Every Day Can Be Earth Day For Pets Too.
by lauriewrites

When my little dog stretched dramatically, I'd laugh and call it his doggie yoga poses. Who knew about doga (rhymes with yoga) at the time? Not me, but it turns out it's all the rage.

In doga poses, the dogs look a lot like they do when they loll about and appear to be happy. It's no coincidence, Storm says, that a common yoga stretch for people is called "downward-facing dog."

In the chair pose, dogs sit on their hind legs with their front paws in the air while a person holds them from behind. In the chaturanga pose, dogs lie on their abdomens while someone strokes their backs. In the savasana relaxation pose, they lie on their backs while someone rubs their belly. Aaaaahhhhh.

If dogs don't want to do doga, it's fun to have them hang out on a mat while you do yoga, Storm says.

The most important part of doga is spending quality time together. Doga helps dogs and people bond, Storm says, because they have to focus on each other. No TV or video games. No homework worries. Just you and
your dog stretching and relaxing.

There are other ways besides an exercise steeped in Eastern tradition to keep your pet in tune with the divine, and to reduce his carbon footprint at the same time. A little green living never hurt anyone, not to mention our planet, and since it's Earth Day every day this month, it's time to consider how to keep our pets' lives as environmentally friendly as they can be.

Green Food Options

The first thing on the list for many owners concerned about the health of their pets and the planet is food. I'm not an expert, and this is too important of a topic to pretend to be. That is also why I don't recommend any particular pet food, and post links to any specific variety with a disclaimer that each owner must decide what is right for her pet. Pets, like people, vary widely in dietary and healthcare needs, and one dog or cat's feast - even if it's organic, low-salt, or some other special variety - can be another's junk food. I strongly recommend that you work with your vet to determine what the best diet is for your pet, and if you don't feel like you're getting good advice, shop around for a doc who will give it.

Our dog had colitis and severe allergies. At the advice of our vet, he had home-cooked meals of turkey and rice and
a yogurt snack at night with his medicine for the last several years of his life, so I also haven't been tuned in to commercial pet foods for awhile. Additionally, the 2007 pet food recall frightened enough pet owners sufficiently to consider their own pet food choices more carefully. Jason started the Homemade Healthy Pet Food Blog after the recall, with recipes and resources for owners who opt to try homemade.

Pet Food Tracker continues to keep up with what foods have been associated with the recall. Itchmo, run by Ben and Emily Huh, was another helpful site for food recall information, including lots of information about feeding alternatives. Ed. note: Ben Huh is one of the folks behind I Can has Cheezburger, and he and wife Emily are taking a break from Itchmo. The forums will stay up and
running, though.

First, from the celebrity files, who knew there was a green gossip site? They're reporting that Ellen DeGeneres has purchased a natural pet food company called Halo.

Ellen told Parade magazine that her food is SO natural that even humans can eat it. She said, “Ours is all human grade. It’s all natural. And yes, you can eat it. People love their animals so much so that they put little clothes on them and necklaces and booties and things like that. And if you love your animal, then you should feed them something that’s not dangerous for them. There’s a lot of poisonous stuff that they’re putting in a lot of that food, those by-products.”

When asked what her pet policy would be if she were a politician, Ellen said: “My pet policy would be to love them and give them as much respect as you would give any living thing and treat them kindly. They’re innocent little souls that are filled with unconditional love. And we should give them the same.”

Good questions and good answers, but let’s not forget that ALL animals should be respected…not JUST pets. If your dog (or you) has a hankering for some meat in a can, trot on over to Halopets.com.

Peggy at Tree-Hugging Family (my new favorite blog name) writes about Pet Promise, a food company with partners including Dr. Andrew Weil and the Organic Center. Here's what they promise:

We only buy source-verified, natural ingredients from ranchers who guarantee us meat and poultry that's free of added hormones and antibiotics. Our meat and poultry is not blended with ingredients that do not meet our stringent standards of purity.

Barbara Feiner at Organic Authority also wrote about Pet Promise. She quoted Weil.

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, it’s all of the steps from farm to bowl that determine the credibility and impact your pet food may
have on the environment.

