Sunday, February 22, 2015

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. 


 
 

Sunday, January 25, 2015

A Winter Trip to Virginia’s Dog Friendly Wineries




Spring, summer and fall are perfect times to load the dogs in the jeep and head out to Virginia’s wine country for a day of sips, walks, shopping and lunch on a dog-friendly patio.  But the cold wet winter months are a bit more challenging.

Undeterred by the freezing forecast -- my husband, friend Alyson (visiting from California), Boomer, Kacey and I took the 50 mile drive from Alexandria to Delaplane, Virginia.

Our first stop was Barrel Oak Winery (www.barreloak.com ).  Upon arrival, there is little doubt that Barrel Oak is dog-friendly.  We are immediately met by dogs leaving the tasting room, or just taking a potty break.  To say that Barrel Oak loves dogs would be an understatement.  The tasting room is filled with owners and their dogs.  The gift shop has great dog-inspired items, and their wines pay homage to canines, such as their Chocolate Lab Dessert Wine.  A quick look at their events calendar and I see two dog-focused fundraisers in the month of February.

It’s hard NOT to have fun at Barrel Oak.  There is a buzzy welcoming vibe – everyone is happy! Friends and families are picnicking on the fire pit heated patio.  Kids and dogs are getting lots of attention.  We slide up for a tasting and quickly realize that we are standing next to a couple and their dog Tucker from our neighborhood!  Wine and dogs are great conversation starters!

We purchased a couple of bottles from our server Nate, and then headed to our next stop – Aspen Dale Winery (www.aspendalewinery.com ).

While Barrel Oak has the buzzy festive atmosphere, Aspen Dale is closer to a cool coffee shop (but with wine and in an old barn).  Dogs are also welcome in the tasting room which is warm, hip, and relaxed.  A soloist on guitar plays “coffee shop” music.  There is a fire in the fireplace.  Dogs relax on the floor and owners sit on comfy couches, at cafĂ© tables, or stand at the tasting bar.

Aspen Dale provides a small plate of “pairings” to go with the wines – a piece of apricot, a bite of sausage, a bit of chocolate – all perfectly paired with each wine.  We loved it!  We loved it so much we purchased a bottle of their Parris Country Red Blend (yum), some pheasant sausage and sage cheese for a little snack.  Aspen Dale is one of those special places where you could easily spend the entire afternoon.
Pairings at Aspen Dale



                                                                       



From Aspen Dale, we wandered a bit, but thanks to iPhones and GPS, we eventually found Cobbler Mountain Cellars (www.cobblermountain.com ).  Located on a hill off of a couple twisty gravel roads is their lovely tasting room.  Like Barrel Oak and Aspen Dale, it’s also in Delaplane, but it's the youngest of the three wineries. 
 
 
 
The Cobbler Mountain Paw Wall
Cobbler Mountain is very friendly.  We immediately felt welcomed and the dogs were appropriately gushed over!   Given its location – far off of a main road, dogs can actually go off leash in their yard.  An entire wall in their tasting room is covered with paw prints and the names of their dogs and dog clients. 
 
Cobbler Mountain Cellars often hosts groups of dogs and their owners for special events – there was a recent gathering of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and in the summer and early fall, Cobbler Mountain holds weekend camping and hiking trips for owners and their dogs.
New friends at Cobbler Mountain
 

We left Cobbler Mountain with a bottle of Vidal Blanc and a promise to return. 

Our winter outing to Delaplane, Virginia wineries was great fun.  Boomer and Kacey got plenty of attention in three very different and welcoming wineries.  We got to taste and purchase great wines in a variety of settings – winter was the perfect time to visit Barrel Oak, Aspen Dale and Cobbler Mountain – but we’ll go again in the spring!

There are currently 253 wineries in Virginia and MANY are dog friendly.  Only California, New York, Oregon and Washington have more wineries than Virginia.
 www.virginiawine.org, lists all wineries and their regions.  You can also filter by varietals and if the winery is pet friendly.






Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving, Today we give thanks for our dogs!


