HEARTland Positive Dog Training Alliance (HEART)

The HEART (HEARTland Positive Dog Training Alliance) is a new group of the areas best dog trainers,vpet professionals, dog enthusiasts and dog owners dedicated to educating

others about humane, effective, science based dog training.

And, they're welcoming new members.

HEART's goals are to educate pet professionals and the general public about positive training methods and why this is the best option, provide continuing education to its members and to be a presence in the Kansas City pet community.

HEART is a member-only organization with two levels of membership:

• Professional
• Supporting

To learn more information about the alliance, call 816-699-2260 or email pattythepuppypro@gmail.com.

Their next meeting is: Heartland Positive Dog Trainers Alliance Meeting
July 15, 2010 at 7pmWestwood Animal Hospital4820 Rainbow Boulevard, Westwood, KS 66205-1941

Guest speaker: Dr. Wayne Hunthausen

Welcome to Betty our doggie dining critic

We'd like to send a big WELCOME to our newest journalist, Betty. Betty is known throughout Kansas City as KC's Only Doggie Dining Critic as well as the only Outdoor Dining Critic.

"B.D.R." Big Dogs Rule!!! Says Betty, Kansas City's only outdoor dining critic.

Her actual doggie dining critique was the same. "B.D.R." Beignets definitely ROCK at  the new,"old" Napolean bakery at 119th st.,near the Cheesecake factory. (They used to be located in Westport.)

Napoleon's actually made  figure-friendly, non-sugared beignets for us!

My BCFF (best, canine, friend forever), Beignet, known as "Beg-NOT" for short, snuck around and ate all my breakfast. I didn't go hungry though, I ate my master's blueberries from her fruit cup. YUMMO!

I give Napoleon's Bakery a definite for 4 bones for service,quality--- and atmosphere. Of course, I was bribed by beignets!

Next assignment: I'm going undercover at a local pet spa for the weekend "sleep-over."

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To send Betty fan mail or ask her to visit a particular restaurant, click HERE.

3 New Restaurants Added!

We've added three new restaurants to our list of dining establishments that welcome dogs!

On the Kansas Side

The New Napoleon Bakery

www.napoleonsbakeries.com
6759 West 119th Street

Overland Park, KS 66209

(913) 766-3200

Thank you to our new correspondent Betty the Canine Dining Critic for making us aware of this place!

Napoleon's serve fresh baked goods that are health conscious and delicious. Their desserts are made with only the finest ingredients. All of our breads are freshly baked. At Napoleon Cafe, freshly baked means baked today. Napoleon's has been local favorite for over thirty years. They warmly welcome the dogs on the patio with a bowl of water and fresh beignets.

On the Missouri Side

Californos

www.californos.com

4124 Pennsylvania

Kansas City, MO 64111

(816) 531-7878

Californos, a hip, Romantic Bistro & Event Venue where West-Coast meets Old West with delightful food, service & atmosphere. They often have music on the deck and feature an extensive wine, champagne and martinit list. Californos can accommodate groups of all sizes. Reservations are HIGHLY recommended.

McCoy's Public House

www.mccoyspublichouse.com
4057 Pennsylvania

Kansas City, MO 64111

(816) 960-0866

McCoy's warmly, welcomes dogs on their extensive outdoor deck that has been voted s the premiere place for people watching in mid-town. They're located at the corner of Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, in the heart of the Westport District. They have an extensive and appetizing menu serving creative comfort food selections for lunch and dinner, 7 days a week. Their brewmaster, Keith Thompson, hand-crafts award-winning ales & lagers to suit the season. They feature an extensive list of signature martinis, wine and cocktails, and they offer their hand-crafted ales for only $3.00, 4-6pm for Happy Hour!

Their hours are: Mon-Sat 11a-3a, Sun 11a-12a
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If you would like to share with us places that have welcomed your dog or you want us to investigate, feel free to e-mail us or call us: 913-538-1757.

Happy Birthday to Us

As the first birthday for DogsLifeKC.com rolls around, our Pack at DogsLifeKC is shaking things up a bit and doing something different.

This year, we have two goals. One is to provide more educational opportunities for dog lovers in the Kansas City metro area. The other is to be more active. :-)

As part of our goal to be more active, we'll be welcoming you, our friends, to join us on walks once a month. We'll be holding those throughout the city in different areas.

As part of our educational goals, we're revamping our weekly newsletter to add a few more stories and interviews. And, we're redoing our events as well.

