by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Living on a Island we are crazy fortunate to be able to enjoy many beautiful areas of beaches with our four-legged friends.  It used to be, just bringing your dog to the beach was just that bringing your pup with you.  Now-a-days we are much more conscious about dogs and their needs while enjoying a day at the beach.

You may want to take your dog with you earlier in the day or later in the afternoon, one it’s not as hot or at those times and some beaches have specific beach hours when dogs are allowed.

Here’s my list of what I think you need while your pup is with you at the beach:

1. Fresh cool water – This is pretty obvious, but you would be surprised how many people don’t think to bring fresh water for their dog while out at the beach.  I have water with me, and a couple extra bottles in a mini cooler in my car so when we get back there I can give my dog a drink.  Dogs get extremely thirsty while having fun in the sun, swimming and romping around, and get dehydrated if you don’t give them fresh water. Bring a Portable drinking bowl – there are many collapsible dog bowls in many different sizes, as well as bottles that sport their own drinking tray.  Bring something with you that your pet will be encouraged to drink from vs. salt water in the ocean.  Be sure to keep your dog hydrated, if they ingest too much salt water it can give your dog the runs or worse.

2. Long leash – Not a retractable leash, but a cotton long lead or leash where you can get at most pet supply stores.  They come in different lengths up to 50 feet.  Your dog may swim perfectly, but anything can happen at the beach – he could decide to swim out farther, perhaps not hear you call, get caught in a rip current, etc.  In my experience is is not worth it for your dog to be loose in the water.  A long lead is a life line literally to your dog.

3.Lifejacket – some dogs need a boost swimming, take for instance my dog Cody, great swimmer but is also not built for swimming in that he is very muscular – and muscle sinks.  So if he were going to be in deeper water – he would 100% have a life jacket on to help him be more buoyant and for him to be safe while enjoying his swimtime.  (He has even wore a lifejacket while swimming in a pool.)  Make sure you get your dog fitted properly when buying a life jacket.

5. Limit the swim time – For my dog Cody I limit his swimming time to no more than 20 minutes.  Due to his breed, his mouth is wider than say a lab or golden and if he is carrying a stick or floating toy while he is swimming more water will go down that wide mouth than with other breeds.  My old dog Max would ingest a lot of water while swimming – so no more than 20 minutes and he was fine.

>> Another good reason to limit the swim time, is that dogs can get tired quickly in the water – and may not show it.  That’s where we as pet parents need to step in and make them come out of the water to take a break and rest.

6. Pet Friendly Sunscreen – you can find this in many pet stores, health food stores and even online.  Apply to the top of your dogs nose, on their snout, not the actual nose, and ears – dogs can get sunburn as well.  If your dog is white or light haired in color and has short hair I would apply it on his back as well.

7. Pet Friendly bug spray – again, you can find many brands of natural pet friendly bug spray that do work and are free from harsh chemicals.  The only time I use stronger bug spray is during a heavy mosquito season or when there are a lot of green flies.

8. Blanket – this may seem like what? My dog is going to get sand all over it – the sand may be hot after a while and you will want to have somewhere to have your pet rest – a great option is the Territory travel blanket which is a bag and blanket in one.  You can carry some of your pets items in it, and then unroll it at the beach.

9. Umbrella – this is really only necessary if you are spending the entire day at the beach – it’s important for your dog to have shade to lay under and not be in direct sun all day.  Same goes for you!

10. Extra waterproof collar – with ID! – My dog likes to go in the water so he wears a waterproof collar while in the water so not to ruin his regular collar. And an Extra regular leash – sand can easily get into the clasp of your leash and jam it making it not effective, you can knock the sand out but if your leash is exposed to the elements often, rust, salt water and sand do NOT make for a secure leash.  Bring an extra leash with you for an added safety measure.

Also you should Monitor your dog always while in the water – I prefer to keep my dog on a long line so he can’t get too far into the water and I can pull him back to me if I see him trying to eat something in the water or on the sand.  Yes, he knows leave it and drop it, but you know how quickly a dog can eat something he is not supposed to.

And Watch for wildlife – in many areas there may be wildlife your dog is not used to seeing, like deer, turtles, sea birds, crabs and so forth and if your dog is not leashed, it will not be a good thing if he takes off after a deer or tries to pick up a live crab!   So keep your eyes out, and in the water too.  If there are lot of crabs or jelly fish – don’t let your dog in the water, getting pinched by a crab or stung by a jelly fish is no more fun for our pups than it is for us!

