How to Teach a Pug to Fetch

Now our mom is aware of her limitations, and she is not much of a dog trainer to be sure.  I guess you would call her and dad a bit.....permissive.   She does like to teach us some tricks though.   Now Weasley liked to chase toys but was dead set against bringing them back, here is how mom taught him to fetch.  (Yes many dogs fetch naturally, but not all of them).

Supplies Needed:

One energetic pug and one ball

One  bag treats and one clicker 

 Step 1: Present the ball to the pug and when the pug looks at the ball click and treat.

Step 2 Place the ball on the ground and click and treat when the pug looks at it, approaches it, and finally touches it.  Very gradually increase the difficulty requiring the pug to touch or mouth the ball before you click and treat.  You can also start to roll the ball at this point.  Remember work slowly and ensure success for your pug.

Step 4 Once your pug is consistently running towards the ball and touching it.  You are ready to throw the ball.   Click and treat when your pug runs to the ball and touches it.  At this point they don't have to bring the ball back.

Step 5 As soon as your pug starts putting their mouth on the ball and picking it up click and treat big time, with a jack put ( a couple of little treats).  Before long your pug will be chasing the  ball and returning it to you.   Fetch!

See the video below to see Weasley fetching away in our back lot.

Black and White Sunday-Ping and Mom

In case your interested I have started a new blog, not to replace this one, but  to write about vintage.  From now on I am going to divide my posts between this blog and the new one.   Its called The Old Fashioned Way.

Movie Time!

We are all ready in our pug notes sweaters for Star Trek: Into The Darkness

Now if only pugs were allowed in theatres!

Grain Free Coconut Strawberry Cake

May is national strawberry month.  

The perfect month to make  a strawberry cake for a May birthday baby like Ping.

Grain Free Coconut Strawberry Cake

2 1/4 cups coconut flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp honey
1 1/4 cup milk 
1 egg
1 cup diced strawberries, plus more for top
1 cup low fat plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 350.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and coconut in a medium bowl.  In a separate bowl or large measuring cup whisk together the oil, honey, milk, and egg.  Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and fold in the strawberries.   Bake 30 minutes until cooked through (cake may be crumbly as that  is what I tend to get with coconut flour, but the dogs wont mind).  To frost the cake I drained the yogurt in a cheese cloth lined sieve for a few hours to make a thicker and then spooned it over the cake and topped with a few strawberries.

We had a little tea party for mother's day and Ping's birthday and I made some human friendly recipes too, they are on my new blog The Old Fashioned Way which is going to be about vintage things.

Ping's 10th Birthday

We were so excited when after a rainy Saturday and an a gloomy looking Sunday morning the sun came out for Ping's birthday party day.

 Ping got this adorable dress from Pugpossesed.  I think its her best outfit yet.


She also got a Linden Line designs Victorian bell collar 

 and this cooling mat, thanks to Dip Dip and the Bridge who wrote about theirs.

 We went on a bike ride in the park

watched TV

 and had a tea party with treats for dogs and people

 In other news I started a second blog, The Old Fashioned Way, its going to be about retro things, mainly vintage style clothing and old movies.   Its very much a work in progress and I don't really expect anyone to read it or to put to much content on it, but if you are interested in that kind of stuff you might want to check it out.  This will continue be my primary blog but I think it will be fun to write a little more about vintage.

A Happy Day in Every Way

Happy Mother's Day (to all pet moms and human moms alike)

Happy Gotcha Day to our Weasley

 Happy Birthday to Ping, her  party is today (to be detailed monday)

 Andy happy day to the winner of Ping's birthday give away: Bella and Sweat Pea of A Wonderful Dog's Life

 

Product Review: Bow Tie Collar from Rover Boutique on Etsy

I'm super behind in my product review.  The collar I am reviewing today was one of Weasley's presents for his first birthday, March 11!   A London Bow Tie Collar from Rover Boutique on Etsy.  

Rover dog is a Toronoto based company that specializes in shirts, jackets, dresses and collars from high quality materials.   Their products have a preppy, vintage aesthetic that I really appreciate. In fact if I one the lottery  one of my first acts would be to buy up the contents of their shop as everything is adorable.

 The company was started when the designer found a lack of classic, attractive pet gear while shopping for her own dog.   From their Etsy store bio: " The pet fashion market was saturated with frilly, glittery, and impractical garments that had little design value. Most pet clothing found in even high-end boutiques was poorly made with little attention paid to the quality of materials, durability and design. On the other end of the spectrum was the utilitarian clothing sold at outdoor and hunting stores that was certainly rugged, but far from fashionable. AnneMarie soon recognized the need for a happy medium: durable and well-designed clothing for dogs of all sizes and breeds."

I completely agree with AnneMarie I've never been much for the overly frilly dog dresses and glitter t-shirts, it doesn't match how I'd dress myself so I don't want to dress my dogs that way either.  On the other hand I love clothing and want my dogs to have stylish accessories.   For myself I gravitate towards vintage clothes or vintage reproductions and I love that Rover Dog has a very vintagey feel to its designs.  

I also appreciate that unlike many dog clothing boutiques,they really cater to male dogs, note the plethora of bow ties, and to dogs of all sizes (collars are available from in length from 7" to 27" and widths fo 3/4" or 1 ".  The shop will also custom make any other length or width you need.  Sadly the London print I got for Weasley is no longer in the shop but they have tons of other gorgeous fabrics.   Below are some more shots of Weasley in his collar.

If you are a children's book nut like me you might recognize the print on the fabric from Miroslav Sasek's classic  This is London. It is one of my favorite picture books and I was so excited to recognize the  art work in the fabric on the collar.

 Some of the pictures in the book.

Rover dog has excellent communication skills and good shipping times.  Their price for a bow tie collar is  $40.00  I'd definitely give this product a four paw review and recommend it to any stylish, classic loving pooch (or pet parent).

I should also add that this is my second purchase from The Rover Boutique. 
 Weasley also has an adorable tweed jacket that we love:

(Don't forget to enter Pings' 10th birthday give away here, to win a Himalayan Dog Chew)