Sampling The Honest Kitchen

I finally gave Chewy the sample of The Honest Kitchen's Force dehydrated food that he got in his BarkBox awhile back. Force is gluten-free and is made with free-range chicken and various fruits and vegetables. The Honest Kitchen uses human-grade ingredients, and they even have humans taste-test, too.

I followed the instructions and rehydrated the packet contents with warm water. It looked like sludge, but it smelled like a nice herb blend, albeit a very strong one.

Chewy's nose was on alert, of course. He thought it smelled quite delectable, and waited patiently for his food to be ready.

Can I eat it yet?

Chewy devoured the sample. He circled around his bowl to make sure he cleaned up in all directions, and licked his chops to get every bit of taste left in/around his mouth. Tell-tale signs of Chewy approval.

Is there more?

Since he liked it so much, I looked to see if we could try some more, and we/you can! They offer 2 different sample bundles for dogs, and one for cats. You can only order one of each bundle, so I got one "Adult" and one "Puppy." You can also request their product literature for free.

http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/other-items/sample-bundle
Get the bundles for free (but plus $2.50 shipping) with promo code: THKVIDEO

The 1 oz. mini samples for 4 flavors (Embark, Force, Keen and Love) are listed at $0 on the individual product pages, and the other 4 flavors (Preference, Thrive, Verve and Zeal) are listed at $1. No idea how many individual samples you can order, but I just stuck with the bundles.

When you sign up to checkout, they give you 50 free rewards points that you can redeem for products. There are 4 oz. trial sizes for 40 pts if you want to add those BEFORE completing checkout. I didn't bother to look up the point system until after checking out. Whoops.

Their large packages of dehydrated dog food get to be quite expensive, so I will see how Chewy likes the other samples before deciding whether to purchase more. According to their chart, a 10-lb. box would only last about 2 1/2 weeks for Chewy, and they are listed at $60-$100! Perhaps he can get it as a side dish.

Have you tried The Honest Kitchen's dehydrated dog food? We would love to hear your thoughts.

Wordless Wednesday

Destructopup Case Files, Victim #2: Duckie

Chewy got an Aussie Naturals Duck in one of his PetBoxes last year, and he immediately loved it. Usually, he waits for me to unpack his goodies, but this time he grabbed it out of the box himself. It had lots of different textures and smells: a leather head, felt wings, rope neck & legs, and coconut fiber filling. For a dog who loves to chew and play tug, this was like winning the lottery.




Duckie was good for chewing,

 snuggling,

shaking,

and fetching (although he usually kept it for himself instead of bringing it back).

We also played tug with it often, but it's head came apart once, and it was quite difficult to shove back on. He also liked to run around with it in his mouth during zoomies.

The legs were the first to go, since Chewy is a pro at unraveling rope. When he started pulling strings out of the legs, it was time to cut them all off.

Next, he bit off a wing.

Eventually, he chewed the butt open, exposing the coconut fibers inside.

It would be difficult to sew its butt back together since the fabric is unraveling, so I have given up on duckie.

Toy Lifespan: 4 months

Wordless Wednesday

Today's Treasure: A Stick!

Wordless Wednesday

Tail-wagging Tuesday- by Chewy: Guide to Being an Office Dog

Being an office dog is hard work. I have so many responsibilities! I warm people's feet, greet clients, announce breaktimes, distribute toys... the list goes on! With my help, you, too, can be a grrreat office dog! 

Tip #1: If someone is talking on the phone, wait until they hang up to jump on them. It's good manners. And that way they can pet you with both hands!

Tip #2: Bring an assortment of toys to leave around each person's chair. That way, when they are ready for a break, they will conveniently have lots to choose from. 

Tip #3: When someone has been working at the computer for too long, insist that it is time for walkies. Jump on them if they don't pay attention to you. Fresh air and exercise will boost productivity!

Tip #4: Be on the lookout for the UPS truck. And the FedEx truck. And the mailman. They bring office supplies, important documents, and most importantly, treats!

Tip #5: People feet are good pillows. Sleep on them.

Tip #6: Do not interfere with cleaning. Run away from the vacuum. It will eat you!

Tip #7: Rotate which desk you sleep under. The entire office is your kingdom.