You will also want to watch your dog and not let him eat anything on the beach. Haha, I know good luck -but there are many scrumptious dead things on the beach often, shells, seaweed, broken glass and sadly on LI, garbage – so train your dog the ‘leave it’ and ‘drop it’ commands!  These commands will come in very handy as your puppy is running with a dead crab in his mouth.  Yuck!

Lastly, it is good to rinse your dog off from the salt water when you get back home and thoroughly check your dog for ticks, and check again! Also look for any scraps or minor cuts, especially on the paw pads, that need attention.

Paw prints in the sand and great days on the beach with our dogs are a big part of island living – get out there and enjoy it with your dog!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

7 picks from Global 2016!

6.2 miles of trade show floor this year at Global Pet Expo, 3,218 booths and over 1,000 exhibitors at those booths. So to narrow this down to 7 picks – well not an easy task – and maybe not fair as I saw a ton of pet products that I would love to share  – but we would be here forever!  So I choose 7 picks and few honorable mentions!  In no particular order, here’s some of the cool products that caught my eye while in Orlando 2 weeks ago:

Automatic Litter-Robot – So this may be a steep price at $449.00 but really – if you have a cat or cats, in my opinion the Litter-Robot by Auto Pets is the way to go.  Litter box cleaning is no fun and this is virtually hands free, and should make your life so much easier.  Another great thing, this pet tech product is fully made in the USA – how cool is that?  You can see my Youtube video about coming soon!

Tall Tails Authentic Dog Products once again had a beautiful booth with many new products debuting at Global this year.  A new collection, the Run Wild collection has a bold new pattern and design on many of their exisiting products and new products like the Flying Disc which is perfect retreiving games with your dog and it even floats.  The new 3-in-1 blanket is a great combo for those dogs who love to snuggle under the covers, find a comfy place to relax on after hours of play.

Jakks Pet Faces pillows – these stopped me in my tracks because of the sheer adorableness of them. And they were incredibly soft and the faces are lifelike and cartoonish all at the same time.  Perfect gift for the pet lover in your life or even your pets.  They had many cat face pillows including Grumpy Cat, and also for dogs, a Boxer, Bulldog, Rottie, Boston Terrier, Yorkie and Pom.

The Orijen and Acana booth where they were doing a food tasting with chefs making food for people with the same human grade ingredients that goes into the dog food – it was a big hit, there were a lot of people sampling their food and their display was incredible.  They had a display of all the ingredients that go into their foods – nothing like I have seen before (it’s usually just pictures of the ingredients).  Their pet food is made in Canada, but in a few months a brand new facility will open in Kentucky and all the food will be made and ingredients sourced in the USA.

Hurtta – If you are someone who likes to go on adventures with your dog, off the beaten trail, like me – then you will love the products from Hurtta – from Finland.  Especially the Sun & Bug Blocker – it may seem crazy to put your dog in this full body coat for lack of a better term.  But just the other day I walked my dog Cody in a relatively new county park, and was picking the tiny ticks off him as we walked (and he wasn’t in the brush).  This coat also provides a UPF of 40 blocking most of the UV rays from the sun.  The other coat they had that I absolutey loved is the Ultimate Warmer.  In looking for a coat for Cody, I could never find anything that actually fits him, covers his butt and goes up to his neck.  He is a wuss when it comes to the cold, so I can wait to try this for him.

Finding toys for my dog that he won’t destroy is nearly impossible.  Even the toys that say durable, puncture resistant – are usually no match for him.  Walking the trade show floor I saw a ton of really nice toys, adorable toys, super soft toys – non of which would last more than 3 minutes.  I know many of you can relate.  On my last day at Global I saw something that I thought, hmm, I bet this would be a good choice for Cody, the Virtually Indestructible ball by Hueter Toledo, Inc.   It comes in many sizes, some even have a ball within a ball and best part, made in the USA!  Hope to get one soon to try it with Cody!

Beco Bowl by Beco Pets – if you have a big dog, you know finding a collaspable water bowl that is non-toxic and well made is hard to find.  I literally have been searching for 6-months for a Large collapsable water bowl to no avail.  The majority are made for small or medium sized dogs – or the opening of the bowl is just too small.  On the last day, literally the last 15 minutes of the show I found the Beco Bowl (thanks Dana!), so I can wait for Cody to try it.  It is sustainable, toxin free, as are all their products.

