Rocco, right, and his pal Nicky check out the newest entrance to Piedmont Park
Our local city park, Piedmont Park, got even better this past week as the newest section of the park opened, adding 12.5 more acres and an entrance that's easily accessible to my neighborhood.
So naturally, Rocco and I headed off to check out the newest acreage, complete with wooded trails and bridges and paved paths, perfect for all sorts of outdoor adventures! Rocco's Havanese pal Nicky's been staying with us this past week, so Nicky got to come along for the adventure too.
After crossing over the bridge into the park, Rocco and Nicky discovered some new steps up to a wooded trail...
So peaceful, it's hard to believe these trails are right in the middle of Atlanta just a few miles from downtown!
Even though there was lots of shade, remember that dogs can overheat quickly...
Rocco and his pal Nicky take a moment for water break and a rest stop in the shade
... so be sure to play it safe if you're out with your pups this summer:
Don't over do it. Take rest stops in the shade often.
Bring along plenty of fresh water
Start your walk in the early morning or in the evening during the coolest hours of the day
We started out early and finished our walk through the cool and shady Six Springs Wetland trail, an area that was completely covered in Kudzu and considered unusable just a few years ago. Now look how beautiful it is!
We used the new Instagram video feature to record this video. You can also watch it on Instagram here!
Piedmont Park has come a long way in the last five or so years, and this was just the latest phase in its grand restoration plan. All in all we covered about four miles, a terrific walk to kick off a FitDog Friday!
The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!) and to help combat pet obesity. Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.
We can't believe today is the last day of K9 Kamp! The three weeks flew by and we had so much fun with our activities and the challenge put forth by our Kamp counselors Peggy at Peggy's Pet Place and Jodi at Kol's Notes:
Get active with your dog, 30 minutes extra, 3 or 4 times a week
We decided we'd take the time to learn Crate Games, and we're still having fun with them. But we also did a lot more!
We took daily walks... with some running thrown in
Signed up for a Rally class... something we've never done before, and we love it!
And, we arranged for several special play dates with some of our favorite Havanese pals!
Here's a look at some of the good times, Rocco had with his pals the last few weeks.
Rocco and his pal Miko enjoy a swimmy swim day!
Miko shows Rocco how to head to the pool steps so you can always get out of the pool. Of course the humans were always close by while pups were in or near the pool.
Rocco learns it's fun to run when wet!
Wheeee!
Some of Rocco's Havanese agility pals enjoyed a good romp in the agility field. We practiced tunnels and shoots since Rocco's not old enough yet to do the other equipment .
Rocco and his pal Nicky play some good old-fashioned tug of war!
And then run relay races!
Rocco can't wait for the next camp session!
We had so much fun with K9 Kamp we can't wait until the next session in October. But before this session officially closes there's still time to enter to win a special K9 Kamp prize package! The last day for readers to enter for a chance to win is Tuesday, June 25 at 12 noon PST. The prize package, that will go to one lucky winner, is worth more than $200, featuring prizes from EzyDog, NieIze, Only Natural Pet Supply and more! Enter by going to http://kolchakpuggle.com/k9kamp or http://peggyfrezon.blogspot.ca/p/k9-kamp.html. Prize winner will be announced on those sites on Wednesday, June 26.
Even though K9 Kamp has come to a close, the fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!) and to help combat pet obesity. Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.
Rocco gets ready for Take Your Dog to Work Day! The event is always celebrated the Friday after Father's Day, making this Friday the day to take your dog to work! The annual event was created in 1999 by Pet Sitters International to celebrate the great companions dogs make and to encourage pet adoption.
My home office will be open for business this Friday and you can bet that Rocco will be right there with me! Employers are also encourage to open up their workplace to pets on this special day. And while my past employees wouldn't participate (boooooo!) there are lots of companies who do, and some who are pet friendly year-round!
Fifteen years ago, Nestlé Purina recognized the benefits of allowing employees to bring their pets to work and started a “Pets at Work” program. Purina is encouraging folks to tweet working pet photos using hashtag #PetsAtWork this Friday and this year they also are working with celeb dog-lover Julianne Hough to spread the word on the benefits of a pet-friendly workplace.
Purina also shares tips on making your office pet-friendly at www.petsatwork.com.
