Dog food holistic: Is it worth the money?

You might be wondering about dog food holistic and whether or not its worth the money. Ever since Vance developed more allergies to his dog food, I’ve been searching for the perfect diet for him. It’s not always been easy.

But, recently, I’ve been exploring pre-packaged alternatives to the BARF diet and I’ve discovered that there are a lot of new foods that have recently come on the market that promise many big benefits. For instance, Canidae has a new grain-free line and many other dog food companies are following suit. From my research so far, I’m finding the big concern with any premium food is the protein levels–if you have a puppy, particularly a large breed puppy, it’s important that your dog food not have too much protein. Aside from that, though, it looks like the only other serious consideration is price.

That’s because these premium dog foods are very, very expensive, especially if you have a large dog. Of the premium, holistic foods, Canidae is definitely the best price I’ve found (especially through PetFoodDirect–see their link in the right-hand sidebar for their latest special offers). Because it’s done wonders for Vance’s dog allergies, I highly recommend it.

What’s your dog food brand of choice? And do you think feeding a holistic food is important?

How to find a great vet

If you’re looking for a new vet, you know how frustrating it can be to find the right one–after all, turning to the yellow pages or Google won’t tell you much about the vet’s bedside manner, education, or wisdom. You won’t know if it’s a bad vet or a good one based on an ad or search engine result.

So, how do you find a vet? Here’s my five step process for finding a new one each time we’ve moved:

1. Ask the neighbors. But don’t just ask them where they go. Ask them *why* they go to that particular vet. Their values might not be your values and if they like a vet because he has the cheapest rates or because he has the fanciest waiting room, you want to know that before you make an appointment.
2. Ask your doctor. If you already have a local doctor, he or she can be a great source of veterinarian referrals because of a shared interest in medicine–nowadays most people have pets, so if your doctor has a vet he or she likes, this can be a smart, easy option.
3. Consider online reviews. Cautiously. Online review sites are great, but they don’t always give the full picture–you don’t know if those glowing testimonials were posted by clients or by employees (and the same goes with the bad testimonials), so by all means check out online sites like Epinions but don’t rely on them exclusively.
4. Meet several vets–most vets will let you come in for a free or cheap meet and greet that you don’t bring your dog to. Setting up a couple of these is a great way to get a feel for how the vet takes care of people which is an important element of choosing a vet. (You don’t want a vet who’s brilliant at taking care of your dog, but has no ability to tell you what’s going on.)
5. Ask your old vet. If you’ve moved, or your vet has retired, and so you’re parting on good terms, don’t be shy about asking your old vet for a recommendation. Chances are, he or she knows someone, or knows someone who knows someone.

Each time I’ve needed to find a vet, I’ve used all five of these techniques because I like to have several great vets to choose from. This process is also somewhat similar to how I I find a dog trainer. How do you like to find a vet when you move or you just need a new one?

Labrador Dog Training: Does Nothing in Life is Free Work?

If you’re training a Labrador Retriever dog, you might be wondering how effective Nothing in Life is Free is as a dog training program. (NILIF is a program where your dog has to “earn” everything from each meal to your attention and affection. Your dog can earn things by sitting on command, or performing a dog trick as asked.)

In fact, the Nothing in Life is Free dog training program is extremely effective with Labradors because they’ve been breed to be both independent thinkers *and* people pleasers. So, when you challenge your dog to see you as the boss (because all good things come through you when the dog listens), your dog training sessions will go a lot more smoothly. And, because your dog wants to make you happy, he’s likely to pay extra close attention to the new rules and behave accordingly.

Strictly practiced, even going outside requires your dog to earn your permission–basically, your dog should be looking to you for approval at every step along the way. This kind of strict practice of Nothing in Life is Free dog training can be tricky with a Labrador. That’s because Labs tend to already be a little too owner-focused, and the last thing you want to do is exacerbate that. Instead, you want to increase dog obedience *while* increasing your dog’s ability to make smart independent decisions.

For instance, if the dog’s not allowed on the furniture, you want him to remember that rule whether or not you’re in the room. The only way to train your dog in a way that builds this decision-making ability is to be 100% consistent, all the time. That means all members of your family need to agree to and follow the same rules. Otherwise, even an effective dog training program like NILIF will effectively train a Labrador because your dog will be too confused to learn.

Have you used Nothing in Life is Free with a Labrador dog? Tell us about it.