Dogs

10 Reasons Dogs are Better than Boyfriends

10 Reasons Dogs are Better than Boyfriends

Reasons Dogs are Better than Boyfriends

  1. Dogs are great listeners. Whether you are dealing with a hard day at work, a jealous friend, or an over bearing mother, you always their uninterrupted attention.
  2. Dogs are happy to skip the ball game or bar night and stay in and stay “in” and cook. While boyfriends are critical of your culinary skills dogs will lap it up and beg for more.
  3. Dogs like you jus the way you are. You can get a bad haircut, wear your sweats all day, go lip gloss free or gain a few pounds. But to your dog you’re perfect in every way.
  4. You can almost always teach an old dog new tricks. Boyfriends, on the other hand, can take years of coaching and still be unsuitable to take out in public.
  5. Your mother will love your dog. (She might even call them her grandchild). There’s no approval needed when you bring home a new pup, she’ll feed and spoil them even if they cause a stink.
  6. Dogs love your friends and they are always down to hang out with the girls. Bring along some treats and they are happy to join in on the shopping exertions. Especially if they can fit in your purse.
  7. They love to snuggle up any time of day or night. If you’re sick, they’ll cuddle for hours and won’t say anything about your esthetic state or number of Kleenexes on the bed.
  8. Dogs are happy to join in any exercise routine, and unlike a boyfriend, they won’t judge your technique, try to time your reps, or correct your form.
  9. They always let you watch what you want, but you might be sharing the popcorn. Plus they won’t ask you to explain why you like sappy chick-flicks or vampire dramas. The remote is all yours.
  10. You’re never to old for your dog. They’ll never prefer and younger owner, and they’ll love you no matter how many miles on your clock, or wrinkles around your eyes.
*image credit: Honest Kitchen

Maui Dog TrainerJt Clough lives in Maui, Hawaii and practices health, happiness, natural remedies and training for dogs and their people.  Her uncanny way of communication with both dogs and people is healing and her training is effective physically and emotionally. Her work at Maui Dog Remedies is for people looking to live healthier and happier lives through their dogs and her passion for it has helped so many to find and do that thing they’ve been talking about or wishing to happen for so long. She is a dog whisperer for our best friendsand studies natural dog remedies, nutrition and communication. Her latest publications are Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes and 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs.

Dog New Years Resolutions 2014

Maui Dog Healthy New Year

11 New Years Resolutions for a Healthier and Happier Dog

2014 is here and with all the intentions of resolutions are still fresh in our minds, let’s include our the dog family member in them as well.  After all, they do say those who start an exercise program with their dog get results waaaay more than those who don’t.  So, time to start a nutrition food lifestyle resolution process with your dog as well!

 11 New Years Resolutions for a Healthier and Happier Dog

  1. Feed your dog coconut oil: No matter the age it’s good for inflammation, skin issues, anti bacterial, and anti parasitic.  Huge for all dogs.  Drop a dollop of coconut oil in every meal.  Vitality guaranteed!
  2. Keep carbohydrates low in your dog’s diet:  Just because a dog food or treat is “grain free” does not mean it is low carb.
  3. Avoid sugar in all of its forms in your dog’s food and treats. This includes sugar, evaporated cane juice, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, and even honey.
  4. Refrain from any food or treat products with chemical preservatives including: propylene glycol, all forms of glycerine including “vegetable glycerin,” BHA, BHT, propyl gallate, ethoxyquin, titanium dioxide, and all artificial colors
  5. Make meat protein from clean sources the building block of your dog food choices.
  6. When shopping for your dog food be wise, don’t fall into the trap of looking for the cheapest dog food or choosing the most expensive food you can buy! The cheapest is sure to have some pretty bad ingredients as filler, and the most expensive may be good but have too many grains or simply over priced for what’s in it.
  7. Hydrate dry dog food, no matter what the quality, for optimum digestion and stomach health. Add water and allow the kibble to absorb moisture or add canned food.
  8. You’ve started reading ingredient labels on food for yourself; learn to read dog food labels. If something doesn’t make sense or you don’t know what a certain ingredient is, don’t hesitate to call or write the manufacturer.
  9. There is not a perfect food for every dog! Like people, different dogs tolerate different diets.  I always recommend whole food whenever possible.  If your dog’s coat is dull, or greasy, if you dog is itching a lot, or develops hot spots the first place to look is at the food you are feeding.
  10. Titer Test before automatically administering vaccines: Reconsider “routine vaccines” as part of annual vet exams; instead, ask your veterinarian to do blood work and send it out for titer testing by a reputable lab.
  11. Older Dogs Nails and traction:  Again, like humans, aging in dogs brings mobility issues.  Consistent activity from a young age helps. Nail trimming. HUGE for all dogs but older dogs don’t move as quickly or as much as younger dogs.  Keep nails trimmed for mobility and for comfort.  The click, click of dog nails may sound cute, but it feels like running downhill in shoes that are 2 sizes too small all the time.  Awful.  Regularly trim your dog’s nails.*this is all true for all dog ages, older dogs tend to not wear their nails down naturally the way younger dogs have a tendency to do