“I think it’s especially critical for pet owners to examine the type of protein that goes into their pet’s food,” says Weil, who has two Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Jambo and Daisy. “My dogs are a big part of my family, so knowing the protein source of their food is really important to me.”

Weil’s personal concern over the health and well-being of his dogs, combined with his personal passion for the environment, led him to get involved with launching one of the first pet foods with U.S. source-verified meat and poultry.

Over at Planet Green, Jasmin Malik Chua posted "Swap Out Your Pet's Junk Food" in January.

Certified-organic pet foods must meet strict U.S. Department of Agriculture standards that spell out how ingredients are produced and processed, which means no pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, artificial preservatives, artificial ingredients or genetically engineered ingredients.

Here are some trusted brands available on the market:

1. Castor & Pollux Petworks
2. Newman's Own Organics
3. Pet Promise
4. PetGuard
5. The Honest Kitchen
6. Wellness

Pet Care Tips has a useful article on how to decipher the ingredients on a pet food label, and DogAware.com has guides to commercial pet food, supplements, raw, and frozen food options, among others.

Oh, and if you have a green pet tip you care to share with PetCo, you might win a year's supply of Pet Promise.

Green Pet Shopping

Great Green Pet is a shopping blog devoted to environmentally- and pet-friendly products. The most recent link is to (Dogs Are...) Very Super Cool, a purveyor of "Green greeting cards" with pet portraits, because "every dog has a story." So true. The cards are printed on recycled paper.

Kelli Best-Oliver wrote what she calls a "quick overview" for green pets at Green Options. She linked to biodegradable poop bags at EcoAnimal and Swheat Scoop, a wheat-based scoopable kitty litter, but says better yet, compost your pet's waste.

Yeah, yeah, I know you aren't supposed to compost pet waste. However, that rule generally goes for compost that is going to be used on edible plants, like a veggie garden–using that compost on landscaping or flowerbeds is fine. If the thought of adding poo to your pile still makes you cringe, create a whole separate compost just for pet waste.
Bury a metal garbage can for a securely-contained poo pile. For your feline friends, avoid clay-based litters–the clay is strip-mined, and the dust from the clay can irritate your cat's lungs.

Speaking of EcoAnimal, they call themselves an "ecoplanet Internet store" with Earth-friendly products for animals, and I have to agree. In fact, I don't really know where to begin linking all the cool stuff on this site (I lied! Songbird seed feeders made from recycled materials! Hemp dog toys! Seriously, just check it all out.) They even link to the Dog Fun guide, or what they call the "original dog park directory."

Meg Donohue at StyleHive gives 11 tips for "Greenifying Your Fido" in style.

Green Pet Care & Protection

Lynnette at the Fun Times Guide wrote "5 Ways to Be A Green Pet Owner." First on the list: rescue.

#1 Perhaps the easiest way to be a green pet owner is to choose a "recycled" dog or cat.

The green pet owner will rescue and rehome a displaced dog or cat rather than buy one. (Don't Shop... Adopt!)

Chartreuse Life, "A Mom and Daughter's Journey to a Greener Life", says rescue, and spay or neuter.

Spay or neuter your pet. Not only will you cut down on the number of homeless animals out there but you will improve your pet's health - spaying and neutering helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives by eliminating the possibility of uterine, ovarian, and testicular cancer, and decreasing the incidence of prostate disease.

Jasmin Malik Chua wrote a useful guide on TreeHugger.com last year called "How to Green Your Pet." It is just fantastic, and has a bunch of great links at the bottom, too. And because green is as much about being compassionate and aware as it can be about practical choices, I'm a very biased fan of her number one way to reduce your pet's carbon footprint:

1. Adopt from a shelter

Pet breeders have only one goal in mind—to raise large quantities of purebred animals for profit. They’ve also been pilloried for misdeeds
such as overbreeding, inbreeding, poor veterinary oversight, lousy food and living conditions, overcrowding, and culling of unwanted animals. Why buy when you can adopt one of the 70,000 puppies and kittens born every day in the United States? Love knows no pedigree. Check out Petfinder.com to find your perfect match.

Treehugger also gets points for consistently covering green issues for animals, and for the links to Oops I Pooped biodegradable pet waste bags.

