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