The view of Bastrop fires from DogBoy's

Sunday was a pretty scary day for us here in Central Texas. A severe drought, mixed with high winds created the perfect storm for fires to erupt all over the surrounding areas, including Pflugerville. Understandably, you were worried, so Noodle and I are here with answers.

The Texas Forest Service told of 63 fires yesterday that burned close to 33,000 acres. Community Impact has all the details of the fires in our area.  Everyone at DogBoy’s is keeping a close eye on the news, the dogs and the property.  Currently, and thankfully, there are no fires in Pflugerville at the present time.

Here’s what we know:

DogBoy’s continues to maintain a defensible barrier to fire by cutting all the combustible materials away from the buildings and property, clearing surrounding brush, and cutting grass down to 1/2″.  Many neighboring farms have plowed their fields, leaving little to burn.  DogBoy’s kennels and training buildings are made of concrete, cement board, aluminum and tin, so the buildings are at low risk for catching fire.

Other pet care facilities in Austin such as Hip Hounds and Barking Springs have graciously offered up space for us in case we need to evacuate.  If that ever were to happen, however, we would need extra help for transport.  If you would like to join a call list of people nearby who could quickly help in a situation like this, please email me at doggirl@dogboys.com with your current email and cell phone.  Ideally, we’d like to start a Google Huddle (group text alert), so if you’re on Google +, all the better!

Please know that we are doing all we can to stay on top of these events, and your dogs and their safety have our full attention now and always.  Be safe out there, Y’all, and we will keep you informed if there are any changes.

With care,

DogGirl

We also care for many dogs that are more heat sensitive than others. Short-nosed dogs (aka Brachycephalic dogs) like boxers, bulldogs, pugs and puggles are watched especially closely. The roof of their mouth acts like a radiator in a car – short snouts equal an inefficient cooling system.  Other dogs that overheat easily are the very large breeds, like our Pyrenees and mastiffs, as well as dogs on thyroid medications. Elderly dogs and those with heart conditions also have trouble with the heat as well as younger dogs. We keep an extra-close watch on these dogs when they’re here in summer months, and you will often see a well-behaved boarding dog spending time in the office when they need to be indoors more.

One of the things that makes DogBoy’s extra special is that the dogs we care for get to play outside in playgroups, hand-picked by staff who are trained in dog behavior. On an ideal day, that means they are outside for a full day’s play, whether they are here for daycare or boarding.  But your dog’s safety is our top priority, which means on days when the temperature or heat index is close to 100 or hotter, they can’t play outside all day without overheating.

So what do we do?

Well, when it’s this hot outside, we have to change things up a bit.  DogBoy’s kennels have always been designed to keep the cool in with reflective roofing and 4′ thick concrete slabs that hold on to the earth’s temperature.  We also have air-conditioned kennels, so dogs have a comfortable place to cool down.  To take advantage of the cooler times of day, the dogs get playtime in the morning.  And we start early!  We get the AC going in the kennels around 10 am, and when it starts to get hot around mid-day we bring the dogs inside for a rest and cool-down period. On days when we have lots of dogs on the property, we may also bring dogs into the office or to our beautiful and spacious Training and Wellness Center. After cooling off, we let the dogs out for potty breaks and shorter, supervised hikes.  While on hikes, we turn on the sprinklers and hose dogs down to help cool them off.  When boarding numbers are high, we limit day care, so everyone has dedicated space to cool down.

Our hard-working kennel staff makes sure that there is fresh, cool water in the buckets and kiddie pools, placed in the shade so your dogs can have a refreshing drink and cool themselves off with a splash if they want to. Our team refreshes these water sources again mid-day so that when the dogs come out after their rest break to play, they have plenty of clean cool water.

Thanks again for your questions, and keep ‘em coming.  We want you to travel worry-free, and enjoy your time away from your dog, while at work or on the road, with confidence that we’re taking care of all the details.  Enjoy these last few weeks of summer and we’ll see you again soon!

Stay cool,

DogGirl

P.S.  For those of you who want to know more about our old friend Mr. Blue, the pawthor of True Blue Leadership, who will be visiting DogBoy’s for an official Book Signing and Pawtography Event Tuesday, September 27th, check out his video:

Noodle is feeling patriotic today!

Howdy, Y’all!   Noodle Here.

My Mom and Dad are out celebrating the 4th of July without me this year, but I want you to know that that’s not necessarily a bad thing!  I’m holding down the fort at the Ranch (all 10 lbs of me), making sure all the other dogs have company, and I’m busy keep away the intruders in the tall grass (All grass is tall to me).

