To Dog With Love

Watch the AKC National Championship on Animal Planet on New Year's Day

2017-12-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

This post is sponsored by Royal Canin. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Royal Canin's sponsorship of the AKC National Championship, but To Dog With Love only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Royal Canin is not responsible for the content of this article.

Looking for an alternative to Bowl Games this New Year's Day? Then mark your calendar for Monday, Jan. 1, 2018 at 7 pm ET. That's when the AKC National Championship Dog Show presented by Royal Canin™ will premiere on Animal Planet. An encore of the special will air at 11 p.m. ET.

A few weeks ago we attended the event live in Orlando and we can tell you it's an event you won't want to miss!

This is one of the most prestigious dog shows in North America, and the largest, with more than 8,600 entries so there's no shortage of extraordinary dogs.

Oy with the Poodles already! Seriously, the Poodles as well as all the dogs were truly magnificent!

AKC National Championship by the numbers

Dogs from 50 states and 44 countries will vie for Best in Show
The AKC National Championship celebrates its 17th year
The show offers the biggest monetary award in the word of dog sports -- more than $150,000
A record number 8,600 entries represent all 190 AKC breeds

This show pup reminded me of Rocco Havanese, though this beautiful pup is a Lhasa Apso, ready for the ring

Actor and dog lover Jerry O'Connell serves as this year's guest host, joining co-hosts, sportscasters Jason Knapp and Sam Ryan and AKC Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo. As part of the telecast, O'Connell will take the Animal Planet audience on a behind the scenes look at the largest dog show in the country, including highlights from each competition category, including agility, dock diving and Best in Show.

Dock diving pup!

We can't wait to see the show on New Year's Day. In the meantime, check out lots of photos and videos on live.royalcanin.com.

And don't forget to tune in to Animal Planet at 7 p.m. ET on New Year's Day for the airing of the AKC National Championship dog show.

This Corgi's ready to rock 'n roll in the show ring.

8,600 Things to Love About the AKC National Championship Dog Show

2017-12-20T12:29:00.000-05:00

Havanese line up at the AKC National Championship

Last weekend we traveled to Orlando for the AKC National Championship Dog Show presented by Royal Canin™ and we had a terrific time!

If you've never been, this event is one to put on your not-to-miss list... for about 8,600 reasons. That's because as the largest dog show in North America, the AKC National Championship boasts 8,600 entries from around the world. And that means you'll have no shortage of dogs to drool over and puppies to pet!

Here are our top five reasons to attend!

1. Dogs, dogs, dogs and more dogs!

The Orange County Convention Center venue is HUGE, so picture the biggest space you can imagine (this one is more than 1 million square feet!) and no matter where you look there are dogs, dogs, dogs!

There are dogs competing in conformation with all 190 AKC recognized breeds entered and this year a new event was created for puppy show dogs. The inaugural National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes is a competition for purebred dogs aged 6-18 months, showcasing the future stars of the show ring!

Additionally, we loved seeing all the performance dogs competing in agility, obedience, rally and dock diving, and all the dogs at Meet the Breeds... more about that below!

It's a paradise for any dog lover!

Looking out over an agility ring at the expansive venue, and this is just one small part of it!

Impressive Toy Group Puppy Stakes lineup

2. Performance Dog Sports

This is one dog show where you get to see nearly every dog event all under one roof. I put in LOTS of miles running from event to event because I didn't want to miss a thing.

In addition to the conformation events, I camped out at the AKC Agility Invitational rings (of course!) and spent some time watching obedience, rally and dock diving dogs.

So many amazing talented dogs!

Harry the Bichon competes in the AKC Agility Invitational

3. Meet the Breeds

One of our favorites, Meet the Breeds is a terrific way to learn about so many different dog breeds. With more than 160 breeds represented we could have used another week -- at least -- to meet them all!

This is a great way to talk to breed representatives and learn what dog is best suited for your family. And it's your chance to pet all the cute pups!

This is Lucy, an adorable Lagotto Romagnolo puppy. The breed originates from Italy and since the 19th century has been bred to hunt truffles!

4. The Shopping

With over 100 vendors, this is a dog lovers shopping paradise! You'll find everything from jewelry to dog beds to toys and treats, and even a special dog walking jacket.

Check out this jacket from Let's Go Design, complete with poop bag dispenser, treat pocket and reflective piping!

The camera flash makes the reflective areas glow. And the belt even doubles as a leash!

