DogBoy's Dog BlogDog boarding, training, daycare and wellness in the Austin area

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Many of you know Pancake, our orange tabby barn cat. He’s very friendly and loves attention. And many of you have been surprised to see him in the office the last few months. What’s going on? Has Pancake retired from the barn to become an office cat?

For some time, there have been tell-tale signs that something was going on with Pancake’s health. His lip would swell sometimes, with what looked like insect bites, and they always seemed to go away. More serious were recurrent infections in Pancake’s paw that never seemed to fully heal. We here at DogBoy’s were concerned, and many of our great customers were concerned for him as well. We were worried it was something serious.

Finally we got a diagnosis: feline eosinophilic granuloma complex. Quite a mouthful! But what is it? Basically, it causes the growth of skin lesions in a cat’s mouth, feet, stomach, or other areas on its body. No one really knows what causes it; one theory is that allergies set off an immune response that goes awry. There is also some evidence that eosinophilic granuloma complex is genetic. And in Pancake’s case, the fact that he had a lesion on his paw made him more prone to getting infections in the affected foot.

The good news is that for most cats, this disease is manageable and there are a range of treatment options available. As Pancake recovers and gets back to his usual mischevious self, we will be consulting with our vets to determine what the next step will be. And whether he returns to the outdoors permanently to keep our other barn cat, Callie, company or embarks on another great adventure we here at DogBoy’s will make sure that Pancake is happy, healthy, and very well-loved. In the meantime, feel free to give him some attention. But watch out-if he’s feeling frisky he may try to nip you!

Update: Dr. Todd Riggan and the staff at White Rock Veterinary Hospital have given Pancake the go-ahead to return to the great outdoors. While he still loves to visit the office, he is happy to be free again!

Howdy, Dog Lover!

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:

Hello Dog Lovers,

Each year, DogBoy & I go on a long vacation. We live on the property with DogBoy’s boarding kennel on one side, and the Training & Wellness center on the other, a view of the agility field out our kitchen window, and a view of one of the playgroups our our bathroom window. Employees are all around walking back and forth, and customers are (thankfully) coming in and out daily. Sometimes, being in the middle of it all leaves us feeling a little like we’re living in a bubble. Because we live, eat, work and raise our family all in the same place, when we need a vacation we have to really get away (far away or for a long time, or both) to accomplish that.

So far, we have not yet taken our dogs along for the ride. There is no room in the car for the big dogs (sorry guys), and taking little Noodle would make eating out difficult. Some of the national parks we went to this trip weren’t very dog friendly either. Not to mention our dogs get excellent care at DogBoy’s while we’re gone!

I’m sure Noodle, Rebel and Tessa are getting lots of exercise, belly rubs, and plenty of opportunities for playtime with other dogs. Getting to romp around on 15 acres is like dog heaven. Anytime they’re out of the house, their tails are wagging, and their tongues are hanging out from sheer bliss. They want all the other dogs to know the truth: they run this place. But at night, when they’re sleeping soundly in their air-conditioned runs, I think about them and wish they were curled up in my lap or at my feet.

I think next year, I might see if I can talk DogBoy into letting me bring Noodle along. After 15 years in the pet care industry, I’m almost embarrassed to say that I’ve never taken my pups on vacation with me. I’m curious to know if you’ve traveled with your dog, and what your experiences have been?

Happy Tails!
DogGirl

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Thanks to businessbroad.com for the image.

Kids & Dogs can coexist peacefully!

This past Monday, DogBoy and I ventured off the Ranch with our well-seasoned dog trainer of almost 10 years, Rebecca Andrews. We were on a mission to educate the children of Dessau Elementary School for their local Career Day. One of our own kids goes to this school, so this career day was a special treat for us. We brought along Rebecca’s faithful sidekick, Murphy.

