Archives for September 2015

Your Dog Comes First at One Dog Organic

September 29, 2015 18 Comments

Do you know what’s in your dog’s food and treats?

Do you know how the food and treats were made?

Do you know how long they have sat on the store shelves?

I never really know much beyond the ingredient label and the information on the packaging. Honestly, I didn’t even consider researching how the product was made.

Until recently, that is.

In the past several months, I have really changed my approach to the fluffies’ nutrition. I understand that not only are the ingredients important, but the creation process is equally significant. Unfortunately, that information isn’t always easy to come by. Companies can be very vague when it comes to the manufacturing process.

Don’t we deserve to know exactly what we’re giving our furbabies?

I think we do. So does One Dog Organic Bakery.

One Dog Organic Bakery is a small, family owned business interested in getting to know you and your family. Your treats will never sit on the store shelves because they don’t carry inventory. This allows them to cater to your pup’s special needs and bake every order fresh. They use only high-quality, sourced in America ingredients that are certified organic and GMO-free. A GMO-free dog treat bakery is pretty difficult to find.

All of the treat recipes have been vetted by a canine nutritionist to ensure your pup’s dietary needs are being met. You won’t find artificial ingredients in any of the treat recipes. However, you will find treats with vitamins and minerals to support a healthy coat, skin, and immune system.

The most exciting thing about One Dog Organic Bakery is that they are certified as a “human-grade” facility. Our pups’ treats are getting the same care and precautions as we would receive. It’s about time!

One Dog Organic Bakery is also a certified green business. From shipping materials to product packaging, they try and reduce their carbon paw print through recycled materials.

Mauja and Atka LOVED these treats. They’re not always the biggest fans of biscuits, but these hit the spot. I love that One Dog Organic Bakery bakes every order fresh and can custom craft an order. The fluffies don’t have any food sensitivities, but many dogs do and miss out on delicious treats. The best part – there’s no extra charge for customization!

So what do you think? Want a chance to win a $25 gift card to One Dog Organic Bakery? Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveawayDisclaimer: It’s Dog or Nothing was provided treats from One Dog Organic Bakery in order to conduct a review. Don’t worry – an advertiser will never influence the content of this blog and we only share products we believe in and feel you would enjoy! Thanks for supporting It’s Dog or Nothing.

A Great Pyrenees Lesson in #Petiquette

September 28, 2015 7 Comments

I love the smell of my dogs.

Is that weird?

It’s not like I shove my face in their fur for a sniff, but when I catch a whiff of Mauja and Atka, I’m immediately comforted. It’s a relaxing scent that makes me feel calm.

Unfortunately, everyone else doesn’t feel that way. While Great Pyrenees don’t have typical “doggie odor”, their smell certainly isn’t invisible to the nose.

Now, a wet Great Pyrenees is a completely different story.

Mauja and Atka love, love, love their baby pool in the summer. I get it out almost every weekend for them to splash around. Their long, thick fur soaks up a lot of water and getting them dry isn’t an easy task. They’d have to stay outside all night if I wanted them dry before allowing them inside. Let’s face it; that’s not happening.

I’m completely noseblind to the wet dog smell when I’m home with them. I only notice it when I leave the house and then come back in.

Has my house really smelled like this all day?

As much as I love Mauja on the bed, I don't want it to smell like wet dog! — As much as I love Mauja on the bed, I don’t want it to smell like wet dog!

I would also like to mention that Mauja and Atka are not the only culprits of unpleasant smells in the home. I have a husband that likes to exercise at home. I’m sure you understand where I’m going with this…

What’s a dog mom to do?

Try and mask the odor with a more pleasant scent? We all know that doesn’t work. You end up with a lovely floral, wet dog smell.

I have to actually eliminate the odor if I want people to return to my home!

Febreze™ knows just how to handle any unpleasant smells in this dog mom’s house by not masking, but truly eliminating the odor.

Apparently I’m not the only one who feels this way. According to a recent survey, pet odor is one of the most offensive smells in the home, even ranked above smoke odor. Furthermore, 60% of pet parents stated they would hate if their guests thought their house smelled like animal. I try and keep my house very clean (well, as clean as I can with two giant tumbleweed manufacturers) and I’d like the smell of my home to reflect that!