5. Education

Whether you're looking for a new activity to participate in with your dog or want to learn how to keep your pup a healthy weight, you'll find it at the AKC National Championship.

Did you know that more than half the dogs in the U.S are considered either overweight or obese? With the help of smart nutrition and a fun activity, you can help keep both you and your pup happy and healthy!

In addition to learning more about Royal Canin at the Royal Canin booth, we loved the demo ring, which offered information and demonstrations on scent work, trick dogs, disc freestyle, fly ball and more! So many great activities to try with your pups. We're working on a few of them now with Rocco!

Miss the event this year? Not to worry. You'll find oodles of ~~poodles~~ fun videos and photos at live.royalcanin.com and then mark your calendar for the telecast on Animal Planet on New Year's Day at 7 pm ET with a re-air immediately following.

Jenny and her Bull Mastiff catch a ride after showing. See you next year!

A great dog show and day surrounded by dogs always leaves me smiling. Have you ever attended this show or any dog show? Let us know in the comments below!

Sparkle's Birthday Splash Bash and Fido + Fluffy's #FreebieFriday

2017-07-20T18:51:00.002-04:00

Rocco and pals do some log balancing while the other party dogs play in the river

Last weekend we were invited to help our Instagram pal Sparkles the Diva celebrate her 7th birthday at a super fun splash party! We all met at Whitewater Creek on the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta, a great place where dogs can run off-leash and splash around in the water that stays shallow for a long way out!

Sparkles outdid herself with the party planning... there was yummy cake for the dogs from Taj Ma-Hound Bakery, fabulous party prizes and hours of fun splashing around in the water with friends!

The doggie cake and cookies. Rocco says they were scrumptious!

Of course there was lots of picture-taking going on and we had so much fun hanging out with our Atlanta Instagram pals in person!

Rocco with Sparkles, the birthday girl!

Rocco with Instagram pal Sheepish_Addie!

Thank you Sparkles for a great party!

Now it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Check out the goodies in the Fido's Freebie Friday giveaways listed below. You can enter them all or add your own! We make it easy by linking them up all in one place.
If you're a blogger with a pet-related giveaway, be sure to link up! Please link directly to your giveaway, not to your home page. We post a new blog hop every Thursday afternoon at 4 pm ET.
We hope you enjoy the Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday blog hop that we co-host with DogTipper and CatTipper!

Good luck!

Individual rules of entry and guidelines for winning may apply to each listing. DogTipper, CatTipper and To Dog With Love take no responsibility for the legality of the rules governing the listings on other sites and giveaways that are posted here. We simply provide this forum as a gathering place for pet products to be offered. Fulfillment of each giveaway is done by the blog conducting the giveaway, not by the hosts of this giveaway hop; please contact the giveaway host with any questions regarding a giveaway or giveaway prize.

Rocco Goes Italian! Fido + Fluffy's #FreebieFriday

2017-07-13T19:29:00.000-04:00

Rocco enjoys some lake time at Lago di Mergozzo in northern Italy

Last week Rocco traveled with us to Italy! He did so well on the long plane flight, sleeping the entire way. And once in Italy, he was allowed to go everywhere with us.

Dog owners over there seem to keep their dogs by their sides (and they don't think they all have to "say hi" to other dogs) which made Rocco very happy and very well behaved! Rocco's not a fan of dogs running up to him and getting in his face -- not surprisingly -- which seems to happen quite often here in the U.S.

During our trip, we traveled around the lakes region of Northern Italy, spending some time at Lakes Mergozzo, Menaggio and Como as well as a few other adventures! We'll post more about those in upcoming days.

We had a fabulous time and love how dog-friendly it is in Italy!

Now it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!

Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday Says Take Your Dog to Work!

2017-06-22T19:47:00.002-04:00

Friday, June 23 is Take Your Dog to Work day and we hope you all are able to enjoy your furry companion alongside you at work today!

Rocco will be right by my side as he is everyday since I'm so lucky to be able to work from home.

Are you taking your dog to work this Friday, and is your workplace dog-friendly everyday? And do you know the origins of Take Your Dog to Work Day?

Pet Sitters International (PSI) created the day in 1999 to celebrate the great companions dogs make and promote their adoptions. If you are celebrating, be sure to check out these seven tips for Take Your Dog To Work Day success.

Now it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!

Chillin' out with Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday

2017-06-18T12:59:00.001-04:00

Rocco cools off in the river along the West Palisades trail in Atlanta

Sometimes on hot summer days it's best to just chill out!

