Banana Kibble Kong

Have leftover bananas that are just too ripe to normally eat? Then share them with your dog while making them work for their tasty treat.

Once those bananas get a little too ripe for us here at the Lab Brats house, we give them to the dogs. Now, normally Dakota would swallow the banana whole so I began putting the banana in a Kong and freezing it so they have to work to get their treat.

Banana Kibble Kong Recipe

1 Medium Banana (mushed)
1 Cup of Dog Food
1 Kong

Layer the kibble and banana until you run out of both. The layer should begin with kibble as to keep the banana from coming out of the small hole on the one end of the kibble and end with the banana on top to keep everything in place. Push a dog biscuit in the top layer of banana so that it is sticking out just enough for the dog to grab. Freeze for 4 hours or more with the small end down.

How long it lasts depends on the dog and size of the Kong. We have the Extreme Large Black Kongs and this treat will last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

Great idea for when:
1) Your dog is bored
2) It is impossible to go outside
3) You are crating your dog for a long period of time
4) You are leaving the house and your dog has separation anxiety
5) Its your pup's birthday
6) You just feel like giving them a treat!

Enjoy! :)

Crazy Labs!

The arctic temperatures have turned my precious Labrador Retrievers into the hounds of hell. They are driving me absolutely batty!

There is only so much you can do in the house with high energy large breed dogs. It is like a having a can of Mexican jumping beans and shaking them up a few hundred times. The Lab Brats are jumping out of their skin with energy and the arctic blast has made outside fun impossible for both dog and human alike.

And, as some of you may remember from earlier posts - Cheyenne is supposed to be on "bed rest" to heal her stretched ligament. We have less than a month to get her to heal before we see the veterinarian for her regular appointment - at which time he is going to check her leg and if it is not better... well, it will be a lot of money for surgery. Not only that but if she has the surgery, it will be over a month with her in a cast. A cast!! She is already jumping out of her skin because there isn't much to do - can you imagine her in a cast too? And - to top it off - the hubby and I would have to bring her outside - in the arctic blast - and hold her hind quarters up with a towel while she does her business.

HA!

Oh for the love of chocolate Labs - spring better come soon and Cheyenne better learn to rest or the dogs won't be the only crazy ones in this house!

*peeks out the window for the men with the white coats*

Cutting Dog Costs

To expand on last week's post about the True Cost of Dogs, although dogs can be as expensive as human children, there are some ways to help cut costs. Here are some examples of how we cut down the cost of our dogs without sacrificing their health or happiness.

5 Ways to Cut Dog Costs

1) No need for 5 days of doggy daycare! Sure, it is great but in reality you are paying someone else to bond with your dog. Instead, take your dog for long scheduled walks in the morning before work, when you get home from work, and then before bed. On the weekends add in one or more trips to the local off-leash dog park and let them just run their hearts out with a few good tennis balls. This will help exert some of that natural pup-like energy while creating a bond between owner and dog.

2) If it is too cold to take your dog for a long walk, why not play a game of Find It at home by closing your pup in a room, hiding bits of kibble around the rest of the house and releasing the hounds to use their natural hunting ability while exerting energy. Read more about the "Find It" game here.

3) When giving dog biscuits, break them in half or smaller. Although the large biscuits are supposed to be for large breed dogs, we get the small bone-shaped Old Mother Hubbard Old Fashion Small Dog Treats and break them in half - one half for each large Lab. This helps to keep them nice and lean as well as helping to keep your pocketbook fat. Of course, you can use any treat of your choosing but it doesn't have to be big to be considered a treat to any dog.

4) Purchase your dog medications and supplies online. By shopping online, you are able to save a great deal as the companies usually don't have to keep inventory, they only have one or more employee to pay, they don't have to pay rent for their building, etc. The less cost to run their business, the less cost to their customers. We have searched high and low on the Internet for the best prices and found EntirelyPets.com to be second to none. We highly recommend signing up for their newsletter that comes full of coupon codes and Googling the phrase "entirelypets.com coupon codes" to find even better deals when placing your order. By doing so, we not only received free shipping on our last order but 20% off our entire order as well.

5) Clean your own ears and cut your own nails. Now, I know some dogs because very stubborn when it comes time to perform either task but they are usually easier to do in the comfort of their own home. Don't know how to clean their ears or cut dog nails? No problem - just ask your vet to show you how to do both properly. Most people don't know that if you ask to be shown how to do these things, the vet will easily walk you through it and demonstrate - some even give dog owners a pamphlet full of information as well. If you don't ask then how could you know if saving $12 per nail trim is in your future!

Best of luck and Lab smiles!

True Cost of Dogs

Too many newscasts about the overpopulation of pets at the local shelters have begun to make me sick.

I truly understand that with difficult economic times, people must make sacrifices in order to pay their bills but what gets me is that so many people take on the responsibility of a pet too easily. Although they may have more than enough room in their hearts and love to give these animals, they will usually walk into dog ownership with a blind eye. Indeed, dogs cost money and it is impossible to be a responsible dog owner without understanding this before taking one into your home and heart.

Do I sound upset? For the most part, yes, I am quite upset because I see too many people online and in person that are quick to dump their dog off because it may not be "cute" anymore, the breed may be too much energy, they didn't know the dog doesn't already come trained, etc, etc. That is why I am going to open up and share a recent purchase with everyone to show how expensive dogs can truly be.

Not taking into account dog food, toys, normal vet bills, etc, below is our normal 6-month purchase to EntirelyPets.com (really the cheapest place to buy dog medications anywhere):

1 Vet Solutions Ear Cleansing Solution $7.50
1 12 MONTH Heartgard PLUS $55.99
1 12 MONTH Frontline PLUS $134.99
1 Cosequin DS CHEWABLE TABLETS $74.95
2 Proin 50mg FOR DOGS $71.98
1 METACAM (meloxicam) $55.95

Grand total: $401.36!! That's $802.72 a year for 2 Labrador Retrievers to have their medications and keep them healthy!

Now add in food, shots, licenses, collars, toys, treats, and so on and you have two very expensive animals to pay for. And remember, most Labs have food allergies so higher quality (and more expensive) foods are necessary as well. Sure, prices will vary from dog to dog and breed to breed... not all dogs are created equal nor cost equal.

Now I am not posting this to deter anyone from owning a dog but rather for people to have a reality check before bringing a dog into your home and heart. Yes, keeping one or more dogs is expensive and should not be taken lightly. Owning a dog is a huge personal and financial responsibility that can last up to 18 years. Think before you act!