Dog Ice Cream Recipe

What do dogs scream for when it’s this hot? Ice cream, of course! If you can’t find a local grocery store or pet retailer who sells Frosty Paws, you can make your own ice cream cubes at home. Here’s a free recipe from our friends at Modern Dog Magazine:

Pumpkin Ice Cream Cubes

INGREDIENTS

1 c water
2 chicken livers
1 c plain low-fat yogurt with active yogurt cultures
1 c solid-pack pumpkin puree (note: not pie filling)

DIRECTIONS

• Bring the water and the chicken livers to boil in a small sauce pan. Decrease the heat and simmer for 8 minutes.
• Drain the livers, reserving the stock for pouring over food or making dog cookies. Allow the livers to cool, then chop finely.
• Combine the livers, yogurt, and pumpkin in a medium bowl and stir until smooth.
• Spoon the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze for 4 to 6 hours.

Yield: 12 ice-cream cubes, ¾ cup stock

This is a treat best served outdoors, as it can be kind of messy if your dog noses it across the floor while licking away. It’s also a great treat for stuffing in a Kong. For older dogs with sensitive mouths, allow the frozen cubes to thaw for a few minutes before feeding.

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Is your dog's stainless steel bowl radioactive?

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Recall Alert: Check Your Bags of Nature’s Variety Kibble

More recalls? Indeed. After a string of recalls involving Diamond Pet Foods and, most recently, Pedigree, Nature's Variety enters the fray with a voluntary recall on Prairie Beef Meal & Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs. 

But don't panic: The recall is for an "off-odor smell that may develop over time," according to a message on its website. The company states that the food "is not contaminated in any way, but some products are not remaining fresh for the shelf life of the product."

According to Reed Howlett, Nature’s Variety CEO, “We’ve found that some bags of Prairie Beef Meal & Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs have an off-odor smell. To be sure that our consumers only receive the freshest and highest quality product possible, we have decided to voluntarily recall all Prairie Beef Meal & Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs from the marketplace.”

The products affected are: 

UPC No. 7 69949 60420 4--Prairie Beef Meal and Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs, 5 lb. UPC No. 7 69949 60425 9--Prairie Beef Meal and Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs, 15 lb.UPC No. 7 69949 60430 3--Prairie Beef Meal and Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs, 30 lb.UPC No. 7 69949 60432 7--Prairie Beef Meal and Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs, 3 oz. sample

The company states that consumers can obtain a "full refund or exchange it for a different variety by either returning the product in its original packaging or bringing a proof of purchase back to their retailer." 

If you have any questions, contact the company at (888) 519-7387 or by email here.

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Michael Vick, Even If You're No Longer Banned from Having Dogs, You Don't Deserve Any

Oh, here we go. Michael Vick wants to get a dog. "Certainly wouldn't be a Pit Bull," he told Piers Morgan last week during an interview. 

Vick has said as much in the past, but in the past we were protected from him owning a dog because a judge had banned him from owning a dog. Now that the three-year ban is up, Michael Vick says he wants to get a dog -- for his kids. 

You see, his kids haven't been able to have a dog of their own after their father killed 13 of them by hanging, shooting, electrocuting, and slamming them repeatedly on the ground  -- not to mention engaging in horrific acts like throwing family pets into the ring for dogs to attack, along with the more garden-variety abuse of fighting dogs. 

Not being allowed to own a dog hasn't sat well with Michael Vick. 

"I still deal with my kids each and every day, and for the last three years, not being able to have a dog, because of my acts, I just don't think that's fair," he told Piers Morgan. 

In Michael Vick's world, it isn't fair that his kids can't own a dog after he killed and abused so many of them. 

"I can’t take that dream away from them," Vick goes on. "That’s selfish on my behalf."

You can't win, right? You kill and torture dogs for years, and then you're selfish if you don't get another dog. 

"Got to find a way to make it right and, you know, I put everything in God’s hands to make it right."

So, remember, when the story breaks that Michael Vick has stopped being selfish and has stopped trying to take away his kids' dream and has finally bought his dog -- certainly not a Pit Bull -- rest assured that the decision was made by the lord and what He deemed best. It was out of Michael Vick's hands. 

To us, it looks like Michael Vick is saying anything he can to temper the outrage that is likely to occur once he does buy his dog -- for his kids.

You know who doesn't want Michael Vick to buy a dog? The ASPCA. When the ASPCA doesn't want you to buy a dog, you probably should take a moment and listen. We know, it can be hard to sit down and tell your kids that the ASPCA really doesn't want to to get a dog, but maybe at least you can read the group's blog post together, at least to let your kids know what's waiting for them when you do get that dog:  

Despite spending 19 months in prison for running an illegal interstate dog fighting business, Vick hasn't expressed a shred of empathy toward the dogs he brutalized and killed. And rather than talk about the horrors of dog fighting, he has consistently chosen to focus on the consequences of getting caught. In a nutshell, his actions are self-serving. We've seen little remorse and even less compassion. And let's not forget, he caused unspeakable suffering to hundreds of innocent dogs. Frankly, the ASPCA has serious concerns about Vick's ability to be a responsible pet parent.

Michael Vick, of course, has owned a lot of dogs in his life -- 13 dead, 51 seized from Bad Newz Kennels in 2007, with 47 ultimately surviving after being rehabilitated at places like Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, who took in 22.

We should remember these dogs, who have names like Jasmine, Ellen, Sweet Pea, Hector, Uba, Lucas, Oscar, Zippy, Teddles, Handsome Dan, Ray, Gracie, Harriet, Ginger, and Jonny Justice. Some work as therapy dogs, visiting cancer patients and working with children and the elderly; some live on farms and in sanctuaries, running free; others compete in agility contests and work to achieve their Canine Good Citizen certifications; some travel to schools, educating kids about animal welfare; and many are in forever homes, curled safely on the couch.

