6 Fun Things to Do with Your Dog

When you’re a dog owner, you wake up every day with the reassurance that you’re the most important person in the world to your canine friend. Of course, your dog is very special for you, too. Nevertheless, there may be days when you get bored of the same old routine – feeding, watering, grooming, throwing the ball or Frisbee, and taking your dog for a walk. So here are some ideas to change things up a bit.

Visit an Off-Leash Dog Park

If your dog gets along well with other dogs, this is a great opportunity for your pup to have fun and get some real good exercise. Even if you have a home with a yard, your dog’s natural habitat is not very vast. So this will be a fun experience for both of you. You can even use this opportunity to practice getting your dog to come to you, although it will not be easy with all the distractions around.

Doggie Play Date

Parents are always scheduling play dates for their kids, so why not schedule one for your dog? You should obviously meet at a dog-friendly location, which could be a park or an outdoor cafe or the beach. The dogs can run around together, and you can have someone to talk to. The topics don’t even have to be dog-related, but they probably will be at least some of the time when two dog lovers meet.

Ride Your Bike

There’s one activity that most humans dislike but dogs love: running. If you have a medium-size or big dog, they can probably never get enough physical exercise. There is one way for them to run to their heart’s content that doesn’t lead to exhaustion for you – a bike ride. If you can teach your dog to run next to your bike without running into it, you can discover many beautiful parts of town on your bike. Of course, safety is important and you should stick to sidewalks or small side streets. And if you have to cross a busy road, you can always get off and walk a little bit, too.

Explore a New Part of Town

Not everyone likes bike riding, but there’s nothing that says you can’t explore a new part of town with your dog anyway. Look at the map of your town (online maps will work just fine) and identify a new neighborhood you haven’t been to. Then load up your car with snacks, a water bottle, some treats, and your dog, and head on over. Seeing new things can be fun for both of you. You’ll probably discover many shops you didn’t even know about. And your dog can sniff to their heart’s content. You’ll probably both get a good night’s sleep after that.

Explore a New Park

Every area of the country has state parks, and most towns have at least one park to frolic in. It’s easy to stick to what you know and visit the same parks over and over again. This may be your chance to do something different. If your dog tolerates car rides, you could even travel a little further and explore a new park outside of your hometown. As long as you schedule frequent stops, a little road trip could be fun, too. If you don’t enjoy hiking or walking too much, you can have a picnic instead.

Teach Your Dog a New Trick

The fun thing about dogs is that they love to please. They’re also very intelligent and quick to learn what’s expected of them. Contrary to popular belief, you can even teach an old dog new tricks. For this, you’ll need a few delicious doggy treats and patience. For most dogs, it’s best to keep the sessions short by working on one trick for a few minutes at a time. You can do this several times throughout the day. It’s great to start out with a command they know, like sit. Here are some fun ideas of what to teach your dog next:

• Take it
• Leave it
• Bring it (leash, toy, slippers)
• Jump through a hoop
• High five or shake paws
• Speak
• Spin
• Open and shut the door

You may think of many other fun tricks to teach your dog instead or in addition to these ones. You’d be surprised as to how much fun this will be, especially when your dog is getting things for you so you don’t have to get up.

How Your Dog Can Help You with Your New Year’s Resolution

New Years are synonymous with New Year’s Resolutions. There’s something special about January, because it’s like starting off with a clean slate. Also, the holidays are gone, which means fewer temptations to eat treats at home and at work. But New Year’s resolutions aren’t just about weight loss. You may want to get healthier, make new friends, reduce stress, or earn a little extra income. Fortunately, your dog can help you with all these goals.

Get Healthier

When you have a dog, there is really no excuse to stay indoors all day. Your dog would love to go outside for a walk, jog, or run. If you have a tiny dog, then you can probably outrun them. They may also not have the stamina to go long distances, but you can still take them for a walk. And if you need more exercise, you can always invest in a doggy stroller and take them with you.

With bigger breeds, it’s unlikely that they’ll get tired before you do. The challenge will be to keep them moving without stopping to sniff every few minutes – which is fine when you’re going for a leisurely stroll but not helpful when you’re trying to keep running. Having a walking or running buddy will make it more fun for you to get moving, and exercise will definitely help you shed the pounds. Your dog will even remind you that it’s time to go outside, and how could you resist those big eyes?

Make New Friends

Most adults only interact with the people they work with on a daily basis. Those colleagues may be nice, but they don’t usually become your close friends. If you quit your job today, how many of those people would you still meet up with? If the answer is none, then you should look elsewhere for friends.

