New Puppy Essentials

Getting a new pup? Whether you are adopting or purchasing, there are a few essentials you are going to need before you bring home the newest addition to your family. Here is cheat sheet of everything you will need before you pick up your furbaby. You need to think about where the pup will sleep, eat, play. Its grooming needs, exercise needs, and the type of food he/she will require depending on their age and health.

FEEDING TIME:

Food Bowl and Water Bowl - you will want to set up an area that the puppy will feel comfortable eating. The size of the bowls required will depend on the size of dog you are getting. You don't want a water bowl your yorkie can fall into and you don't want a bowl your great dane will devour with one bite.

Puppy Food - whether its wet or dry food will depend on you and your pups preferences. However this is where you want to be careful. You dog's age and health are major factors in choosing the right dog food for them. You also may want to research the different brands that appeal to you. NOT ALL BRANDS ARE CREATED EQUAL. You may even want to consider making your own.

Treats - Treats are perfect for training as well as a way to keep your pup preoccupied. Once again you want to do your research, there have been many recalls on certain brands and you may want to consider DIYing it.

GEAR:

Collar - For obvious reasons

Lead- You will need a lead whenever you go out with him/her

I.D. Tag - If for any reason you lose track of your puppy you want to make sure whoever finds hem has the information needed to return them to you.

Crate - you want a safe secure place for your puppy to sleep and rest while you are away from home, especially when the puppy begins teething and they chew on EVERYTHING. Never use the crate as a punishment though.

Baby Gate - you will want this if you want to keep the puppy away from a certain area of the house, or keep them in a certain area. its an easy way to block off an area from kids or pets but easily accessed by those tall enough to step over

Pee Pads - if you are getting a puppy not yet potty trained these are a must. You will want to save your floors from the inevitable messes that await. Some choose to use newspapers instead, however when the pup pees, it will soak through to the floor pretty quick. These also come in handy if you your pup is having tummy trouble and cant quite hold it.

Poopy Bags - these are a must if you live in an apartment complex or condo. When walking your pup these are a must as well, most cities require dog owners to pick up after their pups messes. You don't want to be one of those people that leaves poop all over town. Don't be that guy. Nobody likes that guy.

Dog Bed - Would you like sleeping on the hard floor? No I didn't think so. The floor is hard on your pets joints and may contribute to arthritis earlier than usual for your pet.

FINALLY...TOYS!!!!

If you don't want your pup chewing on anything in sight then toys are a must. There's a wide variety of toys to choose from. If you have a chewer then the cute little stuffed animals may not be something you want to get. You can, but you will have stuffing all over your house by the end of the day..trust me. There are "indestructible" toys you may want to purchase for your chewer. They tend to be slightly more expensive, but you will save money in the long run instead of buying the cheap ones that will be destroyed in an hour.

Pet Mom's Mother's Day

Mother's day is a day to celebrate everything a mother does for her children, but what about those who have children have four legs and fur. We teach, we love and care for our fur-babies just like a mother would. So this post is dedicated to you, mothers of fur-babies you deserve the recognition and celebration for your devotion.

Loving and caring for something so helpless and in need of care is what makes a mother. The selfless acts of love and devotion. 

Mother's Day

To all you mothers out there I would like to personally wish you a Happy Mother's Day! As a special gift for everything you do for your kiddos, below I have complied photos of other mothers that are slightly furrier than you, enjoying their own gifts from God.

From Sloppy Kisses

To Teaching Everyday Skills

Even If They Are Adopted

 Or Little Mini-Me's

 We Snuggle

No Matter How Many

We Play

We Give Up The Comfy Spot

 We Love

 We Watch

 We Teach

 We Protect

 We Love Equally

Nose Boops

Daily Kisses

We Go Without So They Won't Have To

We Teach Them to Stand Proud 

 We Support Curiosity

 And Bravery

 Whether They Are Just Like Us Or Not

They Make Us Prouder Than We Have Ever Been

Because We Are Mothers 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Grilling Safety with Pets Around

It's that time of the year again where the air gets warmer and you find yourself outside enjoying the weather as much as you can. The grill becomes a staple in your cooking routine with the whole family outside enjoying the weather. Your pooches running around playing ball and enjoying the time spent with family. How do you keep them away from the hot grill though with all that delicious smelling food?

Depending on your dog this could be a difficult task to accomplish. Our pooches love the delicious smell of hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill and it is a challenge keeping their delicate noses back from the flame. Below are a few tips to help keep your dogs back while still allowing them to enjoy the beautiful weather.

