sutton075

Today's topic? FOOD! Hi! My name is Ike, and my mom is a Chewy Influencer. That means that she gets cool things from Chewy.com , and writes a review. And I get to do the sampling of food! So today I'm taking over the blog because after all, isn't my opinion what really matters?  What is number one important to us dogs? That's right...food! So we have to train our humans to give us the food we like. Okay so here are some of the flavors I like: steak, bacon, waffles, dirt, socks, pizza, trash... yeah so I don't have the world's most discerning palate. But, this brings me to point number 2...  When it comes to food, your human is (sometimes) smarter than you. There are some things us dogs can't do. Like read a label. And the whole opposable thumb thing. I know my humans love me and want the best for me. So I trust them to feed me the best food. But I also want to train my human to give me what I like to eat. So here's the thing. Today she received this bag ...

I gave Ike a taste of Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet wet dog food and this is what happened:     Ike went nuts for it!  As a Chewy.com Influencer, we often get a chance to test new products and report back to you. This month we chose Natural Balance wet food. I always feed my dogs dry food, but sometimes they don't seem to have the enthusiasm for it as they used to. Also, Ike and Kelly are both seniors, and dry food can be difficult on their jaws. So I thought a bit of wet food on top might be a good idea. I measure in a slightly less amount of dry food, and divide the small tub of Natural Balance between the two of them. The flavor we got is white fish and sweet potato. This is grain free and just a single source of animal (fish) protein. The first 5 ingredients are white fish, fish broth, sweet potato, canola oil and tricalcium phosphate. My favorite thing about this food is the convenience. The tub is only 2.75 oz, so it is the perfect size to divide as a top...

When is dinner time also play time? Answer- When you're a dog! I've long promoted products that help stimulate dogs' curiosity and give them a puzzle to solve, while also slowing down food consumption time. (Ike can gulp his meal in 2 seconds flat!) When I learned that a new company was providing "environmental enrichment for dogs through thoughtful product design" I had to find out more. Paw5 Rock 'n Bowl “Dogs are incredibly intelligent and social creatures that need ways to think, work and be active. By adding environmental enrichment to mealtime, a routine part of every day, we believe we’ve made enriching dogs’ lives easier for busy pet parents,” says PAW5® Co-Founder, Dennis O’Donnell. Paw5 sent me their product to review...and at the end, I'm giving away two Rock 'n Bowls to lucky readers!! Be sure to enter, because you're going to want one of these for your dog! Rock 'N Bowl™ builds off dogs’ natural behaviors and instincts, and turn...

What ingredients should I feed my dog? What is the best dog food? Should I use grain-free? Important questions. There are no easy answers.  And it's so personal. And what's best for one isn't always best for the other. It's something I've read about and researched, and will continue to do so. I can't pretend to tell you what is the best food for your dog. But I can tell you about our experience and some research I've done. Quite some time ago, we used to feed our dogs what we thought was pretty good quality dog food. But after doing some research, I realized that we were way off. That was way back, before I started getting fit and healthy, and dieting with my dog . Not only was my dog Kelly overweight, but she was also at risk of many serious health conditions. I remember that all her lab results were borderline...and I determined that it was up to me to change her diet and get her healthy and get those lab tests going in a positive directions. So I learned ...

Do you have a small breed dog? My dog Ike is large, and Kelly is medium. What works for Ike doesn't always work for Kelly. Kelly uses a collar for walks, but Ike does better with a harness. Kelly loves stuffie toys, while Ike prefers tennis balls. Kelly's bed is small, while Ike's is larger. Okay, they don't always get that one right. And then there's food. You want to choose the right food for your particular dog. And if you have a small dog, you wouldn't choose the same food as you do for a dog like, say, Ike. So what do you consider when choosing a food for your small breed dog? 1. Kibble size – Kibble size is one of the most common differences between small breed and regular pet foods. Small dogs have smaller mouths and often have trouble eating a larger kibble. 2. Protein and fat – Small dogs require extra nutrients to meet their needs, it’s important to choose a small breed dog food that has higher levels of protein and fat than ordinary dog food. 3. Ingr...

Kelly just competed the Solid Gold Free Spirit Challenge by trying Solid Gold dog food for four weeks. And we're running a giveaway so you can try it too! During this time we answered a questionnaire to assess the appropriate formula specifically for her age, health and activity level. We kept track of her appetite, digestion and overall health during this time. We blogged about Solid Gold's ingredients , and how Kelly enjoyed the taste . We were exceptionally pleased with our trial. Solid Gold is natural and holistic, with grain free varieties and many different proteins to choose from. Kelly loved the taste of the venison Buck Wild variety, and responded well physically. Even Ike decided that he liked the taste better than his own food! We give Solid Gold 4 paws up! Now it's your turn to sample Solid Gold , and see what this premium food can do for your dog. Enter to win a Solid Gold V.I.P. Prize Package consisting of: 1 (4lb) bag of Solid Gold dog food, your choice of v...

Does your dog like his dog food's taste? How do you know for sure?  Kelly is trying out a new dog food, Solid Gold. Last week we discussed the ingredients in Solid Gold Buck Wild food . This week I want to talk about taste. Obviously, the main way you can tell if a dog likes the taste of their food is if they eat it. That being said, most of my dogs will happily eat anything including dirt, grass, bugs, garbage and yes, even you-know-what. But here's a funny thing that happened while I've been feeding Solid Gold. Kelly has been enjoying her Solid Gold meals, while Ike has been eating his regular kibble. After the dogs eat, they have a habit of switching places, and licking the bottom of the other one's bowl, sniffing around on the floor and finding any stray bits the other dog may have missed. After a week or so of this, Ike began rejecting his own food. He just stopped eating it. If you know golden retrievers, this is not a common occurrence! Ike usually eats anything...