Take Paws

Often dogs experience the most separation anxiety when you first leave.  If you can take up this nervous energy and divert their attention, destructive behavior can be avoided.  Dogs are used to working for their food in the wild and working at getting a reward is why we love dogs so much.

A Kong is a molded rubber dog toy that dogs love to chew on.  It is virtually indestructible and comes in many different sizes and densities to fit your dogs size and chewing style. 

Recipe for a busy dog:

• Simply fill the Kong with canned dog food.  (Use a spoon and cram it full)
• Place the filled Kong in the freezer (should take about two hours to completely freeze)
• Give the Kong to your dog when you leave in the morning.

The Kong will insulate the frozen dog food and keep it frozen.  The dog can bite at it and lick it, but can only get very small bits of dog food to come off at any one time.  This will keep your dog busy for an hour or two and keep their mind off you being gone.  Because the dog food is frozen, it doesn't end up on your carpet.

At MacTavish Scotties we are always concerned about the quality of the dog food we use and recommend.  We are always reviewing the recalls and stay alert for any problems.  We have found a great website to keep track of information and recalled products: It is The Pet Food Tracker.

Another good source of information is the Food & Drug Admin. Pet food info found at

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html

As pet owners we cannot be too vigilant about the products we purchase for our pets!

(from the Pet Food Project)
Have you seen any of new "Pupperoni" commercials yet? No? You can find them here: http://www.pupperoni.com/commercials.html
Not that it's anything new, but I find it disgusting that pet food companies and marketing agencies play on the emotions of pet owners so much for promoting poor quality treats. Here are the ingredients for these "special treats" that lets your dog know "you are listening". Do you really want to feed this junk?
Pup-peroni Original Beef Flavor: Beef, Meat Byproducts, Soy Grits, Sugar, Liver, Salt, Propylene Glycol, Garlic Powder, Caramel Color, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Nitrite, Red 40, BHA, Onion Extract
Pup-peroni Lean Beef Flavor: Meat Byproducts, Soy Grits, Sugar, Liver, Beef, Propylene Glycol, Salt, Garlic Powder, Caramel Color, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Nitrite, Red 40, BHA, Onion Extract
Pup-peroni Original Bacon Flavor: Beef, Meat Byproducts, Soy Grits, Sugar, Liver, Bacon, Salt, Propylene Glycol, Garlic Powder, Caramel Color, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Nitrite, Red 40, BHA, Onion Extract
Pup-peroni Oven Roasted Chicken Flavor: Chicken, Meat Byproducts, Soy Grits, Sugar, Beef Liver, Salt, Gelatin, Propylene Glycol, Flaxseed, Garlic Powder, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Nitrite, Onion Extract, BHA
Pup-peroni Ribs: Beef, Beef Byproducts, Soy Grits, Chicken, Soy Flour, Sugar, Corn Starch, Propylene Glycol, Molasses, Beef Liver, Calcium Sulfate, Animal Digest, Salt, Garlic Powder, Phosphoric Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Caramel Color, Sodium Nitrite, Red 40, BHA, Onion Extract

For your reference, you can find a list of ingredients to avoid here.
 

More and more people are beginning to make their dog's food at home rather than buying commercial formulas. Homemade dog food doesn't contain any substances that could possibly be harmful to your dog's health such as artificial coloring and artificial flavors.

The best way to know what goes into your dog's food is to make it yourself. Try one of these easy dog food recipes and watch your pup smile.  Another useful site is SOJO's (Sojourner Farms)  natural food and treats, The Barkery,  and take a look at Three Dog Bakery.

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