training

Just like humans, there are many dogs that are very particular about their food and tastes, which can be very frustrating. On the other hand, there are dogs that will pretty much eat anything that is placed in front of them. There are also dogs that have recently become picky eaters by their environment and family.

The good news here is that even though your pooch may be a picky eater, there are ways you can encourage healthier eating habits.

Tips on how to deal with finicky dogs

1. Take a trip to the Vet – It is important to determine if your pup’s finicky eating has a medical cause. The veterinarian will be able to diagnose and rule out any medical conditions that may be causing this feeding behavior.

2. Evaluate the food – Make sure that the food your pooch is eating has not spoiled or expired. Dogs should be eating a fresh, all natural diet.

3. Other food sources – Observe your dog’s activities during the day. Could there be a chance that a family member is feeding him scraps from the table? Your dog could also be getting into trash cans outdoors or neighbors might be giving him snacks. All of this can be a factor in why your dog is a picky eater.

4. How do you respond when your dog refuses to eat? - Petting, consoling, or hand feeding your dog when he is finicky may cause him to like the extra attention. Instead, put the food in your dog’s bowl and walk away. Dogs instinctively will eat for nourishment.

For finicky eaters try our Deli Fresh brand dog food: Available in Turkey, Vegetable & Rice Formula and Chicken, Vegetable & Rice Formula. Deli Fresh formulas contain soluble and insoluble fibers from vegetables and wholesome grains to help promote digestive health, including insulin, a prebiotic that aids in the absorption of nutrients.

My dog loves Freshpet Ready to Bake Cookies just as they are: freshly baked mounds of doggie goodness! (Dog Joy Peanut Butter & Oatmeal are his favorite).

But sometimes, I like to jazz them up a bit, either before or after baking.

Check out these fun ways to add a personal touch to your dog’s cookies, along with some fun ways to serve them!

Fun Ways to Make Freshpet Dog Cookies

Prior to baking a batch of Freshpet cookies, you could add a little variety to each cookie in the following ways:

• Press a few small pieces of your dog’s favorite treat into the center of the dough.
• Drop a tiny mound of canned pumpkin on top of the cookie
• Press unsalted sunflower seeds into the top and bottom of the cookie
• Sprinkle or press fresh parsley on top of the cookie. Parsley helps with bad dog breath!
• Press a doggie breath mint into the center of the cookie. The mint itself will melt into the cookie — which is great if your dog doesn’t particularly like the taste of mint. (My dog doesn’t, but he’ll eat the mints when they’re mixed in things like cookies).
• Drop some bits of chunky peanut butter on top — either before or after baking.
• Shred or dice some fresh vegetables or berries and press a few pieces into the cookie

The possibilities are endless. There are so many human foods that are safe for dogs. You could add just about any of them to Freshpet Ready to Bake Cookies. That way, it’s as if your dog is getting a brand new treat every time you make them!

Fun Ways to Serve Dog Cookies

In addition to all the fun ways that you can make dog cookies, I also like to think of fun ways to serve them. Some ideas to try:

• Instead of doling them out one-by-one as regular dog cookies all the time, I sometimes break them into smaller pieces and use them to stuff my dog’s Kong toy. Mixed in with a little bit of peanut butter or plain yogurt, this makes an extra nice treat for your dog!
• Of course, it’s a no-brainer to reward your dog with a treat after he does something that you’ve requested on command. While everyday commands like “come” and “sit” typically earn my dog regular treats, more challenging commands like “tell me a secret” and “bring me the remote” definitely deserve a homemade dog cookie!
• This next idea is similar to making a frosted cookie for your dog. Just smear a lot of peanut butter across the top of a fresh-baked cookie – just like icing! Or, turn it into a double-decker cookie (or mini-cupcake) by sandwiching two cookies together with peanut butter in the middle and on top.
• And finally, my favorite way to serve dog cookies is to play a game of hide-and-seek with my dog where the cookies are the prize. He sits and waits while I hide several cookies (or pieces of cookies) in various places of one room. When I say, “Okay!” he runs to find as many hidden cookies as he can.

Dog treats, like Freshpet Ready to Bake Cookies, are a fun way to reward your dog with an extra special treat, and also a fun way to play and communicate with your dog in a way that’s different from your day-to-day routine.

What fun things do you like to do when making or serving your dog cookies?

Lynnette Walczak is a lifelong dog owner who writes about fun dog stuff at The Fun Times Guide to Dogs. As publisher of TheFunTimesGuide.com, she enjoys sharing outside-the-box ideas and helping people find unique ways to do things.

