Hoppy Easter Bo

Hoppy Easter…from Bo… and the President and the Easter Bunny…and others…

A Doggone Tune-up

One of the best reasons to take your favorite pooch with you on vacation (even if it is a home staycation) for the Easter or Passover holidays or Spring Break is for the guaranteed exercise you will get with your canine buddy at your side. Here are a few of the fun attractions that you can enjoy with Fido or Fluffy that will give you both a good workout.

Cici loves to zoom around the park every day… zoom zoom zoom… girl dogs just LOVE to run…born to zoom…

1. Tiptoe through the tulips at Mendocino’s  Botanical Gardens

Between the tulips and other flowers, (over 150 varieties), Fido will enjoy a nice stroll with you to the beach. Well-mannered dogs on leashes are always welcome and enjoy free admission.

2. Romp amongst the waves and practice the dog paddle together at Carmel by the sea’s Carmel Town Beach. There are always plenty of dogs splashing, swimming, zooming and chasing one another.  Plus the walk into and out of the beach will get all of your endorphins flowing.

3 Go kayaking …  You can paddle up Big River in a canoe from Catch a Canoe & Bicycles, Too, located at Highway 1 & Comptche-Ukiah Rd, Mendocino, 707-937-0273.

Enjoy a kayak tour through the bay with your pet, courtesy of Central Coast Outdoors in San Luis Obispo

(805) 528-1080; www.centralcoastoutdoors.com

4. Do doga together (doggie yoga)

The downward-facing dog pose is no longer just for humans.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/fashion/09fitness.html?_r=0

5. Take a hike along the Asilomar Trail in Pacific Grove… Take your time and enjoy a casual stroll or pick up the pace for a fast, vigorous hike

http://www.coastalcaninemag.com/issues/spring2011/ccdwasilomar.html

Jughandle State Reserve features a 2½-mile self-guided nature trail called the Ecological Staircase. Starting by the ocean, this trail goes inland up a series of five ancient terraces formed by waves, glacier, and tectonic activity.  The trail features an amazing variety of trees, since the ecologies of the different terraces vary widely.

Three miles south of Fort Bragg. Turn west off Highway One into the well-marked parking area. 707-937-5804

http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-12-Fun-Dog-Friendly-Things-to-Do-in-Mendocino&id=1560737

Some of the national parks are dog friendly and have hiking trails to trot upon as long as dogs are on leash.

6. Play catch or frisbee at the local dog park.

7.  Go surfing together in southern Calfornia

http://www.socalsurfdogs.com/

8. Take dog agility classes at a doggie gym / sports center such as the Zoom Room in Monterey or Carmel Canine Sports Center, an athletic club for dogs and their people

World champions Wallace and Roo

http://www.zoomroomonline.com/monterey-bay-dog-training.html

http://www.carmelcaninesports.com/

9. Go to a canine getaway camp like the one in New York (Adirondack Mountains / Lake George)… The camps are held twice a year and offer dog-friendly activities including  hiking, swimming in the dog-friendly pool, dog agility, canine freestyle dancing, karaoke and more. An all inclusive vacation, with three meals a day,  http://caninecampgetaway.com

10. Manhattan aka New York City offers a wealth of self-guided walking tours, beaches, off leash dog parks and historic sites where dogs are welcome

http://celiasue.com/2011/03/02/spring-break-for-bicoastal-pets/

dog goes horseback riding

http://www.guy-sports.com/jokes/funny_pictures_dogs.htm

What kind of exercise do you enjoy with your dogs?

in your dog’s Easter bonnet

Does your pooch have an Easter bonnet or gift basket? Whether or not you celebrate Easter or Passover or whatever holiday or not, you can still have some fun with an Easter Egg dog hunt on Sunday, March 31… can be for treats, bones, toys, whatever gets your dog in the mood for fun…dogs love finding treats in the grass so why not give them some special time and treats to hunt for. Cici loves to sniff the grass at the park near our house every day and she comes up with all kinds of awful surprises. This could be a fun way to channel your dog’s inner sleuth in a positive way.

