Embarrassing realization -- I didn't know how much I didn't know.

[HeatherA]

I've learned a lot in just the few short weeks I've been on DK.  Grooming tips, feeding tips, reading up on raw feeding extensively, training opinions and techniques.  It's all been very helpful.  It's also made me aware of many things my husband and I didn't know.

Many years ago we bought this house.  We had one child and an older Bichon.  I fed her grocery store food.  I had this dog since 1994.  Shortly after we moved into the house a styrofoam cooler arrived.  In this cooler were vacuum packed ground bison meat.  We wondered, was the previous owner in some kind of "meat of the month" club?  So, we tried to get in contact with the previous owner of our house.. no luck.  Then one day my husband decided to try Hamburger helper... with this Bison meat.  It was dry and not very appetizing, I had a bite and considered it a lesson learned.

Fast forward... as I sit here looking through the mail at the catalog we STILL get for our previous owner.  I am flipping through a Dr. Fosters and Smiths.  It dawns on me that these people were really in to their dog.  Suddenly it hits me --- that styrofoam container of ground bison with just the odd white sticker that said "bison"... was probably for their dog.  We ate high end dog food.  Rest assured, Violet and Veruca's Taste of the Wild is safe.

Mm, sometimes knowledge can be embarrassing as you realize the mistakes and assumptions you had before.  As I hang my head and laugh at myself I thought I would share... 

Humbly,

Heather

[HeatherA]

It had to have been a little lower quality. It was dry tasting from the lower fat, which we did expect.. but it also had a taste.. sort of like liver? Who knows what part of bison was ground into that. Hah. I have had Bison since then, a place in Colorado makes Bison burgers and we had one - TOTALLY different taste. ;)

[F, Calla & Luca]

I have tried a bison burger and I'd say give me a cow any day.

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

Wow, Bison Helper, who would of thought of it. I love the mental picture of DH chowing down.

[HeatherA]

I don't think this story sings my praises when I say my husband will eat my cooking.. hah. Apparently the bar is set at premium dog food. :)

[Shelley and Riley]

That's a funny story, Thanks for sharing.

[Ginny Nightingale]

I feel the same way about my two doodles-- after many years of making mistakes with previous dogs--sometimes BIG mistakes, I also decided to be more educated about dog ownership. I really can't believe that I let my dogs out without a fence (I got lucky and never had a dog that got hit, but easily could have) and that I fed them low quality food. One of my terriers had terrible allergies and food was never mentioned as a possible problem! I learned a great deal from my breeder and so much from DK. This means a better life for me and for the dogs.

[HeatherA]

I know exactly how you feel. My Bichon had "hot spots" (she would lick and bite the fur until it was bald and bleeding) so bad one vet suggested taking off her TAIL because of how much she had chewed it. (I refused, put on the cone of shame and nursed her tail back to health) It was never suggested to me that could have been a food allergy. Not once. They didn't test her for allergies of any kind. I wish I could go back in time and smack myself... and that vet.

I have learned a lot, just taking obedience classes and reading random places the last year I had Veruca, but I've learned a LOT more the last few weeks on DK. It's a great resource for owners of any breed, and especially nice for Doodle specific tips :)

[shelly]

LOL, Heather....How do you feel now??? I think you may have been better off not realizing that you ate 'dog food'! Your DH may have just discovered a new dog food! Bison Helper! LOL

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ha ha, I love this!

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

ROFL!! That is priceless!! The things we do for our dogs :-)