Hello Mel,
I have a question regarding training. Every time I take my dog to the park she gets overly excited when she sees other puppies or dogs. I believe she thinks they all want to be her friends but that is not always the case. Other dogs will bark at her and she’ll be wiggling her tail thinking they want to play with her so she’ll pull me very hard and try to go play with the dogs. I try to calm her down, and tell her to sit down or rub her neck and say Relax. She’ll sit down but then get right back up and start pulling. Is there any tips you might have on how to control Kitana at the park around other dogs?
Sincerely,
Jessica – Pit Bull mommy 
Hi Mel, I have a cocker spaniel girl, Cora, who is a year and a half. She is very affectionate and sweet, but when we go on walks, if we see other dogs she growls and pulls at the leash very hard. It is getting embarrassing since she is so small compared to other dogs, not to mention it makes our walks stressful instead of peaceful. When we go to the dog park, she is fine with other dogs, never aggressive towards them. She plays with my mom’s Australian Shepherd fine. How do I stop this pulling/growling behavior on the leash? I tell her ‘no’ and keep her on a close leash but that doesn’t seem to help. Any thoughts are welcome!
Thanks,
Laura
I have a 2 year Boston terrier, and she is a wonderful bundle of energy. I was just wondering if you had any advice or tips for getting along with other dogs. Although Zoe loves to play, play, play she gets almost too excited when she sees other dogs. She barks and jumps and pulls on the leash, and when I try to calm her down it’s like she doesn’t hear me. I know she just wants to play, but other dogs are usually not as eager to roll around with her.
Thank you
Sam
Hi Jessica, Laura, and Sam and Respective Fur Kids,
I’m answering all of your questions together because the stories are so similar. It’s so hard to contain one’s self when other puppies are just waiting to be played with!! All of you have mentioned issues on leash when it comes to reacting to other dogs. Leashes are a necessary evil in our society, as most places have leash laws that mandate you can not walk down the street with your pooch unless they are tethered to you. Because none of you have mentioned any issues with your pups playing with dogs off leash, I’m going to focus on you working with them on the leash.
Picture this…someone ties you to a rope and takes you to a place that you are not comfortable with…a bad neighborhood, for example. You have no choice to be there with them, but you also are not able to go up and meet people and introduce yourself or run away if you feel the need. This is like being on a leash for some dogs, and some dogs can get a bit claustrophobic when something is interfering with their normal doggie intro routine and their fight or flight response. Their solution to that is to do a lot of the behaviors that you all mention above.
There are a couple of tricks that you can use, but all of these should be tried and mastered prior to using them around other dogs. Gotta walk before you can run!
–Watch Me Command. This one is easy and your dog will think it’s great. Take a little tasty treat, have your dog sit, and then hold the treat up to your face. (I hold it by the tip of my nose out of habit, about two inches from my face.) Show them the treat, say “watch me”, and bring it in front of your nose. Most dogs will stare right into your face hoping, hoping, that you will let them have their cookie. Try this in the house and in situations your dog is comfortable in first, then you can take it outside and in more public settings.
–If you know that your dog is fine with other dogs off leash, chances are the stuff I described above is coming in to play. (BIG NOTE: ALWAYS make sure that if you are going to work with another dog, that dog (and owner) are tried and true and you know them well…you don’t want to take any chances with dogs or owners you don’t know.) Try using a long lead instead of a leash when your pup meets another dog, and make sure that the leash is slacked (i.e. that you are not pulling on the dog). Sometimes just the feeling of being pulled in the other direction is enough to make your pup get a little beside himself.
–I have two words for you folks…GENTLE LEADER. Oh, how I love the Gentle Leader and how I sing its praises. There are a number of uses in dog training for this magical item, and this is one of them. Even if your pup is great on leash but tends to get over excited when it sees another dog, child, bike, car, mailman, etc and you feel like you need a bit more control, the GL will give that to you without having to resort to those nasty choke chains and prong collars. The head halter acts like a horse halter, and prevents your pup from getting out of hand. It is ONLY to be used for giving mom and dad a little more control at the greeting…it is not Auntie Mel’s recommendation to let a dog play or run free or in the house with the GL on at all times. Check out your friendly Two Bostons store for a demo of how to fit and use one properly.
–RELAX! Sometimes mom and dad relaxing instead of tensing up and anticipating the Dog-Dog Craziness can keep Fido from picking up on the anxiety. If mom and dad don’t have anything to worry about, then hey…maybe Fido doesn’t either!
Last but not least, your pup has things that he gets excited about, just like we do. For me it’s shoe shopping and chocolate, but for Fido it’s things like walks, playing ball, and yes…meeting and playing with other dogs. As long as he’s under control and not displaying truly aggressive behaviors, it’s ok.
