Dog Biscuits Jar Mix Recipe

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Layered Dog Cookies in a Jar
Dog Biscuits Jar Mix Recipe
by Jane Lake at allfreecrafts My two shadows, a pair of shelties, were the taste-testers once again for this dog biscuit recipe. And, yes, once again, I tried it with them! In fact, we tried several versions until we had tweaked the ingredients to provide the best taste combination in a jar mix recipe. These cookies are more flavorful than you might suppose; the boullion granules lend a beef or chicken base, but are not overpowering, while the parmesan and garlic are well represented too. Very intriguing for my dogs -- who were sniffing the air all around the oven once they realized that the baking was for them! Free Printable Jar Label: The recipe for the dog cookies, plus the directions to bake them, are all included on the free printable jar label. Just print, cut out, and fold as you would a four fold card - in half, then in half again, so that the photo is on the front and the recipe and instructions are inside. On the back, you'll have a "To" and "From" tag for gift giving.

Layered Dog Cookie Jar Mix Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached or whole wheat flour

• 1 cup of oatmeal, blended into flour
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 2 tsps beef or chicken boullion granules
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup skim milk powder
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (I used the grated parmesan that is commercially made to sprinkle on pasta)
• ¼ cup (approximately) of flour, or enough to fill a one quart jar

Dog Biscuits:

Directions: Preheat oven to 250° Fahrenheit. Empty jar mix into a bowl. Stir together two eggs and 1 cup of hot water and add to mix. Combine with a fork until a stiff dough forms. Add a little flour or water if dough is too sticky or too dry to work. Roll out dough on floured board to ½ inch thickness. Dip cookie cutters in flour before cutting out each cookie. A bone shaped cutter is preferred, but any shape will do. Re-roll the leftovers and cut as many cookies as possible. You can place cookies close together on a baking sheet as they will not spread while baking. Bake for about 90 minutes, or until cookies are dry and hard, turning pan around at half time to ensure even cooking. You can turn off the heat, but leave the cookies in the oven to dry out without further cooking if necessary. Dog cookies are usually baked until they are hard and crunchy. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight jar.

Dog Cookie Mix - Jar Decoration

Use a funnel to layer ingredients, in the order given, in a one quart jar, packing each layer firmly with the back of a spoon. To make the jar decoration shown, fasten a 6" circle of burlap or canvas to the jar lid with a rubber band. Tie a long tartan ribbon around the rubber band leaving both ends loose. Print the label and fold into a small card. Punch a hole in the top left corner. Thread the ribbon through the hole and knot to secure. Add the cookie cutter by circling it around the middle with first one end of the ribbon, then the other, with each end going in opposite directions so you can tie them together. Finally, form a small bow then trim the ends evenly, using a slanted cut to help prevent fraying.

Animal Pictures to make you smile

Just a few "Awww" pictures that I couldn't resist posting. Remember to add your Holiday Pet Pic at our Pet photo contest at www.petsadored.com.
Prize to winner.

Top 10 reasons people give up their dogs

It's a myth to think that most pets end up at shelters because they have behavior problems. The truth is, most pets are turned into shelters because of changes in people's lives, which means there are lots of great pets at shelters -- and lots of people who have trouble adjusting to change. Here's a top ten list of why dogs and cats end up in shelters from the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy.

Dogs
1. Moving -- Dogs can handle change, especially if their owners make the change fun. But so many people leave pets behind at shelters when they move. That's much more traumatic for dogs than riding two days in a car with their friend to a new home.

2. Landlord issues -- If you rent, then you must get approval from your landlord to have a pet. Some people lie about these things and then when the landlord finds out they have a pet, they end up getting rid of the pet rather than moving.

3. Cost of pet maintenance -- Pets are not cheap to care for. The average cost of caring for a dog is estimated at about $400 a year. That includes food, toys, vaccinations, and an annual visit to the vet. It cost a lot more if your dog gets sick or injured, has special dietary needs, or takes medication.

4. No time for pet -- That's a big excuse that rarely holds water for most shelters. What that means is that the family has gotten bored with caring for a pet.

