Healthy Dog Snacks!!! Who Knew?

While we are on the subject of quality food for our dogs, let's remember to pay some attention to what we give them for treats too. We all love to spoil our dogs, but too much of a good thing can lead to obesity which shortens their life span and leads to arthritis quicker than anything. Let's give them a fighting chance on every level and give them good snacks too. Mini-carrots are terrific and apple slices are also pure and natural and they love them. I was looking for something that lasted a little longer and had that chew factor and came across some sweet potato dog chews similar to rawhide while cruising online one rainy Sunday.
Has anyone else tried these wonders? Bam! Love at first bite. We’re talking crack for dogs here. Like any true addict, Mongo must have more. But wait, this time I notice the price… we’re talking crack prices too! What to do? I tried these homemade Sweet Potato Chews and they were great, the dogs liked them just as much, and they were easy to make.

Dog Treat Kitchen Sweet Potato Dog Chew


They actually taste great as a people treat too. Wanna boost the fun-factor at your next gathering? When everyone has had a glass or two, casually dip your hand into the dog treat jar and pull one out and just start munching... Sure way to liven up any get-together! Buddy says: "Bone Apetit!"

Finally... Food!

Hi, Buddy again. Finally, we're going to share some information with you about a subject near and very dear to me... FOOD! I love food. Any kind of food. Cat food, dog food, human food, you name it. Even if it isn't technically "food" I love it. Turns out food is very important if you are a dog with cancer or if you are a dog who would prefer to avoid cancer if at all possible. What we eat is very important! The goal is to get back to what we would have eaten more naturally out in the wild like all the ancient Golden Retrievers before us. Turns out they didn't eat flour and sugar and all of that stuff. They ate meat and greens and fruits and that was about it. There are some wonderful raw diets spelled out on the internet for you (my Mom can point you to a few) and if you don't feel like cooking there are some great grain free kibbles out there now that are a great way to get started. My Mom feeds me a bowl of this great kibble and chops up some carrots and broccoli and apples in it and I just gobble it up!!! I am a lucky man to be sure. If there is one place you invest in your pet's health and happiness, the food you feed them is the most important decision you will make! Check out the link below for a good quality grain free food, or search "grain free pet food" for more options.
"Bone" Apetit!
Buddy

Taste Of The Wild Pet Food
http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/

Canine Cancer Hits Home, Recovery

Hey, Buddy here. Still a little lazy today, and kinda seeing double. Things went really well yesterday. I was very brave, of course... I am Buddy! The doc says she "got it all" which seems to be really important. Be sure to look at some of those articles my Mom referenced because if you catch this m-e-l-a-n-o-m-a thing early they can get the growth and a good margin of tissue around it and make sure that you can keep on keepin' on. Today Mom is adding a link to this really cool foundation that is doing a lot of research on cancer in dogs; The Morris Animal Foundation. You can learn more about canine cancer there or if you have some extra money after buying squeeky toys and treats you can even send them some and maybe help them find some ways to fight this nasty thing. They do work with cats and horses and wildlife too, but we all know the really important work is with dogs!
So thanks for all of your well wishes, and even cards!!! I feel really loved and love you all right back. I'll keep you posted on things I learn on how to beat this thing so keep checking back. Time for another nap now.
Buddy.

Morris Animal Foundation
http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/

Canine Cancer Hits Home

Hi, Buddy here. Something's up this morning... Not getting my morning food. Love my morning food! Where's my morning food??? Mom says we are going to see the nice doctor because I have a m-e-l-a-n-o-m-a on my belly and it has to come off. It is kind of near my hoo-hoo, which I am very fond of, so I hope they are careful in there. Mom says I will get extra Frosty Paws tonight so it is all good, after all, I am Buddy! Will let you know how it all goes later, wish me luck! In the meantime, Mom has posted a link so you other Pet Parents can read up on Pet Melanoma and know what to look for.


