We herd there would be ribbons! City dogs meet the sheep, and this time it counted!

2 year old Cassie proudly displays her two ribbons

One of our Aussie meetup group’s (Alexandria Aussies on meetup.com) favorite outings is sheep herding.  Over the past several months, we have visited two farms in Virginia, each about an hour outside of Washington, D.C. for this adventure. Our first outing was for a member’s “Barkday” party on a freezing Saturday morning about a year ago.  The second was at Dawgwood Farm where we took part in their “Herding Fun Day” last fall.

For our third outing, we headed back to Dawgwood Farm www.dawgwoodfarm.com in Goldvein, VA for a day of herding evaluations and this time – it was going to count, there would be ribbons!

We herd you were coming

Wink Mason, the owner of Dawgwood Farm was also hosting a trial of the American Herding Breed Association (AHBA), so any of our amateur dogs that passed his evaluation would be invited to compete in the first level of the AHBA competition.

Nearly 20 dogs from our meetup group made the trip.  The moment we arrived at the farm, the sheep induced excitement was evident.  Whimpering, barking and nervous energy was quickly diffused with play.   A fenced in area – complete with a pond, became the dogs’ play area, while they waited for their turn in the ring.  The dogs had some much fun running and swimming that they almost forgot about the sheep.

From novice puppies, Divi was the youngest at 12 weeks, to more mature second and third time herders – Boomer was in this group, Wink took each dog (and its owner) into the ring for an evaluation and instruction.  While Wink instructed the owner, he watched as the dog reacted to the owner, the sheep and verbal commands.

Mystic takes the ring

There is something incredibly beautiful and gratifying when watching your dog do what he was bred to do – and enjoy it.  Watching the dogs, you could tell how smart, confident, graceful and athletic they are.  Looking at Boomer listen to Kirk while keeping is full attention on the sheep, his intelligence was evident – he’s a great multi-tasker!  It’s as if he was signaling back – “Yeah, I got it.”

The dogs in our meetup group are primarily suburban or city dogs.  A handful compete in shows and obedience – but the majority are well-loved pets with devoted owners.  Seeing their instincts kick in is nothing short of amazing.

Maci passes the evaluation and receives a ribbon from Wink

 

Dogs that passed Wink’s evaluation were handed a ribbon (YEA) and an invitation to compete at the next level through AHBA.  Olive, Sinbad, Boomer and Cassie chose to compete.  Olive and her owner drew the first spot – giving the other owners the advantage of watching.  Unlike Wink’s evaluation, no leashes were used in this AHBA round – it was all about the owner, the dog and the sheep.

All four dogs passed and racked up their second ribbon of the day.  I was listening to the judges as they were evaluating Boomer’s performance and heard one of them say, “you can’t get better than that”.  It was with incredible pride that I congratulated Boomer and Kirk when they exited the ring!  Not bad for a city dog!  Now, what to do with his ribbons…….

Stryder enjoyed a day of play and herding!



Want to show your love of Aussies?  Purchase this great shirt from PawsGo -- www.pawsgo.com.  Shirts are $20 and half goes directly to Aussie rescue!

 

Spring Really? When?

Spring is starting to spring here in the Northern Hemisphere. Although the calendar calls the first day of spring March 20, when looking out my window here in Western New York, the amount of snow on the ground coupled with temperatures diving below freezing at night make the impending warmth still feel a bit far away. My family and especially my dog, Juno, are eager for it. It's been a challenging winter to say the least.

 

Our dog loves the snow (and rain, and sun...she's weird like that). But even she had limited tolerance for the sub-zero temps. When it was "warm" (in the 20s), we would walk as usual, all bundled up. But when the wind chill was well into the negative teens and twenties (or, the few times the temperature was physically there), Juno would simply be let out into our small yard for her business. She would enjoy some romps in the snow, but if it was too cold, even she would just go out and run back in. 

 One of the biggest challenges for dogs (and their owners) in winter is protecting them in the cold. Some pet owners use jackets to help keep their dogs warm, although we don't (mostly because it's more of a struggle to get Juno into one). 

 For us, the ice, snow and salt buildup in our dog's pads were the biggest concern. So we have tried a few things this year to help keep her paws from injury: 

 

Musher's Secret (http://amzn.to/1GkzODD) is a paste/lotion that's a bit thicker than vaseline meant for rubbing onto a pet's paws and in between the pads before heading outside. This unfortunately didn't work for Juno simply because she wasn't going to wait for me to apply it before heading out. But it may be for you and your pet.

It's good in cold and hot weather

 

Booties. As ridiculous as Juno acted after first having her Ultra Paws (http://amzn.to/1NBoybm) put on, she actually seemed to enjoy having them. She was quick to adjust to the booties, and although we would occasionally need to put them back on mid-walk or re-adjust them on her feet, they did the trick for us to keep the salt from between her pads.