5. Inadequate facilities -- What this means is that the person doesn't have a fenced in yard or outdoor space to house the dog. Why not bring the pet inside then? The dog was probably an indoor pet at first, but something happened, either with the dog or the dog's family, and the decision was made to put the dog outside.

6. Too many pets in the home already -- This usually is the case when dogs are not spayed or neutered. Sadly, people often take the oldest dog to the shelter because the family wants to keep the most newly acquired pet. Isn't that sad?

7. Pet illness -- All too often, people are forced to give up pets when they can't afford to pay for veterinary care for a pet's illness. I sympathize with people on this one, since there is no place for pet owners to turn right now to get help with medical expenses for their pets.

8. Personal problems -- Divorce, job loss, major injury, foreclosure on your home are many of the personal reasons people give for giving up pets. This is tough because certainly if you can't pay your own bills, it may be tough to care for a pet properly.

9. Biting -- When a dog bites, he's usually out of the house. Although I think it matters why he might have bitten someone or if the bite was a real bite or a snap. Dogs that snap are often warning people they are stepping over the line and need some training. Dogs that bite can be a problem.

10. No homes for littermates -- Many people refuse to spay or neuter their dogs and the result is a few litters a year. While the pet owner may be able to find a home for one or two of the puppies, more often than not, the remaining littermates end up at the animal shelter.

Making your own Bird Food

• Understand that it is simple to make your own bird food, but that you must be careful to avoid certain foods that are toxic for birds. These include caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, avocados, rhubarb, sprouted limas, fava beans and navy beans. Always check with your vet.

• Do not give peanuts to a parrot, as this could cause aspergillosis, a dangerous disease.

• Realize that each species of bird requires a different type of diet. Read about your bird's species or talk to your veterinarian so that you fully understand your bird's particular needs. Some birds require high-fat diets, while others require low-fat diets.

• Feed your bird various fruits and vegetables to see what she likes best. Consider making a tiny fruit salad or miniature green salad for your bird. Cooked vegetables and fruits are also excellent choices for a bird.

• Make sure the fruits and vegetables you feed your bird have been washed to remove all possible pesticides. Never feed your bird commercially grown strawberries, as these are sprayed with many pesticides.

• For most bird species, feed nuts and seeds sparingly (this can vary for some species).

• Limit foods that are high in fat, sugar or salt.

• Try mixing cornmeal with three whole eggs (include the shells), cooked vegetables, pieces of raw fruit and applesauce. Bake for 20 minutes. Feed this treat to your bird when cooled.

• Feed your bird some commercial pellets along with your homemade bird food.

• Birds must be fed a balanced diet; specific needs vary from species to species. Check with your avian veterinarian about what is best for your bird..

• Be sure to feed your bird some commercial pellets to ensure a complete diet and a healthy bird..

• Be certain that you never feed your bird table food that is old. Birds are very sensitive to bacteria and toxins..

• Remove eyes from potatoes before feeding them to birds. Potato eyes are poisonous..

• Raw rice is not recommended for birds..

Beef Heart Treats

Beef Heart Dog Treats

by http://www.petsadored.com/

Organ meats are not only full of vitamins for Humans but they are really healthy for dogs as well. Always make sure your pet can eat Beef... check with your vet (my disclaimer LOL)
Anyway, my dogs LOVE organ meats & beef heart is a favorite.

Someone gave me a frozen Beef heart & since I would be the only one to eat it... I figured, why not give the dogs a special treat since it's not really my favorite anyway.

I thawed it in the Microwave & cut it into smaller chunks to fit into my pressure cooker.
I added about an inch of water & threw in 1 beef boullion cube.
Pressure cooked it at 15 lbs for about 45 min.
After it cooled... I cubed it & put some in the fridge & froze some in a baggie for another time.

1 or 2 treats a day & my dogs are "loving me"!!!

PetsAdored Video

A cute little Pet Gift video from PetsAdored!

Great Facebook Pet groups

Do you have a Pet related business OR just own pets?
Well I have found some great info on Pet Groups on Facebook.

If you want to find others with a specific kind of pet... example: Lizards (or whatever)
go to http://www.facebook.com/search
& search for the pet group you want to join.

