NewfandHound

NewfandHound Solutes Our Soldiers, K-9 and Human!

 

NewfandHound would like to celebrate and honor all the soldiers who are serving and who have served for our country, K-9 soldiers included! Please take a few moments with us to thank all the men, women, and dogs who's bravery keeps our freedom alive and who's courage and valor freed others.

We recently took a trip to Washington D.C. which was more poignant and personal especially with Memorial Day around the corner. Walking the mall early in the morning gave me a chance to reflect and see the memorials in a private way, letting all the history and stories sink deep inside. The one memorial that humbled me the most was the National World War II Memorial. My dad was a Sargent Major in WWII where he received a bronze star in 1945 for ground operations. I remember the stories that he told of concentration camp prisoners not knowing what to do when the were freed, him eating raw potatoes and hiding in the bins, 16 year old boys who managed to sign up only to be killed their first day in battle. That bothered him the most I think, maybe because he was only 19 when he signed up. Today I found my dad's name in the website's registry and I'm proud to see it there. Thank you dad and paws up high from all of us here at NewfandHound!

Snackerday! Cheese Em Right!

Who could ask for anything better than a lazy holiday weekend to try out my new Cheese Em Right Snackerday treat recipe? I actually tried this one out twice today because a certain Newfoundland decided to break the dog gate down and eat half of the treats this morning! Good thing this recipe is easy to do and only has 5 ingredients so you can whip them out in less than 30 minutes with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

The recipe is adapted from Bubba Rose Biscut Company (Cheese, Please!) and I keep modifying their recipes because I like the fact that they use alternative flours and they have such easy recipes to follow.

So, here are the instructions for Cheese Em Right!

• 2 cups oat flour
• 2 cups brown rice flour
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (low-fat if you like)
• 1 cup shredded carrots (optional, the second time I skipped the carrots and used 2 cups of cheese)
• 1 tablespoon of Italian spice mix (make sure there is no onion)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together thoroughly until a dough forms. I've found that i typically need to use more flour to reduce the stickiness in the dough enough to roll it out, but if it is too stiff for you then add water by the tablespoon until you get the consistency that you like.

Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper until you get 1/4" thickness. (see the Ginger Bunny post on how I like to roll out my dough with slats). Place cookies on an un-greased cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until they reach a light golden color. Remove from oven and cool before giving them to your dog! Seal in an airtight container in the refrigerator or make a large batch and freeze.

Foyle couldn't resist trying to get a few while I was taking pictures! If you'd like to give them as a treat use a 1" round cookie cutter and drop them into a tall jar like the Quattro Stagioni jar above! (I found mine at the Crate and Barrel outlet) Tie with a cute dog-themed ribbon or gift card and you are set! Easy, sweet gift for your dog friends!

(as always talk to your veterinarian before you make these if your dog has allergies or specific diet needs!)

Now That Is Just Coconuts

 

There are days when you think you know your Newfoundland, and then there are the coconut days! Well last week was one of those days when Foyle surprised me by running after a coconut that I had found on the beach. I've tried a Kong Wubba, a Katie's Bumper Sqwuggie, and several other toys which were left slowly floating away in the ocean as Foyle stood there looking at me saying "You expect me to go in there and get that stupid toy?" Then he would just sit there as I went knee deep into the ocean to get it myself or else coerced another dog into getting it for me. It was that or either lose yet another toy. Nothing has sparked enough interest in him to retrieve an object out of the water except for a darn coconut.

Now this was especially funny to me because Foyle has never gotten the Newfie memo that he is supposed to retrieve objects in the water! Seriously, I think he's gone after a bumper a total of 3 times in his life and since we stopped water training because of the TPLO surgeries I haven't practiced with him enough to reinforce the task. (although he will come and save me if I pretend to drown in the water so at least I know the instinct is there!) So to see him running into the waves to get it, then start batting the coconut back and forth in the water, then spinning around to see that it had bobbed back up behind him was hilarious. He was having so much fun...with a coconut! Who knew?

Now I have several coconuts loaded in my backpack for special beach days. People must think I am nuts, pun intended, when they see me pull one out and throw it in the water. What's the one toy that your dog plays with that has surprised you the most?

Goodbye Boogie - We Will Miss You Pia

This post is dedicated to my sister and her beloved German Shepherd, Pia, who went across the rainbow bridge on April 30th. Tears well up in my eyes even as I write because I know how much this dog was cherished and how much of my sister's heart poured into this dog's life, especially the past 5 years. Pia (a.k.a. Boogie) was the sweetest German Shepherd I have ever known, always happy to have people around and up for any adventure she could go on with her family. She picked my sister out at 11 weeks old and they were together up until her last day. She was 14 years old. Pia was a beautiful dog in the ring and she had just started her Shuetzen training when they found out she had cancer. My sister was devestated, but she persevered and was able to get Pia the best treatment she could even though it may have only meant a few more months with her.

