A Better Person

Every so often, while walking my dog, I look down and think “I can’t believe how much love this scruffy little being has brought into my life”. Not only love, but he’s made me a better person and that is, perhaps, the best gift of all. Since adopting Nicky, I can no longer be completely self-centered and focused only on my needs (as I had been for pretty much ever lol). His needs now comes first. I have to admit at the beginning, there was a slight adjustment period, with me having moments of thinking, “What have I done. This is too much responsibility!!”.Happily, it has all become just a part of life and not so difficult at all. If I’m going out during the week, he goes to daycare. If he’s been at home all day then I take him for an adventure walk after work and play fetch until he flops down on the floor, panting.

I often hear people talk about their dog having to fit into their lifestyle. I agree that you shouldn’t get a hunting or herding dog unless you can fulfill his or her needs for activity and challenge but I also believe that we have to shift our lifestyle to fit our dog too. When you think about it, we steal them away from their doggie family and make them live with us humans, expecting them to easily and fully adapt to a life that can be quite unnatural for them. The least we can do is put in the effort to give them a fun, full life with lots of socializing and adventures.

I find it heartbreaking to see dog owners forcing their pack animal pets to live a solitary existence. Remember, when you bring a dog into your life, you become the dog’s guardian/parent/pack leader, in other words, their everything. Make sure you give him or her the love and life they deserve. Not hard to do when you think of all of the amazing gifts that they give us every single day.

Daily Smile

DOGGY DICTIONARY

LEASH: A strap that attaches to your collar, enabling you to lead your person where you want him/her to go.

DROOL: A liquid that, when combined with sad eyes, forces humans to give you their food. To do this properly you must sit as close as you can and get drool directly on human.

GARBAGE CAN: A container which your neighbors put out once a week to test your ingenuity. You must stand on your hind legs and try to push the lid off with your nose. If you do it right you are rewarded with food wrappers to shred, as well as beef bones and moldy crusts of bread to consume.

BICYCLES: Two-wheeled exercise machines, invented for dogs to stay fit. To get maximum aerobic benefit, you must dash out, bark loudly and run alongside. When the human swerves and falls into the bushes, your job is done and you can prance away.

THUNDER: This is a signal that the world is quickly coming to an end. Humans remain shockingly calm during End of World storms, so it is necessary to communicate the danger by trembling uncontrollably, panting, barking, rolling your eyes wildly and following at their heels.

BATH: If you find something especially good to roll in, humans get jealous and they use this degrading form of torture to get even. Be sure to shake only when standing next to human.

BUMP: The best way to get your human’s attention when they are drinking a fresh cup of coffee.

LOVE: A feeling of intense affection, given freely, wildly and without restriction. The best way you can show your love is to wag your tail. If you’re lucky, a human will love you in return.

Dog Lovers

Did you know…

92% would accept a job with less pay to bring their dog to work

97% celebrate their dog’s birthday

78% of dogs sleep in their owner’s bed

88% would dump their significant other if he/she didnt’ like their dog

81% would boycott an airline with a no-pets policy

71% think ear-cropping and tail-docking should be illegal

74% think dogs should be allowed in restaurants

96% think dogs experience emotions similar to those humans feel

Nickster in the Raw

Nickster has started a raw diet to help him lose a little weight. let’s say puppy fat. It does seem like a more natural way for dogs to eat and he LOVES his raw food, snarfling it up in seconds.

It only costs $1.50 a day for a pre-packaged mix of raw meat, bones and veggies. Some benefits that I’ve been told I can look forward to include:

Shinier coat

Healthier skin (less itching)

Cleaner teeth

Higher energy levels (hmmm…don’t know if I’m actually looking forward to this)

Smaller stools

No doggy breath

This all sounds good to me and the diet can be supplemented with raw fruit and veggie treats too. Nick’s going raw!

Rolling

Olive and Nicky

 

“A perfect example of something that smells nice to you but not to your dog: the perfumes used in dog shampoo. You may find them pleasant, but many dogs dislike their odor. As a result, as soon as your just-bathed dog gets the chance, he finds something that smells more acceptable to him—garbage, dog feces, animal carcasses—and starts rolling around in it. Have you ever caught your dog rolling around in poop? Believe it or not, this behavior is quite common—and very natural. Many believe it’s instinctual behavior, harkening back to the days when your dog’s wild ancestors would mask their scent to help them sneak up on their prey. Wolves, for example, have been observed rolling in animal carcasses or the droppings of plant-eating animals, to cover up their own smell during the hunt.” Dr. Sophia Yin – The Art and Science of Animal Behaviour

Yummy Liver Brownies

1/2 lb liver

2 eggs

1/2 cup fresh cranberries

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp dried parsley

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F
2. Slice the liver into 2 inch chunks.
3. In a food processor, pulse all the ingredients, except the cranberries.
4. Scrape the sides of the food processor and continue pureeing until a dough forms.
5. Remove the food processor blade, then scoop the mixture into a medium bowl.
6. Fold in the fresh cranberries.
7. Liberally spray non-stick cooking spray in a 8×8 baking pan.
8. Spread the mixture into the baking pan.
9. Bake for 25 minutes.
10. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
11. Slide a knife around the edges of the pan.  Then release the entire brownie block from the pan, onto the cooling rack to completely cool.

Storing – These healthy homemade dog treats need to be kept in the refrigerator.  They will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge, and up to 6 months in the freezer.

So delicious that you will never have to worry about your pup begging for human food again!

Naomi Tsai

Down Dog

Sami, above, is doing a perfect down and sporting gorgeous feather extensions. What a fashionista and a good girl!!

Sami’s styling is by groomer extraordinaire, Hollis at the West End Bow Wow Haus, 1340 Davie St.