Peanut Butter and Molasses

 

And..

Peanut butter and molasses as a treat for your dog just doesn't sound right, or does it? It does when you consider that in a world of processed foods, there just doesn't seem to be anything out there that can be considered healthy. Most store bought treats contain large amounts of animal by-products, artificial flavors, artificial colors and artificial preservatives. All which can have an impact on your pet's overall health. 

Over the years we have experimented with many different types of treats for Lucy - some good and some not so good. We've tried people foods that were considered healthy but Lucy would just turn them down and besides, there can be dangers in feeding your dog the same foods that you eat. We've also tried what were considered wholesome foods from the pet store that upset her stomach and were very expensive. But there was one treat we could always count on that she could tolerate and seemed to enjoy and it just happens to be peanut butter! She just loves the stuff! I must warn you; it is not easy to watch your dog eat peanut butter, especially in its normal packaging. They will lick and lick to try to get it all out of their mouths. But they will never turn it down and it's actually good for them. 

One day while in the store I came across a box of dog treats that listed all natural and low fat "peanut butter and molasses" healthy treats for dogs. The treat is a hard baked cookie containing unbleached wheat flour, whole-wheat flour, blackstrap molasses, palm oil, whey oats, natural caramel, nonfat milk, egg, salt, baking soda, natural peanut butter and brewer's yeast. They are baked semi-hard to help keep teeth clean. There is no artificial anything in the cookie! I instantly purchased them and brought them home for my dog.

Lucy has been eating these cookies as a treat for about a year now and loves them. 
They come out of the box as what I would call a large cookie for a treat, so I break them up for her. She never gets more than one large cookie on any given day. She's actually on a schedule for her treats receiving about a third of a cookie three times a day. This helps us maintain her calorie intake and of course, her weight. What a great idea for a treat! 

Since I'm not in the business of selling dog treats, I won't list the company here on my blog but if you will drop me a note I will be happy to give you the name of the bakery. Just a note, if the company ever goes out of business I think these treats would be easily made from home. It might take just a little experimentation in the kitchen to make up a healthy treat for your favorite critter but it would be well worth the time to do so! 

Cheers!

You Can't Control Everything!

Born in Galveston, Texas in 1878 in the post slavery south, the boxer Jack Johnson went on to become one of the greatest boxers of the 20th century. But there is more to the story... John Arthur ("Jack") Johnson had many obstacles to overcome in his life. Born to parents who were former slaves and fighting at the height of the "Jim Crow" era, Johnson became the first African American World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, maintaining the title from 1908 to 1915. How did he accomplish this amazing feat in a time of racial bigotry, subjugation, and other barriers imposed on African Americans of his day? He concentrated his efforts on the things that he could control and didn't worry about the things he could not; thereby, refusing to bow to conventional wisdom that an African American could not compete in a world not built for him. Control is a concept that I've been struggling with for a while but I think I have a handle on it now...

Locus of control is the concept that refers to what we believe affects our existence. Individuals who have an internal locus of control believe that events result primarily from their own behavior and actions. Those with an external locus of control believe that powerful others, fate, or chance

primarily determine the outcome of events. One of the most important aspects of personal performance is understanding, what is, and what is not, within our control. Attempting to influence or change what is beyond our span of control is a fool’s errand. Even more disturbing is when we forfeit responsibility and effort to fix the things that are well within our power. Knowing the difference makes all the difference.

There is an old prayer that reflects these sentiments...

“God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed. Courage to change the things that should be changed and wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.”
─ Reinhold Niebuhr

Do you feel out of control? Do you know your locus of control? You might want to take some time to truly understand the concept.

A New Book for Aviation Professionals

A note to all my old flying buddies. A couple friends and former coworkers have co-authored a new book that many of you may find interesting. The title is Automation Airmanship, Nine Principles of Operating Glass Cockpit Aircraft, Authored by Captain Chris Lutat and Captain Ryan Swah, released 2013 through McGraw Hill publishing. It is a must have book for anyone flying or instructing in today's advanced technology aircraft. I feel it would make a great addition to any serious aviation professional's library. I think you can find it over on Amazon.