Atka and I decided to attend the Febreze School of Petiquette to learn about the best ways to keep this fluffy house guest ready.

Here are a few tips we learned:

Couch Tip – We not only allow, but encourage Mauja and Atka onto the couch with us (Oh and remember the sweaty husband I mentioned? Yeah, he likes to sit on the couch after a tough workout. Eww). The Febreze Fabric Refresher will instantly remove the dog/sweaty husband smell from the couch and pillows leaving behind a light, fresh scent.
Wet Dog Tip – When Mauja and Atka come inside from their pool party (or one just really needed that potty break mid rain), a few sprays of Febreze Air Effects will eliminate the soggy smell of wet dog and leave behind a light, fresh scent.
Car Tip – We hit the road with the fluffies a LOT and it always seems to rain during our trips. Not to mention the smelly bully sticks they get to help pass the time! A Febreze Car Vent Clip attached to the air vent will provide continuous odor removal. A few sprays of the Febreze Fabric Refresher will add an extra dose of freshness to the fabric seats.

A fluffy lesson in Petiquette:

[tweetthis]Master @Febreze_Fresh #Petiquette to keep your #dog loving house guest ready & odor free![/tweetthis]

I have my Febreze Air Effects, Fabric Refresher, and Car Vent Clip ready to tackle any odor and ensure my friends and family want to come back to my house!

Tell me I’m not the only one with this problem. What smells would Febreze eliminate from your home?

Great Pyrenees Therapy Training with VetriScience Composure

September 25, 2015 4 Comments

I wrote earlier this week about how Atka passed his Advanced Canine Good Citizen test this past weekend. Since then, I have received numerous emails and messages from Great Pyrenees parents wanting to train their pyr for therapy. I was so excited by the emails because I truly believe pyrs are one of the best breeds for therapy work. They’re incredibly loving, tolerant, mellow, and who wouldn’t want to snuggle with all that fluff?! The problem arises with the obedience portion of therapy work. That is where most people struggle with their Great Pyrenees.

Great Pyrenees are independent thinkers which doesn’t translate well to traditional obedience. However, with lots of practice, patience, and a sense of humor, you can achieve great things with your Great Pyrenees.

Focus

Focus has been the most beneficial skill for our training success and it’s one I recommend teaching right away. If you’re a pyr parent, you know how hard it is to keep the attention of your Great Pyrenees. There are always people to meet, things to guard, and well… more important matters to attend to. Teaching focus helps to work through these obstacles.

When you start training your Great Pyrenees, treats are not optional! You need a variety of high-value treats to keep your pyr interested in what you’re saying. My treat bag is always mixed with several types of soft and freeze-dried treats; like a trail mix for dogs!

When Atka and I first started working on “focus”, he got a treat every single time he looked at me, regardless of whether I asked him. I want looking at me to be more exciting and rewarding than the other stimuli in the environment. We’ve been working on this for over a year and definitely aren’t perfect, but it has helped tremendously in our therapy training. We had a huge victory two weeks ago when we were walking through the store and a dog lunged and snarled at Atka. I immediately asked Atka to “focus”; he looked up at me at trotted past the other dog. It was treats GALORE after that!

VetriScience Composure

Atka will be 2 next month, which for a giant breed is still very much puppy. Giant breeds don’t become an adult mentally until around 3 years of age. Puppy brain coupled with pyr personality can be a definite training challenge, which is why I wanted to give VetriScience® Composure™ a try.

Composure is a chewable calming supplement for stressed or nervous dogs. While Atka isn’t stressed or nervous in our training sessions, he can still be excitable at times. I sometimes tell Atka he has a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality. He can be absolutely perfect one day and then a squirmy, wiggly puppy the next (which is why even though I know he could pass the therapy test, we’re going to wait a bit). I was hoping the Composure chewables would help Atka focus a bit more in our training sessions.

Composure is “a calming formula providing C3™ Calming Complex, L-Theanine (Suntheanine® brand), and Thiamine to support balanced behavior”. They are tasty chewables that I had no problem giving Mauja and Atka; they definitely thought they were getting a treat! The dosage for their size is high, but that’s typical of any supplement or medication for giant breeds.