An Easter outfit with bonnet is optional, but here’s how to make a costume if you must

http://www.ehow.com/how_2156787_make-easter-outfit-dog.html

http://www.dogguide.net/blog/2008/03/happy-easter-from-the-dog-guide-dogs-dressed-in-their-easter-best/

Your back yard or closest dog park or even a room in your home can suffice to be the place where your doggie will sniff out his prizes… If you want to take photos of the event, you probably should take them before the treasure hunt unless you want some photos of your dog with their goodies and their costume off.

Suggested prizes: 

an Easter bunny stuffed animal

a hardboiled egg or two

small bits of cheese cut up into squares

a bone (deer antler perhaps)

a few cookies (homemade or others)

chicken or turkey jerky or bits of hot dogs

some kibble thrown around in the grass

If your dog is a seder dog who celebrates Passover, the treats can be appropriate to that holiday. For instance, bits of gefilte fish, tuna, and/or salmon.

Popular Easter treats like jelly beans, marshmallow chicks and chocolate eggs can upset your dog’s tummy and make them sick.  DO NOT give any dogs chocolate treats since chocolate is toxic for dogs.

If your dog is a piglet like Cici, do not toss out too many treats for your pooch to consume or they will eat all of it and then still want to eat their meals. These treats can replace one meal that you normally feed them.

On a larger scale, this can make a great charity fundraiser for your local pit bull rescue or shelter and an adoption event, to boot. For a community dog hunt, use plastic eggs and put the treats inside the eggs for the dogs to find. Have someone dress up as the Easter Bunny so pet guardians can take photos with the bunny and their pooches. Be creative. Offer fun dog activities such as agility, a parade, some donor booths filled with goodies and food for humans and pooches. Sponsors from the local community who donate will get Free publicity and a tax write off.

Please let us know about your event at home or in the community and send us photos of your dogs in bunny ears/outfits.

Below is one event taking place in the Sacramento area soon…

http://www.examiner.com/article/wag-hotels-sacramento-presents-the-4th-annual-easter-egg-hunt-for-dogs

here is an event taking place in New Jersey

http://www.princessbuttercupfoundation.org/doggie-easter-egg-hunt.html

gotta love Polka Dot doggie biscuits…

 

Blog Hop time…thanks to Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume…  grab the blog hop  link

Happy Spring…

and Easter and Passover…

from the adorable Bo Obama…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/08/bo-obama-easter-bunny-photo_n_1410976.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

from Andy Borowitz…

Religions in Summary: Jews hide bread, Christians hide eggs, and Mormons hide a dog on top of their car…

GOP hide their womb envy in hundreds of bills against birth control and abortion and health care for women and pretend they are not waging a war against women…

 

did you watch to kill a mockingbird on TV?  if so, what did you think? relevant?

Atticus’ lesson to Scout that “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view — until you climb around in his skin and walk around in it”

“it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”. mockingbirds never harm other living creatures.  “They don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.”

how are you celebrating?

Doggone business Success

Doting pet owners keep pet businesses thriving

According to the American Pet Products Association, spending in the pet industry surged to a record $50.96 billion in 2011. The group expects spending on pets to continue rising to nearly $53 billion this year.

The animal-loving nature of the region, plus the wealthy clientele, has protected the multitude of businesses that cater to pet owners. Whether it’s pet fashion, diet, health or entertainment, there’s a glut of products and services.

Need a dog bowtie? They retail for $24 at pet boutique Diggidy Dog in Carmel. Perhaps you’d like to commission a portrait of your pet — watercolor or photograph? For pet baths, you’ll find $12.95 moisturizing massage goat milk soap bars among the line of Shampooch products made by Infusion Candles and Bath in Monterey.

http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_20335304/doting-dog-owners-keep-pet-businesses-thriving

In Monterey, Carmel, Pacific Grove, Marina and Seaside, there are also other pet businesses such as a gym for pets (Zoom Room), pet food and supplies such as chain stores Pet Food Express, Petco and Pet Smart and independently owned shops, pet sitters, doggie daycare providers, groomers, trainers and dog walkers.

In addition, there are numerous pet friendly hotels and inns, restaurants and businesses that welcome pets inside such as the Del Monte Shopping Center.