Some groups for Pets in General... join:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124661560905301 (our brand new one)

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=2361831622#!/group.php?gid=27864355144

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=2361831622#!/group.php?gid=13667799638

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=2361831622#!/group.php?gid=108392987849

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=2361831622#!/group.php?gid=95199195762

So there are a few to start with. Enjoy "talking to others that share your interests!

17 Facts About Pets

From www.petsadored.com
17 Interesting facts about pets.

1-Cats have better memories than dogs.

2-A bird's heart beats 400 times per minute while they are resting

3-a cat can jump as much as seven times its height

4-Larger parrots such as the macaws and cockatoos live more than 75 years.

5-Dogs have about 10 vocal sounds.

6-A baby rabbit is called kitten or a kit.

7-Rabbits don't like being picked up.

8-When rabbits are happy, they perform a series of jumps, twists and runs, which is termed as binky.

9-Don't pick a kitten or a cat up by the scruff of its neck; only mother cats can do this safely, and only with their kittens.

10-A cat will never "meow" at another cat. This sound is reserved for humans.

11-Cats get their sense of security from your voice. Talk to your cats! And be mindful of your tone of voice. Cats know when you're yelling at them.

12-Cats can see in color!

13-Birds are divided into 29 groups

14-Birds do not have teeth.

15-The largest of all birds is the ostrich.

16-Turtles have been on the earth for more than 200 million years.

17-The shell of a turtle is made up of 60 different bones all connected together

KEEP DOGS OFF MY LAWN!

PetsAdored
Custom Gifts with YOUR pet photos!

This is great info from
http://www.scholarshiphunter.com/keepdogsofflawn.html

Keeping the neighbor's dog from "doing his duty" on YOUR lawn can cause riffs with neighbors. So here are some ideas to get the dogs to not want to use your yard as a toilet in the first place.

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Q: I am tired of cleaning dog poop off my lawn. My neighbor is rude and lets his dog crap on my lawn every day. Is there a safe and humane way to keep dogs away from my property?

A: Yes. There are several effective ways to keep dogs off the grass and out of your flower gardens. What you need to do is break the habit of the dog that is targeting your lawn. Here are some options for getting the dog (and its owner) to go somewhere else.


OPTION 1: Try putting out glass jars or clear bottles half-filled with water. Putting these containers of water on your lawn can prevent dogs from going there. Another idea is to put a sturdy dog dish of water on your lawn. The idea here is that dogs instinctively will not defecate where there is a source of drinking water. It makes sense and a lot of people swear by this method.

OPTION 2: Adjust your automatic sprinklers so that they go off when the dog wants to go. Many times owners will walk their dogs at the same time every day or night. If this is the case, water your lawn an hour or so before the dog comes around. Many dogs prefer not to defecate on wet grass.

OPTION 3: Put up a Keep Dogs Off Lawn or Please Clean Up After Your Dog sign. These signs come in many different sizes and colors. You can hang one on a fence or stick one right in the grass. These signs can be very difficult for owners to ignore and they might avoid your yard just because they know you are angry about dog poop on your yard. Amazon offers a lot of keep dog off grass sign styles and prices to choose from.

OPTION 4: Try dog repellant granules or spray. Products like ROPEL granules can stop defecation and urination on lawns, flower gardens, hedges, shrubs and trees. This product might also stop digging in lawns and flowers gardens. These granules are made of a substance that has a very distinctive odor and dogs do not like it. You may have to reapply this product after rain or watering your lawn.

OPTION 5: Install a water scarecrow. A Motion-Activated Sprinkler presents an innovative, humane way to keep pets and wildlife from disturbing your yard and garden without the use of complicated traps or potentially hazardous chemicals. The sprinkler combines a surprise spray of water with unexpected motion and noise to create a safe, effective deterrent to unwanted visitors, helping keep your garden looking its best.

OPTION 6: Install an ultrasonic animal deterrent. These motion-activated electronic devices are easy to install on a fence and provide a humane, effective, maintenance-free electronic yard protector keeps animals away from your property without messy or expensive chemical solutions. Independent laboratory testing has proven this type of high frequency sound technology to be a highly effective form of pest control.

