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Category Archives: other dog stuff

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make your own yogurt treats ~ {Ontario pet photographer}

2 September 2011 – 9:30 am

a couple of weeks ago the scruffies were given some free samples of a frozen yogurt made for dogs.  yeah, they liked ‘em.  they’re not good teste subjects though, as they are quintessential food sluts.  they’ll eat just about anything.  but i gotta be honest: (a) we can’t afford those pre-made treats, and (b) as a raw-feeder for almost nine years, whether it’s their dinner or treats, i’ve never been one to dole out pre-made stuff since i’d rather be in control of what goes into my pets.

so i decided that we should make our own … and of course, utilizing the Kongs is the easiest method.  so here’s one recipe that was a total hit …

get some quality yogurt … good probiotics for the dogs, and my girl needs more probiotics.   if you don’t already have some Benny Bully’s freeze-dried liver kicking around the house, you should!   a half-dozen to a dozen pieces run through the coffee- … er … liver-grinder … yes, we have a coffee-grinder that is just for pet stuff, and one that is strictly for our coffee.

mix the powdered liver and yogurt in a bowl … mmm … now taste.  no!  just kidding.

i actually used a small “Tidbit” treat normally used in merrick’s puzzle ball to fill the bottom ‘nipple’ of the kong.  then stuff your Kongs…

seal up with plastic wrap and stick ‘em in the freezer.

but before you do that, don’t forget to toss the scruffies a few tidbits or liver pieces.

and be sure to employ a good quality clean-up crew …

of course, frozen Kongs aren’t a new idea.  we dog-guardians have been doing it ever since Kongs hit the market in the late ’70s.  but sometimes we just need a reminder that it is simple.  yogurt is the best way to go — provided your dog doesn’t have any issues with it — as it’s got lots of benefits … and you can mix so many things in it!  mashed banana, peanut butter, mashed berries like blueberries or raspberries.  i went with the powdered liver first because it’s easy, and i know it’s something that my guys can’t resist and this was merrick’s first time working on a Kong.

and he sorta kinda loved it …

have fun with your Kong-sicles … and feel free to share your recipes in the comments below!

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he fast

13 February 2011 – 7:15 pm

today was our final class for Agility Foundations with Allison Berry of Everyday Dog … and i’m pretty darn proud of my little boy.  although i’ve done agility with my girl matea, that was years ago, and — not having come from an abusive past of neglect and a spirit-crushing life of churning out puppies like merrick — matea was a different beast when it came to working her on the equipment.  with matea it was all about getting her to slow down.  there was no fear in that brazen young pointer.

but merrick crept into his first agility class … had to be bolstered up by play with his ball … and he was the only dog for whom the tunnel had to be compressed, since the full 20′ was far too daunting, even with me at the other end cheering him on.  each obstacle was met with a certain amount of trepidation, but with a few passes, and sometimes a little ingenuity on my part to encourage him past his fears, his confidence grew.  and today he flew through the short seven-piece course in the shortest time in class!  in fact, his drive to move forward to each piece, now that the concept of running a course is clicking with him, was more than i ever expected.  it felt like i actually have an agility dog in the making!

and for having secured the fasted time in class, merrick came home with a bag of goodies …

and he wasn’t much into sharing them with matea …

of course, i would rather be showing you photos of my boy in class, but my hands are pretty full when i’m there.

and no worries, Allison, i’ve made him share his goody-bag with matea.  see you in two weeks for the start of the next level!

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merrick hands over the reins ~ {Ontario pet photographer}

2 January 2011 – 8:50 pm

well, we’re at the end of our fifty-second week in the 2010 52 Weeks for Dogs project on flickr, and it’s time for merrick to hand over the reins to big sister matea … or rather, the leash.

in fact, the final challenge for the group’s 2010 project was a ‘handing-over-the-reins’ or ‘passing-the-torch’ challenge for those die-hard 52-Weekers who are continuing with another year-long project through 2011 and perhaps switching dogs for their project.   since the passing of the project from matea to morley from 2009 to 2010 was a leash-theme …

… i followed my same theme this year with merrick to matea …

of course, knowing i had this challenge coming up, i’ve been working hard with merrick on his ‘fetch’ command, but it’s still not strong enough for him to actually ‘bring’ me matea.  when she refused to budge, he let go.  but you gotta give the little guy props for trying!

i’ve mentioned the 52 Weeks for Dogs project on the blog before, but for those who don’t know about it, 52 Weeks for Dogs is a “project-oriented” flickr group that was launched at the start of 2009, the premise being to envision, set-up, shoot and share a specific photo each week.  what had originally started as something i intended to do as a one-year project for my girl matea, ended up being a bit of a phenomenon.  within weeks of its inception and completely unpredicted, the 52 Weeks for Dogs group became an extremely active, vibrant, tight-knit community where its generous members share everything from dog-information to photography tips, and everything else in between.

of course, 2010 was supposed to be morley’s year.  it started off strong …

… but sadly, morley’s brain tumor took him from us in april.

because merrick had been rescued as a companion for morley during what were to be his final months, it seemed only fitting that merrick should continue morley’s 2010 project, and the deeply sympathetic members of the 52 Weeks group agreed.  so, without missing a week in the project, merrick made his appearance …

