Brisco the Blog Dog

Brisco Celebrates National Blueberry Month!

2009-07-06T13:10:00.001-04:00

Blueberry Streusel Muffins Recipe
40 min | 15 min prep

12 muffins
    * 1 cup milk
    * 1/4 cup vegetable oil
    * 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    * 1 egg
    * 2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
    * 1/3 cup sugar
    * 3 teaspoons baking powder
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 1 cup fresh blueberries or canned blueberries, drained

STREUSEL TOPPING
    * 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    * 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
    * 2 tablespoons butter

   1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
   2. Grease bottoms only of 12 medium muffin cups, 2-1/2 X 1-1/4 inches, or paper lined cups.
   3. Beat the milk, oil, vanilla extract and egg.
   4. Stir in the flour, sugar, baking powder & salt all at once until flour is moist (should be lumpy).
       Add the blueberries, combine and divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
   5. Sprinkle each using about 2 tsp of the prepared topping.
   6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
   7. Remove from pan right away.

Posted via email from Brisco the Blog Dog

Doga: It's yoga for dogs

2009-07-01T23:07:00.001-04:00

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The room was quiet as everyone sitting on yoga mats in the lotus position concentrated on their breathing, feeling their heart rates slow.

It was all very relaxing, very Zen. Until one of the participants barked.

This yoga class was unlike most others.

Humans projected calmness as, seated or perched on mats in a circle facing instructor Courtney Weis, they performed the usual yoga positions: cobra, downward facing dog, bridge, chair, tree, triangle, warrior 1 and 2.

But the canine students reacted in a variety of ways — some yawned, some slept, some licked owners’ faces, some sniffed other dogs and a few looked perplexed, especially when they were lifted in the air like furry barbells.

On a recent Sunday, the yoga class for dogs and their owners — called doga — attracted a Jack Russell/cairn terrier mix, a golden retriever/basset hound mix, a Samoyed, a one-eyed pug, a Lhasa apso/Shih Tzu mix, two golden retrievers, a German shepherd and one client of mixed origin.

Ruffin’ It Resort in Madison, a hotel and day care center for dogs, began offering monthly doga classes in January for $15. Owner Renee Brantner Shanesy didn’t know what kind of response she would get, but now there’s a waiting list to join the eight students/dogs per session.

“It was just kind of a trial-and-error thing — let’s see how it is in the Madison market. But it’s been nuts,” said Shanesy, who opened Ruffin’ It Resort three years ago.

Shanesy knew Weis, the instructor, and they joked about offering a doga class. One class led to another, and that’s how Weis ended up sitting on a mat petting her 6-year-old golden retriever Nut and encouraging students to massage their dogs to calm them down.

“Dogs take cues from us. If you’re stressed out, they are,” Weis told the class as the 45-minute session got under way. “Dogs live in the moment, which is what humans are striving for in yoga.”

Most of the pet owners had never been to a yoga class before. Neither had the dogs.

While Weis demonstrated the various yoga positions the humans held the small dogs or used the big dogs for leverage and stability. A Lhasa apso/Shih Tzu named Dante wore a tiny T-shirt with the word Namaste — a traditional yoga greeting — on the front.

What quickly became apparent was the boat position, which is balancing on the hind end with legs and arms in the air, is easier for four-legged creatures accustomed to belly scratches. Both humans and dogs can easily do the downward facing dog position and the upward facing dog position because they were modeled on actual stretches performed by dogs.

Also apparent: Dogs can’t stand on one leg and use their paws to hold another leg in the air like a tree, no matter how hard they try.

Before offering the first doga class, Shanesy and Weis researched some poses from the Internet and talked to other doga instructors, veterinarians and animal chiropractors. There are few instruction manuals or DVDs, and although doga classes are offered primarily on the East and West coasts, only a handful of spots in the Midwest provide doga instruction.

Warren Garstecki, a yoga instructor at the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Society in Milwaukee, has heard of doga, though he’s never attended a class.

