Maui Dog Boarding

10 Reasons Dogs are Better than Boyfriends

Dogs are great listeners. Whether you are dealing with a hard day at work, a jealous friend, or an over bearing mother, you always their uninterrupted attention.
Dogs are happy to skip the ball game or bar night and stay in and stay “in” and cook. While boyfriends are critical of your culinary skills dogs will lap it up and beg for more.
Dogs like you jus the way you are. You can get a bad haircut, wear your sweats all day, go lip gloss free or gain a few pounds. But to your dog you’re perfect in every way.
You can almost always teach an old dog new tricks. Boyfriends, on the other hand, can take years of coaching and still be unsuitable to take out in public.
Your mother will love your dog. (She might even call them her grandchild). There’s no approval needed when you bring home a new pup, she’ll feed and spoil them even if they cause a stink.
Dogs love your friends and they are always down to hang out with the girls. Bring along some treats and they are happy to join in on the shopping exertions. Especially if they can fit in your purse.
They love to snuggle up any time of day or night. If you’re sick, they’ll cuddle for hours and won’t say anything about your esthetic state or number of Kleenexes on the bed.
Dogs are happy to join in any exercise routine, and unlike a boyfriend, they won’t judge your technique, try to time your reps, or correct your form.
They always let you watch what you want, but you might be sharing the popcorn. Plus they won’t ask you to explain why you like sappy chick-flicks or vampire dramas. The remote is all yours.
You’re never to old for your dog. They’ll never prefer and younger owner, and they’ll love you no matter how many miles on your clock, or wrinkles around your eyes.

*image credit: Honest Kitchen

Jt Clough lives in Maui, Hawaii and practices health, happiness, natural remedies and training for dogs and their people. Her uncanny way of communication with both dogs and people is healing and her training is effective physically and emotionally. Her work at Maui Dog Remedies is for people looking to live healthier and happier lives through their dogs and her passion for it has helped so many to find and do that thing they’ve been talking about or wishing to happen for so long. She is a dog whisperer for our best friendsand studies natural dog remedies, nutrition and communication. Her latest publications are Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes and 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs.

Halloween Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipe

Aloha wags and Happy Halloween from Maui Dog Remedies! It’s one of my personal favorite times of the year, mainly because of the colors and the costumes and the fun my dogs and I have around it all.

There are usually treats galore around this holiday. For those of us who are doing our best to keep choosing healthy, those store bought treats can be tempting but really disgusting for our digestive tract and how we feel throughout the day. That certainly goes for our dogs’ as well!

Dogs who love treats have big adoring eyes on the lookout for a little something’ something’ all the time! Halloween can prove to find big scores on the treat acquisitions.

If you’ve looked at a dog treat label lately though, its really hard to find anything super healthy for your dog. In fact it’s hard to find one that doesn’t have some serious toxic stuff in them. Homemade dog treats is the best option and what a better time to try a new dog treat recipe than Halloween!

This Halloween pumpkin dog treat recipe has both pumpkin, which is way awesome for your dog and coconut oil which should be a staple in your dog’s diet as well as yours.

Read more on Coconut Oil for Dogs here.

Halloween Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipe

2 cups organic brown rice flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3 tsp wheat-free baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp powdered or fresh ginger
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup honey (raw is best)
1 1/2 cups organic canned pumpkin (without spice)
1/2 cup water
Combine and mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients, except for the water, blending well. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet. The batter should be thick but pourable. Incrementally mix in the water until you have a nice consistency.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Take about 1/2 Tbsp size drops and place them on a well-oiled cookie sheet.

Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Cookies should be firm, but still soft and chewy, just like you like your own cookies!

For small dogs make smaller cookies! Just check to make sure they aren’t over baked at 8 minutes!

Have a fabulous Halloween and Keep your Dog Safe

Keep your dog safe this halloween from open door escape due to trick or treaters, odd costumes that flip them out or might accidentally eat, and the consumption of a bunch of really crappy human treats that are bad for them!

Looking for dog boarding, dog sitting, dog walking, or a pet taxi on Maui?
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Looking for pumpkin coconut oil ideas to add to your dogs diet?

Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes e-book offers recipes which all include coconut oil. The added bonus in health benefits of pumpkin for a dog in each recipe too.

By the way, if this is resonating with you and your dog – you want some healthy options to increase your dogs’ immune system and provide a healthier lifestyle– I just want you to know that I support you.

Subscribe to ReVIBE | Dogs + Joy + Vibrance

Jt Clough of Maui Dog Remedies is a Lifestyle Dog Trainer with online programs, pet industry business coach and marketing strategist, health fanatic, and author. She is a 9 time Ironman finisher, with decades of training dogs and their people to better lifestyles, from behavior modification to fitness and health through natural remedies, mental stimulation and lifestyle choices. She is an emotional healer through dogs. Described as a seeker, Jt has an uncanny ability to teach adaptation to change and to take inspired action.