… with a bath photo as well, of course.

we had a blast throughout the year.  merrick overcame his incredible fear of the camera (as you can tell!) — of course, it doesn’t hurt that i’ve got just a little experience in that department — and like many members of the group who commit to photographing their dogs weekly, the year-long project produced some of my favorite photos of the little goober, photos i would never have had if not for the commitment to the group.

but now it’s matea’s turn.  this girl means the world to me, and as she enters her 9th year, i’m looking forward to redirecting my cameras onto her again.  it’s time for merrick to hand over the leash …

… even though he makes it amply — and loudly — clear that he doesn’t like playing second fiddle.  i think in 2011 merrick is going to prove a greater challenge in matea’s photo sessions than matea will!

thank you to everyone in the the 52 Weeks for Dogs group.  YOU are what makes this group so sensational and you’re a pleasure to share photos and more with.  and to those of you not continuing with a 2011 project,  you know we’re going to miss you somethin’ fierce!  happy new year to you all, and all the best to you, your 4-leggers, and your photographic endeavors.

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group hike ~ {Ontario pet photographer}

19 December 2010 – 5:58 pm

just had to squeeze another few shots of my boy merrick onto the blog after today’s group hike with Waterloo Dog and a couple other CETs (certified educator trainers)

with over two dozen  dogs and even more people from all over, there wasn’t much opportunity for shooting.  we moved at a pretty good clip over the two hours, and often the trail was only wide enough for two-abreast, so when it did open up a bit, i literally grabbed a few quick shots.

i wanted to get some shots of merrick’s new Cascade Bodysuit by K9 Topcoat in Oregon.  i’ve used K9 Topcoat products for years now, and seriously, nothing else out there comes close.  the Cascade is waterproof, windproof, and breathable … best of all it’s a stretch material which allows full range of motion.  although merrick inherited all of morley’s awesome winter gear, he needs this kind of coverage since his fine hair balls up with snow very quickly.  no doubt he’ll be modeling morley’s neoprene boots which i made two years ago as well; he did fine today without.

i had the legs of the Cascade taken up at a local tailor last week, but they didn’t take them up high enough … so a few more alterations.  sure wish i had a sewing machine.

merrick had a great time.  he didn’t do the kind of hunting he does when out with big sister matea, but it was a great experience for him to be in that sea of dogs and shuffling legs.  to watch him carry himself with so much more confidence now, that tail almost always straight up, shows me just how far this boy has come.

thanks, Tami and everyone, for an awesome hike.  see you at the group walk in a couple of weeks!

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play date with Waterloo Dog ~ {Ontario pet photographer}

14 November 2010 – 3:12 pm

Merrick had his first play date today, organized by the fabulous Tami Packham of Waterloo Dog.   for those who don’t know about Merrick’s background, he was rescued out of a puppymill after six years of being a stud-dog … and six years of obvious abuse.  this boy’s come a l-o-n-g way in the eight months he’s been a certified scruffy, and although he’s met many dogs along his road to recovery, he hasn’t had any opportunities for full-out socializing.

given that i don’t approve of dog parks and have seen — first-hand — many ruined dogs from bad dog-park experiences, this isn’t an avenue i have any interest in exploring, especially with super-sensitive Merrick.   however, with a group of pre-approved, stable dogs, i’m certainly game.

the group was made up of a good number of large dogs … which is neither here nor there for Merrick.  he loves all dogs.  it’s their energy that dictates whether he’s going to move forward and engage, or hang back, reserved.

Tami did a great job of getting the dogs moving …

including her own little firecracker, Indie …

but Merrick stuck close … not out of fear or concern, but more — i sensed — because he knows who his pack is.  now, if Matea had been with us and charging forward with the other dogs, you wanna bet Merrick would have been right in the thick of this crew.  but … whenever i turned around, this is what i saw … goober.

then again, the likes of these two were a bit much for him …

there were some crazy goings-ons.

i thought for sure he’d find some camaraderie in this s-wheatie …

and although he did make friends, it was Bailey, the hound pictured behind him, with whom Merrick had the closest bond and most fun.  i didn’t dare snap the shutter on any of the antics Merrick shared with Bailey … crazy zoomies and wild, zany circles of sheer joy … for fear that he’d stop at the sound of the camera.

i do hope we get to meet up with Bailey again because he seemed to bring Merrick to life after an hour of only moderate engagement with the rest of the dogs.  in fact, it was only moments after Merrick’s Bailey-induced rebirth that he turned his full attention onto this little sweetie, who really wanted nothing more than to stick to her owner’s ankles …

Merrick tried all of his new-found tricks … even a couple of back flips which i didn’t manage to capture … but still couldn’t get the little dollface to play …

all-in-all, a great outing.  we look forward to more social play dates, and i fully expect to see Merrick come out of his puppymill/abuse-shell more and more with each session.  thanks, Tami, and to all those who attended!  and i promise, as more play dates take place, i’ll be able to grab better photos.  i was wary of snapping too many since each time i clicked, Merrick — the former camera-terrified terrier — would stop all play and come running back to me to pose.  little bugger.

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