Honest Kitchen Newsletter - October 2006 vol 21>

volume 21

October 27, 2006

Coco, Bonbons and lots more!
Fall is winding up, and winter will be fast upon us. This latest edition of our newsletter will send you off to the kitchen, with a likely trail of 4, 8 or upwards of 12 paws fast behind you. We are looking forward to the cook off in our HK office kitchen. Read on for exciting surprises, other HK news, educational tips, Home Baked Treats, and more.

Where's Coco?

Our Expanding HK office!

We're delighted to welcome Lucas Marquardt to our team. Lucas is our new director of finance and strategic planning and will be working hard to manage our growth as we continue to expand.
Shhh…don't tell anyone…..but part of that expansion includes a very exciting new recipe for dogs, scheduled for spring 2007!

Lucas is the proud papa of our newest addition, Coco, a very inquisitive, energy-filled, fourteen week-old, miniature Schnauzer. She's especially close with our in house paper-shredder, Willow, and they can often be found napping in Charlie's bed. Coco's fuel of choice is Embark.

Many of you have already spoken with Jane Ashley, our office assistant, but she has only been with us for a few months. A Bay Area native, Jane Ashley is a graduate of Mills College with a degree in Political, Legal, and Economic Analysis. She reports that her favorite things about working here are the meaningful connections that she gets to make with our customers and getting to play with the dogs in residence. For those of you in the Bay Area, Jane will be at this year's Green Festival in San Francisco from November 10-12. (For more information, check out www.greenfestivals.com)

A Store Near You!

Store Of The Month - We're Wild About ‘Wild About Meat'!

Our Store Of The Month this issue is Wild About Meat in Wyckoff, NJ. A chance meeting between two strangers at an airport not only led someone to find out all about our products – it also led to a vote for Store Of The Month. Read on, to find out how….

"As I was waiting at the Airport in Florida last week, a lady next to me and I began talking about our dogs. She has a dog with severe allergies and skin problems and the place where she boards the dog recommended your dog food "Embark". She said, after 3-1/2 weeks, the dog's fur had all grown back, the skin healed from all the scabs and most off all, the dog loves this food……..

……..On your web site I found a distributor of The Honest Kitchen, located in my neighborhood. (Wild about Meat in Wyckoff, NJ).
I have to tell you, the experience I had with the owner Katrina McQuilken, was wonderful. She met with me and my dog, spent quite some time explaining the diet, how to feed it and get my dog "Crystal" used to the change. At no time was she pushing or trying to sell, she had only the dog's best interest in her mind. She gave me samples to try and checked with me during the week, how Crystal adjusted, ate, etc.
I was impressed by her knowledge and the love for animals and most off all, the time and patience she had for me.
No Pet store, Feed store or even Veterinarian ever spend this amount of time with me to sell some dog food.
Crystal is on Embark (with a little cooked meat mixed in) and enjoying it.
I am glad to have met the stranger at the airport who told me about the Honest kitchen."
Sincerely,
Ursula

Wild About Meat will receive a 20% discount on their next order in recognition for being voted Store Of The Month. You can visit there website here, www.wildaboutmeat.com

Here is our list of all our NEWEST resellers of Honest Kitchen diets.
Canines Unlimited- Juneau, AK 99803, 907.790.3647
Healthwize for Pets- San Francisco, CA 94117, 415.552.0233
My Pet Naturally- Los Angeles, CA 90064, 310.477.3030
Senior Pet Products.com- Los Angeles, CA 90066, 310.827.4160
Grateful Dogs- El Segundo, CA 90245, 310.364.0011
Lucky Dog CA- San Diego, CA 92101, 619.696.0364
Off Leash- Santa Barbara, CA 93101, 805.957.4500
Paw Boutique- Pasadena, CA 91105, 626.396.1136
Spot- Los Angeles, CA 90048, 310.275.2820
Pet Supply Sea Cliff Village- Huntington Beach, CA 714.969.2800
Pet Supply Fountain Valley- Fountain Valley, CA 92708, 714.964.5585
At Your Door Pet Store- Parker, CO 80138, 303-927-6921
Farfel's Farm- Boulder, CO 80302, 303.819.1193
Hounds on the Hill- Denver, CO, 303.830.1226
Magic Dog- Kiowa, CO 80117, 303.646.5816
Moochie Poochie- Colorado Springs, CO, 719.447.1818
Unleashed Ultimate Dog Center- Superior, CO, 303.554.9343
Whole Pet - Boulder, CO, 303.444.4733
THE BARKERY- Fort Pierce, Florida 34950, 772-595-9498
Kirkwood Feed & Seed- Athens, GA 30317, 404.378.2829
Peach Tree Natural Foods- Columbus, GA 31909, 706-649-3071
Birken & Bailey's Boutique- Paia, HI 96779, 209.663.2891
First Place Training- McHenry, IL 60050, 815.385.3350
K9 & Kitty Kitchen- Peoria, IL 309.243.5372
Two Bostons- Naperville, IL 60549, 630.357.7621
Fido's Food Fair- Chicago, IL, 773.506.9063
Thomas Tails II- Lake Zurich, IL 60047, 847.550.1002
Holistic Veterinary Sevice of Indiana- Nashville, IN 47448, 812.988.9787
To Your Health- Gardner, KS 66030, 913.856.6262
Barks and Beyond- Glenburn, ME 04401
Two Paws Up- DeWitt, MI 48820, 517.775.2332
Tri-Star K-9 - Edwardsburg, MI 49112, 574.370.3403
The Brass Clipper- St. Joesph, MO 64505, 816.364.1320
Paw Palace- Red Bank, NJ 07701- 732.747.9744
Precious Pets- Somerdale, NJ 08083, 856.566.2100
PAWS – Pet Accessories with Style - Reno, NV 89521, 775.851.7387
Puppy Boutique- Reno, NV 89519, 775.825.8253
The Houndstooth Bakery & Boutique- Bainbridge, NY 13733 607.967.2275
Bark n Purr- Austin, TX 78759, 512.452.3883
Bones2Go!- Houston, TX 77092, 713.462.2663
Pampered Pets Boutique- Kingwood, TX 77339, 281.743.1521
Moab BARKery Moab, UT 84532- 435.259.8080
Primo PetCare- Auburn, WA 98002, 253.804.9400
Northwoods Veterinary Clinic- Gillett, WI 54124, 920-855-2229
Barks 'n' Bubbles- Kenosha, WI 53142, 262.694.8418

