itsdelicateflower

[itsdelicateflower]

One of the questions my clients always ask me is, “What are you feeding your dogs?”

I always hesitate a little. Not because I don't want to answer but because it’s not a short or easily answered question. Mostly, they expect to hear me say some brand name and formula. In short, I try to provide them with the information necessary to do the research themselves and discover what they are comfortable with feeding. I usually start with explaining to them what dog kibble is and how we ended up feeding our dogs processed food.

In 1860 the pet food industry was born when a young electrician from Cincinnati named James Spratt , witnessed dogs devouring the leftover “ship’s biscuits” at a boat dock and he got an idea he could make cheap biscuits for dogs and sell them to the ever growing dog owner population. His intent wasn't quality, it was simply an entrepreneur doing what they do best, business.

In 1931 Nabisco bought into these dog biscuits and we ended up with the Milkbone biscuits we’ve all seen today. At the time, Nabisco employed a sales team nationwide and soon enough our local stores started carrying them. For the first time dog biscuits became a part of regular grocery shopping.

Then in the ���50’s The Ralston Purina Company used their factory, that at the time was producing Chex Cereal, to begin production on the first food processed for dogs. Once it went into mass production it was named “Dog Chow” and we began seeing it everywhere.

In 1958, The Pet Food Institute was established to provide education about pet food and treat safety, nutrition, and health to pet lovers (Still exist today and but all board members are pet food companies). They began a 50 million dollar campaign to get people to stop feeding their dogs anything but packaged dog food. They funded "reports" that appeared in magazines, detailing the benefits of processed dog food, and even produced a radio spot about "the dangers of table scraps."

As of 2015 statistics the pet food industry is raking in over 23 Billion dollars annually. Gee, with that kind of success, what could possibly be motivating them to continue selling kibble?

So, what do I recommend to clients that want to purchase a premade dog food vs. feeding a home cooked or raw diet? A good quality dehydrated formula.

My go to dehydrated food is The Honest Kitchen.  THK is human grade, organic, non-GMO, it’s prepared in a human grade facility with all locally sourced food and all the ingredients are excellent quality. The food is not over cooked, over processed nor does it have chemicals.

What’s on the label? Let’s look at THK Marvel formula:

All USDA Organic food

AAFCO Approved

FDA Approved

Cage-free turkey

Parsnip

Navy bean

Organic coconut

Pumpkin

Parsley

Tricalcium phosphate

Choline chloride

Zinc amino acid chelate

Vitamin D3 supplement

Vitamin E supplement

Potassium iodide

Potassium chloride

Iron amino acid chelate

Copper amino acid chelate

Sodium selenite

Thiamine mononitrate

What's NOT in Honest Kitchen: (That can be found in even the best kibble)

Rendered products - Rendering is a process that converts waste animal tissue into stable materials

Euthanized Pets

Spoiled grocery meats

Slaughterhouse waste (organs, heads, hooves, beaks, feet)

Bread and cereal rejects (cobs, stalks, mill sweepings)

Dying, diseased and disabled farm animals

Road kill (deer, skunks, and raccoons)

Contaminated grain middlings

Distiller fermentation waste

Spoiled supermarket food

Euthanized cats and dogs

Restaurant grease

Dead zoo animals

Toxic Waste

Genetically Modified Ingredients

Corn

Soy

Preservatives

Synthetic Vitamins

Animal Digest

Meat and Bone Meal

By-Products

Hormones

Antibiotics

So in summary, I will always recommend a product that is AAFCO approved, FDA approved, USDA Organic, non-gmo certified, locally sourced, processed in a human grade processing plant, free of by-products, free of chemicals, free of preservatives, no corn, no soy, no wheat, no hormones and no antibiotics.

[itsdelicateflower]

Such a great story

[itsdelicateflower]

Children And Dogs June 20, 2016 Children and dogs, it's a touchy subject. One that most all in the dog world feel very conflicted about. I remember as a child my animals, dogs included, were by far my best friends. I had several breeds that were "known" to potentially be bad matches with children. Some might say I got lucky or that I just had really good dogs, and perhaps that was it but what I also had was good parenting. A mother and father that could read their animals well and teach their child how to be appropriate.

Now, we see tons of pictures these days of dogs clearly expressing stress or discomfort when a child is riding them or being inappropriate in some way. In the picture below, that I received from a client, you see an adolescent Mastiff with a toddler curled up taking their nap together. I'm sure some would say it may be inappropriate. It struck me that so often all I see now are the bad pictures and that perhaps, people are hesitant to post pictures with their children and their dogs these days.

It also was a reminder that there is ALWAYS gray area. There are those animals out there that seem to have that something special with a kid. This is one of those pictures. I've seen them together and that little girl is "his person". As someone who has cringed at as many youtube videos and meme's as I'm sure everyone else has, along with fellow trainers who are constantly gritting their teeth when watching clients dogs and children interact... the other side of the hill still exists. Know your dog.

Good parents still exist, children loving dogs are still around, and everything should be interpreted on a case by case basis. A picture or a video clip doesn't tell the whole story. This story with this picture is of a little girl and her dog that is every bit the dog he appears to be in the picture

http://www.animal-minds.com/the-dog-blog//children-and-dogs

[itsdelicateflower]

*******On June 5th at William B. Pond we will have our next Socialization Class*****

[itsdelicateflower]

Love walking at the American River with this crew! #malinois #belgianmalinois #dutchshepherd #dutchshepherdsofinstagram #malinoisofinstagram #sacramento #sacramentodogtrainer #dogtraining #offleash #animal__minds (at American River Parkway--Watt Access)

[itsdelicateflower]

Mom made a fun box for #zapythecockatiel . #foraging #birdsofinstagram #cockatiel #pearlcockatiel #cockatielsofinstagram #sacramento #animal__minds (at Animal Minds Behavior & Training)

[itsdelicateflower]

making a new friend   (via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vttlq1JZqVE)

[itsdelicateflower]

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