The word “Schnauzer” is derived from the German word ‘Schnauze’ meaning ‘Muzzle’, and if you look a photo of April’s Dog of the Month you can understand why! They have a very distinctive muzzle and long “beard”, making them distinguishable from their closely related cousin, the German Pinscher.  Schnauzers come in three different sizes; standard, giant and Miniature, with Standard Schnauzers being the oldest and original breed. In World War I Schnauzers were utilised as messenger dogs, livestock guardians and vermin hunters. Today, they still partake in hunting, tracking, obedience, guarding and many other talents.

Schnauzers are full of character. They are generally very playful and energetic and get along with everyone. They are great pets for families and they are known to get along well with children and other dogs. They are very loving and affectionate making them a great companion dog. These intelligent dogs can be stubborn at times so make sure to train them early on. A long walk or jog a day will keep this breed happy as well as some playtime with human or dog friends.

 It is also good to brush these dogs daily to prevent knots or matting. They have a long wiry coat that typically needs to be clipped twice a year. The usual clipping style for Schnauzer is for the upper body to be cut short and left slightly longer around the legs, head and underparts. Around the face will require regular trimming and grooming to keep any knots or matting from around the eyes, mouth and chin. It might take a bit of care with their coat however this breed sheds little to no hair and are great pets for allergy sufferers.
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Why not spend your Easter weekend making some yummy muffins that even your pooch can enjoy!

Ingredients
3 medium Carrots, shredded (approximately 1 1/2 cup)
1 cup sugar free Apple Sauce
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and  line mini-muffin pans with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl mix shredded carrots, apple sauce, eggs and milk then set aside.
3. In a large bowl mix whole wheat flour and cinnamon.
4. Once well combined add the wet carrot mixture to the flour mixture and stir until mixed.
5. Spoon cupcake batter into paper liners until 1/2 to 2/3 full.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle come out clean.
7. Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 4 dozen yummy mini-muffins for everyone to enjoy!

It's something we all know, dogs get sick from eating chocolate. But why is that?

Well - there are two ingredients in chocolate that makes our dogs (and cats) sick, this is caffeine and the chemical used in chocolate called theobromine.
Dog's bodies and organs are not able to metabolize either of these chemicals the same way that humans can which makes them far more sensitive to the effects of them.

It can be confusing when you see dog treats (especially around Easter time) that appear to be made of or from chocolate.
These products use Carob instead of Chocolate, which contains no caffeine and no theobromine so is safe for dogs to eat.

If you are concerned that your dog has ingested chocolate or any other toxic food, you should always seek vet treatment.



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Congratulations to our Dog of the Month for April 2020... Dhamma the Standard Schnauzer!
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Be sure to watch this space over April for more information about this energetic and charismatic breed!
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