Looking for coconut oil ideas to add to your dogs diet?

Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes e-book offers recipes which all include coconut oil. The added bonus in health benefits of pumpkin for a dog in each recipe too.

By the way, if this is resonating with you and your dog – you find yourself lacking support and tired of listening to the vet and or doctors suggest benadryl, antibiotics, or really bad dog food they get a kick back from selling/promoting – I just want you to know that I support you.

Subscribe to ReVIBE | Dogs and I’ll help however I can. If its healthy and it’s vibrant and brings joy I’d like more of that for you and for me and for our dogs.

Maui Dog TrainerJt Clough lives in Maui, Hawaii and practices health, happiness, natural remedies and training for dogs and their people.  Her uncanny way of communication with both dogs and people is healing and her training is effective physically and emotionally. Her work at Maui Dog Remedies is for people looking to live healthier and happier lives through their dogs and her passion for it has helped so many to find and do that thing they’ve been talking about or wishing to happen for so long. She is a dog whisperer for our best friendsand studies natural dog remedies, nutrition and communication. Her latest publications are Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes and 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs.

Halloween Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipe

Halloween Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipe

Pumpkin Dog Treat RecipesAloha wags and Happy Halloween from Maui Dog Remedies!  It’s one of my personal favorite times of the year, mainly because of the colors and the costumes and the fun my dogs and I have around it all.

There are usually treats galore around this holiday. For those of us who are doing our best to keep choosing healthy, those store bought treats can be tempting but really disgusting for our digestive tract and how we feel throughout the day.  That certainly goes for our dogs’ as well!

Dogs who love treats have big adoring eyes on the lookout for a little something’ something’ all the time! Halloween can prove to find big scores on the treat acquisitions.

If you’ve looked at a dog treat label lately though, its really hard to find anything super healthy for your dog. In fact it’s hard to find one that doesn’t have some serious toxic stuff in them. Homemade dog treats is the best option and what a better time to try a new dog treat recipe than Halloween!

This Halloween pumpkin dog treat recipe has both pumpkin, which is way awesome for your dog and coconut oil which should be a staple in your dog’s diet as well as yours.

Read more on Coconut Oil for Dogs here.

Halloween Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipe

2 cups organic brown rice flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3 tsp wheat-free baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp powdered or fresh ginger
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup honey (raw is best)
1 1/2 cups organic canned pumpkin (without spice)
1/2 cup water
Combine and mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients, except for the water, blending well. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet. The batter should be thick but pourable. Incrementally mix in the water until you have a nice consistency.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Take about 1/2 Tbsp size drops and place them on a well-oiled cookie sheet.

Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Cookies should be firm, but still soft and chewy, just like you like your own cookies!

For small dogs make smaller cookies!  Just check to make sure they aren’t over baked at 8 minutes!

Have a fabulous Halloween and Keep your Dog Safe

Keep your dog safe this halloween from open door escape due to trick or treaters, odd costumes that flip them out or might accidentally eat, and the consumption of a bunch of really crappy human treats that are bad for them!