Happy playing!
Mel
Hey there! I’m back again today and opening two more cans of food for you to see. Today we have samples from Taste of the Wild and Merrick Whole Earth Farms. Both of these cans are grain free and contain healthy proteins and fruits and vegetables for your pooch.
Let’s start by opening the can from Taste of the Wild. As you can see, we have my favored nifty pull-top tab. (I honestly don’t know what my aversion is to the can opener…I think I’m just a sucker for a time saver.)
I have the High Prairie Dog variety here today. It has a mixture of protein sources, such as bison, venison, and lamb; along with a variety of fruits and vegetables mixed in.
As you can see, the first ingredient is the protein source…which I love.
Here is the inside of the can:
You can see all the gravy and, yes, those are chunks of potato. The odor was slightly gamey and a bit stronger than some of the other cans I’ve opened; however, I can assure you that did not detract Diesel from chowing down on this food.
And here it is in the bowl. You’ll notice that the meat pieces are whole and not like a pureed at all. Though, the pieces are very soft, so if you have an older or smaller dog, there should be no problem chewing these (but that is just my opinion, you may wish to cut them a bit smaller if you think you need to.)
This would be a great option to feed solo or mixed into a dry kibble to add some moisture. The gravy seems to add a nice “juicy” quality to the food.
Moving on, I’m opening this can from the Whole Earth Farm line by Merrick.
Again, we have the protein source as the first ingredient.
This product mixes protein sources as well. We’ve got some chicken, duck and buffalo with a whole lot of veggies.
Again, we’ve got a pull top tab to get into the can and here’s what it looks like inside:
The first thing I noticed was that the protein sources are a little more blended in this can. It was deceiving, because I didn’t think there would be much in the way of chunkiness when I put it in the bowl. But when I did, this is what I got:
Although the meat was considerably more blended than the previous can, the chunks of veggies were still in there. I think this added a nice texture to the meal for Diesel. This can was slightly less “wet” than some of the other cans I’ve opened and I think it would make a great stand alone meal. You could certainly mix it in with kibble too; however, it may end up being a bit more clumpy (again, that is just my opinon.) The smell of this can was slightly pungent, but not offensive. Diesel really liked it too.
Well, there you have it. Both of these options are a great choice to add into your dog’s diet rotation. I have one more can coming to you in the next post and then we’ll be moving on to another type of food for you to see. Please feel free to stop by either of the Two Bostons stores and ask any questions you have on any of the posts you’ve seen.
Kate has been with the Two Bostons team since 2009 and can be found primarily in the stockroom working on inventory at the downtown store.
Kate with Remy
Remington, Kateʼs Beagle mix she rescued, loves chewing on bully sticks and snacking on Purebites. What she appreciates most about working with Two Bostons is, “the knowledge Iʼve gained while working here about dogs, their health and behavior. I learned about gluten here first, just before finding out I was intolerant myself.”
Kate loves all the Land Before Time dinosaurs, penguins, and wonʼt ever karaoke due to a traumatizing karaoke incident that she doesnʼt want to talk about. Ever.
We all know that dogs LOVE to chew. We have some amazing options available for you to choose from at Two Bostons. I wanted to show you this one today. Are you familiar with this product?
These are deer antler chews by Buckarooz and Diesel absolutely loves them!
They are just what they sound like. Deer antlers…from naturally shed deer antlers. They don’t splinter and the point has been shaved down so it is safe for any size dog. Since it is an antler, and nothing else, it contains no preservatives, antibiotics, steroids, hormones, or animal-by-products. It also is a great source of calcium.
The packaging in our store looks like this right now:
Sorry the antler isn’t in there…but the second I walk in the door with one of these this happens:
Obviously, I use the largest size for my guy; however, we do have them in several sizes…so if you want a long lasting chew for any size dog, check these out.
One thing I will say is that people sometimes come in and say their dog doesn’t want the antler. They don’t have an actual flavor per se. We suggest soaking it for a while in chicken stock to add some flavor. Usually this takes care of the problem and makes this a favorite treat.
One of these antlers will last Diesel a few weeks, depending on how long I let him chew. It’s a great, long lasting treat for him.
We are going to look inside two more great canned options today. Both are by Evanger’s and both look like an actual stew rather than dog food. Today’s offering is Lamb Chunks Dinner in Gravy and Braised Beef Chunks with Gravy. The way Evanger’s makes their meals is to pack the cans with raw foods in their own natural juices. Then the food is gently cooked inside the can to minimize the handling and seal in the nutrients. The Braised Beef Chunks with Gravy is actually packed by hand!
I’m going to start with the Lamb Chunks.
