Integrity Pet Canada Inc. recently developed a new line of treats to provide your pets with all the benefits of Omega 3′s. Omega 3′s are important for both human and animal health, and in dogs and cats it has positive effects on inflammatory disorders, immune system, brain health and aging.

Hearty Bites are made from natural ingredients including sweet potatoes and chicory root, which are full of nutrients and will help healthy bacteria grow in your dog’s digestive system.

They are available in two sizes of treats to ensure their status as a low-calorie snack. They are crunchy and grain-free (which means no fillers).

Hearty Bites are also available for cats, and some feline friends of mine give them a big meow (that means yum). My own pups tested out the treats for dogs and seemed very impressed. Matilda got booted out of the photo shoot because she couldn’t sit and wait for the treat while I got my camera ready!

Hearty Bites make a perfect February themed treat as they are shaped like hearts.

Pick up some for your pets at one of these locations:

- Global Pet Foods / Pitou Minou (in QC)
- PJ’s Pets
- Pet Culture
- Pets Unlimited
- Mondou

Sonnet waiting eagerly to have a Hearty Bite!

Canadian company, Northern Biscuit Bakery has a new line of dog treats out this year, and they have a fantastic twist! The BIOSNAX line of treats are meant to promote health in addition to rewarding your dog for being so darn cute. There are four kinds, Fresh Breath, Shiny Coat, Hip and Joint, and Calm. Plus, your dogs will go nuts for them. Seriously, I thought Sonnet was going to do a back-flip!

Fresh Breath: These treats use parsley to help naturally freshen your dogs breath for those kisses. Myrtle leaf helps to prevent the growth of bacteria while Atlantic Kelp works to remove impurities. Testing these treats involved me sticking my face in my dogs’ faces so I could test their breath. After many kisses, I found their breath was much more appealing.

Shiny Coat: These treats rely on Omega 6 and 3 to promote healthy skin and a shiny, nourished coat. Who doesn’t like a pretty dog?

Hip and Joint: These treats have cherries to provide anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidants, New Zealand mussels to help with arthritis and glucosamine to help strengthen and protect cartilage. I immediately gave these to my sister Liz, whose dog Paddington has long had problems with her knees. Liz already gives her glucosamine to help with this issues, so I knew these treats would be great for Paddy!

Calm: These delicious smelling treats use chamomile to help promote relaxation. Haven’t you ever wished you could just give your dog a cup of chamomile tea and get the to chill out? Here’s a better solution!

Each kind of treat is slow-baked with chicory root to help with easy digestion. As with other Northern treats, BioSnax use no artificial preservates and use healthy, natural ingredients. The biscuits are crunchy to help maintain your dogs’ dental health.

Northern Biscuit Bakery uses locally sourced ingredients and uses the local Community Living Ontario office to put the labels on their bags. Community Living Ontario employs intellectually disabled adults with jobs in their community.

All in all, this company knows what is important and is working to promote it. I am totally in love with this company and I highly recommend these treats. BIOSNAX are starting to pop up on the shelves of your favourite pet food stores (Pet Valu, Global Pet Foods, and Pj’s Pets).

A few years ago I was introduced to DryPet, a company that makes micro-fiber towels for dogs. The material is incredibly absorbent, which means that they dry your dog really fast. These towels are great and I was very excited when company founder LaToya contacted me to ask about doing a review of their product. The occasion is the launch of their new bigger size towel. All the big dog owners were getting a jealous of how quickly the little dogs could get dried!

The small towel measures at 26″ by 36″ and sells for $12.99. The new large size is 30″ by 55″ and costs $19.99. Check back soon for your chance to win a free DryPet towel!

For now, check out my video review, featuring a recently bathed Sonnet:

I don’t give my dogs a lot of treats because I don’t like them eating chemicals or other questionable substances. When I read the ingredient list for Dodgie Dog’s Kitchen’s Classic Peanut Butter and Banana Treats, I was thrilled because I understood what everything was! I knew right away that my puppies would love them because they had two of their favourite foods – peanut butter and banana – and not a whole lot else. Honestly, I could eat them if I wanted to.

I won’t eat them though because Sonnet and Matilda would never forgive me. They LOVED these treats. From the second they smelled them, they went crazy. Matilda began jumping up and down and quivering with excitement. Sonnet plonked into a lie down (the position she must assume before she gets fed) and stared up at me with longing in her eyes.