Just like us, our furry friends are one-of-a-kind.  Some just want to laze around all day getting belly rubs, while others get their kicks from a fierce game of fetch.  And their individual preferences don’t stop there.  While some are content having the same meal every day (heck, I’d choose to eat fajitas for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I could), many dogs want, and sometimes demand, variety in their treats.

A great way to accommodate pups with discerning tastes is to switch it up.  Some rotate treats depending on the day of the week, and some use different treats to reward different behaviors (doing their business outside gets them a little sausage, but a day without chewing on your heels gets them a long-lasting bone).  There are thousands of treats to choose from, but it’s hard to find ones that are as healthy for your dog as their food.  These easy guidelines can help you make smart picks:

 Treating Tips:

• Look for all natural, simple ingredients with names you recognize and can pronounce. 
• Don’t over treat!  Make sure you stay within your dog’s recommended daily calorie intake.  If you’re not sure what that is, ask your veterinarian.
• Avoid treats containing sugar, salt, and artificial preservatives.
• Don’t forget your veggies!  Colorful fruits and vegetables are naturally rich in vitamins and minerals.
• Be sure to provide plenty of fresh water.
• Look for added benefits such as high-fiber treats that help maintain digestive health and hard chews that assist in cleaning teeth.
• Supervise your dog to be sure they are safe.
• Read the feeding directions carefully to make sure the treat is size-appropriate for your dog.

Freshpet offers fresh, refrigerated treats for every snacking occasion.  With Dog Joy treats, we’re sure you’ll find a healthy option to satisfy your pup.

Happy treating!

Ace the therapy dog's tail wagged whenever he visited patients at the hospital. (Photo by Rod Griola)

When therapy dogs visit with people who are sick, grieving or stressed, the mood of the whole room changes. It’s as if the sun came out from behind a cloud. As a certified therapy-dog handler in a hospice program, I saw dying patients and their family members reminisce about their dogs and laugh together. Therapy dogs are great icebreakers and a nice distraction, but they have physiological benefits, too. Studies show that patients’ blood pressure and heart rates decrease in the presence of a dog, and they just feel better! (Any dog lover could tell you that!)

Any dog can become a certified therapy dog. Every breed is represented, from teacup poodles to great Danes, but temperament is key. Ask yourself if your dog can abide by these simple rules. If not, you can still volunteer, but Kujo stays at home.

• Four on the Floor - Therapy dogs work with very frail patients. If the dog can’t keep his paws to himself, he’s not cut out to be a therapy dog. A jumping dog could knock a patient down.

• Would He Mug an Old Lady for Her Tennis Ball? – It sounds absurd, but many patients put tennis balls on the feet of their walkers to make them slide on hard floors. Dogs must be able to walk past a tennis ball without issue. Sometimes during evaluations they even put a treat in a tennis ball then attach it to a walker! Double trouble!

• Scaredy-Dogs – Medical equipment including canes, walkers, wheel chairs, hospital beds and oxygen tanks are strange for most dogs, but many dogs can adjust. In our evaluation they dropped a metal bed pan on the floor behind Ace to see how he’d react. (He wasn’t a fan, but he didn’t tear my arm off or anything!) Is your dog comfortable around this equipment?

• Plays Well With Others – Sometimes more than one dog is required at an event or a visit. You may find yourself sharing an elevator with another dog/handler team. Your dog must behave when he’s nose to nose with another dog, and he has to know when it’s work time and when it’s play time. A game of “who’s alpha now” isn’t appropriate in the workplace.

• Leave It! – Therapy dogs may encounter pills or bodily fluids (ick!) on the floor in a hospital or nursing home. It’s not only nasty, but ingesting medicines can be fatal. Dogs have to be able to walk past a meat treat (or in my dog, Ace’s case, cheese! He ate a lot of cheese while we trained for this one!) and not pick it up in order to pass the test.

• Who Walks Whom? – How does your dog do on a leash? Does he drag you into the next county or is the leash loose? Therapy dogs have to wait patiently and stick close to the handler. Wanna-be sled dogs shouldn’t quit their day jobs.

• What a Sweet Pea! - Finally, does your dog make people happy? Is he sociable and sweet? Does he like to be patted and stroked? Dogs who growl at people (and that includes “just the mail man”) aren’t ready for therapy work.

If your dog is ready to pass the therapy-dog evaluation, consider contacting Therapy Dogs International or Delta Society. Both are national organizations that evaluate and insure therapy dogs and help handlers find volunteer opportunities.