The Pongo Fund

This pet food bank organization I found about a week ago is just AMAZING. Helping lower income families feed their pets with high quality food so they don't have to give up their family member in hard times. This warms my heart. Here is their information straight from their site.

The Pongo Fund Donate NOW

"Food banks ease the hunger of those in need. The people of Portland, and of Oregon, understand this and actively support and utilize the food banks in our communities. Portlanders also love their pets, both their own and the pets of others. It is this convergence of need and affection that is the root of Portland’s first food bank for pets.

But the hungry pets of the homeless are being joined more and more by the hungry pets of people who simply are having trouble making ends meet…middle-class folks pummeled by the economy, white-collar workers recently laid off; even seniors and students are not immune. And when families must choose what to cut from their grocery lists, pets often are among those that suffer most.
For families that can’t afford to feed their pets, the consequences are greater than just
an empty stomach. Many pets will be surrendered to already overburdened shelters, many more will be abandoned. Finding new homes for these pets are never guaranteed. Families will be torn apart, simply because there’s not enough money to buy pet food.

The pain touches every single family, regardless of where they call home. And during these challenging times, that could be any one of us. The Pongo Fund wants to help protect these animals from being abandoned or surrendered when their families cannot afford to feed them.
That’s why we’ve created The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank; Portland’s first dedicated pet food charitable resource. It’s a genuine gift for the entire community…lending a hand when times are tough by providing quality dog and cat food for the companion pets of anyone in need.
Because sometimes, a simple bowl of kibble is the force that keeps a family together and saves the lives of the animals they love."

Nature's Recipe Baked Treat RECALL!!!!

From abc7 News 

Online Article 

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Nature's Recipe is voluntarily recalling dog treats that could be contaminated with salmonella. 

The company announced on Saturday that it is recalling a limited supply of its "Nature's Recipe Oven Baked Biscuits with Real Chicken." The product was manufactured at its plant in Topeka, Kan., and distributed nationally - primarily through pet specialty retailers.
According to the company, the product has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella, which can affect animals eating the products and pose a risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products.
No pet or human illnesses have been reported, but Nature's Recipe officials suggest that pet owners monitor themselves and their dogs for signs of salmonella and seek medical care if symptoms worsen.

The treats involved in the recall were sold in 19-ounce stand-up re-sealable pouches. They are marked with the Lot Codes 2199TP or 2200TP and a UPC Code of 30521 51549. The pouches also have a "Best If Used By Date" stamp of "10 11 13" and "10 12 13." Nature's Recipe says the recall is out of precaution, advising consumers who bought the treats to discard them. For more information about the recall, consumers can go to www.naturesrecipe.com or call the consumer hotline, 24 hours a day, at 
(800) 237-3856.

~Nik 
www.bellaskaninetraining.com 
www.bnbdesignz.com

What is a Raw Diet and is it good for my dog?

What is  A Raw Diet?
A raw diet recreates the way your dogs ancestors have eaten in the wild for thousands of years. Left to their own devices, their typical daily diet, like that of their wild cousins wolves, would involve catching/ finding and eating another animal. A raw diet returns your dog to this more natural and healthy form of nutrition, as if they had hunted and caught their own "perfect" dinner.

When a carnivore eats an herbivore (plant and grass eating animal) like a rabbit or a deer, the carnivore eats some meat, some bone, some organ meats (liver, heart, kidney, etc.), and a small amount of green vegetation contained in the herbivore's digestive tract. These ingredients are the five main food groups of a good raw diet.

Raw Diets are a healthy alternative to the dry, cooked dog food. However not everybody will agree or even feed their dogs raw meat. I myself do not because my male dog Buddy has slight food aggressions and having that raw meat with blood brings out the most basic canine in any dog and that can cause some aggression issues in our home. For me its just a safety hazard.

I personally believe feeding a mix of Raw and Natural Dry Dog food is most beneficial for any dog at any size. And here's the kicker, getting raw food is a bit cheaper than the dry foods, especially if you are feeding a nice mix of dry and raw.

