Chicken Jerkey Treats- FDA Warning

I just saw a news article about this today, but then I looked on the FDA website and they actually released a statement in November.
Here is the FDA statement from November
Here is a newer caution that basically says the same thing

They are cautioning people about feeding ANY chicken jerky or chicken treat from China.  There are no recalls because they can't tie the illness specifically to one brand or product because dogs are becoming ill after eating many different brands and products of chicken treats from China.

So be on the lookout.  Many imported chicken jerky treats are branded in a way that makes them look like a natural, organic, local product.  So be sure to check out the label on all of your jerky and jerky-like chicken treats.

It can never hurt to periodically check out this FDA website for a list of current recalls.  Even for someone like me who feeds home made raw my dogs are still given treats, chews and occasionally a pre-made meal when traveling or being boarded.

One final edit after publishing this post- If you have children, food allergies, a compromised immune system, or really if you eat any food at all you should probably check out this FDA website to make sure you are not eating any recalled food yourself.

Words We Know

I was thinking today about how I can't wait until the puppy knows all the stuff Copley knows.  That got me the thinking how much she does know and how that should get some credit.  I decided it would be fun to make a list of everything she knows, perhaps this will become a monthly series...

I'm So Smart

Having been with us for 3 months Kerrigan knows reliably-

• Sit
• Down
• Leave it
• Stay (her stay is only like 4 seconds long, but she gets the idea)
• Off
• UhUh (stop what you are doing and do something else)
• To wait at the door until released with "ok" whenever going in our out either on leash or not)
• Crate
• To wait until released to eat out of her bowl
• Touch (Touch her nose to a hand)
• Go Pee

She is learning-

• Roll over
• Spin (as in spin in a circle)
• Quiet

That is 11 commands soon to be 14.  I think that is quite good for a puppy her age.  She is also showing signs of being a little bit smarter than her brother, having figured out how to open doors that are ajar and her crate door when it is closed but not latched.

I'm Smart Too

Copley is right.  Here is a list of words he knows: Sit, Down, Stand, Stay, Up, Off, Leave it, Wait, Hold On, Eat it, OK, High Five, Other Paw, Dance, Upstairs, Downstairs, Crate, Bed, Out, Heel, UhUh, No.  Then specifically from obedience: Front, Finish, Left And Agility: Over, Tunnel, Tire, Table, A-frame, Walk It.

In case you were not counting that is 31 English words that mean something to him.  Not half bad for a dog.

More than tricks or words it is the polite behaviors like waiting to eat, waiting at the door and waiting to go in and out of the car that I have been most anxious for the puppy to learn.  Luckily Copley leads well by example.

Hopefully next time I make a post like this Kerri will know lots more!

Grandma and Grandpa Visit #2- Less dogs more sheep

After we got back from Joshua Tree we had a lot of other adventured while my parents were here.  One of the most exciting things was this-

That is a fuzzy picture of the 30 or so bighorn sheep that ran across the road, then we watched run through a valley and over a ridge.  When I stopped the car we were probably only 20 or so yards from them, but it took some time to pull out the camera.  In all of my time living and traveling in the southwest I have seen a total of one bighorn sheep, a long long way away, running.  At least we are pretty sure it was a bighorn sheep.  So this was a real treat.  Luckily for Copley (who has a less than rational fear of hoofed animals) the dog's didn't bother looking out the window to see them.

Then we went on a walk where Kerrigan whined, pulled, barked and even growled at a stranger.  This then incited Copley to do the same and his uncharacteristic pulling resulted in me almost falling and then yelling at them.  Since dogs don't understand yelling Kerri carried on but I think Copley got the drift and straightened up.  Or at least he knew I was upset and I became the center of his attention.  The walk back was much more pleasant if only because Copley was right by my side and I decided I would just let the 5lb Chihuahua pull all she wanted without trying to correct it.  She was in a harness, I was trying to enjoy myself, I don't think much harm was done.

Kerrigan is so good 90% of the time, but sometimes she just reminds me that she is still just a puppy and sometimes she will act like it.

Here is a picture of us on the walk (At Valley of Fire State Park- Don't think I mentioned that yet)-

Overall though this post should probably not be about the dogs.  The landscape was beautiful and we saw lots and lots of petroglyphs.  All of these pictures are taken by my Mom and she got some good shots while I was dog wrangling.  This canyon is a really amazing place.

The Bone

Copley was out hiking today so I was home with the puppy. She ate a big breakfast but a little later I gave her this bone for doing a trick.  She carried it around with her for over an hour before she ate it. In this picture she is just staring at it.

If Copley had let a treat go this long without eating it I would have assumed he was dying. That dog never refuses food but Kerri is a little more careful about what she eats.

I was curoius how things would go when Copley got home; if she would let him have it, put up a fight, or eat it really fast just so he couldn't have it. But then Kerri got hungry and ate it so I guess we will never know.

Grandma and Grandpa Come to Visit!

This week Copley and Kerri's "Grandparents" came to visit!  We took a trip to Joshua Tree National Park in an RV.  Overall Kerri loved the drive, getting to cuddle with us the whole way out, but was freezing cold when we got there.  Copley huddled under the kitchen table in the RV looking just miserable for the whole ride but had a great time when we got there.  It would have been nice if they both had a good time the whole trip, but that was not to be.

This is Kerrigan wearing both a sweater and a jacket and still looking cold.  I am glad we don't live in a place that really gets winters.

Copley here is demonstrating his newest thing.  Since getting the puppy he has started getting up on tables to sniff food and other such things.  It is a little annoying but at least he gets off when I say "off".  At home I have him just about broken of the habit but on this trip he was in full "take advantage of these new people who don't know the rules" mode.

It did warm up eventually.  Here is Copley enjoying some well deserved time soaking up the sun.  Joshua Tree National Park is beautiful during the day this time of the year.  We were lucky it was the middle of the week because all of the camp sites were reserved for the weekend.

Copley and my Mom climbed up this big rock.

 This is a Joshua Tree.  We were at Joshua Tree National Park after all.

A Furry Friend Visits

We had a visitor today and I got lots of cute pics of the doggies playing.

Copley ready to get in on the action

Most pictures looked like this

Adorable

Watch out for visitors pouncing from above

 

 

 

It is always important to thoroughly sniff visitors behinds

Why wont my dogs look at the camera all cute?  Tired of having their pictures taken perhaps?

AHHH

Running through the house

Visitors are tiring, Kerri stops for a drink

Copley questions why I keep bringing dogs to the house who disrupt his sleep schedule

I will leave you with one marginally cute video.  They were a little tuckered out by this point.