I’ll preface this post by saying I am a dedicated Android user.  Slightly Google-dependent, all of us here at Leaps N’ Hounds depend on these phones to keep us organized and in touch.  However, a friend and dedicated iPhone user sent me this iPhone dog apps list, and instantly I realized I was missing something very important from my phone: dog apps!

Instantly I rushed to the Android Apps site to find all the cool pet apps that they offer, fully expecting them to rival iPhone’s excellent selection, yet only to find out that Android has totally missed the boat on this one.   In fact, there isn’t even a “Pet” category – Just a stinkin’ “Lifestyle” category that contains one virtually useless dog whistle app.

Usagi says: "Get with the program, Android!"

C’mon Droid developers!  Don’t you have pets?

Just because I bought the practical app phone that will still function even after being dropped on the concrete a million times, in a cup of tea, and once in directly into a pile of dog poo; that doesn’t mean I don’t deserve the cool app that tells me when my dog’s shots are due, where the nearest dog park is, and how to find the closest vet.

Then there’s DogiDuty: A pet sitting app that sends reports directly to the client after each visit.  How cool is that?  We keep an active journal for all of our clients and send email updates regularly, but this is just awesome!

So I’m not ditching my trusty (and tough) Android phone just yet.  But I was thinking… maybe I need that iPad after all.

P.S.  I disinfected my phone after the poo incident very thoroughly- in case you were worried.

And if I am missing a cool android dog app, please feel free to share.

~Crystal

This is an edited re-post of an older article taken from the LnH Newsletter – March 2009

We all know that belly rubs are great and that one spot you scratch, you know the one that summons the ticklish back leg kick? Yeah, that’s the spot! But the luckiest dogs will tell you that, aside from the great belly scratches they receive on a regular basis, their lives also include lots and lots of games that keep their minds sharp and their bodies busy!

Jack will do anything for that ball - even if it means the hard work of sitting still for a photo.

Games help build confidence, spend excess energy, teach self control, increase focus, and create a sense of stability and comfort in the home. Games can also decrease destructive urges by giving a more constructive outlet for releasing pent-up energy.  This is called harnessing drive – or channeling a dog’s natural urges to chase, catch, and retrieve into more constructive things than say: killing the squirrels or chasing the neighbor’s car.  Games can give your dog a sense of purpose, a challenge, and a job to do. All of these factors contribute to your dog’s overall well being and, best of all, build a stronger bond of trust and respect with you!

There are good ways and bad ways to play with your dog. If your dog loves to steal your underpants and run away while you chase them around the house, you’ve experienced some of the undesirable side effects of the chase game first hand. If they are failing to see the difference between your hands and chew toys, you may be inadvertently encouraging mouthing by wresting and playing too rough with your pooch. Playing with your pup should build good behavior, not bad habits.

A good game for a dog should engage their mind first. There should be clear rules outlined for them during this game using training cues that they have been taught in advance. For example, Fetch can be played using cues like Sit, Stay, Fetch, Come, and Drop it. If you find a game that you think your dog will love, make sure you prepare them ahead of time by teaching them any new cues that they may need to understand the game first. Then teach the game one step at a time. Every dog is different, and may respond to one game more than another. If your dog isn’t having fun with a game, don’t be afraid to make it easier or try something new.

Here are a few great games to try:

Hide n’ Seek (Intro to Coming When Called and Distance Stays)

Place your dog in a Sit or Down/ Stay. Walk a few feet away and call them to you in a very excited and fun tone. Reward when they come to you. Repeat the process, each time increasing your distance from the dog until you can go out of sight. Keep it simple at first, then slowly increase the difficulty level in finding you. Hide behind doors, in closets, and even outside (in a fenced area) to create a real challenge!  If your dog’s stay isn’t quite strong enough to play this game by himself, have someone hold them by leash and show your dog the reward you’ll have waiting for them when they come find you.  When you call, your helper drops the leash and your dogs scampers to find you.

