Dog Food Diets | Warming Foods | The Happy Beast
Chelsea Niekelski

Warming Foods for Winter

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So…winter finally showed up this morning in Lafayette. It’s dropped below freezing and all we want to do is eat a spicy bowl of chili. In the winter months, we tend to center our meal plan on soups, stews, tea and roasts. Why? Warm, hearty foods help starve off the cold! In studying Chinese medicine, we find that certain “warming foods” have a positive effect on the body.

You can take advantage of this to help your dog stay warm this winter too! Older dogs, small dogs, and ones with short hair or arthritis and joint pain may benefit from warming foods. Most pet food companies offer a few  recipes that can be fed in rotation, allowing your dog to easily transition to a different food. (Read our Happy Beast transition tips here!)

For the next few months, choose a diet based with a warming protein like venison, lamb, chicken or turkey.

(And, be sure to spend extra time cuddling your pup by the fireplace!)

Chelsea Niekelski

New Off-Leash Dog Laws for City of Boulder Open Space

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Your dog’s GREEN “Voice and Sight Tag” will expire on December 31, 2014 and a new BLUE tag will be required for off-leash dog hiking in the new year. The City of Boulder program that allows dogs to be walked off-leash on designated open trails is going through a few changes. If you’d like to continue taking advantage of their awesome off-leash dog trails, here’s what you need to know.

1) You have to take a class.

Classes meet in Boulder and are offered every day (with lots of evening and weekend options!) It’s only an hour long and covers the expectations and requirements of the program as well as tips for having a successful off-leash experience with your dog.

Sign up here.

2) There are added fees for additional dogs and guardians.

The fee for one dog and one guardian is $13 for City of Boulder residents, and $33 for Boulder County residents. Additional dogs in your household can be registered for just $10/dog. Additional guardians must take the aforementioned class and pay a $5 fee.

3) Your dog must be vaccinated and registered.

  • You’ll have to submit your dog’s rabies vaccination records.
  • If you live in Boulder, you must register your dog with the city.
  • Boulder County residents who do not live in the City of Boulder do not have to be licensed to qualify for the program. (Most cities do require a license. While not required for the Voice & Sight Program, this would be a good time to make sure your dog’s license is up to date!)

4) You can register online!

Click here to register online.

Currently, requests are taking about 5 days to process, so expect to wait at least a week for your tag to arrive in the mail.

5) You have to follow the rules.

The motivation behind the updated program is to reduce conflicts between people, dogs and wildlife.

Here’s a sampling of the rules you will learn in class:

  • Your dog must always be within your sight and must immediately come when called
  • Your dog must not chase, charge, jump on or show any aggression towards people, wildlife, livestock or other dogs
  • Your dog must wear his Voice & Sight Tag
  • You must always carry a leash

Have more questions? The City of Boulder has all the details here!