I’ve been really pleased with the use of Composure in our training. We only use it on his “Hyde days” to help take the edge off so he can process the high levels of stimulation more effectively. My next step is to try Composure to help Mauja’s anxiety in buildings. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes!

During our therapy dog training we've been using VetriScience Composure to help my Great Pyrenees focus. — Pin It!

Want the chance to try Composure for your dog? Enter the giveaway below!

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Disclaimer: It’s Dog or Nothing is being compensated to help spread the word about VetriScience Composure. Don’t worry – an advertiser will never influence the content of this blog and It’s Dog or Nothing only shares products we believe in and feel you would enjoy. VetriScience is not responsible for the content of this article. Thanks for supporting It’s Dog or Nothing!

10 Fall Activities to do with Your Dog

September 24, 2015 10 Comments

Since yesterday was the first day of fall (yep, I missed it), I thought we’d talk about some fun things to do with your furry friend this fall! I ~~hate the cold~~ am not the biggest fan of fall and really don’t enjoy pumpkin (not even the Pumpkin Spice Latte – maybe my girl gene is broken?), but Mauja and Atka love the cool air that accompanies the season change. So, just for them, I ~~put on 18 layers~~ bundle up and we head outside to enjoy it together. Here’s 10 things we’re hoping to do this fall:

Find a dog-friendly pumpkin patch and pick pumpkins together.
Take a trip to the orchard to pick some fresh apples (then make apple treats!).
Enjoy the scenery and cool, crisp air with a hike in a new area.
Make a pile of leaves to jump and play in.
Get some exercise with some backyard football.
Create/buy a fun costume for your dog; or maybe you and your dog could match costumes! (now taking suggestions for the fluffies’ Halloween apparel!)
Throw a “Howl-oween” party.
Bob for apples (or perhaps they would enjoy hot dogs more).
Bake some pumpkin inspired treats.
Attend a dog-friendly outdoor festival.

I’m reeeeally hoping I can find a dog-friendly pumpkin patch here in Montana. I searched endlessly last year, but was unsuccessful. We will definitely be hitting the trails for a few more hikes before the cold comes in just a few short months.

What are your fall plans with your dog?

Saving on Giant Breed Expenses with #SlickdealsPets Twitter Party!

September 23, 2015 13 Comments

Giant breeds are expensive. They need everything, well, giant and that means an increased cost. In order to give Mauja and Atka the absolute best, I hunt bargains, use coupons, and am always looking for the best deals. That’s where Slickdeals is immensely helpful.I actually had not heard of Slickdeals until BlogPaws this past May, and boy was I missing out! The Slickdeals website is easy to navigate and full of must-have, online deals.

How To Use Slickdeals

Head on over to the Slickdeals website and start with the “Frontpage Deals”. If you’re in a rush and just want to see the best Slickdeals has to offer that day, this is a simple way to do just that. Even better, there areiPhone and Google Play apps for us on-the-go dog parents looking for discount pet supplies!

If you’re looking for something specific, Slickdeals has a great search feature that allows you to look through different categories or keywords. I ran a search for “dogs” and found a great bully stick deal (I definitely just took a break to purchase it!) and Wellness food deal – both fluffy staples in our house!

Remember, Slickdeals isn’t just for pet supplies! Not only will you find deals in many other categories, but you’ll find coupons to popular stores as well. I got some Christmas gift ideas while looking at the Frontpage alone.

October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month

Since October is Adopt a Shelter Dog month, now is the perfect time to add a furry friend to your family! Not ready to adopt just yet? Consider purchasing a few items to donate to your local shelter or rescue. But first, make sure you join us for the Twitter Chat to learn all about how Slickdeals can help you save money on your new addtion.

#SlickdealsPets Twitter Party

Join us and our hosts Slickdeals, Beagles & Bargains, and Pawsitively Pets for a fun night of chatting, saving, and PRIZES! Don’t forget to follow everyone on Twitter – @Slickdeals, @BeaglesBargains, and @mypawsitivepet. Oh and if you want to follow us (@itsdogornothing), we won’t stop you 😉

When: Thursday, October 1st, 2015 at 8PM ET/ 5PM PT
Where: Twitter #SlickdealsPets
RSVP: CLICK HERE to RSVP for the Twitter Party
Prizes: (1) $25 Amazon gift card, (1) $50 Petco gift card, (1) $50 PetSmart gift card, and (1) $100 Amazon gift card. All prizes provided by Slickdeals.

