NEWS
The Most Dangerous Place at Your Dog Park
Robin Bennett offers some great tips to help you and your pet be safe at the dog park. Read her blog in its entirety HERE, below find an excerpt.
“The gate represents freedom, playtime, fun, and adventure….an entryway to all things good to a dog. But the gate also represents a mob scene of uncontrolled activity. Like amped up hockey fans who start out cheering and quickly end up throwing punches, dogs enter a dog park amidst the amped up energy of other dogs who want a piece of the action. The scene at the gate can quickly change from a congenial receiving line to an out of control riot.
Take these three simple steps to enter the dog park without the risk of a fight breaking out.
- Go for a walk first. When you arrive at the dog park, take your dog on a short 2-3 minute walk near the entrance of the park. Stay far enough from the fence that your dog doesn’t interact with the other dogs, but close enough that he can see what is going on. This gives all the dogs at the park time to adjust to the new dog in the area.
- Reward Calm Behavior. When you get to the gate, keep your dog on leash until he settles down. Remember that dogs will repeat any behavior that gets rewarded. If your dog is bouncing up and down like a lunatic and then you open the gate to let him into the park, you have just rewarded the bouncy behavior. Instead, wait until your dog is calm before letting him in the park. This might take 3-5 minutes the first time you try it, but your dog will learn the sooner he is calm, the sooner he can go in.
- Wait for Other Dogs to Leave the Gate. Don’t open the gate until most of the dogs inside the park have moved away from it. If you are boring and your dog is calm, the other dogs in the park will tire of waiting for you and will move on to other things. Use this to your advantage and wait them out. The fewer dogs at the gate when you enter, the less likely a fight will occur.”
source: http://www.robinkbennett.com/2014/01/27/the-most-dangerous-place-at-your-dog-park/
Don’t forget the Dog Park isn’t fun for ALL dogs. Please be respectful to your dog and other dogs at the Dog Park.
International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
Brit + Co. has put together 12 of their favorite Recipes for Homemade Dog Treats. On this Appreciation Day here they are and don’t forget to share your dogs favorite!
Source: http://www.brit.co/homemade-dog-treats/
Pet Stains?
What is your favorite Pet Stain remover?? There are a slue of them on the market from organic to chemical. Share your favorite, here is one we have used with good results.
HOW TO GET RID OF PET STAINS ON CARPET
Source: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/01/how-to-get-rid-of-pet-stains-from-carpet.html
Recipe: Healthy Fish & Sweet Potato Bake
This recipe can be made with virtually any sort of fish. Fish is a good choice for dogs and cats with skin sensitivities that flare up with more common meats like chicken or lamb.
Ingredients
4 fillets white fish such as cod or haddock
1 small sweet potato, cut into 1 inch cubes (use only half the quantity, cut into ¼ inch pieces, if serving to cats)
8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (canola or other oil may be substituted)
2 heads fresh fennel, chopped, tough parts removed (use one head only and chop very finely if serving to cats)
(Optional for dogs) 2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
What to do
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the sweet potato cubes in a pan of water and boil gently for about 12 minutes until tender.
Place the pieces of fish in a 1 inch deep baking pan.
Drain the sweet potatoes and carefully arrange the cubes around the fish.
Next, add the sliced fennel, scattering it evenly around the sweet potato and fish pieces.
Add the olive oil liberally and then sprinkle on the crushed garlic.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 35 minutes.
Allow to cool sufficiently before serving.
Your pet’s portion may be served alone as an occasional meal replacement, or fed in small portions along with his usual fare.
Source: http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/recipes/healthy-fish-sweet-potato-bake/
These 20 essential facts all dog lovers must always keep in mind were written by DogHeirs
These 20 essential facts all dog lovers must always keep in mind were written by DogHeirs. These life lessons are sometimes easy to forget in our hectic lives, but when you remember that you are your dog’s whole world, these 20 truths are unforgettable. Click here to see them
Thursday Throwback
Send your pictures of your dog for Thursday Throwback. Send the photos to kelsey@fwcdp.org
Send your pictures of your dog for Thursday Throwback.
Send the photos to kelsey@fwcdp.org
