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Chow Hounds

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Cash and Penny

 

 

 

This is a sponsored review by
BlogHer and Purina.

My dogs will eat just about anything. And when they are puppies, that “anything” extends to all sorts of things that you wouldn’t really expect a dog to chew. Rocks. Siding. Trees. The plastic indoor dog potty I got for the old dog so she wouldn’t have so many accidents.

Feet and shoes are a special treat, especially my feet, which apparently taste better than a filet (and always have for my nearly 7 year old female Reva). And my son’s sneakers, one of which we regularly find in the custody of 7-month old Penny because he forgets to put his shoes away after school. We used to have a boot tray by the front door but we had to pick it up, because it was more like the puppy’s toy chest.

When we started the two-week trial feeding of the new Purina Pro Plan Selects dry food, I was fairly certain they’d like the food well enough. Usually, their only problem with their food is that they don’t think they get ENOUGH.

Sure enough, they liked it just fine. So fine in fact that one evening when the baby sitter didn’t put the lid on the food bin tight enough, I found the scoop in the middle of the floor and the bag tilted “just so” that the puppy could snack right out of the bag. Lest you think I am blaming the puppy for everything, be assured that she is the only one with the flexibility to get into the bag, although I am certain she had plenty of assistance getting the lid all the way off!

Reva watches Westminster (2007)

A few comments about dog food. I usually feed my dogs premium dry food and highly recommend taking a long hard look at the label of any pet food you buy, wherever you buy it. Understanding how your pet’s food is made and from what can be very useful in maintaining her overall health. While none of my dogs is allergic to wheat, they really don’t need a lot of it (and other additives) in their diet, so I recently had begun feeding a wheat-free dry food. Pro Plan Selects has no corn, wheat or soy, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, so it fit my requirements just fine. The dogs like salmon, and I like the nutrients that fish provides them, so during the trial, I fed them the Purina Pro Plan Selects Salmon and Brown Rice flavor. If you want to learn  more about the ingredients in the food, check out the ingredient selector on the Selects web site.

I’ve owned Scottish Terriers since 1996, when I got my first dog as an adult, Sabrina Fair. I started showing them in 1997, when I got my first show dog, Nick. You can read the tribute posts I wrote for them when they passed away here and here. Warning: hankies will be needed if you read those posts.

Doug with Reva, Cash and Music, January 2010

Currently I have four dogs, although we’ve had many more in and out of the house over the years – dogs we’ve bred and even shown a bit before we placed them with a long-term owner. The three older ones at the house – Music, who just turned 13, her daughter Reva (7 in June) and Reva’s son Cash (4 in June) — are all finished champions. I also have been privileged to be the co-owner of a number of other champions, including Carly, GCH Blueberry’s Attitude Dancing, a Music daughter that was the top Scottie in the country in 2004 and 2005. You can read some of my memories of the year Carly went to Westminster on BlogHer.

When finances permit, I’ll place Penny with a handler who will show her for me. I wish I had the time to practice handling and grooming sufficiently to be competitive in the ring, but I just don’t. I can pet groom the older dogs, but know my limitations when it comes to prepping a dog for show.

It’s an expensive hobby, but it’s also a very rewarding one. Showing dogs is the only hobby I know that will greet you at the door when you come home with a bark and wagging tail.  In the simplest terms, I love my hobby and it loves me back!

If you have never been to a dog show, and you love dogs, it’s a great family activity, especially in the late spring and early fall, when the shows in most parts of the country are held outdoors and the weather is just right. Do yourself, and your own dog, a favor though. Leave him at home. You’ll enjoy the dog show much more without having to worry about how your dog will react to all the other dogs on the grounds. Instead, buy him a new toy or some treats at one of the many vendor stalls.

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Want to try Purina Pro Plan Selects? Or more accurately, do you want your dog to try it? Get a coupon for $3 off from Purina. Remember — you won’t find this brand at the supermarket. You’ll have to go to a pet store like Petsmart or Petco. Don’t forget to stock up on treats for your best friend while you are there!

To help you pay for those treats, I’m giving away (courtesy of BlogHer) a $100 VISA gift card to one lucky reader of this post. Tell me why you like to feed your dog premium dry food, or why you think you might like to, in the comments. And for additional chances to win a gift card, read more posts about Purina Pro Plan Selects from other BlogHer dog lovers; you can find all the posts listed on  the round-up page on BlogHer.com.

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Rules: No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

  • Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
  • Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
  • Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
  • For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here.