Treasure Hunt (Intro to Impulse Control and Focus)

Put your dog in a down or sit stay and place a treat, toy, or something of moderate interest within sight. Wait a moment before releasing her to get the toy, encouraging her to go to the reward and eat it or play with it however she wants. Use a cue for this coupled with your release word.  If you say “OK” to release, then say something like “OK – Get it!”  in an excited tone.  If you act like you really love the game, your dog will pick up on your tone and be equally excited.  So if your dog isn’t extremely interested in the game to start, increase your energy and excitement to show them how fun it is.  Repeat this, varying where you place the reward and slowly increasing the value of the reward.  Start “hiding” the reward where the dog can’t see it, but where she can watch you place it and easily find it and retrieve it if she wants (behind a piece of furniture, for example). Release her to get the reward and guide her if she becomes confused. Next, hide the treat further away, then in another room, gradually increasing difficulty.  You can increase the distance and difficulty in finding the treasure as your dog gets better at the game. This is especially good for dogs that have begun to learn “stay” but are nervous about having their people go out of sight.  It is also a fantastic focus game to lengthen a puppy’s typically short attention span.

Clean Up

Get a box or bucket and collect a number of toys and other dog-safe items that you would like to teach your dog to recognize and clean up.   Scatter the toys in a small pile on the floor. Through shaping, get the dog to pick up the items one at a time and place them in your hand while giving the cue: “Clean Up.”  It helps if your dog already understands the concept of “Take it” and “Drop it” allowing you to start with these already familiar cues and work in the new “Clean Up” cue slowly.   Be sure to reward each “gift” with praise or treats (I’ve found exchanging one toy for another to be the easiest way to train this as treats distract most dogs from the game to start.)  While maintaining the fun of this “return for refund” game, move further and further from your dog adding distance to their retrieve.  Then introduce the toy bin and place each toy retrieved in the bin.  Lastly hold your hands over the bin and as soon as your dog drops the toy, move your hands allowing it to fall directly into the bin.  Praise heavily for this and get noticeably excited.  Repeat until your dog will place the toy directly into the bin without your hands present, then slowly move away from the bin each round adding more and more distance.  Your dog will likely lose interest in the early stages of teaching this game at first and that is fine.  Simply end the game on a high note and try again later.  This one can take a while to master and requires a lot of practice.

Tug (Confidence and Impulse Control During Heightened Excitement – Introducing the On/Off Switch)

The secret to playing this game successfully is for you, the human, to control it. For this game, choose one particular toy that will be used as your tug toy. Don’t use a bone, a leash, or anything that smells too much like you (like a sock) unless you are ok with all of your socks and undergarments becoming toys.  A good tug toy is long enough to avoid contact between a dog’s mouth and your hands, is sturdy, and is of interest to your dog.  This toy is special and unique for your dog, so it will be kept in a safe spot away from your pet until it is time to play.

You start the game by taking the toy out of it’s safe spot and encouraging your dog to mouth it with a cue like “Tug” or “Get it.” Some dogs will refuse to do this with you, especially if they’ve been punished for tugging in the past. If your dog is food motivated, try rubbing the toy with something tasty and smelly at first like a little peanut butter. However, tugging is instinctive for dogs (it’s a cooperative act in pack feeding) so your dog should catch on quickly. Tug a few times, then tell your dog “drop it” or “release.” Use a cheerful but clear tone. You can reward him for dropping it with either a treat, a different toy that he gets to play with for a minute, or another round of tug. Occasionally let your dog win by releasing the toy from your grip while saying “OK.” If your dog is the shy or timid type they should be allowed to win more often.   A more confident dog that who struggles with authority needs to win less often than you.

Remember Four on the Floor at all times – no jumping, leaping, or scratching allowed.  Angle your toy low to the ground so you don’t inadvertently encourage jumping behavior.  Any time your dog leaps or jumps, release your grip and turn your back stiffly to let your dog know you absolutely do not like and will not play with this behavior.   Make sure that you end the game if your dog gets too rough or agitated. Simply ask for a “drop it”, praise for it, and always put the toy away when you are done playing.

It takes two to tug!  If the dog refuses to let go, you let go of your end and walk away.  Wait until the energy has diminished a little and distract your dog with another toy so you can put the tug toy away.  The game always plays by your rules and begins and ends when you say it does.  It won’t take long for your dog to learn this and master the ability to turn off their excitement just as quickly as they can turn it on.

