WAGS
TO WHISKERS
Pet Guide
Hello! And welcome to Wags to Whiskers Calgary! We hope you will join us for all of your precious pet's needs!
Pet Training Guides
Pet Training Guide:
1. Understand that a puppy is an infant dog – not a miniature adult. Adjust your expectations, accordingly, considering his physical and mental limitations
2. Puppy-proof your house with baby gates, a crate, and/or a pen. Any time the puppy is not directly supervised, he should be in a safe place where he can’t get into trouble. Provide appropriate safe toys for him to chew.
3. Dogs are not born understanding English. The new puppy you brought home two days ago has no idea what the word “no” means. Instead of expecting him to drop whatever it is he’s doing, show him what you want him to do instead.
4. Learn about dog body language. Your dog may not be able to talk, but he can tell you how he feels.
5. Keep a positive attitude. If you are getting upset, your dog knows it!
6. Provide the right amount of exercise and mental stimulation. Bored dogs get into trouble. For young puppies, mental stimulation is just as tiring as physical exercise and is safer for their growing bodies.
Do's and Don'ts
DO research pet foods. Read the ingredients just as you would with your own food.
DON’T overfeed your pet. They look at us with those eyes, and we can’t help but give them extra little treats or second helpings of food. Feeding your pet too much creates extra weight, which in turn can lead to expensive health problems and even early death.
DO give your pet plenty of water. As it does in humans, water flushes out the system and keeps your pet healthy. A surprising number of health problems may occur if your pet isn’t drinking enough water.
DON’T bathe your pet too often. Animals are prone to dry skin.
DO use supplements. Animal supplements fill dietary voids and help protect your pet’s skin from dryness.
DO make sure your pet gets plenty of exercise. Walk your dog every day, especially if it’s confined to the indoors or a small yard. And make sure your cat has plenty of toys that stimulate the senses.
DO investigate holistic ways to keep your pet healthy. Do some online research and, more importantly, talk to your vet about natural options for keeping your pet healthy and happy.
Make them Behave
Young puppies have short attention spans, but you can expect them to begin to learn simple obedience commands such as “sit,” “down,” and “stay,” as young as 7 to 8 weeks of age.
Formal dog training has traditionally been delayed until 6 months of age. This juvenile stage is a very poor time to start. The dog is learning from every experience and delaying training means missed opportunities for the dog to learn how you would like him to behave. During the juvenile stage, the dog is beginning to solidify adult behavioural patterns.
Food that They Need
It is now known that a well-balanced diet must also include an appropriate amount of minerals, vitamins, certain essential amino acids (from proteins), and specific essential fatty acids (from fats). These components are needed to build and maintain tissue and carry out biological reactions, and the necessary amounts vary somewhat with the dog's stage of life (puppy, adolescent, adult, pregnancy, senior).
Pet Foods
Healthy Recipes for Pets
Frozen Peanut Butter Yogurt Dog Treats
Peanut butter is a favorite treat among many canines. Hence, it’s just obvious why peanut butter should be included in homemade dog treats recipes. Not only is it a flavorful snack, but these homemade peanut butter dog treats are full of protein and healthy fats. Combined with vanilla yogurt, this recipe makes the perfect treat to cool your pet down after a vigorous play session.
Ingredients
32 ounces vanilla yogurt
1 cup peanut butter
Directions
Melt the peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl
Combine the yogurt and melted peanut butter
Pour the mixture into cupcake papers
Place in the freezer
Healthy Pumpkin Balls
Want to surprise your dog with a little pumpkin treat? Look no further than these homemade pumpkin dog treats. This sweet treat is loaded with fiber, vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium and iron. Just be sure to choose plain canned pumpkin with no added sweeteners so your pet can fully reap its many health benefits.
Ingredients
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
4 tbsp molasses
4 tbsp water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix pumpkin, molasses, vegetable oil, and water together in a bowl
Add the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon to the mixture and stir until dough softens
Scoop out small spoonful’s of dough and roll into balls on your hands (wet hands work best)
Set the balls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and flatten with a fork
Bake approximately 25 minutes until dough is hardened
Some Things to Watch Out For
When preparing homemade dog treats, make sure you take into account any allergies that your pet has to specific ingredients.
Avoid adding any ingredient that your pet has reacted poorly to in the past. If you are experimenting with new flavors, feed the treat to your dog in small quantities and observe how he reacts to it before you distribute an entire treat.
Store your homemade dog treats in an airtight container and place them in the freezer. Allow the treat to thaw for 10 to 20 minutes prior to serving your dog. These homemade dog treats will last for up to six months in the freezer.
KONG Toy Recipes for Enrichment
Ingredients:
12 small KONG Snacks
1 sliced banana
1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup water
KONG Classic
Place ingredients into ice cube tray and freeze until solid. Place the frozen cube into KONG Classic!
Petcurean GO & NOW
Champion ACANA & ORIJEN
Merricks
Stella & Chewy’s
The Honest Kitchen
Primal
Bold By Nature
TIKI Cat
Almo Cat
Enrichment Activities for Pets:
Cats:
Reach Feeder:
What You’ll Need:
Toilet paper rolls (3-4)
Shoe box with lid or soft drink box
Pencil or pen
Sharp knife
Cat kibble or treats
How To:
Using a pen or pencil, trace the end of the toilet paper rolls on top of the lid; repeat in different locations on the lid, one outline for each roll.
Using your knife, cut the holes out on the lid. Make sure to cut along the traced lines – if the hole is too big the roll will not be sturdy.
Slide rolls into each of the holes, and place kibble or treats into each roll. Give to your cat!
Dogs:
Snuffle blankets (If you don’t have one, fold a towel in half place dog treats/kibble on it and roll it up, your dog/puppy will have to push with their nose to unroll the towel to get the treats)
Food Enrichment:
What You’ll Need:
Muffin tin
Tennis balls and/or other toys
Dog or puppy kibble
How To:
Distribute kibble in multiple tins.
Place toys on top of kibble.