We recently hiked the West Palisades trail along the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta where Rocco found this nice place to cool off. It's a nice 4-mile trail for dog walking and hiking with fairly wide paths and a soft surface with few rocks or roots to navigate.

We hope you're staying cool as the summer heats up!

Now it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!

Roc on the Rocks

2017-05-31T10:30:00.000-04:00

Rocco hikes the Iron Hill Trail at Red Top Mountain State Park in Georgia

We had so much fun hiking last weekend, including this stop at Red Top Mountain State Park. We hiked the 3.8-mile Iron Hill Trail which follows the shores of Lake Allatoona much of the way. It was surprisingly peaceful given the holiday weekend and we highly recommend this dog-friendly trail!

Hike On!

Today we're joining the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.

#VCAPets get social! #BlogPaws

2017-05-30T11:00:00.001-04:00

I am a BlogPaws Conference Sponsored Blogger on behalf of VCA. I am being compensated to help share information about VCA® Animal Hospitals with my readers and fellow Influencers. Neither VCA or BlogPaws are responsible for the content of this article.

Welcome to the VCA booth! #vcapets #woof #dogsofinstagram #cupcakes #toys #ponytail #welcome #healthypet

A post shared by VCA (@vca) on May 18, 2017 at 12:17pm PDT

Are you a VCA pet? If you are, you probably already know how much the VCA veterinarians at VCA® Animal Hospitals care about your health and well being.

But what you may not know about is the joy all the folks at VCA feel when they see your furry face.
That's why they love sharing photos of all of you (with your permission, of course!) on Instagram and Facebook!

How cute are these #VCAPets?!!

@conor_dog prepping his summer base at the beach! #vcapets #woof #healthypet #dogsofinstagram

A post shared by VCA (@vca) on May 25, 2017 at 10:13am PDT

Nothing to see here. Just a kitten BURRITO! #vcapets #kittens #catsofinstagram #meow #purrfect #instalove

A post shared by VCA (@vca) on May 4, 2017 at 11:42am PDT

@mrbobabear was not too pleased with his allergies this weekend. #vcapets #woof #allergy #season #healthypet #frenchbulldog #instalove

A post shared by VCA (@vca) on May 8, 2017 at 9:26am PDT

Follow the #VCAPets hashtag and you'll see even more adorable pets. As cute as these all are, as you probably know, it's all fun and games until someone winds up with a cone on their head!

So it's also super important to know that VCA is dedicated to advancing the science of veterinary medicine and that means that the health of all pets is a top priority to VCA. You can read more about what we have to say about VCA here.

In the meantime, go get your dose of cute and take a look at all the cute #VCAPets!

Follow VCA on social for pet tips, vet tips and cute photos of #VCAPets!

Follow VCA on:
Facebook -- VCA Animal Hospitals
Twitter -- @VCAPetHealth
Instagram -- @VCA
And learn more at VCAHospitals.com

We had the chance to hang out with the nice folks from VCA at BlogPaws and had a terrific time! Just remember, no matter how cute your furry face is, your best accessory is your great health!

Rocco loves his VCA tote and all the fun swag he bagged at BlogPaws!

And, by the way, those VCA cupcakes were delicious! #PetParentsDeserveTreatsToo!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of BlogPaws 2017 Conference Sponsored Bloggers. The opinions and text are all mine.

Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday Heads to #BlogPaws

2017-05-18T21:57:00.002-04:00

Rocco enjoys some beach time at BlogPaws

We're at BlogPaws this weekend and we're having a great time enjoying the venue in Myrtle Beach as well as the conference, jam-packed with great activities, exhibitors, education and friends both old and new!

We headed to the beach early this morning where Rocco enjoyed a good romp with his pal Dolly at Dolly the Doxie! We're looking forward to more BlogPaws fun the next few days.

Now it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!

Your Pet's Health is No. 1 Priority at VCA #BlogPaws

2017-05-15T09:56:00.000-04:00

Rocco and his neighborhood pals get their zoomies on!

I am a BlogPaws Conference Sponsored Blogger on behalf of VCA. I am being compensated to help share information about VCA Animal Hospitals with my readers and fellow Influencers. Neither VCA or BlogPaws are responsible for the content of this article.

When it comes to Rocco, there's nothing more important to me than making sure he's healthy and happy, so when VCA® Animal Hospitals offered to sponsor us for BlogPaws I ~~got the zoomies~~ was so excited!

