New Year With the Dog
The short version
The new year at Sniff and Shift is about the routine more than the party: a training plan you can keep, the small treats that make it work, winter walks that end with dry feet, and a plan for the loud night at the start of it all. Everything here is plain and practical, and the treats are the same single ingredient ones we make all year in our Malvern, Pennsylvania kitchen.
Resolutions worth keeping
- New year resolutions for dog owners: pick two, not ten, and the smallest version of each that survives a busy week.
- Dog training goals for the new year: what to aim for this year, with a road trip angle.
- The 30 day dog training plan: four weeks, five minute sessions, one new skill a week, printable.
- What goes in the pouch: the training treats we load for January and why.
What to hand the dog
Training runs on small rewards handed out often, so the training treats collection is built around pieces that break small and travel clean:
- Freeze-Dried Cheddar Cheese Bites: small, crunchy pieces in an 8 ounce bag. Contains dairy.
- Freeze-Dried Beef Heart: firm pieces that snap small, milder than liver.
- Freeze-Dried Beef Liver: broken into bite sized pieces for training, the reward we save for the hard moments.
- Freeze-Dried Anchovies: whole small fish with a strong natural smell, which is the point.
- One-Hand Treat Training Pouch: silicone, no zipper, squeeze to open. Up Dog Shop items are sold and shipped by Up Dog Shop through Shopify Collective, not made or shipped by Sniff and Shift.
For a steady supply through the year, Modified Monthly is our themed treat box, a new lineup every month.
The nights and days of the season
- New Year's Eve with a dog: the last walk before dark, the closed room, the drinks on low tables and the chew for the countdown.
- New Year's Day drive with the dog: the first drive of the year on empty Chester County back roads.
- Can dogs eat chocolate? The dessert table answer, and what to do if one did.
Winter walks and winter drives
- Winter walks with your dog: salt, the dark, the cold and the towel by the door.
- Road salt and the post drive paw check: the deep version for salted roads.
- Winter car prep with a dog: warm ups, wet paws and salt on everything.
- Winter road trips with a dog: cold cars, short days and icy trailheads.
- Cold car, warm treats: what rides in the console pouch in January.
Shipping in the new year
Treats leave our kitchen within one business day, the same as the rest of the year. Partner items such as the pouch ship from their makers on their own schedules.
After January
February belongs to the obvious treat: a literal heart. The Valentine's Day page takes over on February 1 with beef heart, the strawberry heart Pup-Ornaut and the heart toys. Until then, the whole freeze-dried treats line is here.