Sometimes when you feed the best the worst happens

You might see a downturn in your dog when you change their food. Do not give up your holistic eating plan! This is not a quick fix, and when we made the change with our girls, they took a downturn at the beginning. It was very frustrating, until I learned one important fact: Sometimes you get sicker when you eat better! This goes for people and for animals too. Here's why!

It has to do with your liver, and how your digestive process works. When you are eating crappy food and drinking chemical laden drinks, your body can not remove all the chemicals and toxins. Some of them end up as stored toxins in your fat cells. And, when you eat better, your body is rejoicing with happy news, and says, release the hounds, so to say! The fat, toxins and chemicals that were stored, are suddenly released, and in a binge release into the blood. This, creates a toxic event, where the liver is overwhelmed, and it takes some time for the after effects of years of stored junk to be sent out to pasture. So, this can take some time!

Imagine you eat for 5 years fast food only. It takes some time before you actually taste real food, and enjoy it. It takes some time for your body to flush and clean itself. And, when the process is done, you have a really amazing powerful machine. This can take up to a year sometimes.

If you are experiencing bad breath, fat, poor dental hygiene, allergies, lethargy, and depression or sadness in your dog during this transition, do not give up your plan. I would appreciate your comments on any questions you may have while you go through this purging period.

Happy barks!

Fillers and Corn

What is a filler? Have you ever wanted to know, what they are talking about when you hear the term filler? Here is a list of what most fillers are:

Corn
Wheat
Rice
White Potatoes

This looks like it would be OK, right? When you look at the list, it looks better than the by-products, but really, it is a very unhealthy option for your dogs. You need to ensure these items are never in your dog's food, and here is why!

Your dog has a very small digestive system, and the fillers above are very hard on your dog's liver and kidneys. The toxic fillers above will not only make your dog sluggish and fat, but it will eventually lead to kidney issues.

Many animals die of kidney, pancreatic, stomach, and liver problems in their elderly days. Not to mention, heart disease. It is a clear choice, filler or no filler, you decide!

By-Products in Dog Food

Your dog is your best friend, so why are you feeding him or her the worst kind of things, like by-products? What are by-products? The most easy way to understand what they are, is what they are not. They are not human grade meat products, they are the things you and I would never eat. The list is disgusting, and includes hair,hooves,eyeballs, some organs like a lung, or a anal canal. This is a way for the meat processing companies to make a fortune, as all of the by-products, or sickening extras, go to dog and cat food companies, and the pet owner, sees by-product or meat meal on the label.

Do not feed your dog meat meal, by-product. It has little nutrition, and to enhance the nutrition, they add some fillers and chemicals to complete this disaster. The most horrific thing about this, is your dog ends up sick and overweight. The same things that happen to people, when they eat food with little nutrition, happen to our best friends.

Dogs love a Good Brushing

If you have a regular brushing with your groomer scheduled, and you take them to the groomer on a regular basis, you should still try to brush your dog. It is a trust relationship kind of thing, and it will improve your relationship with your dog. They often live to do things with you, and if you continue to improve this relationship, you will find them less busy with naughty or bad behavior.

I recommend a good brush, and a great one is made by christensen's in texas, and a great size is the #27 wire brush. It fits in your hand so nice, and it is a really fine wire, so that it does not hurt the dog's skin. We have invested in a dog grooming table, that folds flat for storage, and this has been a good thing, because whenever I get it out, the dogs know it is time to relax, and take it easy.

We used to have a time with brushing, but since we brush more often, and just a little each day, it has been a joy and less of a chore for the dogs.

Dog Basic Training

Puppies know from a few weeks old, how to sit, lie down, and walk with you. They can follow almost immediately. The problems come about when they get some conflicting information from leadership. Just like in any business, when management is having trouble communicating with the team, there are going to be some rogue leaders and some very stressed followers.

It is imperative that you, as the human, regain your pack leadership position. Your dog is looking to you for leadership! They communicate by being naughty, tearing up the house, barking and just plain being a nuisance. If you have a dog that is acting out, chances are you are not leading, but are following your dog.

During Dog training, a dog will ask you for leadership. If you work towards being able to effectively communicate with your dog, you will be able to lead them forward. The best way to do this, is to remember, your dog watches every move you make. They smell your anxiety, they hear your restlessness, and all of these emotions are seen as a compromised leader. They will want to assume leadership in this case.

Be sure to go to Dog Obedience, not for your Dog initially, but for you. You are the part of this group that needs to be trained. Your dog will do what comes naturally, follow when it feels right.

Dogs and Cats

You can have a great relationship with both your cat and your dog. The old myth that dogs and cats do not get along, is simply silly. Sometimes, when you bring a cat or a dog into a home, and the existing dog or cat is not used to the other species, there can be some tension. It is merely a matter of time before they are both having a great time playing and having some real fun.

You just need to keep the two separated, while they get used to each other. Let the cat make the first move, as it is usually the one that will "allow" the other animal to be in its presence. There just needs to be a time of adjustment.

We always jump to conclusions too quickly these days. There is so much hurry and rush, that sometimes, just making time to walk through the steps, you can find that the friendship will blossom.

Dogs are happy to go out!

Lately, our girls are kind of snow bound, just like us! We had a dump of snow on November 13th, and another big storm on December 11th. The cats and dogs have been crazy since then, being very cabin feverish.

You can avoid some bad behavior by taking your dog to training, or a certified doggy day care to avoid any of the cabin fevers I have described above. And, bring your dog when you visit friends with pet friendly homes, to let them have a nice break from the mundane.

The emotional day to day of a winter can be hard on people and dogs, and a break is the best way to make some great happy memories! Be sure to take some time to bring your dog into a new place here and there!