This post is sponsored by Icelandic+™ and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated to help share information about Icelandic+™ and their all-natural dog chews and treats, but Pretty Opinionated only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Icelandic+™ is not responsible for the content of this article.
Getting a high-energy dog to stay still and relax for more than a minute is definitely a challenge. Freya, my Pharaoh Hound, is pretty much always on the go. She takes a few short naps throughout the day, but even those are easily interrupted. If she sees something more interesting than what’s going on behind her eyes, she’s up and running again. You know that saying about letting sleeping dogs lie? Well, it’s a rule in my house! If Freya is sleeping, DO NOT disturb her. I love having a high-energy dog because she just brings so much joy and exuberance to the house, but there are times when I really need her to settle down so I can focus.
How to Get Your High-Energy Dog to Settle Down in ONE Step
So, how do you calm down a high-energy dog like Freya, in just one step? It’s easy! Just hand her an Icelandic+™ Lamb Horn Dog Treat!
I’m serious! I was totally blown away at how long this chew kept her busy. I was also blown away at just how high-quality they are, but more on that in a minute! First, I want to share with you a little “behind the scenes” story about the moment Freya met Icelandic+ dog chews.
When our box of goodies from Icelandic+ arrived, the dogs were crazy excited. I think they could smell the treats through the box. They’re smart though and know what comes next: pictures! Freya loves being a blog dog and runs right to her “treat stump” to get in position.
I had this grand idea that I would take a picture of me handing the Lamb Horn Chew to her. The goal was to get a quick pic, then take the chew back inside so she wouldn’t lose it. We have a big back yard and everything that goes outdoors gets lost forever in some mysterious place. I think all of my dogs over the years have used the same hiding spot because Freya brings out stuff that Maia hid before she passed away. In fact, Mocha recently found Henrietta, a long-lost rubber chicken that Tasha hid nearly 6 years ago!
Back to my story. Now, keep in mind that I have a DSLR camera in one hand, the horn in the other, and a HIGHLY sneaky and FAST Pharaoh Hound in front of me.
Immediately after I snapped the picture, Freya quickly grabbed her Icelandic+ Lamb Horn and took off like a race horse! When Freya snags something that she’s not supposed to or gets a new surprise, she does a few victory laps around the yard. I can almost hear her singing “Na, na, na, na, na! You can’t catch me!” She runs as fast as a greyhound, so yeah, she’s right, I CAN’T catch her. I do love watching her run, though. It’s really quite stunning.
So now you might be thinking “wait a minute, that dog is not calm!” Here’s the amazing part, though. Once Freya got her run out of her system, she sat down to chew her new Icelandic+ Lamb Horn. Then she chewed. And chewed. And chewed. Quietly, happily, still.
In fact, she’s been regularly chewing her horn over the last week or so and she STILL has a bit left. She loves it so much that she actually has quiet chew time where nothing distracts her at least once a day. I hide it sometimes, then bring it out when I really need to get work done. When it becomes too small, I will take it away from her to avoid choking, of course.
Why Icelandic+ Chews and Treats?
Icelandic+ lamb horns aren’t just long-lasting, they are also 100% natural and contain absolutely no additives, preservatives or supplements. They’re a single-ingredient treat, so you know exactly what you’re giving your pooch. They also help keep your dog’s teeth clean! The horns have itty bitty fibers in them that work sort of like a tooth brush against your dog’s teeth.
Fun fact: my husband is Scandinavian and jokes about being a Viking. Well, did you know that Vikings often gave lamb horns to their dogs as treats? Pretty perfect for a dog named after a Norse goddess, don’t you think? Yes, that was totally intentional. Oh, and by the way, when you name your dog after a goddess, they act like a goddess and totally expect you to worship them. 😀
The benefits of giving your dog treats from Iceland are incredible. First, Iceland has very specific laws against things like crossbreeding animals and how animals should be treated. All of their food animals are free range. They also don’t allow hormones in their animal’s food. Basically, Icelandic lamb is one of the cleanest and healthiest meats in the world. Icelandic+ is totally committed to making healthy treats that meet dogs’ needs. In fact, they have an in-house nutritionist and physiologist to make sure all treats are healthy and nutritional.