As part of our educational goals, we're inviting canine professionals to come to our hosted events and speak a little bit about their canine specialty whether that be agility training or conditioning via physical therapy or even reading dog's body language.

Our events, as they have always been, will be held outside and dogs are welcome. They will be FREE and the presentation portion will be anywhere from 15-to-30 minutes long. Then the speakers will hang around for awhile so you and your dog have the opportunity to speak to them at your leisure.

We hope you enjoy our new additions and if you have any thoughts or suggested speakers, let us know! AlphaDog@DogsLifeKC.com

The DogsLifeKC pack

Weekend of Friday, May 14, 2010

What are you doing this weekend? So MUCH to do and not enough time to do it!

If you're trying to decide what to do, consider attending one of these fabulous dog-centric events:

Sat., May 17

Dogs Can Dance - A Weekend of Canine Freestyle

Raytown, MO

Lakewood Run for the Dogs

Lee's Summit, MO

Tails R Waggin 2nd Annual Grand Opening

Overland Park, KS

Sun., May 16

Dogs Can Dance - A Weekend of Canine Freestyle

Raytown, MO

Heart of America Newfoundland Club Picnic and Draft Practice

Napoleon, MO

Backwoods Hiking Club - Dogs Welcome!

Overland Park, KS

Missouri Shiba Inu Walk

Kansas City, MO

Pooches on the Parkway at Young Park

Blue Springs, MO

For information on these exciting events, visit our Web site: http://www.dogslifekc.com/K9Calendar.html

Calling all ball crazy dogs

As regular readers of DogsLifeKC know, we're fans of flyball!

Well, now those of you who are fans of flyball are in luck! There is a team now forming in Kansas City! 

Our friends at ABC Pet Training are in the beginning stages of forming a Flyball team. If you're interested in learn more, contact Stasi at ABC Pet Training: stasi@abcpettraining.com

Welcome Cafe Augusta

We've added a new restaurant, just in time for the warmer weather!

This week, Marshall Rimann of Rimann Liquors (a DogsLifeKC favorite) told me I needed to contact Café Augusta of Lenexa, KS because they had absolutely, delicious food and he knew they had to be a dog-friendly establishment.

As I ambled out to the car with Quincy, I put it on my list of "To Dos" for Wednesday. Then, almost as if by magic, Micheline Burger of Café Augusta, contacted us via Facebook that very day stating that her restaurant is most definitely dog friendly and welcomes them on their patio!

So, I please welcome Café Augusta to our ever growing list of dog-friendly establishments in the Kansas City metro area.

Café Augusta, a New World Bistro

http://www.cafeaugusta.com/

12122 W. 87th Street Parkway

Lenexa, KS 66215

(913) 859-9556

If you would like to share with us places that have welcomed your dog, feel free to e-mail us or call us: 913-538-1757.

Lets remember to be nice...

This past weekend, I had one of the best times I've had in a long time.

It was sunny and I had the opportunity to attend several dog-related activites and venues with my pack of wooly mammoths. We went for a walks, did a succesful rally run-thru, visited the vet's office for a wellness checkup, had a silly time at the freestyle practice, went to Dresslers and just relaxed together.

One thing that did bother me though was a comment that another dog owner made to me.

I was with two of the mammoths: Quincy and Zane. And, Zane being 8 months and rather distractable was having difficulty keeping a "sit" for anything beyond a few seconds. So, I had to repeatedly remind him of what he was doing albeit quietly.

After I had to remind him for the fourth time what a sit was, a lady near me leaned over and said "You know. The breed is not known for being bright."

It took a couple of seconds for me to register what she was saying and I said "What?"

She said, "You do know that the breed you have there is not known for being intelligent. They're rather dense."

I won't say where I because I really don't want to start a tiff, but if the words were said to someone new to a dog activity, sport or venue, it seriously could upset someone enough not to come back.

Of course, me being me, I acted like my dogs and ignored the woman. We continued on, participated and I was proud of the mammoths.

The point of sharing this interaction?

Remember if you're going to say something to a fellow dog person say something positive or helpful. Everyone was new once and if your words are not going to be positive or helpful in some fashion then you could seriously be impacting the activity or sport you're participating in.

With the downturn of the economy and more legislation constraining our abilities to have dogs, we don't have loads of people flocking to participate in things like agility or dog shows or even taking classes. Many areas are losing opportunities of that nature because those activities are considered luxuries and in some instances even owning a dog is a luxury.

So...consider what you're saying. You're not just being hurtful to someone you don't know, you're being hurtful to yourself and your dog.

