SO much better. This color combination definitely works.

In fact, it worked so well, I’ve got the first sleeve completely finished. Except for weaving in ends, of course.

Now, let’s see, a few doggy things that came up in conversation yesterday. I just hope everybody finds their way here since I don’t have email addresses for everyone.

I cook for Chappy using a dogfood mix from Sojourner Farms. (Which, Anne, yes, is in Minnesota.) I’ve used this for both Chappy and Katy and have only good things to say about them. I use their traditional mix, which is oatmeal-based since I have no objection to my dog eating grains. (Some people avoid it.) The instructions are to simply add your own fresh, raw meat, vegetables, and water, and to soak it all overnight but I find the resulting mixture … unappetizing. So, what I do instead is combine the mix, the water, chicken, and yes, some veggies (or baby food!) in a big pot, bring it all to a boil, and then cover and turn off the heat. This cooks the chicken most of the way through so I’m not worrying about germs, and then I add raw beef cubes and put the whole thing in the fridge, so Chappy ends up with essentially porridge. Sometimes I’ll add extras like eggs, or oil, and he certainly gets bonuses in his food dish depending on what we eat. If there’s extra chicken after our supper but it’s not really enough for another meal for us, Chappy gets it.

Now, I know, a lot of dog owners think that commercial dog food is the only way to feed your dog, and I’m not going to try to convince anyone differently. My personal feeling, though? Commercial, all-in-one dog foods might be “scientifically formulated to meet your dog’s needs” but to me, it’s like my eating nothing but, say, breakfast bars ALL the time. Maybe on paper that would meet all my nutritional needs, and it would certainly keep me breathing and nourished–more or less–but there’s no comparison between subsisting on prepackaged meals and eating actual FRESH food. This is something on which most nutritionists agree … for humans. But, why should it be any different for dogs? I prefer to know how fresh Chappy’s food is, and exactly what he’s eating. The only thing we have kibble in the house for is the occasional treat (like when we fill his Buster Cube). And the Sojourner Farms food? Both he and Katy THRIVE on the stuff.

We also talked about dog treats (which must have been so exciting for the non-dog owners of the group), and tuna came up. I said that tuna brownies were one of the best training treats I ever tried and that I’d never found a dog that turned his nose up to it, and promised the recipe.

Tuna Brownies
Preheat oven to 250F.

Put 1 large can/bag of tuna into a mixing bowl.

Mix in 2 eggs (include the shells–crushed VERY finely–if you want more calcium).

Mix in 1 1/2 cup flour (can use white, whole wheat, oat or rice flour)

Add 1 T garlic powder or crushed garlic.

Blend well, and spread about 1/4 inch thick on a large, greased cookie sheet.

Bake about 25- 30 minutes, or until golden. Cut into tiny squares while still warm.

Store in airtight container or freeze.

Now, my experience with these is that, if you leave them out at room temperature too long, they get moldy, so I recommend storing them in the refrigerator if they’re going to be around for more than a day or two–but that, if your dog has anything to say about it, they’ll be gone much, much faster!

My other favorite dog training treat? Quick, cheap, easy, and apparently delectible–hot dog jerky. Take one hot dog and slice it lengthwise into quarters. Slice each quarter into tiny pieces–something like 50 slices. (It’s been a while, so I don’t remember the quantity.) Spread all the slices out on a paper towel so that they are in a single layer (this is important) and then microwave for about five minutes until all the moisture is gone and they’re crisp.

You end up with something about 200 treats for the cost of a hot dog. They’re not greasy for your fingers, they don’t go bad, and–even though hot dogs aren’t exactly nutritionally optimal–the quantity that your dog will eat in one training session is still small. And they’re small enough to be easily swallowed so that they make great rewards without interrupting the “flow” of the training session. Chappy and Katy both loved these and worked hard to get clicks for them.

Although, the hot dog treats never came close to outranking the Tuna Brownies. Personally, though, I still prefer my brownies to be chocolate!

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning // 5 Comments »