December is all about holiday joy. This month brings family and friends closer together. The addition of family, friends and a few new belongings have a special place in the heart of all! This month we are giving you some tips on a great holiday season!
Bringing home that special holiday gift is on everyone’s list to accomplish this year, but bringing home that special holiday pet is something that should be considered by all members of the family. Having a pet is not like having a purse or a new video game that you can put away when you want something else. All members of the family should not only be included in the decision of the pet but the responsibilities everyone must share. Here are some great tips on adopting your new holiday friend!
ALWAYS ADOPT- Southern California animal shelters are full of adoptable purebred and mixed breed cats and dogs looking for their forever homes. Many of these pets will not get a second chance at life. Rescuing a shelter pet is something many families do throughout the year, but special circumstances surround the holidays. For example many shelters have home for the holidays programs so you can take your potential new pet on a foster basis to see how they fit with your existing family members. Also many adoption fees are lowered or even removed around the holidays. That doesn’t mean that adopting a pet is cheap. Please make sure you have all the resources necessary to keep a pet for years to come! Here are some great Southern California Animal Shelter lInks!
Holiday stress is AWFUL- parking lots, standing in line, forgetting that one item for your recipe! It gets crazy! Although you may not notice it, that holiday stress trickles down to your pets, causing all kinds of issues that account for so many holiday trips to the vets office! Here are some tips on keeping your pets relatively stress free during this busy time of year!
-Slow down, if you relax your pet will feel that and become relaxed!
-Keep your routines. Make sure your pets life stays as normal as possible.
-Understand that your pet in the center of everything isn’t always the best idea. Let your pet have some alone time in their crate or in a quiet bedroom.
-Watch the food, holiday stress causes us to overeat, it’s the same with our pets, be careful!
– Make sure your pet is always safe when family and friends stop by for the holidays, losing a beloved member of the family is a horrible way to spend the holidays!
Add some love to your pet this holiday!
Try this recipe from Martha Stewart Online!
Show your four-legged friend some love with these tasty homemade dog treats, or give them as gifts in cute tins to your friends and family members with pets!
Ingredients
- Makes about 5 dozen
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup wheat germ
- 1/4 cup brewer’s yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/2 cup low-sodium canned chicken stock, plus more for brushing
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, wheat germ, yeast, and salt; set aside
2. Place oil in a large bowl. Add stock and flour mixture in three alternating batches, beginning and ending with stock. Mix well.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to about 3/8-inch thick. Shape biscuits using a dog-bone-shaped cookie cutter or by cutting around a store-bought dog bone with a butter knife.(Make biscuits that are appropriate for your dog’s size.)
4. If desired, you can spell out your dog’s name or a holiday message in the dough with a toothpick (wet the toothpick first so it won’t stick).
5. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
6. Bake biscuits 10 minutes. Brush with stock; rotate baking sheets, and bake 10 minutes more. Turn off oven, leaving door closed. Let dog biscuits stand in oven to dry completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Wrap as a gift, or store in an airtight container at room temperature.
From our family to yours, American Grooming Academy hopes everyone and their furry friends has a happy and safe holiday!