My mom says that the 4th of July is a real reason to celebrate.  Rumor has it, she’s visiting the home of a Navy pilot, who’s home for only a short visit near the end of a VERY long deployment.  I love snuggling on my mom’s lap while she’s reading her friend’s military spouse blog, Witty Little Secret.

Sometimes she laughs (fun for me), and sometimes she cries (good for her), but she always leaves with a better understanding of what it’s like to truly sacrifice for the sake of our country.

Okay, back to me and my cuddly self.  Did I mention I miss my mom?  There is one more thing I need you to know before tonight.  If your county doesn’t have a burn ban like Travis County does, and you actually get to go out and see fireworks tonight, do my four-legged friends a favor and DON’T bring them along.  I know you love to take us lots of places, and most times that’s a good thing!  But fireworks stress us out, so please keep us home indoors where it’s safe.  Windows closed, shades drawn, and music up are all things that will improve the mood.  If your pups have access to your back yard where the scary fireworks are, make sure their collars and tags are on, JUST IN CASE they feel the need to escape and go AWOL.  If you have time, download this really cool CD called Through a Dog’s Ear, it’s music just for me that is especially made to calm us down.  Here’s even more safety tips for dogs during fireworks.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July, dog friends, and come home soon, Mom!

Love, Noodle

Piers shows he can "Leave It" with treats on both paws

If you’ve been a DogBoy’s client for any length of time, odds are good that we’ve shared our views on the importance of diet and the ingredients that go into your dog’s food. Most of us don’t think twice about limiting, say, our children’s sugar intake. After seeing my 4 year-old rampage through a store after he shared my milk shake the other day, I was forcibly reminded of why that is a good idea!  Unfortunately, dog food manufacturers—especially the large companies—aren’t exactly forthcoming about the ingredients they use and can hide unhealthy ingredients behind jargon that can leave even the most conscientious dog owner scratching their head.

One solution is to make your own dog food from raw ingredients.  Several of the DogBoy’s team do this, particularly our Director of Training, Paula Baker Prince. It is probably the best way to ensure that your dog’s diet contains the best possible ingredients.

If you think you might want to try home-made dog food, but want to try something maybe a little less intimidating first, you can always try to make your own dog treats.  Maria Carlson, an old friend of mine, has been making her own treats for years. She says that books, blogs, even online recipe sites like Allrecipes.com are great places to look for easy to make (but yummy) dog treats.  To get you started, the DogBoy’s Dog Blog presents three tasty treat recipes that will put a smile on the face (and a wag in the tail) of your favorite four-legged friends.

Our first two recipes come courtesy of Marg Pedroza, whose dog Lily is a regular daycare and Chelsea’s Charm School client.  Marg knows that wheat flour isn’t the best thing for dogs—they tend to process it like sugar.  Marg uses oat or potato flour but there other good alternatives out there, such as spelt or even garbanzo bean flour.

Salmon Treats a  la Lily

1 can salmon (pink)

½  cup chopped parsley, or 1 bunch fresh

3 eggs, shells included

½ cup ground sesame seeds

½  cup ground flaxseeds

(NOTE: Coffee grinders work great for grinding the seeds)

2 to 3 cups potato flour

Preparation & Cooking

Marg says “Put these ingredients in a food processor and mix VERY WELL. Pour potato flour through the opening while the processor is on. Use 2-3 cups until dough forms to consistency of a pie crust and rolls into a ball—now it’s ready to take out. Dump it onto a potato-floured counter or kneading board.  Knead more flour into the dough and when it’s rolled out to a cookie-dough like consistency, roll it out one last time to about a ¼-inch think. Use a knife or pizza cutter to make small squares; you can also use cookie cutters if you want to be fancy. Bake on a greased or papered cookie sheet (you will probably need 2)  at 375 for 20 minutes. Turn and rotate the cookie sheets and bake for about 10 more minutes.

If cooked until crisp, you can store these biscuits at room temp for 1-2 weeks.

Sweet Salmon Aux Pommes

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes (can also substitute one can of cooked plain pumpkin)

1 can of salmon

2 ½ cups non-wheat flour (oat flour works especially well)

1 tablespoon flaxseeds (optional)

Directions:

Boil the sweet potatoes approximately 20-30 minutes until done. You should be able to easily stick a fork in them and break them apart. Put the potatoes into a food processor, add the salmon and set to “pulse.” When the salmon and sweet potato mixture is combined, add 1 cup of flour and process until smooth, then add the next cup of flour and repeat, repeating again with the last ½ cup. If adding flaxseeds, add at the end. They’ll give the treats an extra nutty flavor with the added benefit of more Omega-3 fatty acids (especially good for the skin and coat). Using a tablespoon, make “drop” cookies on a greased cookie sheet, evening out with the back of the spoon.

