I recently became a Field Representative for Life’s Abundance Pet Food.  I am keen to share information and knowledge – although I am not so comfortable selling a product.  So this is a new endeavor for me.  In my dog training practice many people have questions about food and nutrition for their dogs.  Often people have said: “just tell me what you feed your dogs.” I do my best to keep up with current best practices and winnow out the myth and hyperbole from all the information available.  My goals are to learn the best standard for pet nutrition and to be able to answer client’s questions about nutrition and food – especially as they pertain to canine behavior. I wanted to share my story as to why I have chosen Life’s Abundance for my pets.  I periodically do research on pet foods to see if there is something better for our dogs, Niko and Dusty and our cat, Critter.  We lost Critter recently.  He passed away at 18 years old and his death spurred me to begin researching again.  I came across information on the genetic capability of companion animals to live well into their 20s.  In the holistic veterinary community – diet and nutrition play a large role in the effort to increase our pet’s life spans and ensure that they are vital and healthy throughout their lives. I am dedicated to delaying the aging process as long as possible for Niko and Dusty and to assist in the effort to increase the longevity of all companion animals. Life’s Abundance was created by  Dr. Jane Bicks – a renowned holistic veterinarian.  In Life’s abundance I found a food that has the best possible ingredients and is made fresh.  Once I learned how long a bag of dog food can sit in transit and storage I realized the food I had been feeding them was probably never very fresh and had probably lost most if not all of it’s nutritional benefits by the time we purchased it.  Dr Bick’s formula is made with human grade ingredients, processed in a human grade facility (this is a very important factor – most dogs foods are not) and fast cooked at low temperatures to retain the nutritional value and shipped directly to us within 6 weeks or less of being made – guaranteed. Life’s Abundance products: Are made and delivered fresh. Use no chemical preservatives Use no Corn, Wheat, or Soy (all top allergens) Use no By Products Have never been recalled. Use human quality ingredients and made in an APHIS certified USDA plant Have powerful antioxidants like Grapeseed Extract Have pure digestible protein sources Have chelated minerals for 40% better absorption Have five live probiotics (friendly bacteria) Have omega 3fatty acids for a healthy skin and coat Are FRESH, your food is never more than 6 weeks old and is shipped directly to you. My association with Life’s Abundance dovetails beautifully with my primary goal for canine training – I want to improve the lives of dogs.

What’s On My Mind? My baby goes to kindergarten today – my daughter,  but certainly not a baby anymore.  I had a business – training dogs.  I gave it up to stay home and train the baby.  Not that I didn’t continue to train dogs.  I still worked with dogs and their people… because people kept me in business, kept calling and saying, “My friend said you really helped them”; “ My sister said you were great”.  I was humbled by the praise and grateful for the calls.  I didn’t do any marketing and fortunately the calls kept coming.  Just enough to keep my skills fresh and help me realize that I still love the business of training dogs and their people. I see many parallels between parenting children and training dogs… the choices we make between positive reinforcement and punishment, the desire to guide and lead and hope they don’t make mistakes, the knowledge that mistakes are essential to learning, loving them and feeling the greatest frustration you have ever known – simultaneously. Here is one thing I know that is essential to training dogs:  they are not human.  They may be our “children” – I certainly consider all of the animals I am responsible for my 4-legged children – but they are canines, a different species.  Treating them as if they were human does them a disservice because it can rob them of being their best canine self. So, I have a dog training business – again.  It’s called 4-Legged Friend Canine Services.  My goal is to help people have a great relationship with their dog/s – sometimes it helps with their children too! 10/14/2010