A Holiday Treat For Your Dog

The Holidays are upon us and all the big preparations have started.  One of the things we give the most thought to are the FOOD we'll be serving.  Turkey with all the trimmings, pumpkin and apple pies, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and more.  Lots more!  While we are stuffing ourselves to the gills, our dogs are drooling on the sidelines.  Isn't it time we gave them a taste of Turkey with all the Trimmings too?  No, I don't mean table scraps (heaven's NO!).  I mean....

Vita Bone's Artisan Inspired Turkey, Stuffing & Cranberry flavored Dog Biscuits!

Vita Bone's Artisan Inspired Turkey Stuffing & Cranberry Flavor dog biscuits
I am being compensated for helping to tell people about Vita Bone's new Artisan Inspired Turkey Stuffing & Cranberry Flavor dog biscuits.  Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers.  Reviews are based on our own experience with the product.

These dog biscuits are made with wholesome ingredients:

REAL TURKEY

REAL CRANBERRIES

NO ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS

NO CORN

Lots of good "stuffing" in these Vita Bone dog biscuits!

It's about time someone made a dog treat our dogs can enjoy so they can STOP drooling over the turkey, don't you think?!

You know how guests love to sneak the pets some table scraps at holiday meals, right?  Well, now you can put out a plate of Vita Bone's Turkey Stuffing & Cranberry Flavor dog snacks and let guests indulge your dog in a holiday Turkey with all the trimmings treat made just for them!

Phoebe and Icy both loved these Turkey Stuffing & Cranberry Flavor dog biscuits!

It bears reminding that so many holiday foods contain items that are hazardous to our pets.  Many of these are used in the cooking of foods and may not be very obvious.  For example, I drench my turkey with a butter & garlic mixture.  Butter and garlic are not good for pets and can even make them sick.  I don't give my dogs any of our holiday turkey, only dog friendly food & snacks!

Some other common holiday foods that can be hazardous to pets are:

CHOCOLATE
ONION & CHIVES (EVEN ONION POWDER)
GARLIC
GRAPES & RAISINS
MACADAMIA NUTS (& SEVERAL OTHER TYPES OF NUTS)
ANYTHING THAT CONTAINS THE SWEETENER XYLITOL
COFFEE & CAFFEINE
ALCOHOL
SALTY SNACKS (THE HIGH SALT CONTENT IS HAZARDOUS)
GUM (IT CAN CAUSE CHOKING OR BLOCKAGE)
PITS AND SEEDS OF MANY FOODS CAN BE HAZARDOUS

This is only a partial list of foods that can be harmful to pets.  For more complete listings, check out the Humane Society's list of Foods That Can Be Poisonous To Pets and the ASPCA'S People Foods To Avoid Feeding Your Pets 

Many of these may not be obvious, they can be included in food, stuffings, gravies, desserts, and food gift baskets. Please make sure your kids and guests are aware of these dangers to your pets and offer an alternative like Vita Bone Artisan Inspired Turkey Stuffing & Cranberry Flavor biscuits!

Please enjoy the holidays safely and joyously!

Try all of VitaBone's Artisan Inspired dog treats!

Vita Bone makes more than one kind of treat, read about Vita Bone's other delicious dog treats.  They make great training treats too!

What are your holiday pet safety tips?  Leave us a comment and share!!

Dog Treats: Frozen Pineapple Yogurt Jerky Puppsicles

When the weather is hot, everyone likes a tasty frozen treat.  Dogs are no different, they love a cool refreshing dog treat too!  I made these delicious frozen Pineapple Yogurt Jerky Puppsicles for Icy and Phoebe.

As you can see from the photos, my Puppsicles were a barking mad success with Icy and Phoebe!

Yum!  Icy loves the taste of pineapple and yogurt.  The jerky stick was an extra  tasty surprise at the end!

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training with Vita Bone treats

Dogs work hard for us during training, don't they deserve a reward?  Treats are like a big fat paycheck for doing their best during training sessions!



Phoebe's licking her lips in anticipation of delicious Vita Bone treats!