Raw diets are HIGH protein and low grain. In that case you will need to exercise them more so they can get work that fat into muscle or they could put on unwanted weight. Their coats will be cleaner and will shin with gusto. Their stool will have virtually no smell and they will enjoy the true canine in themselves. The con can be the salmonella your dogs could eat. Salmonella resides in chicken and other raw meats. To keep the salmonella infection from occurring is to feed the raw meats semi frozen and in MODERATION. Always mix dry kibble along as a feeding source.  

If you are interested in introducing the Raw Diet to your canines, do your research as to the BEST meats for theirs specific breed and make sure you mix in the dry food that will give them the other nutrients they will need. Such as fruits, veggies and anti-oxidants.

Form your own opinion about the Raw Diet, its' not a must, but it is healthy.

~Nik
www.bellaskaninetraining.com
www.bnbdesignz.com

Why Wheat, Corn, Soy and By-Product Meal is BAD for your dogs to eat

I am a FIRM believer in All Natural Dog food. It is what I feed my dogs and have for the past year and I have seen such HUGE improvements in their over all performance, skin, coat, teeth, weight and yes even stool. I don't have children so I'm very particular with my precious babies. I want them to have the BEST and be at their BEST. I watch everything that goes on with them even slight changes. I keep on top of their health because I want them to live a very happy and long life with myself, my Love and our future children.

Wheat~
Is the most common allergy for dogs, Wheat and Wheat by-product meal. My Bella has an allergy to it and I found that out the hard way. Here's WHY - Dogs can not digest wheat and it has been studied that wheat causes epileptic seizures and celiac disease in dogs. Wheat IS a Gluten and unfortunately its cheap!!! That's why grocery store dog food brands use wheat as a main ingredient. However it is a filler which allows them to use LESS REAL MEAT in the ingredients.

Corn~
Similar to wheat, corn is actually HARDER for your dogs to digest. It passes right through their system, no nutrients are picked up and you then see why your dog is still hungry after feeding. It has been proven that Corn causes swelling, bloating and other major health issues in dogs after long use. Corn goes so deep as to even the corn fed chickens (which by the way is bad for chickens as well) that end up as the partial meat in grocery brand dog food that causes the health issues.
Here's another disturbing FACT: Corn is highly susceptible to mold! Yes MOLD! So basically you could be feeding your dog MOLD. In all corn is the WORST ingredient you could be feeding your dog. Just like Wheat it is also CHEAP and usually apart of the first 5 ingredients in grocery brand dog food.

Soy~
Although soy can be digested by dogs, its gives them gas. And I'm talking ROOM CLEARING GAS!!! You know that gas so bad you make the choice in keeping your dogs outside cause of the smell?
Soy also causes bloating and here's a TIP: Bloating can kill you dog.
If you didn't know, soy naturally contains plant estrogens which act like the hormonal animal estrogen's and can interfere with reproduction and normal growth in dogs. And guess what? Just like Wheat and Corn, Soy is also used as a protein in grocery brand dog foods. Yep its CHEAP.....

By-Product Meal~
So what IS by-product meal?
**By-Product meal is a high-protein commodity used as a major component in some pet foods. It is made from grinding clean, rendered parts of poultry carcasses and can contain bones, offal and undeveloped eggs, contains feathers that are unavoidable in the processing of the poultry parts. Poultry by-product meal quality and composition can change from one batch to another.

Basically it's taking any form of the protein (mainly chicken in grocery brand dog foods) putting it through a grinder, feathers and all, processing it intensely, slightly cooking it then serving it to your dogs. Gross huh?

Dogs need protein from real MEAT and FISH sources like deboned cage free chicken, turkey, lamb, venison, duck and deboned salmon and white fish. (Fish proteins are used for a lean diet for dogs to prevent obesity)

What are grocery brand dog foods and are you feeding them these?
Pedigree
ALL Purina brands
Iams
Kibble's N Bits
Bil-Jac

What are BETTER options?
ANYTHING THAT IS MADE WITH OUT
Wheat, Corn and Soy
Blue Buffalo
Wellness
Nutro Ultra
Natural Balance
Merrick
Halo
Nature's Variety
Solid Gold

Just because a dog food is less expensive than a more nutritionally based product, doesn't make it cheaper in the long run. If you dog eats foods that are not easily digestible, and it causes allergies or other health issues, there will be trouble. Vet bills aren't cheap and after trying to figure out the cause of any problems the food may have caused your pet. You'll pay for the treatment to resolve the issues or ongoing effects. Start taking a look at the side of the bag where there are ingredients. If the first ingredient isn't the MAIN protein, its BAD.
Plus picking up less poop is ALWAYS better.

