leashes, little clothing and tags. I can't get enough! So, I thought I'd share some very cute dog tags that I've tried out.

Sofa City has some really unique and colorful tags.  I love the design.  However, I have noticed 2 negatives to these tags.  The first being, both the tags I ordered, one for each dog, fell off within a few days.  We did find the tags; one was in the yard and the other on the bed.  I would recommend replacing the mini key ring for a more tightly wound one before putting these tags on your dogs' collar.  It was my husband who noticed the second negative.  He states, "the DPI is only around 160."  He is a graphic designer who works in print.  Basically, the print quality is poor.  I will say that one tag was better than another, which makes me think they may have been running out of ink when the second tag was printed.  This 'problem' really doesn't bother me.  The lesser quality is only noticeable when examined closely and not at all noticeable when hanging from the dog's collar.

PoochyCouture on Etsy has so many hand crafted tags that I'm in love with!  I love the natural look using predominantly metals.  The price is right and turn around time is great!  My only warning is: get more tightly wound key rings to replace the one that is sent with the tag.  I have purchased 4 total; some were gifts.  Two tags were lost.  They were both the larger sized tags.  Otherwise, these are great quality, and I will order more in the future.

All in all, I could use a few of these! Just found it on Amazon, but the reviews of this particular product weren't so great.  A similar item may be found at a craft store.

Red Dingo tags have been both the best deal and most durable I've used.  They come in such a wide variety of sizes, colors and design options that they should fit anyone's style needs.  All the options are not listed in the photo.  Check out the link above for the the best deal on these tags.  I've never had a problem with damage or loss with Red Dingo.  You won't regret getting one. I now use Maeby's first small tag as my key chain.  It's too small for her now, but I can't bring myself to get rid of it.

Finally, if you're looking for some bling, you must check out MegaTags.  They cost a bit - a lot more than the others, but you pay for what you get.  They're stainless steel and some have cubic zirconia!  If I were to order one of these, I would definitely go through Bluegrass Barkery (my favorite all-things-cool-dog store).  They also have RedDingo tags along with a few others.


I hope this has been a bit helpful.  Again, if you have found any good deals on dog tags or have had any experience with the ones mentioned, and want to share, please post a comment below.

Toy Time

Toys may be one of the most disappointing things you can buy for your dog.  The package always reads 'durable,' 'long lasting' or 'fun for hours,' but if your dogs are like mine, they're destroyed in minutes.  So, I will share some toys with you that we've had some good experience with.  There's even a little DIY fun I'm looking forward to sharing.

Busy Buddy

I am in LOVE with the concept of Busy Buddy toys - interactive rewarding dog toys that keep them occupied for a while.  So far we have tried out the Bristle Bone, Tug-A-Jug and Twist 'n Treat.  The one that we have had the most success with is the Twist 'n Treat.

This toy is disc shaped with 2 adjustable openings to dispense treats.  The size of the opening can be adjusted depending on the size of the treat and how difficult you want it to be for the dog to retrieve those treats - the more difficult, the longer he/she will play with it, that is, if they don't lose interest.  It is dishwasher safe, which I love!  It has been through at least 5 cycles and is still in good shape.  The only negative is this:  when I wasn't looking, Maeby chewed an extra hole in it.  She's mischievous like that!  It is still very usable, though.

Another Busy Buddy toy we've used is the Tug-A-Jug.  The concept is to place treats in the jug, then when the dog pulls on the rope, it will dispence a treat.  It's a great concept!  However, the dog cannot push the rope back into the jug by itself.  Kingsley quickly grew tired of this toy, because of the frustration of seeing and smelling the treats but not being able to get them out.  So, we made a little adjustment... we cut the rope off.  It still has a chewable top that's good for your dog's teeth, and it still dispenses a treat when they tip the jug over.  So, we still use it, and it's also dishwasher safe!


The last Busy Buddy toy we tried was the Bristle Bone.  I got this toy specifically for Kingsley to help clean his teeth.  It has soft pointed bristles to help clean the gums and even some tooth brush action!  But we found two negatives.  The "Gnawhide Rings" that come on it to motivate the dog to chew have some controversial ingredients (see this eye-opening information about rawhide), and instead of chewing on the teeth cleaning part in the middle, both of my dogs prefer to chew on the ends resulting in ingesting the plastic pieces that come off.  See images below.