Top 10 Pet Poisons of 2009

PetsAdored wants us all to be very careful with our pets. There are so many poisons in every corner of the house & alot of them, we don't even think about our pets being in danger. This article is from the ASPCA Website.

Top 10 Pet Poisons of 2009
With various dangers lurking in corners and cabinets, the home can be a minefield of poisons for our pets. In 2009, the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in Urbana, IL, handled more than 140,000 cases of pets exposed to toxic substances, many of which included everyday household products. Don’t leave it up to Fido or Fluffy to keep themselves safe. Below is a list of the top 10 pet poisons that affected our furry friends in 2009.

Human Medications
For several years, human medications have been number one on the ASPCA’s list of common hazards, and 2009 was no exception. Last year, the ASPCA managed 45,816 calls involving prescription and over-the-counter drugs such as painkillers, cold medications, antidepressants and dietary supplements. Pets often snatch pill vials from counters and nightstands or gobble up medications accidentally dropped on the floor, so it’s essential to keep meds tucked away in hard-to-reach cabinets.

Insecticides
In our effort to battle home invasions by unwelcome pests, we often unwittingly put our furry friends at risk. In 2009, our toxicologists fielded 29,020 calls related to insecticides. One of the most common incidents involved the misuse of flea and tick products—such as applying the wrong topical treatment to the wrong species. Thus, it’s always important to talk to your pet’s veterinarian before beginning any flea and tick control program.

People Food
People food like grapes, raisins, avocado and products containing xylitol, like gum, can seriously disable our furry friends, and accounted for more than 17,453 cases in 2009. One of the worst offenders—chocolate—contains large amounts of methylxanthines, which, if ingested in significant amounts, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst, urination, hyperactivity, and in severe cases, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors and seizures.

Plants
Common houseplants were the subject of 7,858 calls to APCC in 2009. Varieties such as azalea, rhododendron, sago palm, lilies, kalanchoe and schefflera are often found in homes and can be harmful to pets. Lilies are especially toxic to cats, and can cause life-threatening kidney failure even in small amounts.

Veterinary Medications
Even though veterinary medications are intended for pets, they’re often misapplied or improperly dispensed by well-meaning pet parents. In 2009, the ASPCA managed 7,680 cases involving animal-related preparations such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, heartworm preventatives, de-wormers, antibiotics, vaccines and nutritional supplements.

Rodenticides
Last year, the ASPCA received 6,639 calls about pets who had accidentally ingested rat and mouse poisons. Many baits used to attract rodents contain inactive ingredients that are attractive to pets as well. Depending on the type of rodenticide, ingestions can lead to potentially life-threatening problems for pets including bleeding, seizures or kidney damage.

Household Cleaners
Everybody knows that household cleaning supplies can be toxic to adults and children, but few take precautions to protect their pets from common agents such as bleaches, detergents and disinfectants. Last year, the ASPCA received 4,143 calls related to household cleaners. These products, when inhaled by our furry friends, can cause serious gastrointestinal distress and irritation to the respiratory tract.

Heavy Metals
It’s not too much loud music that constitutes our next pet poison offender. Instead, it’s heavy metals such as lead, zinc and mercury, which accounted for 3,304 cases of pet poisonings in 2009. Lead is especially pernicious, and pets are exposed to it through many sources, including consumer products, paint chips, linoleum, and lead dust produced when surfaces in older homes are scraped or sanded.

Garden Products
It may keep your grass green, but certain types of fertilizer and garden products can cause problems for outdoor cats and dogs. Last year, the ASPCA fielded 2,329 calls related to fertilizer exposure, which can cause severe gastric upset and possibly gastrointestinal obstruction.

Chemical Hazards
In 2009, the ASPCA handled approximately 2,175 cases of pet exposure to chemical hazards. A category on the rise, chemical hazards—found in ethylene glycol antifreeze, paint thinner, drain cleaners and pool/spa chemicals—form a substantial danger to pets. Substances in this group can cause gastrointestinal upset, depression, respiratory difficulties and chemical burns.

Prevention is really key to avoiding accidental exposure, but if you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please contact your veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435 (888) 426-4435.

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