If your business is a new or proven dog-friendly practitioner—consider entering Bark’s Best Places to Work presented by Zuke’s. The Bark is searching for the most dog-friendly workplaces in America. Three winning companies will be featured in Bark’s Winter 2013 issue and each of their office pups will receive a year’s worth of Zuke’s dog treats! Contest details, rules and entry form are available here: http://thebark.com/content/barks-best-places-work
One more way to participate is the Take Your Dog To Work Day photo contest, offered by Pet Sitters International. Rocco already entered and you can vote for him here! It says it takes a day or two for them to get the photos posted, so you may need to (please!) come back later to vote.
I think there's nothing better than working in a pet-friendly environment. Will you be taking your pet to work this Friday? Does your employer allow pets every day?
Rocco can't wait to sample Zuke's Supers in every flavor!
Rocco's about to jump out of his chair, because he's SUPER excited about today's review and giveaway! We've used Zuke's treat for training for ages, and I've always loved that they are nutritious, made in the USA and soft enough to break into even smaller pieces so we can give LOTS of treats! And, my pups have found Zuke's to be super tasty too, providing plenty of motivation whether we are training for agility or just working on simple manners. So when we heard about Zuke's new Supers dog treats we couldn't wait to try them. Zuke's sent us all three flavors to try out:
Super Betas - with betacarotene-rich veggies like pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato, butternut squash and apricot
Super Greens - with antioxidant-rich greens like green beans, spinach, broccoli, peas and asparagus
Super Berry - with antioxidant-rich berries like cranberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry and cherry
Rocco accidentally dives into a bowl of Supers meant for our photo shoot!
Wow! With ingredients like these, I should be snacking on Supers. They even smell good too!
They are shaped like tiny Z's and are soft enough to break easily. Rocco's a small pup, and we train a lot and give LOTS of treats, so we were able to break each Z into six tiny pieces, making each one go even further!
Rocco reaches for a Yummy Zuke's Super!
Not only are Zuke's tasty and nutritious, we like the Zuke's philosophy too. They say:
"Supers help your dog’s energy soar every day with the naturally powerful nutrients. Whether it’s an afternoon of high-flying jumps or running circles in the backyard – dogs need superfoods to keep them going. The special blend of superfood berries, betas and greens, and low-gluten oats, along with a delicious taste make all the difference. So live a healthy lifestyle, get plenty of outdoor play, and feed Supers every day."
Rocco dances for Zuke's!
Rocco would agree with feeding Zuke's Supers every day!
All the Supers are also low in gluten with superfood oats and never any wheat, corn or soy.
Zuke's also supports a cause dear to our hearts, donating a portion of every sale to the Dog and Cat Cancer Fund, so that needy families can get treatment for their cats and dogs suffering from cancer.
Now for the good stuff....
Rocco loves giveaways! Win Supers in all three flavors! Dog not included.
Enter to win Zuke's Supers in Berry, Betas and Greens
That's three packages of Zuke's to one winner! The giveaway is open to U.S. residents over the age of 18 only. The winner will receive one bag of each flavor of the Supers. Enter via Rafflecopter below for a chance to win. Giveaway open until July 2 at 12 a.m. ET.
Rocco waits patiently in his crate, exactly what he should be doing in Stages One and Two of Crate Games
It's another FitDog Friday and K9 Kamp doubleheader, so why is Rocco sitting inside in his crate when his pals are outside in the sunshine?
Well, first of all it's 90 degrees in Atlanta and it can get pretty miserable when you have a permanent fur coat.
And second, we're taking advantage of the nice air-conditioning while we're playing crate games, specifically Susan Garrett's Crate Games for self-control and motivation. This was the activity that we signed up for at K9 Kamp, brought to you by Kamp counselors Peggy at Peggy's Pet Place and Jodi at Kol's Notes.
We chose crate games as our activity because it promises great foundation training for the agility we want to do -- encouraging things like control and enthusiasm. Crate Games also offers a variety of benefits for any dog, like training behaviors that can be really important for your dog's safety such as teaching him to wait patiently at the door without bolting out and allowing you to grab his collar quickly whenever you might need to.
Skills learned in crate games can also translate to:
Making your dog a more welcome guest
Building a great relationship with your dog
Getting your dog comfortable in any crate or carrier, including an airline carrying bag
Adding an element of safety when unloading your dog from a crate in a car
Decreased stress when you have to leave your dog
This week, we watched the Crate Games DVD again and practiced the first three stages:
Stage One: I Love My Crate -- this is where Rocco learned to sit patiently in his crate -- even when I kept opening and closing the door -- while treats fell from the sky were fed by my hand high and in the back of the crate. Stage One conditions your dog to love his crate.
