Kailua Kona Dog Training

What Is Occupy Love

The day after Thanksgiving. What we’ve come to know as Black Friday. As I think about even that phrase “Black Friday” it sort of sounds like it should be a warning.

We’ve come to a place where one way or another change is gonna happen. It has to happen. I find myself living more and more along the lines of the video on Occupy Love.

My Occupy Love

It’s a full paradigm shift I find myself in after deciding to move to Hawaii. Getting rid of most of my things and realizing that I don’t need the things. That time to spend with my loved ones, sharing our thoughts and food and activities is way better than all the things I used to have stuffed in every single closet and filling the garage to the capacity not one car could actually fit in it. Stuff I never used, I just spent most of my time occupied with working to pay for it, really busy in my mind about how to get more.

It’s lovely. Watch. Click the Heart.

White Friday

Today I’m choosing to participate in White Friday written by miss minimalist. We’ll also spend our day with a picture of gratitude in mind like the photos posted in Be More With Less.

Those are the things I’m choosing to fill my mind with. How about you? Where are you and what do you need help with to move yourself to your own paradise?

Thanks for reading. My hope is to give you inspiration and thought provoking ideas to take your very next step in creating your own paradise from where you are now! Please subscribe to Big Island Dog and follow me on Twitter. Retweets are cool too.

As a 9 time Ironman finisher, change maker and author and creator of 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs and K9 Cross Fitness Classes in Kailua Kona Hawaii I encourage you to make that change you want so badly today!

Aloha and Mahalo Wags Defined

Now that I live in Hawaii and am finding myself fully immersed in the lifestyle and the Aloha of Hawaii, the deeper meaning of many simple things in life are revealing themselves.

I’ve adopted the terms Aloha and Mahalo as a greeting and thank you on most of my articles and blog posts. It feels really good to say it when I sign on or off of something I write. It definitely feels like I’ve made sure to put the intent to live a pure simple life filled mostly with happiness out there.

Aloha and Mahalo Wags

Dogs have been my great teachers of behavior. To live in the moment is a wonderful experience. It does not matter what happened earlier in the day, or what may happen tomorrow. Instead, dogs greet you every single time with a wagging tail and pure gratitude to see you.

Aloha and Mahalo wags are my way of including the joy of my dogs in my thoughts to you so we can all start practicing a journey in creating our own paradise wherever we are.

How To Give Aloha and Mahalo

Aloha and Mahalo are among the most sacred and powerful of all the Hawaiian words. Speaking them is said to have the power to transform and heal your life, as well as protect your life’s journey.

Aloha recognizes a warm and receptive space for greeting and supporting the well-being of another and is like offering a breath of fresh air.

Aloha is used as a farewell or a salutation. It is also commonly used to mean love. It can also be used to express compassion, regret or sympathy.

Mahalo is a Divine breath of gratitude and thanks giving for all that is.

Read more on Aloha and Mahalo at Go Aloha

The Mahalo Wag Project

I found this Thank You Project 2011 by Jacob at Sensophy

I’m going to commit to do this one starting today (always the best time to start) and in the meantime create my own Mahalo Wag Project. If you have ideas on what you would do to create your own feeling of Mahalo Wags every day, send them to me. This is going to be a fun project with Wag all You Want cards given as gifts to all those around you when it’s done! You can tweet it with #MahaloWags too!

*Note it’s now 2012, or maybe you might find this post in 2103… or beyond. You can still do the Mahalo Wag Project. Its good no matter what year it is.

Aloha Wags!

Thanks for reading. My hope is to give you inspiration and thought provoking ideas to take your very next step in creating your happy healthy life of paradise from where you are now… your dog too! Please subscribe to Maui Dog Remedies and follow me on twitter, Facebook and Google+

If you are on Maui Hawaii and want to me to be your you and your dog’s trainer or want help with home made cooking for dogs and natural remedies for dogs find me at Maui Dog Remedies Dogs or K9 Coach.

Hawaiian Frosty Paws Recipe

This is the Big Island Dog’s version of a homemade Frosty Paws recipe done organically and with some serious Hawaiian Aloha.

My dogs first found out about Frosty Paws when we found them in a Dog Specialty Store on the Mainland. They love them. Big surprise since Labs love anything they can eat, and the Weimaraner loves food as well.