Happy Thanksgiving!  It’s a safe bet that any dog owner/lover when asked what they are most thankful for, their dog is either #1, or at the very top of the list!  And likewise, if asked, our dogs would list us as #1, with treats, squirrels and the satisfaction of keeping the mailman at bay, close behind.

Today as we give thanks for the many blessings in our lives, Stephanie Pauley shares her family’s story of finding Stika – or more correctly, Stika and the Pauleys finding each other!

Stephanie, thank you for sharing this beautiful story and for touching our hearts!

 
Stika's Story
In 2009 we adopted/rescued our first Aussie and approximately 2 years later we decided that, like potato chips, 1 Aussie is never enough. Our search began and ended on Petfinder when we found this ad:

 
Hello there. My name is Sir Irwin. My foster Mom rescued me from a high kill shelter in Kentucky. I had chewed threw my rope that had me tethered to a tree. Needless to say, my owners were not concerned enough to come looking for me, so now I am a "rescue dog". I like being a rescue dog, it means I get to sleep indoors instead of outside, on the couch instead of a muddy, dirty yard and I get all the food, water and treats one could imagine. Yep, I have it good now! 

My foster Mom named me Sir Irwin, after the late Steve Irwin. I guess because I am an Australian shepherd, this is the best she could come up with. AND no, I do not have an accent when I bark. LOL.

 

Our interest most especially on high alert, we made an inquiry into this beautiful boy. Luckily, we don’t live far from where he was being kept and our application for adoption was approved.

 


The very first meeting with Sitka Erwin, and yes each of our boys have middle names, he was frightened and shaking. He hid behind the workers leg as if we would hurt him, but that quickly changed. I slowly lowered myself down to his level, took his sweet mussel gently into my hand, and gently blew into his nose. As I did so, his wiggly Aussie nubbin’ swung around until he was snuggled firmly against my leg. I would like to say that all went well from the start but that was not to be. Sitka had a few challenges to overcome like worms, learning a new name, and potty training. Thankfully he is one smart Aussie, but aren’t they all. The worms were cleared up, he learned his new name and although it’s spelled differently keeping Erwin as his middle name helped tremendously, and going from an outside puppy to an inside puppy didn’t take long.

 

Over the last 4 years, Sitka has learned many tricks like: sit, down, rollover, stay, shake with left paw, high five with right paw, and is working on learning to play dead as well as taking a requested item to a specific person. Along with his tricks his most favorite thing to do is play ball.

 

Our family has grown to include a little brother to complete the Brother Bear trio of Kenai, Sitka, and Denahi. He is wonderful with his brothers, and he loves our grandson so much that he whines with excitement when he knows he's coming. 

 


He still doesn't realize that he's not supposed to be a lap dog and will spend as much time snuggling with us as possible. He's such a snuggler that I my husband or I take a nap on the couch he naps on the couch with us. Heaven help us, or should I say me, when my husband and I both nap on the couch because he will lie on top of me.

 

Finally, some of his many wonderful qualities would have to include the fact that he must be part Wookie, when he’s happy not only does his butt wiggle but his entire backside wiggles so much that he literally bends himself into a U-shape.

 

While we do not wish harm to any of our babies, we have already discussed becoming a foster family when our boys go to heaven to wait for us. We know that it will be not only the hardest thing we will ever do, but will be the most rewarding/selfless thing we could imagine. A HUGE wonderful thank you for all that the rescue groups do.
The Pauley’s:  Stephanie, Clint, Kenai Junie, Sitka Erwin, and Denahi Eugene

 

Would you like to share your story with PawsGo?  Send us a note in the comment section!  We love a great story!

 

Sunday, October 26, 2014

We Herd, We Liked It, We Went Again........


Last March a member of our Aussie meetup organized a “barkday” party for her dog at a sheep farm.  Around a dozen of us attended and loved it.

Several weeks ago I noticed a post on a friend’s facebook page announcing a “Herding Fun Day” at a farm in Virginia.  What could be more fun?  Another outing with Aussies and sheep!