That's because at VCA they feel the same way that I do... "where your pet's health is our top priority and excellent service is our goal."

We're lucky to have a VCA Hospital about five minutes from our house in Atlanta and even luckier that this location is open 24 hours. Let's just say that Rocco likes to "get into things" after regular veterinary office hours and having this specialty animal hospital right around the corner gives me lots of peace of mind.

Quality pet care is super important to us and we think it's great that it's important to VCA too, along with ensuring that each VCA hospital maintains its own culture. So with VCA you get the best of a neighborhood veterinarian with all the resources and advancements in veterinary medicine that these hospitals are able to provide. That's because VCA's National Medical Board and Chief Medical Officer review every innovation in veterinary medicine, and when new procedures and products pass review, they become part of VCA's best practices for its entire family of hospitals.

VCA operates over 750 neighborhood animal hospital in United States and Canada and also has 65 Specialty Hospitals with over 525 Board Certified Specialists who provide services in oncology, dentistry, surgery, orthopedics, diagnostic imaging, stem cell therapy and more.

Keeping Rocco healthy is our top priority... and VCA's too!

And, to stay on top of the latest advances, every VCA Veterinarian completes 30 hours of continuing education a year -- more than twice the industry standard.

With all these resources, VCA also has a great hub for pet information. VCA's Know Your Pet offers a vast library of helpful articles -- from information on medical conditions to behavioral training and more. Check it out and then find a hospital near you.

VCA for Good

Here's a really cool program that VCA has going on right now! From April 1 to June 30, all VCA hospitals across the U.S. are collecting donations for local companion animal charities through the VCA Charities Pennies for Pets program.

All funds collected during this period will go directly to the organizations chosen by those hospitals And in many cases, multiple hospitals are working together in their community to make an even bigger impact.

In all, VCA hospitals are raising funds for more than 80 animal organizations with a goal of $1,000 raised per hospital. We think it's an awesome way that VCA is using their network to help animal-related non-profits on a local level.

To find out what your local VCA Hospital is doing, check out this list. We were pleased to see so many worthy organizations are benefitting from this program in our Atlanta area!

For more pet tips, vet tips and cute photos of #VCAPets!

Follow VCA on:
Facebook -- VCA Animal Hospitals
Twitter -- @VCAPetHealth
Instagram -- @VCA
And learn more at VCAHospitals.com

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of BlogPaws 2017 Conference Sponsored Bloggers. The opinions and text are all mine.

Fido + Fluffy's #FreebieFriday Heads to Chicago, then Blogpaws!

2017-05-12T16:54:00.000-04:00

Rocco poses with the Fountain Girl sculpture in Chicago's Lincoln Park

We're in Chicago this weekend to celebrate Mother's Day, and took some time to take a nice walk in Lincoln Park. It's so pretty this time of year and much cooler than Atlanta!

Then next week we head to BlogPaws in Myrtle Beach! We were there for the very first one in Columbus, Ohio in 2010 and nearly every one in between. Can't wait to see everyone at the beach!

Now it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!

Fluffy + Fido's Freebie Friday Says Walking is Better with Friends!

2017-05-04T17:39:00.000-04:00

Rocco and his dog pals take a photo break during their regular walk

We walk with our dog pals most mornings and sometimes we pick up an extra pal or two along the way! As I've said before, your dog can be your best training coach, getting you out the door and moving! And the exercise is good for the pups too... not to mention good socialization time for both humans and canines.

After you take your walk today, and I know you will! ... it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!

Show Us Your #PetPraising Pics and Win With Purina!

2017-05-03T18:57:00.000-04:00

This post is sponsored by Purina. As a #PurinaPartner I am being compensated for sharing this information about the #PetPraising sweepstakes.

Is your pet mostly naughty or mostly nice? While pet naughtiness certainly can be funny, hence the popularity of pet shaming posts, we think it's a dandy idea to celebrate pet praising instead!

And Purina has come up with a way to do just that... just in time for National Pet Month! So now, think of all the awesome ways your pets enhance your life everyday and snap a pic of your pet with your very own #PetPraising message just like Rocco is doing in the photo above!

Purina is inviting pet owners across the nation to share their #PetPraising pictures on www.pureloveforpets.com. Every pet praising photo submitted through the website from April 26^th to May 24^th has a chance to win the Pet Praising sweepstakes. You could win a professional photoshoot for you and your pet that will be featured on RealSimple.com! Very cool!

