Archive for July 2008

Greatest American Dog

I don't know about all of you but we are HUGE fans of the new "Greatest American Dog" reality TV show on CBS. We would have loved to see the Pug breed represented but are just happy to see dogs get airtime on TV in general. The show comes on CBS during prime time every Thursday night and is in the same format as a typical reality show. Each week one dog and owner get "voted out of canine academy" by a panel of three judges. There are twelve dog/person teams on the show and each week they are put through individual and group challenges that test themselves and their dogs.

After watching the first show, we would have to say that our favorite has got to be Tillman. He is a bulldog who surfs, skateboards, and snowboards....how cool is that? We also really liked Ezzie and Michael (Boston Terrier) and were surprised that they were voted off during the shows first week. We thought that the judges might have been a little harsh on them and thought that another contestant might be the team to go. For them to come in second in musical chairs and Michael to MC his teams "show" was enough in our book to keep him around? In any case, it is difficult to think that any of the dog/owner teams have to get voted off as they all have awesome and unique talents.

As far as the ratings go this is CBS's big summer gamble and the preliminary results show that it is paying big dividends. We think it would be great for this show to become a franchise type show like all of reality singing and dancing. By the way if you missed the first episode you can catch it on the CBS website anytime to catch up.
Well, we will be back next week with another follow up on this show, till next week....

Piggy Snouts

This is a new item that we are introducing to you all after many repeated requests for it. The brand of the pig snout that we are carrying is manufactured by "Smokehouse" and is made in the US. We are happy to offer this quality product to you at a reasonable price. All of the Piggy Snouts come individually shrink wrapped which makes them easy to store, and even easier to give as gifts!

The analysis of the Piggy Snout is as follows:

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (Min.) 63.00%
Crude Fat (Min.) 25.00%
Crude Fiber (Max.) 5.00%
Moisture (Max.) 9.00%

Keep in mind, that these are also more of a chew than a treat and will last a good amount of time. We are sure that these will become a big hit with all of you soon! Please also send us any recommendations that you may have for new chews, treats, or products that you would like to see us carry...we would appreciate the help.

Cow Ears or Pig Ears

We get a lot of questions about both of these chews and wanted to clarify some information on them.  First off, they are both from South American free-ranging animals (this means that they are not kept in feedlots, given hormones, and are free-grazing eating mostly grasses).   They are also both great chews for dogs and last a considerable amount of time.  The sizing of them is about the same with the cow ears being a little bigger.  They are both all natural and not smoked and as such offer a pretty clean treat for your dog.  These are also both single ingredient items (no preservatives, chemicals, etc...)

Now for the differences...

Cow Ears are typically an off-white color and have a faint beef smell to them.  They are not greasy at all and have a little less fat than a pig ear.  They are a great option for dogs that are sensitive to pork products or may need to diet a bit.  The nutritional data for cow ears is as follows:

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein    (Min.) 83.00%
Crude Fat          (Min.) 4.00%
Crude Fiber      (Max.) 8.00%
Moisture           (Max.) 5.00%

Pig Ears are a pink/brown/hazel color and are also a great dog chew.  These have been around forever and are a little higher in fat than Cow Ears.  Just like the Cow Ears the Pig Ears will have a faint pork smell that is all natural.  The following is the nutritional data on Pig Ears:

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein    (Min.) 66.00%
Crude Fat          (Min.) 20.00%
Crude Fiber      (Max.) 4.00%
Moisture           (Max.) 10.00%Please also consider some of our other unique natural items like beef monster bones, trachea chips, or pig ear strips!

Leona Helmsley, real estate magnate, has left 8 billion US dollars to Dog Care.  I couldn't believe it myself when I saw it on the news...but at this point it appears to be true.  Helmsley has directed that most of her entire fortune be left for the care and well being of dogs, even though this is pretty wide open I am sure that they will find plenty of worthy causes.  I think that this type of philanthropy will do wonders for dog care and rescue groups all over the US and in fact several hundred have already applied to the foundation for funding.  I am curious to see what the outcome of all this will be.

In case you are worried about Helmsley's own dog....don't!  In her will she left the dog 12 million for dog treats, food, and care, but a judge has recently awarded 10 million of that amount to be split between two of her grandchildren.  I thought that this actual data was also pretty interesting, the court has decided the following:

$190,000 (per year for ten years for Trouble), which includes his $60,000 guardian fee, $100,000 for ’round-the-clock security, $8,000 for grooming, $3,000 for miscellaneous expenses, $1,200 for food and anywhere from $2,500 to $18,000 for medical care.

Based on this data I would have to say that Trouble is living better than most of us are!

Plato Dog Treats

Plato makes some of the finest dog treats on the market today. All of their treats are made in the US and the chicken dog treats are certified organic. Finding dog treats that are made in the US is becoming an increasing rarity and it is always nice to offer something that is made under the scrutiny of the US government.

Plato dog treats currently come in four varieties, however, they are planning on bringing out some new products out soon! The dog treats that are currently available are Kangaroo, Duck, Chicken, and Salmon; all of which have over 90% of the meat ingredient in them. The chicken, duck, and salmon varieties come in 2 sizes with the Kangaroo only coming in one.

The duck and salmon treats are particularly good for dogs with allergies as they are both considered hypo-allergenic meats. Kangaroo is widely considered the most hypo-allergenic meat for dogs, so if you have a dog with a sensitive stomach please consider these. Also, don't worry about the source of the kangaroo as it is from free range kangaroos that are naturally culled from the population; without culling the population kangaroo's would become too populous!

Plato is also introducing an excellent salmon oil for dogs and cats which we will be carrying on the site within the next few weeks. This oil is a 100% natural product and is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals particularly the Omega 3's and 6's. We are sure that this will make a great addition to an already high quality assortment of products from Plato.

As always, make sure to check out our other selection of all natural dog chews and treats, and of course bully sticks....