Vita Bone® Dog Biscuits and Chewy sticks are made with natural ingredients, so they're “Deliciously Balanced”, striking the perfect balance between great taste and nutrition.  My dogs absolutely love them!

We first found out about Vita Bone dog treats at the amazing BlogPaws  Conference in Nashville in 2015.  We had so much fun meeting the Vita Bone guy at the conference.  At first Phoebe was perplexed by this giant "dog biscuit", but after tasting her first Vita Bone biscuit she was hooked!




At first, Phoebe was a bit dazed & confused by this giant dog biscuit!

Both my dogs love Vita Bone Biscuits and Chewy sticks.  I use them as treat rewards during training and as a fun treat just to show them how much I love and appreciate them!

Vita Bone biscuits are both delicious and nutritious.  They're made with natural ingredients and contain:

** Natural Whole Grains, and 23 essential vitamins & minerals for IMMUNE SYSTEM SUPPORT

** Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids for HEALTHY SKIN and a BEAUTIFUL, SHINY COAT

** Glucosamine from natural sources like chicken & salmon oil to promote JOINT HEALTH

** A crunchy texture that promotes CLEAN TEETH & FRESH BREATH

I'm being compensated by Vita Bone to help spread the word about Vita Bone dog biscuits and Chewy sticks, but Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them only shares information we feel is beneficial to our readers.  Our product reviews are based on our own experiences with the product.

Vita Bone dog biscuits Come in Small, Medium, & Large sizes and Wheat, Chicken, Vegetables, Cheese, Beef and Liver flavors.



Vita Bone biscuits come in Small, Medium, & Large sizes and 6 delicious flavors!

I use yummy Vita Bone biscuits while practicing our training with Icy & Phoebe.



Icy and Phoebe SIT/STAY, anticipating delicious Vita Bone biscuits!



Icy and Phoebe in a DOWN/STAY awaiting their Vita Bone reward!

Reward Time!  They've earned their Vita Bone biscuits!

Boy was that Delish!  Wonder if we could score some more Vita Bone biscuits!

At the end of our training sessions, I like to give my dogs what I call a "Jackpot Treat".  They've worked hard and given me their all.  A Jackpot Treat should be something that's not only delicious but something they can really savor.

A tasty chew stick is the perfect Jackpot Treat.  Vita Bone Chewy sticks are just the thing to end our training sessions on a super positive note! 



Tasty Vita Bone Chewy sticks are easy to break apart for training sessions or a great snack!

Vita Bone Chewy sticks are made with real beef, chicken, pork, and lamb.  They come in beef, chicken, lamb and bacon flavors. YUM!! 

Give Vita Bone Biscuits and Chewy sticks a try, I know your dog will love them as much as mine do!  Click here for **Valuable Coupons**


Check out Vita Bone's series of positive, reward based Training Videos!  You'll find great advice & tips from expert trainers, including Certified Animal Behavior Consultant Steve Dale!

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ABOUT VITA BONE:

Vita Bone, a family owned company, has been dedicated to providing delicious and nutritious dog treats for over 40 years!  They are a company that knows how important it is to give back to the community and that pets have the power to change lives! That’s why they support PET PARTNERS, a non-profit organization dedicated to training and providing therapy animals to people in need. 

Therapy animals bring smiles, affection and comfort to people in hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, disaster areas, and more.  Pet Partners teams help veterans with PTSD, seniors living with Alzheimer’s, students with literacy challenges, patients in recovery, people with intellectual disabilities and more.

 

Their support of Pet Partners is especially near and dear to my heart because my Siberian Husky Icy and I are a Pet Partners Therapy Dog team!  You can read about the volunteer work we do through Pet Partners in the Therapy Dogs tab on my blog’s Home page.  Thanks to Vita Bone for supporting Pet Partners!

Give The Gift of Healthy Dog Treats #NaturalBalance

I always get really excited after Halloween because I know it means the holidays are right around the corner!  The holidays are such a fun time.  I love to decorate the house inside and out, shop for just the right Christmas trees; one inside and one on the front porch, visit family and friends, and do all the fun holiday activities around town.  One of the things I really enjoy is making homemade holiday treats for my family and friends.