Sonnet snatched her treat up and ran away to eat it, while Matilda essentially inhaled hers (she hasn’t quite got the hang of chewing her food). When I gave them a second one, Matilda somehow ended up with both of them between her feet! I had to rescue the other one for Sonnet (who promptly ran away with it to munch in peace).

Then they followed me around for the next five minutes just in case I felt like giving them any more!

The cookies are available in a small or large size biscuit on the Dodgie Dog’s Kitchen web site in 150g, 300g, and 900g package sizes. Small treats: 150g – 8.99, 300g – 13.99, 900g – 37.99. Large treats: 150g – 7.99, 300g – 12.99 and 900g – 34.99.

Company owner and operator, Joel, has been nice enough to offer a discount exclusively for Ottawa Dog Blog readers! When ordering, after registering on the site, enter coupon code “odb25small” for the small treats or “odb25large” for the large.  Only one coupon code may be used per order and are only valid on a 1 per customer basis, coupon will be valid until September 28, 2012.

We will also be running a contest for our Canadian readers! Comment on this post with an answer the question “what is your dog’s favourite thing to eat” for a chance to win one BigBox of the “classic” small treats total value of 50.84 including taxes and shipping. You have one week to give your answers before we randomly select a winner. Contest closes on August 22, 2012. Good luck!

There are four different flavours of treats available. Sonnet and Matilda will be taste testing them over the next few months, so stay tuned for their verdict!

EDITOR’S NOTE: We had the opportunity to review the Sleepypod Air. Since my sister, Jane, recently welcomed home a darling little puppy named Sonnet, I asked her to test out and review the Sleepypod Air.

Crates are so important for our dogs so that they have their own space where they feel safe, no matter where you are. I am so impressed with the quality of construction of these Sleepypod Air crates and really like all of the features they have. But I’ll let Jane do the talking… ~Liz

Sonnet and I are both really happy with our new Sleepypod Air! It is a sturdy pet crate designed with extreme attention to detail. It works to keep your pet comfortable while making things easy for the owner.

Sonnet took to the crate right away. The inside of the Sleepypod Air has a plush bottom (which can be removed for washing) and a cozy den-like atmosphere. When I opened it up on our first morning together, I expected Sonnet to dart right out – instead, she blinked at me with sleepy eyes and remained curled up in her crate.

Some of my favourite features of the Sleepypod Air are those designed to make travel easy. There are buckles that hook around car seat-belts to keep your pet secure on the road, and a zippered section on the back that allows the case to slip over the handle of a piece of wheeled luggage. It has a handle across the top and a removable shoulder strap to make it easy to carry. If you don’t have room to travel with the crate expanded, it folds flat in a few easy steps. Its name stems from its design, which fits airline requirements for traveling with your pet.

A neat extra feature available are the DryFur Pads. You simply remove the plush bottom of the Sleepypod Air and press the DryFur in place. Should your pet have an accident while in the crate, say on long air or car trips, the pad will pull the wetness away from your dog so that they don’t have to sit in their own mess. I am happy to have these pads because I frequently go on long car trips. Sonnet is still young and her bladder may not wait for rest-stops. It is reassuring to know that if she has an accident, she won’t be uncomfortable.

It would be nice if there was a section at the top that could be left open in order to pick up and put down Sonnet for late night bathroom breaks, but that is my only suggestion. Overall I am very happy with the SleepyPod Air. It is extremely well made, great for Sonnet, and it has a lovely design.

I look forward to many more sleepy nights and safe travels.

You can purchase the Sleepypod Air online, or in Ottawa at Global Pet Foods in Kanata and Hintonburg.

Check out the photo shoot we did with Sonnet and the Sleepypod Air.
Images by elizabeth&jane photography.

We received our new leash holder from Pets Unleashed within days of ordering it. I LOVE it! It is sturdy, well made and goes with our décor. It took me under five mins to put it up.

I will recommend this product to friends… it would make a great gift for any dog loving friend who has everything.

We lost our dog of 15 ½ years, Tasha, in January and adopted Lola in July. My husband commented “this is the first thing we have on our walls that is about Lola.”

I also believe strongly in supporting local, Canadian businesses.

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