If you are collecting food stamp benefits thru the federally funded SNAP program (EBT), you qualify for FREE food for your pet (s). Apply here: https://petfoodstamps.org

12,000 applicants so far and growing, the site is being hammered so be patient.

Regardless of your political views on SNAP benefits for needy American citizens, this program ensures that your pet (s) will not go hungry. It is privately funded. To qualify you must be receiving SNAP (EBT) benefits.

The candy! The costumes! The crisp fall air! Halloween is a beloved holiday for lots of humans and we want to share the fun and festivities with our pets. However, there are some things to keep in mind to ensure that your pet is safe and happy as you celebrate. We give you, KONG’s tips for a healthy Halloween.....click here to read the whole article.  Be sure to Visit our store for your official Kong supplies and other goodies for your Puppy or Dog.

As a bzzagent, I get to try new and exciting products for Free. I get to share my experience (good and not so good) with others to let them know about the products I get to try and review. This campaign is really scentsational....LOL. Really, you'll want to try the Glade expressions products. They open your home with lightly layered and long-lasting fragrances from the Glade Expressions® Collection. These true-to-life fragrance combinations are inspired by art and are designed to open up note by note, filling your home beautiful scents...The fragrance lasts a Long time too.

Dogs are our Best Friends - not just because they love us unconditionally and jump out of their skin every time they see us, but they also help us in so many ways. 

Dogs provide sight for the blind, rescue and work support for fire and police teams, and companionship for the lonely.  So, on this day, we celebrate our Furry Canine Friend for everything they do to enhance our lives. "In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog".

Dogs are a lot of fun, but when they don't listen to you, they can also be frustrating animals.  Here are a few commands that will be easy for your dog to learn and will make your life a whole lot easier once your dog knows and obeys them.  Keep in mind that these commands suggest using food (treats) as the reward, but a better reward is the lavish praise he will receive after every command he obeys. It's also a way of creating a special bond with him and will encourage him to obey just for the attention.

The Sit Command

1. Get some of your dog's favorite treats, whatever they might be. These will help to entice your dog to listen to you. It helps if the treats are quite small. Don't give your dogs the treats that your dog can't chew as this will teach aggressiveness.
2. Hold one treat out to your dog so that he/she can smell it, but not eat it.
3. With the treat firmly in your grip, just above his/her nose, say in a clear tone, "Sit".
4. The first time the dog hears it, you need to 'show' the dog what to do. Give his back-end a little nudge towards the ground with a firm palm gently pushing down on his hip area (not his back) while pulling up on the leash or underside of the collar.
5. Once the dog finally sits, say "Good boy/girl!" and reward him/her with the treat. It is important that you do not repeat the word "sit." Say the command once, and then enforce it. Nagging doesn't work on dogs either.
6. Repeat these steps until the dog begins to associate obeying the command with getting the treat and verbal praise. Once the dog is comfortable with the trick, eventually stop giving treats to your dog.

The Down Command

1. Again with the treats and verbal praise.
2. Have your dog sit down, as long as you were successful with the above instructions. If you were not, getting your dog to lie down will be an even tougher challenge.
3. Once your dog is sitting, hold the treat on the floor, out of the reach of her/his mouth, so that he/she will have to lie down to get the treat.
4. In a clear, firm voice, say "Down" or "Lie Down" or "Lie"
5. If necessary, hold the treat on the floor and gently sweep out his/her front feet so they are forced to lie down.
6. Give him/her the treat and say "Good Dog!"
7. Eventually try to wean the dog off the treats, and respond just to your verbal command.

The Roll Over Command This goes with the Lie Down command, if this was hard to get you dog to do it may be hard to get them to do this.

1. Show the dog the treat.
2. Have them lay down.
3. Say roll over and Bend down to the floor and do slow circles with the hand with the treat.
4. The first couple times you do it you may have to help roll over. After awhile you want them to respond to the words and the hand signals.