Have a bread bowl of clam chowder and calamari on Fisherman’s Wharf at Abalonetti or experience early Monterey Mission style ambiance at the Corkscrew Cafe where you and your dog can have a wood fire pizza on the garden patio…On your way out of town, stop at Tarpy’s Roadhouse and order a $27 Angus beef filet served with roasted red potatoes and garden veggies from the dog menu while you enjoy California-country cuisine yourself.

http://www.7×7.com/pets/dog-friendly-hotels-and-inns-around-san-francisco

here are a couple of blog posts I wrote about Carmel and Monterey…there are a few others, do a search if you want to read more info…

http://celiasue.com/2008/11/14/happy-tails-to-you-when-we-meet-in-carmel/

http://celiasue.com/2009/09/14/downtown-monterey/

Blog Hop time…  thanks to Life with Dogs,Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume…  grab the blog hop code…

Easter treats 4 your pooch

Dog Breeds that are Good with Children

thanks to Martha Stewart for including staffies on this list…

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

The Staffordshire bull terrier is extremely courageous and obedient, highly intelligent, and affectionate with a sense of humor. This, coupled with its affection for its friends — children in particular — off-duty quietness, and trustworthy stability makes it an all-purpose dog. He looks forward to daily exercise, and his powerful jaws enjoy a supply of sturdy chew toys. While he is a sweet-tempered, affectionate dog, his strength and determination require an experienced owner who can work with him in a firm but gentle way. The staffie’s coat is short and smooth and needs only a quick brushing once a week.

http://www.marthastewart.com/274834/dog-breeds-good-with-children/@center/307037/dog-breeds-center?xsc=eml_pet_2012_04_04&om_rid=NsgvVu&om_mid=_BPfElWB8hoFOHT#/264833

she also has some fun, easy and interesting crafts to make as gifts to pets with kids including dog biscuits, a bunny gift basket, a dog can robot, pet ID tags and puppet animals

http://www.marthastewart.com/275020/pet-crafts-for-kids#/200849?xsc=eml_pet_2012_04_04&om_rid=NsgvVu&om_mid=_BPfElWB8hoFOHT

You’ve still got time to enter to win our Easter giveaway…

To be eligible for the box of homemade vintage butterscotch, participants must “Like” the Zeke’s Facebook fan page and Tweet the following to Zeke’s Twitter page: “What’s your best memory with butterscotch?” Leave a comment here and/or like the Have Dog Blog will Travel Facebook page, too to keep us in the loop.

Contest ends April 8 at midnight PST.

 

and here’s a yummy recipe for dog cookies with carob which are non-toxic unlike chocolate…

Carob-Oat Cookies

• 1/2 cup brown rice or oat flour (wheat flour can give some dogs an upset tummy)
• 1/2 cup carob powder
• 1/2 cup whole rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup carob chips
• water to mix

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, adding water slowly until the dough sticks together (enough to form solid scoops).
3. Scoop out tablespoon-size balls of the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
5. Cool and refrigerate for up to a week.
(Makes 30-40 cookies.)

Don’t have time for homemade dog cookies? Melt some carob chips to dip your dog’s favorite biscuits into instead. Cool the chocolate-dipped biscuits on wax or parchment paper before serving.

Tip:  Since carob chips don’t contain as much fat as chocolate, they don’t melt as easily. To help them melt, add a spoonful of virgin coconut oil, which also has multiple health benefits for your dog.

 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2012/03/sweet-dog-treats

Easter sweet surprise giveaway

In her Easter bonnet, no, Cici will not appear in a hat…

and no we are NOT giving away Easter bunnies… hop hop hop…

Every once in awhile us pet parents have to indulge in a sweet delight just for ourselves, and usually mine is chocolate, something I can eat and Cici cannot… but recently I sampled these amazing sweet treats so what we ARE giving away is a box of …

Zeke’s Butterscotch 

This is the best butterscotch I’ve ever eaten. Tastes fresh, rich and is simply addicting. NOT for dogs.  Humans only. Melts in your mouth delicious.

To be eligible for the box of homemade vintage butterscotch, participants must “Like” the Zeke’s Facebook fan page and Tweet the following to Zeke’s Twitter page: “What’s your best memory with butterscotch?” Leave a comment here and/or like the Have Dog Blog will Travel Facebook page, too to keep us in the loop.

Contest ends April 18 at midnight PST. You’ve got just Eight more days to enter and win.  (Yes, we just extended the date) … And if you make us laugh, with a photo of your pet in rabbit ears, (optional) you may just get an extra special pet treat, too. 

