I have honestly tried......

[Gail and Bailey]

Today I was at a birthday party for my friend's dog ......only her dog and my dog and six people were there.

My friend knows I am very picky about what Bailey can have to eat. So... her husband asked me before giving treats to the dogs.  They are just chicken strips (he says)...May I see the bag (I asked).  Of course it said..."MADE IN CHINA" !   I politely said that Bailey could not have one because they are made in China.  Shoulders were shrugged and the bag was put back in the pantry (there may have been an "eye roll") and I was asked what she could have.  I pulled out some treats I had brought and gave them to both dogs.  It makes me sad that even after I have nicely tried to inform my friend about the food issues facing dogs these days.....their dog gets Beneful,  milk bones,  and treats from China!   At least the dog just turned 6 and seems healthy....although always hungry and begging for food.   This is not the only friend (with a dog) that ignores the information I try so nicely to put forth.  The other dog that Bailey plays with is fed Iams and all kinds of yucky treats.  I feel like I am talking to brick walls!!  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

All you can do is try. Now you know how I feel, lol. 

[Tammie Ciesielka]

I wish someone had educated me with my last dog.  It wasn't until I got a doodle and found Doodle Kisses that I realized I was feeding my dog crap.  Maybe some day they'll get it, hopefully, for the sake of their dog.  

[Bonnie and Kona]

I sympathize. My DS and DDIL feed their wonderful Golden awful food. She is 12 and the sweetest animal imaginable. sigh. 

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

Exactly, all you can do is give people the information. I've known the "mom" of Monty's girlfriend for over 3 years now and we talked dog food a lot. At least I got her to the point where she actually tossed all treats made in China at one point. The kibble is a different story. You do what you can do.

[Pat and Traveler]

All you can do is try.  I've gotten two people to feed good food, and every little change helps. 

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Oh I'm sure you have tried and have been very nice about it. It seems if people really want to learn about a better way to feed their dogs, they will absorb the information and learn, and then you can help them. But I hear a lot of comments like "well my last dog lived 18 yrs and ate Iams his whole life...." and those are the people who just don't want to learn anything more than what they know.
It's the ones I come across who lost their dogs young, due to a strange illnesses, or cancers, that will listen and genuinely want to do better with their new dogs to help prevent that heartache from happening again. Sad that it takes that much sometimes. But keep trying, I sure do.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I know how you feel. I sound like the crazy dog lady here.LOL

[Deborah Brown]

There's so much more information about canine nutrition available these days.  Here on DoodleKisses and with a little searching on the internet.  It's ashame that people ignore or are just too busy/unmotivated to really give it thought.

Years ago, we had a standard poodle with chronic ear infections.  Looking back, I have no doubt she had food allergies.  We just didn't know any better.  There's no excuse any longer.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I can sympathize.  I think all the marketing BS confuses people.  I'm sure most people think I'm just ridiculously picky.  Sigh. I draw the line at unknown treats, but luckily FInn doesn't eat them anyhow.  He drops them at my feet, I pick them up, and toss them out at home :)    

[Sally S Miles]

It's something that parents have had to deal with for years - no sugar or no junk and so it goes - basic disrespect. Even the vet offers junk treats.... 

Brick walls can tumble, with the right force, but force is not fun and not productive.  Frankly, to me, the silliness of doggie parties is truly and blatantly stupidified by the eye rolling and general response here.  Wow - they obviously 'love' the dog and you have three options: eye roll, walk, or produce reading material/education - but mortar is going to be needed.

 

 

[Nadia]

I feed Bentley very good food but as others haves said you can't change other peoples minds. My own husband doesnt agree with my food choice. He says that he fed his dog growing up store bought food and she lived for 15 years. Nothing I say will change his mind but he doesn't stop me from feeding Bentley the food I think is right for him. never mess with wifey....lol

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

So many people use the "My childhood dog ate Crapinacan and lived to be 15" reasoning...but there was no free trade agreement back then. The food may have contained beaks and entrails, but it didn't contain melamine from China. Everything was not imported back then, and the dog food companies were not divisions of major multinational corporations.