Will we be seeing YOU at the #SlickdealsPets Twitter Party?

Disclaimer: It’s Dog or Nothing is being compensated to spread the word about Slickdeals and the #SlickdealsPets Twitter Party. Don’t worry, an advertiser will never influence the content of this blog and we only share information we believe in and feel you would enjoy!

Great Pyrenees Grooming #CHIforDogs

September 22, 2015 7 Comments

Here's how we've updated our Great Pyrenees dog grooming routine with #CHIforDogs sold exclusively at PetSmart!

Has it really been over a year since we talked in-depth about grooming? With two, giant, fluffy dogs, grooming can set me back about $200. That’s not something I can afford frequently so I’m always looking for high-quality, affordable products.

This post is sponsored by Fetch for Pets and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about CHI for Dogs but It’s Dog or Nothing only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Fetch for Pets is not responsible for the content of this article.

Starting September 2015, CHI® for Dogs will hit PetSmart shelves exclusively with over 35 dog grooming products. We were lucky enough to try a few #CHIforDogs dog grooming products to keep Mauja and Atka’s coats white, bright, and fluffy.

[Read more…]

Atka’s a Community Canine!

September 21, 2015 17 Comments

Atka was a bit tired at this point and just wanted his bully stick! Better pictures to come :) — Atka was a bit tired at this point and just wanted his bully stick! Better pictures to come 🙂

Last week I wrote about some of my training goals for Mauja and Atka over the next year. My goal was for Atka to pass his Advanced Canine Good Citizen (or Community Canine) test and then achieve his therapy certification. I had been delaying the Community Canine test because I didn’t feel we were ready, but with the push of our awesome trainer and a bit of confidence we decided to give it a try.

I figured, if we fail, so be it. We can always try again.

Our test was on Saturday and I had been feeling pretty terrible all week so I had debated postponing the test. I decided to try and take a nice, long nap to get myself going and once again figured, if we fail, it doesn’t matter.

The Community Canine test took place in Petco and it was certainly full of craziness. There was a vaccination clinic, an adoption event with tons of kitties, and training classes were being offered for 50% off that day only. Add on that it was a Saturday afternoon and you have one crazy store!

I knew Atka could perform well, but I was worried that my nervousness would negatively impact his behavior. I’m so glad he’s the resilient pup that he is 🙂

If you’re not familiar with the Advanced CGC (CGCA) certification, it is the next step after earning your Canine Good Citizen title, which Atka earned just after turning 1. The CGCA test is meant to take place in a real-world setting with plenty of natural distractions. There are 10 test items, which you can read about here.

I was pretty confident in the majority of the items, but there was one in particular that worried me. Walking with a loose leash through a crowd can be difficult for any dog, not to mention a 1 year old giant breed! People always want to meet Atka so teaching him not to approach every person has been a challenge. While he doesn’t pull toward people (usually), he does sometimes lose focus.

Let me tell you – he was flawless.

I was so proud and am STILL beaming about his success. Atka now has his AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, Canine Good Citizen, and Advanced Canine Good Citizen titles. A few more months of maturity and I know we’ll nail that therapy certification.

I can hardly wait.

Mixin’ Up Meals with #StellaandChewys

September 14, 2015 22 Comments

This post is sponsored by Stella & Chewy’s and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Meal Mixers, but It’s Dog or Nothing only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Stella & Chewy’s is not responsible for the content of this article.

The topic of what to feed your dog is extremely controversial. You can feed your dog canned food, dry food, prepared cooked meals, raw, or any combination of these types.

At It’s Dog or Nothing, we believe that there is a place for all of the above feeding methods depending on your dog’s specific needs. For Mauja and Atka, I always like to start with a base of premium-quality kibble. However, I like to supplement their food to provide different nutrients, keep them interested, or simply to mix it up a bit. That’s where Stella & Chewy’s® comes in to play.I absolutely love the Stella & Chewy’s Meal Mixers for supplementing the fluffies’ existing diet. Meal Mixers are an easy way to add freeze-dried raw pet food to any meal. Futhermore, there is one quality of the Meal Mixers that I find very important: high pressure processing (HPP).