A game of continuous improvement…

While this post has nothing to do with Lucy... or dogs for that matter. I felt compelled to share it here. The story begins -

As I established my setup for the first hole on the small executive golf course I like to play to work on my short game, I had to back off the shot. My mind was all over the place, how many times had I been presented with a shot just like this over the last 30 or so years that I have been playing this game?   “Many I thought to myself”… No matter how long I play the game, there is always this little nagging thought running through my brain - am I truly prepared? Have I practiced enough? Is my swing good today? The thing is - you can never truly master the game of golf – there always something that needs to be worked on or reworked. It’s all about continuous improvement. I guess this is what draws me to the game…

At the beginning of every year, I try to establish goals for where I want to be with my golf game by the end of the season. Sometimes I’ve succeeded and other times I’ve failed at my goals but they are always there. They give me something to concentrate my improvement efforts on. In reflecting back on my efforts to improve my game, I’ve discovered some roadblocks that prevent me from achieving all that I want to achieve.

For me, finding and dedicating the time to practice has always been a major obstacle. They say to truly become an expert at something; it takes about 10,000 hours of concentrated effort and practices over the course of a lifetime. There is no way that I have that kind of time to spend on my golf game. But I do put in practice time and I do attempt to make it fun. Speaking of fun, the fun has not always been part of my game. If I didn’t hit just the perfect shot or scoring wasn’t going well, I would sulk, get mad at myself and basically adopt a pretty crappy attitude about how I was playing. It was like emotional jetlag, I just couldn’t get past what I had just done, which led to even more problems. I use to see this same phenomenon in some of the students that I would train back when I was a flight instructor, but that’s another story...

Now that I’m older and wiser and possess a better understanding of the game, I find a new foe knocking at the door - physical degradation. My body isn’t as strong or flexible as it once was. But maybe this is a good thing. In my youth, I could hit the ball a ton and I didn’t think anything was out of reach (a problem in its own right). Today I find myself truly thinking about how I’m going to manage the course to achieve the results I want. I guess the old adage; “Old age and treachery will overcome youth and enthusiasm” holds some truth after all.       

I guess the bottom line for all of this is - golf is a game I will never master it. It, like life, presents us with many obstacles that we must face and overcome. To truly enjoy the game, you must put in the time to develop skills for the level you want to participate in. But most of all, we must put in the effort to enjoy the game – no matter what transpires on the scorecard. This is my new philosophy and my goals reflect it.

Pet Adoption

Are you thinking about obtaining a four-legged friend? Check out dogs looking for good homes through adoption. Adoption is the first best place to find a great dog. The ASPCA has a national database that will allow you find what you are looking for. Our Lucy was an adoption pup!

Some people shy away from adoption because of special needs or perhaps behavioral problems of some of the dogs. I can honestly say that we would adopt again in a minute. With love and attention, an adopted dog can become a valued family member.  When we first received Lucy she was under weight and very shy. It took a bit of time but she got into a routine and never looked back. She is one of the best-socialized dogs I know. All we did was offer her support and attention and she blossomed.

The dogs in the national database need your help and support. Please at least begin your search for a new dog through an adoption organization. There are literally thousands of dogs that are up for adoption and some do not have much time to find a new home.

If you are interested in a particular breed of dog, you can probably find it at an adoption organization. Just today I was up on the ASPCA site and found Jake CI 1864 (a full boxer in the database). Jake is part of the Prison Trained K-9 Companion Program here in Colorado. He is spayed and neutered, fully vaccinated and wormed for internal parasites, and best of all he is fully trained and ready for a great home. The prison program is not a tax-funded program and therefore there may be some expense incurred but it is well worth it. The program serves society and dogs looking for great homes at the same time.

There are many other adoption routes to take, all you have to do to find one is type into your web browser “adopt a pet” and you are sure to find one near you. Please begin your search for a new four-legged friend through an adoption agency.

Thank you.

