And what am I? Chopped Liver?

After a successful day at the Farmer's Market, Quest and I came home with some nice raw bones for him and a package of liver. I have never touched the stuff and thanks to an influential episode of Nickelodeon's Doug. However, I bit the bullet because it seemed like a cost effective way to get some healthy, clean, high-value treats for when we start our agility class next week.

I was able to buy all of this organic/grass-fed beef liver for only $4, which is what the same booth was charging for their 1 oz bags of already dehydrated liver treats.

 

The first step is to cut the liver slices to the appropriate size. They will shrink, but not too much. Depending on your meat, you may want to flatten it to save on drying time.

 

Next, you want to arrange them on a cookie sheet. I lined mine with parchment paper to save on mess. I had enough liver for two cookie sheets.

Now, I don't have a fancy dehydrator so I made my treats using just a regular oven. The oven was set at 175 degrees. When all was said and done, this batch of treats probably spent about 5 hours in the oven. They probably would have been fine at 2 1/2-3 hours, but I wanted a little bit more of a jerky texture.

When they come out of the oven, flip them over to allow some of the moisture that accumulated to dry. You could even pop them upside-down back into the oven to finish them off.

 

Quest Approves:



Sun, Surf, and Sand!

We got back from our family Beach Camping trip last night. We had a great time! Quest enjoyed his first beach trip. He loved playing in the sand and tidepools. He wasn't crazy for the waves, but enjoyed chasing the foam.

 

 

 

 

 

DIY Dog Stuff is Hitting the Beach!

Next weekend, we'll be headed to the beach. In my research of trying to make our beach camping trip go as smoothly as possible, I came up with a few things to ensure your pooch enjoys paradise.

 

 

• Fresh Water. No one likes a mouthful of salty ocean water. Make sure both you and your pup stay hydrated by bringing fresh water.

          *Please Note: Too much salt water can cause vomiting and diarrhea.*

• You know that feeling of dread when you left your flip flops by your towel and you have a couple hundred feet of scorching sand to get across? Your dog feels the burn the same way. Try to limit his walking on the dry sand during the hottest part of the day. Remember to lay out a towel as well.

• Find out if the beach you’re doing to allows off-leash dogs. If so, be prepared for “visitors.” If the beach is off-leash approved and you want to partake, make sure your dog has a reliable recall. If dogs are required to be on leash, follow the rules (required length included).

• Pick up after your dog. The mom down the beach doesn’t want her little Johnny building a poo castle! Plus, it’s just gross. If by chance your dog has been sneaking sips of the salt water, you may want to bring a shovel. Just because he got the runs, doesn’t mean you get to leave it.

• We already mentioned clean water to drink, but make sure you are able to rinse off your dog. The salt water is rough on their hair (and our hair too!), plus it can cause some skin irritation. Rinse their hair, collars, leads, etc.

• Fetch in the ocean? If your dog loves fetch, try bringing a floating toy with you. Just make sure it isn’t one you mind losing! Fetch is a whole different game when waves are involved.

• Sun and Sand? How about some SHADE! If possible try to find a shady spot. If there aren’t any, make your own. You can use an umbrella or one of the shade tents. We’ll be bringing Quest’s pop-up crate. It has large mesh “windows” for ventilation and is easy to pack. I mentioned getting Quest his own little shade tent, but the husband quickly vetoed that plan.

• Also, along with the Sun comes Sunburn. If you have a light colored dog, a dog with a pink nose or upright ears, or even a hairless. Please look into dog-safe sunscreen. Remember, Zinc is toxic to dogs! Those of the hairless variety may also want to look into a t-shirt.

Quest has only been in rivers and lakes...this will be interesting!

• This will be Quest’s first time in the ocean (he’s spent time at the lake before), so he’ll be wearing his harness and remain on a long-line in case we have to fish him out of the big drink. As for our dogs with short legs, snort muzzles, or those that just can’t swim very well, there are many options out there for doggy lifejackets. Not every dog swims like a fish!

Once we get back, I'll put up some pictures of Quest kickin' it on the beach.

In the meantime, what are your tips for a fun (and safe) beach getaway with the pups?

 

 

A little less crafting...

Well, there hasn't been a new post for the past couple weeks. I haven't been doing any real "doggy" crafts lately. Though, I have been sewing up a couple dresses for myself.

Instead, this will be a "Kudos" to Kyjen and Outward Hound. They have the most awesome customer service staff and are an excellent company to work with.

A little less than a year ago, I bought Quest a backpack for him to wear while we go camping and hiking. We loved not having to carry everything and he loved having a job to focus on while hiking.


Baby Quest on his first camping trip

We all had a great time! We climbed some rocks and made it to the top of the mountain. Quest was only about 8 months old at the time, so he was pretty tired once we reached the top.