Looking for dog boarding, dog sitting, dog walking, or a pet taxi on Maui?
GET YOUR FREE CONSULTATION3 Wishes For Your Dog

Looking for pumpkin coconut oil ideas to add to your dogs diet?

Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes e-book offers recipes which all include coconut oil. The added bonus in health benefits of pumpkin for a dog in each recipe too.

By the way, if this is resonating with you and your dog – you want some healthy options to increase your dogs’ immune system and provide a healthier lifestyle– I just want you to know that I support you.

Subscribe to ReVIBE | Dogs + Joy + Vibrance

 

Maui Dog Training RetreatsJt Clough of Maui Dog Remedies is a Lifestyle Dog Trainer with online programs, pet industry business coach and marketing strategist, health fanatic, and author.  She is a 9 time Ironman finisher, with decades of training dogs and their people to better lifestyles, from behavior modification to fitness and health through natural remedies, mental stimulation and lifestyle choices.  She is an emotional healer through dogs.  Described as a seeker, Jt has an uncanny ability to teach adaptation to change and to take inspired action.

Training Maui Dogs

Training Maui Dogs and the Human Brain

http://instagram.com/p/enVa6aj8L-/
No behavior can be changed with the same thinking that created it. It’s true of humans, it’s true of our dogs, whether you live on Maui or anywhere in the rest of the world.

Humans have 60-70,000 thoughts per day, and research tells us that at least 90% of those thoughts are the same exact thoughts as we had yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that.

To change a behavior or a habit; to get something different than you have right now takes conscious effort. It is no different when it comes to creating a new behavior in a dog.

Dogs’ brains, in many ways, look and function just like human brains.

The number of thoughts dogs’ have may not be the same, but given this fact not only do dogs understand emotion, they are functioning in repetitive habit, just like we are.

Changing Unwanted Dog Behavior

Changing unwanted behavior whether it is in your dog or in yourself means you need to stop lying to yourself!

Stop thinking that the things you don’t want, say wild barking, jumping on you and everybody else, or the dog who does not play well with others, is miraculously going to go away some day soon without doing something different. And to DO something different, you must start THINKING something different.

It’s a classic example of how we don’t get what we want in ourselves. We just keep on doing the same old thing. We come up with all the excuses in the world. Lack of time, lack of energy, or we simply don’t believe it’s possible.

The truth is we are lying to ourselves about our dogs’ capabilities and ours as well. It seems easier to just complain about it.

Do Something Different and You’ll Get Something Different

Trust me on this one. Do something different. Make the commitment to believe you can get your dog to be the well behaved dream dog. Make the commitment to get more of what you want out of life.

In other words… PUT ALL YOUR EFFORT INTO LOOKING FOR WHAT YOU WANT, instead of focusing on the things that are driving you crazy, or the things you don’t have right now.

If your dog jumps on you and everyone else all the time, show him how to sit. And then keep doing that. Look for the opportunities to have your dog sit.

You know all those times it has been a habit to jump (or fill in the blank with an unwanted action), take the 5 seconds and help your dog into a sit before the jump happens. If you miss that moment, do it afterward. Just do it. Do something different. And guess what, it’s the same exact 5 seconds you would have spent irritated and snapping at your dog to knock it off.

Remember, no behavior can change with the same thinking as created it in the first place!

Sometimes asking for a little help doesn’t hurt either! Contact me here.

Maui Dog Training RetreatsJt Clough of Maui Dog Remedies is a professional dog trainer, pet industry business coach, health fanatic, and author.  She is a 9 time Ironman finisher, with decades of training dogs and their people to better lifestyles, from behavior modification to fitness and health through natural remedies, mental stimulation and lifestyle choices.  She is an emotional healer through dogs.  Described as a seeker, Jt has an uncanny ability to teach adaptation to change and to take inspired action.

Legislation Pushing for Over Vaccination Dog Laws

Unfounded Over Vaccination Dog Laws

I don’t know about you, but I’m really tired of legislation messing with our health. And now they are messing with our dogs’ health. It’s been a tiring month.  First the GMO thing, and now listen to this video on how legislature is trying to pass a bill that will basically start the over vaccination process for our puppies and dogs out super early. Waaaay too early.

