For dogs and humans alike, nutrition is one topic that continuously evolves and changes. No doubt you’ve heard of at least four or five new fad diets over the last year. The low-fat diets of the 1980s shifted to the low-carb diets of the 2000s. One minute, grains are the largest portion of the food pyramid; the next, we’re cautioned to limit our wheat and grain intakes. Similarly, popular dog diets go through phases. Should you look for the grain-free dog food? The raw diet? Which type of food is best for your dog and for the community at large?

If you know our story, you know that wholesome, nutritious, human-grade ingredients are at the heart of our mission. Like so many other pet parents around the world, we got fed up with recall after recall of commercial pet foods and decided to take our dogs’ nutrition into our own hands. Since then, we’ve noticed a significant improvement in our dogs’ skin and coats, their energy levels, and the clarity of their eyes and ears. But for us, the human-grade food movement is about so much more than that. We think it’s the best option for the community at large for a number of reasons. 

No two dogs are the same, and neither are their dietary needs

Your dog is so unique! What other dog barks the way they do, gets the zoomies the way they do, or tumbles into playtime like they do? Your dog is an individual, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. Just as their personalities are unique, their body chemistry is their own, meaning they may react differently to different ingredients in food. Cookie-cutter diets just won’t cut it anymore.

Since we switched to whole foods for our dogs, we’ve found that it’s easier to include dietary supplements and minerals with their unique food blends. For a rundown of our favorite Mercola supplements, check out our blog. We work with our dogs’ vets to make sure they’re getting all the nutrients they need to improve their quality of life. 

Responsible sourcing is good for the environment

For our food and treats, we choose wholesome ingredients from responsible sources. Not only does this help us make sure we know exactly what’s going in our dogs’ tummies, but it also means we’re relying on ethical food producers whose methods benefit the environment. Without a healthy planet, we won’t have anywhere to let our dogs run and play! We think that environmental protection should be a cause for companies of any size and industry.

A healthy diet is a preventive measure

So much of your dog’s health relies on their diet. Obesity in dogs can cause joint pain, heart illnesses, low energy, and diabetes. On the other hand, unappetizing food can leave your dog underweight, bored, and tired. Your dog’s quality of life is based largely on their nutrition. Think about it: we use food and treats as training rewards, and we often share our mealtimes together.

Providing your dog with the right diet helps give them the energy they need to stay active and to properly metabolize food and treats. It also helps stave off diseases like arthritis and heart disease. In short, a healthy diet is pretty darn important.

How to get started with human-grade dog food

We always recommend speaking to your veterinarian before you make major changes to your dog’s diet. They can offer you insightful tips on transitioning and on which supplements to add to their bowl. Once you have your recommendations, find Pawsitively Pure dog food at www.pawsitivelypuredogfood.com/shop or stop by one of our upcoming markets to ask us any questions you may have.

Your dog’s paws go through a lot! While we humans almost always wear shoes to keep our feet protected from the elements, our dogs’ paw pads have to stand up to concrete, dirt, sand, debris, and high temperatures, just to name a few. That’s why it’s so important to keep your dog’s paws clean and healthy - after all, a sore paw or infection will keep them from walking, playing, and doing all the things they love most in life!

That’s why we’ve developed an organic paw balm. We used all-natural ingredients to create a soothing, protective salve that keeps your dog comfortable and ready to go. We included ingredients with some really great benefits: 

• Coconut oil and olive oil: responsibly sourced oils are the main soothing ingredients in our salve. Did you know that coconut oil has been recognized as a natural antibacterial? Rubbing this on your dog’s paws will help keep any cuts and scratches from getting infected while keeping those toes comfy. It’ll help soothe itching and rubbing!!

• Shea butter: you’ve probably seen shea butter listed in some of your lotions and shower gels. It’s a great softening agent for your dogs’ skin, too! It does offer some natural sun protectant properties, and while the bottoms of your dogs’ paws probably aren’t getting a lot of sun exposure, this makes it a great option for irritated elbows and scaly patches. It’s soothing enough that it can help stop biting and scratching of irritated areas!

• Calendula: this is a super helpful medicinal flower, commonly known as the marigold! For centuries, people have turned to calendula to soothe irritation, relieve pain, and reduce inflammation and pain. It’s still proven as an effective healer and protector for dog and human skin alike! It’s great when it comes to promoting wound healing and has been a noted helper for many pet owners. 

Our paw balm is great for dogs that live in any climate! With the winter coming up, your dogs’ feet may be exposed to cold pavement, snow, and salt, depending on where you’re located. Dip their paws in our paw balm before your next walk to keep them comfortable and protected from debris! To learn more, join our Facebook group, Pawsitively Pure Living for Dogs. Join the conversation on healthy, organic living for dogs!

