Why Good Food Matters

Before May we had one dog, Leo. Then we adopted Gordy who has filled the slot of emergency back-up dog. You should always have a dog and an emergency back-up dog. I have told the story of where he came from, but the short version is he was being trained to be a service dog but didn't quite make the cut and washed out. Thanks to Sue, who works for me, we were able to adopt him. He's been a great fit for everyone and is a great dog. Here they are together, Leo on the right, Gordy on the left.

When we got Gordy we noticed that his coat was coarse and a little scraggly, and he shed a lot. A LOT. We have always fed high quality food, in our case we have long used Hills Science Diet but there are many fine brands. We give a few treats and the occasional people food, but mainly our dogs eat Hills. And come September we noticed a funny thing. His coat was significantly better. It was smooth, soft, glossy, and it just looked better, like a golden retriever should. And we have noticed a lot less shedding.

My wife the veterinarian has always touted the benefit of quality food but this is the first time we've been able to experience first hand how amazing it is. It's one thing to tell people something you've learned from the Hills sales representatives, and it's another to be able to say, "My dog..."

I want to mention the service dog facility for a minute.  They are a fine place and do great works in trying to supply dogs to people who need them, but they are a non-profit and run on a tight budget. I cannot fault them one little bit for having to save money on food. If they have X number of dollars to spend on food and they can get 100 pounds of brand A or 200 pounds of brand B they are going to choose B and I don't blame them. I would too. It's up to the forever home to upgrade foods.

Any good brand is fine, Hills, Iams, Pro Plan, and the many, many, many small label premium foods.  But don't expect instant results. It took a good four months for us to notice and we weren't looking. I guess we could have seen subtle changes earlier but for us it was kind of a light bulb moment, where we said, "Hey, do you think his coat is better?" So it pays to either be patient, or to just not be paying attention.

8 Thanksgiving foods that can kill your dog

How's that for attention grabbing headlines? Well, we don't want to se your Turkey dAy ruined by a trip to the vet. Check it out.

Helpful Tips to Kick off the Food Season

Tis the season...to eat.  Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving leftovers. Halloween candy that you hid from your kids. Christmas cookies friends made and gave to you two weeks early. Little bowls of red and green Hershey kisses at reception desks and bank teller windows. The freaking Mallomars that only come out this time of year. Parties. Office parties (they are distinctly different beasts and deserve their own category). Recipe testing for things you want to make other people. The bread/soup cook-off you signed up for at the office (okay maybe that's just a few of us). Christmas eve dinner. Christmas dinner. New Year's Eve. New Years Day football watching snacks. All the stuff you haven't eaten by January 2 but can't bring yourself to throw away.

So in an effort to help you make the food BETTER, here are turkey tips from Alton Brown, and Ten Turkey Alternatives for Vegetarians. Enjoy!


Later maybe we'll post tips for kicking off the diet season. 

Packing for the Great White North

As you may remember, my daughter  graduated college last June and has since moved to Toronto to carve out a life for herself. After a wee bit of homesickness (which she alleviated in part by getting a dog)

she is now doing very well. So we have planned a trip to visit her on her birthday in a few weeks.

Now, I usually wait to pack until the last minute, but I figure what with it being a foreign country and all I had better make a list of things to take, because who knows what they have in Canada? So here is my list so far.

Brand new undies for the border crossing strip search.

American to Canadian dictionary

Rolls of pennies to make up for the one cent difference in the exchange rate.

Parka, boots, scarf, mittens, long johns, electric socks, Chap Stick

'Curling for Dummies'

American bacon

All my Neil Young and Bryan Adams cd's.

My 'Annotated Guide to Canadian Prime Ministers' coffee table pop-up book.

Moose repellant


Plus, I'll have to practice saying, "It really sucks they're not playing hockey yet," with a straight face. 

If you have any suggestion, I'd be glad to hear them.