Welcome to the Fine Dog Living weekly newsletter – curated content from the FDL Facebook group + a little editorial riffing by me, Lisa Murnan.
Dog Treat Bakery
Sabrina O. posted: “FDL is..... when your kitchen turns into a dog treat bakery 😁”
LOOK, WE’RE BEING SO GOOD!
Sabrina’s recipe: “a mixture of organs, bone broth, pumpkin purée and a bit of Coconut flour” (sorry but she didn’t have an exact recipe on hand when I reached out and bugged her this morning)
According to Sabrina, the treats pop out “super easy.”
If you’re freaking out thinking about filling the 468 holes in each one, somebody wrote “just smear with a spatch!” AHHHHH. THANK YOU.
Epic photoshoot
Two weeks ago, Heather C. asked FDL: “So, I have a photoshoot with my baby dog tomorrow to celebrate her turning a year old. I have a general idea of some poses and shots I want, but I need more inspiration! Please share your favorite professional photos, portraits, etc! What poses do you cherish years down the road? Are there unique shots that you think we would love?”
Some comments and suggestions:
I like photographers that embrace the location of the shoot.
As a photographer my favorites are always the ones of the owner and dog doing what they enjoy doing, or just working together. Tricks, focused heels, sports (agility, frisbee, etc.)
A side headshot is to DIE for IMO. I really like candids and pics of me with my dogs
For me it depends on the dog! I have a Belgian and a border collie and they both have very different looks so I like to capture them differently. For my Belgian since her face is so long and narrow and solid-black (so features are harder to capture) I don’t usually like completely front-facing headshots, but slightly off front-facing if that makes sense... For my Border Collie I love how her broader expression and markings are captured in a front-facing shot. Also, candid-looking images of me interacting and playing with my dogs will always be the ones I cherish most, as I love when a photo captures the relationship between a person and their dog
Love a good brick wall backdrop.
I love silhouettes
As far as "memory shot" goes for me, I really personally like to have "all sides" to look back on later, especially if the dog has very differing markings, but usually a nice natural stand from left and right, front on, and rear, there are a lot of different ways to artistically make these views aesthetically pleasing but my personal favorite for the back-shot has always been a nice slow walk away from the photographer.
Well, Heather posted the results this past Monday Bragday and they were fantastic. This is her with Swift, her Mudi (I had to ask her…I originally thought the dog’s name was Mudi…eek I’m such a dork sometimes. 🙃)
You know it’s really not a photoshoot without a dog on a rock. 😀
Best Airtight Food Storage Bins
Crystal B. asked the group: “Dog and cat food storage bin suggestions other than Vittles Vaults? I need something able to hold a 20 lb bag of food…that is airtight. I want an easy access lid that doesn't include fussing over getting threads lined up perfectly or having to hold the lid while holding a bowl and scooping out the pet food. Locking lid so a dog nose can't just pop it open (doesn't have to be super heavy duty to withstand heavy chewing or anything, but close tightly enough to make an airtight seal). I would like something where if I get two of them, I can stack them and still access the food in both without needing to unstack them.”
Laci W. started a big long sub-thread with this recommendation for simplehuman pet food cans: “I have a few of these now, they’re fantastic….they seal tighter than any other bins I’ve tried. More comparable to snap-wear seal (if you’ve ever used those for small storage)….Costco has the XL size for $99 right now too if you’re a member, online & in store! Bed Bath and Beyond (20% off coupons...) also has them and Container Store (15% off with pop) but both have limited sizes. Costco still has the best deal that I’ve seen.”
(I know this thread is about dog food containers, but simplehuman also makes the BEST dog-proof trashcans – we’ve had this one since 2014 and it’s still in perfect working order and no dog has ever broken into it!)
For those of you who like Vittles Vaults (Todd and I have several, but I am loving these simplehuman pet food canisters!), here are a few tips that might save your sanity:
The trick to getting the Vittle Vault threads to line up without fuss is to set the lid on the opening, push down, turn it to the left, you’ll feel the threads find each other, and spin back to the right to close. Works every time
You can also use a sharpie to mark where the threads lineup, which makes the process even easier.
I use the lid as a plate while I scoop the food haha
Other suggestions:
This is what I have [Van Ness Pet Food Storage Container], the 25lb container holds a full 30lb bag of food. It has a locking lid with an air seal around the edge.
And then we had a bunch of IRIS product recommendations –I’ve never heard of this brand but somebody at IRIS knows about storing dog food!
I have and love this [IRIS Elevated Feeder with Airtight Food Storage]…the large fits a 40lb bag….I have it next to my island and set the lid on it and scoop food onto the bowls there but if your space doesn’t work with that it could be a PITA to hold the lid while scooping
I have these types of bins for my dog’s food. I love that you can leave the castors off if you don't need them. I bought a big enough size that I can slide a 30# bag of dog food in it without dumping it. The brown one has a latch on it that I like better than the clear one, but both are awesome for my needs. Neither stack so you can still access them but they do fit nicely under the 1st shelve in my pantry.