This post is sponsored by Natural Balance, and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word the word about Natural Balance Treats, but Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Natural Balance is not responsible for the content of this article.

A hand crafted treat jar is the perfect gift for dog loving friends and family members, it shows you care about them and their precious pooch!  It's a truly personal gift, hand crafted by you specifically with their dog in mind.  You don't need to spend hours in the kitchen baking homemade dog treats, you can create a DIY (Do It Yourself) treat jar filled with healthy dog treats from Natural Balance® Pet Foods!  Natural Balance has a wide selection of healthy treats for dogs you can fill your treat jar with. 

My treat jar was easy to make.  A trip to the craft store and some delicious Natural Balance treats was all I needed for this project.

I chose a plastic container with a tight seal on the lid, it's not breakable and it will keep the treats fresh.  I decorated my jar with holiday and pet related embellishments.  I use a lot of stick-on embellishments in my DIY projects, they make things much easier and there's no need for messy glue guns!  I love bling and I wanted a rhinestone bone or paw on the jar.  I bought strips of rhinestones but I have to admit, they were not easy to cut!  That's why my bone isn't exactly perfect.  But that's what makes it personal right!?  Perfection is not the goal, I just wanted it to be thoughtful and heartfelt. 



I decorated the back of my DIY treat jar with colorful stars and black paw prints

A treat jar hand crafted with love and filled with healthy Natural Balance dog treats you've selected for their dog's unique personality will make anyone feel special.  It will look great in their home and make their dog drool with anticipation of tasty rewards!



Icy and Phoebe were so excited about the yummy Natural Balance treats we got for my DIY treat jar.  I hate to break it to them that the treat jar is a gift for our neighbor's dog!

DOG TREATS SHOULD TASTE GREAT BUT THEY SHOULD BE HEALTHY TOO!

> Natural Balance Treats are made with premium-quality proteins and don't contain any artificial ingredients or colors. 

> I love that Natural Balance offers a wide variety of treats that come in different sizes, types of treats, and flavors. 

> Natural Balance treats were created by expert nutritionists.  They're available in grain free as well as limited ingredient and low calorie treats.

These are the delicious, healthy Natural Balance dog treats I filled my treat jar with:

Dental Chews, Fresh & Clean Formula - These grain free treats are scientifically formulated to encourage your dog’s natural chewing instinct, to help support healthy teeth and gums, helps reduce tarter and help freshen your dog’s breath.







Belly Bites - Delicious grain free semi moist treats, Chicken & Legume formula.









Burger Bites - Gourmet treats that look just like burgers! I used the lamb formula.  Delish!

Mini Rewards - These delicious treats are small and have only 5 calories!  My dogs love the duck flavor.  I like treats this size, they're great for rewarding and motivating my dogs during training sessions without adding too many calories.

Oh No!!  It looks like someone's raided the treat jar I made for our neighbor's dog, Cooper.  Oh well, I guess I'll need to make another treat jar!

Natural Balance also offers L.I.T. Limited Ingredient Treat® varieties for cats and dogs with food sensitivities.  These treats are designed with just one protein and limited carbohydrate sources.

We all love our pets and want them to have the best pet treats available. Give the gift of nutritious dog or cat treats from Natural Balance!

Natural Balance proudly stands behind their products, they're even backed by their Feed with Confidence guarantee!

To find stores and online retailers that carry Natural Balance natural pet food and treats click Here

Get social with Natural Balance!!

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Natural Balance on YouTube

Give Your Dog A Healthy Smile With DENTASTIX® Dental Treats #DogDentalHealth

This post is sponsored by PetSmart, and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Dental Health Month, but Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. PetSmart is not responsible for the content of this article.

Mommy has her bedtime routine and I've got mine.  One  DENTASTIX® every day helps keep my teeth and gums clean and healthy!

February is National Pet Dental Health Month!

