Meanwhile, we have gotten a new foster last week. And believe it or not, she already got adopted this weekend. Sweet little Olivia now lives with her new family in El Dorado, Kansas.

Just a few perks this has already: 1. I don’t even think about what kind of chew toys I could get them next, because the bones left from their meals keeps them plenty busy (and their teeth healthy). 2. I don’t dread picking up poop anymore, it became small and ODORLESS! But I still have a foster that is being fed “vet recommended” food and her poop still stinks. Literally.

After two weeks, I am supposed to notice a significant mental and physical change in my dogs. I will keep you posted. For now I wanted to review a few books I have read on the topic. If you are interested, all of these books are rather thin. I think I read each of them within one or two days. And I am not the person who usually reads books within days. More like weeks… or months

My favorite is called “Work Wonders” by Tom Lonsdale. It is my favorite because it is easy and written by a vet. My second favorite is also easy and straightforward, but not by a vet and I can’t help but trust someone with credentials a bit more. Although concerning nutrition my trust in vets in general is shaken. But this one is great! He is not afraid to tell you that raw meat will reduce your vet bills. Makes you wonder if other vets recommend crappy food to make sure their patients keep coming back!? Anyway, as I said, it is easy and straight forward. Don’t be put off by the silly cover. Read it and start making your dog happier! (Right now it is actually on sale at sitstay.com)

The second book, which I also like very much is called “Raw Dog Food” by Carina Beth MacDonald. She write from years of experience with raw feeding her own dogs and because she wished she would have had a book like that when she started. And it really is what she wants it to be. Simple guidance to feeding your dog better.

The third book I am not too excited about. It’s called “Pet Food Nation” by Joan Weiskopf. She is a nutritionist and I have an affinity for nutritionists. I LOVED my (equine) nutrition professor and I love the topic of nutrition in general. And if you are looking for a book to tell you what is wrong with commercial pet foods than I would almost recommend to read her book. Almost, because in my opinion she goes a little far in the alternative she suggests. She does not recommend feeding raw but cooked meat and veggies. And I’m sorry, but I don’t even cook for myself every day. I am still looking for something that is not too time consuming while healthy for my dogs. And I find her reasoning against raw food pretty iffy in light of the many people who successfully feed raw.

So that’s it so far. I will keep you posted on my experiences. Feel free to comment with questions or your own experiences!

EDIT 1: Lexi asked about my budget. To be honest, the only thing that held me back from trying raw food in the first place was that I didn’t want to spend more money than I am with my dry kibble. So after reading the books I made some calculations and figured I need to spend no more than $1 per pound of meat on average. And that is what I am doing, I am looking for sales and often the kind of meat you feed dogs (with bones) is the cheaper kind anyway. So no, no dent in pocket. I think with my two 50lbs dogs I am going to spend about $60. Not more than most premium kibble. Actually less.

I love blogs like the Go Click Challenge or The Dogs Are Really In Charge, where dog owners keep track of their progress and actually work towards goals they set. To be honest, though, I have enough trouble keeping this blog updated. So I set up a spread sheet with all the commands my dogs know (or should know) and made columns like “just started”, “at home”, “outside”, and “with distractions”, so I can track my own progress with each dog. But it really reminds me of the days when I tracked my budget and spending in an Excel sheet. And I don’t want to tell you how that worked out.

I really wish I knew someone with programming skills. I would develop a program that tracks your progress, lets you set timely goals, even gives you tips on training and once in a while suggests a new fun trick to teach. Until that happens or someone comes up with it I’m just gonna keep dreaming… and training with a spread sheet.

*Laura, from The Dogs Are Really In Charge suggested a site that tries to accomplish what I have been thinking of. Its Sue Ailsby’s Training Tracker. She gives you several levels of training which all consists of tasks and commands your dog needs to master. Her explanation of how the task needs to be fulfilled by the dog is very detailed, but the way of how to train your dog to do that isn’t. So you have the freedom to train any way you want. Love it! Her levels are explained here. Thanks Laura!*

I am going to keep this post updated with the latest schedule. You can view it at anytime through the Links button above!

April 10th, 2010. 10am – 1pm at 2601 Anderson Avenue, Manhattan. (This class is already filled)

May 1st, 2010. 9am – 12pm at 2601 Anderson Avenue, Manhattan. (Sign up here)

More events will be scheduled soon. Check back for updates or contact me to be notified of the next class!