We all hear a lot about healthy eating, being green, and good exercise habits for our human health… but did you know there’s a day dedicated to reminding us to do the same for our pets?

Well … there is, and today is the day!

As we mentioned earlier this month, approximately 35% of our pets don’t get proper exercise, so one thing you can do to celebrate is to check out our post for ideas on exercising with your pet – and get to it!

Other ways you can celebrate include:

• Choosing a natural pet food to reduce your pet’s exposure to artificial ingredients. We have many pet food choices to consider that could help to reduce the symptoms associated with allergies, digestion, obesity, diabetes and many other common pet health-challenges – just ask a Chuck & Don’s team member for help! Any decision on what to feed your pet who has health issues should be made after consultation with your veterinarian.

• Don’t forget the treats! We can imagine your pet saying this every time you go out the door … but we mean specifically considering if the treats you give your pet are equally as natural and nutritious as the food you feed them.

• Get a check-up. It’s a good idea to schedule an annual check-up with your veterinarian to make sure you are catching any potential health issues as they arise.

• Don’t forget to brush! Research shows that by the age of 3, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have gum disease, which can lead to dangerous infections. Brushing your pet’s teeth regularly with pet-approved toothpaste can go a long way to preventing these infections from becoming serious.Tell us – what other ways do you live a “holistic” life – benefitting you and your pets?

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

It’s been a busy month in the Colorado area, with several great events for pets and their people.

On August 4th and 5th, we were proud to sponsor the Dogs of the British Isles Parade and Exhibition during the Colorado Scottish Festival. As a part of the festivities, we introduced folks in attendance to our new Colorado mascot, Scout!

On August 10th, we attended the Denver Pet Expo, where we met tons of new friends of the 4-legged and 2-legged variety!

Then it was on to the Big Dogs Huge Paws 5K Walk on the 18th. We started early with a cool, crisp morning, then warmed up to a sunny beautiful day for a walk with dogs and their humans.

A big THANK-YOU! to everyone who came out to visit with us this month! We’ve had tons of fun meeting all of our new friends, and seeing friendly faces we recognize at all of these events and look forward to continuing our involvement in the pet community here! Make sure to check out our Facebook page for photos from our Colorado events.

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

Is it gray? Is it blue? If you’re looking at a dog and having trouble telling which color it is, it’s probably a Weimaraner!

Weimaraners were originally known as Weimer Pointers, and were bred in Germany as hunting dogs. They are believed to be a descendant of the Bloodhound, and over the years have adapted to become a bird dog and hunting companion.

They tend to have great speed and endurance, and are fearless. They do well in obedience training, and love to learn new things. They are easily groomed, as their coat is short and smooth.

Because they are super-friendly and easily trainable, they can become great members of your family. Weimaraners love children and enjoy being a part of your family’s “pack.”

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

One of the things that we love to explore is the human-animal bond created between working dogs and their humans.  Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of a military working dog (or MWD) is like?

Since World War II when the U.S. Military began using dogs in a variety of combat roles, their jobs have changed over time – but the job of sniffing out explosives is at the heart of what the dogs do so well.

In a story published on the official website of the U.S. Air Force, Army Staff Sergeant Daniel Turner says:  “Soldiers love having dogs out there, and they are an irreplaceable asset.  When it’s nature over high tech machines — nature is going to win every time.”

Turner has been a handler since 2003, training and evaluating the dog/handler teams at Kandahar Airfield, and he relies on his dog’s superior smell in the field.

“When we smell a hamburger, we smell the whole thing. The dogs can smell each component of that burger from the meat, the cheese, and the rest,” he said.

Dogs in training often work five or six days a week, doing two exercises a day.  Training aids are buried and the dogs must search and find them, receiving a reward of a rubber toy signifying they have accomplished their mission.

Training can last for 2-weeks up to 30 days, so it’s not long before the dogs and their handlers are running actual missions.  Staff Sergeant Larry Harris says, “These dogs are trained to save lives and that is not lost on those who depend on them most.”

Of course, a small percentage of MWD-dogs-in-training don’t pass the rigorous requirements set forth by military standards.   In these cases, and when a MWD has served his time and is ready for retirement, the dog becomes eligible for adoption – either by his handler or by anyone wanting to offer a MWD his or her forever home.  More information about adopting a MWD is available here.

There are many types of dogs who become military working dogs, but common breeds include Belgian Malinois, Dutch Shepherd, German Shepherd and Labrador Retriever dogs, among others.

We say “Thank You” to all military working dogs and their handlers for their service and the valuable work they perform!

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

Experts estimate that nearly 35% of pets today are overweight, which increases their risks for many serious illnesses including arthritis, heart disease, diabetes and more.

Just like with us humans, the problem is attributed to a lack of exercise.  While exercising sometimes sounds like a 4-letter word to us, remember that exercise is “play time” to your 4-legged friend and when viewed that way, can make getting off the couch a lot more bearable.

Here’s 3 of our favorite ways to exercise with your pet to keep him or her healthy:

• Go for a Walk!  One of the easiest and simplest ways to give you and your pet some great exercise.  Experts recommend longer walks (at least 15 to 20 minutes) to boost you and your pet’s heart rate and metabolism.

• Dog-Tag!  Just like the game of tag you may have played as a kid, “tag” your dog and then begin running around your back yard, letting him or her chase you. It won’t take long to get both of your heart rates jumping, and your dog will love it!