A few other pet products that I loved was the PawFlex new series of tug toys, A Pet with Paws Vegan pet carriers made from recycled plastic water bottles, Einstein Pets 1 calorie all natural healthy pet treats, and the emjoi squeaky toys!  For more pictures of great products you can click here.

If you were at Global – what was your favorite find?

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Our list of gifts that you and your pet will LOVE this Valentine’s Day!

Recently I received the Travel Blanket from Original Territory for my dog Cody – and for someone who has been in the pet industry for a while, this is something I have not seen before!  It makes such a great gift for a dog parent because it’s 2 in 1 functions, but also because it’s useful for both you and your dog.  The Travel Blanket starts out as a bag with handles and pockets where you could put items like dog treats, water, sunscreen, bug spray, water bottle, etc. and take it with you on a hike, to the beach or where ever you are going with your dog.  When you get to your location, you can take the items out, undo the velcro holding the bag together and open up and like magic you now have a soft blanket to sit on. The back side is waterproof – so if you’re on a beach that the sand may be wet or the ground on your hike is a little damp – you won’t get wet while sitting on the blanket!  How cool is that.  I can’t wait to use it this spring, summer and fall to bring with me on one of Cody’s Adventures.  The Travel Blanket is available on Target.com – and Original Territory has many other fab pet products that you can purchase for your furry valentine as well. You can see a video from Titus and Hailey about the blanket here and even a big beautiful dog like Bocker the labradoodle fits perfectly on it – check out Bocker’s pictures here.

And don’t forget to get your pup delish dog treats for Valentine’s day – they may not be in the shape of a heart but your dog will love these Made in the USA healthy treats from Kaleb’s Organics.  Your pooch will fall head over paws for Kaleb’s Organics Dog Treats!  Kaleb’s offer wholesome ingredients, great taste, and are USDA Certified Organic and you can even eat them yourself.  Available in a variety of delicious flavors, Kaleb’s are made using all natural ingredients and no preservatives. The ingredients in each treat provide numerous health benefits for our animal companions and are Non-GMO Project Verified.  Your dog may be eating better than you on Valentine’s day!

Your dog will be thirsty after crunching down those yummy treats so why not give him filtered water from the new innovative Torus water bowls by Heyrex Limited.  Pretty to look at with their modern design, these bowls are more than just a pretty face!  Use them at home as your pet’s regular water bowls, but they also have a lock, fill and drink function making it ideal for travel as well.  Holding up to 2 liters of water in their reservoir walls, filtering the water as it automatically dispenses.  Its large capacity means less filling and low profile means less spills.  These bowls come in 2 liter and 1 liter sizes perfect for big and small pets and you have to love all the colors they come in!  To get yours, you can purchase simply on Amazon.com.

After drinking all that water and maybe you’re not home in time to let your dog out – here’s the perfect solution UGODOG, the #1 indoor dog potty training system. The UGODOG is environmentally friendly, keeps paws dry, easy to use, absorbent liners are reusable and biodegradable, we love that!  Plus you purchase one you will get a free training manual with your UGODOG.  This also a perfect solution to pads laying around your house and those days when perhaps the elevator is working in your high rise apartment building.  UGODOG can change the way you think about potty training your dogs and it is also light weigth and portable so you can bring it with you.  To get yours you can simply click here or call 1-888-405-7499 for more info.

Here’s another simple, yet brilliant solution to leaving your sliding glass doors open so your pets can go in and out.  You know what I am talking about!  Treat your dog or cat to an Apartment Pet Door™ by Balcony Pets solves the problem of you having to leave your sliders open.  It is a non-permanent pet door that is adjustable and pops right into the track of your sliding glass doors.  One of those, why didn’t I think of that ideas!  Created by Nancy Carson who didn’t want to leave her doors open all the time yet give her pets the ability to go in-and-out without having to install a traditional doggie door or having to get up everytime her pet was pawing at the door to go in the yard.  It’s simple to put together, snaps together in minutes, installs without tools or expertise from a handy person, drops into the tracks of your sliders and works with any height sliding glass door.  You can take this mobile pet door with you when you move or travel.  You’ll love the convenience and also the energy you save by not leaving the door open!  Check out the video about it here, and to get your own or your sweetheart one for their pet click here.

