Pet Product Review » Training

Charlee Bear Dog Treats

demik3 — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:38:48 +0000

When you have a dog, you are going to have treats in your house. They are great to use for training or to give just because. What many people don’t take into consideration is the amount of calories that may just be getting handed out randomly to their dog. With medium to large dog biscuits having 40 to a 115 calories each (Pet Obesity Prevention has put together a list of calories in different available treats- Pet Weight and Treats) those calories add up quickly.

I admit I am anal when it comes to keeping my dogs at a good weight. Having spent 9 years working in vet hospitals, I’ve seen the effect of obesity on pets and figure that is one area of their health I can control. I do a lot of training and use food as a reward so I am always looking for healthy, low-calorie treats to use.

Charlee Bear Dog Treats are treats I’ve used for years. All my dogs’ have loved them. And they are a favorite of mine for several reasons.

They are low calorie. They only have 3 calories per treat. Compare that to a small Milkbone which has 20 calories or a Snausage which has 25 calories (according to Pet Weight and Treats). My smaller dogs who run around 20 lbs need about 400 calories a day while my larger one who is about 40lbs needs about 600 calories a day. They get about that much just from their food (Food and Calories) so anymore than that and they start putting on the pounds. This makes low calorie important to me.
They are small. The picture above shows a few of the Charlee Bear’s with a dime. Small means I can give my dog several of them without the calories adding up. My dogs don’t really care about the size (they seem to eat everything at the same speed no matter the size- fast). They just love getting treats and love getting more of them.
They use simple ingredients which are sourced in the US. My dogs love the flavors (we haven’t tried the Turkey Liver & Cranberries yet).

LIVER: Wheat Flour, Liver (poultry liver preserved naturally with vitamin E), Salt (1 tablespoon per 100 pounds), Garlic Powder

CHEESE & EGG: Wheat Flour, Cheese & Egg (preserved naturally with vitamin E), Salt (2 tablespoons per 100 pounds), Brewers Yeast, Garlic Powder

TURKEY LIVER & CRANBERRIES: Wheat flour, Turkey Liver, Cranberries, (preserved naturally with vitamin E), Salt (1 tablespoon per 100 pounds), Garlic Powder

They are readily available. I can find these in almost any pet store in my area. Plus they are available online.
They don’t taste gross when you them put in your mouth. Okay, this reason may sound a little weird unless you have trained dogs for obedience. There are some dog trainers who keep food in their mouth to spit to their dog to help teach them to look at the trainer’s face. A lot of people will make liver to use. I like liver, but not enough to keep it in my mouth so I tried the Charlee Bears and they work fine for me. Plus, I can spit them. Spitting is not a talent I perfected as a child, but these I can get a decent distance. hey, some people actually try all their dogs treats before giving them to their dogs to make sure they are good. I don’t do that (after all my dogs have exotic taste for things like cat poop) so I figure that puts me slightly lower on the weirdo scale.

Charlee Bear Dog Treats are a staple on my list of goodies I give my dogs and one I highly recommend.

You can find Charlee Bear Dog Treats at many local pet stores as well as online at retailers like-

Amazon*
Entirely Pets*
Clickertraining.com*

Bookmark to:

The Kong Dog Toy

demik3 — Thu, 31 May 2007 17:02:08 +0000

If you ask a dog owner what a Kong * is, most likely they will reply that it is a toy for dogs, not an over-sized Gorilla who wreaks havoc on Manhattan. The Kong has become one of the most well known dog toy and for good reason. Made of hard rubber, it is very durable. They even make a line for aggressive chewers (note: this does not mean it is indestructible. As with any toy it should be inspected regularly for any damage and discarded when no longer safe).

The Kong is also a great interactive toy for dogs. The center is hollow, making a great place to put food and treats for your dog to work on getting out. Most people know to insert biscuits, but many dogs quickly learn how to get them out in the shortest amount of time. I like to take my dogs’ dry food and soak it in water. Sometimes I mix in other foods (the picture at the top has macaroni & cheese mixed in). Once it is soft, I stuff it in the Kong and freeze. I will also layer kibble and cheese and microwave for a few seconds to melt the cheese (let this cool before offering it to your dog). This keeps my dogs occupied for a little bit. You can find more great recipes to try at Kong Company . Just click on Tips and Advice for the recipe page.

This is one toy I recommend for every dog owner. It’s durability is great for the dog that likes to chew. Its erratic bouncing, keeps the dog who loves to fetch moving and its stuffability provides that mental stimulation that many dogs need.

Amazon*

Only Natural Pet Store*

Bookmark to:

Cardboard Cat Scratcher

demik3 — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 16:47:08 +0000

My cat with a cardboard cat scratcher.

In an effort to spare my furniture and wall moldings from damage, I offer my cats several different types of cat scratchers. They have a floor to ceiling cat tree with 3 shelves on it, great for sleeping on. They also have a 2 level cat condo, also a great place to hang out and sleep. Then there is their favorite, a cardboard cat scratcher*. Okay, so it’s not trend-setting and it doesn’t match my decor, but you can’t beat the price!

There are a couple different styles of cardboard cat scratchers. My cats have no interest in the cardboard scratchers that hang from door knobs, but really tackle the ones that come in the slanted cardboard holder. Basically, these cat scratcher have a cardboard frame, usually the outside is decorated. The ones I have seen also have a small hole on each side where a cat can reach inside to play with a little toy hanging inside the frame (none of my cats have shown any interest in the toy or the holes). The part the cat scratches is made up of pieces of cardboard bonded together.

Cats like to be able to really stretch and scratch and with this even my biggest cat can stand on it and use it. Inexpensive when compared to other scratching posts, the cardboard cat scratcher has inserts that can be turned over so both sides can be used. Once that insert is worn, replacement inserts can be purchased. To get your cats interested or to keep them interested, you can rub some dry catnip or use a catnip spray on the insert. My cats will use it without catnip, but I occasionally put some on it to give them some excitement!

Likes:

The cost- very inexpensive, especially when compared to other scratching posts.

Replacement inserts- very easy to replace. When my carpeted cat scratchers get trashed, there is not much you can do to revive them (unless you have some basic DIY skills, which I don’t). Since the insert is the part that gets destroyed, you can have it like new it just a few seconds.

My cats like it- A cat scratching post is worthless if a cat won’t use it.

Dislikes:

Appearance- it would be nice if someone could design a nice frame something that would look better when company comes over

Looking for a cardboard cat scratching post?

Only Natural Pet Store*
Amazon*

Bookmark to: