Embrace Pet Community blog

Nulo Week 4: Bad Dog Aerobics!

A Nulo update from Lyger and Tahlula:

We're really getting into this Nulo thing!  We've been going for walks and taking trips to the park so much, that yesterday we decided to go all by ourselves!  When Lea wasn't looking, we pushed open the front door, went past the gate, and took off for the park!  It was great! Running is so much better without a leash on!  You can go fast, in any direction, especially when people are trying to catch you!

We don't care that Lea missed her bus trying to chase us down.  We wanted to exercise!!

Lea says:We skipped Tahlula's weigh in this week, because we thought she was still hurting from her injury last week. Judging by her sprints to the park yesterday, though, she's a faker, and will be back to her walks now.  Lyger however, has stalled out on his weight loss, which is not a bad thing, considering that he was losing a bit too fast. 

Are you thinking about switching to Nulo?  Enter code Tryme2508 to save 25% and get free shipping on your first purchase. (limited time only)

Celebrating Senior Pets!

This month we're going to be celebrating Senior Pets!  We love their graying muzzles and whiskers, the special way the appreciate a good massage, and the sparkle in their eyes.  There is something special about the lifetime bond that develops with older cats and dogs, and we want to honor that connection that you have with an older animal.

My dogs are both getting on in years (Lyger's 10, and Tahlula's 8) and while I see them slowing down, I feel more in touch with them and their moods now, than when they were spastic younger dogs. I enjoy those quiet moments, watching them snore and enjoy a spot of sunshine, the way only an older pet can. 

Shown right is Cody, an 8 year old Corgi.

Congratulations, Leroy!

Leroy the naughty Newfie and his mom, Jen, (poor jen!) are the winners of the Training Pup Pack from WelcomePup.com.  We hope to hear some stories of a better behaved boy, over at Jen's blog, My Brown Newfies.  Until then, we'll just continue to enjoy reading about his antics, starting with this funny post about Leroy's "self-control".

If you'd like to pick out a Welcome Pup gift pack, be sure to use promo EMB01 to save 10% off your order throughout 2010.

Nulo Week 3: Lyger's Turn!

Tahlula's had a bad week (the poor girl did the splits on a slick floor at the pet store-oww!) so we're giving her a break from her exercises for a few days.  It's Lyger's turn to be weighed and weigh in on Nulo this week...

Lyger loves going to the park at the end of our block.  There are tons of great smells, grass to kick up, and usually new people to pet him.  It's been the perfect place for us to step up his activity level with the Nulo plan, and we've started logging in his visits, under his Fitness Tracker:

Our goal is to get him regular, short walks and trips to the park.  So he's not sore and exhausted, but he looks forward to the short exercise time.  It's working amazingly well, and I may actually start feeding him a titch more, since he's dropping weight pretty fast (2 lbs so far in 3 weeks) I think he may be a bit hungry.  The combination of food reduction and increased exercise is working though!

 

We'll have more data for you next week!

WelcomePup.com giveaway: We want your "bad dog" stories!

Have you ever wanted to send a gift pack to a newly adopted puppy?  Perhaps wanted to celebrate your grand-doggie's birthday, but were unable to be there in person?  Maybe you want to send a thank you to the family that dog sat for you?  We love the unique and personalized gift boxes available from WelcomePup.com.  No matter the occasion or the dog, they can help you pick a pack for the pup in your life.  

They've got several packages and themes, including the Eco-Friendly pack with green goodies, a pack for Teething puppies, stuffed with durable and soft stuffies, and the Get Well pack, perfect for the pup recovering from surgery or going through a rough spot.  Most of the packages have different options, so you'll meet a variety of budgets, and then you can even customize and add on extra goodies.

This would be such a nice surprise for the pet parent that needs a little pick-me up or sign of appreciation.  Nicer still, WelcomePup.com earmarks a portion of the proceeds from every sale to go toward spay and neuter charities.

WelcomePup.com is sponsoring a giveaway for one lucky reader with a good "bad dog" story.  Post a comment with a quick story about your dog's naughtiest moment, and we'll pick one lucky winner (via random drawing) to receive a Training Pup pack!  The pack (right)includes great goodies, like a PortAPoo, StarMark Clicker, a treat bag, and more! 