Fetch with Obedience (Impulse Control – Channeling Chase Instincts)

If your dog already retrieves the ball (or at least runs after it), have them sit and stay while you throw the ball. Attach a leash at first to make sure they stay when you ask them to. Then release them to “Fetch!” Reward the return of the ball with a chest scratch or a treat if needed. Build on the length of time that you ask them to stay slowly. This is an extremely good impulse control exercise for those dogs who just can’t wait to go get that ball!  For dogs who struggle with chasing things that they shouldn’t, work on this game to teach a similar attachment to the toy instead.  This can be used later in training to remove attention and focus from chasing bad things like cars, channeling that instinct into the ball (or fetch toy) instead.  For pro fetchers with great focus, increase difficulty by adding down and tricks before releasing to “Fetch!”

Other fun games to check out

Catch (with frisbee, ball, toys)

Racing (running to touch a target – dog must know “touch” on command)

Play & Freeze (incorporates games like Tug & Racing to build excitement, then challenges the dog to stop or “freeze” suddenly before play begins again)

Agility: formal or basic with hoop jumping, hurdles, and other props. You can even make your own props! (High impact and large jumps should only be done by dogs 12+ months of age.)

Tricks: If your dog loves to perform and has a knack for picking up the details, the possibilities are endless!*If you have more than one dog, it is equally important to spend quality time alone with each dog. Don’t hesitate to separate your dogs and play with one at a time, especially when playing a game or teaching them something new. Each of your lucky dogs will thank you for it.

For more in-depth rules and directions on teaching these games, check out books like 50 Games to Play with Your Dog and 101 Dog Tricks.

We’ve been getting this question a lot lately, so we thought we’d share some tips.

If your cat is (or was) potty trained to go in a box or outside, but has recently begun urinating or defecating elsewhere, you can bet there’s more reason to it than simply forgetting how to use the box.

Our cat, Titus, gets moody and destructive if he doesn't get his daily nap in the sunlight.

Unlike the dog who may eat the couch, cats are subtle creatures when they are unhappy.  The signs they give to show it often go undetected for long periods.  They may shed more, gain weight, lose weight, stop playing, become destructive, over-groom and produce more hairballs, or under-groom and let their fur become matted, dull and dirty feeling.  These signs are often missed all together or dismissed as aging.  Meanwhile the cat falls deeper and deeper into depression and searches for new ways to show it.

Then there’s the breaking point for both cats and humans, which is usually when the random urinating and defecating begins.  First, trust that your cat prefers the box to the floor on any day – it is more natural to them.  So if your cat starts urinating or spraying on the walls, something is not only very wrong, but it is likely that your kitty is pulling out all the stops to tell you.  This is a cat’s ultimate cry for help, and they’ll find whatever corner, closet, or pillow they can to waive their stinky yellow flag of surrender.

Why do they do it?

What else could they do?  They can’t talk otherwise they’d tell you things aren’t right.  So naturally, they use the only tools they have: their waste.

Your cat’s problem could be medical, behavioral, or both.  While we recommend always checking with your vet to eliminate any medical issues with your pet first, never underestimate the power stress has on an animal’s health.  Stress and medical issues often go hand in hand, so consider your pet’s mental well being too and avoid repeat trips to the vet to treat the same stress produced problems.

Lots of things can cause depression, stress, or general unhappiness in cats, but it usually boils down to one culprit:  Change.

Most cats become very comfortable in their daily routines, especially when they are solely indoor pets.  Their world is a small one and therefore very easily disrupted.  Move a piece of furniture, remodel a room, move the cat box, adopt a new pet, or have guests come stay for a weekend; and you might get a stinky surprise out of your previously potty trained friend.

Finding the cause of the the problem can often be a difficult question to answer since cats are known and loved for their mysterious nature.  The good news is resolving a problem with a cat is usually more about accommodating them.   For example:  You can’t help it when you have visitors that smell funny to your cat, but you can make sure your cat has a safe zone when they feel imposed upon.

Regardless of the mysterious (or not so mysterious) changes that may have sent your cat down the path of ammonia-scented destruction,  focus on the good news:  Happiness will prevail and your cat can learn to cope.

What makes a cat happy anyway?

Aside from constant worship?  Lots of things!

1.) Healthy Diet and Clean Water

-Good food makes happy, healthy pets.   It is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do for your animal.  Chemicals effect behavior and health, so if you are buying cheap grocery brand food for your cat, spend a little more to change to a premium food and save yourself some money on vet bills in the long run.  You’ll also spare your cat a painful and early death in the process.  Introduce the new food slowly, mixing it in with the old over the course of a few weeks until the bad stuff is phased out.  Also, clean their dishes daily,  especially the water dish.  Cats need fresh clean water and will shun a dirty dish no matter how new the water is.