Stage Two: Are You a Gambler -- this is where Rocco learned to choose to stay in his crate even while I left the door open and provided distractions like picking up his leash and attaching it to his collar. Stage Two helps your dog learn more control and starts teaching useful skills like being patient while you attach their leash.
Stage Three: Yer Out Yer Out and the Collar Grab Game -- this is where Rocco learned to enthusiastically fly back into the crate after being released. He also learned to allow me to grab his collar, something that can come in quite handy in an emergency. Stage Three is all about building enthusiasm for the game.
We shot a couple of short videos to show you Rocco's progress. However, since these games really take two hands I'm going to need to get a tripod or a camera man to help me next time! I think you'll at least get a good idea though!
Here Rocco shows his skill at staying in the crate, even when he hears the door unlatch. He also waits patiently with the door open. At this point, we had trained Stage One and were progressing to Stage Two.
Good boy Rocco!
In this next video, we've progressed to Stage Three. I release Rocco from his crate and then grab his collar (it looks like a hunk of fur, but I really did have his collar!). And then watch Rocco dive back into the crate!
You'll notice I haven't named any of these behaviors yet or actually told Rocco to go to his crate. That's because he's still learning and we want to make sure he's perfected these skills before naming them. Otherwise, he might associate the name with some early mistakes made and carry those into the more advances stages of the game.
In her DVD, Susan Garrett says you might perfect Stages One and Two in an hour, but that you should stay at Stage Three for quite some time -- anywhere from a week to about a month. Since we've barely put in more than an hour at this point, we still have plenty of work to do before progressing to Stage Four.
This week, we'll work on building more enthusiasm for flying in and out of the crate. When we're ready, we'll move to Stage Four where we'll start naming behaviors and learning more advanced skills like adding distance and distractions.
Today also is FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!) and to help combat pet obesity. Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.
Rocco and I recently discovered Orijen's new freeze dried dog treats, so when Chewy.com offered us some to review and giveaway, we jumped at the chance! Read all the way down to learn how you can win some of your very own!
Orijen dog food has been in our feeding rotation for years. We found the 6 fish formula to be perfect for a pup with allergies and Rocco enjoys the regional poultry, fish and whole eggs formula too.
The Chewy.com pup knows how to enjoy a treat!
Now, Orijen had a selection of freeze dried treats made with 100 percent fresh regional meat, poultry or fish, prepared in their own freeze-dry kitchens without cooking or preservatives. We think that's pretty cool.
Recently, we picked up a pack of the Tundra -- made with venison, elk, quail and steelhead trout -- and Rocco loved them. Who wouldn't! So when Chewy.com offered up another flavor we chose the Free Range Bison, made with the triple-crown of bison delights -- bison liver, boneless bison and bison tripe.
Rocco says these treats are lip-smacking delicious!
Did Rocco love the Free Range Bison as much as the Tundra? See for yourself!
Each treat is a bit on the large size, but the Bison treats have only seven calories each and are super easy to pinch off into much smaller pieces, making them a great option for training.
The Bison treats pass the sniff test
The entire line of Orijen freeze dried treats are available at Chewy.com for the current sale price of $6.49 for a two ounce bag... that's a full $2 less than we paid for them at our local store. Stock up on them and other goodies and you can take advantage of free 1-2 day shipping on orders over $49!
In another special addition of FitDog Friday AND K9 Kamp, today's the day we update you on our Kamp activities for the past week AND fess up if we've been sticking to our goals!
In case you missed it, last week, our K9 Kamp counselors Peggy at Peggy's Pet Place and Jodi at Kol's Notes, issued our camp challenge for the next three weeks:
Get active with your dog, 30 minutes extra, 3 or 4 times a week
We took it one step further by choosing a specific activity that we'd enjoy -- working on our agility foundation skills. We ordered the DVD "Crate Games" by Susan Garrett and it came this week! So here's what we've done so far:
Watched nearly all of the 90 minute video
Told our agility instructor we ordered the video (at her suggestion)
Yup, that's about it
That might not sound like much, but before we actually start training, the foundation work to prepare FOR the foundation work is even more important. REALLY! We're not just procrastinating.