Tip #8: Say hi to everyone that stops by the office. They'll be sure to come again just to see you.

Tip #9: Guard the printer. Only accept bellyrubs as payment for access to the printer.

Tip #10: Don't try to type. Your paws are not made for such things.

Now, excuse me while I go petition for walkies.

Sepia Saturday: Snow Fishing

Chewy's Toy Box: West Paw Design Būmi

Chewy's newest toy is the West Paw Būmi. You're supposed to get new clothes for Chinese New Year, but since Chewy doesn't wear clothes, he got a toy instead.

What is this?

It is advertised as a fetch and tug toy, not a chew toy. It is made of West Paw Design's "Zogoflex" material, which is durable and non-toxic. The company offers a one-time replacement or refund if their toys are damaged, which is nice. We have a couple of other Zogoflex toys and Chewy has not destroyed any of them yet.

Tug is Chewy's favorite game ever, and he has a couple of go-to techniques. He leans back with all of his weight, at which point I can just drag him around because he has no grip on the tile floor. He shakes the toy like he is killing prey, which, depending on the toy, will either jerk my arm around or hit me in the legs really hard. Other times I just run around with Chewy attached to the toy, as if we were using a leash. When he gets tired, he takes a break- he stands there with the toy still in his mouth, while I carry all the weight.

The Būmi is indeed a great toy for playing tug. I win a lot more often with it because Chewy can't get a really good grip on the curvy parts. It stretches out so my hand isn't dangerously close to those chompers, and it absorbs some of the force from Chewy's vigorous shaking.

This is mine!

The Būmi is also good for Chewy to entertain himself. He played with it for hours when I first gave it to him, bringing it around the house to all his favorite chewing spots. Even though the label says specifically that it is not for chewing, he has yet to make a dent in it.

He prances around the house happily with his new toy, and will fetch it and bring it back expecting a game of tug.

Chewy loves his Būmi!

Dog-walking Ouchies

Chewy saw a nice stick in the snow the other day while we were out on walkies and he ran really fast towards it, yanking my finger in the process. I had him on his long leash so he could play in the snow without me having to trudge through it alongside him, and it must have wrapped around my finger without me noticing. My thick gloves are a bit limiting sensation-wise. I heard a loud pop and my finger was quite uncomfortable, so I ran back home with Chewy (and stick) in tow.

It started swelling and got super painful, and I was CONVINCED that I had broken my finger. My dad thought it looked fine, but I was in hysterics at that point so my parents had to take me to get it checked out. They took me to their Chinese medicine-y qi gong lady because they figured I would have to wait forever if we went to the emergency room. My dad says she specialized in sports medicine back in China. She examined my finger and concluded that I had dislocated the middle joint and injured some tissue. She popped it back in before saying what happened- a super painful surprise! I went home with an ouchie, bruised, re-aligned finger.

I still felt like my finger was twisted today, so I had my dad take me to an urgent care clinic for an x-ray.

Fractures!

The doctor said the spiral-y fractures were probably caused by the leash twisting my finger, and it should heal in about 6 weeks. For now, I have a splint on. Surprisingly, Chewy has not tried to eat it. Then again, I've only had it for a few hours. He might be saving his attempt for later.

I sorry?

Moral: Stick to the short leash. Also, teach Chewy impulse control, if possible.

Wordless Wednesday

Tail-wagging Tuesday- by Chewy: Guide to Baking Supervision

Herro! Chewy here, with more helpful tips for all you doggies out there. This week, I present my guide to baking supervision.

Tip #1: When your humans start making doggie treats, be on standby. Make routine sniff checks so only things you like go into the batter/dough.

Tip #2: Look cute and excited to increase your chances of getting samples. This is purely for quality control purposes, only.

I know something yummy is happening!

Mmm...fresh peanut butter. Approved!

Tip #3: Be patient. You will be rewarded for your perseverance soon.

Tip #4: Guard the oven from treat thieves. There might be some squirrels planning a heist. You never know.

Tip #5: Keep a close watch so your humans don't "accidentally" burn your treats.

Tip #6: Taste test every batch.

Supervising is hard work. But with these tips, you, too, can be an excellent baking supervisor!

Now, off to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Bye!