Bake at 425 for 30 minutes or until brown. Refrigerate.

Maria Carlson of Elkhart, Indiana and  proud doggie mom of Ruby, was kind enough to share her favorite recipe—heartily endorsed by Ruby for its bacon-y goodness!

Ruby Snacks:

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup milk

½ cup water

1 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons melted bacon fat

5 cups of flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Beat eggs in a large bowl; stir in milk, salt, and bacon fat until well-blended. Gradually stir in flour to make a stiff dough. Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll into 2-inch balls. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 35-40 minutes and cool on racks. Store in a covered container in the fridge.

Three great recipes to get you started! If you try any (or all) of them, please let us know how they turned out. Better yet, snap a picture of the results and share them on our Facebook page. And if you and your dogs have other great recipes, don’t keep those to yourself either!  Feel free to add them in the comments section below.

This weekend is filled with special goodies for you, and for Mother Earth too!

The Office front garden is planted with Easter Eggs, each filled with a special treat just for you.  Pick one to find out what you win!

Also today in honor of Earth Day, DogBoy’s will be donating 5% of your purchases to 6 non-profits committed to protecting the environment.  Visit AustinGive5.comfor more information on how you can help.

Just a reminder, DogBoy’s will be closed Easter Sunday to customers, but our kennel staff will still be here taking excellent care of your pups.

Easter Weekend Tips to remember:

• Keep your dog away from the chocolate – it can be poisonous to them, or at the least cause a lot of digestive upset.
• Boiled eggs (even colored) are fine, shell and all.  Just make sure they are fresh.  Break them up for the little pups.  If you hide one, make sure your dog finds it!
• Keep Easter grass and cellophane wrappers out of reach of dogs – they can cause intestinal blockage (and I know you don’t want to spend your holiday in the animal ER!).
• Easter Lillies can be toxic, especially to cats, so keep them up high.
• Finally, artificial sweeteners like Xylitol (found in many sugar-free candies) are poisonous to dogs, so keep those Easter baskets up high, and out of paw’s reach.

Have a safe and hoppy Holiday, everyone!

DogGirl

Bundle up out there. It's about to get COLD!

One of my cousins lives in Fairbanks, Alaska, where her Air Force husband is currently stationed, and she was joking to me recently how a 35 degree day felt like a heat wave. In Austin, we’re more used to worrying about the heat than the cold, and for good reason: it can hit the 90s or higher in May and usually stays there in October. But as news of recent ice storms and our own chilly days and sub-freezing nights have reminded us, we can get cold here too, especially in January and February.

As they do in the summer, DogBoys’ dedicated and tireless kennel staff are on watch to make sure no dog is suffering in the cold while they come for boarding or daycare. Many of our regulars feel extra-frisky on nice crisp mornings and you can see them running and playing in our many playgroups. And if you can’t see them, you can certainly hear them!  These dogs are having a great time. But just as some dogs are particularly vulnerable to the heat, others feel the cold more. Questions about warmth in our kennel buildings is a common question this time of year. Rest assured—both of our kennels are heated and our larger, newer kennel building even has radiant heating in the floors. The older kennel has sliding doors in each of the runs that we shut at night to keep the heat in, and we put down blankets for everyone. Both kennels are fully climate controlled as well.  With all that, the dogs stay nice and toasty!

Many owners of short-haired breeds like Weimaraners, Viszlas, Greyhounds and Pointers will bring specially-made dog jackets on very cold days, and we welcome them. You can purchase them in many pet stores like our local Tomlinson’s or online; if you’re handy with a crochet hook or knitting needles, you can even make your own (Knitting Pattern Central has a great selection of free dog sweater patterns available for download). Either way, we are happy to put them on your dog but be warned—those sweaters can take a beating in playgroup!

What about when they’re at home? If your dogs are mostly indoor dogs, they’ll be fine. However, if we get snow, sleet or ice you will want to check between your dog’s pads to make sure none of that is stuck there. Even more importantly, salt and chemicals used to melt ice on roads and sidewalks can burn dogs’ pads, so you will want to wipe your dog’s feet off right away if you need to take a walk on any salted surfaces. You will also want to make sure antifreeze is stored where your dog can’t get at it.