**Quoted from Wikipedia
~Nik
www.bellaskaninetraining.com
www.bnbdesignz.com

Most Common Questions...........

Every weekend I go to work, I get asked a lot of common dog caring questions from grooming to feeding amounts to dog and cat skin problems. Its very interesting to see how people react to the answers I give them. From tricks and cost effective solutions I feel like everyday I learn something NEW which is why I LOVE my career.

Grooming: 

Shampoos and Conditioners~
I always believe that unless you have a dog breed that needs HIGH grooming attention, let your dog be a dog. First and foremost dogs don't like the flowery scents we humans enjoy on them. It's the main reason that after you bathe them in that expensive shampoo that makes them smell less of a dog, they immediately run to the grass or/and dirt and roll all around in it. The strong scent of florals and cologne really messes with their natural scent which irritates them. So before you spend your money spoiling your pooches on name brands like Pet Head, Kong, Bobbi Panter or even Martha Stewart's Line of Shampoos & Conditioners, SMELL THEM FIRST!!!! If they smell fruity and of a garden of flowers, your dog WONT like it. I can guarantee. Stick with the more generic brands such as Top Paw or Grreat Choice. Oatmeal is the best for ALL dogs with Short to Long fur. The Oatmeal helps with detangling and moisturizing your pets skin and coat. Its has a more subtle scent that wont irritate their sense of smell and has a nice scent for us humans as well. Remember dogs will be dogs and sometimes that means having to deal with their DOG smell.

Brushing/ Shedding~
I own 2 amazing Labradors with two very different fur textures. Bella my Golden/Lab Mix, has short hair that is a mix between soft and coarse. During the winter is when her beautiful Golden retriever coat comes in. Its thick, soft and luxurious. She sheds once a year on the Summer to Fall season change. Those 2 weeks are shear HELL! I have calculated that I sweep up a new puppy every other day. Buddy is my full breed Black Lab who has a silky medium length gorgeous coat. He sheds for 1 month EVERY season change and with black hair it shows everywhere. Over time I have learned how to deal with their very different shedding situations. First I changed their food to better suit their skin and coat. Having an All Natural and Hollistic Blue Buffalo Basics Large Breed Turkey and Potatoe. Starting from inside it's better to feed your dog the best Natural and wholesome diet to help with their coats and any other issues they may have. Then I moved to type of brush. There are TONS out there and its so hard to choose what is really going to work. I soon learned that like humans they require 2 types of grooming tools. A deshedding tool and a soft brush. The FURminator the is #1 leading deshedding tool. I use this on my labs in shedding season and it takes a full week off their shedding process. The soft brush is just to keep their fur looking soft and smooth.

Feeding:

How much should I feed my dog?
If I had a nickel for every time I was asked this question I wold have $100,000 dollars. Its a common question with one simple answer: Feed to their TARGET weight they SHOULD be not the weight they ARE. That simple instruction can help with managing their weight. Read all the labels on your dog food bag and follow the feeding suggestions.

Look at the following picture below

The band wagon of Grain-Free diets:
The new grain free dog foods have hit the animal industry with a storm and has only helped so many pets from weight problems to skin conditions. I for one highly approve of grain free diets for pets. If you don't know what a grain-free diet is just think of Low Carb/ High Protein diets for humans. It's the same concept with removing the grains that may cause some skin irritation and unwanted weight gain. Different proteins have been newly introduced in the past 5 years. Venison, Duck, Salmon, Lamb and Turkey are the newest proteins that are making a huge positive effect on canine diets. However if you are going to feed a high protein diet that has Duel Proteins as the main ingredients make sure your dog will get the proper exercise so they wont gain weight.