And don't worry about making a sign. If you'd rather, simply use the sign generator in the entry form on Pure Love for Pets.

The website also is a great resource for celebrating National Pet Month and learning about all the great new items Purina has to offer!

So what are you waiting for? Snap your pic and show us how your pet is #PetPraising worthy. Then don't forget to post it on Pure Love for Pets!

Rocco's a blur, he's so fast!...

Fluffy +Fido's #FreebieFriday Dog Stars!

2017-04-20T18:15:00.000-04:00

Rocco shows Sophie the ropes on his backyard fitness course!

Rocco's practicing being a star because this week he's participating in Purina's program that supports the Leader Dogs for the Blind, a global organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

Here's how you can help simply by sharing a cute photo on social media and saying why your dog is a star! Post your photo with hashtag #BHDogShow and tag @Purina, and for every post, Purina will donate $1 (up to $25,000) to the Leader Dogs for the Blind organization!

Then, catch the re-air of the Beverly Hills Dog Show Presented by Purina on Sunday, April 23, on NBC at 1/12 p.m. ET/CT! We're partnering with Purina on this program on social media too.

And speaking of stars, last weekend we had lots of fun at an agility trial where Rocco earned his third SuperQ in USDAA Snooker! What the heck does that mean? It means Rocco was super fast and that we had a blast!

The host club, Sirius Dog Agility, is also where we train. They had this cute backdrop set up for photos!

Now, it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!

Dogwood Sculpture with Fido + Fluffy's #FreebieFriday

2017-04-14T16:22:00.002-04:00

Rocco enjoys the artistry of the new Dogwood sculpture in Piedmont Park

We're lucky to live near Piedmont Park, the largest city park in Atlanta. And on a recent stroll we discovered this new sculpture of a Dogwood tree with the buildings of Midtown Atlanta in the background.

There's always something interesting going on in our park, whether it's a festival or the Saturday morning farmer's market! We plan to head there tomorrow.

Now, it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!

Pet Nutrition: How to Tell the Sizzle From the Steak with Dr. Marty Becker

2017-04-11T22:53:00.000-04:00

Dr. Marty Becker

This post is sponsored by Purina. All opinions are our own.

We recently had the opportunity to attend a YouTube Live session hosted by one of our favorite veterinarians, Dr. Mary Becker, who helped debunk many of the common myths regarding pets foods and ingredients. We found his thoughts and tips interesting and eye-opening and hope you do too!

Read down for some of the highlights and be sure to read all the way to the end for some of the most commonly asked questions about ingredients such as by-products and grains and feeding raw.

During our YouTube live session!

Confused about pet foods?

The whole ingredient thing can be really confusing and it's no wonder. "Some companies are all sizzle and no steak... it's all marketing and packaging to fake people out to spend too much money," said Dr. Becker. "I want manufacturing prowess and nutrition, not marketing!"

Passionate about the importance of good nutrition, Dr. Becker says that with tens of thousands of products out there it's overwhelming for pet parents to choose the right product to fit their pet's unique needs, and a recent survey says that 50 percent of people say it's harder to understand their pet's nutrition than their own.

Ask your vet

Dr. Becker says, "nobody knows more about nutrition than veterinarians." They can recommend the right food for your pet at their stage in life and for their lifestyle. Vets should also be able to recommend the best food to fit your shopping lifestyle -- whether you buy your pet food at a grocery store, pet specialty or online.

Help your pet live longer

And speaking of the right food, the top things that are going to contribute to both length and quality of life are putting the right food in a pet's bowl, controlling how much they eat and how much exercise they get. If they stay at their ideal weight they going to live about two years longer, says Dr. Becker, who also points out that 56 percent of America's pets are overweight or obese.

Consider nutrients (and safety and quality), not ingredients

"Don't fall prey to just looking at the ingredient list or a fancy photo on the package," adds Dr. Becker. "The fancier the package and the crazier the ingredients sound, the more it seems to intrigue people." The manufacturing, safety, quality and nutrients (a complete and balanced diet) are what's important, not the marketing or the fancy package.

Hungry like a wolf?