So hop hop hop over and you just may win this yummy sweet surprise…

For me, my memories of butterscotch are of the hard candy kind. My dad had a store in Manhattan near to Chinatown. And on special occasions, we would visit the Lower East Side for candy. There were all kinds of goodies… shoe leather (apricot delight), licorice ropes in various flavors, fruity filled hard candies and butterscotch. The candy store near our home where I usually bought my candy held treasures such as MaryJane’s, Clark bars or anything sweet and salty combined with butter, chocolate and/or peanut butter, made me happy. But the more exotic types of candy obtained in NYC were a rare treat for us kid candy connoisseurs.

My grandmother‘s pocketbook was also a great resource for candy. It was usually filled with delights such as peppermint Chiclets gum and butterscotch candies, too. I loved to dig through her purse (how rude, huh) and find something sweet and delicious. It was one of our rituals. Whatever I found, I could eat. Hey, I was 10 and younger. I lived for stuff like that.

About Zeke’s

The Zeke butterscotch candy gets its unique flavor from the ingredients from a recipe from Zeke’s mother, Old Wuss as she was called, who found it in a cookbook that was published in Chicago around 1860, way before imitation flavors were invented.   REAL butterscotch is made with real ingredients.  The main ingredients are Hawaiian pure cane sugar, butter, Grade AA Creamery Butter and lots of it and unsulphered molasses which gives Zeke’s Butterscotch its deep, rich flavor.  The apple cider vinegar in the candy creates a chemical reaction that softens the butterscotch when it is warmed – as in your mouth, and that’s when you’ll start drooling.  It has a very juicy, buttery flavor.  Two more minor but very important ingredients are water (pure and natural) and salt.

Zeke’s Candy Company, formerly Cotton’s Candy Kitchen Co., is owned and operated by Sheila and Jeff Cotton in Cedarville, Ca. and has been in operation since 1988. The two married candy connoisseurs love making vintage candy butterscotch.

Blog Hop time…  thanks to Life with Dogs,Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume…  grab the blog hop code…

jennie uh-oh

you may have noticed that I do NOT appreciate being deceived by people or companies that do NOT have my or your best interest at heart.

Which is why it makes me really sick to my stomach and angry this morning to find out that Jennie-O is actually Hormel.  And Morningstar Farms is actually Kellogg’s. I know about the Morningstar fiasco because Trader Joe’s STILL sells their products. I USED to eat their corn dogs thinking it was an all natural product. Intuitively, I kept getting NOT to eat them but I was addicted at the time. Until they made me really ill. That is when I did a little research and found out, voila, the culprit was Kellogg’s contaminated GMO/GE corn.

The reason that these companies make up these oh so nice sounding all natural sounding names is because WE DON’T WANT TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS and so they cleverly DECEIVE us into buying their products.  THIS IS FRAUD.

And sometimes the companies started out being all natural but became successful and SOLD OUT… ugh. Burt’s Bees, for instance was bought out by Clorox.

www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/business/06bees.html

Can Burt’s Bees Turn Clorox Green?

“Clorox was willing to pay almost $1 billion for Burt’s Bees because big companies see big opportunities in the market for green products. From 2000 to 2007, Burt’s Bees’ annual revenue soared to $164 million from $23 million. Analysts say there is far more growth to be had by it and its competitors as consumers keep gravitating toward products that promise organic and environmental benefits.

In the last couple of years, L’Oréal paid $1.4 billion for the Body Shop and Colgate-Palmolive bought 84 percent of Tom’s of Maine, which makes natural toothpaste and deodorant, for $100 million. Clorox is also creating eco-friendly product lines of its own.

Many corporate leaders have sold their shareholders on green initiatives by pointing out that they help cut costs — an argument that is more persuasive now, while energy costs are sky high. But as companies rush to put out more and more “natural,” “organic” or “green” products, consumers and advocacy groups are increasingly questioning the meaning of these labels.”

It is the same thing with supermarket brand, Walmart, K-mart, Target type pet foods, by the way, people.

