The most important thing about crate training is to remember to never, and I mean ever, use the crate for punishment. A dog will associate this with every time it goes to the crate. So instead of associating the crate with a happy, safe time, it will associate it with the dog having done something bad. Give your dog a reward every time it goes into the crate along with a verbal command, something like "Kennel up". That way the dog can associate this command with entering it's crate. Eventually you can get to the point where you don't need to give the dog a treat to get it to go to it's crate, unless you want to of course. A new dog that is being trained to stay in it's crate overnight is a difficult thing to do. Dogs will tear at your heart strings trying to get you to let them out. The way that they cry will make you think you're torturing them, but you are not. It may seem like punishment, but it is not. The key is to ignore these cries. It's hard, and some dogs get so loud that you can't ignore it. The more you go in there, the more you take out the dog, the more the dog is going to expect to not be put in the crate, and expect you to take it out all of the time. You have to leave the dog in there. It's the only way it will learn. And it will. It just may take some time.
When trying to crate train a new puppy, follow the exact same steps. I recommend lining the bottom of the crate with old towels that you don't care about any more. That way, when they're ripped, urinated on, pooped on, you won't care. Remember also that puppies don't start developing the muscles to hold their bodily fluids in, until somewhere around 12 weeks. So switch out your towels often.
Never put water, food, or toys in the crate with your dog. You're asking for a mess with food and water. Bones, food, and toys are choking hazards for dogs. You should actually always watch your dog when it's playing with toys or chewing on bones.
I hope this has been helpful. Remember to be strong, and be patient.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Earthborn Holistic Pet Foods Inc,
Earthborn is manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. Midwestern is more commonly known for manufacturing Sportmix and Propac dog foods. The company was founded in 1926 and is based in Evansville, Indiana. Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Nunn Milling Company.
Earthborn Holistic is one pet food manufacturer that can live up to its name. It is evident that they are deeply committed to the cause of not only producing excellent food for our pets, but doing it in a way that is sustainable and environmentally-conscious.
Why, you ask, should we care about the company profile? Here's a few reasons why...
- Earthborn is manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods, who have been manufacturing food since 1926. That's a long time to perfect quality food!
- Midwesterner's size helps to keep competitive prices for food.
- Earthborn owns and manufactures foods in the USA with the exception of cat cans [out sourced to Thailand].
- Earthborn sources product within the states.
- EarthBorn is committed to sustainable and environmentally practices.
The Green Effect
- Earthborn's packing is made using clean natural gas, versus crude-oil and is manufactured in North America. All of their paper products are made with soy ink and recycled paper. Even shirts and aprons are made from recycled cotton or plastic bottles.
- They claim to use renewable resources when manufacturing Earthborn Holistic.
- Earthborn Holistic emails coupons to customer to reduce the amount of printed paper.
- The most impressive part is the company's UPCs for trees. When you buy Earthborn Holistic and mail in the UPCs, the company will plant a tree in an area affected by deforestation.
Earthborn Holistic the Conclusion
Earthborn Holistic is dedicated to producing excellent pet foods. The company could choose to out-source manufacturing. They could buy ingredients that are from other countries. They can manufacture without concern to the environment. Changing any of the above would put money into the company's pocket. Earthborn appears more committed to their principals than to their stocks. That says to me that they will not compromise on the quality of their foods. Earthborn Holistic is a quality food by a quality company that employees and supports Americans.
Earthborn Holistic is dedicated to producing excellent pet foods. The company could choose to out-source manufacturing. They could buy ingredients that are from other countries. They can manufacture without concern to the environment. Changing any of the above would put money into the company's pocket. Earthborn appears more committed to their principals than to their stocks. That says to me that they will not compromise on the quality of their foods. Earthborn Holistic is a quality food by a quality company that employees and supports Americans.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Bad words on dog food ingredient panels
Think that you've got a good food for your dog? Here's a few simple ingredients that I hope don't appear in your dog's food:
Animal Digest- It's feces. If it lists a specific animal, it's that specific animal's feces. Sometimes this is part of an uncleaned intestinal tract. Some companies just put animal feces into their food to add to the palatibility.
Animal Fat- Just the generalized term though. If it lists a specific animal, don't worry about it. The generalized term however refers to any number of different animal's fat. This may include someone else's euthanized pets, roadkill, and other disgusting animal's fat. Part of this problem is that if they are in fact using euthanized animal fat, it can still retain some of the phenobarbital that killed the animal. This can lead to seizures and even death.
Meat meal- You just don't know what kind of "meat" they're talking about. That's never good.