Its always best to do your own research and ask your Veterinarian if medical problems so occur. 
 
~Nik
www.bellaskaninetraining.com
www.bnbdesignz.com

Why Rescue your pet?

From a Dogs point of view and why it's so important to Rescue/Adopt your pets. I adopted my dog Buddy from his neglectful owner. It was a hard 2 years to train and rehabilitate him to the great Lab he is now.  

'The Reason (to you from all your rescue dogs)

I would've died that day if not for you.
I would've given up on life if not for your kind eyes.
I would've used my teeth in fear if not for your gentle hands.
I would have left this life believing that all humans don't care
Believing there is no such thing as fur that isn't matted
skin that isn't flea bitten
good food and enough of it
beds to sleep on
someone to love me
to show me I deserve love just because I exist.
Your kind eyes, your loving smile, your gentle hands
Your big heart saved me...

You saved me from the terror of the pound,
Soothing away the memories of my old life.
You have taught me what it means to be loved.
I have seen you do the same for other dogs like me.
I have heard you ask yourself in times of despair
Why you do it
When there is no more money, no more room, no more homes
You open your heart a little bigger, stretch the money a little tighter
Make just a little more room...to save one more like me.
I tell you with the gratitude and love that shines in my eyes
In the best way I know how
Reminding you why you go on trying.

I am the reason
The dogs before me are the reason
As are the ones who come after.
Our lives would've been wasted, our love never given
We would die if not for you'

Cherry the Vicktory Dog

Excerpt from NBL Creations Sponsored Pets

"Our first "Far-Away" pet is Cherry . He was one of the many dogs rescued in April of 2007 from the former NFL Quarterback Michael Vick.

Here is Cherry's story.....

"One of the dogs rescued from the property of former NFL quarterback, Michael Vick, Cherry is shut down and shy.

When he first arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (DogTown - Angel Canyon), he didn't even know how to walk on a leash. In fact, he was afraid to. He would get on his belly to let you know you'd have to drag him if you wanted to walk him.

There was a horrible, huge scar on his back. And any time a stranger approached, he would run away and cower. What on earth had been done to this poor dog?

Cherry is becoming a much braver, more confident dog.  He interacts playfully with all of his caregivers and actively seeks our attention."

Over time Cherry began to come around and walk freely and even play with other dogs. He came out of his shell and is getting much better.We have fallen in love with Cherry and are so happy with his progress. Hopefully he will be able to be adopted into a loving family such as ours."

Cherry became a big part of our lives and our hearts went out to him and all the Vicktory dogs that were rescued. We donated money to help his recovery and watch his progress very closely. When we heard that Cherry was adopted out to a loving, caring family we were over joyed. 

Paul and Melissa spent 6 months in the process to adopt Cherry and become his Forever Loving Home. 

Excerpt From Best Friends Updates 

"Paul and Melissa first saw Cherry in an earlier “DogTown” episode featuring the Vicktory dogs. Melissa described watching the show and feeling like Cherry “screamed” to them through the TV for their attention.

“Right then, we just wanted to pick him up and let him know we were OK and we’d love to love him if he’d let us,” says Melissa. “We knew our home would be the perfect home for Cherry.”

And it has been! Cherry became a faithful student on all things dog with Madison from his first day in their house. Madison showed Cherry the ropes on running, playing catch, snuggling and more. When Cherry got his first taste of snow, he cowered at the door, reluctant to go outside. But once he saw Madison romping around the “fun white stuff,” he immediately joined in."

On April 23, 2010 I awoke to a lovely email from Cherry's family, thanking our family for the support we gave Cherry. I was stunned and excited that they personally reached out to us to thank us for what we did for their Cherry. I immediately called my husband and told him the great news. He was almost in tears. 

This is for all the Pittbulls out there who get a bad rep. To own a Pittbull and love one unconditionally is to know what an amazing family pet they can be.

Our Ranger has taught us that and teaches us everyday.

 Cherry's Facebook Page

Dog vs Cat

The Diary of the Dog VS the Cat

The Dog's Diary
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Dinner! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

The Cat's Diary

Day 983 of My Captivity
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.
The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously an idiot. The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now ..