The thought of them ingesting these little hard plastic pieces didn't please me, so the toy has been tossed, and today I went looking for a replacement.  This isn't the first time they've done this to a hard plastic toy.  Busy Buddy also offers a hard rubber toy with grooves in it called the Waggle.  However, I came across a cheaper alternative at the pet store.  For almost half the price, I purchased the Chompion hard rubber bone.  It too dispenses dog treats.  So far, we love the response.  It has kept the dog's attention longer than I had expected and the treats are a little more difficult to dispense, making the play time longer than with the other toys.  This might be the 'new toy' effect.  I'll keep you posted.


Balls

Multipet makes a variety of amazing ball toys made out of rope.  I can typically find these at outlet stores, but Amazon has a great deal, too.  Yes, they fray and come apart, but they generally last about 1 month with my 2 large dogs.  I thought I could make them last longer by trimming them and throwing them in the washer with the dog blankets, but they're so dense that it makes them impossible to dry without having a bad smell.

Your dog may be more like our dog Kingsley, who is obsessed with fetching and playing ball.  If we say the word, "ball" someone MUST play with him.  The best invention I've come across for this kind of dog is the Chuck-It.  Since I'm not a professional pitcher, I can't throw a ball the length of our yard 30 times in a row.  That's where this wonderful 'toy' comes in handy!  It's really more for the dog owner, but the dog reaps the benefits as well.  It's basically designed to work like a sling shot for the ball.  With minimal effort on your part, the ball will fly through the air with ease.  Then, when your dog brings the slobbered covered ball back to you, you don't have to touch it!  It simply pops right into place and is ready to be launched again.  If you buy the medium or large size Chuck-It, a regular tennis ball will fit in it perfectly and is a little easier on the wallet.  However, there is another product that is made for the Chuck-It that I highly recommend.  For those winter months when the sun sets before you get off work, yet your dog still wants to play ball in the dark, I must highly recommend the Max Glow ball.  It not only glows in the dark but whistles when thrown.  Kingsley typically would have lost about a dozen balls this winter, but one Max Glow made it through the darkness and will last another few winters.  They're very durable.  Chuck-It offers indoor options as well!  These products are a must!



Plush Toys

These have been mostly a failure in our house.  Kingsley doesn't really know how to play gentle with any toy.  However, Maeby has surprised us with a few.  She tends to treat stuffed toys like her babies.  She doesn't like the hard plastic eyes.  She pulls those off, but otherwise, they make it.  I know in most cases these toys are the first to get destroyed, so that's why I'm going to recommend a cheap, non-stuffed plush toy.  Wal-mart sells a variety of unstuffed squeaky toys made by Multipet.  The cheapest options are the loofa dogs.  The standard unstuffed loofa dog is only $2.47. However, I would recommend the floppy dog for $2.97, because the shell is more durable and will last longer.  I have yet to find a price better than that!



Interactive Games

We haven't tried these products, yet, but I have had my eye on them for a while.  The first is the Seek-A-Treat board games by Ethical Pet.  The second is a line of interactive dog games made by Nina Ottosson that look like a lot of fun.  Since the latter has plastic removable pieces, I recommend monitoring your dog while they play with them in case of ingestion.  Both of these brands have made these games to provide mental stimulation with the motivation of treat dispensing technology. You can read the reviews for both of these lines of dog games on Amazon.





Make your own!


I know the following idea won't last long, as we do this often, but at least you'll be recycling!  Use your old socks - you know, the ones with broken elastic and holes in the bottom - and stuff them with other old socks, t-shirts, etc.  However, I do not recommend this for those of you who are struggling to keep your good socks away from your pup.  We broke our dogs of the sock stealing a long time ago.  They  now know if there's a knot in the sock, it's theirs!


Also, see this site for more DIY ideas.

I know there are SO MANY toys out there, and I'm sure you've found a toy that works well for your dog's play style.  If that's the case, feel free to list your good experiences in the comments below.

Local Shelters & Rescues

In case you were considering adopting a four legged friend this spring (I hope you are), here is a list of shelters to chose from. All of them can use your support. If you know of any shelters that aren't listed, please post them in a comment.

Pulaski County

Have a Heart Animal Rescue

Pulaski County Animal Shelter

Pulaski County Humane Society

Central KY

Lexington Humane Society

Wolf Run Wildlife Refuge

Find a shelter near you, and save a life.  Petfinder is also a good resource.