By-products are certainly one of the hottest topics and Dr. Becker shed some light on this topic as well. "Dogs share almost 98 percent of the DNA of the wolf and if you watch wolves eat, which I've watched several times, you'll see the alpha eats first and he doesn't go for the meaty thigh, he goes right for what we call the by-products, he goes for the heart, the kidney, the liver, the spleen. He goes to the most nutrient rich food sources. So if you had a wolf in a pet store, he'd be telling you your dog wants to eat these things," said Dr. Becker.

Read on for more about by-products and other myths below.

Dr. Becker also is the founder of Fear Free^SM, an initiative to help prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety and stress in pets by inspiring and educating the people who care for them -- including vets, pet parents and pet trainers and other pet professional providers.

Four dog food myths busted, by Dr. Marty Becker

Myth #1: By-Products are bad for my pet

Truth: By-products are often mischaracterized as low-quality ingredients in pet food when in fact they are commonly used in both human and animal food, and provide valuable nutrients for pets such as protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

In the wild, cats and dogs instinctively eat organs first because they are nutrient-dense and highly palatable, so eating by-products is more natural than most people think. Additionally, by-products can provide more essential nutrients than regular muscle meat (which can be lacking in calcium and Vitamin A) but are naturally provided in by-products from the bones and liver.

Many pet food manufacturers use high-quality by-products – such as beef, chicken or pork that may include hearts, livers, kidneys, lungs and spleens – and is considered a part of sustainable food sourcing.

Myth #2: I should avoid feeding my pet grains
Truth: Through decades of nutrition research, we’ve learned that grains produce positive outcomes in dogs and cats. Gram for gram, grains deliver more complete nutrition than the ingredients typically used to substitute for grains, such as potatoes.

In addition, grains are an excellent source of energy-rich carbohydrates and contain protein and antioxidants, including Vitamin E, and fiber to promote digestibility. Many pet food products are formulated with grains because they provide needed natural nutrients as part of a complete and balanced diet.

Dogs are omnivores in the wild, and you actually want grains in their diet, unless there's a specific food allergy.

Myth #3: I can feed my pet solely a raw diet
Truth: There are many trends and fads in pet food, such as raw diets. Some people believe pets should eat a raw food diet because it’s allegedly more like what they would eat in the wild. However, raw pet food may not provide all the nutrients a pet needs — and it can sometimes contain dangerous bacteria that is harmful to both the owner and pet when food safety regulations aren’t met.

The FDA maintains a “zero-tolerance” policy for salmonella in pet food because it can pose risks to human health when people who are ‘at risk’ (children, the elderly and individuals with comprised immune systems) come into direct contact with the contaminated pet food so raw diet may not always be the best choice.

It’s important to discuss the pros and cons of a raw diet with your veterinarian, and whether a solely raw diet is appropriate for your pet. If it's commercially available and 100 percent nutritionally balanced and complete then you can certainly consider it, but I would say you are probably paying too much money.

Myth #4: The quality of pet food solely depends on the type of ingredients in the food
Truth: The quality and safety of pet food are equally as important as the ingredients themselves. When determining which pet food to purchase pet owners should go directly to the manufacturer’s website to learn more about what safety and quality standards and best practices are being used.

This includes learning about processes for conducting regular safety and quality checks; employing food scientists, pet nutritionists and other veterinary professionals to develop products; and understanding if the manufacturer is operating its own facilities and maintaining in-house testing laboratories.

Pet owners should also look at the manufacturing and ingredient quality standards of the brand to make sure they meet or exceed FDA and AAFCO standards.

Bottom line? Ask your vet and choose a food that's nutritionally balanced and right for your pet at his or her specific stage in life and lifestyle. And, be sure to do your research! Check out which companies have had pet food recalls and look for those where the quality and safety standards are best in class. For more information visit petfoodinstitute.org

Weekend Fun in Watkinsville, Ga. & Fluffy + Fido's #FreebieFriday

2017-04-06T20:17:00.000-04:00

I love the texture in this image of Rocco on the porch of the Robinson-Puckett house, circa 1809-1840

Last weekend we head to Watkinsville, Ga., for an agility trial, which was held on the grounds of Oconee Heritage Park. There's a nice arena for doing agility, and as a bonus there are also some pretty walking trails and some historic structures too.

Above, Rocco sits on the porch of the historic Robinson-Puckett house and you can get a full view of the house in the photo below.

Here's a look at the historic house from a distance

Behind the house, we headed out for a short hike after running agility in the arena. We have some nice agility photos too that we'll share at a later date!

Heading out on the trail

It sure was a pretty day!

Now, it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!

Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday Gets Agile, Again!

