My Favorite Things - Dog Food

I've been sharing with you all of my favorite things from my travel list. I've told you about my leash and my collar and even my dog tags. But the most important thing, in my opinion, that Mom packs when we travel, is my food. Mom says she buys only the best food for me because she wants to make sure I get the proper nutrition. I eat a combination of dry food and canned food, along with some treats and biscuits. She says all of them are made from the best ingredients and don't contain anything I shouldn't eat. Mom rotates my food each month. She said she read that this is the best way to feed me because I get a range of different foods that way, which helps make sure I get all the nutrients I need. So, since I don't eat one particular food all the time, Mom said I could share what I'm eating right now.

For dry food Mom feeds me a mixture of two different brands. She said that's one more way she makes sure I get my nutrients from a variety of sources.

The brand I am eating right now is called Innova EVO. She said there just isn't a better dog food available. It has lots of meat and potatoes, just like Dad eats. She heard about it from a breeder friend of hers. It took her a while to locate it but she bought it on Amazon.com. It's a little expensive she says, about $24 for a bag, but since it's too rich for Austin since he's still a puppy, it will last all month.

The other dry food I am eating is actually named after one of Mom's favorite books. That's actually one of the reasons she tried it. It's called Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul. She found it on Amazon.com when she was going to order the Innova. She said it was nutritionally sound and she liked the name so she ordered some of it too. It's cheaper than the Innova too - about $19.00 for a bag. That's good because I share this with Austin. Mom mixes it with his puppy food. It's got chicken, turkey, chicken meal, turkey meal, and brown rice and there are no chemical preservatives.

My canned food is readily available just about anywhere. Mom is feeding me Pedigree right now. She says most store-brand canned food is not good for me, but Pedigree does contain lots of meat and poultry. It DOES contain some lesser quality by-products, but it has more meat than most other store-brand foods. She says it costs approx 85 cents a can at WalMart.

You all know where Mom buys my treats - BigWag Dog Bakery! I love the honey bears and the beefie boots. And Mom bought me something new for Christmas - Ginger Bread Chew Chews. They were okay, but to be honest - I still like the beefie boots better! Order some for yourself and see. http://www.bigwag.com.

When we travel, Mom takes some of my dry food with her in resealable containers and some cans. She says travel is hard enough and we don't need to upset my tummy eating the local food. So even though I get the occasional treat if she stops to eat somewhere - like the meatballs in Orlando! - I still mostly get my own familiar food. I like it that way. I know Mom has had some bad meals because there wasn't anyplace to eat where we were. At least I know that will never happen to me. I always know what I'm going to have for breakfast or dinner!

What should you look for when shopping for dog food and treats?

Look for certification by the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials). According to the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, "An AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement is one of the most important aspects of a dog or cat food label. A 'complete and balanced' pet food must be substantiated for nutritional adequacy by one of two means. The first method is for the pet food to contain ingredients formulated to provide levels of nutrients that meet an established profile. The alternative means of substantiating nutritional adequacy is for the product to be tested following the AAFCO Feeding Trial Protocols."

Choose a food that has whole meat or whole meat meal (lamb meal, chicken meal, etc.) as its top ingredients. Grain sources should also be whole grains, as opposed to glutens or other processed products. Rice and barley is better than corn or wheat.

Avoid BHT, BHA and ethoxyquin as preservatives.

Pet food safety is a growing concern. Recent recalls of dog foods because of wheat and rice glutens contaminated with melamine have spotlighted some major issues regarding pet foods and their ingredients. While the majority of foods have been deemed to be safe, this is an ongoing issue. It is a good idea to keep a watchful eye on things for the foreseeable future.

Next week - you've been introduced to Northwest Arkansas. Now we'll take you to Hot Springs!

Welcome to Northwest Arkansas!

As you know, Mom has said I can't travel for awhile. I was sick a few weeks ago, and although I feel much better, she said it was a serious illness and I need to rest over the winter. I guess she does know best and she takes good care of me, so I think I'll do as she says.

Since I can't go visit anyone right now, I'm going to invite everyone to come and visit me. Northwest Arkansas is a great place. I can't wait to share all that it has to offer with you. When you do decide to visit, make sure you let me and Mom know so we can get together. We might even put your picture on my blog so everyone can see what a great time we had.