The Stay Command

1. Have your dog sit and then have someone else hold your dog by the collar.
2. Stand in heel posistion (dog facing the same direction as you, with their head and shoulder lined up with your leg, hip, and shoulder.
3. Put your hand about 3-5 inches from your dogs face and say stay.
4. Walk 6 feet away and turn around facing your dog. Start off only standing there for a few seconds then gradually build up.
5. Starting on your dogs left side walk around the dog, ending in the heel posistion.
6. Praise!
7. Fade out the holder
8. Repeat the same for teaching the down stay

Tips

• Once you get the hang of the teaching process, you can use clickers (you can get these from any local pet store), hand motions, or other signals instead or in addition to vocal commands. Dogs can often understand more than people give them credit for. Treats are always most helpful for getting your dog to listen, understand, pay attention, and learn from you.
• Gently take your arm and apply a little pressure to the backs of your dog's knees to make him/her sit. praise the dog thoroughly and I advise you to give him/her a treat afterwards. This will boost his/her confidence, and make him/her more willing to learn. Try and make everything seem fun to your dog, and he will love you, respect you, and want to obey you.
• Remember, if your dog doesn't get it the first few tries, the worst thing you can do is get frustrated and angry at your dog. This will scare him, and he will be reluctant to your commands. Simply try again, and again, with praising and treats when he gets it right, and soon enough you will have your dog sitting for you anytime, anywhere. If your dog doesn't get it don't give up just give them a break and in a while (20-40 min) try again.

Warnings

• Be careful when you push your dog's back down. You could damage it if you push too hard.
• Be sure not to give your dog too many treats, or to get him/her to rely on them to do anything, because he/she may decide not to do anything unless a treat is offered. However, in the latter stages at least acknowledging the dog's good behavior with a "good dog" is beneficial.
• You will have family members who will love the new tricks the dog learned, and will often ask the dog to do it. That is fine, the problem comes in when they allow the dog not to complete the action. For example, if someone says "Sit" to a dog, and the dog does not sit down, on the first command, and it does not mean you should repeat the command over and over, and then let the dog get away with not sitting down. You should say the command twice at most (after your dog is trained by you). After that, gently force your dog to sit. Just imagine a dog that will only sit when she thinks there is something good in it for her. As she's running into traffic or chasing another dog, you issue the sit command, she may ignore you. Do not let your family members give commands that are not enforced.
• Don't punish your dog for doing the trick. For example, if you are punishing your dog for doing something like going to the toilet indoors, don't call for the dog and then punish it. This will just teach it, "She's calling my name, she's going to punish me for coming, so I won't come when she calls again". A good enough punishment is going over to the dog and giving it a firm "NO!". That is enough.

Click on the link below to be redirected to The Animal Rescue Site and then click again to give FREE food and services to animals in need.

Has your dog ever had problems with digestion? As a Bzzagent, I was able to try this product for free, and now you can too! 
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Bringing a new puppy into the home is a very exciting time.  However, it can also be a time for challenges when it comes to house training.

Here, we will share some basic tips and techniques to make house training easier.

If you are looking to get rid of all that newspaper covering the area where you have placed the new puppy, now is as good a time as any!

The first thing that you need to understand is that the dog does not have the innate knowledge that what they are doing is wrong when they relieve themselves in an inappropriate location around the home, or yard.  When they have to go, well, they just go.  This is especially true if they have had no previous lessons on the fact that there is a certain area to relieve themselves.   You need to designate an area in the yard for the dog to do his business.   It is important, when you walk the dog, and take the dog outdoors, that you visit this area frequently.   If the puppy has an accident indoors, you should immediately take them to this area.    Eventually, they will begin to understand that this area is the location for relieving themselves.

The next thing that you should do to successfully house train your puppy is to develop a schedule that your pet can use.   You should feed your dog at certain times of the day, and then set certain times when you walk the animal.   When doing so, remember to take the animal back to that same location over and over again to reinforce the fact that this is where they should do their business.  The best time to take your pet for a walk is within the first thirty minutes after they eat and drink.   This will help you to achieve success in house training your new puppy.