Helping a Boxer with a Sensitive Stomach

Through the years I have written articles about Lucy’s sensitive stomach issues. I’ve informed you of how Lucy actually eats three meals a day and how this manages to keep her tummy issues at bay. Some may be thinking that I’m overfeeding her. The truth is, she rarely gets more than one cup per serving of her favorite dog food. In addition, she gets no more 1 to 3 treats on any given day but this is another story to tell later. This method of multiple feeding works only because of the quality of the food she receives.

Over time her dog food has changed. When we first brought Lucy home we were sold on Science Diet products. She did well with this food as far as the sensitivity goes but she put on weight. So we went exploring and experimenting with different foods. We tried all-natural foods from the health food store and several others as well. Some would cause weight gain, some would cause weight loss and some an excessive need to go poo. Some foods had too much filler and others perhaps not enough. Some so-called sensitive stomach foods actually magnified the sensitivity problem.

One day she got sick and kept getting sick on a regular basis. We took her to the Vet and had her checked out. She was healthy but had a sensitive stomach issued said the vet. The Vet recommended we feed her nothing but rice for a few days. The problem remedied itself very quickly. We asked the Vet to recommend dog food that would help us with our problem. I was expecting to have to spend a great deal of money on this recommended dog food but was pleasantly surprised with his recommendation, He recommended Purina One Rice and Lamb (Sensitive Stomach) dry dog food. Don’t worry, I don’t own stock in Purina nor am I advertising the product for any type of profit. I’m simply offering up a solution to a problem many dog owners run into.  Besides, the food has been fantastic for Lucy. No more sensitive stomach and she possesses abundant energy and displays all the signs of a healthy dog.

Lucy is eight years old now and has a lean body, strong bones, and strong muscles. She is rarely ill so her immune system must be strong as well. Her digestion is excellent and she rarely has a problem of throwing up like she used to do. I might add that she is quite regular as well.  Her skin coat and eyes are still as stunning as when she was a puppy. And her teeth are in good shape but like many dogs, she probably could use good teeth cleaning and perhaps something for doggie breath on occasion. With all this said, I would have to conclude that the food she is on now is a good one.

For those of you who have a boxer with a sensitive stomach, you might want to check this dog food out. Listed below are the ingredients along with the guaranteed analysis that Purina states concerning the product.  All I can say is that it has worked for Lucy and it may work for your boxer as well.

Ingredients:

Lamb (natural source of glucosamine), brewers rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), oatmeal, animal fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols – a source of vitamin E), lamb meal, animal digest, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, salt, caramel color, L-Lysine monochloride, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, ferrous sulfate, vitamin E supplement, manganese sulfate, niacin, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), sodium selenite

Purina’s Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude protein (min.) 26%, crude fat (min.) 16%, crude fiber (max.) 3%, moisture (max.) 12%, linoleic acid (min.) 1.4%, calcium (Ca) (min.) 1%, phosphorus (P) (min.) 0.8%, selenium (Se) (min.) 0.35 mg/kg, vitamin A (min.) 13,000 iu/kg, vitamin E (min.) 250 iu/kg, glucosamine* (min.) 400 ppm, Omega 6 fatty acids* (min.) 1.6%. *Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Nutrients Profile.

If you know of a better dog food that works as well as this one does for Lucy, I would appreciate it if you write a short response to this post for more options in helping a boxer with a sensitive stomach.

Thanks and Ciao for now…

Beer and Its Contribution to Humanity and the Creation of Modern Society

Beer has been around for quite some time. Some think that the production of beer and bread derived from grain cereals containing certain sugars are directly responsible for the development of civilization. Here’s my view of history, beer and civilization and how they have contributed to the development of modern society.

History records that beer has been around for about 7,000 thousand years now. Scientists have uncovered ancient stone tablets with depictions of beer brewers from Samaria dating to as far back as 6,000 years. There are also many depictions of people drinking beer from a bowl with straws (This is an interesting concept and one in which I have tried to emulate on many occasions while attempting the ancient Scottish tradition of playing golf. You need to try this some time.)