I'll give some regional link love to Bark Natural, a store that carries a wide range of organic and environmentally friendly products. They also have a good list of resources on their Website, including animal advocacy groups and holistic healthcare practitioners for pets. One of those resources is Holisticat, a message board and forum that calls itself "The One, The Only, The Original Holistic Cat Care Community for discussion of ways to keep cats healthy, happy, and well-fed."

Generally Green

Grist Environmental News and Commentary has an article called Collared Greens with comprehensive suggestions for green pet living and a solid list of resources at the end.

Squidoo's "Raise a Green Dog" page.

Christie Keith's article for the San Francisco Chronicle, "The Environmental Impact of Pets."

Whew. That's a lot of green for the pets in our lives, and it's all good. Earth Day is April 22nd - make sure they get some (environmentally friendly) treats- and maybe a walk for both of you - to celebrate.

Laurie White writes at LaurieWrites.

Submitted by lauriewrites (view blog) on Sun, 04/06/2008 - 22:59

Comments

 

I really enjoyed this...

What a great collection of ideas and thoughts.

I too look at my cat with her stretches, especially after a sleep, and think what a pleasurable feeling it must be.

I love my yoga but after years of doing it I still can't imagine stretching just as fluidly.

My cat came from the Cat Protection Society and is desexed so I completely agree with the idea of getting animals from shelters and not pet shops.

Looking after the environmental side of animal care is also best for the wallet too - as with most things anyway (I can't think of any area where it isn't best for the wallet - waste not, want not).

Well done for your efforts with this - I really liked it.

Smiles

Belinda

Jewelry Display Stands and Handmade Jewelry at www.CreativelyBelle.com/design

Submitted by Creatively Belle on Mon, 04/07/2008 - 06:34
 

Thanks, Belinda.

Wow, two comments, two Belindas...what are the odds?

I'm glad you enjoyed the post.

 

Laurie 

Submitted by lauriewrites on Mon, 04/07/2008 - 17:55
 

Great job, Laurie--but this hurts:

"Pet breeders have only one goal in mind—to raise large quantities of purebred animals for profit."

I know those aren't your words, but I feel saddened and need to address them. For those of us who are conscientious breeders of purebred animals, statements like the above could not be FARTHER from the truth! I wish the author had at least qualified it by saying "COMMERCIAL breeders, backyard breeders and puppymills," because then we'd be in total agreement.

High-volume, for-profit breeders are the bane of our existence, too. They are the reason that people like us work in rescue. My family will always, always offer a foster home to dogs in need--the local shelters and vets know to call us when anything even remotely resembling a poodle turns up homeless. Is it one of ours? No, but we take the responsibility as guardians of our breed seriously, and extend that commitment beyond just the dogs we breed ourselves.

I am 100% in favor of pet adoption, make no mistake. There are always going to be people who want or need a purebred pet for various reasons (in our family, two of us are highly allergic to "regular" dogs, so poodles are a perfect fit for us, besides the fact that we just love them), and those pets can almost always be found available for adoption through breed rescue. BUT, I do not agree that anyone should be vilified for seeking out a reputable breeder when selecting their pet.

Our last breeding, about a year and a half ago, produced 3 puppies. Both parents are fully health-tested, genetically screened, DNA-typed conformation Champions whose pedigrees we've researched exhaustively. There is NO WAY we could (or would) sell puppies at a high enough price to even offset the cost of getting to this point, much less make a PROFIT. The knowledge of "family" in purebred animals is priceless, as it gives us an educated guess as to what to expect as regards health, longevity, temperament, personality, trainability, intelligence, etc.

Besides, when you breed with the understood goal of preserving, protecting, and improving a breed and line of animals, you're breeding first and foremost for YOURSELF. We only breed when we're ready for our next show prospect. That means at least one for us to keep, often one for the owner of the stud dog, who is probably as invested in the decision as we are, and MAYBE one remaining pup to sell or allow to be adopted by a friend/family member.

Profit, schmofit. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest, and I don't for a minute want to detract from your hard work on the good article--lots of good resources there.

