What To Look for In a Dog Food with #PetcoWholehearted

Before we adopted Mr. N, I went to a pet store to ask about food and blindly bought a bag that the salesperson recommended. I didn't have the first clue about dog food. I didn't know to ask about where the food was made, what ingredients are good or bad, if the food was grain-free, or even what size bag to buy, really (do not buy dry food in bulk for tiny dogs despite the savings).

I did end up buying a good brand of food but that was sheer luck. Now I know a lot better and I know what questions to ask before buying dog food. The sheer variety that is available today can be overwhelming, especially for people new to the dog world.

This blog post is part of a paid Megan Media and Petco’s Wholehearted blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.

Mr. N has recently been trying out Petco's new grain-free line, Wholehearted. He is super finicky and often refuses to eat kibble, so I have been giving him Wholehearted  consistently so he's been eating their canned food. He's pretty tiny and has never had any trouble with bigger-sized kibble when he was sort of kind of eating it but some small dogs struggle especially if they have dental issues. Wholehearted offers both small breed and large breed options as well as food for puppies and adult dogs.

I like to give Mr. N different choices, both so he gets variety and so he doesn't get bored. He would not be happy eating the same thing every day. Even with treats, I have to make sure I rotate or he loses interest. And I wouldn't either. I love sushi but if that's all I had to eat, I imagine I'd get tired of it pretty quickly.

The lamb flavor with Mr. N's nettle root supplement sprinkled over it.

Petco’s Wholehearted dry food is available in: salmon & pea, chicken & pea, and beef & pea flavors. The canned food comes in: chicken, beef, turkey, chicken & fish and lamb. For the allergic pups out there, the lamb wet food is the only one without chicken or beef, out of the canned varieties.

Wholehearted is affordable, especially for a grain-free dog food (it contains no: corn, wheat, soy, or other grains). It provides vitamins & minerals for balanced nutrition and Omega-3 Fatty Acids which help improve your dog's skin and coat. The antioxidant  formula guarantees levels of Vitamin E, Selenium, and Zinc.

Mr. N prefers the canned food slightly warmed and especially likes it as an after-walk meal on rainy days (i.e. nine months out of the year in Portland) when he comes home dripping wet and needs something warm and nourishing in his belly.

How did you pick your first dog food?

Dinner time!

Readers have two chances to win a $50 Petco gift card, once for commenting on this post and once for sharing the post. And one very lucky dog will win the grand prize of an one-year supply of Petco Wholehearted dog food! 

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This Does Not Compute

Mr. N loves meeting new people and getting attention. He tried so hard to make friends with a visitor and pulled out all the stops. Bringing a toy over, flopping over for a belly rub, looking at her pleadingly with puppy eyes and tongue sticking out. Nothing worked and she gingerly petted him once or twice (she is not afraid of dogs, just not an animal person). Mr. N was dumbfounded that there was someone who didn't want to pet him. Everyone wants to pet him! 

Catching Bulbasaur (or Ivysaur?)

Group Photos are Hard

Positive Dog Training Reaps Rewards, Love, and Happiness

I often refer to Mr. N as my "guinea pig" dog because he is my first dog and he gets the brunt of my training mistakes. One mistake I'm glad I've never made though is using aversives to train. I've always trained him positively from the beginning.

I didn't really have a training philosophy when we first got him. Nor was I really aware of different training philosophies or tools. I just knew that I didn't agree with using corporal punishment as a learning tool for children or for dogs and I wanted my relationship with my dog to be one based on trust and affection and not fear.

Maybe it's because he's generally well-behaved or because he's tiny but no one has ever suggested I use a prong or shock collar on him or alpha roll him either. Although one woman did suggest debarking him when I mentioned he had separation anxiety...

Mr. N has a really soft temperament. I've never even raised my voice at him and yelling at him might break his tiny little heart. I yelled at the screen once during a soccer match and ever since then he has been super wary of us watching soccer. Using force on him would be pointless and unnecessary. 

Portland has numerous positive reinforcement classes (unlike many other places) so I didn't have any trouble finding positive-based training classes. Mr. N has taken a couple of training classes (basic manners, a reactivity one and some sports workshops) but the bulk of his training I have done myself using various books and DVDs and Youtube videos. I also take classes through Fenzi Dog Sports Academy which is online, positive-based and has classes for almost every dog training issue or sport. 

He gets rewarded for good behavior and making good decisions. We use his preferred reward medium (mostly food and some life rewards like chasing squirrels and going for walks, we're slowly trying to add play into the mix). He does not believe in this working solely for praise thing. He is pretty biddable but he is a terrier and he wants a good reason to work! 

I try to set him up so he doesn't fail. And when he does something he's not supposed to, he gets redirected or removed from the situation or misses out on the fun.

And all this creates a dog who wants to work with you. After a few minutes of acclimation at the park, he decided to ignore the squirrels and the birds and the kids and we worked on his latest trick. We did a few repetitions working in the new distracting environment and then as a reward, we went off to go chase some squirrels. 

How did your journey to positive training begin?

Welcome to First Monday's Positive Pet Training Blog Hop hosted by Tenacious Little Terrier and Rubicon Days. Please share your responsible pet owner positive pet training tips by linking a blog post or leaving a comment below.  Our theme for this month is my positive training journey but any positive reinforcement training posts or comments are also always welcome. The Positive Pet Training Blog Hop goes all week long. Our next hop will begin October 3rd and continues for a week. 

Canine Navigator

Dog-Friendly Kubota Garden in Seattle

Zen and dogs usually do not go together. The Japanese Garden in Portland bans pets as does the Seattle Japanese Garden. However the Kubota Garden in Seattle allows dogs as long as they are leashed and you clean up after them. It is also open year-round during daylight hours and free.

The 20-acre garden is owned by the City of Seattle which bought it from the Kubota family in 1987. It was founded in 1927 by Fujitaro Kubota, a self-taught gardener and immigrant from the Japanese island of Shikoku. The gardens on the Seattle University campus and the Japanese Garden at the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island are also his work.

The garden is less manicured and more "wild" than the Japanese gardens I am accustomed to seeing. Which makes a lovely place to bring dogs without worrying that they're going to wreck something perfectly landscaped. The garden's casual atmosphere also lends itself to a variety of activities. 

There was a group practicing martial arts and a big wedding party that arrived in a Hummer limo and people rehearsing lines from a script. 

Mr. N evidently approved as he perched on a rock and refused to leave until we took his picture. I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for dog-friendly activities in Seattle.