Other significant evidence of beer contributing to civilization as a whole comes from the likes of the Egyptians, and central Europe, dating back as far as 3000 B.C. and many argue that beer and bread production directly led to the development of technology and civilization. In fact, ancient prayers have been uncovered concerning beer, bread and onions. Why the inclusion of onions is present is a mystery to me, but I do like them on hamburgers from time to time.

It is a widely held understanding that in ancient times, the best and probably only brewers of beer were women. I have some thoughts on why this is probably true. Women are crafty and never do anything without a purpose. The purpose for brewing brew is straightforward; women were tired of following all those crazy male hunters around looking for game. It was time to settle down and what better way to get a man’s attention than to brew up a batch of beer. Instant success on the woman’s part I would say! The women’s influence on technology can’t be over stated either, they needed better pots to brew the beer in and men were happy to oblige!

History indicates that people overall were not always monogamous in their relationships. The concept of marriage came about because of beer. Let me explain. Since women were brewers of beer and men like beer and most prefer to drink the finest of the delicious nectar, two things had to happen. First, the man needed to establish a permanent domicile and second they had to capture the best brewers of beer and keep them. This led to what we know of today as the family domicile and the invention of marriage. The line in the marriage vow “until death doeth part” can be directly attributed to the production of beer. You see men of the time were quite selfish and didn’t want to share their best beer or lose their best brewers of beer, so they came up with the idea of marriage and thus the institution we have today. I told you women were crafty, brew some beer and capture the hunter of her dreams!

Now with all this said, you may be thinking "Isn't this blog about Lucy the White Boxer"? Yes, but sometime I just have to lighten things up a bit and discuss more important topics such as beer and its contribution to humanity. Until next time, Cheers!

Lucy's Leisure Time

Now this is one spoiled critter! Lucy loves her leisure time, this picture depicts the comforts that she has come to expect. I shot this photo with some old black and white film in my Nikon F4. We had such nice, defused light coming through the window in the front living room window. This was a moment in time with a great friend. Her expression is priceless... I wish everyday were like this!

Nikon F4 Kodak 400 B&W film, ISO 400, 1/15sec, f4.5 @70mm

Just an update!

Well it's been a while since I last posted to tell everyone how Lucy and the family are doing. The picture you see here was taken this weekend during a snow fall in our back yard here in Colorado. Terri took the picture and it happened quite by accident, or did it? But that's another story and you'll have to wait for just a bit for the rest of that one. To sum it up, Lucy is doing great. She's still funny as ever and very high spirited at times. She loves her new home and has settled into a great routine.

We have Mule Deer here in Colorado Springs that reside in the 800 acre natural park which our property is adjacent. They wander through the yard, cleaning out Terri's bird feeder in the front yard on an almost a daily basis. Lucy loves to watch them roam through the yard. She has a silent bark she uses to let us know that they are around. Checkout the picture of the bird feeder bandits. My sister-in-law suggested we get a deer feeder for the birds! And yes, it was a snowy day when the picture was made!

I don't let Lucy out by herself here. I spotted a mountain lion up on the ridge in the park the other day and also saw him again running through the hillside above our house on another occasion. Mountain lions have been know to attack and kill dogs as prey. I guess mountain lions have to eat too, but I don't want this one enjoying a Lucy steak any time soon, so I monitor her outdoor activity fairly closely. Just one more reason not to have a deer feeder, they attract mountain lions! I don't want the deer hanging around more than they do now.

As for me, I'm doing fine. I managed to lose a little weight. Terri has me on this supplement drink that is helping me out in that department. It's working, I've lost 10 pounds in two weeks. If this continues, I could be back below 200 pounds in a couple weeks, which would make everyone I know and love very happy. If you know someone who's looking to lose weight, drop me a line and I'll let you know what I'm doing. It may help... I'm also very busy these days with work and my hobbies. I would rather talk about my hobbies than work, but that's another story!

