I just wrote a letter to my Representative, Congressman Joe Kennedy III, in support of a new Bill - HR4211: the Animal Welfare Enforcement Improvement Act.
Why? Well, this act would require animal dealers and exhibitors —including commercial dog-breeders, circuses, zoos, educational displays, petting farms/zoos, animal acts, wildlife parks, marine mammal parks, and some animal sanctuaries — to meet a set of standards in order to renew their annual licenses with the USDA, improving upon the Animal Welfare Act that already exists.
This Act would enact unnannounced inspections of these facilities before they could receive or renew their annual license! Believe it or not, the system currently relies on SELF-REPORTING for their license. This will help prevent innocent animals from being extorted by bad people who don't care about their welfare, just what money they can make off of them! 🤬
There are TWEO MORE reasons why this bill would be a game changer: 1) It would require the USDA to publish all inspection reports, enforcement records, and animal inventories online without redaction -- so WE, THE PUBLIC, could know which facilities are ethical and which are not! That way, we know which businesses to support/avoid! 2) Citizen suits could be used to help curb any violations!! I mean, hey, if you get sued enough, hopefully you will stop taking advantage of innocent animals!
Protect our innocent animals! Encourage your Representatives to cosign the Bill too! Send a quick email! (Find your House Rep here: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative)
To read more (in plain English) about this bill, go here: https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-krishnamoorthi-announces-new-legislation-strengthen-animal-welfare
To see if your Representative cosponsors this bill and to read more (in legalese), go here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/4211/cosponsors?q={%22search%22:[%22animal%22]}&pageSort=firstToLast&s=2&r=2&overview=open&searchResultViewType=expanded&KWICView=false
- Feb 14, 2020
As you may have heard me say before (in the What Is Dog Podcast - Click here to listen!), a tired dog does NOT necessarily mean a happy dog. In addition to physical exercise, it is important to ensure your dog has the opportunity to exercise his/her brain. There are many ways to do this through obedience training, agility training, scent training, playing the "sit and wait" game, as well as using enrichment toys. You may be familiar with different puzzle toys on the market, but I wanted to share a few of my favorites!
I highly recommend feeding your dog his/her meals during training (using food instead of treats) or using different types of toys. Generally, I discourage free-feeding a.k.a. grazing for multiple reasons including accidentally developing an entitled behavior with resources (i.e. food), less monitoring of calorie intake, and less chance you will notice if your dog is eating in a different way than usual.
Here are a few of my absolute favorite dog enrichment toys that can be used with food or treats:
1. WOBBLERS
These wobble toys allow your dog to work for their food by pawing and pushing a the toy to let food come out of a small hole in the side. It helps slow down any "gobblers" who might cough or throw-up after eating too quickly. They are very durable and last for a long time.
Pro Tip: Once the dog gets the hang of the wobbler toy, they will be able to empty it out quickly! My two dogs, Nola and Memphis, just swat the toy across the room so that the food will fly out. You can increase the difficulty of the toy at this stage by stuffing a piece of crinkled paper towel in side the toy before filling it. This will make it harder for the pieces to fall out and creates a greater challenge!
I recommend getting one size up from your dog so you can fit their meal in the toy at once. A small dog could use a medium, and medium dog could use a large.
2. SNUFFLE MAT
A snuffle mat is also great for feeding a dog who eats quickly. The mats require the dog to use their nose to find treats inside of the mat. They are usually made out of felt (imagine a giant shag rug) and can be simple with long pieces of felt sticking out, or they can be complicated with envelopes, pockets, and many types of textures and hiding places for food/treats. There are also many DIY snuffle mats on Pinterest. I have made one myself but found that the cost of materials plus the time it took to complete wasn't really worth it. I would personally recommend buying one already completed unless you like to do projects like that! Additionally, finding one that is machine washable is best as they get kind of funky from all the dog drool and food.
Full-disclosure: Some dogs might pick up the mat and shake it around, but you could avoid this by velcroing the mat to a me firm surface such as plywood/plexiglass if you wanted. I have not encountered this problem yet.
PJDH Dog Food Mat Snuffle (Fancy)
Please take a moment to enjoy this pupper being a good boi/gurl.
Thank you. Please continue.