If there was anyone who could understand how much a dog fills your life full of joy and companionship it would be my sister because she had the same devotion to Pia that I have about my crew. At the age of nine Pia developed lymphoma and triumphed through radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery to live, amazingly enough, another five years. I credit her recovery to my sister's incredible care. I can't even begin to explain the depth of love that my family felt for this dog, and the amount of devotion my sister gave to Pia. It was as much as you would give to any child, for really they are like our children and for anyone to say differently we all take offense. All of our dogs have a personality that makes them so unique and we get to know them even better than our spouses I think (no offense) because when you look into their eyes you quickly see into their hearts and souls. If they are happy then you are happy, if they ache, then you ache along with them. They are a reflection of ourselves. They are a reflection of the person you are inside.

I wish I had more pictures of Pia but I know that asking for them right now is too painful and I know that it will be for a very long time. It's devastating to lose your partner and your companion and I truly feel for what my sister and her husband have been going through the past few weeks. It's coming home to an empty house, an empty dog bed, seeing her food bowl half full. It's waves of relief and sadness all at the same time....regret and doubt coming up at regular intervals. But just know that she had an amazing and wonderful life and couldn't have been loved more by anyone else. She truly was a reflection of you. I am so sorry and I will miss her too.

Snackerday! Pineapple Puppysicles

It's starting to get hot outside so today I thought I'd cool it down a bit by making some Pineapple Puppysicles for the dogs to chew on. We used to get Frosty Paws as a treat but this is even easier and if you use a fresh pineapple it can't get any healthier for your pup! Plus with only two ingredients it can't get any easier for you either.

It's so good that you will want to chew on a few of them yourself!

All you need to do is throw fresh pineapple in a blender with a cup or two of water depending on how thick you want your pops and blend. You can always add in more fruit, yogurt, or some oatmeal to make it more interesting but since Foyle only likes pineapple that's all I used. I once saw on It's Me Or The Dog that pineapple is also good for preventing dogs from coprophagia, which Ernie does frequently, so we're hoping that this will work as a preventative.

Foyle already ate half a tray today, so make a few trays at a time. It goes fast!

A Dog Mom's Mother's Day Gift

Hey all you Newfoundland and Dachshunds out there, Mother's Day is right around the corner so don't you think your dog mom deserves a sweet treat of her own this year? I browsed Etsy for the cutest gifts that will make your mom swoon and give you lots of hugs and kisses. Here are a few of my favorites...

1. Start off the day with a Dachshund Daisy card from MMcC!
2. Newfie moms will like this sweet Newfie ornament from Leafpeople
3. Tuck this hand sewn tweed Dachshund Brooch under mom's pillow! Also from Leafpeople
4. Now mom can be protected with this caped crusader from Floppy Ears Fuzzy Tail
5. Write down all your to-do lists in this Newfie notebook from River Dog Prints
6. Your mom will show you how much she loves you if you get her this custom bow tie ID tag from Cropscotch

Need an idea of how to package your lovely gift? Check out my Pinterest Package Idea board. I love looking at all the cute ways people wrap their gifts, there are so many great ideas out there to make your gift extra special. Your dog mom will love it!

Petchitecture Preview Party

Last Thursday we took Hazel and Foyle to the Petchitecture 2012 preview party at the very dreamy furniture store, Room & Board. It was exciting to finally be able to see what the other architectural firms had designed for their pet habitat, especially after seeing all the hard work and time William Duff Architects put into their design. As we walked around the store admiring the habitats I became more and more determined to find a new couch to replace the one that Foyle, oh so lovingly, chewed up as a puppy! So we tried out a few "bedroom" scenarios and I think I liked the top one the best, although an off-white couch isn't going to cut it in our house. (ya, I see all you Newfie/dog owners shaking your heads in agreement!)

I was absolutely mesmerized by these two habitats, the one on the left created by The Kuzma-Rodevad's team was painstakingly formed in layers and carved by hand, then disassembled and glued together and smoothed out. I wanted to crawl in there myself it was so nice! The habitat on the right by MBHarch's team was similar in the use of layers but fanned out to create a notched section on the top to hold drinks, etc. There was so much to discover on this habitat, everywhere you looked was a well thought out element of the design. What you can't see in the picture is the custom coasters they made with a dog printed on them! It also came with a miniature version for your friendly little feline...or Hazel!