“If it attracts pet lovers to yoga, I suppose it could catch on. It will be interesting to see what happens with it,” said Garstecki. “Anything that encourages interest in yoga is good as long as it doesn’t get silly.”

Mostly it’s a fun way for owners to bond with their pooches. Lisa Marino, a yoga instructor from Sussex, attended with her Samoyed, Zamboni, who can perform the downward facing dog pose when prompted by the command “Yoga!”

Marino noted that humans and dogs sometimes get different benefits out of yoga, such as the boat pose, which tightens abdominal muscles on humans. Dogs, however, don’t much care about that.

“Dogs don’t really have to strengthen their abs; they don’t need a six-pack,” Marino said.

Weis has seen all types of dogs in the doga classes, from tiny Chihuahuas and dachshunds to mastiffs and German shepherds.

Although the dogs are always excited at first because they’re in a room with a bunch of other dogs, it’s remarkable how quickly they calm down, Weis said.

Title: Doga: It's yoga for dogs
Author: Globe Gazette and the AP
URL: http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2009/07/01/news/feature/doc4a4aa45a8e6a6072767787.txt
Accessed: 7.1.09 at 11:01 pm EST

Posted via email from Brisco the Blog Dog

My First Blog Post

2009-06-15T13:01:00.001-04:00

Replace the subject line and body with your first blog post and hit send! Include pictures, an mp3, or anything else you want to share. It's just that simple.

Click here to download:

Track01.cda (0 KB)

Click here to download:

Track02.cda (0 KB)

Posted via email from Brisco the Blog Dog

Brisco the Jack Russell Terrier

2009-04-27T17:41:00.001-04:00

Hi Everybody,

Do you need something for your Jack Russell Terrier, or do you have a friend that has a Jack Russell Terrier. Perhaps you need a gift, treats (yum), food, books, DVD's.

I have it all on my website: www.myjackrussellterrierdog.com

Bet you will find something that you can't live without!!!

Hope to see you soon,

Brisco

Posted via email from Brisco the Blog Dog

Top of the line tick protection? Frontline for Dogs

2009-04-27T00:23:00.001-04:00

Frontline is the brand to trust when wanting to protect your favorite furry friend. Hopefully, they are a Jack Russell Terrier like I am! My people use Frontline on me so they are assured I will not be bring ticks or any other small bugs into the house after a fun filled day of romping in the grass with my other doggie friends. I like Frontline best over the other flea and tick treaments becuase it is easy for my people to apply on my coat, and I do not have to swallow any pills.

Features of Frontline
    * Flea, flea egg, lice, and tick control for dogs and puppies
    * 6-dose supply provides flea, flea egg, chewing lice, and tick relief
    * For all 0-to-22-pound dogs aged 8 weeks and older
    * Easy 3-step application process
    * Package measures 5.8 x 1 x 4.5 inches; limited Satisfaction Guarantee

Visit MyJackRussellTerrierDog.com today to purchase Frontline for your favorite furry friend!

Barks and Wags to you!
Brisco the Blog Dog

http://www.myjackrussellterrierdog.com/Merial-Frontline-Plus-Flea-and-Tick/A/B0002J1FLW.htm

Posted via email from Brisco the Blog Dog

Brisco blogs about seat belts, toys and books

2009-03-12T13:34:00.000-04:00

Although my Jack Russell Terriers were bred to hunt, I live with my people in the house and sleep in my favorite Jack Russell Terrier Dog Bed. Like all Jack Russell Terrier Dogs, I am loyal and friendly. I love going for walks and taking rides in the car. My owner always keeps me safe on these rides with a Dog Seat Belt. Jack Russell Terrier Dogs also love playing with children and adults and fetching their favorite Jack Russell Terrier Dog Toys.

I almost have my people trained but it’s a tough job for a Jack Russell Terrier since I still have to do what they say... at least sometimes! If you ask the people they may even say that training Jack Russell Terrier Dogs can be challenging so I offer many Jack Russell Terrier Dog Books to help them out.