Risks of Early Vaccinations for Your Puppy or Dog

First, most rabies vaccinations have mercury in them.  Bad.  Really bad.  As you’ll hear in the video, there are veterinarians who say they have never seen a bad reaction.  I’ve got one word on that.  Bull… you know the second part of that word!

There is actually big reason to believe that early vaccination will leave puppies and dogs open to neutralization so they get the bad effects but aren’t even covered for rabies after all.  Read The Alarming Proposed Bill That Could Threaten Your Pet’s Life.

Big Pharmaceuticals Creating Income Through Legislation Using Our Dogs

Ugly.  Sad.  We are now killing our dogs early over once again pharmaceuticals making more money.

We are filling ourselves and our dogs full of chemicals that we are being force fed through the media are good for us.

In the dog world it’s not only this bill but most other vaccinations and medications too.  Take heart worm for example:

We’ve been told we need to make sure and feed the heartworm pill full of chemicals monthly.  Read this article Are Drug Companies Honest About Heartworm by Dr. Dobias and you’ll find it’s impossible for a heart worm to even mature in that time.  So why monthly?  Add it up.  That’s why.  It’s certainly not for the health and longevity of your beloved best friend.

What You Can Do To Keep Your Dog Healthy

First, don’t sign up for every vaccination suggested for your dog.  Do some research before you start shooting your dog or puppy up with unnecessary vaccinations.  Find  a vet willing to do a titre or look into alternative treatment.

You have to stay informed to know, so do your research.  Like our own food and medication these days, just because it’s on the shelf in the local store or health care office does not mean it is safe or good for us.  And on the other side of that, there are also a lot of things that are, they are usually just not placed on a shelf that is the easiest to access.

Look up and look down and all around, there are better choices we can all start making.  For our dogs and for ourselves.

I post information about dog health, natural remedies as well as training and fitness, which I have a personal passion for my own dogs and for all the dogs I’ve been honored to be a part of their lives in my work. So PLEASE join my INBOX so you don’t miss something important.


 

Maui Dog Training + Running + Retreats + RemediesJt Clough lives in Maui, Hawaii and practices health, happiness, natural remedies and training for dogs and their people.  Her way of communication with both dogs and people is healing and her training is effective physically and emotionally. Her work at ReVIBE | Dogs + Joy + Vibrance is for people looking to live healthier and happier lives through their dogs and her passion for it has helped so many to find more peace and joy in every day life with dogs. She is a dog whisperer for our best friends, specializing in private training and dog retreats. Her latest publications are Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes and 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs.

For Maui Dog Training or Cooking for Dogs please send me an e-mail here!

The Top Reason a Dog Bullies and What To Do

The Dog That Bullies

I just don’t understand, I give my dog a great home, good food, lots of love and the best of everything. Yet the moment we see another dog, it’s on. My dog bullies. A big bully fest breaks out and I don’t know what to do. It’s ugly. It feels awful and I just don’t understand.

The whole thing makes me feel really bad and I’m really mad at my dog for it. Yet I love her dearly. What can I do?

Habits CoachAs a professional dog trainer living on Maui, I see the imbalance behind the very basis of bullying in fear, in anger, in miscommunication or simple non communication, come out in dogs all the time. It is a sure sign of our society. When dogs are having problems, I get the call and it usually starts with the concept, “I wanted this dog to be different than he or she is,” even as we live here in our Hawaiian paradise.

Understanding the Development of Dog Bullies

We tend to be a society that wants to be something we aren’t, and we are taught this from the time we are young. Just the idea that you must have more, be better, and live up to something is a basis of instability. We tend to pick our dogs to match that behavior. Either we bring them to us in that state, or we create it all because it has become more comfortable to have discourse in our lives than it is to have peace.

We don’t even know what it is anymore to live a day without stress, anxiety, uneasiness. Is it any wonder our dogs’ are acting out in the same way?

Where to Start to Train the Bullying Dog Behavior Away

We need to start with a place of acceptance and move forward to be honest with ourselves about our true needs and who we are, rather than what every one else thinks we should be. We need to do that for our dogs as well.  No need to make excuses, just start taking different actions.

