Anybody who has ever owned a German Shepherd knows that they can be high-maintenance animals. Not just because of the fact that they shed all the time, summer or winter, but also because they are high-energy working dogs who need both physical and mental challenges to keep them out of mischief.
At almost four years old, Alli is no different. She loves to chase a ball or a Kong toy. I can throw them until my arms are about to fall off and she never seems to tire of it. Sometimes, if she’s not paying attention when I throw it, it may go in a direction she’s not expecting. That’s okay, she will spend all the time it takes sniffing every inch of the yard until she finds it. That gives her the mental challenge as well as the physical activity.
Like many dogs, Alli is also a fast eater. She inhales her food. So when I found an item called a Snuffle Mat on Amazon a few days ago, it immediately caught my interest. The 20-inch round mat has dense textured fabric loops that you drop treats or kibble into, and they tend to disappear below the surface. This demands the dog spend time finding each individual piece to eat it. More mental stimulation.
It arrived a couple of days ago, and it’s already a hit with Alli and with us. It has slowed her eating down, and at the same time seems to challenge her. She spends a lot of time rooting around trying to find her kibble in the various loops. It’s washable and seems to be a sturdy product I think it will last a long time. The only possible downside I’ve seen to it is that the suction cups on the bottom don’t really hold the mat in place. Snuffle Mats come in a variety of different sizes and designs for any size dog. Check them out. You might find one to be a perfect gift for your fur baby.
Today is your last chance to enter our Free Drawing for an autographed copy of Police Stories: The Rookie Years by my friend Patrick O’Donnell, who was featured in our first Author’s Spotlight last week. The author of eleven books, Patrick hosts the popular Cops and Writers Podcast and founded and runs an 8,500-member Facebook group for crime writers that was featured in the Wall Street Journal. He has also hosted true crime television documentaries and consulted with crime writers for their books and screenplays.
As Patrick shares in his book, his introduction to being a police officer in Milwaukee happened during his first week as a rookie cop, when he had to decide whether to pull the trigger on a man running at him with a butcher knife. The knife-wielding man just killed his brother over the last hot dog. The book shares real-life gritty police stories, including a Thanksgiving stabbing that left the victim with a carving knife embedded in his eye, the sweet elderly widow who held a cocked .38 to a rookie’s back, breaking every rule to help a stranded mother find shelter, almost being shot by a fellow officer, a father who bit off part of his daughter’s nose, and a dying man’s last words: “Scooby-Doo shot me.” As Patrick says, sometimes the most unbelievable stories are the ones that actually happened.
To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn this evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed. After 30 days, unclaimed prizes revert back to the drawing pool for a future contest.
Did you know that you can find all of my books and sign up for my free author’s newsletter on my website at www.nickrussellbooks.com?
And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us. Is this why they call it moo juice?
Thought For The Day – A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!