Did you know that over 80% of dogs show signs of dental disease by the time they are only 3 years old!?  Dental disease can lead to significant health problems, so healthy teeth and gums are really important for the overall health of your dog!  Let's face it, brushing our dogs' teeth isn't always convenient or easy.  The good news is that it's easy to help keep your dog's teeth and gums healthy with DENTASTIX dental treats by Pedigree!  Dental treats shouldn't completely replace brushing your dog's teeth, but they're an easier way to keep their teeth and gums clean and healthy. 



Plaque and tartar build-up like this can lead to dental disease.

Here's how DENTASTIX dental treats can help improve your dog's dental health:

• DENTASTIX are clinically proven to help fight plaque and tartar build-up.

• The special texture and innovative "X" shape help clean between teeth and down to the gumline.

• They're clinically proven to reduce plaque and tartar buildup, a contributor to gum disease, when used as part of your dog's daily oral care routine.

• Added Green tea, zinc and vitamin C help support your dog's immune system health.




DENTASTIX special texture
helps clean down to the gumline

The patented DENTASTIX  "X" shape design









 

DENTASTIX  dental treats will keep your dog healthy inside and out.  Plus, I have it on very good authority from Isis and Phoebe that they taste Great!

After a brisk morning walk, Isis looks forward to getting a DENTASTIX dental treat, while we enjoy a cup of coffee at our favorite café.



Hey Phoebe, can you believe how delicious these DENTASTIX Dental Treats are?  They taste too good to be healthy for us!

I know, right!?  And Mom says they freshen our breath too!  I didn't even know we had stinky breath, did you??

Whether you give your dog a DENTASTIX treat in the morning, at bedtime, or somewhere in between, one DENTASTIX  per day is all you need for maximum results! 




You can easily pick up DENTASTIX dental treats at PetSmart® while you shop for pet food. Make DENTASTIX part of your dog's daily oral care routine!  You can find the complete line of DENTASTIX products on PetSmart's web site.

Since February is National Pet Dental Health Month, I'm joining PetSmart and DENTASTIX  in sharing the message that dog dental health is an important part of a dog's overall health.  Cat dental health is an important part of a cat's overall health as well.  Please join us in sharing this important message with pet parents everywhere!

Get Social with PetSmart and DENTASTIX on Social Media:
PetSmart web site
PetSmart on Facebook
PetSmart on Twitter

Get Your Dog's Tail Wagging With Wholesome Alpo Dog Biscuits #AlpoDogBiscuit

I was afforded this opportunity because I am part of the BlogPaws Professional Blogger Network.  The Alpo dog biscuits were provided by Nestle Purina. Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers.  The opinions in this post are my own.


Mom asked me to help her tell you about ALPO's brand new WHOLESOME DOG BISCUITS, so I made this Info board all by myself!  Do you like it?


Phoebe and I want to tell you about ALPO Wholesome biscuits, the delicious NEW wholesome dog biscuits from Purina's ALPO line of pet food and treats! 

Here's what I like about ALPO Wholesome Dog Biscuits:

• THEY CONTAIN 23 VITAMINS, INCLUDING VITAMIN E, A, B-12 and D3 SUPPLEMENTS
• THEY CONTAIN MINERALS, INCLUDING ZINC, IRON, AND POTASSIUM
• THEY CONTAIN CALCIUM, WHICH HELPS SUPPORT STRONG TEETH AND BONES

Here's what Phoebe and Icy love about them:

• THEY ARE MADE WITH REAL CHICKEN FLAVOR AND TASTE DELICIOUS!

Lots of good stuff is packed into these dog biscuits!

Not all dogs are as active and energetic as my girl Icy.  She's a typical Husky, a strong, athletic dog who loves to hit the trail.  She RUNS, JUMPS, and never seems to get tired!  We do a lot of hiking with her, sometimes over rough terrain. I really like the fact that ALPO Wholesome biscuits contain healthy vitamins, as well as calcium to help support her strong hard working bones. 



I gave Icy a well deserved ALPO Wholesome Dog Biscuit after hiking all the way up to the top of the mountain!

