WebTalk Radio (The DogTime Show) did an interview with me last week, and it was aired yesterday. I talk about getting started in agility training, and some basic principles that everyone should know. You can listen to the podcast here:
Tags: Affordable Agility News
Agility dogs are ideally lean, mean jumping machines, but a lot of times people get into the sport with an overweight dog to help them lose weight. Overweight dogs need to be especially careful in agility, since the extra pounds can cause extra stress on joints. While agility IS great exercise and great fun, think of it as a sport- you don’t just ‘start jogging’. You start out walking, jogging, walking, jogging, and so on, until you can jog those ten miles easily! Do the same for your dog. Do regular exercise in addition to his agility training so his agility will benefit. Take the agility a little slow to start, too. A conditioning ladder or set of cavallettis are great for conditioning and getting your dog moving! Maybe walk your dog for a bit, play a game of tug, do some agility, walk to cool down, and then belly rub as a reward for doing SO WELL! Just try to motivate all the exercising and training without (or with fewer) treats for a bit, hey?
Speaking on this subject… What do you all think about doggie treadmills? Affordable Agility is looking into carrying them. Would you buy one? Do you like the idea or no? We would love to get your opinion! Click on comments (or see down below) and share your two cents!
Tags: simply funny
We all want to share the good things in life with our dogs- and Thanksgiving is a good thing. I have a friend who works at a local veterinarians’ office, and yesterday we were discussing Black Friday plans (SALES! we’ve got one, too, check it out here) and she said that she was working. I was surprised- I figured no one would be planning a vets’ visit the day after thanksgiving and the office would be closed! Turns out, most of the appointments won’t be planned. They’ll be dogs who’ve been given bones and cut their mouths or got it caught (intestinal problems could take a few days to show up), or overfed and are vomiting, or in one case, ate the foil that covered the turkey during baking. She says its’ one of the busiest days of the year for her (along with after Easter). Please, don’t overfeed your dog, or give him things that could hurt him, like bones or too much gravy. Spending the day after such a nice holiday at the vets’ with your dog miserable beside you will completely ruin the holiday.
But since good things are meant to be shared, here are some ideas for safely treating your buddy this Thanksgiving!
After Dinner Delight
Ingredients:
Leftover turkey
potatoes
squash
cranberry sauce
any other vegetables
Directions:
Mix together all of the above, and drizzle lightly with a tablespoon or two of gravy. Don’t give your dog more than one serving (approximately how much he’d eat anyway). Make certain there are no bones in the meat. Remember, while hot food tastes great to humans, dogs’ aren’t used to it. Let his food cool thoroughly.
Bark-Va-Lous Dish
1/2 lb. shredded turkey (use a fork to make it stringy, or use a blender)
1 1/2 T. vegetable oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 C. uncooked white rice
1 C. peeled and sliced cooked sweet potato
1 C. diced cooked green beans
1 carrot, diced
Brown the ground chicken in a pan with 1 tablespoon oil and the garlic. Drain. Steam the rice according to instructions on the package.
Saute the sweet potato, green beans and carrots in 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Combine the chicken, garlic, cooked rice, sweet potato, green beans and carrots; mix thoroughly. Serve when cooled.
Tags: dog safety & health
Thanksgiving is not just for people. Some of the bounty filling your plate this holiday is good for your dog too, says a growing contingent of nutrition-oriented veterinarians. Turkey, green beans, pumpkin, carrots–it’s all protein and fiber your dog thrives on.
Check out yummy dog Thanksgiving recipes here!
“Dogs’ nutritional needs are fairly similar to people’s,” says Jean Hofve, a recently retired holistic vet from Denver. “If you’re eating well-balanced, healthy, unprocessed food, your dog’s plate should look a lot like yours.”
People have been feeding table scraps to dogs since the first canine began hanging around the village campfire. But sharing food with your dog hasn’t been as popular since–until a recent recall of more than 60 million cans of pet food.
The incident prompted many people to rethink their dog’s diet and look for sources they could trust. In the weeks following the recall a dog food cookbook made it to the top 10 bestseller list for the first time ever, and one pet recipe website, BalanceIt.com, estimates their sales quadrupled.
“People want better, fresher food for their pets, and they’re making it themselves,” says Grant Nixon, a British Columbia veterinarian and co-author of Better Food for Dogs, who estimates that five to ten percent of his clients started cooking for their pets during the recall.
Not Necessarily Comfort Food
Being able to trust what goes into your pet’s food is appealing. But before you scrape your plate of food into your dog’s bowl, consider this: a sudden switch from kibble to people food can make your dog very sick.
“Every Thanksgiving, we usually see five or six dogs come in with vomiting or diarrhea,” says Grant Nixon. “If you ate nothing but bread and water and then someone gave you a steak, it’d upset your stomach, too.” Nixon advises easing your dog into a home cooked regimen slowly.
A bigger challenge to regularly serving your dog home-cooked fare is making sure it includes the right nutritional balance. Buying commercial food is not only convenient, most brands are formulated to give your dog appropriate amounts of protein, fat, fiber, and other nutrients with each meal.
Worth The Trouble?
Depending on who you ask, cooking for your dog either requires a degree in veterinary nutrition, or some healthy ingredients and a little common sense. Both Nixon and Hofve agree that, once you’ve figured out the right proportions and amounts, it’s not rocket science. “It’s kind of like cooking for another child,” says Nixon.
Experts advise basing meals around meat, with the rest split between vegetables and whole grains. Your vet or a veterinary nutritionist can offer further guidance, especially since a dog’s exact nutritional needs varies with age, size, breed, activity level, and special needs, such as allergies.
Is it worth the extra effort? For people uneasy about what goes into kibble and cans, the answer is yes. For others, a high-quality store brand with human-grade ingredients gives them peace of mind.
Or there’s the middle-of-the-road solution: high-quality dry food supplemented with a little meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, cheese, or whole grains from their own plates. And on Thanksgiving day, a nice slice of turkey.
By Dogtime.com Get more information at http://AnimalRadio.com
Tags: dog products, dog safety & health
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