Ways You Can Protect Children with Dogs

Tracie Hotchner's guest article

This issue we are very excited to present a guest article for our newsletter, written by our friend Tracie Hotchner, author of the best selling Dog Bible:

ASK THE DOG BIBLE….School's Back In! Kids & Dogs
Because the risk of dog bites to children is always an issue, "The Dog Bible" has teamed up with the Humane Society of the United States in Washington, D.C. to promote dog-child safety with the "Teach Kids to Read Dogs" campaign, with bookmarks that highlight some of "Scooby Doo Hotchner's 25 Rules for Kids" from the book.
Dogs are not four-legged humans and their methods of communication are entirely different. The "language" of dogs - their body language - has to be taught to children like any foreign language so that signals from the dog are not misinterpreted. It's so important for a child be taught from an early age how a dog thinks, what makes him tick and how to avoid provoking him into unwanted behavior. Ironically, the more that adults treat a dog with affection and dignity, speaking about the dog's feelings and needs, it may be hard for a child to understand that the dog who loves her can also harm her.

Ways You Can Protect Children with Dogs
Children will copy the way adults behave toward a dog, just as they mimic everything around them. To make sure that the children in your dog's life do not raise their voices or their hands to a dog, take care that no adults ever show overt anger or aggression to an animal (displays of aggression to humans are an equally poor example).
* Ironically, visiting children who already own a dog can be at risk because they may be too comfortable – making them casual around a dog they don't know. These children probably know nothing about the warning signs and signals that dogs send to other dogs and to people to keep give them some space.
* Kids often aren't taught the way to approach and handle a dog. They may provoke a dog by petting him while he is eating. They may startle a dog who is sleeping. They may want to hug or kiss a dog who naturally experiences these actions as aggressive. It's rare for a young child to be able to see things from another point of view - especially that of a pet. – so you have to find a way to get these ideas across.
* An older dog may have little patience. As dogs age, they may feel achy or grumpy part of the time. A senior citizen can have the pain of arthritic joints, eyesight and hearing that are failing, and slower responses. A child can't understand the discomforts of aging, making it even harder for him to understand that a dog wants to be left alone.
* Some children may tease and taunt a dog for fun. Any teasing is ultimately unpleasant for a dog, even if he seems to go along with it at first. Excessive teasing can cause a dog to lash out in frustration. Kids from 9 to 12 years old may experiment with the limits of a dog's tolerance by restraining the dog and then calling him, by playing monkey-in-the-middle or by getting the dog to bark or growl by holding a toy or treat just out of his reach. Children need to be taught that these games are cruel: one way to do this would be to ask how they would feel if someone did the same thing to them.
* Take your child to obedience training classes with you and the dog. Depending on how young (and short) the child is, you might want to hold the leash together with the child so that when the child gives a command ("sit," "down" and "come" are the ones he can try most successfully) you also have hold of the leash to reinforce the dog's compliance. However, at the end of the day, the dog has to pay attention to the child (even though you are the one with treats). Once the dog does accept and obey commands from the child, the child will automatically be in a higher position than the dog.
* Desensitize your dog to childish interruptions. Without children actually around, you can practice every few days for your dog to accept surprises. When he's eating, put your hand near the bowl and put some treats in with his food and pat him. When he's sleeping, gently wake him up and give him a little rubbing, then leave him alone again. When he's chewing on a toy, slowly take it away from him, give him praise and a treat, then give him back the toy. Don't do any of this too frequently or you'll wear out your welcome, but teaching your dog to happily accept anything a human does around him or to him will prepare him for the random behavior of a child. (It's a good habit to practice even without children in the picture.)
* Do not expect a child under six to be responsible for a pet or to have a full understanding of the risks involved in handling a dog.

Having said all this, there's still no sweeter return home from a day at school than to have a trusty pooch waiting with your milk and cookies when you get off the bus!

Tracie Hotchner, the author of this article, is the host of Dog Talk - The Radio Show.
Dogs have become such an integral part of peoples' lives that there is no area of human existence that isn't touched by dogs in some way – and yet so many areas about which not enough is known or there are vigorous debates. DOG TALK™ The Radio Show addresses subjects like:

• the disturbing truth about the shocking ingredients used in most popular commercial dog foods
• wellness care and debate about the danger of routine vaccinations
• the unnecessary pain of ear docking in and the physical discomfort and balance impairment caused by routine docking of the tail
• dog/child safety and dog bite prevention
• the horrible truth about the "mills" where all pet store puppies come from
• controversies about dog parks, ways to make successful ones
• making a will that leaves money in trust to dogs rather than human survivors

What you'll hear on DOG TALK™ the Radio Show is sure to amuse or amaze you since the place where people and their dogs meet is often at the intersection of excess and intensity. For the "special" editions out in the field, Tracie will travel to a dog-related location and bring her radio audience with her. Occasionally, she'll interview celebrities to hear about their love for the dogs who have shared their lives. You can visit DOG TALK™ Here!.

Tracie Hotchner is also the author of THE DOG BIBLE: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know (Gotham Books, November 2005).

Click here to go to The Dog Bible website. www.thedogbible.com

The book is already a best-seller, being called the "Dr. Spock for dogs." It is a 700-page encyclopedic guide that covers every imaginable aspect of sharing your life with a dog - from the mundane to the controversial - all aspects of the shared canine/human lifestyle. The book is already changing the way people deal with their dogs - and that impact will draw them to DOG TALK™ to be amused, enlightened and intrigued on canine topics.

Bonbons for the Hounds

Jane's Grain-Free Halloween Bonbons.

Our dedicated office coordinator, Jane, has dreamed up a delicious Autumn Bonbon recipe this month, and our crew of office hounds have been enjoying the fruits of her labor!
Here we present Jane's creation.

1 cup Force (dry)
1 cup Canned or Cooked Pumpkin
1 Egg
Small handful of Quinoa or Buckwheat Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix Equal parts of Force and Pumpkin, add the Quinoa flour and egg at the same time. Mix until well blended.
Shape into balls and place it on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until slightly golden on the outside, but soft in the middle. Cool, then call in the hounds.

Options:
For an extra burst of healthy stuff, add in a teaspoon of powdered greens or spirulina.
For extra flavor, try adding a little sliced ham or some grated cheese.

We'd love to hear from you!

Recipe Contest – Win a complimentary bucket of food!

Our office taste testers are super-excited about the holidays! We've told Mosi, Debeau, Charlie, Willow, Coco & Harry that we'll be asking our customers to come up with recipes for a holiday feast, and they've been licking their chops in anticipation of the taste tests, ever since.

If you'd like to submit a holiday recipe for consideration, here are the guidelines: one of our diets must be used in the recipe and all ingredients must be human-grade. Other than that, get as creative as you wish!

We'll take some time off from perfecting our new blend to recreate your tasty offerings in early December, so please email your recipe suggestion to us by November 30th. Send your recipe's to Jane at questions@thehonestkitchen.com .

The taste testers will give there 'paws of approval' and the favorite recipe will be reprinted in our next newsletter with credit to the chef. The winner will also receive a complimentary bag off food (any recipe) for their pup to enjoy.

Upcoming Health Feature by Jan Rasmussen
Jan Rasmusen, award-winning author of Scared Poopless: The Straight Scoop on Dog Care, will be providing a guest article for The Honest Kitchenin an upcoming issue. Would you like to provide Jan with some information for her study on TEAR STAINS? Diet, body pH, general health and breed all seem to play a part.

If your dog has ever had a tear stain problem and you wouldn't mind responding to a short questionnaire, please email Jan at dogs4dogs@aol.com. If you have friends who may be interested in participating, ask them to email Jan at dogs4dogs@aol.com with "Tears" in the subject line.

Please let us know if you have any suggestions for future articles, recipes, or other Fur Friend News. We love to hear from you!
email: service@thehonestkitchen.com

The Honest Kitchen's nutritional products are not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent disease. Our web site, email communications and other correspondence are for informational purposes only and do not replace the expert care and advice provided by your veterinarian. Dietary and other healthcare changes should be made under the guidance of your vet, particularly when underlying health conditions exist.