Dog Ease

Dogs make outstanding friends.

They continue to care for us despite our shortcomings. They even seem to tolerate the less-then-natural city-living conditions we put them in.

True, many get to enjoy the dedicated off-leash areas at the local park,

but most have limited freedom.

It's no wonder that the urban dog is often dealing with stress, obesity and joint problems.

Not to mention, environmental allergies, skin problems and digestive issues. Because dogs are so loyal and adaptable it's easy to overlook their intrinsic need to connect with nature.

Many ailments are symptoms of this disconnect, and most can be eased with simple activities as well as herbal and nutritional solutions.

When we allow our best friend to tap into their natural-selves, natural healing can begin.

Stress and Anxiety

Digestion

Immunity and allergies

The basics

Skin and Paw

Skin and paw health

Paws in the city can suffer due to salty sidewalks. A great way to protect your pups paws is with a natural protective shield, called a balm. We advocate using natural products since they do the job so well, add herbs...and you can nourish and heal the skin while protecting it.

Here is our recipe

1 tbsp Beeswax, Source: Toronto apiary, Bee Local (416)

1 tbsp Organic coconut oil

1 tbsp Organic shea butter

1/2 tbsp Lanolin

1tsp Plantain oil

1tsp St John's Wort oil

1tsp Cleaver oil

Our herbal oils are made in house using Organic Olive Oil and we aim for mostly local garden and wildcrafted herbs.

We will post our how-to video here

Not into DIY? Shop for our Salty Sidewalk Shield here

Skin issues can get very frustrating. Solving them can seem like the impossible.

The skin is considered to be the largest organ. Hot spots and rashes are often issues that come up due to a systemic problem. The root cause can be hard to pin. Occasionally it can be related to environmental allergies, or food allergies, zoning in on exactly which is challenging.

Promoting a balanced immune system is a good place to start, in order to lessen auto-immune responses such as an allergic reaction.

Herbs that are fantastic for this include, Stinging Nettle, Oregon Grape, Astragulus.

Nutritional aids for this include, Local Honey, Sardines, Flax

It can be a bit daunting to get started with herbs. We are currently making a how to video on how to make our immune balancing sausages...and will post it here shortly. In the meantime if you know how to make sausage...

Here's our recipe

Soak overnight

3 cups Organic Oats

1 cup Stinging Nettle infusion

1 cup Astragulus root tea

1 cup Oregon Grape tea

1 cup Burdock Root tea

1 cup Bone broth

Cook on low temp the next morning. After cooling, place in a bowl and mix with

4 tbs Organic pumpkin puree

4 tbs Local honey

3 tbs Organic flax meal

3 tbs Coconut oil

Optional; 3 Sardines, grind 1.5 cups green tripe,

Have way too much to do? Shop for a fresh batch here

Occasionally stress and anxiety can bring about hot spots and rashes. If this sounds like your dog, our #1 recommendation is the Sit Spot. The sit spot is a simple activity that reconnects both dogs and folks, with nature. It promotes trust, awareness and a sense of calm. Learn how, here.

Herbs that sooth the nerves are, Lavender, Chamomile

Nutritional aids for this include, Oats, Almonds, Turkey, Blueberries

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Stress and Anxiety

Having a stressed or anxious companion can feel like a heavy burden.

Without a doubt, some cases really require getting the help of an experienced behaviorist.

That said, there are many tools available to help your four legged friend build trust and find some inner-calm.

Trust building activities in nature and in the home are paramount.

Herbs can also offer a helping hand, by soothing the nervous system.

First things first; The Sit Spot

You will see references to the sit spot in every section of The Six Dogs

This is the easiest and most grounding nature activity for both dogs and people alike.

Follow this link for our step by step guide to deepening your connection and awareness while sitting in a spot outside in nature.

Here is our helpful guide with 5 things you can do for a calm and stress free dog.

Herbs that lend a helping leaf and soothe the nerves are as follows

St-John's Wort, Oatstraw, Skullcap, Lavender, Chamomile,

Nutritional aids include, soaked Oats, omega-3 found in Salmon, Sardines, Flax, Almonds, Turkey, Blueberries

Here is our recipe for stress free crackers

Soak overnight

3 cups Organic Oats

1 cup Stinging Nettle infusion

1 cup Oatstraw infusion

1 cup Scullcap tea

1 cup Bone broth

1/2 cup St-John's wort tea

Cook on low temp the next morning.

