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Thursday, April 19, 2012

Earth Day, a day to take action to help the environment and your dog!

Earth Day, Saturday, April 22nd, is a very special day. One of our absolute favorite days of the year!

Although we celebrate Earth Day every day here at Raise A Green Dog, this day is the one day of the year that lot of two and four leggers salute our amazing planet and brings awareness to it's needs.

Our planet Earth is very special...it's where we live, eat, sleep, play, laugh, smile, work, and most importantly, love! And it's where all the generations to come will do the same.

That's why taking care of our planet is so important. So that we, and generations that follow us, can enjoy it, healthily and happily now and far into the future.

On past Earth Days we've shared tips on how you can be more green, be more healthy, and help join in the efforts to help sustain our planet. You can read the links below for past Earth Day tips and info.

For Earth Day this year, we want you to make just one simple change in your dog's life that will help them live a happier, healthier life; so they can be with you as long and happily as absolutely possible.

This one simple change doesn't have to be a big change, it could be a simple, easy change. But change we encourage, and change we support!

Visit our prior year Earth Day posts listed below for lots of tips and information about how to bring positive, green, healthy change to your dog's life. And, then come back here and leave a comment about how you are working towards a healthier, happier pup and environment. Share your pawsome ideas with other great, green dog families!

2008 - Today is Earth Day! 2009 - Happy Earth Day - a day to celebrate and learn! 2010 - Little things you can do to help the environment and your dog on Earth Day 2011 - Happy Earth Day!

For more ideas, you can visit our website's "Learn to Be Green" section.

Happy Earth Day every one and every pup!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

It's time to get your National Park on and enjoy the great outdoors with your dog!

Next week is National Park Week!

Starting Saturday and continuing all next week, April 21-29, all 397 of your national parks offer free admission, all week long!

Our national parks are a great place to enjoy a fun day with your dog out in the fresh Spring air!

Here are a few important tips and bits of info:
  • Find a National Park near you.
  • Make sure that your local national park allows dogs. Click on the park near you from the map link above and click on 'plan your visit' and 'pets' to see if dogs are allowed. (Sadly, some National Parks do not allow dogs :(.
  • Be sure and follow the guidelines set out for dogs in your park. Most require dogs on 6' leash, under control, and be sure and pick up the doo to keep our Parks clean and environmentally friendly!
To learn more about hiking comfortably with your dog, read our blog post on how we hike the green dog way!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Make your own healthy, safe chicken jerky treats for your dog!

As many of you know, there are some very dangerous treats still on pet store shelves that have been making dogs sick and, in some cases, have reportedly caused death in some dogs

The FDA has released warnings about these treats for the past four years, however they have yet to recall them. In addition, the manufacturers have not issued recalls either, despite the fact that 100's of dogs have reportedly been affected.

The treats that have been identified as the most dangerous are:

Waggin’ Train or Canyon Creek Ranch jerky treats or tenders, both produced by Nestle Purina PetCare Co.; and Milo’s Kitchen Home-style Dog Treats, produced by the Del Monte Corp.

These treats have been found to be jerky treats that come from China. We encourage everyone to please check and recheck the source of the treats and foods that you purchase for your dog and avoid any products from China. It has yet to be determined what the cause of the adverse reactions are in dogs. So please be safe and check the packages! If your dogs has experienced an adverse reaction to any treats or foods you canreport them to the FDA here

So, what's a dog to do when they love, love, love jerky treats? Have your Mum make them for you, at home with safe, healthy ingredients; and you know you'll be healthier and safer for it!

Here is our favorite recipe for making chicken and turkey jerky at home. It's easy!

  • Preheat your oven to 200° F
  • Lightly oil (olive oil is best) a baking sheet, a stainless steel one is best for healthier cooking!
  • Select organic chicken breast (or turkey breast if you'd like) and remove any fat.
  • Slice the chicken (or turkey) with the grain in very thin slices, about 1/8" to 1/4" inch thick.
  • Place the strips on your stainless steel baking sheet.
  • Bake for about 2 hours. (Baking times will vary due to difference in ovens, temperatures and meat size. When baked at two hours the treats should be firm and dry, not soft. It's best to increase the time to be sure they are dry and firm, if needed).
  • When cooled you can cut the strips into appropriate feeding pieces, or take a full strip and break off for a nice rapid reward treat!

These treats will last for about 2 weeks if stored in a nice air tight container. And they can be frozen for up to six months if needed.

For additional flavor you can sprinkle the chicken breasts (or turkey) before baking with just a little organic parsley, sage or ginger for added flavor.

Enjoy!

Photo credits: Charkrem & Ryan Dowd

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