• Cat Curls! Not to forget about our feline friends! Cat Curls are great fun for your kitty and good exercise for you.  Hold a small flashlight in each hand while you do crunches on the floor.  As you sit up, flash the light alternating with each hand against a wall across from you.  Kitty will go crazy chasing the light, and you’ll get your sit-ups done too!

These are just a few of our favorite pet exercises – how do you like to exercise with your pet?  Share your ideas!

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pet’s Happy!

As you can imagine, we hear a lot of pet-related questions from our customers – and we love to share what we’ve learned to help keep pets happy!

One question we hear a lot this time of year is well-stated by “Craig”, who wrote in to Ask Chuck:

Why would a male cat lick the fur off his belly and the insides of his hind legs? Can I paint on that stuff they use to keep kids from sucking their thumbs to make him stop?

What we’ve found is that sometimes a cat will lick the fur off his belly and hind legs if he has an allergy and would suggest you contact your vet regarding this issue.

While we aren’t familiar with the ingredient listing for the product that helps kids stop sucking their thumb, we do sell products like Naturvet’s Bitter Yuck no chew spray. It is water based and when your cat licks it, the product would leave a bad flavor in their mouth.

Have you experienced this problem with your cats? How have you dealt with this issue?

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

Huzzah!

Have you ever wondered what pets of the Renaissance-era looked like?

Curious to see pets in tights?

Then join us at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival’s Ye Old Pet Fest Weekend this Saturday, August 18th and Sunday August 19th and find out!

In addition to all of the great Renaissance Festival entertainment, learn about pet safety and training, purchase pet clothing, personalized tags, all-natural dog food and watch the disc dogs perform!

There’s a pet costume contest and wiener dog races too!

In order to bring your dog to the Festival, you must complete the Dog Registration Form and check in at the pet gate.

As the sponsor of Ye Old Pet Fest this year, Chuck & Don’s employees team members will be on hand, (dressed in Renaissance-era costumes, of course!) so please stop by and say hello (oops – we mean, Huzzah!)

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

A HUGE thank-you to our loyal customers who nominated Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlets for Denver’s A-List Awards for the second year in a row!

Every year, The Denver A-List Awards highlight the “Best of the Best” in the Denver area, and this year we are proud to say we’ve been nominated for “Best Pet Supplies” in Denver, the category we took first place in last year.

This is an enormous honor and we couldn’t do it without you, our loyal customers.  Our mission is to make pets happy, and with only a few days left to vote, we think our pets and their people have been actively rooting for us to win again this year.

Thanks for trusting Chuck & Don’s to keep YOUR pets happy!

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

International Assistance Dog Week (IADW) was created to recognize all the devoted, hardworking assistance dogs helping individuals with disabilities thrive and lead fuller, happier lives.

The goals of IADW are to:

• Recognize and honor assistance dogs
• Raise awareness and educate the public about assistance dogs
• Honor puppy raisers and trainers
• Recognize heroic deeds performed by assistance dogs in our communities

Assistance dogs transform the lives of their human partners with debilitating physical and mental disabilities by serving as their companion, helper, aide, best friend and close member of their family.

International Assistance Dog Week was established due to the efforts of Marcie Davis, a paraplegic for over 35 years and CEO of Davis Innovations, a consulting firm based in Santa Fe, NM. Davis is the author of Working Like Dogs: The Service Dog Guidebook, a resource book that captures personal stories, checklists and practical tips to provide the reader with an A-Z guide about service dogs.

Looking for more information about assistance dogs in your area?  Check out these great organizations dedicated to connecting assistance dogs with the people who need them:

Colorado:

Colorado Service Dogs

Canine Partners of the Rockies

Freedom Service Dogs

Minnesota:

Can-Do Canines

Helping Paws

Paw Pads

R.E.A.D. Dogs of Minnesota

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

Earlier this week, Happy Dog Geno mentioned The Queen’s Corgis in his post about the 2012 Olympics, and their appearance on the world stage.

Several people have asked (well, it was really just us wondering in the office) – who are the Queen’s Corgis? We thought we’d do a little research and share it with you in case you were wondering, too!

Queen Elizabeth II has been Queen Mother to over 30 Corgis so far. It started when her father, King George VI brought home the first royal Corgis, Dookie and Jane back in 1933.

Then in 1944 when she was 18, Elizabeth was given a Corgi named Susan and that started her tradition with the breed.  The Queen currently has four Corgis named Linnet, Monty, Willow and Holly.  She also has three Dorgis named Cider, Candy and Vulcan (a Dorgi is a cross between a Dachshund and a Corgi).

They have their own “Corgi Room” in the palace and dine on a variety of menu items including chuck steak, poached chicken and rabbit.

When Prince William and Kate Middleton were married, cake designer Michelle Wibowo created a giant Corgi cake, which set a Guinness World Record for the largest dog-shaped cake ever (it was four feet high and weighed 150 pounds).  Good thing the Queen did not choose Great Dane’s or that cake would have been enormous!

We think it’s wonderfully ironic that the Guinness World Record for largest dog-shaped cake is held by a woman with the last name of WiBOWo … we couldn’t make that up if we tried!

Now we all know a little bit more about the Queen’s Corgis.  Do you have a Corgi (or a Dorgi) that has captured your heart? Pop on over to our Facebook page and share your photos!

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!