While visiting my sister a few years ago, Grace landed in the midst of many toys, but choose the treat instead. There's nothing wrong with treats -- but making them nutritious is a smart choice.
Grace eats anything. And I mean anything. I get grossed out thinking about some of the things I’ve seen her devour and enjoy. Her early days on the streets of Puerto Rico produced a scavenger mentality and I’m not sure if she has any taste buds, just an insatiable desire to eat whatever is within sensory range of her nose.
So it might seem silly that I care about what she eats. While I have no idea of whether she enjoys a particular taste over another (though she does seem to be partial to carrots over other vegetables but when it comes to meat or carcass remnants found in the woods, everything seems to be quite tasty to her), I do like to feed her healthy food. Isn’t it true that we are what we eat?
It seems to me that the treats sold on the market are especially lacking in nutrition. I see a lot of dog owners offer ample treats during the day (I’m no different) and a constant stream of unhealthy ingredients adds up.
I recently discovered a very cool company called The Organic Hound, based right in my neck of the woods in southwest New Hampshire. Some companies make treats that claim to be healthy or natural. The Organic Hound is different.
Every ingredient they use is 100% organic certified and is sourced from as many local, organically certified farms and producers as possible. Yesterday, New Hampshire Department of Agriculture conducted a site visit and audit as the next step towards becoming certified for their baking processes. They won’t know the outcome for a few weeks, but they are well on their way to certification, but more importantly is a clear sign of how important they view a healthy snack. This is serious business.
It might seem like a little snack isn’t that big of a deal. But have you ever seen how a kid behaves after having two sugar donuts for breakfast? Or experienced how you felt after eating too much junk food? Behavior is affected by our nutrition and we can’t ignore the connection.
Mind you, I love my Almond Joy flavored ice cream, chock full of heavy cream, sugar, chocolate bits, rich coconut and nuts. It’s rich in flavor, calories, and unhealthy ingredients. And I will never give it up. But I’m not going to be at my best if I eat it every day, multiple times a day.
And the same is true with all of us – humans and canines. I believe this topic is more than just about the food and snacks we eat. It’s about choices we make – conscious choices every day about how we can be our best. Grace will eat anything, but should she?
So I respect the efforts and hard work by any company that goes above and beyond to provide a healthy product. I have no financial connection with The Organic Hound, just an interest to promote options for healthy lifestyle choices.
It’s something we can all benefit from. Check it out!
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