2.) A Sanitary Low-Dust Cat Box

-If you had to wade through sewage every time you went to the bathroom, you’d pee in the corner too.  Scoop the box, use a good litter that doesn’t produce a lot of urinary tract-upsetting dust, and provide more than one cat box (especially if you have more than one cat or a large home).  Change out the litter entirely once a week.  We don’t care what those litter makers say: nothing stays fresh for a month after being peed on every day, not even the super expensive stuff.

3.) Exercise and Mental Stimulation

-Cats are gifted and natural hunters.  If your cat stays inside all day, life can lose purpose pretty fast.  Set time aside every morning and evening to play a little.  Get out the string, the mousie, or the little milk carton tab that they love to bat around and get them running.  There are also some great games and challenges you can give your cat to awaken the tiger within.  Check out books like 50 Games to Play with Your Cat. From food games to teaching them tricks, your cat may be more gifted than you think.

4.) The Safety Zone

Photo credit: Can Has Cheezburger

-If you have multiple pets or lots of family like we do, you may find the need to give your cat their own space.  They need a spot to feel safe and sleep during the day, especially if your home is prone to hectic activity and lots of visitors.  This spot is safe from everyone: kids, dogs, noise, etc.  It should be dark so they can sleep and covered to give a sense of security.   Cats are famously simple creatures who often prefer cardboard boxes and paper bags to fancy store-bought beds.  Experiment a little and see what they like.  We covered a cardboard box in cute material once for one of our cats who would sleep in nothing else.

5.) The Importance of Tanning

-Sunlight is a natural anti-depressant, and something our cats need despite their nocturnal nature.  Therefore every cat needs a peaceful spot in the sun where they can nap and work on that summer tan.  Many kitties will bath in the sun for hours, allowing their fur to heat to almost untouchable temperatures.  Seems crazy to us, but then again they probably think the same of us every time we dip ourselves into that giant tub of water.

6.) The Power of Cardboard and Catnip

-We’ve known a lot of cats, and almost none of them could resist this silly thing.  Admittedly it is ugly, so if you don’t want it hanging around your cat’s living space, try other scratching options instead.  Just know that even declawed cats need something to stretch their paws on and spread their scent.

The only thing that makes the Cardboard Cat Scratcher more attractive to a cat is cat nip.  While we like giving our cats the fresh and dried stuff, we found the spray a while back and use it all the time to attract our cats to certain areas.  Wherever we spray it, that is where they want to lay and roll about until they eventually pass out from cat nip bliss.  Meanwhile they are not laying all over our burgundy couches because those no longer smell nearly as appealing as that cat bed covered in nip. 

7.) Training

-We don’t mean teaching them to sit and roll over (although that is possible), but more importantly:  how to coexist with us as a happy cat.   The most important tool for training a cat is redirection.  Scratch here not on my couch, potty here not in my plant, and repeat.  Focus less on stopping a behavior and more on redirecting it so your cat knows where to do the things that come naturally to them.

8.) Socialization

-If your cat spends their entire life inside with the same people, animals, and things, it is safe to bet that they will be very sensitive to anything new.  Expose them to new people, other nice cats and nice dogs, and desensitize them to change while they are young.  It seems so simple, but it will impact your cat’s personality more than any other thing you do for them.

While no pet comes with an emotionally sound guarantee, doing these things for your cat will help you raise a confident and happy family member that can adapt to change gracefully – avoiding those smelly kitty blues all together!

Still have questions?  Just ask us: crystal@leapsnhounds.com

Do you love long walks on the lake, cuddling by the fire, a good sense of humor, eating tasty food, and belly rubs?  Well, ok – giving belly rubs.  If you said yes, then this guy might your perfect match!

Playful yet gentle and not afraid of anyone.

Our handsome friend here was found wandering a neighborhood street in Houston and looking pretty hungry.  No tags, no microchip, and no home in sight, he has yet to be claimed and needs a good home as soon as possible.

Adorable baby girl pictured for size comparison only. Dog for adoption - not baby.

He is fairly young (probably just under a year or so) and surprisingly small at about 40-45lbs.  Our guess is Shepherd mixed with a much smaller breed.   He is currently

in The Woodlands (North Houston), but could easily be brought to Austin for the right family.