The store bought dog treat ingredients had sugar and other long words that are far from “wholesome” so the creation of an organic aloha version was born.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups (32 oz) plain yogurt
1 bananas ripe
1/2 cup of your choice mango, pineapple, or papaya

*Substitute any of these topical fruits or go without for a less decadent dog goodie.

Paper cups “Dixie-style” only here on the Island we like to use recyclable material to stay on the Green side of life.

Use a blender until the mixture is nice and smooth.

Pour into paper cups and freeze.

Feeding instructions:

Take a Big Island Dog Hawaiian Frosty Paw out of the freezer and let stand for 10 min.
Peel the paper cup off or simply turn the cup over and tap out with the perfect amount of thawing around the edges.
Have your dog sit pretty. Yum. Let your dog eat it!
Awwww…. your dog thinks you are the best ever.

More whole food in your dog’s diet is a good thing. Like people, dogs are suffering from too much processed food and lack of exercise. In the long run its less expensive then buying the treats that are good and wholesome.

If you like this recipe and want more sign up for the Subscribe to Big Island Dog.

Jt Clough, has studied, applied and taught others how to create a balanced life with calm dog training techniques through her lifetime commitment to health and fitness. Clough is also the creator of dog wellness programs and author of the 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs, Treading for Dogs DVD, and K9 Cross Fitness Class Kailua Kona further inspiring people to introduce playtime in life through the eyes of a dog changing unwanted behaviors to practicing a healthy lifestyle.

Does Age Count | When to Begin Running a Puppy or Dog

The age your puppy should start structured running does matter.

Puppies are not fully developed and should not be run at all unless it is in the form of natural play. You should wait to fully run your dog until the growth plates have closed, usually at 18 months.

As a general rule light activity is recommended to start a 9-12 month old puppy, building towards full activity from 12-18 months. Dog breeds like Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Rotweillers and others that are susceptible to hip dysplasia should be a full 18 months old before full structured runs should take place.

For a list of good running dog breeds check this Runner’s World article: A Breed Apart.

Once your puppy reaches 18 months you should start light activity, do short runs and try to run on softer surfaces such as trails or grassy areas as opposed to pavement.

Exercise for Your Puppy in the Meantime

In the meantime it is still important that your puppy get appropriate exercise. Walking on soft surfaces is highly recommended to begin building ligaments and muscle tissue around bones that are still growing. The foundation can be instrumental in avoiding physical problems in the future.

Does this mean never walk or run your puppy on sidewalks or harder surfaces?

No. You can certainly take your dog out on these surfaces as a segway to get somewhere or on a limited bases. After all, these surfaces are part of life and your puppy does need to begin acclimating to them.

You can also begin incorporating tricks that actually are building core strength along with ligaments and muscle tissue. Sit pretty is one of those tricks that uses a dog’s front legs and feet to push off, core strength to hold themselves up and builds muscle in the hind legs as a foundation.

Watch the steps to teaching sit pretty in this video. The video shows sit pretty as a warm up for dogs older than 18 months who need an alternative exercise plan using a treadmill to meet their physical and behavior needs.

Older Dogs

Age matters in older dogs as well. The fact of the matter is older dogs are going to feel a workout more than a younger dog. Just like the aging process in humans it is a fact, things in our bodies get stiff and sore in a different way then when we were younger.

That being said it is important to keep an older dog moving. Watch for signs of fatigue, limping or soreness and base your running sessions on these factors. There are many dogs that keep going strong into old age. It has been my experience that these dogs are those who have been active their entire life.

Hmmmm, same with people! Another lesson from our dogs.

Thanks for reading. My hope is to give you inspiration and actions steps to move toward a life well played your best friend whether puppy, dog or person!

Jt Clough has worked with dogs in many capacities for the past 16 years. She has helped dogs and their people from training to healthy living and her latest inspiration is with Wonder Dog Fund, created to help pay veterinary bills for dogs that are in need of health care. When her own dog was riddled with a neck injury that came with a $12,000 fee, she realized how many people are faced with difficult decisions when a sudden injury or illness strikes their dog. A portion of every purchase from WonderDogGear.org goes to Wonder Dog Fund, providing financial relief for dog veterinary costs.