Of course, everyone wants to pet Murphy. He’s the local favorite greeter at DogBoy’s. He’s easy going, always ready for a belly rub, and wonderful with kids. But besides teaching kids what it’s like to run a dog ranch or be a dog trainer, we felt pretty strongly that there are other important things that kids need to know about dogs. We’re all kids on the inside (right?), so I thought I’d share these things with you too:

How to greet a dog you don’t know:

1. ALWAYS Ask permission! Not all dogs like kids (or people, for that matter), so it’s always a good idea to ask first.

2. Approach with your body sideways (perpendicular) to the dog. This lets him/her know that you pose no threat, and squat down to his or her level, looking away. Watch the dog’s body language to see if the pup is eager to meet you or not. Lick your lips or yawn, even scratch your belly. These area all calming signals that put dogs at ease. If you see the dog back up or give you the “whale eye”, back away and give the dog space.

3. Let the dog smell you first. I prefer an open hand, but some people advocate protecting your fingers…

4. Pet the dog on the chin or chest - not on top of the head or on his back. Never hug a dog you don’t know! Even most of our own dogs don’t love the hugging and kissing that we do.

Murphy is a certified Canine Good Citizen

We also discussed what to do if you see a dog running towards you with no owner present:

1. BE A TREE! Stand still with your arms down and look straight ahead. Don’t look at, talk to or touch the dog, as this will engage him. Whatever you do, DO NOT RUN. The dog will chase you and the dog will catch you!

2. If you get knocked down, tuck in your knees, and protect your head with your arms. Close your hands into fists and cover your neck and ears. If the dog does mean you harm, these are areas you want to protect. It is unlikely that this would happen, but it’s good to know what to do if it does!

Finally, we discussed all the different types of jobs dogs have, and what every pet dogs needs at home:

Food, Water, Shelter, Love and Exercise!
(Shots and Spay/Neuter too!)

We had a blast, of course we were a huge hit with the kids, and DogBoy’s is headed back to another school to do the same thing tomorrow. Who doesn’t want to grow up and play with dogs? We have the best job in the whole wide world!

So if you know a kid, or a parent with kids, pass these tips along. Next week is Dog Bite Prevention Week, so let’s all do our part to keep everyone safe!

Until then, keep those tails wagging!

DogGirl

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.

Yep, we even teach kiddos about dogs.

Good behavior comes more easily to some dogs than others. Some just seem to get that they shouldn’t jump up; they walk beautifully on leash; they don’t bark and will sit, stay, and maybe even come on command with just a little work. If you have such a dog, consider yourself blessed. You’ve won the doggie lottery! But you can still benefit from taking a class at DogBoy’s with one of our outstanding training staff.

It’s easy not to think much about training unless you have a specific issue or set of issues you want to work on with your dog. But any human-dog duo can benefit from taking a training class. “In training classes, they don’t so much teach the dog but teach the human to teach the dog, and always with a 100% positive-training method. On numerous occasions, staff have stayed long after class to help us with individual issues we’ve had,” says Jon Campbell, whose dogs Ali and now Guinness have been long-time regulars at DogBoy’s.

If you’ve never taken a class from DogBoy’s before, the place to start will be with a Level 1 obedience class. Even if you’ve taken a basic class before or if you feel your dog has a good grasp of beginning commands like “sit,” we cover so much more. Such as: how you set up your household; how you communicate with your dog, even if you don’t realize you are; dynamics of a multiple dog household and so much more. It is the foundation for all the more advanced classes we offer. And we offer many advanced classes.

Do you want your dog to be a therapy dog? There’s a class for that. A visit from a sweet, friendly dog brightens the day of many people in nursing homes and long-term medical care. Therapy dog programs usually require passing the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen program as a prerequisite, and our CGC class is focused on preparing you and your dog to take the Canine Good Citizen test at the end of the class.

Do you want to do a fun activity with your dog that will get you both some exercise? There’s a class for that. Agility and Rally Obedience are human-dog sports that will really get you and your dog moving while deepening that bond and really improving your communication skill with your pooch. Our classes don’t emphasize competition, but if you decide you’d like to compete in Rally or Agility with your dog you’ll have a good head start. Kari Trecker, who has taken Agility with her dog Freida, talked about another benefit of taking Agility or any other class with your pup—confidence building. In a review posted on Yelp!, Kari says “She [Freida] was so happy when she completed an obstacle!”