While your pet is enjoying going in and out, make sure that they have proper ID on them and keep your dog or cat safe and sound with a Twigo LOVE Tag!  Perfect for the furry love you own, Twigo Tags are a fun way to add that ID tage to your pets collar and also not have to hear that jingling either. Pet safety should be at the top of all pet owners’ priority list. A Twigo LOVE Tag is perfect for spreading pet identification awareness in a simple and stylish way this Valentine’s Day. Twigo Tags require no engraving and are instantly personalize-able with a ballpoint pen – simply write, boil and wear. The tags self-attach and are completely silent, ideal for those who dislike the jingling noise and remove their pet’s tags while inside the house.  To get yours click here.

After all the adventures with your pup, the romping in the yard, hikes and playing in the snow – you may notice that your dog is not smelling to lovely!  Time for a bath – and to make his fur super soft and sweet smelling you will want to try ECO Dog Care Pet Products Simply Clean Dog Shampoo.  Recently I got a bottle of this dog shampoo and gave Cody a bath – and not only did he smell great, he was soft and silky and even stopped scratching! (He has some seasonal allergies).  There is also and in-between spray called Simpy Fresh that you can use – and what I love about it is it is environmentally friendly, Made in the USA and with all natural ingredients.  Simply Fresh also naturally repels pests like fleas and ticks so they stay off your dog and out of your car & house – yes, love that!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Excited to bring you our 2015 Holiday Pet Gift Guide where you can find gifts for pets and pet parents alike this holiday season!  From gifts that help you cherish your pet’s life, their memory – to functional, stylish, comfy and even products to help your pet’s ailments.  I invite you to visit each product listed below and visit their website as well to learn more.  In the spirit of the Holiday season – while doing your holiday shopping perhaps you can purchase 1 extra gift to give to someone who could really use it for themselves or their pet.  Happy shopping!

We often think of our pets who may have passed on, during the holidays and all year long. MiY Pet Perennials Kit is a wonderful way to remember your pet for years to come.  It is the is the perfect healing activity for anyone experiencing pet loss. Each kit contains everything necessary to craft 12-14 planting wafers. Each wafer propagates a one square foot area with wildflowers.  What a beautiful way to remember you pet and help the earth at the same time!  Pet families can customize their
living memorial by incorporating a portion of a pet’s cremation remains into the process.  A meaningful gift for sure.

Another really sweet and meaningful holiday gift is to have a pet portrait painted by a talented artist.  It doesn’t have to be a memorial, it is something you can do now for your favorite pet parent.  I know for myself, when my dog Max passed, a few incredible people in my life had a couple paintings of him done.  It was perfect. Animal artist Michelle Kohler located on Long Island does hand painted portraits from your photo onto canvas or wood.  Prices start at $75.00 for 8×10 size and paintings are done in acrylic or oil. Michelle also does a mini portrait “CHRISTMAS COOKIE” tree ornament for $30.00. The Christmas Cookie is a miniature portrait of your pet on a slab of last years Christmas tree. They are absolutely beautiful! To order your gift today contact Michelle at mk336soa@yahoo.com or by calling (631) 374-6378.

Have a pet parent in your life that loves, loves, loves jewelry?  Well you have to check out this beautiful new dog motif jewelry and photo jewelry in
by Zelda’s Song in their Etsy Store! Brand new designs include our first-ever silver necklaces and photo necklaces.  To make gift-giving easy, they have created our Paw Print Cuff Bracelet, pictured below – which is a fashionable paw print emblem presented on their popularleather cuff bracelet.  You can just add a name to personalize for your  favorite dog lover! You also have to check out all their other products on ZeldasSong.com you are sure to find something you love (and maybe just for yourself!)

If you’re like me you prefer a leather collar for your dog.  For me there are many reasons, durability, strength, beauty and of course the many choices there are today.  You cannot go wrong with a beautiful dog collar from Auburn Leathercrafters.  Hand crafted right here in New York and with high quality leather – a family owned and operated company.  They have matching collars and leashes like the ones pictured below, collars with bling, for the largest dog you can imagine down to the tiny pup.  You can find their collars in many fine retailers – but if you don’t have a pet store near you go to their consumer website CollarsandMore.com.

