Pupcakes!

My sweet boy, Opie, celebrates his 2nd birthday today. Last year I made a bone shaped cake from scratch and he loved it. This year I found this awesome mix on ebay and thought I would give it a try. He loved it! I made pupcakes instead of a regular size cake. 
There are several different flavors, but since peanut butter is one of his great loves, I decided to go with it. What a hit! He ate 2 pupcakes right away. 
It also has frosting included which is yogurt based. It is so easy to make, just like your typical cake mix (egg, vegetable oil, water, mix) 

The box says you can keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days or you can freeze. They are wheat free, which is important to me. 
It is a bit pricey - I paid a little over $9. It was fun to make, Opie enjoyed them and it was a great way to celebrate his 2nd birthday.

 

 

Super Photo

What a cool app! I am obsessed with it apparently. IF you haven't already stumbled upon it, you should give it a try. I am still doing the free version. Some of these photos may end up on canvas. I have gotten lots of compliments on them when I post them on Facebook. I have it downloaded on my Note ll and my iPad. 

Here are a few SUPER PHOTO SHOTS:

 

Pet Insurance - To Have or Have Not

I never even thought of getting pet insurance until we adopted Opie.  I have had dogs all my life and I thought vet bills just came with the territory. I always had small dogs and never had any real issues that needed more than the standard visits with immunizations.

Then when we adopted Opie and started going to the dog park and to places where it was very likely he could get hurt - I starting worrying about potential vet bills. The very first time he got hurt at the pet resort just by playing too rough (pulled muscle) I realized this could get very costly! Large breeds dogs do everything in a big way - so it isn't if he gets hurt - it is when he gets hurt.

My neighbor across the street has a lab and he paid $3500. for a single operation for his dog - no insurance. A lady at the dog park told us about her dog breaking a leg running into the sand box playing - $6000 - no insurance. I knew that would be a real hardship on us if we had to deal with something like that.
So I did my research - (google is my BFF) and I found several pet insurance companies that were really affordable. We ended up going with Healthy Paws . You can get a quote on line and choose what is best for you and your dog or cat. I chose the best you can get and it is only $40 a month for Opie. It is auto deducted - and every claim is online. We already use Banfield Wellness Plan which is another good thing to have so ALL office visits are covered - immunizations are covered - so with this added pet insurance - after the deductible - we are set. I feel so much better now knowing that if/when something big does happen that would cost a lot of bucks - I can concentrate on my Opie instead of worrying how we will pay for it.


FAQ You can find out just about anything you need to know here. They are several comparisons on their website as well.

Inclement Weather Exercise

If it is raining, snowing or just plain ole too hot or too cold - what do you do to keep your dog busy? If a tired dog is a happy dog - then he still has to have that energy release even when the weather outside is not cooperating. 

Here are a few things that I have found that completely wears my guy out and will send him snoozing in no time. 

Laser play - we have a little laser on a key chain that Opie loves. He will chase that little red dot until he can chase no more. We have the most fun just watching him go after the laser and it doesn't matter if it is up the wall, ceiling, under furniture - he is going to try his best to get to it. 
You can find these in the cat aisle at Petco and Petsmart and I am sure just about any store like Walmart or Target carries them. Cheap and fun!

Remote Control Toy - we bought a remote control toy at the Dollar General for $10! What a bargain! Opie just goes nuts. Of course a little barking comes with the play so if you don't mind that - it is a great tool to wear their little bodies out on an indoor kind of day. You can get all kinds. Robots, cars, trucks, etc. The one we bought turns flips and adjusts itself if it runs into furniture, so that helps.

Treadmill - now this is the biggy. We lucked out and bought a really nice used one for $100. If you don't have one - you can scan Craigslist - they are on there all the time. We have yet to master this one, tho. It is still in the works. We will get there, tho.

So - there you have 3 ideas to keep your dog busy enough to spend a little energy when a walk or the park is not an option. It won't cost you but a few dollars and it takes very little energy on your part. I mean - sitting in the recliner while he does all the work chasing these toys around - come on. Can't get much easier than that!

Like they say - A tired dog is a happy dog!

Exercising the (Dog) Brain

We all know that it is important for a dog to get exercise. Every.Single.Day.
Did you know it is just as important for them to get brain exercise?  Challenging the brain is very important. If your dog is destructive, chances are they are bored both physically and mentally. 
There are a lot of ways to stimulate the brain but I am going to tell you about one that I just found out about myself and it is GREAT! There are quite a few articles online so I can't take credit for this. 

Here is what you do:

You make a mixture of moist treats - what works best are treats that they are not used to or they don't get on a daily basis. Don't make this while they are in the room with you. You want them to completely be unaware of what you are doing. The mixture I put together was packaged (cooked) salmon and a small handful of Bil Jac treats that were given to me as a sample, so he had not tasted them yet.  

You will need to make sure you use an area that is nice and clean - grassy - not a lot of weeds or debris. You take the mixture and you spread it out over a large area. Not close together and not a lot in one spot. What you want to do is stimulate the brain by having the dog follow his nose. Dogs are sniffers by nature and most domesticated house dogs don't have the chance to use their noses like their ancestors did. Once you are done with the spreading of the mixture - get your dog and take them to the area but don't take them too close to where the mixture is. Let them get a hint of the scent and go to work on their own. Trust me, it won't take long! 

The first time I did this with Opie - he looked like a bloodhound! His whole body was pulling in the scent as hard as he could. He was running in circles and trying to figure out which way to go next. So not only was he working his brain/nose but he was getting physical exercise as well. 

Needless to say, he always wants a nap after he is done "working" his way around the backyard finding all the little tidbits he can. 


It is a great exercise - easy to do - and you can be as creative as you want to be.

Dog Trainer/Instructor

I have been taking classes online through Penn Foster College for about 3 1/2 months now and am more than half way through it. Each study unit (called a module) covers quite a bit of information and then I have a computer generated test. After so many tests I have a graded project that is human graded and a pretty big deal.  

This is what my study plan has been like in a nutshell: (the blue part is completed)

Sensory Abilities of the Dog
Social Behavior & Communication
How Dogs Learn
Conditioning
Applied Dog Behavior
Testing & Selection of Dogs
Housetraining & Crate Training

Graded Project - Dog Selection

Canine Equipment
Commands
Puppies
Teaching Tricks
Training through Play
Behavior Problems
Basic Veterinary Issues

Graded Project - Behavior Analysis

Dog Breeds
Competition Obedience
Hunting Training
Assistance Dogs
Agility Training
Search & Rescue Training
Recreational Activities with Dogs

Graded Project Agility Handling & Courses

The Dog Training Business, Part I
The Dog Training Business, Part II

Graded Project Creating a Business Plan

Then I am done! 
I have a 98% average right now and I am now on Dog Breeds. 

So what will this mean when I have completed all of this? I will be able to work for other businesses as a dog trainer or instructor, give private lessons or start my own business. I will be able to train in several different areas: basic obedience, agility, service or advanced obedience. 
I hope to retire for my current job in 4 - 5 more years and then have my own business from home. In the meantime, I hope to do private training. 

So far it has been a great experience and I have learned so much. Opie, my American Bulldog, has been my inspiration!