 

Comments

  1. I feed premium because I want to make sure the ingredients are higher quality.
    lazybones344 at gmail dot com

  3. You are soooo lucky that your dogs will eat anything!!! I only say that because I actually have to beg my dogs to eat! ergh! And my boy dog only eats if I throw his ball inbetween bites! Who ever heard of such a thing??? Love your little guy! ~ Lotus

  4. My dog has very sensitive skin so I have to buy only the best–otherwise I have a itchy miserable dog and hair flying everywhere!!

  6. I don’t have a dog, but if I did, I’d feed him premium dog food to help him live a longer, healthier life.

  8. I love my dogs so much and I want them to be healthy so we can be together for a long time. that’s why it’s important for them to eat the best possible dog food that they can

  11. I like to feed my dog premium dry food because it’s healthier and I want him to live a long time.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    eswright18 at gmail dot com

  15. I have cats (instead) and feed them the best cat food I can because they deserve to be treated the same as the other members of the family, I wouldnt give my family sub-standard food so I dont believe the animals should get it either

    Thanks for the fantastic giveaway

    debis126 at yahoo.com

  17. I find that feeding a top quality food is actually no more expensive in the long run–he actually eats less and stays healthy leading to fewer vet bills.

  18. Yes, I have found the same thing — denser kibble requires they chew a bit longer and they have a better sense of when they’ve had enough to eat 🙂 Nutrition is better too.

  19. My dogs are part of the family and their nutritional needs are very important to be so that they live long, healthy lives.

  20. I would love to feed my dog premium dry food because I think it’s healtheir for him.

  21. i like to feed premium food because my dogs are part of the family and i want them to live a long and healthy life

  22. My dog doesn’t get as much excercise as she should, and she is getting older. I need something better than the store named brands to help her.

  24. I don’t have a dog, probably will soon though. I started feeding my cats premium food when I started getting more conscious about the foods I was eating and one day looked at the ingredient list on the food I was filling their dish with and realized that I completely missed thinking over what I was feeding them, and I wasn’t happy with the ingredients in their cheaper food.

  25. We like to feed premium food because it’s good for them, and we want all the members of our household to be healthy and eat right.
    susitravl(at)gmail(dot)com

  26. I like to feel her premium food because her coat looks better, she has more energy and it’s just great for her overall health. Also, she has a sensitive stomach and does great with the premium food.

    rogsdock[at]gmail[dot]com

  28. We’ve always fed our dog dry food, and she likes it. Purina would be a good choice, I’m sure.

  29. I feed my dog premium food because her coat is so much softer and silkier. She also actually eats less because I believe it is more nutritious and filling.

  30. I don’t have dogs, but I do have cats and they don’t eat the cheap stuff. If I spend a bit more for what I put int eh bowl, then they are happier and healthier. Less trips to the vet.

    rugerpuppies at hotmail dot com

  32. I’d like to feed my dog premium dry dog food to keep it as healthy and happy as possible for as long as possible to share the love that only a happy dog can give!

  34. I always feed my dog “premium” food based on my vet’s recommendation. It helps control her weight and gives her coat a nice shine.
    nrdunningATgmailDOTcom

  36. looks like reva likes westminster lol
    i would like to feed my dog premium food, but more likely to mix them with store brand because of price.
    songyueyu at gmail

  38. We feed our Akita mix Jack premium dry dog food because I think it’s better for his digestive and dental health!

  42. I think I would like to start feeding our dog Premium dog food because he seems to be getting thin on the regular dog food. I think the nutrition isnt as good.

  43. I really like using quality dry food, because I think the quality of ingredients in their food is just as important as it is in ours. Dogs don’t need as much grain as so many commercial foods include. To give our friends the quality of life they deserve, we should give them the best food we can. For all the love and fun they give us, it’s the least we can do to say thanks.

  44. I really never had my own dog but I live with my daughter and she always feeds her dogs dry dog food. They seem to just digest that better than anything else. Every time they eat something other than the dry food, things get a little running. They are good dogs and I do love them a lot.

    marybug2@yahoo.com

  45. I don’t have a dog, but I would love to buy some special treats for my boss’s dog. My son has allergies so I have to get my dog love at work.

  47. Right now I have a cat, but all the dogs I’ve ever had were fed a combination of premium dog food and a bit of extras like an egg or meat scraps on occasion. I usually kept a small bag of cheaper dry dog food for emergencies (“I ran out of the good stuff but I’m sick/ it’s storming/the car is in the shop and I can’t get to the store” type thing)

    The main thing I always found was to not over-feed!

  48. We always made sure our dogs had all their nutritional needs met, and we were blessed with healthy, happy dogs!

  49. I’ve always fed my pets dry food and this new Purina Pro Plan Selects sounds like it’s a step above ordinary.