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!

Sarafina got an awesome bandana today! Hand made by her best friend Kirsten!

Today is always a busy day, I hate Tuesdays. But luckily I have Sarafina to come home to instead of a dull dorm room. I have been considering switching her to a fresh foods, partially raw diet as she hates kibble. I will be sure to post the first picture of her chomping on a chicken neck, ew. Anything for my girl though!

P.S. wasn't Sarafina the stinkin cutest puppy ever?

Sarafina and her best pal Buster went for a walk today at the Hopkinton State Park. If you live in MA it is one of the best parks to take your dog. It has a beach where Sarafina loves digging holes.



In the summer, Framingham State Park is great also because they have a doggie area where your dogs can run off leash and go swimming in a pond. I can't wait for it to be warmer out so we can go swimming!

So this week has been busy, but I did get around to making Sarafina some valentine's day treats! I made her these yummy biscuits in a cute heart shape!

Chicken and Cheese Heart Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 5 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup of cheese (or more!)
• 2 tbsp of ground flax (excellent source of omegas!)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup corn oil
• 2 eggs
• + heart-chaped cookie cutter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet using either 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
2. Combine the ingredients and mix well.
3. With clean hands, roll the dough out to 1/4 to 1/2-inch thickness and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter. If you have a small dog or a large cookie cutter, perforate the cookies with a fork down the middle to break apart easily after baking. Instead of a cookie cutter, you can roll the dough into 1/2 to 2-inch balls and place them one inch apart on the greased cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes until they turn golden brown. Baking times will vary based treats’ size, the altitude, and your oven.
5. Cool cookies on wire racks, as far away from your dog as possible (they might try and snatch some!).
6. After treating your dog, store the rest in the refrigerator or freeze.

The recipe usually yields around 2lbs of cookies, but depends on cutter size and thickness of cookies. 

So recently I have been busy fostering a blind lab/golden mix named Stella. She is such a doll! I can't say enough good things about her. If anyone is interested in adopting her please contact me! She is the best :)

I went to an awesome seminar last night on "Veterinary Homeopathy" presented by the New England Pet Hospice (http://www.newenglandpethospice.com). I have become increasingly interested in the field of Veterinary Homeopathy ever since I adopted Sarafina. Some of the most interesting information is alternative flea and tick prevention. I hate having to put any type of topical pesticide on Sarafina. I have found an awesome alternative! Amber Stone necklaces for your dog! They are so cute and they also repel fleas and ticks by resinous aromatic terpines, released by the necklace when it rubs against your pets fur. It also repels them through electrostatic properties of the amber. Check them out at www.amberstonepets.com. I will be ordering one for Sarafina!

After a long day at school today, I come home to Sarafina and feel so bad for having to leave her! I love playing fun, mentally stimulating games with her. This one is real fun! Especially since Sarafina has quite the nose on her, nose work classes in the future? I think yes! I call it:

Hide and Seek!
I take Sarafina and put her in the bathroom and close the door. I take a really smelly treat (Salmon Jerky works good!) and I drag it on the carpet all around, making a trail. I then will hide some pieces under or around things (not visible to the eye though!). And then I let her out of the bathroom and she goes wild! She starts to smell the trail and she always finds all the treats! You can also take plastic cups and hide a treat under one, and see if your dog can find it!

It is a great way to have fun, especially on a rainy day. Hope your dogs enjoy it as much as Sarafina does!

One thing that Sarafina loves is Doggy Ice Cream! But it is so expensive! I came up with a new homemade recipe that is super easy!

Doggie Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt!
You will need: 1 cup of peanut butter (organic is best!), 1 cup of plain yogurt, small chopped up fruit (I like to use either bananas or peeled apples), and cupcake papers.
What you do:
1. Place the peanut butter into a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for approximately 10 seconds. 2. Take the yogurt and combined it with the softened peanut butter in a bowl. Tip: try not to use the yogurt straight out of the fridge, it may be too cold and harden the peanut butter before you can combine them completely.
3. Cut up fruit of your choice and mix it into the peanut butter/yogurt.
4. Take a teaspoon and spoon out the yogurt into cupcake paper liners (you can use a cupcake pan, but they seem to hold up just fine by themselves in the papers).
5. Place the yogurt in the cupcake liners in the freezer.
6. Then bone-appetite!

You can make as much frozen yogurt at one time as you want and you can also add honey!

For Sarafina she gets so excited she tries to eat the block all at once, so I chop it up into small pieces in a dog bowl for her and she loves it. I also sometimes sprinkle training treats or food over it!

Hello! My name is April and this is my blog all about dogs! I am currently a Vet Tech student and have a lot of advice and information to offer. My dog is Sarafina! I rescued her last September from Virginia through an aussie rescue, New Spirit 4 Aussie Rescue (www.ns4ar.org), they are awesome check them out! She is an aussie (mini I think) and I love her! I will start posting fun recipes and interesting facts soon!