Your dog can help. When you take your dog for a walk, it’s easy to strike up conversations with others who are also walking their dogs. You may already have met several very nice people that way. If you want to expand beyond your neighborhood, you could take your dog to a nearby park or doggy park. You probably won’t even have a difficult time coming up with something to say. The dogs will give you plenty of conversation topics.

Now the tricky part is to keep the interaction going. If you like the other person, you could suggest another doggy play date – ideally the dogs get along as well. You could also ask them if they come to the dog park often. Chances are you’ll start seeing some people regularly.

Reduce Stress

Too much stress can be unhealthy. While a good diet and exercise program can make you more resilient, stress can do a lot of damage. Even though your dog probably can’t help you with your boss, just spending more time with them will calm you down. Have you ever noticed how petting animals makes your heart rate slow down? They have a soothing effect on people, which is one of the reasons why dog owners are healthier than people who don’t have a dog.

If all else fails, you may just want to schedule a nice long nap with your dog. It’s a good idea to take the weekends to recuperate from the stresses of the week. And if you have too many things on your plate, you may want to see if you can get rid of some of them by learning to say ‘no’.

Earn Extra Income

While money doesn’t buy happiness, it can definitely help pay extra expenses. Whether you need extra cash to reduce debt or save up for a specific goal, it isn’t easy to find ways to increase your income. While you can always ask for a raise at work, you may have to look for earning opportunities elsewhere. Fortunately, your dog can help.

Since you’re already walking your dog every day, you might as well walk one or more other dogs in your neighborhood. There are a lot of people who can’t come home for lunch. Their dogs could use some interaction during the day. If your work schedule is more flexible and you’re off on certain weekdays, this could be an opportunity for you. You could also offer dog-boarding services for when their owners are on vacation. Your dog will even gain new friends. And once you get the hang of it, feeding a few extra mouths won’t be too much more trouble.

A wonderful video for a sweet dog, our Captain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DthYJBoUp_U

Someone has to be out there to adopt Captain. Poor dog is in boarding right now and he is looking for one person who it ready to commit to a lifetime of love from him. He was found at a high kill shelter where the volunteers fell in love with him. He had a terrible eye condition that required surgery and fortunately they called Sophie's Circle. We were able to get his eye surgery completed and he is currently healing. He is very sweet and about 4 years old. He has a mellow personality and likes kids and other dogs but has an inability to share so he would do best in a home with no other dogs. If you have room in your heart and home for this sweet boy please visit our web page at http://www.sophiescircle.com to the adoption section.

Isa and her new puppies!

So far we only have a few pictures of Isa's puppies, but she is all cleaned up now and so are the pups and we will get lots more pictures. All I can say for now is that these puppies are PRECIOUS! There are 5 pure white and 4 chocolate and white. Isa is so tired but a wonderful mama and the puppies are so lively its hard to imagine they are only a few days old!

We are NOT accepting applications for the puppies. When we are ready to start accepting applications it will be announced.

                     

What to Get Your Dog for Christmas This Year

Christmas is just around the corner, and everyone is scrambling to get presents for their loved ones. It doesn’t seem right to leave out your most loyal companions. Since your dog won’t be wishing for a new Nintendo or other fancy gadget, it can be difficult to find just the right present for them. After all, they don’t know how to make a wish list to make shopping for them easy. Fortunately, there are several things you can get that most dogs will love (and not just for Christmas).

Homemade Doggy Treats

If there’s anything your dog loves as much as you, it has to be food. Unless your dog has dietary restrictions, making a homemade dog treat is probably the easiest present you can get for your furry friend. You can find a lot of different recipes online if you’re adventurous. Here is one easy-to-bake recipe for Gingerbread doggy cookies to get you started.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of molasses
• 4 tablespoons of honey
• 1 cup of water
• ½ cup of vegetable oil
• 6 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 1 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh ginger or one teaspoon of dried powder ginger

You’ll want to mix the dry ingredients separate from the wet ingredients before you combine the two sets in one bowl. After you have mixed everything properly, you should from the dough into 4 balls and refrigerate them for 3 to 5 hours. Then you’re ready to roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. You can cut the dough into funny shapes much like regular Christmas cookies, but you can also just make strips or squares. Then the dough needs to be baked for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If your dog likes it crunchy, you can cook them a little bit longer.

Doggy Bed or Pet Pillow

Even if your dog always sleeps in bed with you, they may appreciate a new, comfortable doggy bed or pet pillow to use while you’re not around. Doggy beds come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and materials, so it’s really up to you to find which one you like. More important than the bed may be the location of it. For example, your dog probably won’t want to be in a room by himself, no matter how nice that new doggy bed is.