Dig back into your memory (you may have blocked some of these memories out) and tell us about your dog's dirtiest deed or biggest oopsie!  (and if you have pictures, feel free to send them to us too!)

Contest rules:Contest open until 8/31/10 at midnight.  Submissions must be entered in the comments section below to qualify.  Winner will be contacted by e-mail, and prize fulfilled by sponsor.  U.S. residents only.  Embrace staff and families not eligible to win.  One entry per person please. 

PoochieBells Winner: Sully!

Congratulations to Sully, and his mom Nikole in Bonney Lake, WA.  They're winners of the Poochie-Bells prize giveaway.

This month's contest was ideal for puppies, but check back next month, when we post contests for Senior pets! 

Nulo: Week 2, from Tahlula

I'm the dog equivalent of a Foodie.  I like food.  All kinds of food.  Fruits, vegetables, bread, meat...and Nulo!  I'm really glad my mom started feeding me Nulo for my breakfast and supper.  The only part I don't like is that Lyger eats all of his food now, so I don't get his leftovers.

But Nulo is tasty! -Tahlula

Lea's note: Shh! If you see her at the dog park, don't tell Tahlula, because I don't think she knows she's on a diet!  She's lost 1/2 lb and is on the right track!

Poochie Bells Giveaway

We've mentioned Poochie-Bells before, but hadn't thought about it much until Cooper learned to use the doggie door bell system to tell his mom that he had to go out.  As a puppy, he was trained to use the bells, and now Cooper just "bops" the bells by the door (at home and even here in the office) with his paw, to signal to us that he's ready for his potty break.   Now, we all recognize the chime as the signal to grab the leash and head outside!

And, one might think that a dog will ring the bells all the time, just to go outside and play, but Cooper seems to know that these bells mean business.  Don't believe us?  Check out all of these youtube pets with their poochie bells! Here's cutie Cosmo:

Poochie-Bells are such a practical and reliable idea, (and they look cute too!) that we want one lucky home to get their own set.  Poochie-Pets is offering one lucky winner one of their 50 designs.  All you need to do is send us a photo of your dog at the door.  There don't have to be bells in the photo, but we want to see doggies with doors.  We'll enter your photo into a random drawing, and announce the winner on 8/24.

and Don't forget to enter our Beautiful Life giveaway!

Contest rules:Contest open until 8/23/10 at midnight.  Submissions must be e-mailed to kz@embracepetinsurance.com to qualify.  Winner will be contacted by e-mail, and prize fulfilled by sponsor.  U.S. residents only.  Embrace staff and families not eligible to win.  One entry per person please. 

Mutt Huttz make Crate Training Pretty

It's surprising to me how well most dogs take to crate training.  Of all the dogs I know, only one is completely resistant to crate training, while most really do seem to adapt to the crate as a den.  We tell Tahlula "in you go" and she puts herself to her crate, with little resistance, because it's her happy place.  But, to be honest, I would like nothing more than to get rid of the dented and dilapidated crate in a dark corner of my living room.  Thankfully, we've found Mutt Huttz to make crate training pretty again.

Mutt Huttz has a full line of handmade and custom pieces to help outfit your dog's crate.  Covers, bumpers and beds, so that your dog's crate is no longer an eyesore, but an attractive area.  The Mutt Huttz covers come in several standard sizes (custom work available too!) in your choice of fabric and trim.  They even have adjustable versions, to fit almost every crate (and budget).  And, not only is it pretty, but they're lined with polar fleece to keep out drafts.  Shown right is the Turquoise Madison, with pom-pom trim.  It's even got a matching bed!

Everything looks so cozy-it sort of reminds me turning a crate into a canopy bed for your dog.  The fabrics are all washable, so you can keep them clean, even if your dog doesn't.

Ready to make your dog's crate livable again?  Submit your mutt shot and get a coupon code for 10% off.

"It's a Beautiful Life!" Photo Project

I think this may be our most fun photo contest yet!  We're partnering up with Chow Time Productions to give away their new frame design, the "It's a Beautiful Life" Heart frame.  The frames are made for both cats and dogs, and can even be hand-personalized with your pet's name.

From Chow Time:

"Running through the flowers, swaying in the warm breeze or basking in the inviting sun, your pet always lived the life we dream of.  Now you can capture that freedom and spirit with It's a Beautiful Life frame and cherish the times that it made you smile."

