14 ways to show your dog LOVE this Valentines Day!

EXERCISE! This is probably one of the most important outlets in a dog’s life. Sadly, all too many dogs just do not get enough. Dog’s do not care if it is too cold out. They do not care that you are tired from work. They did not wait for you all day just so you can love on them, NOPE they yearn to run, romp, play and burn energy. Satiate your dog’s carnal need to move, travel, cover ground and be outdoors. If the weather is just too crummy for you, then invest in a treadmill as dogs love to workout on a treadmill. Just 15 to 20 minutes can really exhaust them.
LEADERSHIP! Being your dog’s Leader does not mean you have to be some crazy Alpha, yelling, overly controlling, extremely dominant human. The best definition of a Leader is that others want to follow. If you can portray consistent Leadership you actually can take a lot of stress off of your dog since they will choose to follow you rather then own you, guard you, challenge you, or take on the role of running your household.
TOUCH! If you are touched endearingly by a loved one, think about how that form of communication made you feel. It often relaxed you, soothed you, and that touch felt good and kind. Why then do people rough up, pat hard, and otherwise pet or stroke a dog with such excitement, energy or dominance that it is actually antagonistic to a dog!? Try this instead… touch your dog with sincerity, softness, kindness and compassion. You will find that this touch soothes them, relaxes them, it creates an incredible bond, and your dog will melt into your touch calmly.
TRAINING! At QK we coined the phrase “A Tired, Trained Dog Is A Happy Dog!”. Rather than lots of NOs or corrections for wrongs, train your dog so he knows how to act properly. At QK our standard is to teach all dogs to walk politely on leash, come to us, sit, lie down and go to bed. These simple commands give dogs direction and help to mold actions and behaviors. A trained dog is happier, healthier, more self-confident and just more pleasant to be around!
TRAVEL! One of our QK mentor’s Rick Smith says “Good Dogs Get To Go Places!” This is so true. Take your dog to a brewery, go to a state park, go to the beach, even just go for a car ride. Dogs love to be with their owners and they enjoy new places and adventures. With proper training and exercise, your dog can learn to be quite a good citizen and live such a more fulfilled life.
WAISTLINE! Don’t let your dog become overweight. Just 3 extra pounds on a dog is equivalent to 30 pounds on a human, so if your dog is even 6 pounds heavy that is like you gaining 60 pounds! Do not worry about weight numbers; instead, look at your dog every day. In a healthy, physically fit dog you should be able to feel their ribs and see a waistline. When they sit there should not be a roll of fat on their waistline. Keeping your dog trim will help to keep them healthier, reduce sports-related injuries, reduce the incidence of fatty tumors and allow them to live an even longer life. Love them with exercise and training, NOT treats.
FEEDING PROGRAM! Look at your dog’s waistline. Are they too heavy, too thin or just right? Do not just follow the instructions on the food bag, feed your dog to achieve an ideal body score condition based on your dog’s exercise schedule, age and metabolism. Cut back food as needed and certainly increase when needed. Review your dog’s diet. Are you aware of DCM (Dilated Cardiomyopathy)? This is a serious issue right now with a grain-free diet in dogs, so please do some research. Stop by the kennel or call us to discuss food as we have lots of experience with a variety of diet choices based on your dog’s needs.
QK SUPPLEMENTS! We have three supplements that are custom made for us. Our QK Daily Support Plus has pro and prebiotics for digestion, vitamins and minerals, Omegas for a healthy coat and joint supplements. This is a great addition for all dogs to their current diet for overall improved health and wellness. Our QK Digestive Wellness is loaded with pro and prebiotics to help maintain a healthier gut for dogs who may digestion issues. Lastly, our QK Norwegian Kelp provides a variety of health benefits. Read more at https://qkgear.com/collections/for-the-dogs
DENTAL CARE! Look at your dog’s teeth. Most dogs already have periodontal disease by the age of 2. Tartar built up on their teeth is loaded with bacteria that goes right under the gum line and into the bloodstream. This can lead to a variety of health issues and sadly affects organs and shortens dog’s lives. Nurture your dog’s chewing desire by providing healthy chews that can break up tartar, clean teeth and give your dog a healthy activity which they crave. We highly recommend YAK chews. Visit our QK store to purchase these chews.
QK DAYCARE! Enroll your pup in our energy-burning, fun-loving, playmate packed PLAYCARE program. They will be sure to romp, play, socialize and truly have a blast.
QK SPA DAY! The dirtier our QK dogs get playing, the more fun they have. After QK Daycare why not pamper your dog with bath, a haircut, a Furmination treatment to reduce shedding and the works with conditioner, ear cleaning and pedicure.
NEW ID COLLAR! We offer some really spiffy, colorful, and stylish identification collars complete with a pop-riveted brass nameplate with your important information. In the event your dog is lost or injured, an ID collar could save his or her life. The biothane (plastic-coated nylon) or leather feel synthetic collars resist odor, they are waterproof and easy to clean. Call the kennel to learn more or visit to see our samples.
COMFY BED! From our cot style, Kuranda beds to fleece mats and fluffy cot covers we have great dog beds that are easy to clean. We use Kuranda beds exclusively at QK for all of our boarding and training dogs as these beds are chew resistant, easy to clean and the hammock-style design keeps them suspended off the hard floor to protect their joints. We use these beds in our training programs as a GO TO BED destination since the elevated bed becomes an easy way to identify a place for dogs to go to. We also offer stylish covers for the beds or we have giant rolls of heavy-duty thick fleece that we can cut to size making great crate beds or fleece mats to throw over furniture, car seats or pillow style beds. These mats are bleachable and hold up amazingly to use and abuse.
NEW TOYS! Dogs always enjoy new toys. Supervised toys include any toys that dogs can chew, ingest, or destroy. These are often plush and may even have squeakers. Did you know the squeak toy drives dogs crazy because it sounds like a dying prey animal! Therefore your dog LOVES to rip these toys apart since that carnal nature cannot be contained. So, while soft toys are a ton of fun for dogs, they are also one of the top causes of surgery due to ingestion. Be careful with soft toys. Worried about your overly aggressive toy chewing dog? Try a Kong toy, Nylabones, deer antlers or synthetic toys or marrow bones that can be safer for those aggressive chewers. (Avoid all rawhide bones as they are often bleached, dyed, salted, and can be a terrible choking hazard.)