Chewy Toy

Dogs love to chew on stuff, long after they have outgrown the puppy stage. If you get your dog a chewy toy, you may even be saving other valuable possessions of yours. Considering they can go through several of those in one month, it may not even be that special to give him one for Christmas. Nevertheless, your dog will appreciate it. You could even get one that squeaks or lets you hide treats inside of it.

Pet Treat Launcher

While dogs don’t necessary appreciate gadgets, their owners do. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should look for a pet treat launcher. It’s basically a toy for both of you, because it lets you launch treats for your dog to catch. Since your dog has to run or jump to get the treat, it will counteract the extra calories with a fun engaging activity. However, you shouldn’t go overboard with treats even though it’s the holiday season. Dogs are wired to scarf down whatever you feed them, even when they’ve already had dinner. Since you’re always around to feed them again the next day, it’s important to ration their food. Otherwise they may gain too much weight, which can cause a variety of health problems.

More Time with You

In some ways, dogs are a lot like children. While they love toys and food, they love being with you most of all. If you don’t have money to buy a fancy toy or time to make some pet treats, your dog will love you just the same. All they want for Christmas is more time with you, whether that involves long walks, cuddle sessions, or playful games.

Now that you have some ideas on what to get for Christmas for your dog, you can relax. Your dog may not be the Grinch, but they don’t necessarily understand the holiday spirit unless it’s presented in the shape of a toy or treat. If they’re excited about the holidays, it’s only because you are excited about them yourself.

How to Make the Holidays Less Stressful for Your Dog

The holidays can be stressful for people, with buying presents, hosting and attending Christmas parties, and decorating the house. Maybe you even plan to do some travelling to visit family. When you’re stressed out during these hectic times, your pet is also affected. Fortunately, there are some things you can do for your dog to make the holidays as relaxing as possible:

Schedule Daily Walks

The days are getting shorter and temperatures are dropping. This doesn’t exactly make going for a walk appealing, especially if you’re feeling cold despite wearing a cozy winter jacket. Some dogs may even prefer to lie by your feet at the fireplace instead of bracing the great outdoors. That doesn’t mean you should skip outside time, even if there are plenty of things that you must get done that day.

Taking your dog for a walk ensures that he can get some energy out and breathe in some brisk air. Being outside will help both of you feel alert and refreshed, and if you’re particularly stressed, it can even clear your head. Another bonus: your house will feel even warmer once you get back inside, and you probably don’t have to turn the heater up as high as you normally do. If you don’t a lot of time to go for a long stroll, you should at least take a brisk walk around the block. Even 10 minutes is better than nothing.

Encourage Activity in Your Dog

Dogs and kids tend to get into trouble when they’re bored. Lying around by the fireplace might sound like fun, but your dog isn’t going to be happy doing that all day long. In fact, if you don’t ensure that your dog has active playtime, it won’t be long until he starts playing with the things he shouldn’t. And after you worked so hard to get him to stop chewing your shoes, it’s not a good idea to let boredom creep in and tempt him into naughtiness.

If you don’t have time to go for an extended walk, you can play a quick game of catch in the yard with your dog. You don’t even have to do the running if you don’t want to. You can use a frisbee to cover a greater distance and keep your dog entertained with running back and forth. You’ll be glad you did it.

Plan Your Travels

The holidays are a popular time to visit family and friends you don’t normally get to see. Family reunions can be a fun, but not always for your dog. Depending on where you’re going, it might be possible to take your dog with you. If they’re well-behaved, trained to walk on a leash, and not too nervous when they find themselves in unfamiliar situations, they make great travel companions.

To take your dog with you, you must plan ahead. Not every hotel accepts dogs, and your relatives may not want to have a dog in their house for various reasons. If you’re only leaving for a weekend, it may be better to leave your dog at home, because it involves less stress for everyone. You can find a dog sitter to feed them and play with them.

If you’re gone for more than a few days, it might be advisable to have someone stay in your house the entire time, too. This way, there’s something there to get the mail and keep your house safe, too. If you can’t find anyone you trust that much, you can always find a reputable boarding place. The sooner you make a reservation, the better, because their spots will fill up fast over the holidays.

Give Them Space

It’s common to host holiday parties for the season, and they usually include good food, great company, and lots of laughter. While that sounds like fun for you and your friends and family, it can make some dogs feel overwhelmed. You know your dog best, and if they’re just not that into people, it’s a good idea to keep them in a safe space. That could be your bedroom, which should be off-limits to guests. However, you should make sure that your dog can do his business outside during his usual times. You should also ensure that he has food and water available in addition to his favorite toys.

Now that you know how you can make things easier for your dog, it’s time to relax and enjoy the festivities. Merry Christmas!