Training Maui Dogs

Training Maui Dogs and the Human Brain

No behavior can be changed with the same thinking that created it. It’s true of humans, it’s true of our dogs, whether you live on Maui or anywhere in the rest of the world.

Humans have 60-70,000 thoughts per day, and research tells us that at least 90% of those thoughts are the same exact thoughts as we had yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that.

To change a behavior or a habit; to get something different than you have right now takes conscious effort. It is no different when it comes to creating a new behavior in a dog.

Dogs’ brains, in many ways, look and function just like human brains.

The number of thoughts dogs’ have may not be the same, but given this fact not only do dogs understand emotion, they are functioning in repetitive habit, just like we are.

Changing Unwanted Dog Behavior

Changing unwanted behavior whether it is in your dog or in yourself means you need to stop lying to yourself!

Stop thinking that the things you don’t want, say wild barking, jumping on you and everybody else, or the dog who does not play well with others, is miraculously going to go away some day soon without doing something different. And to DO something different, you must start THINKING something different.

It’s a classic example of how we don’t get what we want in ourselves. We just keep on doing the same old thing. We come up with all the excuses in the world. Lack of time, lack of energy, or we simply don’t believe it’s possible.

The truth is we are lying to ourselves about our dogs’ capabilities and ours as well. It seems easier to just complain about it.

Do Something Different and You’ll Get Something Different

Trust me on this one. Do something different. Make the commitment to believe you can get your dog to be the well behaved dream dog. Make the commitment to get more of what you want out of life.

In other words… PUT ALL YOUR EFFORT INTO LOOKING FOR WHAT YOU WANT, instead of focusing on the things that are driving you crazy, or the things you don’t have right now.

If your dog jumps on you and everyone else all the time, show him how to sit. And then keep doing that. Look for the opportunities to have your dog sit.

You know all those times it has been a habit to jump (or fill in the blank with an unwanted action), take the 5 seconds and help your dog into a sit before the jump happens. If you miss that moment, do it afterward. Just do it. Do something different. And guess what, it’s the same exact 5 seconds you would have spent irritated and snapping at your dog to knock it off.

Remember, no behavior can change with the same thinking as created it in the first place!

Sometimes asking for a little help doesn’t hurt either! Contact me here.

Jt Clough of Maui Dog Remedies is a professional dog trainer, pet industry business coach, health fanatic, and author. She is a 9 time Ironman finisher, with decades of training dogs and their people to better lifestyles, from behavior modification to fitness and health through natural remedies, mental stimulation and lifestyle choices. She is an emotional healer through dogs. Described as a seeker, Jt has an uncanny ability to teach adaptation to change and to take inspired action.

Chasing Tails – Buster’s Maui Dog Training Retreat

Maui Dog Training Retreat

Buster rocked his Maui Dog Training Retreat. He’s a Jack Russell Silky Terrier mix. And he loves chasing his tail, butterflies, cars, other dogs, cats, basically things that move. He’s got personality. Big time. And I just love him.

Maui Dog Training on the Chasing Problem

So, the big question. How does one train a dog to temper the chasing deal?

Simple answer. Recall.

Reward or Reprimand

I know, I know. You’ve tried before and it so seems easier said than done. But a good trainer will create a dog that knows what to do, instead of a dog that is constantly reprimanded for what not to do.

So many things can be used as a reward. Not just a food item, which is the first thing that comes to mind. And many things can be used as a reprimand. The truth of the matter is our attitude, our mindset is the most used reprimand of all.

People tend to take things out on their dogs. Of course without realizing it. We set ourselves up for failure on many levels, whether it be the amount of money we make or the happiness of our relationships or whether our dog’s listen to us or not.

We have been wiring our brains for years to connect with what can’t be done, what isn’t happening, what we don’t have. Media has done a find job of it. Fear not joy is the message. TIME TO RE-WIRE!

Maui Dog Aloha aka Re-wiring the Wag

An open mind to constantly going back to what you want more of changes the whole game. In a dog’s case, the new attitude can be picked up rather quickly actually. They don’t hold grudges and have expectations the way people do!

It’s why showing a dog what to do rather than constantly focusing on what the dog is doing wrong works.

We live on Maui, where there truly is much Aloha if you let it in. I’ve been working my Aloha with dogs for years even while on the mainland. My work here on Maui is to teach how to create a great relationship with your dog by knowing what things to do with your dog and then teaching you how to communicate the reward, the joy, the aloha of good behavior. No bad days and no bad dogs!