Dogs not welcome

Once a week the pack at DogsLifeKC researches where dogs are welcome in our metro area.

 

We send out e-mails to local restaurants and stores and wait for a response.

 

When we send out an e-mail, we make it clear to the owners and managers, that we know that having a dog in their establishment is a privilege and is treated as such. Dogs that are allowed to partake of this are friendly, well-behaved and on lead. And then we send links to our Web site, our listings and to our etiquette rules.

 

Sometimes we get long e-mails from companies about how cool this is and yes, they're dog lovers too. Then we share e-mails and photos back and forth talking about dogs.

As is with life, with the good comes the bad.

 

Upon occassion, we do get e-mails from stores and restaurants that make it clear that dogs are not welcome in their establishments under any circumstances unless they're working dogs for the disabled. And, we kindly e-mail them back thanking them for their time.

 

After some consultations with fellow DogsLifeKC pack members and our supporters, we've decided that this weekend, we'll be be adding a small section to our Web site that lists restaurants where dogs are not welcome on the patio. We will not be doing this for stores as it is best practice to consider all stores as out of bounds.

The reason we're doing this is so that our readers don't make a mistake and take their dog to a place where they will be unwelcome.

 

Currently, the list is small with only two restaurants: Panera Bread of the Kansas City area and The Cheesecake Factory. Both establishments have multiple locations throughout the metro area and have patios with direct access to public sidewalks or parking lots.

 

When we contacted them, their corporate offices said that it is their preference to not welcome dogs of any size on their patios under any circumstances so as not to upset other diners.

The pack of DogsLifeKC respects their decision and we hope you do as well.

If you have any concerns or would like to share with us places that have welcomed your dog, feel free to e-mail  us or call us: 913-538-1757.

we've already updated our site!

Thank you to everyone that has e-mailed us since our newsletter went out on Wednesday. Please know that we've followed up with each and every store and restaurant you've mentioned. We're waiting for their response. With that said, we've already got new listings for restaurants and stores so we updated our site this evening.

Under stores in Kansas...

• dynamic earth equipment company - 13308 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS
  
  • An outdoor's store that facilitates your immersion in the outdoors. It carries backpacks, gear for camping, climbing, paddling, backpacking and trail running. And, they carry RuffWear gear for dogs.

Under restaurants in Kansas...

• Dean & Deluca - 4700 West 119th Street, Leawood, KS
  
  • An upscale grocery and deli headquartered in Wichita, KS. It's a source for gourmet and specialty foods, cheeses, bakery goods, food gifts and more. It also offers catering, a coffee bar and hot food to go.
• Trezo Vino Wine Bistro - 11570 Ash Street, Leawood, KS
  
  • A wine bistro that specializes in an experiences to share with delicious food, fine wine and great cocktails.

And, we've confirmed the following...

• Panera Bread in the Kansas City metro area does not welcome dogs on their patios.

Shopping with your dog - REALLY!

Our much awaited Shopping With Your Dog listings for Kansas and Missouri are finally available!

It's normal to have dogs welcome at dog-centric establishments that sell items specifically for dogs, like Three Dog Bakery, Land of Paws, Petco, PetSmart, etc. But, did you know you can take your dog in to Bass Pro to shop for camping gear or Rimann Liquors to browse the wine section?

Yes. It is confirmed that dogs are welcome in to 20 stores within the metropolitan area. We have contacted the stores and had e-mail conformation from their owner or the corporate office. And, they gave us permission to list them on our Web site.

So, go out and enjoy shopping with your best four-legged friend. Remember that taking your dog with you in to these establishments is a privilege and not a right, so proper shopping etiquette is a must at all times.
Many people submitted to DogsLifeKC places such as Lowe's and Home Depot. When we contacted the corporate offices, we were told that it is up to each and every location to determine if dogs were welcome. So, tread carefully and ask the store manager before you bring your dogs in to shop.

If you know of any other places that would like to be listed, email us: Editorial@DogsLifeKC.com.

To our readers

There is one definite in the dog world of Kansas City and it is that people are quite passionate about their 4-legged friends and about therapy work with their dogs!

After the last newsletter went out, the e-mails and phone calls started coming in from worried Pets for Life volunteers regarding the Dr. Dog PhD class.

Please note. I do take your communications seriously and will be taking action. 

The class description for Dr. Dog PhD states: "There are several local groups in the area to which you can then apply with confidence to serve as part of their visiting team."

Two paragraphs after that, there is the following sentence: "To learn more about therapy dogs visit www.deltasociety.org or www.rechai.missouri.edu."