Do you want to help your children learn to handle your family dog and learn how to be safe with strange dogs? There’s a class for that. Family Dynamics, which has evolved from our former “Kids and Dogs” class, is geared toward children ages six to twelve with an eye towards helping them be respectful toward their own and other dogs.

Do you have a new puppy? There’s a class for that, too! Our Totally Puppy! class is for dogs ages 8 to 16 weeks (dogs must be able to finish the class by age 20 weeks). It is a constantly rotating four-week class with no set beginning or ending date. You can start any time and attend for four consecutive weeks. There is a golden window of opportunity at that age for your pup to gain maximum benefit from exposure to new dogs, people and places. Best of all, our Puppy Class helps you start off on the right paw with your family’s newest member.

Our mission at DogBoy’s is to help you have the happiest, healthiest, most well-adjusted dog possible, and our training classes are a big part of that mission. Our Certified Professional Dog Trainers will even arrange private lessons if you want to work on a specific issue with your dog. Please visit our website or call us for more information. Remember: training isn’t just for “bad” dogs!

In Flash’s words as told to his owner Sharon:

Rebecca and her boy Murphy

My primary trainer-Rebecca-is very nice and very smart and teaches me many things.

I receive treats for being a “good boy” such as when I walk politely on a leash around the big fields at DogBoy’s, jump through the tire on the agility field, come when called and even when I am relaxing quietly-how cool is that?

Rebecca must think that I am very handsome and a good performer because she films me during our training sessions and shows the videos to my owner.

I have met many trainers who play fun games with me and help me learn to trust people.

I am also meeting some lovely canine ladies so I can improve my doggie socialization skills.

There are always plenty of friendly faces to kiss, fun places to explore and new smells to investigate.

I can’t wait until it’s time to go to Charm School again!

Yours truly,

Flash

Flash

Pancake Weighs in on Resolutions for 2011

Here at DogBoy’s, we take dog whispering to a whole new level. Not only do our own dogs come, sit and stay (well…most of the time), they each told me their goals for 2011. Be sure to visit our biography page for photos! Without further ado, here are our pets’ resolutions for the coming year:

Graham Robison: I want to do more than just lay around under a sage bush all day in playgroup.

Dottie Slaughter: I want to make new friends and not be such a mama’s girl!

Tessa Emken: I want to cut down on eating sticks of butter that the kids leave on the counter. My vet says it’s bad for my cholesterol.

Jack “Mooper” Mundy: I want to stop helping mom clean out the litterbox. If you know what I mean.

Max Semple: I want to be braver when my big brother Ralphie isn’t around.

Murphy Andrews: I want to try to stop getting breakfast tacos based on my good looks.

Hoosier Robison: I want to give Mikey, my two-legged housemate, more kisses (easy); I want to stop accidentally flipping the switch on the power strip under the desk and turning off the computer while dad’s in the middle of a game of Civilization V (hard).

Oliver Porter: I want to stop chasing cars!

Mika Olczak: I want to treat my brother, CK the cat, more politely, even though his loud meows make me think he really likes getting rolled onto his back. Also, I want to take the stairs more slowly—tripping up them at full speed really hurts!

Noodle Emken: I want to be more polite to the visitors at my house. And to help DogGirl come up with more great Nuggets in 2011.

Cajun Slaughter: I want to stop trying to break through gates with my big head!

Sadie Korpi: I want to create a bucket list in 2011 that includes meeting my children, swimming where I can’t touch and becoming a calendar girl.

Ralphie Semple: I’m going to be more polite to strangers.

Gib Andrews: I’m going to stop fighting with dogs on the other side of the fence. Unless they start it. Then it’s on like Donkey Kong!

Rebel Emken: I want to get off the couch and run with the bike. Oh yeah, and I want to get better about coming inside when I’m out in the front yard!

Tyler Porter: I want to cut back on stolen table scraps.

Telo Slaughter: I want to travel more with mom.

Brownie Webber: I will try not to chase my housemate kitty Elise around the apartment anymore.