Well that's about it for now. Oh yeah, I was going to tell you about the picture of Lucy. The picture was taken with Terri's I-phone! Here's the story... We went and picked up fire wood on Saturday and found a piece of wood with a hole in it. Terri came up with the idea that we should try to take a picture through the whole. We used every digital camera we have to take the picture (photography - one of my hobbies).

If anyone knows anything about photography, there's this little thing called depth of field, that preclude you from having two objects in perfect focus at the same time. You almost have to settled for one object or the other unless you can shoot in a fairly narrow f-stop from the right distance and that is completely experimental. Well, the piece of wood was only about 4 inches wide. I could do it from a distance but when I blew up the photo it would blur. To make a long story short, while Terri and I were conducting
our experiment Lucy just happened to come in view in the background. The picture is the result. Fun stuff! I really like the picture for a couple of reasons technically but yet again that's another story...

Hope you enjoy the pictures and I wish you peace. Thanks for stopping by.

Where do boxers come from?

Lucy, my 6 year old boxer came to my family as a rescue animal. She has been a blessing to us in many ways. First of all she has become my wife's and I, constant companion! There is no car ride to great or to short for her to enjoy. She loves the outdoors and is a great hiker and camper! Her adventures almost over-whelm her sometimes and she has to be throttled back because she's full of energy and she will go until she drops.

I plan on placing links and articles on training and caring for dogs. In Lucy's case she is truly man's best friend...I would like to share thoughts and opinions on the subject of the White Boxer and other dogs as well. I look forward to hearing from you...

Let's now examine where the "white boxer" comes from. Did you know that the original boxers were white. That they are presumed to be a cross between a Bulldog and a large dog such as a massif! Color did not come into the breed until around the 1920's. The breed comes from the western regions of Germany. They are known as a working breed of dog. The boxer's temper is gentle. Although they look mean and rough they're actually very playful, stubborn at times, and loyal to a fault. They make excellent pets to have with children!

The boxer can cause problems if it gets bored. When Lucy was a pup she got bored often. She ate two of our wingback chairs that we've had forever. Obedience training can be a challenge if ground rules are not established and enforced at an early stage of development. Boxers, however, love to learn new things. Lucy loves exploring new environments as long as one of us reassures her everything is going to be ok!

Our Lucy is almost like having another person around at times. She likes to keep a schedule and lets you know about it when it is not being kept. Since my wife and I both work outside the home Lucy gets to go to "doggy day camp" twice a week to keep her healthy and happy.

When the day is done...

I just had to post this picture of Lucy at the end of a long day. It's one of a series of pictures that I took. She really loves to lounge by that chair at the end of a long day. She was actually after me to hurry up with what I was doing in order for her to get bed. This dog loves her comforts and sleep, when it's time to do so. Hope you enjoy the picture as much as I did taking it!

I'll post more pictures in the near future, promise. It is supper late here in Colorado and I'm off to bed. Later!

Lucy has an allergy problem…

Wow, since we moved to Colorado this past spring, Lucy has been experiencing some allergy-related issues.  The symptoms include tearing of the eyes accompanied by occasional episodes of the sensitive stomach because of drainage.  We’ve tried to identify what is causing the episodes but we have not found the culprit yet.  So what do we do to treat the issues that she is experiencing?

What we have found that works to stave off the symptoms, is a common household allergy medication, e.g., Benadryl or a generic product containing diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl.  We find that this works very nicely.  After speaking with the Vet, she suggested that we give Lucy two tablets once in the morning and then two more tablets in the evening to ensure that drainage is reduced and her stomach is relieved of mucus which causes stomach issues.  So far this has been an effective treatment. 

In addition to the Benadryl, we monitor Lucy’s diet extremely closely.  We actually have her on a more humanlike schedule with meals, feeding her breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  She gets about one and a third cups of sensitive stomach dog food that she loves at each meal.  As long as we don’t expose her to a treatment involving human food she does well, i.e., no throwing up and no grazing on grass.  I’ve actually seen her eat grass like a cow to either settle her stomach or produce vomit to relieve stomach pressure.