If you have an outdoor dog, take care. If you have a cold weather breed like a husky or Malamute with a thick coat, they’ll probably be fine even on Austin’s coldest days. In fact, a husky who’s a daycare regular at DogBoy’s even prefers sleeping outside on chilly nights! Short-coated dogs, or older dogs with arthritis or other health issues should spend chilly nights indoors, as they will be more prone to hypothermia and, in extreme cold, frostbite.

As with Austin’s hot summers, dogs are vulnerable to the same effects of cold as we are. Odds are good that if you need to take precautions when the temperatures plunge, your dog will need them too. If you are coming for boarding or daycare, take a moment with us to warm yourself by the fire and have some hot chocolate or cider before going out again. Bundle up!

Nicole Mlakar Photography, http://www.nicolemlakarphotography.com

Summer’s here, and it’s time to start being conscious of the heat.  Not just in regards to ourselves, but also with our dogs. Most of us know when the heat’s getting to us, our children or our friends; do you know what to look for in your four-legged friends?  Dogs do sweat, but unlike with people, it is not their primary means of cooling down. In fact, once the temperature or heat index reaches the upper-90s to low 100s, all dogs have a much more difficult time cooling down.

VetInfo.com has an excellent summary of the signs to look for, but here are the major symptoms:

1. Heavy panting and hyperventilation;
2. “Belling” of the tongue; if your dog is panting heavily, his tongue will flare out into a bell-like shape at the bottom; 
3. Lethargy or confusion; 
4. Staggering gate.

As the dog’s body temperature rises:

1. Gray or pale gums;  
2. Shallow and/or labored breathing;
3. Vomiting and bloody diarrhea.

Some dogs are more at risk than others.  Much like people, puppies and senior dogs are more prone to heat stress.  Short-snouted breeds such as pugs or boxers also overheat very quickly, as do dogs on thyroid medications such as soloxine or thyroxine.  Both of these factors make dogs less able to regulate their body temperature, especially when it comes to keeping cool.  Finally, overweight dogs are at increased risk for heat exhaustion—one more incentive to make sure your dog maintains a proper weight.

Working at the front desk at DogBoy’s, one of the most common questions I get from clients and prospective clients is “What do you do with the dogs when it gets hot?” Typically, we turn on the air conditioning in the kennel buildings in the late morning, then bring the dogs in at mid-day for a few hours’ rest to cool off.  Dogs who are particularly intolerant of the heat will spend much more time indoors, either in our kennel buildings or in the front office—where they’ll still get lots of people time and spoiling.

For the dogs that do get to spend more time outdoors, our hard-working kennel staff refreshes the water buckets and baby pools at noon so there’s lots of nice cold water to play in and drink. And as long as our pond has water that is safe to swim in, our best behaved and water-loving dogs will be able to have a dip as well during our pond hikes.

As always, we are happy to accommodate your dog’s special needs—heat-related or otherwise. And don’t forget: summer fills up fast, even on non-holiday weekends, so if you haven’t reserved a spot for your dog during your summer vacation, give us a call or email!

written by Jay Robison

photo by Nicole Mlakar Photography

It’s been a week and I’m just catching my breath to tell you all about our big Open House weekend.  What a wonderful time it was – celebrating with family, friends and staff.  We’re still smiling about it!

We kicked off the weekend with a pre-party, taking time to thank our builder, our bankers, our local vets, and many of the others who made this project possible.  We decided to give the Training & Wellness Center an informal nickname, Chelsea’s Place after our first dog, Chelsea Garbo.  She’s the reason we got into this business, after all!

We also announced some BIG news.  We have made a committment to a formal partnership with the Austin Humane Society!  We are SO excited about giving back to the Austin pet community, and can’t wait to get started.  DogBoy’s will be helping out some of their more active dogs – who really need to get out and run!  We’re giving a free evaluation and day of day care for up to three shelter dogs per week.  In exchange, DogBoy’s will have the honor of a dedicated run at the AHS, and will get to be a big part of their annual Rags to Wags gala.  We just love the work that the AHS does, and we’re so proud to be a partner with them.

I’d like to say a big THANK YOU to Nicole Mlakar-Livingston of Nicole Mlakar Photography for shooting the pre-party and Saturday’s Open House.  For even more of her great pics, you can read her blog.  We’re really looking forward to working with Nicole more in 2010!

I’d also like to send big hugs and thank you’s to my mom, dad & sister for all their help with Friday’s event.  We couldn’t have pulled off such a wonderful evening without their help! 

The Open House on Saturday was loads of fun too.  We had our wonderful trainers doing demos on Agility and Rally Obedience.  So impressive!  Lisa Knaggs, Owner of Bark for Peace gave some great mini-classes on canine massage.  She’s teaching her second class out at the ranch on Friday, 2/12 if you’d like to join us!