After cooling, place in a bowl and mix with

1/2 cup Organic blueberries

3 tbs Organic flax meal

3 tbs Organic plain yogurt

3 tbs Organic pumpkin puree

3 tbs Organic Almond Butter

2 tbs Local honey

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Sprinkle organic oat flour evenly on a lined cookie sheet or dehydrator paraflexx style sheet. Spread dough mixture onto sheet about 0.5-1 cm thick. Sprinkle surface with organic oat flour if using a rolling pin to roll out dough.

Bake at 300F temp to dry out. Checking periodically

If using a dehydrator, place at medium setting for 12 hours.

Our herbal oils are made in house using Organic Olive Oil and we aim for mostly local garden and wildcrafted herbs.

Don't have the time for DIY? Shop for a fresh batch here

Here is our recipe for stress free andouillette (tripe sausage)

Soak overnight

3 cups Organic Oats

1 cup Stinging Nettle infusion

1 cup Oatstraw infusion

1 cup Scullcap tea

1 cup Bone broth

Cook on low temp the next morning.

After cooling, place in a bowl and mix with

2 tbs St-John's wort oil

3 tbs Organic flax meal

4 tbs Local honey

3 tbs Coconut oil

Optional; 3 Sardines, grind and add 1.5 cups green tripe, 1 cup turkey

Our herbal oils are made in house using Organic Olive Oil and we aim for mostly local garden and wildcrafted herbs.

Not into DIY? Shop for a made to order batch here

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Stress and Anxiety

Joints

Seeing your pooch struggle to get up due to joint issues can be very hard. Joint problems can arise due to the wearing of cartilage in aging joints, dogs that carry too much weight can also suffer. Rheumatoid arthritis is an odd auto-immune disorder, whereby the antibodies mistake some of the dog's own proteins, and bind together to form a complex which is then deposited in the joints, which leads to inflammation.

Herbs known to help alleviate inflammation include Ashwagandha, Amalaki,

Nutritional considerations to reduce inflammation include, Flax, Hemp seeds (contains GLA, Omega 3, and vitamin E), Olive oil (high vitamin E content)

Herbs to help with revitalizing cartilage include, Solomon's seal, Oat Straw, Horsetail, Stinging Nettle

Nutritional considerations to support cartilage include, bone broth, brown rice, steamed Swiss chard, nuts

Weight loss is an important step, click here for solutions on this issue

Here is our recipe for ache-free joints crackers

Soak overnight

3 cup Organic Oats

1 cup Ashwagandha infusion

1 cup Oatstraw infusion

1 cup Horsetail tea

1 cup Bone broth

Cook on low temp next morning

After cooling, place in a bowl and mix with

1/2 cup steamed Swiss chard

2 tbs St-John's wort oil

3 tbs Organic flax meal

4 tbs Hemp seeds

3 tbs Organic Nut butter of choice

3 tbs Organic plain yogurt

3 tbs Organic pumpkin puree

2 tbs Local honey

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Bake at 300F temp to dry out. Checking periodically

If using a dehydrator, place at medium setting for 12 hours.

Our herbal oils are made in house using Organic Olive Oil and we aim for mostly local garden and wildcrafted herbs.

Have a thousand things to do already? Shop for a fresh batch here

Here is our recipe for ache-free joint andouillette (tripe sausage)

Cook

2 cups Organic Brown rice

1 cup Ashwagandha infusion

1 cup Oatstraw infusion

1 cup Horsetail tea

1 cup Bone broth

After cooling, place in a bowl and mix with

1/2 cup steamed Swiss chard

2 tbs St-John's wort oil

3 tbs Organic flax meal

4 tbs Hemp seeds

3 tbs Organic Nut butter of choice

Optional; grind and add 1.5 cups green tripe

Not into DIY? Shop for a fresh batch here

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Digestion

Digestion issues can sure be a drag. They can get messy and smelly and difficult to manage. Luckily there are quite a few options for getting your friend back on track.