Notice my favored pull top tab? Both of these cans have it.
The first thing I noticed upon opening the can was the pleasant smell. Yes, it really was. The next thing I noticed was the full pieces of real food. This was clearly not overly processed.
Here is the meal in the bowl. It did not last long. I have a larger dog and he had no problem with the size of the pieces; however, I would assume if your dog is under, say 10 lbs or so, you may need to break the chunks up a bit for easier eating.
Let’s move on to the Braised Beef Chunks.
Again, loving the pull top tab.
Here is the inside. I think it’s great that this particular food is hand packed by a person. Again, the smell was pleasant. More like food than dog food.
And here it is in the bowl for you to see. This particular food broke apart very easily upon scooping out of the can. Again, it did not last long at all.
Both of these options are really great additions to your feeding rotation either on their own, or as a way to add moisture to a kibble based diet.
We’re back downtown today to meet Liz. Liz has been working at the downtown store for Two Bostons since March of 2011. Sharing her home are Brock the American Bulldog, Bigsby the Chihuahua, Ella the Yorkipoo, and Murphy the cat. Everyone loves everyone, and cuddles together accordingly.
The Tuckerʼs Selects are a universally popular treat for Lizʼs diverse gang of pups, each one getting an appropriately sized cup to indulge in. Liz, “Love love LOVES the atmosphere,ʼ at Two Bostons, and when sheʼs not hanging out with her favorite team members, sheʼs usually baking cupcakes, or watching Sex and the City. Her three favorite items are Bowser Beds, Earthdog Collars, and Bravo Buffalo training treats.
She also belts out a mean rendition of “Love You Like A Love Song” by Selena Gomez, because according to Liz,“Thatʼs my jam.Totally.”
Stop by our downtown location and say hi to Liz today.
Are you crafty? Well, whether you answered yes or no…these projects are for you! And just in time for the holidays too!
This ornament from Sculpey is a great way to capture your dog or cat’s paw print and keep it forever. It is a really fun project and takes less than an hour to do.
Everything you need is in the box. All you do is roll out the clay, press the paw in the clay, write anything you’d like (such as the year, or your pet’s name), poke the hanging wholes and bake. Once it is cool, you can paint it and add glitter if you’d like, or you can hang it on your tree as is.
This would be great for someone with an older dog –I would have loved to have a keepsake like this from my German Shepherd who passed away a few years ago. It’s a wonderful gift for someone who has a new puppy too! Imagine how fun it will be to see how much they grow over the years. Honestly, it’s a great option for anyone with a family pet.
We also have this great paw print and picture frame in stock as well:
This is a really easy project too…the frame is the baking sheet! It is really no fuss, no muss. And…this one you can leave out all year long. (Well, if you’re like me, you’d leave the ornament out all year long too…but that is neither here nor there.)
Trust me, both of these projects are easy enough to fit into the hustle and bustle of the holidays and leave you with a lasting impression of your furry friend. Stop by either of our Two Bostons locations today and check them out!
Today we are moving on to four really great options if you are considering canned food for your dog. This food is great for adding moisture into your dog’s diet. It will add the necessary moisture when feeding a kibble based diet, or when standing alone. The foods we choose to carry are all gently processed so they are packed with the highest nutritional value possible. These foods that I am showcasing today all have one thing in common…their first ingredient is the protein source (meat) and they are all grain-free with no fillers.
On the table today, we have Evanger’s Grain-Free Pheasant, Fromm Shredded Pork Entree, Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit Formula, and BG (Before Grain) Buffalo by Merrick.
As you can see, all of these cans have my favorite pull top tabs. I cannot stress how much easier this is when feeding my dog. It is so quick and clean.
I’m going to start by opening the can of Evanger’s:
It looks a bit like pate to me. But you can definitely see the meat.
I wanted to show you why you can see the meat…because that is all that is in there. Meat.
When you scoop it out of the can and break it up you can really see the quality of the meat. There was no offensive odor, in fact, it smelled like people food. This is a great option if you want to mix up the protein source. Diesel really liked the pheasant.
The next canned option I’m opening for you is from Fromm.
The first thing I noticed about the food was the vegetables in with the meat. Again, this food had a more pate like quality in the can; however,
once I scooped it out into the bowl, I could really see the shredded pork (and veggies). The whole pieces of food showed me how minimal the processing really is.
You can see that the first three ingredients are pork, water, and carrots. Protein, moisture, and vegetables. The smell was not “dog foody” at all and went super quick when offered to my assistant.
Moving on, I am going to open Nature’s Variety for you.
This is a grain and gluten free option. It is 95% meat and liver and 5% vegetables.
You’ll notice the first ingredients are protein and this food is really boosted with vitamins.
