Tiny, Toy, Small, Teacup Dog & Puppy Chat

Homemade Dog Food & Dog Treats

Tiny Dog Mom — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:02:13 GMT

In light of the recent cases of tainted dog food and tainted dog treats, I have begun to prepare homemade food for my girls. All of the ingredients that I use are human food, fresh, organic - free range when possible. Treats are chicken, turkey and beef prepared in a food dehydrator. There are no spices and no preservatives added. I store the dog treats in airtight containers in the freezer, moving a few day's supply to the refrigerator when needed. I have been told by other dog fanciers that they have had success storing treats made this way in the pantry without refrigeration for a week or two, but I have not attempted that myself. The homemade dog food that I prepare is of my own design, based upon my personal experience with dogs, and is made without any preservatives. If you wish to cook one thing that you are certain has been evaluated for complete nutrition, there are many good books that have been written on the subject. My personal belief is that dogs, like humans, do not need to have every single nutrient in precise proportions at every single meal, but rather that if they eat a decent variety of foods which include all of the key nutrients that they require OVER TIME, they will achieve more than adequate nutrition. We also have several of "the best" "natural" brands of dog kibble available at all times, but it is rare that a dog fed fresh food will have much interest in kibble. We do not keep canned dog food or commercially prepared dog treats any more. Any visitors are welcome to share our homemade food and treats or to bring their own - your wishes will be followed. After visiting with us, many of our friends have found that their "too thin" finicky eaters fill out on our food, and that those with tummy problems have consistently firm stools and fewer problems resulting from irregularity, so they have asked for the recipe for my homemade dog food, so here is the basic recipe . Please note that I also add a good multi vitamin once a day - currently we are using Thorne Canine Basic Nutrients www.thorne.com/order_online.wss/search_display/individual_product/item_guid/d36f680a-bc4c-7a6a-2f83-6c655d91b3f3 I also add Fish Oil once a day - currently we are using www.nordicnaturals.com/PetOwners/PetOwners.asp In addition to the basic food, I will also intermittently mix in organic chicken liver, steak, plain yogurt, or cheese, and offer fresh fruits and veggies as treats (in addition to our dehydrated protein treats). You will need a large mixing bowl to prepare the food. After the food is well mixed I put it into small Pyrex dishes (glass) with plastic covers and store it in the freezer, defrosting and baking in the oven at about 400 degrees every few days as needed (cooking time will vary with the size of the dish, but it is fairly easy to see when the food is cooked in a Pyrex dish). My Dog Food Ingredients Everything is Fresh, Organic, Free Range When Possible Grated Florets of One Head of Broccoli After washing it I take a serrated knife and work my way around the head of the broccoli, making thin slices until all of the dark green (most nutrient packed part) has been removed (discarding the white part of the floret and the stems). This will result in the part that you adding to the food having a grated consistency that will completely blend into the food so that it will not be noticed by non-veggie loving dogs! *Please note that large amounts of broccoli can be problematic for dogs, but I have not noticed any issues with this quantity added to the food (and in fact, before switching to all homemade food, I have always fed my girls much larger portions of broccoli than this on a daily basis without ill effect), but if you think that your dog is especially sensitive, you may want to substitute another vegetable that you know agrees with them). 6-12 EGGS Beat in a separate bowl and add to the mixture. One Large or Two Small Cans of PLAIN Pumpkin Pumpkin is an often recommended home remedy for dog and puppy poop problems - whether they are prone to have soft stools or diarrhea, or tend to be constipated (which can often lead to anal glad problems), for some reason Pumpkin seems to be the "great equalizer" for doggie pooping issues. Initially my girls did have problems adjusting to a mostly fresh food diet, but I found that once I began to add pumpkin (and the next ingredient, brown rice) to every batch, they have been producing consistently perfect poops, and as every tiny dog owner knows, perfect poops make for a happy puppy! One Half - One Whole Box of Precooked Brown Rice Boil Rice until it is at least half cooked, cool, and add to the mixture. Blueberries - 1-2 Cups Mashed fresh, or Organic Frozen Add to the mix. 2 - 3 Sweet or White Potatoes Pre cook, remove the skin, mash and add to the mix. 4 - 5 Pounds of Ground Turkey, Chicken, or Beef I tend to vary the mix of meat depending upon what is available that looks good. I think that the dark meat poultry is a bit more nutritious than the white meat, and unless your dog is overweight or your Veterinarian says that there is a specific medical reason to reduce their fat intake, I would choose the dark meat. Dogs who are not accustomed to Beef, can be sensitive to it, so introduce it slowly. Dogs with allergies are often sensitive to Chicken since it is the most common protein source in dog foods and treats, so if you think that your dog may have minor allergies, you might want to try eliminating the chicken.

Teacup Yorkie, Teacup Poodle - Teacup Dog is not a "Dirty Word"!