 

The super-cold weather this winter also meant we needed to find ways to keep our girl active with shortened walks. For us, it meant taking Juno to doggie day care more often (http://dogdaysofbuffalo.com/) for some extra canine interaction. She is not a very active dog, but having a chance to hang out and play with other dogs in the depths of winter was a great release (and help prevented a grumpy dog begging us for more attention every few minutes).

 

Finally, as Juno is also an aspiring therapy dog, so we enrolled in classes this winter (also at Dog Days) to have another set of "tasks" to practice as well as having a place to go one evening a week. Juno really enjoyed the interaction with people other than us, and the chance to get out reliably was a benefit for us, too!

 As we gain more warmth in the coming weeks, the challenge will turn from salt and ice to mud and muck, so now we will focus on the best ways to keep Juno’s muddy paws from tracking all over the house with an arsenal of washcloths, towels and quick clean ups of the floor!

 What do you use to protect your pet’s paws during harsh conditions? We’d love to hear it in the comments!  Send them through our comments, our through our Facebook page!

MJ Courchesne is a freelance publishing consultant, writer, and part-time personal trainer with a passion for gardening, walking, wine, and travel. She lives in a restored 1890s Victorian home situated in the heart of Buffalo, NY with her husband and lab mix, Juno. Her new blog can be found at http://nickelcityboomerang.blogspot.com/.

PawsGo Baking Healthy Treats for Your Dog

The holidays are upon us, so don't forget your best friend!  What better way to treat your dog than with homemade treats?  And what a thoughtful gift for the dogs of your friends, co-workers and neighbors!  Making your own dog treats is easy, inexpensive and fun!  Do it on your own, or make it a party like we did!

My dogs love treats, and truthfully, I give them more than I should.  Treats are rewards, treats are expected, and treats can quickly diffuse an annoying situation.  Treats are a part of our day.  But are treats healthy?  Maybe, but probably not in the volume that my dogs coerce me into giving them. And, they get expensive.

So, PawsGo set out to create healthy treats that we could make at home.  With the help of Kari Faherty, of True Health and Wholeness
http://true-hw.com/ in Arlington, Virginia, we hosted a dog treat cooking class (party). The idea was to create treats to share with dogs and their friends.

Kari developed two very easy recipes.  One with peanut butter, the other with parsley (because who can't use a little breath freshener).  All ingredients were found at our local grocery story and cost $11.73 -- what a deal!  The end result can be consumed by both humans and dogs.  All ingredients and steps are outlined below -- thank you Kari!  (and yes, we served wine)

 

 

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

Breath Freshener   Ingredients: õ  1 Banana õ  3 tablespoons peanut butter õ  1 egg õ  1 cup oat flour õ  2/3 cup rolled oats õ  1 - 1½ cup chopped fresh parsley and/or mint   Recipe: 1.     In a large bowl, mash the banana 2.     Add the peanut butter and egg. 3.     Add the oat flour and rolled oats.  Allow the dough to sit. 4.     While the dough is sitting, finely chop the parsley.

Peanut Butter Flax   Ingredients: õ  1 Banana õ  3-5 tablespoons peanut butter õ  1 egg õ  1 cup oat flour õ  2/3 cup rolled oats õ  ½ cup flax meal (plus more, if needed)     Recipe: 1.     In a large bowl, mash the banana 2.     Add the peanut butter and egg. 3.     Add the oat flour and rolled oats.  Allow the dough to sit. 4.     Add the flax, enough to make the dough moldable.

peanut butter base
 

 

grinding oats for oat flour

chopping parsley

5.     Divide the dough into 24 balls, then press them flat into disks.

6.     Lay the disks on the baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the desired texture.

 

Notes on Baking and Storage:

 

õ  If your dog prefers soft treats, bake the treats a shorter time.  For crisp treats, bake the treats longer.

õ  If your dog is small, make smaller disks.  Smaller disk will need less baking time.

õ  Softer treats will spoil faster than crisp treats.  To extend the shelf life of the treats, no matter how they are prepared, keep them in an airtight container.  Keeping the treats in the fridge will extend the shelf life even longer.

õ  If your dog eats treats quickly, you can make a whole batch and store the treats in an airtight container at room temperature.  

õ  If your dog eats treats slowly, you can make a half batch, or freeze the treats after baking.  Just make sure they are thawed before giving them to your dog.

 

The finished product

 

Even the cat liked them!

Our final product, ready for gift giving.  We'll be ready for next Christmas!
 

 

 

PawsGo Baking Healthy Treats for Your Dog

The holidays are upon us, so don't forget your best friend!  What better way to treat your dog than with homemade treats?  And what a thoughtful gift for the dogs of your friends, co-workers and neighbors!  Making your own dog treats is easy, inexpensive and fun!  Do it on your own, or make it a party like we did!

My dogs love treats, and truthfully, I give them more than I should.  Treats are rewards, treats are expected, and treats can quickly diffuse an annoying situation.  Treats are a part of our day.  But are treats healthy?  Maybe, but probably not in the volume that my dogs coerce me into giving them. And, they get expensive.