So far he has been busy stealing the hearts of everyone who meets him.  He is very outgoing with a really fun personality,  politely playing and romping around with anyone willing (dog or human) with a nice sense of respect for boundaries.

If you’re looking for a fun young canine friend to have some adventures with – This guy is right up your alley!

The Woodlands Dog Park Association (TWDPA) has kindly provided a FREE neuter and he will be completely vetted with shots and a check up.   Donations for his adoption/neuter can be made to TWDPA.

His new family must be willing to give him a warm, happy, and safe home where he sleeps indoors, is never left outside for long hot days, and is kept current on vet care.  He also will need lots of play and exercise – he loves companionship.

Free obedience classes have been arranged in The Woodlands for him or…

If he is adopted in Austin, Leaps n’ Hounds will give his new family 2 free in-home training sessions to get him started in the right direction.

Please spread the word to friends, co-workers and family so we can get this guy out of limbo and into the good home he deserves.

Just look at that sweet face. It's hard to believe that dogs this charming are left to wander the streets homeless, but that is exactly where this guy was found.

For More Details Contact:

Crystal at 512-814-7297 / crystal@leapsnhounds.com

or  Snuggles & Hugs Petcare in Houston at: 936.443.3215  / nancy@snugglesandhugspetcare.com

Here in the next month or so we are finally going to start selling some of the great things we’ve been creating for our pets and clients.  From natural deodorizing sprays and powders, to potty bells and treats – we’ve been a busy crew!  But we’ll post more on that later.

We decided we better take some fun pictures of our furry staff of models and testers if we are going to make labels that are worthy of their hard work.   I’m not sure if we will use this set of photos or take more to create the label, but it sure was fun getting these shots this morning.

Looking especially cool in this shot, Mo makes those glasses work!

Mo was especially patient donning these cool shades to match his Shoo Bug! Scented Bandanna.  Shot after shot, he posed and held for me as I caught all of his handsome angles.

Then Usagi got in on the action.  We could not locate sunglasses small enough to fit her tiny head, but we suspect they wouldn’t have stayed on long anyway.

Lyla also deserves full credit for her best Blues Brother impersonation.  And again, Usagi invited herself into the photo.  Not that we mind.

This miracle shot is a framer for sure.  We’re pretty proud of this one since it required 2 dogs balancing sunglasses on their faces, a hyperactive Jack sitting still, and a Chihuahua to sit (while she knew there were some treat crumbs on the ground right near her, which explains that look on her face), and all of them simultaneously looking at the camera.  Amazing.  The stars must have been aligned just right this morning!  What a crew. 

It’s a gross scene, but an all too common one in many homes:

You’ve just gotten home from a long day at work.  You walk in the door and greet your happy, wagging dog only to get a wet mess in return.  The dam has burst, there’s no stopping the flow, and your fun hello has turned into a pee nightmare!   Before you know it your dog is stepping in the mess, jumping around with his peepee paws, and all you can do is try your best to manage this unsanitary scene before it spreads further.    The only thing that is worse is when it happens to your house guests.  Yikes – This is not a fun way to start a party.

Excitable Urination, as it is often called, results from an over-sensitivity to things that should be normal activities, but get built up as big events in the dog’s mind.  Common with younger dogs with weak bladders who still find the world around them very stimulating, or dogs who have had very limited exposure socially, these “accidents” often happen during greetings, rough play, or any activity the dog finds stimulating.  So if you are getting turbo-dog who wags, jumps, and slides around in his own pee in your honor at the door, chances are this is the challenge you are faced with.

Jack was so excited to see us as a puppy, it took a lot of self control to step away from a face like that and wait for him to calm. It paid off though, and now he can get through a hello pretty easily - so long as you don't mind some puppy kisses.

Submissive urination is a similar problem that may be contributing to, or the sole cause, of these sudden messes.  I may also be a result of exciting events like greetings, but may also happen when doing something as simple as being picked up or pet.  This behavior is often coupled with cowering or noticeable nervousness and fear, although it can also be a purely respectful behavior since urinating is a sign of the ultimate submissive.   This can often be observed when one dog cowers under the chin or belly of another, appearing calm but visibly nervous or tense.  Extremely submissive and less confident personality types often struggle with this, as well as dogs who have been neglected or trained using pain and fear techniques that break their trust with humans.

