This weekend Diane, Steve, Judy, Dave and Donna along with Yazzie, Ryder, Hunter, and Eli hosted a dog agility demonstration at the 3rd Annual Intermountain Humane SocietyDog Walk at the historic Meyer Ranch in Conifer, Colorado.  We had a blast sharing the sport of dog agility with fellow dog lovers.    Needless to say the dogs were a little tired from a day of demoing so this evening we took it easy practicing start line stays while the sun started to set in the Colorado mountains.  Update from the injured reserve list … Rankine gets his stitches out tomorrow and will be as good as new!

Speaking of Colorado our dinner theme tonight was Colorado grub.  Our menu included buffalo corn bread casserole, anasazi bean and squash harvest medley, western BBQ chicken, quinoa poppy seed muffins, and Donna’s famous peach cobbler.   The dishes were all delicious, but the award for best new recipe goes to Aaron for the buffalo corn bread casserole.  On a personal note, Aaron is quite the chef preparing dinner at our house almost every night.

Western BBQ Chicken – This recipe is a Judy creation from the Western BBQ Chicken Pizza recipe from Colorado Collage and the Norelco Microwave Ove Cookbook.

Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic.  Let marinate in the fridge several hours.  Mix together remaining ingredients except the onions and green peppers to make the BBQ sauce.  Place chicken in microwave dish layering & coating with liquid BBQ sauce.   Place onion and green pepper on top.  Cover and cook in microwave on high 20 minutes stopping halfway to turn over the chicken.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

• 3-4 Chicken breast cut in to serving size pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup catsup
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Anasazi Bean and Squash Harvest Medley – This recipe is from American Food – A Celebration Collins Publishers 1993.

• 1/4 cup dried Anasazi or pinto beans
• 1 piece Hubbard squash (about 1 1/4 lb)
• 1 cup long-grain brown rice
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 6 green onions, chopped
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Quick-soak the Anasazi beans by placing them in 1 cup water in a saucepan and slowly bringing to a boil.  Boil for 4 minutes.  Turn off the heat, cover and let stand for about 2 hours.  Drain.  Place beans in water to cover, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are tender but still firm. Drain.

Either microwave the squash for 6 to 7 minutes, until soft when pierced with a fork, or cut into several pieces and steam fro 15 to 20 minutes until soft.  Remove rind. Dice squash.

In a saucepan, bring rice and 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil.  Lower the heat, cover, and cook for 45 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Mix together the vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and pepper to make the dressing.  Toss beans, squash, rice, and green onions with dressing to coat. 

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You know how much you adore dogs. Share your passion for canine friends by sharing a good read, a helpful article, or time.

Books are a great way to promote empathy and responsible pet care. Check with your school or church about reading books to children or give young adult or adult readers a book  on dogs. Find books for children, young adults, and adults at the Doris Day Animal League ‘Book Bag,’ Humane Society Youth Best Books List, and Bark Notable Reads,

Find an interesting article or newsletter? Forward helpful dog training and health information to your friends. Make sure the information is correct by checking with experts in the field like American Veterinary Medical Association or local humane society fact sheets, and urban myth/internet rumor checkers like Snopes. Rest assured, any information you find at Online Dog Coach has been verified with trusted sources before we post it.

Volunteer for a local shelter. You can do anything from walking dogs and answering phones at the shelter, to doing laundry and helping run fund raising events from home.

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Plant native plants and flowers in your yard to attact butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. All animals deserve to be treated humanly.

Worried about wildlife in your yard? While animals like deer, bats, skunks, squirrels and raccoons can be a nuisance, the best way to keep your pets safe and address conflicts with wildlife is to prevent conflicts from happening in the first place. By identifying potential problems and taking a few humane prophylactic measures, you can peacefully coexist with deer, bats, skunks, squirrels, raccoons and rabbits. Read American Humane’s Do’s and Don’ts for wildlife.

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When driving through neighborhoods and around parks, keep a watchful eye for pets that may have gotten away from their owner. We have all had the experience of an accidental escape, hopefully minimized by teaching your dog to stay at the door.

Extend humane treatment of animals beyond companion pets to the wildlife in your community. Drive cautiously through wildlife areas and slow down at times wildlife is more active – dusk, night, and dawn.

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Donate to or volunteer at your local animal shelter or rescue group.

Support rescues and shelters

There are city and county run shelters in almost all communities. There are also many privately run shelters. Most will do their very best to avoid euthanasia, and use it only as a last resort when they are way too crowded. Many of the private shelters are no kill shelters, and they have to work extra hard for donations to feed and shelter all the critters that come their way.

In addition to shelters, there are rescue organizations for just about any breed of dog you might be interested in. These are run by a group of people generally with a special fondness for a specific breed.  Volunteers pick up dogs (or cats) from city or overcrowded shelters, and take them to their own vet for a good check-up. From there, the dog goes to a volunteer foster family to live until a permanent placement can be made.

Contact your local shelter or rescue group to find out how you can best help. They all need volunteers who can walk, clean, or even file paperwork! If you haven’t any money to give, donate used towels or blankets, cleaning supplies, or pet dishes and leashes you no longer need.

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