I quickly organized an Aussie meetup around it.  Soon, nearly a dozen Aussie owners from the DC area were making the 1.5 hour trek to Goldvein, Virginia and Dawgwood Farm's Herding Fun Day.

It was a sparkling Saturday – perfect for a day in the country, or herding sheep.  Wink Mason and Judy Moran were our hosts at Dawgwood Farm.
Judy was thinking ahead when she organized the “play area” for our hyped up dogs.  An enormous fenced in field greeted them upon arrival – it’s where they could run and play while the sheep were readied.



Pre-herding playtime
         At this outing, Boomer was the only herding veteran in the group and the moment he saw the sheep – he was ready!

Wink took each owner and dog into the ring with three “volunteer” sheep.  Dawgwood Farms only raises wool sheep, but these guys looked like they give themselves up to the highest bidder in a second!

The instruction was as much for the owner as it was for the dog.  Wink shared that the goal was to have the dog watch the sheep, but “keep an ear” to the owner’s voice.  He also gave instruction on how to utilize the tether – short firm (but gentle) tugs to let the dog know not to charge the sheep.

Wink provides instruction, Kirk listens, Boomer waits
Boomer, our veteran herder, received plenty of tugs – he was eager to make contact with the sheep, and seemed to genuinely enjoy the activity.  Wink said Boomer had good eye contact and his herding style was gathering – who knew?!

Mosbey and Tucker wait their turn
On this outing we had a number of young dogs – those under a year.  And once again, our Aussies proved to be naturals!  They were evaluated on their style -  driving or gathering; eye contact – loose, medium or strong; temperament – readily adjusts to distracted and nervous; interest – sustained and keen to some or none; and power – sufficient, forceful, excessive or a lack of power.  At the end of each evaluation Wink provided comments about the dog.  On Boomer’s he wrote, Very nice dog. J  Owners luckily were not evaluated, although, I am sure that Wink would comment that all owners were very nice and showed promise!
Sinbad was a natural
 

There is something very satisfying to watch your dog perform the task he was bred to do.  Our dogs are incredible athletes and VERY smart!  And while the majority of their activity takes place in urban areas, their instincts take over the moment they are placed in their “natural” environment.
Following several sheep filled hours, Kirk and I took the dogs to find some lunch.  With some good fortune and help of an iphone, we happened upon a lovely spot in Remington, Virginia at Kelly’s Ford and had lunch on the patio of  the Inn at Kelly's Ford

Kelly’s Ford was the site of a major civil war battle.  Today its home to the Inn at Kelly's Ford and the Kelly’s Ford Equestrian Center.

It was a wonderful day in the Virginia countryside.  Driving home, I am sure that at least one of our dogs fell asleep counting sheep.

Thanks to Wink and Judy for a wonderful outing, we are ready for the next one!
 
 
 

 




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Saturday, October 18, 2014

Juno Discovers Buffalo

Moving to a new city, is always and adventure, but that adventure is more fun with a dog! 
MJ, her husband Chris and dog Juno, recently made the move from Alexandria, VA to Buffalo, NY.  Juno has helped MJ and Chris discover many dog friendly stops!



Summer has now faded into fall, but that doesn't mean that we have ceased exploring our new neighborhood in Buffalo, NY with our dog, Juno.

The blocks are long near our house, so the shortest walk is still at least 20 minutes, but even then, we are walking briskly and not sniffing every tree! 

When we are not simply enjoying our morning and evening constitutionals, though, there are places to go and things to see with our furry friend by our side.

One of Juno's favorite things to do when we lived in Del Ray was to go to Art on the Avenue, a yearly street festival dedicated to local and national artisans. She always loved walking down the middle of the road where she could see everything on both sides of the street, especially before the festival got under way. 

Well, of course Buffalo has their own versions of these festivals. The Allentown Art Festival (http://www.allentownartfestival.com) and the Elmwood Festival of the Arts (http://eafa.techriver.net) occur each year in July and August respectively. We moved in after the Allentown Festival this year, but we were able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Elmwood Festival! Juno enjoyed checking out the booths and listening to live music.
 

