Birthday Week: Dog Treat Round-up

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Ammo

I couldn’t decide what I wanted mom to bake me for my Birthday, so I decided to round-up some of my favorite dog treat recipes on the web right now.

My paws are crossed that mom will bake me one of these this weekend, because when your Birthday is on a Friday you get to extend it into a Birthday Weekend – it’s a rule!

Natural Dog Treat Recipe with Apples from 17 Apart

Ammo the Dachshund // Birthday Week // Natural Dog Treats with Apples

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 finely chopped or grated apple
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup cold water

Ammo the Dachshund // Birthday Week // Natural Dog Treat Recipe

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets. Blend flour and cornmeal in large mixing bowl, then incorporate apple, egg, oil, brown sugar, and water until well blended. Flour your workspace and roll out dough to desired thickness. Cut cookies to desired shape and size. Place dog cookies on baking sheet and bake 35 minutes. After baking, turn oven off and leave cookies inside for another 30-45 minutes until crisp. Allow to cool and store in an air-tight container.

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits from Pink Pistachio

Ammo the Dachshund // Birthday Week // Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon applesauce

Ammo the Dachshund // Birthday Week // Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix until well blended. Knead into a ball and roll out on wax paper to 1/2″ thickness. Using cookie cutters cut out cookies and place on an unlined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Store in an air-tight container.

Low Fat Carrot Dog Treats from Dog Treat Recipes

Ammo the Dachshund // Birthday Week // Carrot and Banana Dog Treat Recipe

Image via 17 Apart

Ingredients:

1 medium banana (ripe)
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup unsweetened applejuice
1/8 cup water (maybe more, as needed)
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (keep some handy for rolling)
1 cup rolled oats

Ammo the Dachshund // Birthday Week // Carrot and Banana Dog Treat Recipe
Image via 17 Apart

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, lightly spraying a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkling a little flour onto the surface you’re planning to use to roll out the dough. In a medium bowl, mash up the banana and mix in the shredded carrots. Then add water and apple juice. Stir. Next, add the oats and flour. Stir all of the ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined.

Using your hands, knead the mixture until a dough forms. Dump the dough onto the lightly floured surface that you prepared earlier. Roll it out until it’s about a half inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut into 3″ pieces. Place the pieces onto your lightly sprayed baking sheet. Bake the dog treats for 25 minutes.

Before “serving”, let them cool completely. Here’s a tip that you may find useful: If your dog likes a little more crunch to his treats, then turn off the oven and let the treats cool there overnight.

I don’t know about you, but I’m totally drooling!

Let’s Get Tricky! Teach your Dog to High-Five

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Ammo

I decided it was high time I started a new feature on the blog, and what better thing to write about than trick training! I thought by sharing with you how I have learned some of my amazing tricks over the years (and attempting to master new ones too) it would inspire me to keep up with my training as well. Most all of my tricks are taught and mastered with the help of clicker training, so before beginning you might want to read up on how to introduce your dog to a clicker. (contains affiliate link)

Ammo the Dachshund // Let's Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to High-Five

Teach your Dog to High-Five

A small twist on the standard one paw high-five, my method is doubly awesome with a two-pawed high-five. (mostly because us dachshunds have stubby little legs and it’s way easier to high-five with two paws).

What you need: A handful of small training treats, clicker (affiliate links)

Step one: Place a treat in the palm of your hand and close it into a fist. Let you dog sniff your hand with the treat in it so he will know that it’s there.

Ammo the Dachshund // Let's Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to High-Five

Step two: Put your closed fist with the treat in it directly in front of your dog but slightly above their head and high enough that they cannot reach it with all 4 paws on the ground.

Step three: Your dog will likely begin to sniff at the treat, but pay close attention to their paws, and as soon as they lift both paws or one off the ground be ready to click and reward once they touch a paw to your hand (do not give them the treat in your hand, but a different one). Continue clicking and rewarding for a paw(s) touching your fist until it is consistent.

Ammo the Dachshund // Let's Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to High-Five

Step four: Once your dog is consistently touching a paw(s) to your fist, then remove the treat inside your hand and begin placing an open palm directly in front of your dog above their head. Click and reward for your dog touching a paw(s) to your hand.

Step five: When your dog is consistently touching a paw(s) to your open hand you may add a verbal cue to it, such as High-Five. Say “High-Five” then place your open palm in front of your dog to touch – then click and reward.

Ammo the Dachshund // Let's Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to High-Five

If your dog has mastered this trick with one paw (sometimes easier for larger dogs) but you would like them to high-five with two, give your verbal cue, put your open palm out and do not reward the dog for touching it with one paw, simply wait until they offer another behavior (placing two paws) then click and reward. If your dog needs a little help you can place one paw on your palm then pick up and place their second paw on your hand. Immediately reward with a jackpot of treats (one treat after another in a rapid succession). The more excited and animated you are when your dog gets it right, the faster they will learn!

Ammo the Dachshund // Let's Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to High-Five

Disclaimer: The Let’s Get Tricky blog feature is designed to provide general information, instruction, and techniques that may not be suitable for everyone. Please note that we are not liable for any of your activities while attempting to teach your dog the techniques listed on this blog. Please train responsibly.

All Natural Chincoteague Island Pet Treats to Howl For

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Ammo

It’s official, my mom is back from her trip to Chincoteague Island, Virginia with my pal Minnow the Painting Pony! Mom and Minnow travel to the island once a year for the annual Chincoteague Pony Penning Week. During the last week in July the wild ponies of Assateague are rounded up, swum over to Chincoteague, and then many of the new foals are auctioned off to keep the wild herd at a manageable number.

While the swim and auction are exciting (or so I hear since I’ve never been), Minnow is there to Paint and Perform every evening at the Chincoteague Pony Centre . I hear he draws quite a crowd.

Sadly the town of Chincoteague is quite pony friendly – but not quite as dog friendly. Dogs aren’t allowed in any of the hotels, and not even in the only park on the island. So each year I spend the week at home with my dad, counting the days until mom returns.

Ammo the Dachshund - Pony Cookie - Howl Naturale

Even though the island doesn’t welcome us pooches with open arms there is one thing I thoroughly enjoy about mom visiting the island without me…..her trip to the dog and pony bakery called Howl Naturale.

Ammo the Dachshund - Pony Cookie - Howl Naturale

Mom brought me home two natural dog cookies this time, one in the shape of a pony and the other looked like a lucky horse shoe.

Ammo the Dachshund - Pony Cookie - Howl Naturale

These tasty treats maybe, just maybe, make up for the fact that mom left me home all week.

You can fetch your own tasty treats from Howl Naturale online HERE. Also make sure you check out all the neat photos my mom took from the Chincoteague Pony Swim and Auction HERE, they make me feel like I was there with them!

Good Boy Treats

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Ammo

I was such a good boy at my Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog Test on Sunday that Mom made me an extra special treat when I got home.