Along with the Lamb Horn chews, Freya also got to try out some Lamb Horn Bone Marrow. These smaller treats are 100% edible AND digestible, so your pooch can chomp away. Like the lamb horns, they are ethically sourced from Icelandic lambs. Before Icelandic+ started creating these delicious dog treats, parts of the lamb were being wasted. Now, nearly every part is being used, just like the Vikings did it over 1000 years ago. Head to their About Us section to learn more about Icelandic+ and their ethical practices. Pay special attention to the “Ethical.Environmental.Traceable” section. It’s incredible how they use geothermal energy to process their treats.
Ready to buy Icelandic+ dog chews and treats? Head over to their website to see everything the offer, then check out their store locator. Follow Icelandic+ on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with news. Want to find out what Mocha thought of Icelandic+? Head over to DogVills.com in January where I’ll be sharing why single-ingredient dog chews and treats like Icelandic+ are so important to us!
What do you do to get your high-energy dog to calm down for a bit? Tell me below!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Icelandic+™. The opinions and text are all mine.
I wish I had known this when Max was a puppy. He’s a German Shepherd and he had so much energy. Thankfully, he has calmed down so much in the last two years.
What great ideas. My little ShihTzu is still very active when around new people. But luckily he calms down quickly.
High energy dogs are not my thing. We like our calm doggies. Know people who have high energy dogs so will pass this information on to them.
Our doggy was so high energy when he was a pup, but he’s calmed down quite a bit now that he’s older. I remember running around the backyard with the kids was one of his fave ways to burn off that extra energy.
I am so hoping that Freya calms down a bit as she gets older. I love her energy, but I would also love to go a whole day without her getting into trouble, lol.
This is great to keep in mind! I only have cats, and they don’t have a lot of energy.
I have a toy poodle, and he is wired 24/7. He is as hyper as I’ve ever seen a dog. Always ready to play fetch, and will chew on his bones when he’s not fetching, running the yard, or asleep. I’ll have to look into getting these for him.
My German Shepherd, who passed away last year at almost age 15, was a non-stop fetcher too. She would play from morning to night if we let her. She didn’t slow down until she was 12, and didn’t really stop until she was 13. I really do think that being so active helped her stave off arthritis and other issues for so long.
It definitely sounded like the lamb horn was a good choice. Your dog looks cute working away at it!
Sounds like an interesting treat. Always good to find tools that work well for getting dogs to behave.
We have a high energy dog. I’m always looking for new toys and products that she will love.
Looks like your dogs really enjoyed these! Will absolutely keep these horns in mind when we get a dog for ourselves. We’re looking at brining a new puppy home this spring so reading up on tips and tricks right now.
Sally has some chew’s like this and absolutely loves them, she’s never managed to finish one off yet and she can normally get through anything!
I had no idea you could buy these things. My dog goes through his bones in seconds. This would last a lot longer.
I would love to get some Icelandic+ dog chews and treats for my dogs. I am always looking for ways to keep them busy. The Lamb Horn Chews would be perfect.
I have a little Shih Tzu who only likes natural treats, particularly a piece of beef shank bone. I think he will like this Icelandic lamb horn too. He is usually quiet, until he senses movement near our front door. That’s when he goes crazy barking, spinning and jumping. I guess he thinks he is a guard dog. Haha. Crazy little fur ball.
I have never heard of those horns before! I know chewing is real need for dogs and giving them things they can chew makes life better for everyone!
I don’t know that Brownie can calm down but i’d try these marrow horns to see! She’s definitely a chewer. Just the novelty of something like this would make her happy. I’m thinking Santa may need to bring her one for Christmas…
Great job, This content is very very great content, I got really good information from this content and it helps me a lot, I hope it can help many people like me.
I have a Jack Russell Terrier and she is very high energy. I was not familiar with the Icelandic store. I am sure my dog would love the lamb horns. It would be nice to have a treat she could not devour in a short period of time.
first time hear that thanks so much it really helped me