We always have to fuel our early morning walks with some caffeinated beverages, so we have found a few coffee shops that accommodate dogs.
 
Spot Coffee (http://www.spotcoffee.com) has several locations around the Buffalo area, and the Elmwood Avenue location features a large outdoor patio where pups can enjoy a drink of water while their humans have some coffee.

Cafe 59 in Prospect Hill (http://porterave.cafe59.com) recently opened on Porter Avenue and has a cute little patio area outside for dining. They serve their canine patrons homemade dinosaur-shaped cookies which Juno found delicious.

Allentown also has its own unique dog-friendly coffee shop in Cafe Taza (https://www.facebook.com/CafeTazaAllentown). This tiny shop has bar seating for maybe eight people, standing room for just a few more, but also allows dogs to come into the shop with their humans and enjoy a biscuit or two while they wait. We know that this will be a favorite of ours on the blustery days to come, although the lack of space means that other people and dogs will be vying for the same space!

We couldn't be more thrilled with our new neighborhood and its dog-friendly atmosphere. Just like in Del Ray, neighbors put out water bowls for their four-legged friends, and nearly everyone is willing to offer a friendly pat on the head or a belly rub. What more could a dog want?
____________________
"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new." -- Socrates
 
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Sunday, August 10, 2014

The Aussie Meetup


 

Boomer, my little tank
“Don’t roll the Pug down the hill!”  It was that frequent refrain that lead me to create a “play group” for our Australian Shepherd, Boomer.

Boomer is a tank.  He’s an adorable and loving tank.  He LOVES to run and he’s a “ruff” and tumble dog park player.  Unfortunately, not every dog or owner appreciates his antics.  Let me be clear, he is not aggressive and he has a very good read of other dogs – he knows when to stop, but that’s often after he inadvertently t-bones a dog or owner.

Aussie butts at an early meetup
Just over three years ago, I decided what Boomer needed was a group of Aussies to play with – dogs (and owners) that had probably experienced the dog-park scowl. 

On a whim one January afternoon, I created Australian Shepherds of the DMV on meetup.com – the description was pretty straight forward – a group interested in Australian Shepherds and their activities. Let's get our Aussies together for play dates, hikes, swims, agility, walks and runs and some sheep herding! Let's also support Aussie rescue activities.

I remember when the first “members” joined.  I was so excited!  We scheduled a walk through Old Town, Alexandria, VA.  It was great talking to other Aussie owners, who like me, love the breed and the endearing characteristics of our dogs.

Riley got his sheep together!

 
Today we have over 300 members from Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC.  Our outings range from a casual meetup at a local dog park, to hikes and one of our greatest adventures – sheep herding!

The meetup is designed to allow any member to schedule or suggest an outing.  The sheep herding adventure was done by one of our members, and a regular agility outing at the Zoom Room is hosted by another.
Boomer loves his meetup pals.  The dogs (and owners) are comfortable with each other, and play comes easily.  If Boomer and his “girlfriend” Cassie are together – watch out, because those two will definitely get the party started.  Jack will likely race around with them and Roxy will soon join in.  Sweet Zoe (a mini) watches the big dogs run, but is likely to also engage.  Rain and Obbie are swimmers and Faith is a master at agility.  We typically see Cash and Keller when we have events in Maryland.  Riley is the born sheep herder!


Aussie mosh-pit at the Zoom Room
 

Our dogs have gone swimming, toured Mount Vernon, hiked along the Potomac, practiced their agility both indoors and outdoors and raced alongside llamas.

 

 
Barrel Oak Winery in Delaplane, Virginia

Indoors at Mount Vernon
Other events include winetasting, an agility yappy hour (beverages for humans) and a boat cruise down the Potomac (Yup!  We have a boat cruise for dogs in Alexandria).

