What makes my heart the happiest is the spirit of giving—especially giving to those in need. There’s something profoundly touching about seeing so many kindhearted people coming together to make the world a little brighter. One of my favorite traditions during this season is shining a spotlight on companies that not only offer amazing products but also give back to animal rescues.
We honor all the incredible moms out there, I want to celebrate you – the unsung heroes of the canine kingdom. Here are some of the ultimate dog mom essentials that will have you rocking the canine chaos with flair!
Summer is here! If you are wanting to travel this summer with your dog here are all the best tips and reccomendations to make your summer travel as stress-free as possible.
Doggie Tales are true stories to share the impactful ways humans and dogs co-exist and share love, beginning with the ones that have impacted my life as a dog trainer the most. Our second doggie tale stars our very own Doggie Dreamz VIP, Cowboy. Check out Cowboy’s transformation story here.
This time of year as the days are shorter, the weather is colder and food smells sweeter; we all tend to reflect on the past year while celebrating with our friends and family. While we're celebrating with the closest humans in our life, we can also celebrate the season with our canine companions. Here are a few ways to get the most out of this holiday season with your dog.
It’s time to do our annual 12 Days of Christmas Gift Giving Guide. Each year we choose companies or products that donate to animal rescue organizations. We love looking for new products and companies that share our goals in helping animal rescues across the country save and find forever homes for pets in need. And this year we have another amazing list of companies and products to share with you!
Dog trainers often talk about a dog's pack drive. Many dog trainers believe that dogs with a low pack drive are more likely to have behavioral issues later in their life. This is why I wanted to dive deeper into this subject to help better bridge the gap between behavioral theory and how it affects and benefits your everyday life.
Many new puppy parents have envisioned taking their puppy on long walks or hikes for months while they wait to get the all-clear by their veterinarian. While it's great to have these goals for you and your puppy to one day do together, it's also important to start by going slow. Also begin taking steps to teach them about walking next to you inside your home, before they walk outside.
One of the most anticipated books for 2021 in the Pet industry was The Forever Dog by Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Shaw Becker DVM. Dr. Karen Shaw Becker is a Veterinarian that has dedicated her career to finding ways, through nutrition, to increase the longevity of her patients. Rodney Habib is the founder of Paws for Change which funds research into animal nutrition and lifespan. These two authors came together over their mutual passion for animals living longer, healthier lives. The Forever Dog is a culmination of their research in both Dr. Becker’s veterinary expertise as well as Habib’s pet nutrition experience.
After reading this book, I found it was packed with fact-based information about nutrition, supplements, and the hazards inside our home that can be harmful to our pets. Dr. Becker and Habib cite several research studies from all over the world that inform their recommendations in this book. In this article, I will be going over the information that I found from The Forever Dog to be the most important or eye-opening for pet parents. Overall, I highly recommend The Forever Dog to any pet parent. The information available to pet parents currently about dog’s health and nutrition is marketing directly from pet food companies, so that information is biased. The Forever Dog offers the most current information through scientific studies to help any pet parent make the best decisions for their pet on how to nourish and provide healthy homes for their pets.
It’s no surprise that one of the biggest longevity factors in dogs, is the same in humans; weight. Food and weight are the highest factors to determine the health and long life of your dog. One study The Forever Dog cited found that the humans and dogs that were cohabitating, tend to have the same medical conditions such as obesity and allergies. Food and nutrition are heavily discussed in the book, and you will learn how the entire pet food industry began. It’s not a happy or wholesome way to start an industry that feeds the animals we share our heart and home with. We also find out that several of the Veterinary hospitals such as VCA are owned by the parent company of Purina. Another troubling fact is that prescription dog food is not prescription. Pet food companies label it as a prescription to increase the price and exclusively sell them at Veterinary practices to further the image of prescription, but there is no medicine in those foods. The most important message in The Forever Dog is to read your dog's food label. And research the ingredients labeled on the food.
A study conducted at Cornell tested 18 different pet foods, even those labeled non-GMO. That study found that 16 of the 18 pet foods tested positive for glyphosate, which is the main herbicide in Roundup. Glyphosate is a known carcinogen and has been linked to seizures, cancer, kidney failure, gastrointestinal disease, and liver disease in dogs.
Environmental VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are another area that is often overlooked to extend your dog's life. These are caused by paints, carpets, upholstery, air fresheners, and other cleaning products. The effects of VOCs in dogs have been known to cause eye and nose irritations, also nausea, dizziness, and in some cases cancer. It would be impossible to remove all VOCs from your home, so Dr. Becker and Habib recommend some simple swap-outs for household cleaners as well as draping organic blankets over your couches and even their beds. Our furniture and dog beds, more often than not, have flame retardants that are high in VOCs. However, draping them with organic cotton or fabric creates a barrier to block them.
The Forever Dog does give solutions to help you give your dog the healthiest life possible. Here are some of my favorite ones from the book.
Swap out 10% of your dog's food for whole food, like blueberries, carrots, and unprocessed meat. This small change can help reduce weight in your dog and increase their longevity.
Take out processed treats from your dog's diet.
Rotating fresh foods and proteins, as well as your dog's food brands, is the best way to get bio-diverse foods to your dog.
Diversify your dog's foods. Do this slowly, however. This will help support your dog's immune system.
Fasting once a week is healthy and beneficial for dogs.
Respect your dog's circadian rhythm by feeding them within an 8-12 hour window. Also, make sure to open your blinds during the day to help support their circadian rhythm.
Use treats with a single ingredient. Like an all-meat treat.
Research suggests that eating once a day is ideal for dogs' longevity.
Contact your dog's pet food company, if you have any questions about the ingredients or their manufacturing process.
Adding tea or bone broth to your dog's food helps their gut health. Spermidine mushrooms and Chaga tea have all been shown to increase lifespan in dogs.
Have a dog diary, where you record your dog's reactions to different foods.
If you had a stressful day, take a shower right when you get home. Your dog will pick up on your stress through its heightened sense of smell. This will help reduce the stress your dog is exposed to.
I would highly recommend every pet parent go out and get a copy of The Forever Dog. It was informative and eye-opening to the simple ways we can help our furry best friends live long healthier lives.