As far as low-impact, fresh food, we have been feeding our dogs the Volhard Natural Diet for over a decade now. Fresh, local ingredients either mixed from scratch or with one of two commercially-available freeze-dried mixes. We heartily recommend it, and the book "The Holistic Guide For A Healthy Dog."

 

Belinda

Submitted by ninjapoodles on Mon, 04/07/2008 - 16:29
 

I thought twice about that quote after I
pasted it.

And I thank you for responding. Pet rescue is perhaps closer to my heart than ever for a variety of reasons, and having had two purebred Boston Terriers acquired from a home breeder and a "home" puppy mill respectively, I've seen both sides.

I think from all that I have read and heard that you are an anomaly in the pet breeding world. Maybe I'm wrong, I just haven't heard a lot of similar stories. I love hearing yours. I know that there are those like you who do it in small batches, for the love of the ninja poodles, as it were. And then there are those who don't.

I hate to be part of any histrionic chorus, even just by quoting it, so thanks for keeping me honest. I certainly DON'T feel that anyone should be vilified for making the choice to get a dog (or other animal) from a breeder. The only thing a person should ever be vilified for with respect to animals is abusing them, in my opinion. 

My dog who died in March came from a home breeder who seemed reputable and was very loving with the dogs - in my presence, at least. I went into the process of getting him when I was very young and uninformed. He STILL had terrible health problems (most notably a struggle with epilepsy that was a source of much panic and sadness for all of us) for most of his life and I'd be very curious to know how his siblings fared. I feel that there was overbreeding going on there. Regardless, he was my de facto child and we put a tremendous amount of time, energy and money into caring for him. We would have done whatever he needed as long as he was mobile and eating enthusiastically, which he did  until a few days before he died. I truly feel he may have ended up surrendered if he'd gone to someone else who didn't want to or couldn't do the same. 

And, with respect to rescue, I do think there are people who aren't interested in providing the more high-maintenance care that a rescue, whether purebred or not, often requires. Those people may well be better off with a well-bred dog from a breeder like you. But really, any dog, no matter the origin, can have problems. I know if I ever have one in my home again (I'm very fragile where this topic is concerned right now) I'll know better than to have ANY expectations other than to expect anything! 

Thank you for your responsible efforts and for pitching in with your perspective.

Laurie

LaurieWrites 

Submitted by lauriewrites on Mon, 04/07/2008 - 17:42
 

The difference between hobby, backyard and
commercial

I have to chime in here as well. There is a huge difference between a hobby breeder, like Belinda with her poodles and me with my scotties, a "backyard" breeder and a commercial breeder.

A reputable hobby breeder is generally involved in the sport of dogs, usually conformation, and breeds to improve the breed. We match sire and dam to the best of our ability to create better, more structurally sound, healthier puppies that conform to the standard of our breed. Our goal is to make our breed better with every generation. When we sell pet puppies, we do so with spay/neuter contracts. 

All the dogs in my breeding program are registered with CHIC, the Canine Health Information Center http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/ 

We don't make a dime at our hobby. Like most hobbies, it costs us money. Unlike other hobbies, though, ours can greet us at the door when we come home. Worth it for that alone.

When you purchase a puppy from a hobby breeder, you are getting years
and years of knowledge about the breed, and your pup's family. I
don't know a single hobby breeder who doesn't guarantee to take your
pup back at any time if you are no longer able to keep it.  

A backyard breeder may love his/her dogs and take brilliant care of them, but I guarantee you does not take the same care in pedigree selection, in matching sire and dam. Same breed is good enough. They don't do all the health testing we do, and you may even find that they can't give you AKC papers. Although don't equate AKC papers with quality. As long as both parents are registered, the litter can be. 

Commercial breeders are puppy mills. Less said the better. Don't buy your pup at a pet store.  

I think adopting a mutt at a shelter is wonderful, but surprisingly enough, there are many parts of this country where we do not have dog overpopulation. The shelters in my state (MA) import dogs from down south in order to satisy the demand, and in the end, look as much like politically correct pet stores as anything else. Just my opinion, YMMV.

