Kong Stuffers made with HEART

Organ meat. 

The thought of eating it makes me want to gag. Even after saying that, and I am pretty sure that I will get comments telling me that I should eat them. {I won't}

For the dogs (and cats!), though, these little organs can pack a punch, nutritionally. Their odor can too, when they're dehydrating. 

When I am in the dehydrating mood, I pull out a few things at a time. This week I dried Beef liver, chicken gizzards and hearts, sweet potato and green beans. 

Playing the stocking stuffer game is pretty simple if you're using your dehydrator. 

Here what you'll need:

• Beef Liver
• Chicken Gizzards & Hearts
• Green Beens
• Sweet potatoes
• Dehydrator
• Mason Jars
• A WWII gas mask to prevent you from vomiting when you smell organs drying in your house

Rinse all of your goods before preparing. Cut the liver and sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices. This makes the final width easy enough to break in Kong stuff-able sizes. Some blank the sweet potatoes first, I do not and maybe thats why mine are really dull in appearance. 

I dehydrated the meats together and the veggies together. 

Miss Addie was obviously in love. As the taste tester, you get the good and the bad. She got off easy today. 

These make great stocking stuffers for your dogs and cats, but they're a wonderful gesture for friends of the fury variety as well. 

A cute Ball Mason Jar with a touch of raffia makes a for a healthy homemade gift with heart. Get it? A gift with HEART? 

Smell Ya Later

There is officially a "hive" now

When I started this blog, my goal was to get regular people (not just the crazies like me) involved in animal enrichment. I would LOVE to see every person I know (and don't, whatever) to do what they can to better the lives of the animals around them. 

I want this to be a community of badass, dedicated, compassionate people. A hive if you will, of people who are changing what the norm of animal care looks like. 

Penny and Sally

Anyways. THIS post isn't even my brain baby, its Anns! Ann emailed me earlier this week and said something to the effect of "you post too much shit about Ellie, post something about dogs. I made my dogs a foraging game. Is it going to kill them?" JUUUUUUST kidding. Kind of. She did email me, but she emailed me telling me about what she had done with her Penny and Sally after seeing some foraging ideas for other animals here on The Buzz on Enrichment and I asked her for photos so I could share! Olfactory enrichment for your pooch! 

Here's what you need:

• Banana
• Cardboard egg carton
• Knife

You can  put whatever your little heart desires in the egg carton, but bananas are awesome and my dogs can hear one crack open from across the house. This foraging activity for dogs is brilliant for introducing fido to using their nose to find goodies. 

Divvy out the banana in a few egg carton sections and decorate the back yard! 

We're still teaching your dog to use his nose so keep it simple! 

As usual, lovely people of the inter webs...please keep a close eye on everyone when delivering enrichment!