Petwave.com
http://www.petwave.com/dogs/dog-health-center/skin-disorders/melanoma.aspx

When Pigs (and Pets) Fly... Pets and Jets

It's all pretty cut and dried when our furry family members travel on a commercial flight in a crate or in a carrier in the cabin. More and more folks are choosing to fly private now not only for their own comfort and convenience, but for the added benefit of being able to bring their best friend on board with them. How many of you have ever gotten a briefing from your crew on bracing positions for your pet in the event of an emergency? Have you ever given it some thought?
Kay and I are both licensed and experienced flight attendants who can shed a little light in this area. Probably your safest bet is to have an appropriately sized carrier stowed in the cabin with you, with blankets and pillows in it for padding and a strap to attach it to a secure fitting in the cabin. Do not stow this in the back of the luggage compartment which is tempting. Trust me, in the event of an emergency, you do not want to have to start rooting around in the storage area for the carrier. Place a lovely linen cloth over it and maybe some fresh flowers and you will never know it is there if it spoils the ambiance too much for you.
Be sure to consult with your crew on the best bracing positions for you and your pets if you should encounter sudden turbulence. Bracing positions will vary depending on the size of your pet and location in the cabin. The goal is to keep your pet from flying around in the cabin and contained in a small area. You may also consider bringing along the harnesses they make for cars to secure your pet to a seat if it gets "ruff" and please put a blanket under your pet as they will want to dig into that wonderful buttery leather with their claws, I can assure you.
Take a few moments to think through these things when you board and you can then relax and enjoy the wonderful service you and your furry friend so richly deserve.
And speaking of service;
No, it is not crazy to ask the crew to cater what your pet prefers and have your pet served. They like to be a part of the experience too! We actually find it kind of fun to serve our furry guests. Just like everything else in life, their gratitude is unconditional and makes us feel good too. Woof!

The Great and "Playful" OZ

Introducing Sit 'n Stay's newest member, Oz....our 4 month old Australian Shepherd (on left). Oz is shown here with his new-found friend, Sage, a Miniature Aussie. These two "rough and tumbled" nonstop for hours, until they collapsed in a heap from exhaustion! Oh, the joys of puppy hood!

Pet Field Trips

Today was kind of rainy here on Hilton Head Island which Sammy and I found pretty boring. What are you gonna do???? FIELD TRIP. We loaded up in the car and headed over to Bluffton to one of our favorite pet shops (All Four Paws) and had a great time shopping and trying out all of the squeekers. Sam makes friends wherever he goes, of course, and even paused for a pose with his new friend Roni who is one of the owners of the shop before continuing his evaluation of the best squeeker. The winner? The one that sings.

The Min-Pin Showdown

Meet Buddha (Boo), an Aussie and Roy, a miniature pinscher. The missing pooch in this photo is Chico....a min-pin like Roy, only a bit larger in size and cinnamon in color. There is never a dull moment when sitting for these guys, no way! I had the privilege to witness the infamous "min-pin showdown", as described to me by "Mom" on many occasions. It went something like this: Roy comes tearing through the doggy door from outside, slides around the corner into the hallway and stops dead in his tracks....for at the other end of the hallway...waits Chico! They lock eyes, and begin the ever-so-slow crawl to the center, and the inevitable dual once they meet! Eyes narrowed, Chico picks up one paw at a time, moving in slo-mo, sets it down. Roy, making the same moves inches closer. But wait....Roy averts his eyes...he's getting nervous...Chico is winning the stare-down! Who will pounce first?! This process goes on for what seems like an eternity, until at last, Chico jumps Roy, and they devour each other in what sounds like a flesh-tearing, blood-wrenching battle! Only then do I realize that they are devouring each other with kisses!

So I wonder, is this behavior unusual? They were almost stalking each other like I've often seen cats do! Is it breed-specific? Size, gender, geograpic location? Maybe we can just blame it on the altitude! Nonetheless, it was yet another entertaining Adventure in Pet Sitting!

Sammy Time

Back hangin' with my good friend Sammy. Sammy teaches me so much. He is sad to see his parents leave, but then he slips right into his old routine with Auntie Carol. Definitely teaches me the old lesson of "love the one you're with." We are having a blast. I finally sat down to do some work. He came to me after a bit and just sat and stared at me. Have you ever been stared-down by a Chihuahua? So I stopped what I was doing, took his bed and a cushion outside on this beautiful day and sat on the deck to listen to the ocean. He was right! We had been missing SO much. A huge leaf flew by. Then a gecko skittered by and we narrowly escaped being trampled. Sweet swirls of yellow pollen circled around us (followed by little tiny Chihuahua sneezes) and the sun warmed us gently. We could hear the waves rolling in as low tide approached and the gulls crying their hello. The Coast Guard even did a low fly-by to check in and we could hear and feel the "thump-thump-thump" of their rotors beating their greetings.
So if any of you are sitting indoors with a fine animal looking lovingly up at you reading right now...
Go out and see what they know you might be missing. It is too cool out there!!!!