Operation Kennel Mom

After watching the documentary "Glory Hounds" on Animal Planet the other night, I can't stop thinking about what an amazing service that military dogs and their handlers give to this country. I decided to do some research into it and try and find an organization that helps out with supplies for these dogs and their handlers so I could help. 

I stumbled upon an organization called Operation Kennel Mom that does just that. Founded by two military personnel who also have a great respect for these canines, this organization is doing a lot of good for those dogs and their handlers.


On the website, www.operationkennelmom.com, there are profiles for all the military working dogs that this organization supports, which I found to be so great because it helps you connect with the dogs and handlers that are out there on the front lines protecting our country.

Bony and Handler SGT Sandoval, Daniel

 

 

 Please visit their website and make a donation! Any amount helps, even a dollar! Or you can send any item from their list of treats and toys to Operation Kennel Mom and they will make sure it gets to the dogs! I think we owe it to these dogs and their handlers to let them know that we care, respect, and appreciate what they are doing everyday to help protect our country. And if you get a chance, check out Glory Hounds on Animal Planet (http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/glory-hounds)!

We have been busy this winter here in MA getting snowed in! I am hoping to be more active with the blog, but I always fall through! Hopefully this weekend I will be able to catch up and post some interesting stuff for you guys!

Sarafina has been loving the snow and I am content with it as long as she is! Last storm we got over 2 feet of snow! And looks like this weekend we might be getting another foot or so.


Now for a review that I am really excited about!

Five Paw Review: ComfortFlex Harness

I love, love, love this product! The design is amazing and helps direct pressure away from your dog's throat when walking which has been a great help with Sarafina. Even when wearing a standard harness, Sarafina would always choke when she pulled and got excited on leash, but now that she wears the ComfortFlex Harness we never have that issue. Many dogs who we do flyball with wear this harness and even when their dogs are pulling super hard before they run and I never hear them choking, which is great! This harness is perfect for small and large dogs.
 
Rating: 5 out of 5 paws!


The colors are great (Sarafina has the purple!) and I love that it has reflective strips on it and that is also able to get wet, because Sarafina loves swimming so that will be a great help in the summer. I bought my ComfortFlex Harness from Clean Run in South Hadley, MA (www.cleanrun.com). For more information on the ComfortFlex Harness visit their website at http://comfortflexharness.com/

We're back!

A lot has changed since we have been gone!

Sarafina has been busy becoming a flyball dog and we absolutely love it! I will be posting videos and photos of her in action on here so look out for them!

I will also be reviewing dog related products that we buy! I will be starting with one now!

Guardian Gear Collapsible Dog Crates

"Pets travel in comfort and style with our Guardian Gear® Collapsible Dog Crates. Each portable dog crate is attractive, durable, water-resistant, and easy to clean. Dog crates have integrated wire framing that assembles and breaks down in seconds with no tools required."

Rating: 4 out of 5 paws

Review: This product is a great quality fabric folding crate. I love the bright colors and it even comes with a sherpa mat for the bottom. It also has covers for all of the windows, which is great for being able to help calm a dog down in a stressful situation. It is fairly sturdy as far as fabric crates go but Sarafina is only 25lbs and she LOVES leaning into the sides for some reason and can definitely tip it over! I bought it for flyball tournaments but since she leans into it so much I don't think it is going to work for that unless I put something on both sides to hold her up. So now I am left lugging around her heavy metal crate....oh boy. But a great crate if your dog doesn't lean into the sides! Ha, however I wouldn't recommend leaving many dogs in there alone for long periods of time as they are easy to chew/scratch through. A fellow team mate scratched right through her fabric crate and was on the loose this weekend at the scrimmage! I can see Sarafina doing that! But overall a very nice crate and a great price!

I recently have been investigating the advantages of using Coconut Oil, as a supplement for my dog, Sarafina. I came across this topic in the July Issue of Dogs Naturally Magazine (by far my FAVORITE magazine check it out: http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/). Here I learned of the advantages of using Coconut Oil, especially in dogs with allergies. Did I mention Coconut Oil is also one of the cheaper oils on the market?

Coconut oil differs from salmon and fish oils because it is a medium chain triglyceride which is a medium-chain fatty acid, versus fish oils which are long chains. Thus, these two oils supply different benefits. For a great comparison chart check out: http://www.cocotherapy.com/fishoilsvsvirginoil_coconutoil.htm

Coconut oil is considered to be hypoallergenic, which is excellent when it comes to treating dogs with allergies. My mother's dog, Sasha, has suffered from allergies her whole life. Spending countless amounts of money on vet visits and special trips to the dermatologist and allergy experts, we got no where. Now we are integrating homeopathy, fresh diets, and newly coconut oil. SHE HAS NEVER BEEN LESS ITCHY!

While also helping with allergies, Coconut Oil also helps with:

• supporting a healthy gastrointestinal tract
• helps against bacterial infections and inflammation
• helps against yeast and fungal infections
• helps balance the immune system

I will begin using Coconut Oil for Sarafina this month, alternating her from salmon oil and coconut oil each month, to ensure she gets both benefits! And I will be sure to update on how this amazing oil supports her to be a healthy, happy dog!

For more information on Coconut Oil and all it's wonders go to: www.cocotherapy.com

I recently was introduced to the world of aromatherapy and it's benefits for animals. Have a dog that is hyperactive? ( I know I do!) Not acting themselves? Depressed? Stressed? Well aromatherapy can help with all of those things! There is this amazing site called "Daisy Paw" (http://shop.daisypaw.com/The-Daisys-Blends-Essential-Oils_c8.htm) and they specialize in aromatherapy for animals and people! They make these amazing devices called "Collar Companions" for dogs. You clip them onto the collar and drop aromatherapy oil in the middle section and viola!

I will be trying out the "Let's Chill" for Sarafina when we go places like the store and she gets hyperactive and also the "De-Bugged" for when we are outside in the summer in conjunction with her amber stone collar (see older post about that!) as an alternative to yucky topical pesticides such as frontline, etc. They also sell stones that have different properties (such as healing a broken heart i.e. when another animal in the household passes) to use in conjunction with the oils.

Check it out and let me know if it works for your dog!

Probably the biggest change since I was last posting, several months ago, was changing Sarafina to a raw food diet. I know this topic is very controversial, but I believe it was one of the best changes I have ever made for Sarafina. She actually likes her food for once, back when I used to feed her dry kibble she hardly ever ate. It was a high quality kibble as well. I used to have to struggle with her to eat and that was the biggest pushing point for me to change her diet. She now enjoys eating much more than before. The idea of making a more natural diet is also very appealing to me. You don't see dogs eating kibble in the wild. While I definitely agree that it is not for everyone I think if you have the money, the time, and the commitment you should definitely try it out for your pup! I personally recomend starting with Bravo!, they are a great company, one of the original raw dog food companies. For more information go to: www.bravorawdiet.com

Any questions about feeding raw? Ask them in the comments!

Where have I been?!

School got crazy and Sarafina dog fun had to go on hiatus, but WE ARE BACK!
Sharing with you awesome dog tips, treat recipes, and ideas.

So what is new? SARAFINA TURNED ONE TODAY!

YES! We had a party, pictures below and more fun posts to come!