Every dog breed was developed to do a specific function (except a few toy breeds), which is why we have such diversity in the canine, wherease we don't in the feline. As a result, the different breeds have different characteristics, and temperaments, for their job. For families with children, a purebred dog is often a better bet because we have a better understanding of the likely behavior and temperament of the breed. With a mutt, we may not know what breeds are in the dog; behavior is unpredictable. This doesn't mean bad -- no breed is bad. But when you don't know what's in the mix, you can't predict behavior, and I think that is very important when it comes to mixing kids and dogs. 

I'll step off the soap box now. Like Belinda, I am very passionate about this, and thank anyone who bothers to read this comment.  

Susan

 

Submitted by Susan Getgood on Mon, 04/07/2008 - 18:17
 

I don't want to belabor this point...

especially because I don't know much about hobby breeders except for what you've shared here (which I appreciate and find useful, as much for your need to educate about what you do as anything else.) However, I'd need more information to believe that there are places in this country where the pet shelter and rescue operations are not overburdened. If that's the case, then I'm glad animals are shipped, because from what I see in my region the numbers are ridiculous.

I've also known FAR too many awesome mutts who have been excellent family pets and (I say this with love) wacky purebreeds to agree that the latter option is always better for kids/families. My Bostons were excellent with children for the most part, but I've been buddies with some mixes who were better (again, breeding issues, but I've shared what those were with mine, which I'm sure they are for a lot of people who went into it as uneducated as I did.)

On some level every dog is a crapshoot - you just never know. I appreciate what people like you are doing to produce the best in your breeds...I just think that this is one of those multi-faceted issues that involves personal choices and deeply held beliefs, which is as it should be given the tremendous investment of time and energy that a well-cared-for pet is.  I'll also say that even given the time and trouble and trauma, I'd take both of my dogs again. They changed me and my family for the better, no matter what.

(And I will ask that if anyone has this kind of information that I mentioned above to share, that it go in the pets forum, just because it's very different than the original intention of this post and I think it deserves its own airtime.)

Laurie

LaurieWrites

Submitted by lauriewrites on Tue, 04/08/2008 - 15:50
 

Laurie, you bring up another good point

about transparency, with your comment about how you wish you knew "what was up" with your dogs' siblings.  Conscientious breeders are totally transparent about health problems within their family of dogs--the more information that's out there, the better-informed choices we can make, both as breeders and as pet buyers/adopters.

And like Susan, I can't think of a single "hobby" (or if you like, a breeder "in the fancy," which is to say the sport of dogs) breeder who will not take a dog back, for any reason, at ANY time in its life.  

You may be moving in the wrong circles when it comes to purebred dogs, because in the fancy, people like Susan and myself are very much the rule, rather than the exception.  Seek out show breeders.  Not everyone needs a show-quality dog, no, but those are the breeders who are absolutely doing their homework and putting the welfare of the animals and the breed first.  Often pups from show litters can be had as cheaply as BYB-dogs, or even sometimes free of charge, if you're willing to consider an older puppy who didn't pan out for the show ring, or a retired adult champion.

 I also appreciate and agree with Susan's comments about the many reasons people seek out a purebred dog as opposed to a mutt (and for bringing up CHIC--all my breeding animals are certified, too).  I've known FAR more delightful mutts than problem ones, but the fact is, you have much less of an idea what you're going to wind up with there (i.e. will the activity level match your own?).  Which, depending on the adopter, can still work out beautifullly.

Belinda

Submitted by ninjapoodles on Mon, 04/07/2008 - 18:38
 

I hear you...

But when and if I ever get a dog again, it will be through a rescue organization. It will likely be a Boston Terrier, because that's what I've grown up with and they have a very special place in my heart. My second dog came from a puppy mill and if I could have taken all of the dogs home that I saw that day, I would have.

And whereas I don't intend to judge people who buy or adopt from breeders of any sort, I do stand by my decision, which is based on my personal dog ownership experiences.

Laurie

Submitted by lauriewrites on Tue, 04/08/2008 - 15:18
 

Oh, and the "doga!"

Agility and other serious canine sports competitors have been doing slow warm-up and cool-down stretches on their dogs during training and competitions for years!  It's as good for them as it is for us, although dog injuries during sports are really rare compared to people. 

Belinda

Submitted by ninjapoodles on Mon, 04/07/2008 - 21:42