2017-03-31T15:29:00.000-04:00

Rocco flys over a jump at an AKC agility trial in Atlanta

Rocco shows off his aerodynamics at an agility trial a few weeks ago! We'll be back at it again this weekend, heading to a trial in Watkinsville, Ga.

This week we also had the chance to participate in a video chat with Dr. Marty Becker. Stay tuned for more on that in the next week or two. We have lots of great info to share to help demystify the whole dog food ingredient thing, and we also learned about Dr. Becker's Fear Free initiative.

Maybe everyone else already knows about it, but it was new to me, and it's terrific. It's all about helping to reduce the fear, stress, and anxiety pets experience when they visit the veterinarian, and for pets in animal shelters and in everyday life, too. We'll share more on that too in upcoming months.

Now, it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!

Who Cleaned Up at #SimpleSolution Twitter Party!

2017-03-22T14:06:00.000-04:00

We had so much fun at today's Event Barkers #SimpleSolution Twitter party, full of great cleaning tips for pet parents and prizes from Simple Solution! We co-hosted the event along with DogTipper and CatTipper, and if you missed it, we've got some great ways you can still take advantage of all the great info that was shared!

During the party, we shared a 40 percent off coupon code that’s valid only through Thursday! Use coupon code SpringClean40 for 40 percent off AND free shipping! The coupon expires at 12:30 pm ET on Thursday so shop SimpleSolution.com now!

We also shared a great new e-book from Simple Solution that we think we solve many of your special cleaning problems in your pet household. Be sure to download your free copy of “Top Tips for Getting Tough on Pet Stains and Odors: A Step by Step Guide to Cleaning Tough Pet Messes” — and get your spring cleaning started!

Rocco gives Simple Solution a high paw!

Rocco says, "Simple Solution makes clean up fast so you can enjoy more time outside!"

List of #SimpleSolution Winners

Congratulations to all our winners! Simple Solution will be shipping the prize packs to you directly. Happy spring cleaning, everyone!

Pre-party winner: @MariasMusings
Prize 1 winner: @abbynaverysmom
Prize 2 winner: @Middlefairy
Prize 3 winner: @joell51868
Prize 4 winner: @LoriLeal1
Prize 5 winner: @coralrae21
Grand prize winner: @ESSEXMA

This party was sponsored by Simple Solution. All prizes will be fulfilled and shipped by Simple Solution.

Fluffy + Fido's Freebie Friday Gets Ready for #SimpleSolution Twitter Party

2017-03-16T17:01:00.001-04:00

We've been busy this week preparing for the #SimpleSolution Twitter party sponsored by Simple Solution! We hope you'll join us for this Event Barkers Twitter party on Wednesday, March 22 at 12:30 p.m. ET, featuring over $450 in prizes for pet parents.

Whether your worst cleaning nightmare is odors or stains -- or both -- there will be plenty of tips for every type of cleaning challenge!

Be sure to RSVP for the party for a chance to win the pre-party prize -- a prize pack of terrific Simple Solution products valued at $100! Hope to see you at the #SimpleSolution Twitter party along with our co-hosts @DogTipper, @CatTipper, @EventBarkers and sponsor @Simple_Solution.

Now, it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!

RSVP for the #SimpleSolution Twitter Party

2017-03-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

The #SimpleSolution Twitter Party is sponsored by Simple Solution. As always, we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. Simple Solution is not responsible for the content of this article.

We're getting ready for spring to bloom here in Atlanta and with that comes thoughts of spring cleaning and out with old and in with the new! And that means some freshening up of flooring and carpet, and being prepared for any pet messes and spills that may come our way.

So it's perfect timing for a sneak peek at some of the great new products for cleaning and behavioral issues that Simple Solution will launch at Global Pet Expo on March 22. You'll be able to learn all about them, as well as some simple cleaning tips at the Event Barkers #SimpleSolution Twitter party on Wednesday, March 22 at 12:30 p.m. ET.

We hope you'll join us, along with our co-hosts @DogTipper, @CatTipper and sponsor @Simple_Solution, where we'll share news of the new products, #SimpleSolutions for pet parents and great prizes! Read all the way down to RSVP for the party and enter for a chance to win a pre-party prize pack!

You won't want to miss this Twitter party from Simple Solution! As the experts in stain and odor cleaning, with 30 years of science behind them, Simple Solution has the strongest oxy fighting and enzymatic technology in the market. And that means they make it super simple for pet parents who want to maintain a clean and healthy home environment in the minimum amount of time.

