FitDog Friday: Healthy Snacks for Dogs

IT'S FRIDAY!!!

To celebrate such an occasion, I'd like to share with you special little snacks my bosses have made me:

• Sweet Potato slices- dehydrated: Bosses have this cool thing called a "dehydrator", which cooks food at a low temperature for a long period of time, sucking all the moisture out of the food which is being cooked.  Bosses like to eat sweet potato fries on the grill, and they always buy an extra potato (or three) to make into potato-chip-sized slices for me.  When they're done cooking, they are a jerky consistency, and are perfect for a little "snackeroo".  Plus, the only ingredient?  Sweet potato.  Since the moisture is all gone, they last for quite some time, too!
• Apple Slices- raw:  Raw apple slices are a nice treat at our place.  Usually, Bosses go apple picking in the fall, and bring home gratuitous amounts of apples.  They make tons of cooked/baked goods for themselves, and they give the extra pieces to me when I'm being good.
• Apple Slices- dehydrated: The dehydrator works wonders on the apple slices.  After I'm done with a few slices of fresh apples, Bosses put the rest in the dehydrator to preserve them better.  Then I can have chewy apple slices/bits longer into the season!  Also? Only ingredient, again, is apples.  Can't go wrong with that.
• Banana slices- raw: I love the ends of the bananas!  Bosses don't like the very last bit on the banana, so if I follow a training command or trick, they give me the tiny little nub off the end of the banana.  They think it's pretty funny when I eat that one- the texture of a banana is so chewy, I sit there and make the most hilarious face while chewing it.  Maybe a video of this will surface here later...who knows.
• Pumpkin/Peanut butter biscuits: Small Boss is really into cooking/baking, so she bought a bone-shaped cookie cutter, and experimented by making some pumpkin/peanut butter biscuits for me.  She loves pumpkin-flavored things in the fall, so she figured she'd share the love.  She used rice flour (since I'm on a gluten-free diet), peanut butter, gluten-free oats, and pureed pumpkin.  She baked them at about 450 for 30 minutes, or until they were golden brown.  After they cooled off, they got nice and crispy.  Perfect snack!  My buddies liked them, too!

Please note that I, nor my Bosses, are veterinarians.  This is not dietary advice, and all of these snacks are fed in moderation, and not as a meal.  Bosses only give me a few of these per day.

What are your favorite healthy doggy snacks?  I'd love to know!  I love to eat- but I love to keep my "fit" figure!

Loving this fall weather!  Laying in the yard is my favorite (while the biscuits are cookin')!

Chow!

FitDog Friday: Mental Stimulation

Hiya, Everyone!

Well, Boss has been up to lots of blog hops this week- I hope everyone has been thoroughly enjoying all of them thusfar!  A big thank you to everyone I've met so far this week- you are all so fantastic.  It's great to meet you all!

Today's thoughts are my first FitDog Friday!  Boss got her college degree in Human Performance/Exercise Science/Kinesiology and Health, so this is right up her alley, at least for the humans!

Run, run, run...as FAST as you can!

Boss has learned that raising a puppy is no chore.  Puppies need a LOT of exercise, especially as they grow.  Exercise keeps them physically healthy, happy, and mentally healthy.  After a dog stimulates their mind and body, they are much less likely to get into devious trouble- or at least that has what Boss has found with me so far.  Boss has fostered 1 other puppy, as well as raise me, and will be fostering a 13-week-old puppy in 2 weeks.  What has been similar with all of us?  Staying busy and happy.

My braided rope tug toy.  I love it!

Boss will be honest, she doesn't take me for a walk every single day.  She feels a bit guilty about this.  Sometimes, though, I get exercise in a different way.  We play fetch in the yard, or play a game of "Chase Boss", or we go to the dog park and get the hiking/running/socializing out.  During physical exercise, of course my mind and body are both busy!  It's great!  Some of those days, though, Bosses are tired from work or have commitments where they can't slip physical activity in, Bosses have to get clever.

I need to keep my mind busy, right?

So, what are some of the ideas Bosses have come up with so far to keep me busy (hint: Bosses really prefer I don't stay busy by ripping up the stairs anymore)?  Here are a few:

• Hiding treats around a room.  Well, let's be honest here- Bosses would hide treats around the house, but I am so easily distracted and don't get the whole determination thing yet, so we'd just have old treats hanging around the house.  One room is all we can handle right now.  My personal favorite is ice cubes!
• Treat-dispensing toys.  Bosses have bought me a few different types of treat dispensing things, and they seem to keep me busy.  Balls with holes in the center for smaller treats, a big treat dispenser with goodies, or even a fabric "maze" game with the stuffies taken out from the middle and stuffed with ice cubes.  I looooove ice cubes.
• Honestly, the kitties and I interact and keep each other...busy.  Allie usually stays out of it, since she is a pretty mellow gal, but Thor and I play chase.  He is usually the instigator, getting me all excited and then bolting off.  He gives me mixed signals, because then he growls at me when I actually get to him, but I like it anyway. ;-)
• Chewing toys.  I love to chew everything.  It's not over-exaggerating when I mention that, because I have probably chewed on almost everything.  Bosses like to take me to the local pet store (again, the outing keeps me busy), and I get to pick out something to chew on whenever I am out of food.  I usually pick one of those cow-hoof things, because not only does it take me forever to demolish, it smells SO good.  Boss thinks it smells like a horribly bad piece of bacon (she even likes bacon!), but I think it smells glorious.  Mmm mmm mmm!

Why did Bosses have to get so innovative?  Ha.  Let me tell you why! (Boss laughs just remembering the Cabin Fever we had last winter!!!)

Playing fetch when it was a balmy 20F out last winter.

Last year, I was a tiny little puppy during what was considered a horrible, never-ending winter up here in Minne"snow"ta.  Holy cow, it was brutal.  Temperatures were at -40F, and that barely counted the windchill.  Sometimes, we had windchill/temp readings up to -60F.  Needless to say, we ALL were cooped up.  Bosses and myself.  Boss had to come up with ways to keep me busy during those long, frigid days.  So this is where all the mental stimulation comes into fruition.  At least we're prepared in case it happens again!

I LOVE my floating bumper toy- I can't break it!!!

When it is too cold to play outside, Bosses and some volunteers/friends from RAGOM get together and plan playgroups for us as well.  I got invited to my foster sister's birthday party at an indoor doggy play area last winter.  It was sooooo much fun!  Here's a snapshot of my momma and I getting a picture together- I love when I get to see her!  The weekends are usually for wearing myself out with play and physical activity, and the weekdays are my chance to get my brain working and stay sharp.

Carrying sticks to my "nest" is also a personal hobby.

This weekend, I plan on completely wearing myself out- it's football weekend again, and that means more tailgating and play time with friends!  I cannot WAIT!

What are some ways you keep yourselves fit, mentally active and healthy?  Any fun plans for the weekend? Give me some ideas!

Chow!