simpple019

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 of Rachael Ray's Nutrish Peak dog food from Chewy.

We received Northern Woodlands Recipe. I saw on the bag that it contains duck, quail and turkey. Yum! My mom said that it's grain free, which she says is important because I have allergies to some foods such as wheat. I checked it out for her. Yup smells good.



The #1 ingredient is U.S. farm raised turkey. Again, yumm. It contains 30% high quality protein. Whatever that means, I don't know. But she says protein is good for me. She also said, "blah blah blah Ike blah blah Ike blah good boy."


So far I like what I see. Now is Mom ever going to give me any? If she does, and I like it, I'm going to have to figure out how to train her to keep on giving me more. But for now, I'd better sit right here by the bag close my eyes and make a wish that it doesn't get away.

 
See you next time! I'll let you know next time how I like it.
Signed,
Ike

#ChewyInfluencer

Full Discolosure: We received one bag of Nutrish Peak dog food in exchange for my honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion. Opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

I gave Ike a taste of Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet wet dog food and this is what happened:

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 turns mealtime into an enriching and rewarding challenge. Made to look like a standard dog food bowl, the Rock ‘N Bowl’s unique structure encourages thinking, problem solving and fun. The design allows food to be poured directly into the top, as easy as a normal bowl, and then funnels it into a hidden compartment, requiring dogs to paw, nudge, and play their way through mealtime.

Pour kibble into the top.

Kibble comes out one of the holes at the bottom.

I was curious to see how my two senior dogs would do with Rock 'N Bowl™.

THE REVIEWERS:

Kelly, 14, is intelligent and clever, but lately has been a bit off her food, leaving some in her bowl.

Ike, 9, is an avid eater, a gulper, and extremely food motivated, but he's not a great problem solver.

REVIEW
Filling the feeder is simple, just dump your kibble in the top just like you would any other bowl. If you have lifted the bowl into a counter-top or something, you have to be careful or food will spill out onto the counter or onto the floor as you move it. So I would suggest having the bowl in place and filling it there.

Both dogs were curious about the bowl and had no problem solving the puzzle. While it may not be challenging, both dogs had fun.

 Kelly seemed to purposefully nudge and tip the bowl to get food to fall out:


 Ike seemed surprised that there was kibble on the floor! Where did that come from?

Food does spill out all over your floor, but if your dogs are like mine, they will waste no time in cleaning it up.

I was delighted with the Rock 'N Bowl™ . It wasn't too difficult for Ike, and both dogs seemed interested and motivated. The bowl is sturdy and attractive, top shelf dishwasher safe, BPA and phthalate free, and made in the USA!


















Enter to win a Paw5 Rock 'N Bowl™ here. Two winners will be selected at random.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Here are some reasons to consider switching to grain-free dog food.


Taste of the Wild grain-free formulas rely on ingredients like quality meats and probiotics that maximize the nutritional health benefits for your pets. The probiotics are live, beneficial bacteria that help your dog by keeping the digestive system healthy and in balance. They do this by suppressing the bad bacteria that reside in the digestive system.

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. Ingredients – Like all dogs, small dogs should be fed a formula with high-quality ingredients including a good quality protein.

4. Price –High-quality formula specific pet foods can be pricey. It's important to find the most affordable option that meets your needs.

5. Picky eaters – Many small dogs are picky eaters, which can be harmful to their health. Small dogs have a faster metabolism and need regular calories to keep them healthy--meaning skipping or only picking at meals is not an option.

 Now, what can you do about this? One great option is new Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley (TM) Small Breed Canine Formula with Venison and Garbanzo Bean.










It features a smaller kibble size to make chewing and digestion easier for small mouths. It also is formulated to meet the needs of small dogs by offering a diet that is more energy dense with higher protein and fat ratios. It's first ingredient is venison, offering pet owners a unique, lean protein source that is highly digestible and heart-healthy.

The Appalachian Valley formula offers higher protein and fat levels, which allows finicky dogs to eat smaller portions and still meet their nutritional needs. It includes tasty ingredients like real meat, garbanzo beans and peas.

And all Taste of the Wild formulas are grain-free.

If you have a small dog, consider checking out Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley.

Now how about a giveaway?! Enter here to win some Taste of the Wild samples, a dog car seat organizer, Little Dogs activity book, scoop and bandanna.














a Rafflecopter giveaway


* FULL DISCLOSURE: I am being compensated for spreading the word about Taste of the Wild and also provided with Taste of the Wild samples, a dog car seat organizer, Little Dogs activity book, scoop and bandanna to give away. The Writer's Dog only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Taste of the Wild is not responsible for the content of this post.

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 variety, 1 bag Solid Gold dog treats, plus great swag including a tote bag, food scoop, and coupon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Full Disclosure:
*I was provided a 3 month supply of Solid Gold dog food for review, 3 (4lb) dog food bag coupons, and one V.I.P. gift package consisting of 4 lbs dog food, treats, scoop, tshirt and tote bag. This in no way influenced my review. Opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

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, including kale (yuck!).
I checked his mouth, his tummy, etc. and he didn't seem ill otherwise. So, I offered him some of Kelly's Solid Gold food.

Sure enough, he ate that!

The only conclusion I could come to is that Ike preferred the taste of the leftover bits from Kelly's bowl, and by comparison didn't like his own food anymore. So now I am feeding both dogs Solid Gold and having no problems at all.















Do you think your dog would like Solid Gold? Next week I'll be giving away a prize package of Solid Gold food, scoop, treats and other goodies! So stay tuned!


Full Disclosure:
* Solid Gold supplied me with a 3 month supply of Solid Gold venison formula to review and a VIP prize package of food and treats to give away. This in no way influenced my opinions. All opinions expressed here are 100% my own. No money was given in exchange for this review.