Stella & Chewy’s uses HPP to ensure your dog is receiving high-quality, safe nutrition. All of the products are cold pressed using pressure equal to that found at the bottom of the ocean where bacteria cannot survive. This inactivates any harmful pathogens and bacteria. HPP gives me confidence that the food I’m giving to my favorite pooches is safe.

A third-party independent lab analysis is also conducted on each batch to ensure the safety of Stella & Chewy’s food. This analysis happens before the batch leaves their Wisconsin-based manufacturing facility. You can easily find the results of each test on their website!

Stella & Chewy’s Meal Mixers come in four flavors: Stella’s Super Beef, Chewy’s Chicken, Tantalizing Turkey, and Savory Salmon & Cod (available in 3.5 oz, 9 oz, or 18 oz packages). Meal Mixers are freeze-dried to lock in the tasty nutrition and are ready to serve. You can also add a bit of warm water to rehydrate the food, which is recommended.

What else do we love about Stella & Chewy’s Meal Mixers?

95% beef, organs, and bone
Complemented with organic fruits and vegetables
Added probiotics and antioxidants
Made without grains, gluten, fillers, or anything artificial
Proteins are grass-fed, cage-free, wild-caught, and/or farm-raised

I added some of Stella’s Super Beef Meal Mixers to Mauja and Atka’s kibble and they were thrilled. I didn’t think anything could rival their excitement for my prepared meals, but this was right up there! It turns out Mauja and Atka aren’t alone. An independent study conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that 9 out of 10 dogs preferred their kibble to be enhanced with Meal Mixers.

Stella & Chewy’s Meal Mixers are an easy way to add an extra boost of raw pet food nutrition to an existing diet. Just scoop, mix, and serve!

Interested in having your dog try Meal Mixers? You’re in luck! We have a giveaway for a Stella & Chewy’s product assortment package (valued at $75). There will be 25 (yes, 25!) winners so make sure you get your entries in!

Can’t wait to get your paws on this fantastic food? Find Stella & Chewy’s sold near you!

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Back to School Training Goals

September 10, 2015 19 Comments

Back to school doesn’t just have to be for the kids, it can be for dogs as well! I’ll admit, we slacked a little with training over the summer. With vacations, family visiting, and extra trips, I just didn’t dedicate as much time to training as I should. Now that life is settling back down and we’re getting into a routine, it’s time to get back into it.

As many of you know, Atka is training to be a therapy dog. I’d love for him to meet with military individuals with PTSD and kiddos with autism as these are two things I feel passionate about. Atka has such a wonderful, loving personality and I know he will bring light and happiness to so many individuals.

Right after Atka turned 1, he took and passed the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. I knew he could do it; I was mostly worried about myself! I get easily stressed and worked up about these things. Our next step is for him to take the advanced CGC, or community canine, test. While I know he could pass the test, I’m a little apprehensive due to him still having a few puppy habits that we are working on (leaning on a grown man might be okay, but leaning on a kid is not!).

I work a lot with Atka on his self-control and I plan to ramp that up this fall. I’ve talked about how giant breeds mature much more slowly than other dogs, so even though he is 2 years old, he is not mentally 2. Time and maturity will do wonders, but for now I have to work with what I’ve got!

I hope that in the next few months Atka will have passed his advanced CGC and be on his way to therapy testing (I know you don’t have to have these titles before therapy, but I wanted the extra practice taking tests). He has almost all of the skills down for the therapy test, so I’m excited for us to start visiting people in the near future. It’s going to be so rewarding and who doesn’t want to snuggle a big, white ball of fluff? 😉

My goal for Mauja is much different than Atka. When we moved, she suddenly became nervous in new buildings; although she does great outside. I’m still trying to figure out what exactly happened, but ultimately that doesn’t matter. We have made definite improvements over the past two years, but we still have a long way to go. I need to set aside more time to work with her.

So there you have it – my training goals with the start of the school year. What are your training goals with your dog?

Archives for September 2015

Focus

VetriScience Composure

How To Use Slickdeals

October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month

#SlickdealsPets Twitter Party

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