Fence off the Grilling Area- While it may be difficult to bring food back and forth through a fenced off area, it is the safest way to keep not only dogs, but the kiddos away from the hot grill as well without having to restrain or keep them cooped up inside when the weather is so beautiful.

Train Them to Stay Away-Even when the grill is not on, you should teach them that the area with the grill is a no fly zone. If not your pups won't understand why they are allowed over there sometimes and not others. By simply training them that the grill area is off limits 100% of the time will save you a ton of stress.

NEVER Give Them Food Straight From the Grill- Just like training them to stay away from the grill, if you give them some of your food, make sure they don't see that it came from the grill. Dogs are not stupid and will know that the grill houses food which will make it that much harder to keep them away.

Cinco De Mayo!!

Hola Amigos! Today is a very special day for those of the hispanic culture, many Americans celebrate this day as a way to show pride for their Mexican heritage. You know who also likes to celebrate their heritage with you????

YOUR POOCHES!!

The Chihuahua and the Mexican Hairless Dog originated in Mexico so if you have one of those breeds then throw on a sombrero and show some spirit in celebration of your pooch!

Why Go DIY with Your Pet's Food and Treats

Why do you prefer home cooked meals to getting fast food on your way home from work? The answers will vary. You have better control of what you are consuming, chances are your home cooked meal will be healthier, you don't have to worry about chemicals in your food as much or what you are eating is actually real food and not overly processed slop. All of these are valid reasons.

Have you ever thought about what is in your pooches food or treats?
You should.

The cheaper the food the worse it is. Not just with chemicals and overly processed slop, but also the real food that is in there may not be something your pet should be eating. If your dog has problems with digestion you may want to take a hard look at the ingredients of your dog food.

With dog food, treats and toys being recalled constantly, you never know what is safe for Fido. There's so many articles about certain medications and treats that are dangerous for your pet, but have not been removed from shelves because there is not sufficient proof. Here is a list of all dog food that has been recalled lately for your convenience. 

WHY RISK IT?!

By cooking your dog a homemade meal, you are eliminating so many risks of serious illness to death. It doesn't have to be so much extra work. You can follow the trend and meal prep for the week for your pet. By switching to homemade food and treats, you may even see a significantly larger amount of money saved in your bank account because you are feeding fido what you already have in your pantry and not having to make a special trip.

Meal prep for your pooch is so much easier than you think. Your dog and cat don't get tired of food as quickly as you do, they are used to eating the exact same thing everyday anyways, so by meal prepping, you are able to buy the food in bulk which in turn is cheaper than a regular grocery store, and you only have to make one combination of food for that week.





There are also small local pet businesses that can sell homemade treats or food for your pets. Therefore you will not only be helping small businesses in your area, your pooch will feel so loved.




CHECK BACK FOR RECIPES AND IDEAS FOR DIY TREATS AND FOOD FOR CATS AND DOGS!!

Peanut Butter Banana Doggy Cake Balls

We are jumping on the cake pop bandwagon with a delicious treat for your pooch! This is a found recipe, but we tried it on our pampered pooches and they LOVED THEM!!!!

These are so easy and quick to make, your pup will love them!

Ingredients: 

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Egg

1/2 cup Milk

2 Bananas

1/4 cup Peanut Butter

1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter, softened

1 1/2 cup Peanut Butter

1 pound Yogurt Coating Chips

1/2 cup Peanuts, crushed

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Use a silicone cake pan or grease and flour a 9 inch round cake pan or one 9×9 inch pan.

2. In a medium bowl mix whole wheat flour and baking soda then set aside.

3. In a large bowl mash bananas with a fork  then mix egg, milk, peanut butter and butter.

4. Once well combined add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and stir until mixed.

5. Spoon cake batter into the cake pan.

6. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle come out clean.

7. Cool 5 minutes in pan then remove and place on wire rack to cool completely

8. Cover two baking sheets with wax paper

9. Crumble the cooled cake into a large mixing bowl until the entire cake is crumbled into a fine texture (I used a hand mixer to break up some of the bigger pieces.)

10. Stir in 1 1/2 cups peanut butter until well combined with the cake crumbs.

11. Roll you cake mix into 1/2 inch balls* and place them on the baking sheet.

12. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for several hours, or the freezer for 15 minutes, you want the balls to be firm enough to dip.

13. Melt your yogurt chip using you method of choice. I use my microwave and heated them for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between until it was melted. If you have one you can also use a double boiler

14. Roll balls in  yogurt and lay on wax paper. Sprinkle with crushed peanuts while still wet and let sit until firm.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen cake balls.

BE SURE TO SHARE YOUR BAKING EXPERIENCE WITH US! PICTURES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!!