Once you see your puppy using the area outside the home that you have deemed appropriate when it comes to relieving themselves, it is important for you to praise the dog.   This may include talking in an upbeat, friendly tone, patting them on the head, or simply playing with them or giving them a treat immediately thereafter. This will allow the dog to come to an understanding that what they have done is a ‘good’ thing, and it will motivate them to do it over and over again.   Once you have done this enough, you will start to notice that the dog will go to this area on his own. If you have had the puppy on a leash the first couple of weeks, you may try taking them outside without one just to see if they go alone.  If so, remember to praise and reward them.

If you live in the house with other individuals - such as your spouse and children - it is important to encourage everyone to get involved when it comes to house training the puppy. This includes feeding and watering the animal on the schedule that you have established, walking the pet, taking them to the area you have set aside as the one that they can do their business, praising them, and rewarding them. This will ensure success in your house training endeavors.

For more great tips, visit our training page

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The holidays are hectic and fun, and sometimes we forget that it can also be a dangerous time for our pets.  There are many items during the holiday season that can pose serious risks for our four-legged friends, not to mention a costly vet bill for us.

Below are just a few things to consider: 

*Poinsettias, a holiday decoration favorite for the winter season, can be a dangerous poison to our furry friends when ingested.  The sap of the plant can irritate the mouth of a dog or cat. 
*  Mistletoe, especially the berries of the plant, are very toxic.  In the most severe of cases, it can cause stumbling, seizure and low blood pressure. 
*  Live Christmas trees require water, and pets may find the basin  in the tree stand especially appealing.  If you use a tree food or preservative in the water, and your dog or cat drinks of it, the risk of a bacterial infection can occur.  Even if you don't use a tree preservative in the water, stagnant tree water can host harmful bacteria as well.  Change water frequently and try to keep the pets away from the stand.
*  Tree decorations such as tinsel, garland, glass ornaments, hooks, spray on snow, foil, plastic wrap, packing peanuts, ribbon, and more can pose a threat and be life threatening if consumed by your pet.  Whether the items get lodged in the throat, stomach or intestine, these items can all cause a variety of problems and may land a pet in the operating room.
*  Potpourri, especially the liquid kind, much like antifreeze, has a sweet taste that appeals to dogs and cats.  Both can pose significant problems for your pets if ingested.  Potpourri will cause irritation and corrosion of the eyes, mouth and throat.  Antifreeze poisoning affects both the animal's neurological and kidney function, the most severe damage usually involving the kidneys. Clinical signs in affected animals include depression, incoordination, vomiting, and seizures.
*  Batteries, a year round danger can happen more frequently during the holidays because it's more common to have more of them around for toys, games or electronics.  If chewed or swallowed, batteries are extremely toxic.  They can cause acid burns when the battery leaks from being chewed, or cuts from the metal housing of the battery.  A smaller battery may be swallowed entirely which can cause internal burns or even require surgical removal. 
*  Chocolate, also a year round danger, is more prevalent during the holiday season.  Chocolate toxicity has been known to cause sudden death from cardiac arrest in older dogs with heart problems.  The most common symptoms of chocolate poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, panting, increased drinking and increased urination, and occasionally, seizures.

Please keep in mind that there are many other things that can pose a risk for your dog or cat, but even more so during the holiday season's hustle and bustle.  Be sure to be vigilant in preparing your home for the holidays and protecting your pet from the dangers that  can be associated with the holiday season. 

Free Engraved Pet ID Tag Offer!

Did you know that a family pet is lost every 2 seconds and more than 10 million pets become lost each year.*

A personalized ID tag is the fastest way to identify your pet in the event that he or she wanders from home.

Our friends at Hartz® know that pet health and safety is a number one focus,.  This is why  they developed the free pet tag program.  This is a fast, inexpensive and easy way to protect your pet.

The tag is free. Just pay $3.25** to cover the shipping and handling.

Hartz® offers stainless steel personalized tags for both dogs and cats.
Click here to order your tag.

*National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy

**Similar tags sell for $9 or more.