This post is sponsored by Castor & Pollux Natural Petworks and the Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Organix Pet Food, but Cascadian Nomads only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Castor & Pollux Natural Petworks is not responsible for the content of this article. Typist: Bethany Eating healthy human food and feeding high quality canine nutrition is a constant learning process. I have been eating organic for almost two decades but I recently learned things I didn't know about USDA Organic Certification. Before sharing our survey about organic pet food in October, I thought GMO's were allowed into foods labeled USDA Organic. I was also embarrassed about the emphasis I put on eating only organic human food but that I don't honestly always feed organic dog food and organic cat food. The importance that so many people put on pet food that is made with love in the US was also been a recent eye opener for me. So when I first saw the survey results infographic, I breathed a little sigh of relief. It is always comforting to know that I am not alone. The one shock I got from the survey results is the low percentage of people who responded that organic matters because it is better for the environment. However the highest percentages of responders appreciate pesticide and hormone free food. Less pesticides and hormones in what we eat, humans and pets, is indeed a good thing. Yet less chemicals in the environment does, in the end, mean less pesticides and hormones are consumed by those of us who eat and feed organic labeled foods and even by those who don't. Wild animals don't shop for organic labels but they deserve food and water from an environment free of chemicals too. So in the end, purchasing food that is pesticide and hormone free is not only better for those eating the food but it's also best for the environment. I love win, win food!
Share this post: In Position For Fun: Affordable DIY Dog Training Platforms | Positive Pet Training Blog Hop11/3/2014
Here's how we made our platforms:
My advice is to measure very carefully. I think I was a little too relaxed about the original stand measurements. I also should have checked the cut rigid foam insulation with the dogs before cutting the foam mats to avoid slight size mistakes. Brychwyn's platforms are about an inch too narrow and Wilhelm's platforms are too wide. Wilhelm's platforms will be easy to cut down but Brychwyn will just have to work extra hard to keep all four paws on his platforms. Honestly, he kind of needs that precision help anyways. Brychwyn has been the most difficult of all three dogs to teach rear end awareness. It's encouraging that the fist sit he did on the platform was the best tucked sit I have ever seen him do! Maybe he'll someday figure out what his back legs are up to. I know platform training will help.
Brychwyn was hesitant to put his back paws onto the platform. We have been doing a lot of "paws up" work lately so he wanted a treat for just the front paws on the platform. I started there but then only clicked for three and finally four paws up. As always with shaping Brychwyn, once he figured out what I wanted, he didn't want to stop offering it. I expected Huxley's first platform session to go the same as Brychwyn's but my dogs are always proving to me that I shouldn't expect anything in our training sessions. Huxley took one look at the platform and just as I was about to click and treat for his gaze and sniff, he jumped right up onto it with all four paws and "watch"ed me. So Huxley spent the entire session on top of the platform, practicing "sit," "stand," "down" and "stay." All three dogs are going to have great success with their training platforms. The platforms will help the dogs keep their rear-ends in check when moving through sit-stand-down in heel, front and at a distance. Brychwyn and Huxley will refine their sloppy pivots and Wilhelm and I have a new fun way to practice his heel turns. I look forward to teaching right heels and especially a "behind" position. The dog training platforms are all about having fun in position and there are so many fun positions to learn. Share this post: One year ago, today was the first day in almost twenty years the world was without Gryphon. He pioneered the photographic art of the cat selfie long before the word "selfie" was in the dictionary, . These cozy lap selfies are from Gryphon's sixteenth birthday celebration in May of 2010. Share this post: |
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