If you’ve been keeping up with us on social media, you probably know that we’ve recently welcomed a new pup to our home. Little Miles brings our grand total to 3 furbabies. Some people may look at our very dog-friendly lifestyle and wonder how we do it - how do we get 3 dogs to get along in one household? How do we make sure they’re all reaching their health and nutritional goals? How do we have any room left on the couch between the three of them?!

Of course, there are additional responsibilities that come with introducing more dogs to your family. However, a multi-family household has a handful of benefits you just can’t get with an only dog. Here are the pros and cons of having a multi-dog household: 

Pros

• They’ll keep each other entertained and exercised! When your dog has a playmate around, they’re able to play tug-of-war, fetch, and wrestling when you’re not around to initiate playtime. You may find your dogs like to race each other. Whatever the play style, they’ll be able to take the often time-consuming task of exercising your dog off of the table.

• Having another dog around helps with puppy training. If you introduce a puppy to your family, chances are they’ll follow in your older dogs’ footsteps. You may find your puppy is easier to train as it will pick up cues from its pack leader.

• What’s cuter than one dog? Two dogs! We all want to spoil our dogs with the most love and attention, but we find our hearts are even fuller when there are more dogs around to take care of. You’ll have a lot more love in your household with multiple dogs.

Cons

• Introductions can be difficult. If your dogs aren’t introduced properly, you may find their transition period tumultuous. Sometimes dogs just don’t get along, and having two dogs in one house that don’t get along is never a good time.

• You’ll probably have more expenses with multiple dogs. While you’ll probably find that food costs really aren’t increased by a lot, having to pay two vet bills can be prohibitive to some pet parents.

• You’ll have more cleanup to do. Multiple dogs means multiple sources of shedding, dirty paws, and wet fur. Of course, we love these little things about our dogs, but for a head of household that already has their hands full, cleaning up after multiple dogs might just not be in the picture.

When it comes down to it, the right number of dogs for your household really depends on your unique situation. Take into account whether or not you have a yard, the amount of space in your home, and your emergency budget cushion. If you have room in your home and your heart for another dog, why not adopt? To learn more about the best nutrition for your new dog, browse through our shop or send us an email!

Here in Central Florida, our pups get the luxury of playing outside year-round. But with all that outside play time, they’re sure to get dirty. Why not clean them up for a good cause? The Shampooch! Orlando dog wash party is back for its 12th year in Thornton Park, and Pawsitively Pure will be a vendor for the event. 

This year, the Shampooch event will benefit the Poodle and Pooch Rescue of Florida. Each year, Shampooch chooses a dog-centric charity to benefit with their soapy dog takeover of Downtown Orlando. We’ve had so much fun at the event in previous years. Dogs of all shapes and sizes are welcome to get a good scrub. They’ll also have nail trimmers available at the event!

There will be plenty of other vendors at the event this year, including food vendors, shopping, and a photo booth. Join in a number of raffles, or have fun at the dunk tank. This year, Shampooch will have a kid zone, complete with a splashing pool and a play area. This event is open to the whole family.

To learn more, click here to visit the Shampooch event page on Facebook. 

As a responsible pet parent, you already know that there are some foods that aren’t safe for dogs to eat. While animal nutrition is an oft-debated topic, veterinarians have determined that a number of human foods, like grapes and chocolate, should never be fed to dogs. Unfortunately, there are some foods made for dogs that aren’t safe or healthy for your pets, either. 

If you pay attention to the news, you’ll notice that a number of dog food brands have been recalled due to health and safety concerns over the years. A dog food recall was what prompted us to build the Pawsitively Pure line of human grade dog foods so that we can make sure our dogs are only getting the best of the best. 

It can be difficult to navigate the pet food aisle and determine the healthiest treat for your dog. The next time you go shopping, avoid these 5 types of treats: 

1. Rawhide. It may be surprising that this comes in on the dangerous list, since you can find it all over the shelves at a number of pet supply stores and grocery stores. However, rawhide presents a major choking habit for dogs. Also, the white rawhides are often treated with nasty chemicals to give them their bleached appearance.

2. Treats with sugars high on the list. Believe it or not, some dog treats are just as loaded with sugar and high fructose corn syrup as human treats are. Soft and chewy treats tend to have more sugar than others. Refined sugar has no place in your dog’s diet. It can lead to obesity and serious heart issues.

3. Treats with wheat as the main ingredient. While a dog’s diet does have some place for grains, you should use treat-giving as an opportunity to bolster your dog’s nutritional intake. It’s more effective to offer treats that are based in protein and whole foods, rather than wheat filler.

As we mentioned above, you should use your treat time as an opportunity to provide your dog with more of the whole nutrition they need to thrive. Pawsitively Pure’s healthy dog treats include wholesome ingredients like pumpkin, blueberries, and oats to give your dogs the flavors they love without any of the bad ingredients they need to avoid. Browse our store to try some of our treats for yourself!