Not only is Jennie-uh oh Hormel but they have now recalled 55 THOUSAND pounds of turkey burgers. And I just bought some at Safeway. The turkey burgers are suspected of having Salmonella and are supposedly only tainted ones are from Sam’s Club. You believe that, I got a bridge to sell you.

http://brownfieldagnews.com/2011/04/04/hormel-recalls-jennie-o-turkey-burgers/

At least Foster Farms is still a real farm.

http://fosterfarms.com/faq/raise.asp

“Our chickens and turkeys mature naturally without growth hormones or steroids.”

Still, the ONLY relatively safe way to know what you are eating is by growing your own fruits and veggies organically and I guess slaughtering your own meat (UGH) or buying grass-fed meat from reputable companies. NOT Hormel. NOT Hormel disguised as Jennie-uh-oh.

Happy Passover/Easter… better make it a vegan seder?  My roommate rooked me into making him a real home cooked meal tonight… not vegan. Chicken from Foster Farms, matzo ball soup, potato latkes or kugel, gefilte fish with horseradish and more (mostly from jars) but he’ll never know the difference between from scratch and jars. He lives on cereal and milk and fast food (and wonders why he’s sick all the time, duh)… did NOT get any wine and there will be no apples and honey and ritual/ceremony, no Hebrew since I don’t know any, no waiting for Elijah or having an empty chair at the table, but I digress.

Here is a vegan recipe suggested by Lisa Spector, Through a Dog’s Ear.

http://kosherfood.about.com/od/passovervegetarianmains/r/cutlet_eggplant.htm

well, I would scratch the sugar and use an all natural substitute like agave or stevia OR NO sugar period.  Why one needs sugar in a recipe for eggplant cutlets is beyond me. Substitute the wheat bread crumbs for a gluten free mixture of Bob’s Red Mill flax seed meal and rice flour, I made zucchini sticks a few weeks ago with this and they were yummy. My now go-to bread crumbs substitute.

Be sure that you DO NOT give your dogs too much flax seed meal nor matzo, potato kugel or any other holiday favorite MADE FOR HUMANS. chocolate matzo for dessert for the humans, anyone?

The flax seed meal will take care of the matzo dilemma as Shankman so aptly put it this morning.

“Did you know that Matzoh, with what it does to your stomach after eating it for eight days, is the real reason for the phrase “Let my people go?” It’s true.”

L’chaim or whatever you are supposed to say for Happy Passover.

example of a Best Friends fun raising letter asking for donations…

 just received this email (and I get a few of them a month)… from Best Friends…  I only included ONE of the bunnies, Jasmine, but the letter highlighted three bunnies to sponsor… here’s my suggestion for animal rescue organizations who are raising donations: sign up for Best Friends newsletter and email alerts…  attend one of their seminars/workshops about starting and running an animal shelter, and follow their lead… and network, network, network… and please, if you need assistance to write email alerts, newsletters, donation letters, a blog, website copy, please contact me (see my About me page) or click on my links.   

 

Dear Members and Friends,

 

Easter. A time for bright-eyed children … bountiful baskets … and bunnies! But did you know that bunnies are popular all year long?

 

Bunnies are the third favorite housepet in America. Sadly, after cats and dogs, bunnies are also the #3 pet most commonly found in shelters. There, many face a too-soon end.

 

At The Best Friends Bunny House, things are different. Here, hundreds of “buns” live happily, for as long as they need.

 

But The Bunny House is two decades old … and urgently needs renovation. In short, the “buns” of Best Friends need a home makeover.

 

The cost to remodel is just over $100,000 – and we already have more than half. So, give what you can and together we can “raise the roof” on The Best Friends Bunny House. Here’s how.

 

This Easter, when you sponsor a homeless bunny as your gift to a friend or family member, your donation will go to rebuild The Best Friends Bunny House … keeping each “bun” that you sponsor cozy for years to come.

Sponsor Jasmine! Sponsor Tumbleweed! Sponsor Bogey!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

So go ahead and sponsor an orphan bunny from Best Friends as your gift this Easter.

 

You’ll raise the roof on The Best Friends Bunny House … keep hundreds of buns safe and warm … and get many happy feelings in return.

 

Where else but Best Friends can an Easter gift do so much? Must be that bunny magic! Thank you for caring about all creatures … great and small.

 

And warm wishes for a Happy Spring,

 

 

 

 

P.S. There are lots more bunnies for you to sponsor on the Best Friends website, here. And if you liked the stories of Jasmine and her pals, I hope you’ll share with a friend.