K-9 LifeSavers

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Today is the anniversary of the first guide dog school in America.

The first formal guide dog program was developed in Pottsdam, Germany, using German Shepherds as guides for veterans blinded by the WWI. Though this program did not last, it caught the attention of an American living in Switzerland, Dorothy Harrison Eustis, who thought that it was a noble profession for which to train her own dogs.

Ms. Eustis wrote an article about the Pottsdam School that appeared in The Saturday Evening Post on November 5, 1927 and it was through this article that Tennessean Morris Frank learned of the guide dog program. Frank, who had lost the use of his eyes in two separate accidents, contacted Eustis with a request to train a dog for him that would allow him a measure of independence.  In return he vowed to teach other people who were blind what he had learned.

Frank traveled to Switzerland for his training with Buddy, a female German shepherd and became the first American to use a guide dog. Frank returned to the stated with $10,000 from Ms. Eustis and established The Seeing Eye, first guide dog school in America, incorporated on January 29, 1929.

Meet Darby.  This lovely lady is friendly and playful and would love to be your helper! Though she's never had the training of a guide dog, she'd love to spend some bonding time with you learning new tricks. If Darby sounds like your perfect partner, let us know!

Ever struggle with a dog that runs away? Running away is not to be confused with roaming, which is a natural instinct to explore and look for fun things around the neighborhood - other dogs or kids to play with, find things to eat, and even discover a mate.

Spaying or neutering your dog may help with the roaming instinct; if not, your dog is likely be habitual in his roaming spots. Be there waiting for him and firmly tell him to "GO HOME." When he does return, praise him. While you may want to strangle him, coming home should always be a positive experience, to avoid turning roaming into running away.

If your dog is not in fact roaming, but actually running away it's because he's unhappy - possibly because he feels bored, abused, rejected or ignored after being left alone for most of the day without any interaction.

While most of us have to work, which leaves many dogs alone for hours each day, that doesn't necessary mean your dog is looking for an opportunity to slip away.  Here are seven things you can do to make sure your dog is happy, originally shared by Dog's Best Life:

1. Join an obedience or socialization class. It will reinforce your Alpha position and provide your dog with the canine company he craves, not to mention the special time shared with you.
2. Exercise together by walking, jogging, or bike riding with him at your side.
3. Have structured playtime…throw a Frisbee, toss a ball, have a treasure hunt. Dogs have a sense of security and respond positively to scheduled routines.
4. Schedule a special day and time each week to do something different. He will know what day it is and look forward to it. Make it an interesting adventure!
5. Take him for car rides, go to the dog park or beach. Take him with you whenever possible.
6. Surprise him with a special gift. Get him a new and challenging toy now and then.
7. Get him a kiddie pool to play in. Toss a few toys in it. Jump in yourself…nothing would please him more than the interaction you would be sharing.

Have you ever watched those clips on the news where they feature animals that have lost limbs, yet are just bursting with happiness? For all of us that are amazed at the resiliency of animals, it's time to give three cheers to Phoenix! This little hasn't had the easiest life so far as he was wondering around as a stray when hit by a car and left for dead. He was picked up by a good samaritan but by the time he made it into the vet's office the damage to one of his legs was so bad it had to be amputated.

Though they aren't exactly common, there are a number of articles out there that help people provide the best care for their three-legged dog.  If you think you might be the special person to give Phoenix his happy ending, considering reading this article from an owner of a three-legged dog.

Chips, a German Shepard Mix, was the most decorated war dog from World War II. During the war citizens including Chip's owner Edward Wren donated their dogs for duty.  In 1942 Chips left his home in New York for training as a sentry dog. His human partner would be Pvt. John P. Rowell and together they traveled to North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany as part of the 3rd Infantry Division. 

In 1943 during the invasion of Sicily, Chips and his handler were pinned down on the beach by an Italian machine-gun team. Chips broke away and attacked the gunners, forcing the Italians to surrender to US troops. In the fight he sustained a scalp wound and powder burns, but later that day he still helped to take 10 more Italians prisoner.

For his actions during the war, Chips was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, and Purple Heart; however, these awards were later revoked due to an Army policy preventing official commendation of animals. His unit unofficially awarded him a Theater Ribbon with an Arrowhead for an assault landing, and Battlestars for each of his eight campaigns. Chips was discharged in December 1945 and returned to the Wren family.

In 1990, Disney made a TV movie based on his life, entitled Chips, the War Dog, which some of us might have watched repeatedly as kids!

Need a special treat for a special dog? Show them you love them with Red Velvet Cupcakes, and hey if you're tempted to try one yourself, we won't tell!

This recipe comes from Kaboose and uses beet juice as the secret ingredient to gain that red velvet crimson while also providing a source for fiber to help maintain a healthy digestion. 

Ingredients:

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 6 cup muffin tin with muffin cups.
• In a large bowl whisk together oil and sugar. Stir in applesauce and beet puree.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Slowly stir flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
• Spoon batter into muffin cups to three-quarters full
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the pan and cool on a rack.
• In the bowl of a food processor, puree cottage cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds. Keep frosting refrigerated until cupcakes are completely cool. Frost and serve.

Many of us have New Year's resolutions that include shedding a few pounds, and in case that includes extends to your furry friend, we have a treat for you both! If you love giving your pal treats so much that the total absence of treats is as hard for you as it is for your canine pal, we have a solution! These mini dog bones come in at just about 9 calories per bone, and are packed with good nutrition. So serve up some fun with these bones, just remember, moderation is the key to everything!