Back to why Kyjen and Outward Hound are so awesome. We went on another camping trip, day hikes, and maybe the farmer's market a couple times, when the seams on his awesome pack began to unravel. This didn't seem normal after less than a year of moderate use, so I contacted the company directly and gave them the information. Even though our backpack was well past the 30 day guarantee, they agreed that the pack shouldn't be unraveling. They sent us a free replacement backpack, with free shipping, and it arrived in about a week. We have our next camping trip scheduled for next weekend, so we couldn't be happier. Thanks Kyjen and Outward Hound!

Quest taking the new backpack on a test run

Just a little flirting...

There's really no harm in flirting. In fact, in my opinion it is one of the best things you can do for your relationship....with your dog.

I'm not talking about whispering sweet nothings in his ear or batting your eyelashes. I'm talking about making your own flirt pole! There are times when all you want to do is relax with a book and a glass of wine and all Sparky wants to do is play, play, play. You look longingly at the sofa and fuzzy blanket, but you know as soon as you get comfortable, you will be stared at from across the room by big puppy eyes pleading with you to show them affection and maybe spend a few minutes wrestling on the floor.

Do you have a dog where even if you spend two hours walking, they still come home and run laps around the couch? Thirty minutes with a flirt pole has been compared by some to that two hour walk.

By now you are probably wondering what a flirt pole is, besides apparently a magic wand. A flirt pole is basically a giant cat toy for dogs. It's a simple pole and toy connected by a thin rope. You can make one yourself, which is what we did at DIY Dog Stuff, or you can purchase one. Our original was made from a spare curtain rod, rope, and a stuffing-free dog toy. Recently, we upgraded to a lunge whip for horses with a stuffing-free toy at the end.

 

Many dogs love to leap into the air to catch their "prey." Quest would rather it drag around the ground really fast and he'll try to scoop it up. Once it's caught, he'll shake it until you can almost hear his eyeball rattle in his head.

 

By the way, if you ever want to get pictures of your furkids playing with their flirt poles, it might be best to have a second person around to use the camera. Fast dogs + flirt poles + cameras in one hand = blurry pictures.

Weights for Agility Tunnel

My wonderful husband embraced my love for our furchild and training and bought me an agility set for Christmas. I honestly think it's the best present he has ever gotten me! It had the basics: a bar jump, tire jump, weave poles, pause box, and a short tunnel (with removable chute). The tunnel came with stakes to put in the ground for outdoor practice, but this winter was also a winter with tons of rain. I was anxious to start practicing and teaching Quest the basics.

I quickly realized that the tunnel would need to be weighed down for safety. I went through my fabric scraps and pantry can came up with a plan to make some small weights.

 

 

They're simple to make. Just cut squares, put the wrong-sides together, and sew three of the sides. Then, turn the pouches right-side out and fill with rice/beans/sand. I put the rice in baggies first, so if I ever took them outside, I wouldn't have to worry about ground moisture leaking in. I took a small section of bias tape and folded it in half and placed it about halfway down the top of the weight (green tab in picture) for the line to attach to and sewed across the top.

These do not weigh very much, but for indoor/light use (ex. recalls through the tunnel) they keep a short tunnel fairly stable. If your dog is going to be running at high speeds through the tunnel - please increase the weight for everyones safety. This can be done by using water filled milk jugs.

Pumpkin Kong "Icing"

 

As mentioned at the end of Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Treats, here is what to do with the remainder of your can of pumpkin.

The rest of your canned pumpkin makes excellent filler for Kongs (both frozen and regular). It's a pretty general recipe and you can create many variations of based on what you have on hand (and in my case, what is about to expire that you don't want to waste).

In this recipe, I used:
1/2 Can Pumpkin
Glob of Peanut Butter
Glob of Plain Yogurt

"Glob" is a term to describe "add until the consistency looks right." Again, this is a very vague recipe.

I have also added some leftover apple sauce that was taking up space in the fridge. This made it a little more runny than I would like. This can be balanced out by other ingredients.

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend together.

You know how difficult it is to fill a Kong spoonful by spoonful? Well, I decided to pour the entire mixture into a baggie and attach an icing tip! Nice and easy Kong creating! Plus, it gets deep into those crevices to extend your Quiet Time. "Quite Time" the rarely experienced time of day free from toys and noses being thrust into your face, lap, food, etc.

 

When filling your Kong, the "icing" makes excellent glue to hold all the other goodies together, as well as, closing off the top of the Kong. Also, if you're looking for a way to stop your Kongs from rolling all over the freezer while they turn into lovely Kongsicles, a small box (trimmed to size) holds the Kongs in place.

Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator. I just stuck another baggie over the tip and secured with a rubber band.

Enjoy!