Marcella and I did three FULL tours and really enjoyed showing everyone around.  Thanks to everyone who helped out and please come join us at Chelsea’s Place soon!

photo by Nicole Mlakar Photography

Long time no see!  This last month has been a whirlwind.  Our Training & Wellness Center is complete, the Open House is next Saturday (10 – 2 – please join us!), we’re busy with new fencing, signage, phone lines, furniture, and my iPhone has officially turned into a Pachinko machine.  Bing-ba-bing-bing-bing!

We have visited some wonderful local vets this month, letting them know all about what we’re up to, and how we can all work together to improve pet care in our community.  First we met with Dr. Carolyn Love of Love Pet Hospital, who gave us lots of great info on how to find local acupuncture vets and chiropractors (and vets) who are trained in animal chiropractic care.  We also enjoyed meeting her Office Manager, Robin, who had some great stories to share.

Next was a great heart to heart with our own vet, Dr. Todd Riggan of White Rock Veterinary Hospital.  Dr. Todd was excited about all the training classes we’re teaching, and gave us the name of the chiropractor who treats his pet patients.  We are looking forward to learning more about him hopefully getting him out to treat pups at DogBoy’s as well.  We love White Rock Vet!

Soon after we were knocking on the door of Dr. Neans and his super friendly crew at Central Texas Animal Hospital.  It was great hearing stories of how much Dr. Neans has seen Pflugerville grow over the years, and brainstorming about how we can work together to help the community continue to understand the importance of spaying & neutering their pets.  Thanks to Dr. Sameer Modak & their Office Manager Michelle for meeting with us as well.

Dr. Gudipally over at Pflugerville Animal Hospital introduced us to his super friendly long haired chihuahua named Levi, and a sweet kitty who’s name escapes me.  His business is growing, and he’s now treating pets in two locations.  Way to go!

Today, with DogBoy out of town, I visited our last two (but no less important) vets.  Dr. Watson at Tech Ridge Pet Hospital has such a kind heart, and his staff was so welcoming to me.  They even let me sit behind the front desk like one of their own.  Dr. Watson was interested to learn more about diet and its affect on behavior, and we look forward to talking more about that!  See our Diet Sheet if you’re curious to know more.

Finally, I got the sheer pleasure to meet Dr. Sutton at Hometown Animal Care.  We laughed about the ups and downs of the boarding industry and he told me all about the up and coming Round Rock location of the Central Texas Veterinary Specialty Hospital.  This second location (original is off Ben White, near Hwy 290 & 71) will be a specialty hospital by day and a top notch ER by night.  We can’t wait for them to open!  A big thanks to Cindy for giving me the grand tour.

We are so grateful to all our local vets, and can’t wait to work more closely with them in the coming year.  What they all had in common was how open they were to our desire to bring alternative medicine to this area, and their sharing of the wonderful reputation we have built in this 15 years of business.  Did I mention that?  This is our 15th year!!!  Woo Hoo!  Get ready for a year of fun and lots of  new adventures!  Hope to see you at the Open House!

Doggirl Returns

I have returned from the Pet Care Services Association Conference in Orlando inspired, excited and ready to implement everything I learned.  Victoria Stilwell (from Animal Planet’s It’s Me or the Dog) was our keynote speaker, and what a treat it was to meet her and hear her speak about the positive dog training movement.

So many people in our industry still rely on “old school” methods of training – choke, pinch and shock collars – and I long for that to change.  Victoria made some excellent points: that those methods work, but they work at the expense of trust and a strong bond between owner and dog.  Dogs should behave out of a desire to please, and not out of fear of punishment.  Using that choke chain or pinch collar tells that dog that the one person he depends on for love, food and support cannot be trusted.  It breaks down the bond that we try so hard to build.  Our dogs deserve so much better, don’t they?  I was honored to be in her presence, and so grateful to have her at our conference.

I met so many wonderful people, learned so much, and came back with so many ideas about how to make DogBoy’s even better than it already is.  I believe wholeheartedly in what we do, but there is always room for improvement!  So stay tuned for new and exiting changes.  And not to worry!  The acreage and the playtime are staying put.  All the things you love about DogBoy’s are here to stay.

My side trip to upstate NY was also a real treat.  I continued learning, got to see the leaves change and finally got my dog (and cat) fix!  The NY Sheep and Wool fest was overwhelming, and I hope to return to do it all again someday.  I got to stay at a Buddhist monastery, visit an Elk Farm, and got a doggie facial!  A big thank you to my friends and family for entertaining me, and filling me with love and support.