Herbs and nutritional aids can play an important role in restoring a gut that's gone off the rails.

Nutritional aids that support a healthy digestive track include

Pumpkin, Yogourt with active acidophilus strains, Oats, Bone Broth, soaked Flax

Herbs include, Chamomile, Fennel and Slippery elm

Here is our recipe for happy gut crackers

Soak overnight

3 cup Organic Oats

1 cup Slippery elm tea

1 cup Fennel tea

1 cup Chamomile tea

1 cup Bone broth

Cook on low temp next morning

After cooling, place in a bowl and mix with

1.5 Organic bananas

3 tbs soaked Organic flax meal

2 tbs Hemp seeds

4 tbs Organic plain yogurt

4 tbs Organic pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Bake at 300F temp to dry out. Checking periodically

If using a dehydrator, place at medium setting for 12 hours.

Our herbal oils are made in house using Organic Olive Oil and we aim for mostly local garden and wildcrafted herbs.

Have a thousand things to do already? Shop for a fresh batch here

Here is our recipe for happy gut andouillette (tripe sausage)

Soak overnight

3 cups Organic Oats

1 cup Slippery elm tea

1 cup Fennel tea

1 cup Chamomile tea

1 cup Bone broth

Cook on low temp the next morning. After cooling, place in a bowl and mix with

1.5 Organic bananas

3 tbs soaked Organic flax meal

2 tbs Hemp seeds

4 tbs Organic plain yogurt

4 tbs Organic pumpkin puree

Optional; grind 1.5 cups green tripe,

Have way too much to do? Shop for a fresh batch here

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Joints

Digestion

Immunity and allergies

When the immune system is out of balance the body can essentially turn on itself.

There are several herbs that help the body find peace with itself.

The most important tonic is Nettle,

Some important immuno-modulators include; Astragulus, Usnea, Burdock

Nutritional aids include, Raw local honey (learn about honey here), Oats, Fish oil, Flax, Coconut Oil, Bone broth (learn how to make your own bone broth), Almonds and Sunflower seeds

Here is our recipe for immune balance crackers

Soak overnight

3 cups Organic Oats

1 cup Stinging Nettle infusion

1 cup Astragulus root tea

1 cup Oregon Grape tea

1 cup Burdock Root tea

1 cup Bone broth

Cook on low temp the next morning. After cooling, place in a bowl and mix with

4 tbs Organic pumpkin puree

4 tbs Local honey

3 tbs Organic flax meal

3 tbs Coconut oil

3 tbs Almond butter

2 tbs Sunflower seed butter

1/4 tsp Sea salt

Here is our recipe for immune balance andouillette (tripe sausage)

Soak overnight

3 cups Organic Oats

1 cup Stinging Nettle infusion

1 cup Astragulus root tea

1 cup Oregon Grape tea

1 cup Burdock Root tea

1 cup Bone broth

Cook on low temp the next morning. After cooling, place in a bowl and mix with

4 tbs Organic pumpkin puree

4 tbs Local honey

3 tbs Organic flax meal

3 tbs Coconut oil

Optional; 3 Sardines, grind 1.5 cups green tripe,

Have way too much to do? Shop for a fresh batch here

Skip to shop

Immunity and Allergies

Weight management

Weight gain can sneak up on all of us. Some of our furry friends might slow down a bit with age while maintaining the same caloric intake as a feisty 2 year old. Others may develop an insatiable appetite due to steroid drugs such as prednisone. Whatever the case may be, carrying extra weight can lead to other health issues.

So first things first...
1) Cut out excess calories

If your little buddy already suffers from joint issues skip recommendation #2
2) Can your four-legged friend handle a longer walk...or a slightly faster walk? Slowly add some cardio to your dogs routine.
3) Massage your dog. Touch allows your pup to reconnect with his body.
4) Bone broth is so satisfying your pup wont mind the smaller meal portion size if you add some nutritious, tasty, satiating bone broth. (Learn how to make your own)
5) Is your dog bored? Some dogs look to food for some form of satisfaction. Give him a job. Here are some activities that will keep your pup motivated.

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Weight Management