3. JW Pet Hol-ee Stuffable Toys
I LIVE FOR THESE TOYS! They are bouncy, soft rubbery toys that are GREAT for stuffing with larger cookies/chew bones/dental sticks. You can also roll small treats or pieces of food in strips of felt (or a torn up old t-shirt) and stuff them inside so the dog has to pull them out and unwrap the treat. Please only do that if you are supervising and your dog doesn't eat entire pieces of clothing like one of my clients, Otis the Black Lab (he loves to eat whole socks...).
I prefer the football shaped "Hol-ee Football" because I can get crunchy bones to sit in there without falling out. I usually buy the medium size of these just because the size of the holes is great for long chew treats like Greenies.
The "Hol-ee Rollers" are another awesome soccer ball shape that are a totally different feel for the dog. They are better for tug-o-war time and for bouncing around the house (much quieter than a tennis ball!)
For a dog who really likes to destroy things, I would recommend the "Xtreme" version.
Pro Tip: For an extra challenge, put a "Mini" Hol-ee Roller inside of a medium or large Hol-ee Roller with the treat in the middle!
Well, THOSE are my top dog toys for canine enrichment with food/treats! Let me know if there are any other brands or types of toys I should recommend! I would love to try them myself with my dogs and my dog boarding clients!
I hope you find these useful! Be sure to let me know if you end up trying any of these out.
If you want to see my list of TOP CAT TOYS, click here!
- Feb 1, 2020
Any cat lover will tell you: Every cat is different! And so are their preferences for entertainment! Some kitties like to play with toys and some prefer to swat glasses off your kitchen counters.
Growing up, I had 5 cats at the SAME TIME. They were actually the kittens of my grandmother's cat who came into the house and gave birth on her couch! When she passed away, she asked my dad to take care of her cats, which he did. The mother cat, Kitty Cat, eventually was stolen and the people who took her even called us to tell us not to worry that they had her! (Insane, right!!!??) All of our them had different personalities: Goldie liked to walk in between your feet and occasionally that would result in him getting stepped on. He was also a master hunter, often leaving the entrails of some poor rodent or bird on our front steps as a token of his love. Smokey was the sweetest cuddliest kitty who always slept on my bed and purred extra loud. Squeaky was neurotic all over the place. Rocky liked to walk back and forth across your lap, keyboard, newspaper, board game, or anything else you were trying to focus on; It was annoying, but endearing. Squeaky Junior was the son of Squeaky (the only cat that never got fixed for some reason and knocked up my friends kitten...) and he was the one who liked to destroy things and sneak into our neighbor's house through their doggy door!
Even though cats are so different, I am going to do my best to share with you the toys I have found most of them like to play with. Maybe your cat wants to try out something new for a change!
1. BY FAR THE CROWD FAVORITE: Feather Wand!
These are amazing for imitating a flying bird. The kitties love the sound of the feathers flying through the air! Be careful not to leave these around the house because the cats love this toy so much that they will destroy the feathers when you're not around (I'm looking at you Bandit, Hamilton, and Rosa)! Another bonus is that you can easily get replacement feathers, or even attach your own pieces of felt at the end of the wand.
(Note: I am unsure of the brands my kitty clients have, but I recommend one with a longer string and wand. There are cheaper versions, but based on reviews, I have included this one from Amazon.)
2. SURPRISINGLY ENTERTAINING: Springy Toy!
I gave these springy toys as gifts and I was surprised how much many of the cats loved them! They're super affordable, and great for cats who are at home alone because they give them a lot of tactile feedback during play. The springs bounce across the room, and when the kitties use their claws, they can even throw them!
I would recommend these as an alternative to the small mouse toys. If your cat enjoys those, there is a good chance these will be a big hit!
3. BATTERY OPERATED: Jittery Bugs!
These little toys vibrate across the floor just like a bug! When they hit a table leg, they will eventually move in another direction. The cats love these because it has a tiny little sound of vibration on hard floors and the way they zip across the room.
These are best for hard floors, but can work on some low-pile carpets/rugs. I am including these 2 specific brands because I have seen them in action!
I hope these are some new ideas to keep your kitty entertained! I know for sure there is nothing scarier than a bored cat! :) If you have any other cat toy ideas, please let me know! I would love to share them with my friends & clients!