You’ll notice that I poured off the liquid to photograph the food in the can. Again, the meal resembled pate to me. The liquid encased the meal, so you’ll want to be cautious when opening the can. This made me think that Nature’s Variety would be a wonderful option if you were specifically looking for a type of “gravy” to moisten kibble.
Once I scooped the food out of the can, I mixed it in the bowl with the liquid. You can really see the meat and veggies in this one too. Like I said, this would be a great option to mix with kibble. The odor was really not offensive. It smelled fresh and was eaten very quickly.
The last can I’m going to show you today is a line called BG (Before Grain) from Merrick:
Diesel got to try the Buffalo. This is a great option to add premium protein to your dog’s diet rotation.
Again, you can see the first ingredient is buffalo.
Upon opening the can (again, another one with a lot of “gravy” so be careful), the meat is clear to see. This product would be another great option for adding moisture to kibble. It smelled like meat…not dog food.
This is what it looks like when scooped from the can. Again, with this product, you can see what you are feeding your dog. Diesel really enjoyed the Buffalo.
These four products are a great way to introduce higher quality protein to your dog if you are on a kibble diet, or as a quick supplemental protein source for those of you on a raw diet. I hope you’ll consider giving them a try.
If you have ever been to our downtown location, then you already know and love Laura!
Laura with Bella and Sophie
Laura has been with Two Bostons since September 2008, and has made the Downtwon store her Two Bostons home as our Operations Lead. She keeps things running smoothly for everyone there. She is the very proud mother of two kids as well as her black cat Bella, and her Shih Tzu Sophie. When Bellaʼs not sneaking pieces of bread to snack on, sheʼs having a great time being Sophieʼs best friend. Laura will happily tell you all about her love of the Blueberry Facial Shampoo, Bowser Beds, and Tiki Cat Food.
Sophie doesn’t have to go to the groomer to get official spa treatment with the Blueberry Facial wash. Since she is an “allergy dog” and needs frequent baths, Laura is very careful about the ingredients in the shampoos used on her. “I love the natural and gentle ingredients (coconut oil, jojoba, aloe, blueberry extract, avocado and vitamins A, D and E) in this one. Not only is it safe for her, but it gets her furry Shih Tzu face really clean and leaves her smelling yummy!” Laura says.
Bowser Beds are the favorite napping spots for both dog AND cat at Laura’s house (sometimes even at the same time). The pets like how comfy they are and Laura loves how easy they are to clean.
Bella religiously performs the Tiki hula to let Laura know when she is hungry for breakfast and dinner. Laura says, “Although her persistence can be annoying, I know I am feeding her a great quality food so we both win!”
However, Laura’s very favorite thing about Two Bostons is the customers. “We have awesome customers,” says Laura, “and I love continuously learning about pet health and nutrition.”
When not at the store, Laura is either escaping to Florida with her family at every opportunity she gets, or she’s sneaking some of the banana fudge gelato from Francescaʼs. Should she ever go missing, check one of those two places first.
Today’s canned dog food comes from Merrick. Merrick is a family run company that prides itself on using the best ingredients possible and using the least amount of steps possible during the making of their food. This helps to retain as many of the natural benefits of the food as possible. The ingredients they use are human grade ingredients along with fresh fruits, vegetables and no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
Today I am going to look inside three cans for you.
We have Thanksgiving Day Feast, Wilderness Blend, and Burger Pie & Sweety Fries.
These Merrick cans have the nifty pull tab top like the cans I showed you the other day. (On a personal note, I really think more cans should have these…just saying.)
To start with, let’s look inside Thanksgiving Day Feast.
The main ingredient in here is Turkey; however, you can see the nice bits of carrots, sweet potatoes, apples and green beans when you open the can and scoop it into the bowl. The smell is pleasant, not at all like canned dog food.
The next can I am going to open for you is the Burger Pie & Sweety Fries.
Think of this as having a burger and fries with your furry friend.
You can really see the chunks of beef and the pieces of sweet potato. The odor level on this was really not bad either. In fact, Merrick’s cans tend to smell more like people food than dog food.
Finally, let’s look inside the Wilderness Blend can.
Wilderness Blend combines Buffalo, Venison, and Salmon to give your pooch a wild experience (pun intended). This can does contain brown rice, so please be aware of that when choosing this option. But, hey…look at that pea in there!
The smell of this can was slightly gamey (as you would expect) but not offensive in the least.
And, I can share this with you:
SOMEONE (who shall remain nameless ~ alright it was Diesel) was willing to take one for the team to get you this information. He sat there the whole time all “How you doin’?” as I opened the cans and took the photos. And then he ate them. All. I can tell you this, there wasn’t one he didn’t like.