Jt Clough of Maui Dog Remedies is a professional dog trainer, pet industry business coach, health fanatic, and author. She is a 9 time Ironman finisher, with decades of training dogs and their people to better lifestyles, from behavior modification to fitness and health through natural remedies, mental stimulation and lifestyle choices. She is an emotional healer through dogs. Described as a seeker, Jt has an uncanny ability to teach adaptation to change and to take inspired action.

How to Trim Dog Toenails (Even When They Don’t Like It)

Trimming Dog Toenails Tutorial

Trimming dog toenails usually isn’t a favorite past time of most dog people, nor do dogs usually jump up and down in delight about it either.

It turns out though, it is way more important to your dog’s health than you may have imagined. And your dog doesn’t like it more from you freaking out about it than anything!

Not only that your dog is in more pain from long nails than from the pawdicure so let’s learn how to be comfortable doing it.

Maui Dog Trainer Advice on Nail Trimming

The dog trainer in my has to say it out loud again. Dogs pick up on emotion before they pick up on anything else. It may be a habit for your dog, this whole not liking it thing, after so many sessions of hating it yourself, but that can change.

That being said, most don’t know how to trim dog nails properly, so here is a video that is very helpful in illustrating how to do it as well as how to deal with your dog if it doesn’t happen to be the favorite activity you’ve ever done together.

Maui Dog Training Retreats and Staycation Boarding – Nail Trimming

Have you ever gone for a run and noticed your toes hurt, then discovered it was because your toenails were too long? How about the times you’ve put those sexy stilettos on and never mind your feet were killing you, but your toes were actually in horrible pain from just a little bit of extra length to make that french manicure look the way it should!

Imagine that is how your dog feels ALL THE TIME, when the toenails are too long. That sucks. And it is why it makes sense that the posture of a dog is compromised because of it. It freakin hurts. To the point they can end up with pain all over their bodies.

I’ve become a nail trimming fanatic when I realized how important it is to how dogs feel every single day. Being one of my own dogs is a Weimaraner with thick nails that grow like mad, I’ve had to become and expert.

So, when dogs come into my training retreats and staycation boarding programs they get a nail trim. Buster is a perfect example of a little snark issue that could have been brought on out of body pain. I noticed early on when I ran my hand down his back and towards his hind quarters he winces a bit. He certainly doesn’t like it. I took a look at his toenails. Oh boy. Buster Brown (my nickname for him) had quite the set growing.

His nails are trimmed up now and his person will get the run down on how to maintain it for sure. And I’m still his favorite person even though he didn’t dig it at first he got over it fast.

Jt Clough of Maui Dog Remedies is a professional dog trainer, pet industry business coach, health fanatic, and author. She is a 9 time Ironman finisher, with decades of training dogs and their people to better lifestyles, from behavior modification to fitness and health through natural remedies, mental stimulation and lifestyle choices. She is an emotional healer through dogs. Described as a seeker, Jt has an uncanny ability to teach adaptation to change and to take inspired action.

Flossie and Maui Dogs

Flossie, a tropical storm predicted to hit Maui early in the morning finally hit about 12 hours later in the early evening hours before sunset. Lucky for the whole Island including me, my dogs and my dogs in training retreat all is well after heavy rain and losing power, which was quickly restored.

In the hours leading up to Flossie blowing through, what does one do with the dogs?

In the case of Max the German Short Haired Pointer Doberman mix and myself we decided to go for a run. It was good for both of us. It wasn’t the full on run I’d normally do with dogs like Max, but that’s the point of the story; doing something is better than doing nothing and sometimes getting a little creative about it is required.

Because we knew there was storm coming, there was no need to load up and head out into possible danger for major running space. Instead we stayed by the Dog Ohana and ran laps on on the 400 yard long driveway where we live! The neighbors might have thought we were a little nuts, but Max and I sure did feel a lot better.

With dogs and with people, movement dissipates anxiety. A little movement is better than no movement. Instead of choosing to just wait, get those good endorphins moving and have done your preparedness homework early on!

Preparing for Maui Tropical Storms, Tsunamis and Hurricanes

Preparing for Maui tropical storms, tsunamis, and hurricanes is something anyone living on Island should know. As dog owners we should also be prepared for their safety as well.

It is comes under common sense, but still there are things we should have ready living on an island like Maui.