Zoe Korpi: I hope to see the world in more than just black, white and ham.

Pancake Barncat: I will stop leaving “presents” in the flower bed in front of the office. Also, I will find a better napping spot in the office than the out tray on the desk.

From the DogBoy’s family-two- and four-legged-to yours, all the best for a great 2011!

Pancake is a Barn Cat that wants to be a House Cat

From the time people first visit DogBoy’s, they hear the term “staff dog”. That is, dogs that belong to members of the DogBoy’s staff. Some of them even have jobs, at least unofficially; Rebecca Andrews‘ dog Murphy is a go-to canine to meet and greet new dogs on their evaluation day, and he’s given more than his share of agility demonstrations. My dog Hoosier-much to my surprise- is sometimes drafted to be an adult role model for puppies.

Some of you may have noticed a couple of cats hanging around the front office from time to time, or even in the office itself. Particularly a sassy orange tabby. Is DogBoy’s taking cats now? No, we’ve got no plans to turn into CatBoy’s. Pancake the orange tabby (and his older and shyer partner, Calli the calico) have jobs here at the ranch.

As you might imagine, being a little bit out in the country means we have to deal with mice. With warm buildings and lots of food-mice, it turns out, LOVE kibble-we are a field mouse utopia. Mice are destructive but an even bigger problem can be some of their predators. Particularly rattlesnakes. After some thought and debate, DogBoy and DogGirl decided to adopt a few cats to live in our barn and hunt mice.

Pancake, though, is a very social co-worker. He loves to come visit the office, get petted and even nibble fingers if you’ll let him. He’s a great barn cat, but he would much rather be an office cat and does his best to be good company-when he’s not trying to open bags of dog food or make other kitten mischief.

So if you see an orange tabby cat on the front porch meowing for attention, it’s not a stray. It’s just Pancake, saying hello.

DogBoy's Salutes our Veterans

Today is Veteran’s Day. On November 11, 1918 at 11:11 am, World War I ended. What started as Armistice Day in the United States has since become a day to remember the service of the men and women of our armed forces, past and present. And we especially want to recognize our customers who have served.

Paula Juba, whose dog Missy is a daycare regular, served in the Army from 1984-1992:

“I can’t compare my service in the 1980s with the sacrifices made by soldiers today. But I will say that it was wonderful bringing my dog, Sara, from NY to Germany, & realizing that she was welcome in hotels, restaurants, & private homes. When I traveled by train or flew on intra-European flights, I merely bought a child’s ticket, & she sat beside me. I had no problem renting a house. In fact, my landlords said that Sara did far less damage than most children. Americans don’t have a very good reputation with respect to the treatment of animals, so Sara & I were ambassadors.

Hats off to the current crop of soldiers who go to extraordinary lengths, often risking their careers, to rescue loyal local translators & canine companions from Iraq & Afghanistan. Their contributions towards the welfare of people, as well as animals, may go unnoticed by most, but they mean the world to people they touch.”

Paula is just one of our great customers who have served, and we salute them all. And we also want to recognize a member of the DogBoy’s family who will be going into the armed forces this summer.

Chris Rivera is committed to his company and his country.

Chris Rivera has been a member of our kennel staff for several years and will be off to boot camp shortly after graduation this year. We wish him the best on this great adventure.

There are also many great programs to connect dogs and vets. In one of his first acts as a U.S. Senator, Al Franken funded a program to pair severely injured vets with service dogs. There’s also a great program called Pets for Vets, which rescues shelter dogs and pairs them with returning veterans. And if you think your dog has the stuff to become a therapy dog, you can always visit an area VA hospital after they’re certified.

Last-and certainly not least-we want to remember the dogs who have served their country. Dogs and the military go back thousands of years. The Roman Molossian dog, ancestor to breeds from the Rottweiler to the bull mastiff, helped haul loads at Roman military camps and fought beside the legions in battle. In the military today dogs serve in security, search and rescue, and perhaps most importantly in the age of the roadside bomb, helping discover hidden explosives.

On this Veteran’s Day, DogBoy’s salutes them all!