Low Cal Doggie Bones

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tsp active dry baking yeast
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup dry milk
• 2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup soy flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup brewers yeast
• 1 tbsp dried Parsley Leaf Flakes

Directions:

• If you're using a bread machine, mix all ingredients together and place everything in machine on the dough cycle.
• If using a mixer or by hand:
   - Dissolve the baking yeast into water
   - Mix in the chicken broth and egg into the yeast
   - Mix in the dry milk, flours, cornmeal, brewers yeast and parley together, and then slowly mix into yeast mixture.
•  Knead the dough (using hands or dough hook on a mixer) into a ball, cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

When the dough is ready, roll the dough out on a floured surface until it is 1/8" thick. 

Use a 1" bone cookie cutter to cut out bones and place them on a greased baking sheet.

Bake at 275 degrees for 20 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Turn off the oven and let the bones try overnight, or for several hours in the oven.

Store the bones in a cool, dry place and enjoy with your dog!

Honey is content to be anywhere, as long as it's by your side.  She's up for a hike of any distance or a good snuggle.  She's got a soft, fluffy coat and bright shiny eyes that could capture your heart and turn it into mush. If you need a touch of Honey in your life, let us know!

One of the most basic and necessary commands your dog should know is "stay," unfortunately for some dogs, getting this one down can be tough. Here are a few tips to a great stay:

• Start with your dog sitting or lying down as he is less likely to move from those positions and use a leash to ensure control.
• Stand directly in front of him and in a firm tone say "stay" while holding your palm flat out in front of him (like a stop signal).
• Move a short distance away and return to him.  Praise him with "good stay," then give him a treat, ensuring he continues in the sit/down position. Then release him with "ok" or "free."
• Gradually increase the time you ask your dog to stay, as well as the distance between you and your dog.  As your dog succeeds you will want to go out of his line of vision and into other rooms while he stays.

Troubleshooting:

• If your dog moves from his stay before you have released him, gently but firmly put him back in the spot where he was originally told to stay.
• You want your dog to succeed at this, so make sure to increase your time and distance so that he is holding his stay at a rate he can still manage.  If he is breaking is stay, reduce the time/distance to one is able to achieve.
• If your dog continues to get up, check your own actions.  If you are talking constantly, moving your arms around, or showing him the treat, he may be getting distracted by your movement and voice.  There should be very little movement and talking, especially when you are just starting out.  Your dog will mimic your inaction.  Also, don't show your dog the treat until you are ready to give it to him.  Many dogs get too excited when they see a treat and lose focus on everything else.

Brigatta is only a few weeks old, but she is looking for a place to call home and someone to teach her all the skills she needs to know. We believe she's a Mountain Dog/Shepherd so she may grow up to be quite a girl, but right now she's just about the cutest fall of fluff you could ever find!

Since there have been more and more articles recently about problems with pet food, we know many people have made the switch to making their own treats for their dogs, so just in time for the holidays, we bring you a new feature from K-9 LifeSavers: recipes for all natural dog treats.  As houses are filling up with all kinds of holiday treats, it's only fair that our pooches should get their fair share! This recipe comes from BestDogTreatRecipes.com and is a low-fat, low-calorie treat with a nice minty taste and smell.

• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/3 cup bran
• 2 tbsp dry milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp dry yeast
• 2 tbsp spearmint leaves OR 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 2 tsp green food coloring OR spinach powder*
• 7/8 cup water

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together using either a mixer with a dough hook or a bread machine.

• If using a bread machine: place everything in machine on the dough cycle.

• If using a mixer or by hand:  Dissolve yeast into water, add mix and applesauce. Mix in flour, oats, bran, mint, food color or spinach. Mix all ingredients together kneading dough into a ball, cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

When dough is ready, use a rolling pin to roll it out to 1/4" thick.

Cut into dog bone shapes and bake at 250 degrees for about an hour, check to ensure they don't get to brown.

Turn off the oven and let the dog bones dry completely in the oven, this works best overnight.

*If you object to green food coloring the spinach powder will provide an all-natural way to obtain the green color

If you ever tried to have your dog speak on command only to have him stare at you blankly, here are a few secrets to success:

1. Observe what causes your dog to bark - a doorbell or knock, the sight of you with the leash - and use that stimulus to teach this trick. Because most dogs bark at the sound of a doorbell, we'll use that example.  Stand at your front door, with the door open so that your dog can hear the bell, and give the cue "bark" and press the doorbell.  When your dog barks, immediately reward him and reinforce the cue by saying "good bark." Repeat this 5-6 times.
2. Continuing in the same session, give the cue but don't ring the bell.  You may have to cue several times to get a bark.  If your dog is not barking, returning to the previous step. 
3. Once your dog is barking consistently when given the cue without the doorbell, try moving to a different room and giving him the cue to "speak".  This may actually be a difficult transition for your dog.  If at any point your dog is repeatedly unsuccessful, return to the previous step.

Tips

• To avoid creating a monster, never reward your dog for barking unless you have asked him to.
• Try to play with your dog's volume by lowering your own voice and telling him to "speak, whisper;" reward a low volume sound.
  
   

If you actually think having a dog to sound the alarm when the doorbell rings would be a fabulous idea, meet Maxamillion.  This gorgeous young man is a Mountain dog/Shepherd mix and he has a lot of love to give. 

Did you know that at one point a German Shepherd guide dog once lead her blind companion the entire the 2100 mile Appalachian Trail? Talk about a trusting relationship!

That's a bit longer than the hikes we generally have in mind, but if you are looking for a good man to put your trust into, please allow us to introduce Chewbacca.

If you've ever dreamed of being Hans Solo backed up by Chewbacca, here's your chance!