Unlike marking and full blown potty accidents, these types of  “accidents” are  more psychologically rooted and cannot be addressed using correction or any type of punishment.  They must be treated holistically, addressing the root causes of behavior by improving the dog’s confidence, social skills, and self control.  In other words, training your dog out of this habit may take some time and dedication on your part.  The good news is:  It can be pretty easy and fun!

The exercises below illustrate a few of the most holistic approaches to treating these problems.  They are intended to build confidence, increase calm behavior, socialize, and remove any of the things people often do to unknowingly contribute to the problem.  Please note that having your dog checked out by a vet first is always recommended, as there can be medical issues that cause weak bladder control that should be checked first.

1.  Calm greetings result in calm behavior. Teach your dog to greet you calmly by waiting until they have relaxed before rewarding them with a hello, eye contact, or any physical touch.  It may seem cruel in human terms to ignore your excited dog after a long day of being away, but for dogs your actions translate to one thing:  Calm behavior gets attention; excited behavior is ignored.  Dogs will always do what works for them 100% of the time, so if excited doesn’t work, then excited will eventually go away.  Keep a look out for the calm behavior you want (ie: your dog comes and sits next to you calmly) and only reward that behavior with attention.

Start out by setting a time limit: No one touches, looks at, or talks to the dog in the first 5-10 minutes that you are home. Meanwhile everyone has ample time to set their things down, take their shoes off, and generally settle into being home too.  Once the dog has had ample time to relax and is demonstrating calm behavior, then everyone can say their hellos in a calm fashion one person at a time.  This is best done seated in a calm living space of the house where the dog is already accustomed to relaxing with the family.  IF the dog becomes excited at any time during greetings and begins to jump, cower, or become overly energetic (the signs that lead up to urination), simply ignore the dog, get up and walk away.

2. Redirect Energy and Avoid Messes. Assign one person to calmly and silently take the dog out immediately for a potty break when you get home.  If they can’t make it to the back door without releasing, keep a leash by your front door and get them outside before you go in.  Remember that this is within the time that everyone should be ignoring the dog, so interaction during this time should be limited to leashing and waiting (no petting, talking, or eye contact) – All attempts to get attention by the dog should be ignored and no commands should be given by the person.  Once they have pottied and have calmed down a bit outside, let them in the house off leash and continue the ignoring exercise until they calm.  If it is difficult to leash your dog, use a slip lead that easily slips over their head and pulls snug without fussing with a collar and clip leash.

3. Leave the Home Calmly.  Like your greetings, your exits also need to be calm and uneventful.  Avoid emotional departures where you hug and talk sweetly to your dog, as these are often misunderstood by dogs.  Your dog doesn’t know English, so instead of hearing “Bye-bye, sweetheart!  I’m sorry I have to leave,”  while you adoringly pet and hug them, your dogs sees you becoming distraught and hears you making worrisome sounds.  Seeing you visibly upset and sad does nothing for your dog but stress them out while they wait for you all day.   This makes your arrival home even more important to them, adding to any excitement they already feel.
It’s all about body language and tone for your dog, so act like leaving is no big deal with a brief good bye.  If you feel bad, reward them instead by giving them a little treat just before you head out the door.  This will help take their mind off of you potentially abandoning them, and may even add a little positive association to your departure.  So do your dog a favor and relax.

4. Practice.  The more often you practice polite calm greetings (or any exciting scenario your dog struggles with), the more they will desensitize to the event.  So take note of what you usually do when you leave and arrive home, set up the exercise, and repeat it a few times a day 3-5 days a week.  Try this for a month and see how far your dog comes in a few short weeks.

5.  Play & Exercise. Walks, jogs, agility challenges and play all help a dog keep their nerves at bay and will increase confidence on a daily basis.   Teach your dog a few games to play in the house in case of bad weather like  Find the Toy. Be sure to challenge your dog on daily outings using your obedience training.
Keep it fun and use safe obstacles that your dog is not afraid of to work on balancing, crawling under or going over things.  Park benches, playground equipment, basic agility equipment or just sitting and staying at curbs can be easy little ways to make the walk more interesting and fulfilling for your dog.   Layer on the praise when they do well – dogs love a job, especially a job well done.

