Stepping it Up

Today (or “yesterday” to you day people) I made time for TWO training sessions.  Early this afternoon we practiced the “sit and stay” commands, and when I got home from work in the evening, we practiced “leave it/take it” and “sit and stay” once again.

It is becoming increasingly challenging to find treats that motivate Kitty to follow commands.  Due to my newfound knowledge on dog food, I am becoming more and more reluctant to give Kitty packaged dog treats of any kind.  Normally, the only treat I allow her is chopped bits of apple.  However, she doesn’t always want apple any more.

The week before last I decided to look up recipes for homemade dog treats, and I went out and purchased all organic ingredients and experimented with two different recipes.  I made peanut butter cookie dog treats and apple cookie dog treats.  Kitty loved them!  And so did my cousin’s dog Stony Rony. Both dogs ate them throughout the week, and neither of them got sick from them.  So, I am guessing it is safe to say they are okay. 

I used the peanut butter cookies for a few of last week’s training sessions.  But since I did not have any left for this past Saturday’s class, I had to revert to actual dog treats.  There are some itty bitty dog training treats that I have found are perfect for Kitty, and which she loves.  But I notice whenever I have allowed her to eat them, she drinks a lot of water afterward.  So, I am guessing they must contain a lot of salt.  I used the same treats for yesterday’s training session as well.  But today I decided to try and find more natural alternatives.

Today I used honey for the first training session, and a bit of scrambled egg for the second session.  I know that many vets warn against table food, but from all the reading I’ve been doing, I’ve come to realize that what that really means is table SCRAPS.  There is a big difference.  Believe it or not, there are many foods out there that humans eat that are healthy for dogs.  By the same token, there are many foods that can be toxic or dangerous to dogs.  For instance, I’m sure most people know that dogs should not eat chocolate.  But a lot of people do not know that grapes, raisins, and onions can be dangerous as well. 

Dogs CAN actually eat peanut butter, apples, honey, eggs, green beans, lean meat/chicken, tuna, salmon, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots, peas, cantaloupe, strawberries… and the list goes on.  Of course, each dog is going to have his/her own preference as to what they like more, and it is our responsibility to determine whether particular foods seem to agree with the dog or not.  But I think what vets need to stress more is that “table food” does not mean HUMAN food.  I think what they are trying to make owners steer clear of is possibly giving our dogs something that might harm them.  Foods high in fat, or that contain too much salt or other spices are big no-no’s.  (They should be no-no’s to people as well, but that’s a different topic for a different blog.)

Think about it:  if dogs can consume the crap that goes into dog food, doesn’t it make sense that natural, organic, unprocessed treats might be more beneficial to them?

During today’s first training session I placed a drop of honey on my finger, and whenever Kitty would follow the “stay” command, I would allow her to lick a teeny bit.  I did not even have to use more than a quarter of a teaspoon.  For the evening training session, I scrambled an organic egg with about a quarter teaspoon of butter.  I did not use any salt, pepper or other spices--just an organic egg and a smidgin of butter to keep it from sticking to the pan.  I then scooped some of it into a ¼ measuring cup, filling it about halfway.  So, all I ended up feeding Kitty was about 1/8 cup of scrambled egg throughout the training session.  She enjoyed both treats, and for once I am not a bit worried about her getting sick.  

After her training session, I decided to make myself an egg sandwich.  When I was done eating, I purposely placed my plate next to me on the couch to see if Kitty would listen to me if I told her to leave it alone.  I am glad to say that she followed the “LEAVE IT” command very well… for about a minute...   Can we consider that progress???