When we don’t feel okay about who we are behaviors like fear aggression appear. It can show up with actions towards someone else or actions towards ourselves, but when the underlying feeling is “I need to be someone else”, fear is part of it.

Dogs are the same. They don’t know how to act in an urban society and studies have shown that they learn best by mimicking. The number of dogs bullies or who have bad behavior based on fear is rising. Doesn’t that speak loudly about how many people are acting out of fear and how we are teaching our dogs to be the same?

It’s really okay to calm down for ourselves. It will help our dogs tremendously.

Your Dog Needs to be Led by Example

It’s easy to look at bullies and point the finger. It’s really easy to do when people see big dog bullies acting out. The truth of the matter is that “bullying” is many times about fear and missing the chance to feel good about ourselves, someone else, our dog, or our relationships and it comes out with blame or ugly behavior.

  • If your dog is bullying, first slow down and take some time to accept that you may be feeling fear, anger, or discouraged because of the situation. Then realize you CAN do something about it.
  • STOP focusing on what your dog does bad and start encouraging the things your dog does well.

True, you may not be able to get through the “bad” behavior with your dog because there is in fact a communication disadvantage. Dogs don’t necessarily understand the English language. But they do understand your own sense of calm in that you have decided to stop blaming your dog’s bad behavior and seek help.

Get a professional dog trainer to help you learn how your dog does think and learn. Hint: It’s in pictures, not in a long drawn out explanation!! Re-wiring comes from repetition. I teach dogs a new way, than I teach you how to follow up with it. Quite gratifying I must say for everyone.

Practice Calm Courage

Stop being hard on yourself, or your dog and start to take steps to accept who you are and how you can make life feel more balanced. Dogs can reflect our behavior in such a huge way. Your dog’s behavior may be telling you that it’s time to stop and take a look at yourself. Slow down. Feel okay to be who are and to make choices that are good for you.

Know That Its Never to Late to Be the Change

It really is about taking small steps everyday using the things you CAN do while leaving thoughts of what you can’t do behind.

How Our Dog Reflect Good Behavior Too

I work with dogs all the time that have fear of other dogs, certain places, or people. I get to watch how a personality can come out with just a little encouragement on how much is already right and creating more of those feelings by actions based on what you CAN do.

Do This For Your Dog Right Now!

It’s a concept for everyone. Write down three things you CAN do to feel better about yourself and be who you are today and do one of them. Do the same for your dog! Take a walk, chase a ball, go for a run, and spend some time playing. Concentrate on spending more of your moments doing things you CAN do.

Please take action today and write at least one thing you plan to do for your dog’s well being in the comments below. Love, love, love Retweets on Twitter and know I answer any e-mails I get personally about what you can do to help your dog today!

Maui Dog Training + Running + Retreats + RemediesJt Clough lives in Maui, Hawaii and practices health, happiness, natural remedies and training for dogs and their people.  Her way of communication with both dogs and people is healing and her training is effective physically and emotionally. Her work at ReVIBE | Dogs + Joy + Vibrance is for people looking to live healthier and happier lives through their dogs and her passion for it has helped so many to find more peace and joy in every day life with dogs. She is a dog whisperer for our best friends, specializing in private training and dog retreats. Her latest publications are Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes and 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs.

 

 

Running with Dogs 5 Habits

A Cheap Lynnetter Knockoff
Habits. It is what our lives are made up of and we can start today by concsiously choosing better habits or stay with the old worn our stressful ones.

Running with dogs is a great way to create new habits that change lives for the better.

 

1. Morning Ritual Running with Dogs

The way our day starts out does indeed set the tone for the outcome of our whole day. You can wake up, start reading e-mail, cruise Facebook, get overwhelmed because you have so much to do do today, and end up watching the depressing loop of CNN over and over again.

Or, you can take your dog and go for a run. Its a ritual that will start your days with oxygen intake, clear your mind, move your body to start from a place of strength and clarity rather than confusion and stagnation.

Your dog only has health, good behavior and even more happiness to share with you to gain from a morning ritual of running with your dog.