6. Socialize, Socialize, Socialize. Hands down the most fun, important and commonly overlooked exercise your dog can benefit from is meeting and playing with other dogs and people in new places.  Dogs are social animals, so being cooped up in a house all the time is not natural.  For healthy dogs that can handle the excitement, dog parks are a great option for burning steam and meeting some new faces.  Taking a trip once a week for 20 minutes can make all the difference and boost confidence rapidly.   For really energetic types, try enrolling your dog in a once or twice a week play group or dog daycare session.    If your dog is timid, fearful, or anti-social already, take it slow and keep it fun making sure not to overwhelm them.  Set up a play time with a neighbor’s dog who you know is nice and social that can teach them a few things, or just practice meeting new people on walks one at a time.

7. Kennel. Last but certainly not least:  Use Your Kennel.

As den animals, dogs often find kennels soothing and reassuring (even though they may not act like it at first).  This makes the kennel a perfect tool for reducing anxiety.   This will not work if your dog has a negative association with the kennel, so training your dog to accept the kennel first is a key step.   While we tend to feel guilty for limiting their freedom while we’re gone, a dog with too much freedom may become confused, shifty, and nervous.  This freedom can actually increase the level of anxiety and excitement we witness when arriving home, whereas a dog who has been napping safely all cozy in their kennel for a few hours will often greet us well-rested and calm.  While many dogs grow out of their kennels as they become more confident in their home, it is common for even the most well-socialized and confident dogs to need their kennel for the first 2-3 years of their lives.  Don’t have a kennel?   Set up a cozy space in a laundry room or under a desk or large table for your dog to snuggle up in while you’re gone to see if that helps.  Practice teaching them to go to their bed on cue.  The odds are good that they will accept this space and use it to feel safer while you’re away.

What not to do:

You are building confidence and teaching your dog, so keep this in mind before you react.

• Never punish your dog for excited or submissive urination.  Even the slightest sounds of disappointment can make this problem ten times worse.   Everyone’s silence, understanding, and patience on this matter is key to resolving the problem faster.
• Do not talk to, look at, or touch your dog when they are excited.  Understand that every bit of attention they receive while in this mind-frame only increases their excitement and rewards their behavior.  Eye contact counts because it lets your dog know they have your attention.
• Do not give your dog treats right after arriving home. When leaving this is ok since you are attaching a positive association with your exit.  But when arriving this will only increase your dog’s excitement.

May all your hellos be dry and wagging.

Apparently low levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1), a vitamin essential to a cat’s health, are the cause for the latest recall.  If you feed Iams to your cats, please reference the below link for more information on the recall.

Source: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pg-recalls-specific-canned-cat-foods-due-to-low-levels-of-thiamine-vitamin-b1-95985019.html

Looking for a better quality food in the same price range?  We like Taste of the Wild and Solid Gold’s Indigo Moon – both of which can be purchased at most Tomlinson’s or Petco – neither of which pay us for our endorsement.  These aren’t the best cat foods available, but you get a lot more quality for your buck compared to most foods in this price range.

It is no secret that we are total dog nerds who love having fun with our pets, which includes making yummy treats for them when we can.  There’s just something about watching them enjoy some tasty canine creation of ours that gives us great joy.  We usually keep it pretty simple like some Yo Elvis Dog Ice Cream (frozen plain yogurt, bananas, & peanut butter) to add a little variety and coolness to the hot summer days.  But when we got asked to make a birthday cake for our friend Ben’s dogs, Harrie and Wikkid, we happily accepted this fun project.

We chose a Peanut Butter Carrot Oat Cake with a Peanut Butter Cream Cheese frosting – otherwise known as ‘Jack’s Fav.”   Jack is picky, so we know if he loves it, chances are good that Harrie and Wikkid will scarf it down like crazed birthday beasts!

Our Cake Recipe:

3 cups Flour, 2 cups Oats, 1 tsp Baking Soda, 2 cups water, 1 cup Natural Peanut Butter, 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil, 1 cup Shredded Carrots, 1/4 cup honey or molasses, 1 egg (or equal egg replacer), 1 tbsp Ground Flax Seeds, 1 tbsp Hemp Protein (or Hulled Hemp Seed)

Frosting:

1 block Plain Cream Cheese, 2 tbsp Peanut Butter

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Add in the dry cake ingredients and mix thoroughly, then add the wet ingredients.  Batter should be a firm consistency almost like dough.  Coat a large cake pan in non-stick spray or use a muffin pan.  Cake mix makes a fairly large cake or 2 smaller cakes.  It was enough for our 4 big dogs to enjoy twice in addition to the large cake for Harrie & Wikkid.