I'm always training my dogs to re-enforce critical obedience commands such as their Emergency Recall, Wait, and Leave It! commands.  I also like to do simple tricks with them to keep them mentally stimulated and have some fun bonding time together.  I use treats, their favorite form of reward while training.  I look for treats that consistently motivate them and that contain healthy ingredients.  ALPO Wholesome Dog Biscuits do just that!

Very good Down/Stay Phoebe!  You deserve an ALPO Wholesome Biscuit for that!

The Purina company and their line of ALPO pet food products have been around for decades, I trust all of Purina's products.  I like that their pet food and treats are made right here in the U.S.  They source grain from Georgia, wheat and corn from the Midwest, and their meat facilities are U.S.D.A. certified.  

The thing I like most about Purina is that they donate millions of dollars to pet welfare organizations across the country!  It's important to me that the products I buy come from companies who give back to the community.

ALPO Wholesome Biscuits

ALPO makes their Wholesome Dog Biscuits for dogs of all sizes.  At 56 lbs. Icy is a larger dog, but at 11 lbs. Phoebe is much smaller.  ALPO Wholesome Biscuits come in Small, Medium, and Large sized biscuits.

Alpo Wholesome Biscuits come in 3 sizes; Small, Medium, and Large.  You can easily pick them up while you're grocery shopping!

The new ALPO Wholesome Biscuits are available on grocery store shelves now.  You can pick them up while you're grocery shopping, so you don't need to make that extra trip to the pet store.  And, they're very affordable. I like that a lot!

Phoebe isn't that picky about her treats, but Icy is extremely picky about both food and treats.  I was happy to see that both my dogs loved ALPO Wholesome Dog Biscuits!

Have your dogs tried ALPO's new Wholesome Dog Biscuits yet?

Serve Up A Healthy Canine Crudites Platter

Dogs love special treats.  We love to give them treats as a token of our love & affection, as training incentive, or just because we’re snacking in front of the TV ourselves, and really, what’s the fun of snacking alone!?  

As the holiday season begins we indulge ourselves with reckless abandon, eating and drinking our way through November and December, just in time to renew the New Year’s weight loss resolutions we’ll promptly break by March. 

For some reason, we extend these indulgences to our dogs as well.  We share turkey with gravy, meatballs, all matter of cheese products, chips, pretzels and occasionally lasagna (my Mom is guilty of that one!) from our holiday table.   

As much as they love us for it, some holiday treats can be downright dangerous to our dogs.  Chocolate is at the top of the list, which also includes onion, garlic, grapes & raisins, macadamia nuts and alcohol.  Many of these things are included in stuffing, cookies, and food gift baskets. 


A healthy Canine Crudites platter can prevent guests from sneaking your dog unhealthy foods from the table

We can’t always control, or even remember, which foods our dogs should avoid.  Even if we know not to give our pets these foods, our guests may not have a clue as to what can be harmful to dogs.  Guests seem to get a kick out of giving a dog treats from the table, and they may not ask if it’s ok.  At our last New Year’s Eve party, one of our guests fed little Phoebe what seemed like a pound of Jarlsberg cheese.  Fortunately, the only negative side effect she suffered was gas…. all night long!

Preparing a Canine Crudites Platter can curb the temptation to sneak your dog foods that may be harmful to her.  The platter contains foods that are safe and healthy for your dog, and they’ll devour these treats with as much gusto as a handful of chips or a wad of pepperoni. 

The platter can include slices of banana, apple, boiled sweet potato, or pumpkin - still have that Halloween pumpkin outside?   You can add carrots, snap peas, pineapple, or broccoli.   Top a few of these with a dollop of peanut butter or organic applesauce and a small biscuit to make it pawsitively irresistible to your dog.   You can also mash up tuna fish or cooked chicken, mix with peanut butter and roll into peanut butter balls.  

If guests want to give your dog some treats encourage them to offer doggie safe treats from the platter.  You can give your dogs these special treats without an ounce of guilt!

A  Canine Crudites platter is so easy to prepare, you probably have many of the ingredients in your kitchen already.  It’s no-bake, inexpensive, and healthy.  Best of all, your dog will love you for it! 



My girls love these healthy snacks!

What healthy vegetables do your pets like to eat?  Leave us a comment and share!