If you are looking for a healthy dog treat for spoil your pup with you need to check out Deb’s Healthy Pet Center!  Offering a wide range of food, treats and supplements. They sell only all natural items, and the majority of what they offer are single-ingredient products. There are NO steroids, antibiotics, preservatives, hormones, grain or gluten in any of their products, all of which are made in the USA with only farm fresh ingredients grown here.  They are committed to 100% sourcing ingredients and manufacturing in the USA.  So your pet can be healthy now and healthy for life.

The next two items are perfect to be given as a gift together, you’ll see what I mean in a minute!

The Torus Water Bowls are new to the market and high tech yet simple to use.  The water bowls store water inside its reservoir walls, filtering the water as it automatically dispenses.  The large capacity means less filling and it’s low profile and grips mean less mess or spills that you will have to clean up.  Torus has a lock, fill and drink function for portability and does NOT require batteries.  The 1 liter bowl is ideal for small pets and the 2 liter bowl is ideal for larger or mutliple pets.  The bowls are available in Charcoal, Red, Blue & Pink (1 L only). Torus includes one carbon filter, lasting 1 month and has a 12 month warranty. Visit their website for more information on this cool new bowl.

Ok, maybe you will get the tie into the next product! 😉

UGODOG is the #1 Indoor Dog Potty approved by the APA. This pet potty is environmentally friendly, keeps paws dry, is easy for pets to use,  has absorbent liners that are reusable and biodegradable and owners get a free training manual with purchase. Makes a great gift for pet owners, especially those who are in high rise apartment buildings, in cold weather areas (who can’t get out quickly to take their pets out), and it’s great for older dogs too for them to have a safe clean place to go in your home say if you are out longer than anticipated.  And for puppies too!

Brand new to the market, like literally launched 2 weeks ago is Deziner Dogs, brought to you by pet entrepreneur Heather Lehrman, “Deziner Dogs was created not only by me, but by every pet owner I run in to.”  Not only will Deziner Dogs differentiate your dog breed with their apparel and leash line, it will also start many conversations between dog owners.  Their mission is to make high quality, fashion forward & fun products for you and your pet! Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed.

If you’re thinking holistic pet care, that can be a personal choice – but I am sure as you’re reading this you know of at least one person who has a dog, cat or horse that may have a specific type of aliment.  Perhaps the traditional way of treating that ailment hasn’t really help their pet, if so, I encourage you to check out Dr. Baker’s Canine System Saver.  It is an all-natural herbal supplement that is a safe and effective alternative to treating many dogs ailments – instead of using harsh anti-inflammatory medications. Suitable to help manage ailments dogs suffer from such as: Arthritis; Chronic Dermatitis; Inflammatory Bowel Disease; Respiratory Disorders; Hip Dysplasia; Cartilage Destruction; Geriatric Wasting; Athletic/Repetitive Stress and Autoimmune Disorders.  Created by a holistic veterinarian right here on Long Island, Dr. Don Baker who has 30 years experience and is passionate about helping our pets in a holistic effective way.  Of course with any treatment plan you should contact your own vet first – but you need to visit their website and find out more about this great product.

If you’re looking for luxury for your home and your pets, then Tall Tails Authentic Dog Textiles is where you want to look!  Tall Tails is a leader in manufacturing high quality textiles and accessories for dogs and their families. Tall Tails offers products that pet parents love to provide for comfortable living, beautiful design, and interaction with their pets. Tall Tails helps provide soothing solutions for everyone in the family after a long day on the mountain peaks or the city streets. Quality products include: supportive beds, super-soft blankets, absorbent grooming towels, interactive toys, durable leashes, and WaterwoofTM pads.  You will end up wanting their items for you and your pets, but they make beautiful holiday gifts as well.  You can find their products in over 500 pet boutiques across the country.

Wishing you and your pets a very Happy Holiday season!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Made in the USA Dog treats Cody loves, and mom approved!

Being in the pet industry for a long time, I see a ton of pet products on a regular basis and dog treats of all kinds – and the treat market is booming and seemingly not slowing down.  Being very picky of what I feed my dog Cody, here’s a list of treats that I approve of that are Made in the USA, made with great USA sourced ingredients, and some even serve a purpose.  Cody literally drools big time when he is patiently waiting to nosh on any one of these treats below!  In no particular order:

The SmartCookee Company PB’N Jelly Time – just too darn cute, right? Also, a 1 calorie treat – how cool is that? SmartCookee’s founder is passionate about feeding dogs treats that are of high quality and low in calorie.  Many pets across this country are sadly overweight and this is a really great option if you are doing training and/or just can’t resist those puppy dog eyes begging you for just one more treat.  Made with organic and natural ingredients and also chia seeds to help aid in digestion. Flavors include ‘The Great Pumpkin,’ ‘I Yam what I Yam,’ ‘Peas and Carrots’ and there are even holiday treats available now too.  You can see from the pictures below Cody could not wait for me to open this package!