I was asked once if it takes a lot of time to organize the meetups.  Not really.  Members make suggestions and we have as much fun at one of the larger dog parks as we do at an organized outing – although I will say the dogs were EXHAUSTED after their sheep herding adventure.  And it’s always more fun trying something new with your friends!  I pay a fee to host the meetup site – which is worth every penny based on how much fun the dogs have.

Llamas (and a horse)
While members do come to us via meetup.com, membership is primarily viral.  Members run into an Aussie and owner and tell them about our group.  As I say to every new member in my welcome message to them– it’s great bunch of dogs and people!
You can find Australian Shepherds of the DMV on www.meetup.com, we also have a Facebook page -- if you're in the Washington, DC area -- come and join our fun!
You can read more about out sheep herding adventures here http://pawsgo.blogspot.com/2014/03/pawsgo-herding-weve-got-our-sheep.html
 
 
Cassie and Boomer
 
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!  Adult sizes.


 



Friday, August 8, 2014

Leash in Hand, Dog by My Side: Exploring a New City, 10,000 Steps at a Time

 
 
 
Before relocating to Buffalo, NY from the very walkable Del Ray section of Alexandria, VA, my husband and I considered what kind of lifestyle we wanted in our new city and thus, what neighborhood might best suit us.
Buffalo, NY, it's pretty close to Canada!
 
We looked at several well-known walkable areas in Buffalo. Each area features unique architecture and an individual neighborhood culture: 
 
Parkside - Located adjacent to the Buffalo Zoo and the 350-acre Delaware Park (http://www.bfloparks.org/parksystem/majorparks/36/delaware_park), Parkside showcases some of the best of Buffalo's housing design with a handful of Frank Lloyd Wright homes and broad parkways with lots of green space rolling down the middle of the divided road.

 
Hertel - One of the up-and-coming areas in Buffalo, this area features a lot of new growth in restaurants and independent shops and boutiques.
 
Elmwood Village - Located near the center of the city, Elmwood's unique artistic vibe is fueled by great local talent. From the professional musicians playing at Kleinhan's Music Hall to the Albright Knox Art Gallery's world-class collection and independent artist and musician studios dotting the area, there's no lack for cultural experiences here.
 
Ultimately, we settled on the Village for its proximity to a multitude of restaurants and shops, cultural attractions and cool Queen Anne style architecture. In the end, this central location has us only minutes from the neighborhoods previously mentioned, as well as only 5 to 10 minutes from downtown and the Canalside waterfront (http://www.canalsidebuffalo.com/).
 
Despite its reputation for snowy winters (any Western New York ("WNY") native will tell you that most of that reported activity actually occurs south of the metro area), Buffalo and WNY also has a great reputation for great weather with lots of sunshine and mild temperatures throughout the rest of the year. This translates to good walking weather.
 
So, leash in hand, my husband and I have begun exploring our new 'hood, one step at a time. Fortunately, our lab mix has always loved to walk and is always game to go on an adventure. 
 
In the mornings, we typically head north down the broad street in front of our house. Walking in this neighborhood provides much to look at. Beautiful Victorian mansions feature well-planned gardens showcasing flowers in constant bloom, unique greenery, and whimsical sculpture. Tiny cottages get into the game with showy postage-stamp front yards and secret garden sanctuaries.
 
We turn the corner and head into the heart of the commercial district for the Village. Even here, carefully manicured border gardens line the parking lots. People stop to say hello and pat J's head before continuing on their way. 
 
With so much to see, it's easy to spend an hour simply walking around. We are certainly not speed-walking, but we are getting in a good leg stretch before breakfast. My pedometer measures an average of nearly 5,000 steps just for the morning jaunt, so with a minimum of 2 walks in a day, getting those 10,000 steps in is a pleasurable breeze.
Juno, exploring her new environs
 
We are looking forward to exploring more of our neighborhood and our new city with our canine companion and as we do, I'll share more of our discoveries.
 

Where do your PawsGo?  Share your neighborhood walk with us!  Send us a tweet or a message through Facebook!


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 with her husband and lab mix, Juno. Her new blog can be found at http://nickelcityboomerang.blogspot.com/.