K-9 LifeSavers

If you've always been in awe of Michael Jackson's moonwalk, but never managed to master it yourself, you can now live vicariously through your dog by teaching him some super smooth moves!

To teach your dog the moonwalk, first make sure he's comfortable being in a "down" position and he knows how to back up. The idea is that he will scoot backward while in a bow position.

• Put your dog in a down position and face him, either kneeling or crouching.  In the same way you taught him to back up, push your knee toward him while giving him the "scoot" cue. He will most likely try to stand up, so keep your hand on his shoulder blades to keep him down.  Reward even a small a scoot backward.
• Start to stand up straighter and minimize your knee action, but continue to hover your hand over his shoulder to keep him low, pushing him down every time he rises.  Begin working in a hand signal you plan to use as a cue.
• Stand in place while giving the hand signal and the verbal cue.  If your dog rises, tell him "down" and "scoot." You may have to use their cues alternately.
  * Don't use the cue "down" until you are fairly far along in your practice and your dog understands the motion.  To most dogs, "down" means lay down and keep still, and this command could confuse him when you are trying to teach him to move backward.

Though many of us celebrate Pet Appreciation Week throughout the year, it is officially commemorated this week. The goal of Pet Appreciation Week is to celebrate the furry (or scaly or feathered) friends in our lives. Take the time to celebrate your pet and the human-animal relationship you share this week!

Though many of you may be wondering how you would possibly show your K-9s more love, if you are in need of inspiration, allow us to suggest Jerky Cake:

Jerky Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 1/2 cup corn oil
• 1 jar strained beef baby food
• 4 eggs
• 2-3 strips of beef jerky

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Grease and flour an 8x5x3 inch loaf pan.
• Cream butter until smooth. /li>
• Add corn oil, baby food, and eggs. Mix until smooth.
• Mix flour and baking powder into mixture until batter is smooth<
• Crumble beef jerky and fold into batter
• Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
• Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack 15 minutes.
• Frost with plain yogurt, cream cheese or cottage cheese.
• Crumble another strip of beef jerky and sprinkle on top of icing.
• Store in refrigerator.

We've been getting so much snow lately that we're thinking about taking up skijoring. What is skijoring you might ask? It's cross-country skiing with your dog! 

Modern skijoring began in Scandinavia and requires a team effort, a cross country skier harnessed to one or more dogs. Done right, skijoring is a great way for you and your best friend to spent time together, enjoying the outdoors and staying in shape. It's not just for traditional sled dogs either! Though dogs should be at least 35-40 points, any active dog can become a champion skijorer!

Ready to book a vacation with your dog to learn the basics? Take a look at Peace Pups Dogs Sledding in Vermont or find more information at Sled Dog Central.