A Dog's Love...

Your Dog is Always Watching

Dogs Make a Home a Home

A Happy Lab Is A Healthy Lab!

What's cuter than a happy, playful lab? Not much! We are a dog loving family and have had several breeds of dogs over the years. Shepherds, sheltie, and quite a few mutts. Then we got our lab! Bingo! Just the right dog for our family. Buddy, our black lab is a floppy eared, lovable and energetic pup! Our kids can drag him around and roll all over him without any worries.

Naturally, we want to keep him healthy and full of energy. We have had the sad experience of losing dogs to illnesses like cancer. That motivates us to take really good care of Buddy. One thing we really try and avoid is giving him table scraps. We want him to get all of his nutritional needs met and that means no table scraps!

We made sure to find out the schedule for Buddy to get all his puppy shots. since they are good preventatives. We were on the lookout for the dreaded Parvo, which we didn't have to deal with, thank goodness!

There's also the matter of nutrition. I got some recommendations from some of the pet stores and then researched more about them online to make the final decision. Our dog is NOT a picky eater so that part was easy. I recommend that you find a good, nutritionally balanced dog food right from the beginning if you can.

With a houseful of kids, Buddy gets plenty of exercise and he loves the outdoors. We had to shore up some of the holes in our fence to make a safe play area for him. He seems to do just fine in the cold weather playing outdoors for awhile.

Flea control is very important as well, and may take a bit of testing to find out what works the best for your dog and your situation. We don't use any kind of flea bomb in our house because we have a family member who cannot tolerate it. I must say that after we bathe Buddy we put coconut oil on his skin and I love the results. It helps keep the fleas under control and helps keep his skin from getting dry. There is a residue for a few days, so you may want to cover your couch. But I like the smell and his silky coat and it won't hurt your dog in any way if they decide to lick it.

Helping Your Dog Lose Weight

I recommend this video because it's a common problem for a dog, especially a lab to become overweight. Then your dog is at risk for different health problems. I have had an overweight dog develop osteoarthritis and it is not fun at all. It's our job to take care of our doggies and know what is best to feed them.

We can learn to read the dog food labels and keep track of how much we feed our dogs and the calories they are getting. When need to be conscientious about keeping our dogs weight under control. Being overweight is bad for a dogs health and can even contribute to a shortened life span.

 I know we all like to spoil our labs, but follow some of the healthy suggestions in this video and you can do it in a healthy way!

5 Healthy Dog Foods That Dog Owners and Their Dogs Love

Wellness Complete Health Dry Dog

Small Breed Puppy

This brand has a lot of healthful ingredients, with salmon meal being one of the primary meats. Salmon is really good for your dog's brain. Oatmeal and barley are the grains - no cheap fillers on this one.

I spent some time looking at the reviews of the "healthy dog food" products out there. I like the fact that it has Omega oils and fruits and vegetables as well. This dog food gets a lot of good reviews from dog owners, claiming good health and lots of energy among other things.

A Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food 

High Prairie Formula

This brand of dog food is popular with those who wish to feed their dog high protein. It has lots of meat, including bison and venison along with the more traditional chicken, lamb, etc.

This dog food is fairly economically priced giving people the option of lower cost along with quality. People report that their dogs have nice, shiny coats and lots of energy along with weight loss after switching their dogs to Taste of the Wild.

Diamond Naturals Dry Dog Food

Chicken and Rice Formula

An advantage of this dog food is lower price plus good nutrition. Reviews from customers say that it is easy for their dogs to digest. A sleek, healthy coat and better smell overall are reported by lots of dog owners who use this food for their dogs.

No cheap corn or wheat fillers make this dog food a decent and healthy choice. Check out all the positive ratings and see for yourself. This is Diamond Naturals, not Diamond.

Newman's Own Organics

Adult Dog Food Formula  

Newman's organic dog food presents a very affordable option to a quality dog food. Made with chicken that is organic, along with rice and nothing artificial it may be a good choice for your dog. Senior dogs have done well tolerating this brand and owners report less trips to the vet than when using other foods.

Easy to digest, tasty, Newman's is popular with dogs and owners who don't want to sacrifice quality or break their wallets at the same time.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain Free

Dry Dog Food, Salmon Recipe

Blue Buffalo is patterned after the diet of wolves. It is high protein and low in carbs. This brand is known for not having any by-products. Dog owners report quite a few benefits from using Blue Buffalo.

Dogs that are prone to allergic reactions tolerate Blue Buffalo very well. It has been reported to help clear up skin problems as well. One of the brands that has stayed true to being nutritionally sound as well as affordable, it is worth checking out.

 

I love this picture of these two labs obviously having a great time. Keeping your dog active will help him or her stay healthy. Labs love water and this can be one way to help them get the exercise you need. I just love to see dogs swim, it tickles me to death!