And some of them are still wounded, trying to recover from what happened to them, when a group of men abused them and beat them and trained them to kill other dogs. One of these men now wants another dog -- for his kids.  

Are you okay with Michael Vick having another dog? Or does it feel like a knife in your gut? Let us know in the comments. 

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Lennox the Dog Seems Headed to His Death in Northern Ireland

Lennox, the nonviolent dog in Northern Ireland who committed the crime of looking like a Pit Bull, might be put to sleep in the coming hours, despite the efforts of an international campaign to spare the dog. Tonight (Tuesday) at midnight -- about 4 p.m. Pacific and 7 p.m. Eastern in the U.S. -- is the deadline for legal appeals.

Members of Lennox's family have made their peace. It's a ridiculous, heartbreaking situation, made all the more insane by the ineptitude of the Belfast City Council. In Northern Ireland, being a Pit Bull is death sentence, according to its Dangerous Dogs Act. But Lennox is actually an American Bulldog and Labrador cross, not a Pit Bull. The dog has even been DNA registered, and "DNA registry evinced no trace of Pit Bull in Lennox's ancestry," as Dogster reported last month. ("Will Lennox the Dog Be Just Another BSL Statistic?")

But don't tell that to the Belfast City Council Dog Wardens. They believe Lennox is a Pit Bull-type dog because they measured him with measuring tape, and the measurements of Lennox correspond with the measurement of a Pit Bull.  A measuring tape -- Belfast City Council Dog Wardens, on the cutting edge of Victorian-era dog research. 

The battle to save Lennox has become an international campaign since the dog was seized in 2010, picking up steam considerably in the past few weeks, with protests in New York and Ireland. On July 9, Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson joined the fray, as reported by the BBC. He called for the animal to be spared, via Twitter. 

"Spoke to Lord Mayor about Lennox," the first minister tweeted. "Suggested BCC should seriously look at re-homing option. Why exercise the Order if there's an alternative?"

Junior Minister Jonathan Bell jumped in after, tweeting, "Have to say I agree with First Minister re-homing Lennox outside the jurisdiction is best. Why would courts or BCC not be content?"

The Belfast City Council released a statement Tuesday, stating that it remains convinced the dog is dangerous, despite Lennox never having bitten or harmed anyone in any way. 

"The council acknowledges the goodwill on the part of a significant number of people who would wish to have the dog Lennox spared from being humanely put to sleep," says the statement, reported by the BBC. "The council has a duty which it performs reluctantly in order to ensure public safety. Re-homing will not deal with the issues in this case -- the dog has been found to be unpredictable and dangerous by experts. That view is shared by the courts and the dog is now the subject of an order by the courts." Yesterday, Lennox's human family posted this message on the Save Lennox Campaign on Facebook. 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all again for your messages of support. We are sorry to say at the present time Belfast City Council seem to be intent on killing our boy. Despite previous assurances otherwise, we have been denied the opportunity to say goodbye. We have also been told that we cannot collect his body and bring Len home. We have been informed however that we will receive "some" ashes in the mail.

We wish we could report that there's still something someone can do, but it appears that time has run out. We're bracing ourselves for the heartbreaking, terrible end to this story that the Belfast City Council seems intent on, and we send our thoughts out to Lennox in his final moments. Please take a moment to do the same. 

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Product Review: Bistro Bites

Any trainer will tell you that when you reward your dog with a treat, it should be a treat that can be eaten in one bite. Otherwise, you lose the momentum of training. A big snack will be dropped to the floor and eaten in several bites. The result is lots of crumbs, a delay in repeating/reinforcing the command, and also a dog who’s full after a few commands, and therefore not treat-motivated anymore. Plus, small and tiny dogs don’t need a big treat. With smaller treats, you can give them a little yummy without adding a lot to their caloric intake.

Enter Bistro Bites. These bite-sized (1/4?) treats are formulated and sized just for dogs 20 lbs and under. Using gluten-free recipes and fresh ingredients, these semi-soft treats are best when kept refrigerated. They come in a resealable zipper bag inside the A-frame box. There are enough treats inside to last about a month. It looks like a few treats compared to other treats on the shelf, but when I remembered they were sized for small dogs, it actually looked like a lot of treats. I microwaved a few treats for 5 seconds and they softened even more.

I like that they’re gluten-free. Because of the high-grain content of commercial dog food, many dogs have developed wheat allergies. It’s nice to see a treat that doesn’t add to the problem. (Solution: feed your dog meat instead of grains.) Some flavors (such as pumpkin) may be available only when the main ingredient is in season. The manufacturer uses only fresh ingredients, U.S. grown and made, and when possible, from local farms. My dog loved the taste. I always know when he really likes a treat because he wags his tail when he eats it. My other dogs have wagged their tails in anticipation of a treat, but then got down to business when the actual eating commenced. However, this one wags the whole time. Cute!

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Feedimal Automatic Dog Feeder

It’s pretty impressive when your dog’s kibble dispenser is more stylish than your own trendy single-cup coffee maker. But the good folks at Feedimal have done. They’ve engineered a beautiful, practical, high-tech automatic feeder for dogs and cats that lets you program a custom feeding schedule for your pet.

Feed up to five times per day, and set the quantity for each meal with a touch-screen interface. Record a special meal-time message up to 20 seconds to let you pet know it’s time to eat. Sealed to keep the food dry and fresh, with a low food sensor to let you know when it’s time to refill. In four beautiful colors with a scratch resistant finish. Bowl is removable and washable.

Still in production, but check out http://www.indiegogo.com/feedimal# for more details.

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