Water – Drinking water is essential. Make sure to have some for you and for your dog. We have 5 gallon jugs filled with reverse osmosis water on hand but one of our tips was while we were waiting around for the storm to hit, we filled all the mason jars with filtered water. Just an extra little supply in case the water was shut off for a period of time due to flooding.
Food – Again, living on an Island, water comes into play. In the case of food, a flood could wreak havoc on your food supply so make sure to have dry food storage. Keep a sealed plastic container for your storage and even though I’m a great advocate of real whole food for both people and dogs, dry non perishable food is best. A few days supply of canned dog food will make the space and preservation an easy solution.
Identification – Have ID on your dogs in the horrible case you should get separated.
Gasoline – Not a good idea to have a vehicle to get to safer ground but no gasoline. Make it a habit to never have your tank below 1/2 full. Just in case!
Solar charger – New to the list of disaster preparedness, we operate on cell phones. Text, calls, news, the whole 9 yards. Keep your cell charged if you know a weather pattern is coming but research a good solar charger. You’ll have some connection to what’s going on and your friends and family will be much happier they can at least touch base and find out you are okay.

These are only a few of the full preparedness you should have in place. Find a full list on pet disaster preparedness here.

Are you prepared? is a great website to build your own kits and be ready to do well in the case our Maui paradise, dogs and all find ourselves weathering a huge storm, expected or not.

Need a little help with your dog to be best dog ever? Travel off island? Have a dog with some issues you’d really rather get fixed sooner than later? Maui Dog Retreats immediate pricing and information, enter your e-mail below and “Get it Now”.

Personalities | Maui Dog Training

This week A German Short Haired Pointer Doberman mix and a Sharpei mix have arrived for a Maui Dog Training Retreat. Talk about different personalities! It lends clarity to the fact dog training does not have a cookie cutter formula.

There is not a recipe that can be precisely written out and applied to all dogs. Though I hear it a lot from other professional dog trainers, and there were times in the distant past where I was even guilty of saying the rules of dog training are pretty cut and dried, I have come to understand clearly all dogs are not the same to train.

Dogs have personalities. They have things that make them wag and things that don’t. One may bark like a banshie at the neighbor and the other may go get a prized old sock and insist on giving it to them by jumping up to hand deliver it. Another dog may go hide under the table when anything new is introduced. Even if they were raised together, what one is wild about the other could care less about. And so, training dogs becomes something of a relationship undertaking.

Maui Dog Training for Lifestyle

As dog owners sometimes we forget dogs are not pre-trained. And we really forget that all the babbling human talk we are repeating to them doesn’t make any sense. It is our job as dog owners to take the time to not only show our dogs what to do, which could be classified as training, but understand the temperament or the general way we can bring the best out in our dogs.

For some that could be food. For some it could be play. For some it could be a stricter more disciplined set of tasks to complete. For some its about a lot of organized exercise, or it could be about a daily romp on the beach with the freedom to jump in the water and swim with wild abandon after a stick. And for some it’s really about being super calm and steady.

We finesse these things in our relationships with friends, family, lovers, and co-workers. On a conscious level we get to know these people and we know when to talk, when to be quiet. We know when a physical gesture makes all the difference in the world and when a small gift of appreciation speaks a million words of gratitude. We look to get the pono (goodness, do the right thing) response.

The same is true of our dogs. We just have been buying into the idea that to have a well trained dog, it must look utterly military style and there are only 6 words that should be followed through without fail. Sit, stay, down, leave it, come, and heal.

So not true. Your dog could be able to do those things and still not be that well behaved companion we’ve created in our mind’s eye.

The Balanced Happy Island Dog

Max the German Short Haired Pointer Doberman mix needs some big play time. He loves a food reward. He needs structure and he needs an all out speed racer run or big ass swim in the ocean. It’s what turns him on.

Loki the Sharpei mix needs to be with his person. Physical touch, a soothing voice to go along with some exercise and teaching structured things he knows how to do well bring out the playful guy he is. He needs calm to walk him through his moments of fear of other dogs, or of the leaf that suddenly blew up in his face in the lawn.

It’s a bit of time and understanding and a way to speak dog that explains my philosophy of training dogs. It is why I love doing retreats with dogs. I get to spend that one on one time and bring a dog’s personality out, showing off the best side. Understanding what makes a dog tick, what is their passion is truly he best way to diminish bad behavior, or to help a dog get over fears which on many occasions appear to be aggressive behavior.

Maui Dog Mahalos

Mahalo for spending more time with your dog and wanting to have the best life ever together. If you’d like to know more about my retreats with dogs on Maui, sign up below to get immediate information and be ready for some pawsome-ness for you and your dog.

Jt Clough lives in Maui, Hawaii and practices health, happiness, natural remedies and training for dogs and their people. Her way of communication with both dogs and people is healing and her training is effective physically and emotionally. She is a contributor to articles in Runners World, Women’s Health and many other publications.

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