So, PawsGo set out to create healthy treats that we could make at home.  With the help of Kari Faherty, of True Health and Wholeness
http://true-hw.com/ in Arlington, Virginia, we hosted a dog treat cooking class (party). The idea was to create treats to share with dogs and their friends.

Kari developed two very easy recipes.  One with peanut butter, the other with parsley (because who can't use a little breath freshener).  All ingredients were found at our local grocery story and cost $11.73 -- what a deal!  The end result can be consumed by both humans and dogs.  All ingredients and steps are outlined below -- thank you Kari!  (and yes, we served wine)

 

 

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

Breath Freshener   Ingredients: õ  1 Banana õ  3 tablespoons peanut butter õ  1 egg õ  1 cup oat flour õ  2/3 cup rolled oats õ  1 - 1½ cup chopped fresh parsley and/or mint   Recipe: 1.     In a large bowl, mash the banana 2.     Add the peanut butter and egg. 3.     Add the oat flour and rolled oats.  Allow the dough to sit. 4.     While the dough is sitting, finely chop the parsley.

Peanut Butter Flax   Ingredients: õ  1 Banana õ  3-5 tablespoons peanut butter õ  1 egg õ  1 cup oat flour õ  2/3 cup rolled oats õ  ½ cup flax meal (plus more, if needed)     Recipe: 1.     In a large bowl, mash the banana 2.     Add the peanut butter and egg. 3.     Add the oat flour and rolled oats.  Allow the dough to sit. 4.     Add the flax, enough to make the dough moldable.

peanut butter base
 

 

grinding oats for oat flour

chopping parsley

5.     Divide the dough into 24 balls, then press them flat into disks.

6.     Lay the disks on the baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the desired texture.

 

Notes on Baking and Storage:

 

õ  If your dog prefers soft treats, bake the treats a shorter time.  For crisp treats, bake the treats longer.

õ  If your dog is small, make smaller disks.  Smaller disk will need less baking time.

õ  Softer treats will spoil faster than crisp treats.  To extend the shelf life of the treats, no matter how they are prepared, keep them in an airtight container.  Keeping the treats in the fridge will extend the shelf life even longer.

õ  If your dog eats treats quickly, you can make a whole batch and store the treats in an airtight container at room temperature.  

õ  If your dog eats treats slowly, you can make a half batch, or freeze the treats after baking.  Just make sure they are thawed before giving them to your dog.

 

The finished product

 

Even the cat liked them!

Our final product, ready for gift giving.  We'll be ready for next Christmas!
 

 

 

Bone Broth, a Healthy Trend for Humans and Dogs

Bone broth is super trendy.  All the hot restaurants are selling steaming cups of it at a premium price.  Our local farmer’s market is selling it and our local butcher said the bone broth craze has chefs and butchers VERY excited!  Scraped bones have been given a second life and are now sellable.

I had read about the human health benefits of bone broth – everything from helping joints and digestion to reducing cellulite – yup, that’s the one that had me heading to the butcher for my first batch of bones!

Armed with my slow cooker and 2 pounds of grass fed, hormone free beef knuckle bones, I followed a very easy recipe –

 

1)      Season the bones

2)      Roast the bones – 400 for an hour

3)      Combine the following in a slow cooker

a.       Roasted bones

b.       2 chopped carrots

c.        2 stalks of celery chopped

d.       2 garlic cloves chopped

e.       I small/medium onion chopped

f.        A splash of cider vinegar

 

 

4)      Cover everything with filtered water and cook on high until it boils or bubbles

5)      Turn heat down to low and let it cook down for 24 hours

6)      After 24 hours, strain it and, refrigerate it or freeze it

 

 

I put kale in mine and have a cup as an afternoon snack.  For optimum health benefits, you’re supposed to have a cup a day.  It can keep in the fridge for 5 days, or you can freeze it.

If it’s healthy for us – what about dogs?  A quick google search and bingo – it’s good for dogs too!  Same health benefits, with the exception of  cellulite reduction, that wasn’t referenced.

I was especially interested to see if it would help Kacey’s joints.  She has a bit of arthritis.  I am always looking for ways to enhance her quality of life – bone broth seemed like a good bet.

Because I have read that dogs should not eat onions or garlic, and I figured they didn’t need seasoning – I opted for making their broth with just bones, cider vinegar and filtered water.

Here’s my recipe for Bone Broth for Dogs

1)      Roast 2 pounds of grass fed, hormone free beef knuckle bones

2)      Place in a slow cooker and cover with filtered water and splash of cider vinegar

3)      Cook on high until it boils or bubbles

4)      Turn down to low and let it cook down for 24 hours

5)      Clean any bits of meat off ones, discard bones, skim fat and save broth and meat bits for doggies.

I mix a healthy spoonful in with their food reach morning and they get a frozen treat every evening.  To say they like it is an understatement.  It’s too early to tell if the both is having an impact on their health, but if nothing else they are getting a healthy treat.

 

This is a great article on the health benefits of bone broth for dogs – note the entry on liver detox. 

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/reasons-your-dog-love-bone-broth/