I provided the links to the Delta Society and the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction - University of Missouri with the thought that these would provide opportunities for readers to learn more about the benefits of therapy dogs and their applications. I do feel that they are very thorough sites with many scientific studies and are beneficial to those exploring volunteering in this field.

This wasn't an intentional push of the Delta Society's Pet Partners program over other active therapy dog groups in the area. Though, many Pets for Life volunteers do feel that it was. For that, I apologize.

As a courtesy, I'm providing the DogsLifeKC readers with an alphabetical list of active programs that provide animal-assisted therapies in the Kansas City area with links to their sites. You'll find it below.

When our new site design launches on Feb. 15^th there will be more details regarding the different types of therapy dogs as well as a permanent home for this list. And, if you know of other active animal-assisted therapies in the area or classes training therapy dogs, please let me know.

Thank you for passion in dogs and I appreciate your input. Once again, I do take your concerns seriously and in the future, I will be more cautious as to where I place links or name specific organizations.

Nicki

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Nicki Dobson

DogsLifeKC.com - Hit the Town with Your Hound!

Editorial@DogsLifeKC.com

(913) 538-1757 

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• Angels With Pawz
• Animal Assisted Crisis Response Dogs
• carealternatives
• Children’s Mercy Pet Pals for Patients
• Delta Society Pet Partners Program
• HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response
• Human Animal Bond Program
• Leash Pals
• Love on a Leash
• MoKan Pet Partners
• Noah's Crisis Response Program
• PALS for Seniors
• Pets for Life
• READ (Reading Educational Assistance Dogs)
• Therapy Dog International
• Therapy Dogs Inc.

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Each of the groups listed above do require a form of screening for the dog teams. It is up to each person interested in volunteering with their dog to do the research to determine which group would suit their dog and his or her ablities. Listings on our site are purely that, listings. They are not a personal endorsement by DogsLifeKC or our members of Our Pack.

Pawliscious Peanut Butter Balls

ChowHound@DogsLifeKC.com

INGREDIENTS

1 cup crushed, puffed rice cereal (example Rice Krispies)
¼ cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey (honey powder if you have it works great too)
2 tablespoons flax seed (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a bowl, combine cereal, peanut butter, and honey and flax seeds.
2. Batter should be thick like an oatmeal cookie batter stir until mixture forms a ball.
3. Scoop out about a tablespoon of mixture and roll into 1-inch balls.
4. Roll balls in additional rice krispies to coat
5. Store in fridge for up to 5 days.

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If you have any questions or need assistance, let me know.

Alice

ChowHound@DogsLifeKC.com

After seeing the Julie and Julia movie, I was inspired to cook some original Julia Child recipes. 

I modified the recipe to be dog friendly, derived from her original recipe Biftek Hache a La Lyonnaise found in her book Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol.1 pp. 301-302. 

 Our dog, Tuppence watched longingly savoring the scents in the kitchen. Who could resist those eyes begging for just a bite? 

So, I made this up for her and we happen to like it too!
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1/2 tsp dried onion powder

1/2 tsp dried garlic powder

1/2 tsp of dried thyme

½ tsp pepper

1 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef (93% lean best as you will be making a brown butter sauce!)

1 egg, beaten

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½ cup flour spread on a plate (sprinkle some salt and pepper into flour to season it)

1/2 TB salted butter

1/2 TB oil

3/4 cup of canned beef broth

2 TB salted butter

1. Place first six ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Form into patties 3/4" thick.
3. Cover & refrigerate till ready to use.
4. Just before sautéing, press the patties lightly in seasoned flour.
5. Shake off any excess cheese.
6. Place butter and oil in heavy skillet over med-high heat.
7. Sauté the patties for about 5 minutes first side and turn for 3 more minutes to make medium burgers (some pink).
8. Place burgers on serving platter and keep warm while finishing the sauce.
9. Pour fat out of the skillet and discard.
10. Add stock and boil down rapidly deglazing pan until almost a syrup.
11. Take off heat, swirl 2-3 Tablespoons of butter into the sauce - 1/2 Tablespoon at a time until absorbed into the sauce.
12. Stir this continually with a whisk to turn into a caramel brown sauce. If you add the butter too fast, the sauce will break.
13. Pour the sauce over the hamburgers and serve. Mmm Mmmm good.
    
    

Serve with some mushroom flavored rice and sliced mushrooms for the human family members!

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If you have any questions or needs assistance, please let me know.

Alice

ChowHound@DogsLifeKC.com