Bake for 25-35 minutes.  Cake will not rise much and maintains a firm consistency when baked making it easy to cut and make shapes with (in our case a nice dog bone shape).

Let cake cool for at least an hour after baking, then add cream cheese frosting and decorate.  Substitute plain unsweetened yogurt for a less fatty frosting.  Refrigerate after icing and feed in small servings as a meal replacement or mid-day treat. 

Once it was cooked, it was time to test it with our expert panel of furry judges:

Success!  Jack consumed his cake with ninja speed, then made sure to clean up any remaining crumbs left by one careless chihuahua…

while that chihuahua searched…

… and shamelessly searched for much bigger crumbs.

Once the success of our cake was confirmed by four very sleepy dogs who drifted swiftly into happy cake comas sprawled across the living room rug, we knew it was time to ice and decorate the final product:

And it was a good cake for 2 very good dogs.

Happy 5th Birthday, Harrie & Wikkid!

Memorial day is fast approaching and with the gorgeous weather in mind, we thought we’d share our top five favorite things to do with our dogs over the holiday (or any day for that matter).  Have a favorite spot not on the list?  We’re always looking for new fun places in our great city so please share!

5.  Eat, Drink, & Be Furry at Freddie’s Place.

There’s always a myriad of big and little dogs (and little humans) at this casual restaurant off of South 1st, and we love the tree covered shady patio.  They also make one fierce portabella burger – Yum!

4. Red Bud Isle Dog (and people) Park

This little strip of beautiful lush land juts out on Lake Austin to make the perfect off-leash play land for dogs.  If your dog is a swimmer, we highly recommend it as there are quite a few gradual beaches on the island, making it easier for Fido to test the waters.  Bring your floaties and bathing suit too, and go for a swim.  We often park a block away and walk to avoid the parking hassle (and parking tickets).  Or you could just kayak over if your dog has sea legs.  Don’t forget to scoop the poop!

3. Barton Creek Trail

Mo post-hike. He's ready for a massage and some ice cream now.

We love this beautiful hike.  There’s always cool waters and nice people waiting at the end.  Hike up to the first set of falls for a more social atmosphere with more people (and dogs) swimming and lounging; or make the trek 15-30 minutes up the trail to a more secluded spot.  Here’s a map.

2. The Dog & Duck Pub

No favorites list is complete without the cool dog friendly pub, and the aptly named Dog & Duck really fits the bill.  Haha – get it?  Bill?  Duck?  Anyway…   With 42 beers on tap, a friendly outdoor patio, a variety of food options (veggie & meat), and live music – how could we ask for more on a night out with our favorite hound?   We’re getting thirsty just thinking about it.   Is it Friday yet?

1. Camping!

This is our number one because we are total camping nerds.  Any reason to sweat, get sunburned, hike and ride our bikes until our legs turn to jello, and you can count us in!   For a weekend get away we love Inks Lake.  Just 1.5 hours outside of Austin, it’s a beautiful drive and totally worth it.  With lite and rough hiking terrains, swimming, and beautiful camps sites to choose from, we visit whenever we can.  An added bonus for the brave are the cliffs that you can dive from.  Jack and I prefer to watch from the beach.

For a quick camping trip closer to home there’s also McKinney Falls just South East of town and Bastrop State Park just 40 minutes East.

Crystal & Jason w/Jack Inks Lake

Thinking about getting away without the dogs this weekend?  Just call us to look after your furry family and we’ll make sure they have a great holiday while you’re away!

Just a quick update on our Pet Care service area.  There are three of us pet hugging, dog jogging, fur taxi-ing ladies servicing Austin now, which gives us the freedom to service almost all of the city and surrounding areas!  If you haven’t checked out our service map, please do.  Or you can look in this handy set of zip codes to see if we pet sit/dog walk/cat cuddle (or whatever you want to call it) in your area:

78756
78752
78751
78746
78731
78724
78723
78722
78721
78705
78704
78703
78702
78701

Don’t see your zip code here?  Feel free to contact us anyway.  Availability permitting, we may be able to provide service outside of our standard area.

An now for someone cute: