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Friday, October 31, 2008

Dead Dog Food?

Dog Biscuits
Have you noticed our pets are developing the same diseases that we humans are? Not too many years ago many of the chronic diseases were rarely mentioned among pets. It seems that with increased disease, the costs of veterinary care has also skyrocketed.

Keeping a pet healthy and well cared for has become a very expensive part of the household budget. That means that many animals will not get the care they really need because family budgets just don't stretch far enough.

You have heard the phrase, "you are what you eat" and that applies to animals too. You can't take a package of "dead" pet food and keep "life" in an animal.

Are You Getting What You Think You're Buying?

Read a bag of a well-advertised brand of pet food and it makes you want to serve it for the family dinner: "Choice cuts of beef, plump whole chickens, fresh liver and grains, and all the wholesome nutrition your dog or cat will ever need."

These images are promoted with big advertising dollars by the $11 billion per year U.S. pet food industry:

* Nestle makes Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Mighty Dog, and Ralston Purina.

* Heinz makes 9 Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles-n-Bits, and ... surprise! .... Nature's Recipe.

* Colgate-Palmolive makes Science Diet.

* Procter & Gamble, one of the major companies attacked for their repetitive animal testing, makes Eukanuba and Iams.

* Mars makes Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba and Waltham's.

Price is often an indicator of quality.
It's impossible to sell a 40# bag of dog food for $11.95
when quality protein and grain would cost more than that
not even considering profit margins.

[Read Full Article]

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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Labs In The Woods

Labs In The Woods Calendar Print
New Designs:
Labs In The Woods

Remember your hunter with a Labrador retriever piece of art. Ideal holiday or birthday gift for the dog lover. This portrait is of 3 Labs posed in the woods the sun streaming on them. If your favorite dog breed is the Labrador retriever you will love this dog art featuring these dogs.

Purchase this design and more in our Labrador Art and Photography section on t-shirts, mugs, oval euro stickers, bumper stickers, bags, magnets, and more 8PawsUp.com today!

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Monday, October 27, 2008

Hidden Bananas


Tough times call for tough action! The dogs must have their medication but Dakota is too stubborn to take it without a little enticing.

Normally we would use processed cheese slices to wrap up her pills but with the cost of food continuing to rise with no end in sight, purchasing sub-par processed cheese just to confuse the Lab Brats is costing us money we shouldn't have to be spending.

After some thought, I decided that the best way to still trick her into swallowing her pill while saving a few extra bucks is to share my own food. You see, every day I eat a good amount of fruit and the Labs LOVE fruit! What better fruit to hide a pill in then a banana!

So, I will tear off two small bits of my banana and shove their pill in each piece. Dakota doesn't even bother chewing bananas (yes, she can swallow a whole one if we let her) so she never even notices the pill is inside. I share a small bit of my banana, don't have to spend any extra money on unnecessary items, and the Labradors get their daily medication.

Ha! You think you are only getting a great treat when you are actually taking your medication. Take that Dakota!!

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Friday, October 24, 2008

Please Help L.E.A.R.N. Win

Lab Rescue Charity Voting Button
Welcome to The Animal Rescue Site $100,000 Shelter Challenge — brought to you by Petfinder. Now you can help us choose which eligible animal rescue organizations will receive special funds to help animals! Participating is simple. You can cast one vote every day for your favorite rescue. Eligible organizations with the most votes could receive one of the grants below!

Grand Prize: One $25,000 grant!
Runner Up: One $10,000 grant!
State Winners: Fifty-four $1,000 state grants
Weekly Winners: Eleven $1,000 weekly grants

Voting begins on September 29th and ends at midnight (PST) on December 14th, 2008. The more friends you can rally to vote for your favorite rescue organization, the better its chances of winning. Get people involved! Your favorite rescue organization is counting on you! You can vote once a day, but we are hoping you will vote for LEARN EVERY DAY!

To vote, go to The Animal Rescue Site "Search And Vote For A Shelter" and type in Labrador Education and Rescue Network, in IL. It will not come up if you type in LEARN.

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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Lab Adoptables: Kylie’s Puppies

Lab Rescue: Black Lab Puppy
Adopt me

Hi, LEARN fans! Anybody need a baseball team??? We could be pretty well trained by the spring opener!

Our mom, Kylie and us came to LEARN a few weeks ago after being abandoned in an old house. We got here just in time. It’s starting to get cold out but we’re growing up safe and warm in our foster home. We were born around the end of August and will be ready to go to our new homes in a couple weeks. All of us are girls, except for one of us who was stubborn and had to be a boy!

Most of us are black, although one of us is still deciding if she’s going to be dark chocolate and another stubborn one who just had to be yellow! Our yellow sister is already adopted. We would all love to be adopted by someone who can provide us with training, exercise, patience and love! We are very young and will be challenging to live with for a while, but if you give us everything we need to grow up to be happy, healthy and obedient dogs, we promise to be your best friend ever!

Contact LEARN to submit your application and get your home visit done and then we’d love to tell you more about ourselves.

Kylie’s Puppies Kylie’s Puppies

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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Lab Daddy's Lil Helper

Lab Daddy's Lil Helper Mousepad
New Designs:
Lab Daddy's Lil Helper

If you are a construction worker and If you have a labrador Retriever and he is Daddy's Little Helper or if he loves to go to work this you, this design is for you.

Purchase this design and more in our Chocolate Lab Gifts section on t-shirts, mugs, oval euro stickers, bumper stickers, bags, magnets, and more 8PawsUp.com today!

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Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Not Early Risers

Sulking Labrador Retriever: Dakota
It is so strange how a change in human schedule effects a dog's life.

Over the last couple of days, my husband and I have been getting up at 4:45am to be at the gym before we need to get working. No problem when you have an alarm but a problem when the alarm wakes the dogs and they know that 4:45am and 5:30am are not the same time.

Sure, Cheyenne is confused but still remains happy to see us first thing in the morning. Dakota, on the other hand, is livid! See, she is not a morning dog at all and although she has been getting her tail out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off, she sulks around the house and gives us the most menacing of looks. It is like "Why in bloody hell have you gotten me up so early in the morning? There aren't even any sun spots to lay in yet. This is a trick - I know it!"

On top of that, they haven't been getting their morning walks (which Dakota really doesn't want to go on but does anyway) because it is way too early. Needless to say, the Lab Brats daddy and I have decided to begin going to the gym at night now because I fear that one day Dakota will lay across my face while I am sleeping - just to make sure I can't hear the alarm go off.

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Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Labs Gone Hunting

Labs Gone Hunting Hooded Sweatshirt
New Designs:
Labs Gone Hunting

If your labs hunt and you are proud of this dog breed let other's see your pride by wearing a t-shirt that shows your are a dog lovers of the Labrador Retriever.

Purchase this design and more in our Labrador Dog Gifts section on t-shirts, mugs, oval euro stickers, bumper stickers, bags, magnets, and more 8PawsUp.com today!

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Monday, October 13, 2008

Free Frosty Paws!

Frosty Paws Dog Ice Cream
Every weekend we do our grocery shopping and upon returning home, the Lab Brats greet us and then signal to our freezer. Yep! It is grocery day and that means mommy and daddy bought them Frosty Paws doggy ice cream to enjoy while the humans are putting away the groceries.

With the economy being the way it is, this family is looking for ways to save a few bucks here and there. While searching online for coupons, I did a search on "Frosty Paws Coupon" and found the most delicious thing! Frosty Paws has a birthday sign-up form on their website for free coupons:

"You and your paw-rtner will receive a birthday greeting and valuable coupons for Frosty Paws® Frozen Treats for Dogs."

So, I signed up Cheyenne immediately as her birthday is next month and can't wait to get our coupons for her birthday. Even though the economy is slow right now, there is no need to deprive our Labrador Retrievers of their weekly treat... especially if the manufacturer is still willing to send coupons. *big smile*

Also, don't forget to enter their Frosty Paws "Win a Year's Supply" Free photo contest as well!

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Friday, October 10, 2008

You Know You're A Dog Person If...

Black Labrador in Kiddie Pool~ You have a kiddie wading pool in the yard but no small children

~ Lintwheels are on your shopping list every week.

~ Your freezer containes more dog bones than anything.* You hang around the dog section of your local bookstore way too often.

~ Your non-dog friends won't eat food prepared in your kitchen.

~ Your parents refer to your pet as their "grand-dog."

~ You have baby gates permanently installed at strategic places around the house but no babies.

~ You open your purse and that big bunch of baggies you use for pick-up pops out .

~ You skip breakfast so you can walk your dog in the morning before work.

~ The trash basket is more or less permanently installed in the kitchen sink, to keep the dog out of it while you're at work.

~ You can't see out the passenger side of the windshield because there are dog nose prints all over the inside.

~ You don't go to happy hours with co-workers anymore because you need to go home and walk your dog.

~ You don't think it's the least bit strange to stand in the back yard chirping "Molly, Pee!" over and over at your dog who tends to play and forget what she's our there for.

~ You go to the pet supply store every Saturday because it's one of the very few places that lets you bring your dog inside, and the dog loves to go with you.

~ You get an extra long hose on your shower massage just so you can use it to wash the dog in the tub, without making the dog sit hip deep in water.

~ You and the dog come down with something flu like on the same day. The dog sees the vet while you settle for an over the counter remedy from the drug store.

~ You not only have dog toys strewn about, but your guests also have to be careful not to trip on the dog jumps. (well we gotta exercise them in the winter somehow)

~ Your weekend activities are planned around taking your dog for a hike.

~ You refer to yourself as "mommy" and "daddy".

~ Your dog sleeps with you.

~ You'd rather stay home on Saturday night and cuddle your doggies than go to the movies with your sweetie.

~ You keep an extra water dish in your second-floor bedroom, in case your dog gets thirsty at night.

~ You avoid vacuuming the house as long as possible because the dogs are afraid of the brain-sucker.

~ When your dog is getting old and arthritic, and you go buy lumber and build it a small staircase so it can climb onto the bed by itself.

~ You shovel a zig-zag path in the back yard snow so your dog can reach all of his favorite places.

~ Your have 32 different names for your dogs. Most make no sense but they understand.

~ Your dog eats cat poop but you still let him/her kiss you (but not immediately after, of course)

~ You never completely finish a piece of steak or chicken so the dog gets some too.

~ Poop has become a source of conversation for you and your significant other.

~ You are the only idiot walking in the pouring rain because your dog needs his walk.

~ You send birthday, anniversary and Christmas cards from your dog.

~ You like people who like your dogs. You despise people who don't.

~ You lecture people on responsible dog ownership every chance you get.

~ You keep eating even though you find a dog hair in your pasta.

~ You carry dog biscuits in your pockets all the time.

~ You make popcorn just so you can play catch with your dog.

~ You talk about your dogs like other people talk about their kids.

~ You have your dog pictures on your office desk. (but no one else's).

~ Your license plate or license plate frame mentions your dogs.

~ You match your furniture, carpet and clothes to your dog.

The American Bloodhound Club Bulletin Spring 1996

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Monday, October 06, 2008

Labrador Retriever Group Christmas

Labrador Retriever Group Christmas Greeting Cards (Pk of 20)
New Designs:
Labrador Retriever Group Christmas

Labrador Retriever T-shirts, Mugs, Greeting Cards, Ornaments, Apparel and much more. This design features 4 labs decked in Christmas gear and posed in front of a beautiful Winter background making it an ideal gift for the Labrador Retriever dog lover.

Purchase this design and more in our Christmas Labrador Retrievers section on t-shirts, mugs, oval euro stickers, bumper stickers, bags, magnets, and more 8PawsUp.com today!

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Friday, October 03, 2008

New Puppy


Don't smell crotches, don't eat plants.
Don't steal food or underpants.
Don't eat my socks, don't grab my hair . . .
DON'T RIP THE STUFFING FROM THAT CHAIR!
Don't eat those peas! Don't touch that bush!
Don't chew my shoes ... What IS that mush?
Eat your cookie, drink your drink.
Outta the toilet! Outta the sink!!
AWAY FROM THE CAT BOX, IT'S FOR THE CAT!!
(And MUST you kiss me? After that???)
Yes, raising a puppy is not for the lazy!
Though puppies are funny, they're also quite crazy.
But don't despair, though its toil and strife.
After 3 years, you'll get back your life!
So, let's go for "walkies", you can "do your thing".
(And perhaps I'll get back my GOOD DIAMOND RING!)

Author Unknown

(*laugh*)

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Wednesday, October 01, 2008

The Brats New Beds!


Yep! The Lab Brats gots new beds and we couldn't be happier!

OK, so they aren't exactly beds but rather new comforters to put in their crates. So, why am I so happy? Because I can actually wash these every week.

I finally found comforters that fit their crates and fit in the washing machine!!!

My recommendation is that if you use a dog crate that is around 42"L X 28"W, then the Twin X-Long comforters made for college student beds will be perfect! Right now they are marked down to a ridiculous price (they were $14 each) and fold up perfectly in quarters to give our dogs the softness they deserve while keeping them small enough to fit in the washing machine.

You see, we used to use our old queen and king comforters and they would never fit in the washing. So, I would wash them once in a blue moon, which, as you know leads to smelly, dirty, and very furry dog beds. They were impossible to clean and I dreaded cleaning them even once a month... if that!

Yes, I am excited over a clearance section oversize comforter for my dogs and proud of it! *mad laugh*

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