Here's your call to action!:

Send us a picture of your pet living a "beautiful life!".  We want to see cats sunning themselves, and getting belly rubs; dogs sniffing fresh air, romping in the lake, and chasing the ball...whatever happy moment you caught with your camera.  Your photo will be posted to our facebook, entered into a random drawing, and on 8/24/10 we'll announce the lucky winner of a Chow Time frame, worthy of your beautiful life.

One entry per person.  U.S. Entrants only.  Embrace staff not eligible to win.  Entries must be e-mailed to kz@embracepetinsurance.com to qualify.  Contest ends at midnight on August 23, 2010.  Winner will be contacted by e-mail for their mailing address for prize fulfillment by sponsor.

 

 

Nulo week 1

Our shipment of "love" arrived this week.  We started transitioning over to the Nulo (which is the abbreviated word for "nutrition and love") food, and the dogs are LOVING IT.  We're starting with Salmon, and you can't miss the undeniable aroma of real seafood ingredients.  The food is fresher looking, smelling, and I can only assume tasting, because both dogs are scarfing down their meals, and licking their lips afterward.  Most dry dog foods sit in a storehouse and then on a grocery store shelf, so pets could be eating food that has been left to oxidize for a year.  Instead, Nulo ships directly from their warehouse, so it's being ingested within a few weeks or so.

We're not quite seeing weight loss yet, but I can't really expect to see a change after just one week of transitional feeding.  But, I do think that Tahlula seems less ravenous at dinner time-meaning her breakfast seems to hold her over a bit longer.

I'm glad to see the bag has reasonable feeding recommendations based on size and energy.  It's also resealable, so that helps keep the food very fresh and eliminates the need for bulky storage bins. I can have one 20 lb bag open at a time, and have the food set to auto-deliver as needed.

Dogs at Play

Embrace just moved into a brand new office, and we wanted to make sure that visitors were prepared to meet our various doggie greeters.  Between Cooper, Buckley, Lyger, Finnegan, and various other canines that are regularly in our office, it's a good safety precaution to let people know right away that there are dogs that may try to escape, or "woof" at them.

We've always been a fan of the Original Property Postings signs, because they notify strangers to "be aware" of dogs, instead of "beware".  It's a polite notice that you're entering a dog friendly area, not a warning that a vicious dog awaits you.  So, we got in touch with very kind people that make these signs, and they kindly sent us a their Dogs at Play sign. 

While several of their signs serve as gate signs, this works perfectly, because while we're at work, our dogs are at play!  We just used some mounting squares, but the orders include mounting screws for woodwork or gates.  The sign is very nicely made, clean, bright and doesn't even show fingerprints.

We've had the sign posted for just a week, and already have had several compliments and people asking for the ordering info.  Check out a video for our new and improved entryway.  Now, all we need are more dogs for Cooper to play with!

Original Post on Dog In Yard signs.

InClover OptaGest

Tahlula farts. A lot. When I asked my vet about why she is so gassy, he laughed, and said it was because she was a Rottweiler-it's what they do.  We elevate her bowls, feed small meals, and she still farts probably 50 times a day.  Fortunately, we've got a good sense of humor about it (We joke that she's our cuckoo clock-except instead of chirping, she's farting) but I've been concerned that it was a health problem.

But her gas has finally passed!!

OptaGest is a complete digestive supplement for cats and dogs, which can aid in the treatment of bad breath, gas, and intestinal discomfort.  The plant based enzymes and Fructooligosacharides (FOS) work quickly to aid the good bacteria to keep the stomach balanced and healthy.  Diet change, anxiety, and aging can all play a role in digestive problems.  But here we have a powder, that my dogs will gladly eat with their regular food, that will help keep their digestive issues at bay.  The gas and acid buildup that was causing toots and bad breath is gone, and my dogs and my home smell much nicer. 

Initially, we started OptaGest (thanks to the folks at InClover for the samples) hoping that it would improve Lyger's old man breath, which it has. But, you can imagine how happy I am that there are far fewer farts.  As an added bonus, Lyger has not had any of his irritable bowel symptoms since starting the supplement a few weeks back, and if he goes for a few more months without an incident, I'll likely contribute that to OptiGest as well. 

You can buy online or in a shop near you.  The product description even gives a helpful idea of how long a container will last for your pet, but it's probably a while since it's just a small dose for my big dogs.