Tiny Dog Mom — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:04:34 GMT

Teacup Yorkie, Teacup Poodle, Teacup Maltese, Teacup Chihuahua - you hear the term all the time these days, but surprise - there is no such thing as a Teacup Dog of any kind! Every dog breed standard has different guidelines for the size of that breed. Some specify height and/or length, some specify a weight range, while others only set a maximum or minimum weight. If a particular dog should fall outside what is specified in the breed standard, it is still a dog of that breed, however he or she would likely be disqualified in the show (conformation) ring. In the poodle breed standard, any poodle 10" or under at the withers (top of the shoulder) is considered a Toy Poodle. There is no such thing as a teacup poodle, yet the term was coined many years ago when the breed first became popular and a magazine featuring an article about the top breeder of the time featured a front cover photo of a tiny toy poodle puppy sitting in a teacup. In recent years, with the growing popularity of smaller versions of all dog breeds, the term "Teacup", indicating a smaller than usual version of a known dog breed has been linked to a wide variety of toy dog breeds. And while I personally don't think that using the word teacup is any different from small, tiny, little, tiny toy, or itty bitty, the fact is that when somebody is speaking of a teacup dog, you must ask them to clarify what their personal definition is. I've had people call me about their "teacup dog", only to find out that their "teacup" is 15 pounds. Now, to me a 15 pounder is one of those giant sized hot chocolate mugs that you get as a gift at the office Christmas party, but to each his own! Funny story about teacup dogs - a while back I was waiting in a green room with one of my girls who was about to be on a morning news show. My girl was the only tiny dog in the room, but there was also a rescue group there who had brought several pit bull type dogs who were up for adoption with them. Speaking to the gentleman from the agency that was accompanying them I commented how the smallest one, at about 25 pounds was the tiniest pitbull that I had ever seen. He replied that that he was also a very sweet dog, but he had been with the agency for a very long time and they just could not understand why nobody had adopted him yet. To which I joked "Hey, maybe you could advertise him as a teacup pitbull - that might get him adopted!" And sure enough, just as I said that, one of the young production assistants happened to walk by and overhear, and as her eyes excited darted back and fourth between the pitbull dogs before her, she exclaimed "which one is a teacup, oh tell me, which one of the dogs for adoption is a teacup!!" When I explained to her that what she overheard was a joke, she looked dejected and said "oh, I knew they were pitbulls, but I thought that one of them might have some teacup in them..." So, if we had told her that a 50 pounder was a teacup, she would have adopted it and carried it around in a designer dog bag ala Paris Hilton?! And that really is why some people have a problem with the word "teacup" - the word has taken on such status that unethical backyard breeders and greedy pet shops selling puppymill puppies use the word to manipulate uninformed perspective dog owners into paying big prices for ill-bred, sickly puppies that were born out of suffering. So Yes, when it comes to people who sell puppies, find the ones who use the word teacup highly suspect, but whatever you want to call your own puppy, as long as they are beloved and pampered, is fine with me!

Share your Stories Here

Tiny Dog Mom — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:56:08 GMT

Did your baby do something adorable that you can't wait to share with folks who will appreciate it? Did a funny thing happen on the way to the pet store? Did another dog owner in the Vet's waiting room do something that made your head spin? Did you find a new place in Manhattan that welcomes small dogs? Please share it here - we can't wait to hear all about it!

Ask Your Question Here

Tiny Dog Mom — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:49:41 GMT

Please ask any questions about small dogs that you may have here. Questions concerning dog supplies, dog food, dog training and behavior are welcome. Questions specific to Tiny Dog Boarding should be sent in private email to tinydogboarding@aol.com

Welcome to Tiny Dog Boarding Blog - Chat!

Tiny Dog Mom — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:44:00 GMT

Thanks for stopping by the Tiny Dog Boarding Blog - Chat! My hope is that this will be a fun place for those of us lucky enough to be parents to the littlest members of the canine community to get together to share information about anything that may help to give our babies healthier, happier, more fulfilling lives. New York City (Manhattan especially) is a big, sometimes cold and impersonal place, but if you have a Teacup Puppy or a Small Dog that you adore, you are part of a very special NYC subculture - a family, where you are welcome and understood. Your neighbors and your relatives my not understand - might even tease you about how you "spoil" them, but you will never have to explain or justify your feelings or behavior here in the Tiny Dog Boarding Blog - Chat! We understand, and hopefully we can help each other to find an even higher level of care and happiness for our beloved little furbabies! Are you having trouble wee wee pad training your new puppy? Do you want to find the best place to buy designer doggie bags? Are you looking for a good place to purchase discount dog supplies? Do you want to start cooking your own dog food? Are you curious about making homemade dog treats? Are you looking for dog clothing, a pretty dress or snow boots that won't fall off of your little one? Are you interested in learning to groom your small dog? Is your dog having a behavior or training problem? Or would you simply like to have a place to talk with other like minded Tiny Dog Parents who will appreciate hearing about the adorable thing that your furbaby did yesterday, or will understand your anxiety about boarding them for the first time? Most of all I hope that this will be a place that we can problem-solve for our little ones. No matter if you are a new dog parent, or if you have 40 years of experience, there are times when the objective opinions and ideas from folks who value and revere small dogs as much as you do yours is just the ticket to help you find the right solution. So I hope that you will stop by often ~ whether you have a question or something to share, your fellow Tiny Dog Parents will love to hear from you!