When you come, the first thing you will need is a place to stay - providing of course, you don't just stay with me and Mom and Dad. My personal favorite is the Embassy Suites in Rogers. Dogs (and other pets) up to 10 pounds are welcome here with a deposit. I'm a small dog so it works great for me. The Embassy Suites has very comfortable beds and there is a refrigerator and a microwave in every room - for those midnight snacks I like so much. They even have room service so they just bring my snack right to my room. Heaven! Check them out at http://www.embassysuitesnwa.com.

If you're a bit bigger than 10 pounds, don't worry because there is a great place for you to stay also and it's just up the road in Bentonville, home of Walmart. It's the La Quinta Inn & Suites Bentonville. They allow dogs of all sizes with a refundable deposit. And they make the best biscuits and gravy - if your mom will bring you some from breakfast. You can find out more about them at http://www.lq.com/lq/properties/propertyProfile.do?ident=LQ790&propId=790.

Of course, there are many other places to stay and when I publish my travel guide for NWA, I will list them all. But since I don't have much room here, I will only share my favorites.

Now that you have a place to stay, what are we going to do. Some of that depends on when you come. One of my favorite things to do in the summer is go out on Beaver Lake in Dad's boat. He says I am a good boat dog! We speed across the lake to his favorite fishing spot. Then he fishes while Mom reads and I nap in the sun. It's a great time - except for the time I fell off the boat into the lake. I didn't like that very much. But Dad jumped right in and got me and Mom held me all wrapped up in a towel until we reached the marina. Sometimes we take the tube or a raft out and watch Jessica and Carter try to ride it. That is funny! They always have trouble staying on, especially when Dad is driving the boat. They seem to do better when Mom is driving. I wonder why? If you come when it's warm enough to take the boat out, I promise we won't make you ride the raft! You can find out all you need to know about the lake at http://www.beaverlake.com/.

When it's too cold to be in the boat but still nice enough to be outdoors, I love to go hiking with Mom in Devil's Den State Park. It is located in Winslow which is close to Fayetteville, home of the U of A Razorbacks. There are lots of trails for us to explore. Dogs are allowed throughout the park and in the campground for no additional fee; they are not permitted in buildings or public swim areas. Dogs must have proof of inoculations, be leashed, and under the immediate control of their owner at all times. One year she even took me camping there. The camping and tent areas allow dogs also. That was the best. There's nothing better than a nice walk and then a good hot dog cooked over a campfire! I slept on Mom's sleeping bag so she wouldn't get scared. In the morning she let me have some bacon with my regular food. Have you ever noticed how everything tastes better cooked over a campfire? Learn more about Devil's Den at http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/devilsden/.

If you are a history buff like my Mom, then you will want to go to Pea Ridge National Military Park. Mom says a battle was fought here during the Civil War and that some of Dad's relatives fought in it. She says it's the only battle in the war that had Cherokee fighting in it. There are lots of trails to walk or you can walk on the tour road if you watch for cars. Sometimes you can see deer or turkeys, but you are not allowed to chase them. I saw a snake once too. Mom said it was a rattlesnake. I didn't get to chase it either. You can learn about all there is to do here at http://www.nps.gov/peri/index.htm.

People in NWA love their dogs and are always hosting events for us. This past April, the city of Rogers held Dog Days Downtown. Local businesses had a variety of activity stations set up throughout Frisco Park for our sheer pooch pleasure. Mom and I enjoyed the demonstrations and helpful speaker sessions on Frisco Stage. And if your family was looking for a new addition, the Animal Shelter and Humane Society had pets available for adoption. It was so much fun, I hope they do it again this year. And before that, in March, there was the Easter Egg Hunt at Murphy Dog Park. Now that was fun! I hope they do that again this year too! And the Kennel Club is having a dog show next weekend. I'm not going. It's for fancy dogs like Austin. But Mom said she might go just to take a look at what sort of competition Austin might face if she decided to show him.

Now, about the food. Did I tell you my FAVORITE dog treats are made right here in NWA? BigWag Dog Bakery is right here in Rogers. My favorites are the honey bears and the bacon roll and of course - THE BEEFIE BOOTS! There is nothing better in the world than a beefie boot. Okay maybe sausage and biscuits, but Mom won't let me have that very often. But I can have a beefie boot every day if I want. Check out all their treats at http://www.bigwag.com/. Aspen, Pixel - if you're good, Santa might bring you a bag of honey bears or beefie boots...if you're good.

You can see NWA is a dog's paradise. Good fun, good food. What more could a dog ask for? I hope you'll come and visit me soon.