But the real reason we went to the party (besides supporting the wonderful PAWS organization of course!) was to see William Duff Architect's Pug Barrel! This is the design that Ray worked on and it turned out to be just what their sponsor wanted! I personally like the paw cut-outs on the side and I really hope the fact that Foyle drooled all over the bed doesn't deter the pugs from enjoying their new hang-out! (sorry, really!)

Foyle made new friends and soaked up all the loving that he could get in one night! (Hazel spent the night chillaxin with her dad.) But Foyle's so much fun to take out in public because he loves to meet new people and drool all over expensive furniture! Seriously, it took all my power not to get kicked out! Luckily we were introduced to washable wool! Swoon!

Also, every time you go out in public you end up answering the same questions over and over and that night I had to smile because earlier in the week I read MyBrown Newfie's article 5 Ridiculously Silly Things People Say While Walking My Dog. You can only answer the bear comment so many times. Now doesn't he look handsome next to this chair?

Petchitecture 17! 2012 Preview - PAWS in San Francisco

We get a sneak preview of one of the designs from the 2012 PAWS Petchitecture 17 event! It helps that my husband works for William Duff Architects who is one of 7 designers this year, so we have an inside scoop on Pug Wine's habitat! They had a photo shoot with local photographer Michael Tedesco who donated his time and expertise to take amazing pictures of all the habitats on Sunday. Here are some behind the scenes pictures to show just how crazy it was trying to get the pugs to sit still for Michael!

Petchitecture is PAWS SF's main yearly fundraiser, and is highlighted by the creation of pet 'habitats' by leading Bay Area Architects and Designers. This is the third design by William Duff Architects for this event!

PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support) is a non-profit organization that assists people with terminal diseases with their pet costs, recognizing that pets have a valuable role in the well being of their owners.

This year, our patron is the owner of Pug Wine, so we thought using a wine barrel to create the habitat would be perfect.  Instead of just sawing it in half (which has been done), we decided to make it a bit more cosy, with the opening in front and see through paw cutouts on the end panels. The square sign on top is a replication of a Pug Wine label.  The stopper on the very top, is used as a treat drop. The cushion is by George (they were the only store locally that we could find a small round cushion that would fit. The owner of George was also a past board member of PAWS).

The habitats will all be on display at Room and Board in San Francisco for about 3 weeks, and then will be presented to the patrons at the gala fundraiser at the Palace Hotel on the 11th of May. Come and meet NewfandHound next Thursday, the 26th, at Room and Board! (just look for Foyle, the Newfoundland, and Hazel, the Dachshund!) We'll be there supporting the pugs and all the generous architectural firms who donated their talent and time for PAWS!

(image and copyright by Michael Tedesco)

The Hounds Go Around!

Hounds Go Round

I've been playing around with the 8mm app on my phone which gives you a nice vintage look and I've been able to capture a few funny moments with the dachshunds as they play around with each other! I've noticed that this breed does a lot of butt bumping when they get going which cracks us up so look for Ernie's big slam against Hazel! My dachshunds don't play too often but when they do it's hilarious and typically Nooner is the one that is the instigator. No ear is safe when Nooner wants to play and unfortunately Hazel usually gets a beating. 

Excuse the quality of the video though, apparently it looks better on your phone than it does enlarged. Plus the fact that Nooner nailed me in the head didn't help because after that I lost a bit of focus. Anyway, happy Monday!

Snackerday! Sausage Dog Snacks

These treats are paws down the dachshunds favorite treats so far! In fact they were so good that I turned around to find that Hazel had jumped up on the kitchen counter searching for more after I took her picture. Seriously, that good...and the best part is that they are incredibly easy.

The recipe is adapted from Pretty Fluffy's No Bake Healthy Treats and you can whip these yummy snacks up in less than 10 minutes. So quick and easy that you can make a batch any time, no reason to run to the store for more. Here's the recipe:

1. 1/2 cup of milk
2. 1 cup of peanut butter (you may need a tablespoon or so extra)
3. 3 cups of rolled oats
4. 1/2 cup of dried cranberries

Mix the 1/2 cup of milk and peanut butter until a paste forms. Add 1/2 cup of rolled oats at a time until thoroughly mixed. If it still a bit dry add a tablespoon more of peanut butter. Then add in your cranberries.

You can either form them into nice little balls like Pretty Fluffy does or press them into one of those flexible molds like I did for nice compact squares. Finally, put them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until they are a bit harder. Pack them up for training or keep them in the fridge for a special treat!

Here is Hazel enjoying every minute of her treat and even going back for seconds...thirds...crumbs! Even after jumping on the counter she tried to get back up by climbing on a step stool to jump back up onto the counter! They are that good! Try it! (as always, check with your veterinarian if your dog has allergies or special dietary needs before feeding these treats)