Animal by-products- Generally speaking, this is a bad thing. By-Products can be anything that comes from an animal. This includes fur, feathers, beaks, bones, organs, and eyes. The unfortunate thing is, is that crushed bone and organ meat is actually good for the animal. They're good sources of calcium, protein, and other vitamins. But unfortunately some companies that list by-products, are using this term. My recommendation is to stay away from by-products.
Corn, wheat, soy- These are the top three allergies in dogs. Through insecticides, growth hormones, and other new ways of growing these items, they have developed into the top three ingredients that cause skin irritations. Dog itches? See if any one of these ingredients are in your food. It may not be the issue, but it'll cross it off your list of possible irritants. They also pose another issue. These ingredients are merely used for filler. It's true that every dry dog food requires a carbohydrate to hold the kibble together, but why settle for a less nutritionally sound one? Look for something with rice flour, peas, tapioca, potatoes, or sweet potatoes.
Animal Digest- It's feces. If it lists a specific animal, it's that specific animal's feces. Sometimes this is part of an uncleaned intestinal tract. Some companies just put animal feces into their food to add to the palatibility.
Animal Fat- Just the generalized term though. If it lists a specific animal, don't worry about it. The generalized term however refers to any number of different animal's fat. This may include someone else's euthanized pets, roadkill, and other disgusting animal's fat. Part of this problem is that if they are in fact using euthanized animal fat, it can still retain some of the phenobarbital that killed the animal. This can lead to seizures and even death.
Meat meal- You just don't know what kind of "meat" they're talking about. That's never good.
Animal by-products- Generally speaking, this is a bad thing. By-Products can be anything that comes from an animal. This includes fur, feathers, beaks, bones, organs, and eyes. The unfortunate thing is, is that crushed bone and organ meat is actually good for the animal. They're good sources of calcium, protein, and other vitamins. But unfortunately some companies that list by-products, are using this term. My recommendation is to stay away from by-products.
Corn, wheat, soy- These are the top three allergies in dogs. Through insecticides, growth hormones, and other new ways of growing these items, they have developed into the top three ingredients that cause skin irritations. Dog itches? See if any one of these ingredients are in your food. It may not be the issue, but it'll cross it off your list of possible irritants. They also pose another issue. These ingredients are merely used for filler. It's true that every dry dog food requires a carbohydrate to hold the kibble together, but why settle for a less nutritionally sound one? Look for something with rice flour, peas, tapioca, potatoes, or sweet potatoes.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Earthborn Dog Food Review
The first clue that Earthborn was going to be a good dog food was when I caught Cooper, my boxer mix, gnawing on the unopened bag as it was lying on my futon, waiting to be put into his food bin. A lot of the cheaper, lesser quality dog foods are extremely palatable because of all of the excess garbage that dog food companies place into their food to get the dog to eat it. This is not the case with Earthborn. Earthborn is a holistic, natural ingredient filled dog food, without all of the filler. It contains no wheat, soy, or corn. They even have three lines that have no grain. The food is all life stage approved, but they do make a puppy line if you chose to go that route. I chose the adult vantage (with grain) to try with my two dogs. The kibble size is not nearly as small as some of the other foods I've tried, but it was by no means too big for my boston terrier/beagle mix. They do have a small breed line if so desired. The dogs have taken to it well. Their stools remain tight and small, and they don't seem to have picked up any weight in the month and a half they've been eating it, a common issue with all life stage food. I've recommended it at the store every time that I've had the "My dog just won't eat" complaint. So far, every dog I've had an owner try, has eaten the food. So if you have a picky dog, this is my first recommendation to you. The protein/fat ratio is 22/12 across the grain line (except for the small breed and puppy),and the grain-free line ranges from 26/15 to 38/20. So if you're looking for a lower protein, a moderate protein, or a high protein level, they have it for you. It must cost a fortune, right? Wrong. It's priced right below Blue Buffalo and Wellness. Dogfoodadvisory.com rates it as a 5 out of 5 star food. I can't disagree with their rating. I will say that Cooper did have some obnoxious gas at first, but it went away after the second week. It gets my full recommendation.
Welcome
Welcome to "The Tao of Dog" blog site! This site is going to be dedicated to teaching the average dog owner some useful information based on our experience as dog owners, and pet store employees. We'll do reviews on dog foods that we've tried, dog treats that we've used, and other dog products that we've had experience with. We'll also be posting useful information about dogs that we've learned through personal experience and research. We hope that you'll enjoy, learn, and benefit from this. Thanks for reading!
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