Look Who’s Happy, yup you can tell from this picture below Cody is loving Look Who’s Happy treats. I literally have to hide these treats because Cody can sniff them out!  Look Who’s Happy has a few different line of treats – but the ones picture here are the Happy Wraps.  Cody has been loving all of the flavors picture, Carrot with Chicken recipe, Carrot with Turkey recipe and Sweet Potato with Turkey recipe.  Made with whole muscle chicken, and they contain no by-products, fillers or artificial perserveratives, flavors or colors added.  You can clearly see the carrot and the chicken in the treats.  They are also grain and gluten free. And of course made here in the USA at their family owned plant.  Cody is very happy!

Scout & Zoes has many different products, all sourced and made right here in the USA – and pictured below is a recent contest I held, “Where in the World is Cody” in which Sue Johnson correctly guessed where he was.  She won the Purple Sweet Potato Slabs and Venison Jerky treats.  Sue said, “Jake loves the sweet potato treats, and I can’t believe it because he normally doesn’t like sweet potato at all.”  She told me he of course also loves the venison treats.  Cody did not want to part with Jake’s prize when I handed it to Sue, can’t really blame him!  Visit their website to see the many great products for your pets as they also make treats and products for cats, birds, horses and small animals.

Doggables Dog Scoops are a uniquely shaped cookie that actually serve a purpose. Not wanting to use traditional pockets to give her dog a pill, the founder of the company came up with making an all natural edible scoop in 2 different sizes.  You can use them to administer medication to your dog by hiding it in peanut butter or pumpkin with the scoop – and your dog can eat the entire scoop, handle an all.  Or if you need to give a crated dog medication you can also use the scoop to feed him through the crate.  They have a larger size for big dogs and mini for the small pups, you can see below.  I am going to use these to start giving Cody his fish oil capsules, he loves them just as a treat, but I love what the purpose if for too.  Made with incredible ingredients like: coconut oil, flax seed, barley, salmon oil, pumpkin, oatmeal, cinnamon and peanut butter.  They come in 2 flavors: Pumpkinable and Peanutbutterable.

Halo Live-a-Littles (Cats love these too), ok so I have dubbed this for a long time as ‘Doggie and Kitty crack’ maybe not he best description, but I am telling you once your pet tries these they will be hooked!  I once had a client who’s cat I took care of and she introduced me to these – her cats went bananas for them, and I kid you not using these treats I trained her cat to sit on command, just like a dog for the treat.  If you own a cat you know that is not the norm!  Live-a-littles are freeze dried treats thac come in chicken, salmon or beef.  All sourced and made here in the USA. And if you have a fincky eater these treats crumble very easily – it could be used as that incentive for them to eat their food.  Cody loves them and I am using as a great training tool for him knowing it’s a great high protein snack.

When feeding any treats to your pets, be sure if you give them a lot during the day, (whether you’re doing training or feeling guilty for working so much), be sure to deduct that same amount of their regular food.  We love giving our pups treats, but if you don’t account for all the treats during the day – you could add unwanted extra lbs on your pup, and nobody wants that!

And as a side note, I do not feed my dog: pigs ears, rawhide, hooves, antlers, chicken feet or anything along those lines.  I even stopped giving him bully sticks as his belly didn’t do too well after eating one a few months ago.   It’s a personal choice to not feed him the random body parts of animals – there are too many concerns for blockages if a he didn’t chew a pigs ear enough or a piece of something that broke off that he was chewing on.  I know many dog owners swear by the antlers – again it is just a personal choice.

I do give him big heavy marrow bones – that I get from a health food store, (same place I have been buying them for 20 years), and of course he is montitored while getting all that marrow out – and the bones are sourced and processed from right here in the USA.  These marrow bones never break, splinter or get worn down too much – he loves to get his chew on – and he gets a new one monthly. (Helps keep his teeth clean too!)

All of the treats mentioned above were supplied to us for this pet product review, all reviews are honest and if we didn’t like something we would tell you!