Here's why it's so important:
You want to be clear on your criteria -- or exactly what behavior you want -- before you start training, OR
You might inadvertently train a behavior you're not looking for (because you rewarded the wrong thing at the wrong time)
So since I'm trying really hard not to break Rocco before I start, our agility instructor suggested these brilliant tips -- watch the DVD three times and then use a stuffed animal and practice on it first! BRILLIANT!
So this week, I'll watch and re-watch the DVD, practice by putting a stuffy (not Rocco) in a crate, and then once I get really clear on the timing and behaviors I want to reward, Rocco gets to start playing crate games!
In the meantime, however, it's not like we've been sitting around eating bonbons! We've taken plenty of long walks, attended agility class AND yesterday received our new Kyjen Agility Kit from Petco!
Rocco tries out his new Kyjen Agility Tunnel. Wheeeee!
My top dog!... Rocco wears the 1st place ribbon from the Kyjen Agility Kit!
Today also is FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!) and to help combat pet obesity. Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.
Last week we got the chance to chat with celebrity fitness trainer Gunnar Peterson, an animal lover and Beverly Hills-based personal trainer who helps his clients look and feel great! While Gunnar's clients typically are of the two-legged variety, he shared some great tips with us on ways to work out with your pup!
Learn about Gunnar's tips in the video below and then be sure to read all the way down for a fantastic fitness giveaway that both you and your pet are sure to love!
To help you get both your and your pup's fitness goals on track, we have a great giveaway today courtesy of Petco.
You may already know how much we love training for and competing in agility and so we've been eyeing the Kyjen Agility Kit for quite some time. We got our agility kit this week and now you have the chance to win your own via our Rafflecopter giveaway below!
Rocco gives the Kyjen tunnel a try. I think he loves it!
The kit comes with six weave poles, a jump, an open tunnel and a pause box. They're a little different from regulation agility obstacles, but they are perfect for playing with your pup and seeing if they like the sport of agility.
You'll also get a lot of extras in the kit to help make the game even more fun, including a start/finish line, stop watch, award ribbons, instructions, game rules and stakes for securing obstacles into the ground. All you need to add is a grassy area and a willing pup and human!
Our neighbor pups all seem to want to try agility, so now we can have an agility play day in our own backyard!
Enter to win a Kyjen Agility Kit
Enter via Rafflecopter below to win a Kyjen Agility Kit from Petco. Giveaway is open until June 20 at 12 a.m. ET. U.S. only.
And, don't forget to come by and visit us at the FitDog Friday and K9 Kamp Blog Hop tomorrow!
Disclosure: Petco provided the interview with Gunnar Peterson and Kyjen Agility Kits to review and give away. Our opinions expressed herein are entirely our own.
In the spirit of Mischief Monday, this weekend we found a way to both get INTO mischief and stay OUT of mischief at the same time! ... And all while getting a little exercise AND enjoying some nice artwork.
Here's how we did it. Lot of our festivals in Atlanta don't allow pets. While we hate that rule, we also don't want to see pets getting stepped on or getting overheated, so if it's for the safety of our pets, we can live with that.
So this weekend, Rocco and I headed out on a walk to Virginia-Highland Summerfest, a yearly art and music festival located near our neighborhood.
The trick is to get there early, about an hour before the festival officially starts. That way, you can bring your dog, avoid the crowds and the heat, and still see plenty of artwork. I think that's a great strategy for any festival, even if they allow pets!
Coming early also means you might get more time to chat with some of the exhibitors. Linda Ingle and Jean Stephens, with their sweet 17-year-old poodle, are the creators of Song Dog studios, a lovely line of jewelry made with a variety of natural stones.
We also loved these cat and dog wine bottle holders made from horseshoes from Metal Creations. So cute!
Funny how so many booths either had a pet theme or a "pet" name. Below, Rocco checks out the Dirty Dog Pottery booth, filled with unique works of functional art and beautiful bowls that Rocco was certain contained treats of some sort.
Another favorite we've seen at many shows is Anita Edwards and her adorable handcrafted sterling, copper and brass animal shaped jewelry.
One more of our favorites are the amazing handbags from Add Libb Designs. I think we need a few of these!
Getting to the show early turned out to be a great strategy. We avoided the crazy crowds and the heat of the day and still enjoyed the show.
We also put in a four-mile walk, with a few rest stops along the way!
Remember as the summer heats up, be careful to avoid overheating your pup. We like to walk early or late to take advantage of cooler temperatures.
Now let's see what mischief everyone else is up to!
The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!) and to help combat pet obesity. Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.
