Sunday, December 24, 2017

Beach Puppy


Caravaggio teaching puppy Ahsoka (6 months) the ways of the ocean fetch.

Ahsoka & Caravaggio at Napili Bay.



Ahsoka at Ukumehame.




Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Homemade dog treats


Join Such Good Dogs trainer, Athena Angelic, and her helpers Tessa & Josie in making some delicious homemade dog treats.  Recipes below.
--We recommend storing treats in the refrigerator or freezer.--

Carrot Bites:

3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 cup flour

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Stir all ingredients together.
3.  Drop small batter balls onto baking sheet.
4.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.


Peanut Butter Treats:

2 cups flour
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup water

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Mix together flour, peanut butter & eggs.
3.  Add a little water at a time as mixing.
4.  Roll dough out and cut into shapes.
5.  Bake about 20 minutes.


Chicken & Yogurt Treats:

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
2 cups flour
1 5.3-ounce plain Yogurt
3/4 cup water
1 egg, slightly beaten

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Combine and stir all ingredients in bowl.
3.  Drop small batter balls onto baking sheet.
     (You may need two baking sheets and may want to line them with parchment paper).
4.  Bake 12-14 minutes.




Friday, December 15, 2017

Ahsoka 6 months

Just a few pics of my adorable little girl, Ahsoka (6 months).


Ahsoka & Lola.

Caravaggio, Ahsoka, & Devo.

Napping with dad.

Lola & Ahsoka.

Dad & Ahsoka.

Ahsoka likes to grab her nose when she sleeps.

Ahsoka & Caravaggio at Napili Bay.

Nap time.

She loves to cuddle.

Luna, Ahsoka, & Caravaggio.

Ahsoka & Daly.

Cuddles.

Devo, Ahsoka, & Caravaggio at Napili Bay.






Indoor Game "Go Find"




When the weather gets so bad outside that it's difficult to get your dog the regular exercise they need, it's important to find a way to keep them physically and mentally challenged.  This is a great indoor (or outdoor) game I call "Go Find."

Basically we are teaching our dog to find an object, such as a toy.  To begin this training, your dog will need to have a reliable "Wait," meaning for them to wait in another room while you hide the toy, then you will release them to the room with the hidden toy to "Go Find" it.  If your dog does not have a reliable Wait command, you can have another person hold the dog in the other room until you hide the toy.  When first starting this game, be sure to "hide" the toy in a place that the dog will easily find it.  When they do locate the toy, praise lavishly.  Encourage the dog to bring you the toy and then engage in play with your dog and the toy.  This is a reward for your dog for finding the toy.  Be sure to keep it fun for your dog.

As your dog improves, hide the toy in more and more difficult places to find.  If your dog starts to get confused or lose interest, be sure to take it back a step and make it easier.  If your dog is doing exceptionally well, you may even try and hide the toy in a place the dog will not be able to retrieve it from.  Doing this will encourage the dog to start using their nose to seek out the toy when they can not find it visually.  Once the dog finds the toy that is out of reach, praise, then ask the dog to sit and reward the dog with praise and by giving them the toy they found.  Remember to play some tug of war with the toy as a reward for finding it.







Friday, December 8, 2017

Launiupoko Trail Hike



Join us on our dog adventure hike on the Launiupoko Trail.
Today we have our SGDs family including Caravaggio, Devo, & Ahsoka.  And our friend Tiki, who is the same age as Ahsoka.  They are buddies.

If you are looking for a great winter hike, this is the one.  Because of the area and lack of shade, I recommend this hike during the winter on a cooler, overcast day.  Remember to bring water for both yourself and your dog(s).


Monday, November 27, 2017

Polipoli Hike



Join us on our dog adventure hike at Polipoli in Kula, Maui.

Some of our friends were nice enough to show us this beautiful trail in Kula called Poli Poli.  The worst part of this adventure is actually getting to it.  The roads are switchbacks up the mountain and make many people car sick (including myself).  Once you make it past the paved part, there is still much road to cover in the mud.  A 4-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended.  The hike itself is very beautiful.  Because we are so high up on the mountain (6,200 feet), you actually hike in and out of clouds.  It was very interesting.  I would highly recommend this hike if you have the proper vehicle to get there.

You can find more information about the hike here.


Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Puppy Playdate


Doggie Playdate:  Ahsoka & Luna (both 5 months), with
Caravaggio, Franky, & Jakey.

Luna, Devo, Caravaggio, & Ahsoka.

Ahsoka (5 months), Devo, Caravaggio, & Luna (5 months).
I love this picture!


Silly puppy Ahsoka having some fun jumping around.


Tired pups Caravaggio & Luna.

Caravaggio loves his frisbee.

Silly Ahsoka.



Sunday, November 19, 2017

Maui Adventure: Polipoli

Some pics from our Maui Adventure Hike at Polipoli.

Athena & Adam.

The dogs are excited to get out of the car.

Athena & Adam.

Athena with Devo, Luna (5 months), Ahsoka (5 months), & Caravaggio.

The pups are all very tired after our hike.

Cuddle buddies Ahsoka & Luna.


We had a fabulously fun day.

Check out the video from our hike here.



Saturday, November 11, 2017

Come when called Off Leash



In this video, we are practicing Come when Called off leash with our puppy.  Ahsoka is a lab/ pit mix, currently 5 months old.  We practiced this same activity with a long line leash (for safety) first.  Once she was performing the recall more than 90% of the time.  I started taking her off leash for a few minutes here and there and practicing.

There are many factors to consider when trying to get your dog off leash.  Consider the environment...what's around you, a road, woods, other people, other dogs?  Consider the excitement and mental state of your dog...if your dog is overly excited, it is not a good time to allow them off leash.  Wait until your dog calms down and is paying attention to you.  Reward this state of mind by allowing them off leash at that time.  I chose this particular hike because there are no roads and cars near by, and there are not a lot of people around that can cause distractions.  However, this area is full of smells of other animals, including wild pigs.  If your dog has strong hunting instincts or gets overexcited around these types of smells, this would not be a good place for you to start taking your dog off leash.  Ahsoka enjoys running in the grass but enjoys being with the other dogs above smells.  Therefore this was a good place for us to start her off leash experience.

Related blog articles:

Come when called:  Part 1
Come when called:  Part 2
Come with Distractions




Sunday, November 5, 2017

Paddle Board Dogs


Some video and pics of us practicing paddle boarding with Ahsoka (5 months), and playing in the ocean at Napili Bay.
She loves the water and loves to get on the board.
Find out how to get your dog started on a paddle board here.

Devo & dad on the paddle board.

Dad & Ahsoka.


Swimming fun with mom.








Thursday, November 2, 2017

Ahsoka 5 months

Ahsoka at 5 months.

Caravaggio, Devo, & Ahsoka in the Such Good Dogs Car.

Ahsoka & Luna (both 5 months).

Luna & Ahsoka.

Tired puppy.

Ahsoka sporting her Ruffwear dog backpack (that's still a little too big for her).
Check out our Ruffwear dog backpack review.

Ahsoka & Lola (both 5 months).

Luna & Ahsoka.



Cute wet grass face.