To sum things up, Lucy is enjoying her new home here in Colorado.  She is having a great time hiking and roaming around her new environment.  She’s even made friends with a couple Mule Deer that hang around the property.  They have great starring competitions.  Allergies are a fact of life for her here but she responds to the medication that we provide her and she seems to take the issues in stride.  Not much slows her down.  

While looking up natural remedies for Lucy's issues we did come across one author that seems to be based on natural treatments for ailments such as Lucy's. I'd like to get someone else's opinion on this. We purchased the book and seems to be straight forward. Click here to examine it yourself.

Thanks

Just got back...

Well these are sad times... My mother passed away this week.  I had to go back to North Carolina for the funeral.  As prepared as we think we may be for things like this, you really are never prepared to say goodbye to a parent.

My mother and I we not close over the last couple of years and this saddens me.  Our differences were due to things that happened a long time ago and the haunting memories that lingered up until right before her death.  But you know, even with the differences and the separation of time and distance, I still miss her!  If I could make any one wish come true, it would be to talk with her just one more time.  I did get a chance to go back and visit with her a week or so before her death.  It was the best thing that I could have done and it did ease the pain a bit, but there were so many wasted years.

I don't know what your relationship is with your parents but if I may offer you one piece of advice, call your folks and say hi just a bit more often.  It will pay big dividends in the long run!

When I returned home from the funeral I found what a great support group I have.  My wife and  my dog Lucy have been a big part of my recovery from the sadness that I feel.  I know that I've written about this before but I have to say it again.  Dogs have a special sense of when something isn't right.  Lucy has been at my side ever since I got back.  When I'm really sad she comes over to me as if to say "everything is going to be all right! Pet me and you'll feel better..."  And you know, after petting her I do feel better.

Don’t let your boxer get too much sun!

I just read an interesting article discussing the fact that boxers are particularly prone to the development of mast cell tumors, lymphoma and brain tumors. The white boxer and colored boxers with white markings should be protected from the sun as they are liable to develop skin cancer if allowed to burn. This hit me like a ton of bricks!


Lucy is an incredibly active boxer. We’ve known about the sun burn issue for some time but never knew that she was predisposed to skin cancer until recently. We try to monitor the amount of outdoors activity that she receives but it is difficult at times. We actively try to protect and guard against sunburn. One safeguard we’ve used in the past and still use when available is spray on sunblock, especially when we’re going to have her outdoors on trips or hikes. This seems to be working thus far.

Our daughter’s boxer Matty, has had some issues with mast cell tumors. She possesses a splash of white but not to the extent of being what is known as a bright boxer (boxers possessing a white splash covering more than 20% of their body mass). Matty is screened regularly and is currently undergoing treatment for the decease and is responding quite well as of this posting.

The bottom line of this post, I guess, is to make folks aware of the predisposition of boxer to the decease of cancer. Boxers should be screened for all types of cancer on a regular basis. There are tests that can be performed on boxers for all types of congenital predispositions. Breeders should perform these tests on all dogs that they are considering breeding. Regardless, get your boxer screened for cancer on regular intervals.

Lucy - a stranger in a newland...

High everyone, just wanted to give you an update on Lucy.  Lucy is now six years old and is doing well.  We recently relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado due my changing jobs.  Lucy is adapting well to her new environment here in Colorado.  She no longer has the big yard in Memphis to run around in but she's getting plenty of exercise due to hikes and long walks that we take to keep her fit.

Lucy is fully mature now and doesn't seem to be slowing down much.  We keep a keen eye out for any signs of illness or decease that boxer's are prone to have.  She still has the occational ear infection but we try to keep her ears clean.  We do a thorough cleaning about two to three times a month, which seems to keep the ear problems at bay.  I'll keep you updated on any future issues with Lucy's ears. 

Well that's about it for now.  We should be closing on a new dog house for Lucy sometime in the near future.  I'll post some pictures once we get settled in.  If you have any questions about Lucy or boxer dog issues, feel free to make a post.  I'd really like to hear from you and perhaps have a discussion or two on the blog.