Kong Stuffing...you know he'll like it!

Here are some Kong Stuffing ideas to keep your dog happy....

BANANA RAMA:

1 fresh banana
2 tbs wheat germ ·
1 tbs plain yogurt (can use your pet's
favorite flavor as well) ·
Any KONG Toy that best fits your pet's
chewing temperament.

In a bowl, mash up banana. Then, add wheat germ and yogurt. Mash all ingredients together and use spoon to add to KONG. Freeze for 4 hours. Makes 1 serving for Medium KONG. Double for every KONG size that is bigger.

Fruit Salad:

Apple and carrot chunks
1/4 of a banana
Appropriate KONG toy

Place apples and carrots in KONG toy. Mush the bananas in large hole to hold fruit in place. You can include other fruits and veggies: orange slices, peach and/or nectarine chunks, celery sticks, broccoli and/or cauliflower, tomato and black olive mixture.

Veggie KONG Omelet:

1egg
Your choice of shredded cheese
Any veggies that your pet may like
Appropriate KONG toy

Scramble egg and fold in veggies. Put into KONG toy. Sprinkle with cheese over the top and microwave for about twenty seconds. Cool thoroughly before giving to pet.

Aunt Jeannie's Archeology KONG (for advanced dogs)

Fill your KONG toy (the larger the better!) in layers and pack as tightly as possible. LAYER ONE (deepest): KONG Stuff ’N Beef and Liver treats. LAYER TWO: KONG Stuff ’N Tail Mix or dry dog kibble, Cheerios, sugar-free, salt-free peanut butter, dried banana chips, apples and apricots. LAYER THREE: carrot sticks, turkey or leftover ravioli or tortellini. The last item inserted should be an apricot or piece of ravioli, presenting a smooth "finish" under the main opening. - by Jean Donaldson

KONG on a Rope:

KONG Stuff’N Tail Mix or dry dog kibble
Appropriate KONG toy
Rope

Pull the rope through the KONG toy and knot it. Hang this upside down from a tree, deck or post. The small hole should be facing the ground. Fill the large hole of the KONG toy with KONG Stuff’N Tail Mix or dry dog kibble. Make the toy hang just high enough that it is out of your dog's reach. Your dog will spend hours trying to retrieve the treats from the KONG toy. At the end of the day, take the remaining treats and give to your pet as a reward. This is advanced work for your dog. - by Ian Dunbar

Trixie's Favorite:

Trixie, a 50 pound Aussie/Springer mix, loves turkey meat and KONG Stuff’N Liver Snacks mixed with slightly moistened dog food nuggets frozen inside her Kong. She is very clean about unstuffing - some dogs are not! - by Joe Markham

Finding balance with a 'difficult dog'

A little something for the weekend....


My Positive Leadership Plan is there to offer a sensible, balanced starting point in maintaining respective roles in the home. The key thing to keep as a constant however, is your relationship with the dog and to maintain your role as leaders and essentially ‘controllers’. If you can do this and maintain a sense of balance in your approach (a time for direction and obedience, and then a time for play and affection) then it should feel like a natural and enjoyable experience. Dogs like boundaries and consistency, so your efforts need to be day in and day out without fail to ensure you keep things as you want them. Dogs (unlike us) do not have the ideas of working/not working, or weekdays and weekends; it’s just a continuum.

Nick Jones MCFBA
Dog Behaviourist.

Exercise and your dog

What better way to enjoy the great outdoors than to take your dog with you?
Exercising with your dog outside will lead you into some serious quality time together, helping to strengthen your bond with the dog, and leave you both feeling great!

Dogs, like people, are far less likely to exhibit behavioural problems when they are well exercised, leaving a deep sense of relaxation and calm, whilst being free from anxiety and stress as you bathe in those uplifting endorphins. Depending on the environment you have before you, you can do so many things with your dog when outside.

As well as playing fetch with the humble tennis ball, you could stretch your imagination to the Frisbee, cycling together, roller blading or swimming in the sea together  -if you live in a suitable climate! The UK is experiencing an interest in CaniX, which is basically running with a dog whilst it wears a harness connected to the handler via a stretchable chord.

So which breeds are suitable for such activities? The short answer is that virtually all dogs can be exercised outside in a way that allows them to have fun and remain fit. Certain types of dogs will prefer different ways to exercise their natural instincts.
Working breeds such as the gun dog group (Pointers, Labradors, Retrievers, Spaniels and so on) or pastoral breeds (Collies, German Shepherds, Old English Sheepdogs) will love virtually all forms of finding and returning an item to you.

Introduce entering into water for the same game and your dog will probably love it. This can be made into a more involved game involving nature’s obstacles to introduce agility and nose work to find a hidden item such as a toy you may have planted earlier.

The terrier group (Jack Russells, Border terriers, Airedales etc.) also love to seek items out in hard cover, and are no less adventurous or brave due to their reduced size. The instinct to thrash a toy they have retrieved may leave it in less than good shape, so ensure it is a tough one to play with.

All of the above breeds will happily run or walk as far as most people can due to the efficient stride and reserves of stamina. A number of the toy breeds can handle good levels of exercise too. This group includes breeds such as the Bichon Frise, Chihuahua, Papillon and Pomeranian. Simply downsize the same activities, and many will be surprised as to what a big heart they have!

Ideally a dog should be approximately eighteen months of age before giving it hard prolonged exercise, and a very gradual build up to that point is advisable. If in doubt consult your vet before commencing a fitness programme with your dog, or indeed your own doctor if you have not been very active for some time. It’s important to build the dog up gradually if your dog happens to be out of shape. Give regular easier rest days to begin with, and keep an eye out for lameness or cut pads for example. Dogs will often exercise with little regard for their own safety, and often show a much higher tolerance of pain than humans do.

So I hope the above has given food for thought, and encourages you to keep active with your dog.

A checklist to consider before each adventure will include the following:

• A simple 1st aid kit for both of you. Your vet/doctor can help with this.
• Carry a mobile, and the phone number of your vet/doctor.
• Be sure to provide ICE information on your phone and papers carried.
• Consider a simple GPS unit to mark your starting point if in unfamilar surrounds.
• Let someone know where you’re going & expected time of return.
• Take adequate food and fluids.
• Take adequate clothing for the weather conditions.
• Avoid exercise in excessively hot conditions.

Nick Jones Deciphering Dog Behaviour
www.alphadogbehaviour.co.uk

Dog behaviourist - Choosing one?

I was sent an email the other day and a few lines really stood out:

"We have spent a lot of money on training classes, (which i have no problem with) also we consulted a person, advertising himself as a "dog whisperer" I think he had watched Cesar Millan and styled himself on him, sadly, he did not have the same energy flow and was rather an expensive brute !"

Prospective clients, please be sure to thoroughly research anybody you are considering coming to your home. Yes, we all started somewhere as behaviour practitioners, we all had our first job(s). Mine was unforgettable-a Bassett called Elvis.

With the advent of programmes such as Cesar and Stillwell and Dog Borstal it has increased exposure and interest greatly. This is no bad thing, but some practitioners take these programmes as their training course!

Seek testimonials and then call these people. Ask awkward questions, such as how long will the visits last, what equipment might be used (or not used). What training has the practitioner had and anything else you can think of.

For the record, I welcome any amount of awkward questions you like to ask, can furnish you with many testimonials, and am willing to pre meet with you if distance is acceptable. Allowing somebody into your home and handle your dog is an intimate experience, and trust in your trainer should be high on your shopping list.

Nick Jones MCFBA