2. Gratefulness and Running with Dogs

So you may not think of running with your dog as a way to be grateful at first suggestion. But make this a habit and within a few short weeks you’ll be as grateful as your dog to go for a run. You’ll look forward to it. You’ll begin to plan around making sure running with your dog is on the schedule as many days of the week as possible.

It’s a lesson to first learn from your own dog. Take on the same attitude. You pick up the leash, your dog runs to the door, tail wagging, bouncy, barely able to contain the excitement of the thought they get to go outside, move, run, be active.

Just be as grateful as your dog for the chance to go out on a run, short or long, get as stoked as your dog. It will soon become a natural feeling, one you long to to do as often as possible, and yes, it will rub off onto the rest of your life.

3. Stress Reduction Running with Dogs

We have it. Stress. A word that has become ingrained in our lives. Get it out. Stop with the stress. Sure, things happen around us, we have busy lives, and jobs and so much is far from perfect, but there is a simple strategy to reduce it.  The most overlooked medicine for stress is exercise.

Go for a run with your dog. It will work wonders for your stress level. And your dog will be super stoked too. Even more reason. It’s easy to smile, let go, feel the peace of life around you when you see how a simple run can be pure bliss for your dog. Yep, like I said before. It rubs off and becomes part of your daily persona.

4. It’s Ok To Go a Little Bit Hard

We’ve become a society of holding back. We are gripped by mediocracy. It’s force fed to us in the media. We can cure all our problems with some meds, never mind the long list of side effects, some quick and easy GMO food, and living our active lives through watching Survivor on TV.

We don’t go a little hard at anything physical. McDonalds did an excellent job years ago of convincing us, ‘You deserve a break today.”

You will never move to a better place if you stay comfortable, try to make it as easy as possible, especially when it comes to exercise. Go a little hard. Even if it’s only for a minute.  The uncomfortable will become comfortable and you’ll get from where you are now closer to where you keep saying your want to be!

You’ll find the feeling addictive in a really good way. Go a little hard and feel the good on the other end of that.

Once again, take a lesson from your dog. Ever watch a dog just go into a full on run after a ball, or down the beach, or doing zoomies around the yard? What happens when they stop?

Big smile, wagging tail, bright eyes. Turned on and happy about it. Go a little hard. It’s okay. You’ll feel good about it afterward.

5. Never Ever Give Up. It is Better to be Sore Tomorrow than Sorry You Don’t Have Your Health (Dog Included).

The Steve Job types of the world will tell you that its those who don’t give up that get the greatest joy, success, achievement, and happiness out of life. Better to be sore in the body and the mind for continuing to try than to stagnate, become negative, get fat, and have a general so what attitude about your own life.

Never give up and don’t put labels on yourself like I’m not a runner. You are. You just need to start and then not give up.

You may not consider yourself a runner. You may not even think your dog is a runner, but the truth of the matter is exercise is the number one antidote to depression, to building a healthy immune system, muscle tissue and general stamina.

Exercise clears the mind, brings peace and space to be alone, away from social media, the noise of people rambling idol chatter in your head, worrying about job projects, or just that general sense of anxiety you carry around all day long with you.

Dogs are great teachers of this concept. Run, clear your mind, go a little hard, and enjoy every moment of this wonderful life you have to create and choose health over feeling bad.

*photo credit: By cogdogblog

Maui Dog Training specializing in private lessons, and dog training retreats, and yes, I will get you started running with your dog, motivate you to get out the door and gain a habit that gains peace of mind and loses a few extra pounds that may be hanging around.

Maui Dog TrainingJt Clough lives in Maui, Hawaii and practices health, happiness, natural remedies and training for dogs and their people.  Her way of communication with both dogs and people is healing and her training is effective physically and emotionally. Her work at ReVIBE | Dogs + Joy + Vibrance is for people looking to live healthier and happier lives through their dogs and her passion for it has helped so many to find more peace and joy in every day life with dogs. She is a dog whisperer for our best friends, specializing in private training and dog retreats. Her latest publications are Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes and 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs.

Links to my other running with dogs articles:

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