Prizes

As with all our Event Barkers parties, we’ll be kicking off the fun with the announcement of the pre-party giveaway winner–and you don’t have to be present to win! You’ll enter for the pre-party prize in the widget at the end of this post.

Then, every 10 minutes throughout the party, we’ll be giving away Simple Solution prize packs of their great cleaning and behavioral products, specially selected for your home, whether you share that home with dogs, cats, or both! The party will wrap up with an extra large grand prize pack so we know you’ll want to stick around for the 60 minutes of fast-paced fun.

To be entered to win during the party, all you need to do is to participate in the fun by tweeting, retweeting, sharing cute photos of your pets, and asking your cleaning questions for the Simple Solution team.

Special Discount Code!

Ready for a simple solution to your spring cleaning problems? Simple Solution is providing a special coupon code for our readers:

25% discount on SimpleSolution.com from March 15 – March 31.
Free shipping (without any restrictions)
Good for all SimpleSolution.com products
Coupon Code: SimpleSolution25

#SimpleSolution Twitter Party Details

Hashtag: #SimpleSolution
Date: Wednesday, March 22
Time: 12:30-1:30 pm ET/ 11:30 am – 12: 30 pm CT / 10:30 – 11:30 am MT / 9:30 – 10:30 am PT
Watch These Accounts:

@DogTipper will ask questions. Watch for Q1, Q2, etc. and answer with A1, A2, etc.
@EventBarkers will announce winners.
@ToDogwithLove will share cleaning tips and facts about Simple Solution dog products.
@CatTipper will share cleaning tips and facts about Simple Solution cat products.
@Simple_Solution will be on hand to tell you more about Simple Solution products and to answer your cleaning questions!

We hope to see you at the #SimpleSolution party! Remember: even if you can’t make the party, or you’re not on Twitter, you are eligible to enter the pre-party giveaway below.

RSVP

To RSVP and enter to win a $100 prize pack of Simple Solution cleaning products specially selected for YOUR pet household, enter in the widget below. You don’t have to be present to win the pre-party prize. Good luck!

Entry -Form

Fluffy + Fido's Freebie Friday Heads to the Park

2017-03-09T17:57:00.001-05:00

Rocco and his pal Codie enjoyed a nice jaunt to Piedmont Park

Last weekend, Rocco and his pal Codie enjoyed a long walk to Atlanta's Piedmont Park on a beautiful spring-like day. They stopped for a photo by this healthy living fair that was being set up behind them.

Rocco says to eat your veggies. He loves them!

Then Rocco went to scope out some healthy treats and he found this sign! He wants you all to be active and drink plenty of water! And save a few treats for him! He particularly likes frozen green beans!

Now, it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!

Fluffy + Fido's Freebie Friday Heads Back to Agility

2017-03-02T20:01:00.001-05:00

Rocco at Chicopee Woods in Gainesville, Ga.

Last weekend we went to our first agility trial since we've starting using some of the Control Unleashed techniques to help Rocco overcome some of his worry about the agility trial environment. We entered just one run so we could see where we were at with things and it was a huge success! Rocco wasn't worried about all the other things going on around him and he ran fast and happy the entire run!

Seems the training is paying off. And as a bonus, Rocco is getting lots of treats so he loves it! It was a super windy day, so in the photo above Rocco is kind of windblown. We took a good walk after his run. The agility arena is in the far background undercover. No action photos this time, but hopefully we'll have a few as the season progresses.

Now, it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!

Fluffy + Fido's Freebie Friday Catches Some Rays

2017-02-24T14:21:00.001-05:00

Rocco sunbathes in the backyard

Rocco loves a good sunspot and this week in Atlanta it hasn't been hard to find one! The daffodils are in full bloom and we're starting to see some azaleas flowering too. It won't be long until we're in full-blown spring... though we're in no hurry for pollen season. Until then, at least, we can keep our windows open!

Now, it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!

Cleaning Up With Fluffy + Fido's #FreebieFriday

2017-02-17T12:12:00.001-05:00

Clean, for now, Rocco!

After two weeks of non-stop doggie visitors, Rocco headed straight to the bathtub (with some encouragement from me, of course!). He's all fluffed and puffed and ready for his next adventure! Rocco doesn't stay clean for long but it sure is nice to have a clean doggie for a few minutes!

Now, it's time again for Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Good luck!