Eco-friendly Organic Dog Beds

While scouring the Internet for dog beds that are easy to wash ( all in one piece), easy to throw down anywhere ( car or trip) and odor resistant, I came up with these.  The problem I have now with dog beds, is that they look worse after multiple washes, stain easily or are just to cumbersome to throw in back of my Toyota Vensa.  These beds seem to have it all and I love the fact that some of them are naturally antimicrobial and odor resistant.  Comes in handy in a house of 4! I finally managed to get them all in one place the other day.

1. Tuckered out with hemp by West Paw. West Paw
$89.00
I really like the fact this it is a one piece bed with bolster pillow. Looks very easy to throw in the wash and it's pretty attractive looking too. I will be ordering this one. 

2. West Paw also makes the Eco Nap bed which is even better for a car for travel.  It is priced really well and I love the colors and patterns this comes in. Starting at $29.00.

3. Crypton known for it's impermeable and odor resistant fabrics have a whole pet bed line that is pretty impressive. I liked this flat roll up travel bed.  It's Eco-friendly, moisture, odor and bacteria resistant. Dog Eared Bed starts at $82.00.

 

4. The Harry Barker Hemp Bedroll is another great travel bed that can roll up easily. This one is constructed of hemp and comes in great colored stripe patterns. Starts at $68.00.

Oh Lothario.  He will still probably end up sleeping on the concrete.

Peanut Butter Liver Chip Cookies: Your dog will thank you.

This is a great dog party idea or just a quick and easy everyday recipe for some wholesome dog biscuits.  No question about what is going into your dog's belly after this treat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

In a mixer on low, blend:
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/2 spelt flour
1 tsp of canola oil
1 egg
1 tsp of warm water
1/2 cup of finely chopped calf's liver
2 tablespoons of organic peanut butter
1 teaspoon of organic creamed honey

Liver:
The day before, bake 2 pieces of calf or cow liver at 250 degrees for about 30 min. Then let cool and place in fridge overnight.

roll your dough out on a floured surface to about 1/4 inches thick and cut out your shapes. I used dog bones.

Place on parchment paper and bake for about 20 min, or until lightly browned.

 For your canine related parties and events ( if you are as crazy as I am, you throw these parties also), you can add some peanut butter for dipping, just to make it extra special!

 A bunch of snouts trying to get in on the good stuff.

So what makes a dog food USDA organic?

You will probably hear a lot about our dogs in this blog. They are a huge part of our lives and I really do live and breathe all things Bergamasco. Instead of going into very long detail about this special breed, I will point you to the links where you can read more if you are interested. We live with four dogs. Lothario, Mezza, Anthea and Amira.  They are so many things to us and to the kids. To me, they are best friends, children, girlfriends, buddies, clowns and pieces of my soul. I am grateful for every moment I have with them.

Courtesy of The Dog Food Project

The following labeling requirements apply to the labels of organic products:
If a manufacturer wants to claim a product is "100% Organic", it must contain 100 percent organically produced ingredients, not counting added water and salt. As far as dry dog food is concerned, this is currently not possible, since as per AAFCO regulations vitamin and mineral supplements must be added, which can not be organically produced.
If a manufacturer wants to claim a product is "Organic", it must contain at least 95% organic ingredients, not counting added water or salt, and must identify the organic ingredients as "organic" in the ingredient list when other organic labeling is shown. To identify an ingredient as organically produced in the ingredient list, the word, "organic" in conjunction with the name of the ingredient may be used, or an asterisk or other reference mark which is defined below the ingredient statement.
Only products that fall into these two groups may display the "USDA Organic" seal, either in color or black and white.
If a manufacturer wants to claim a product is "Made With Organic Ingredients" or a similar statement, it must contain at least 70% organic ingredients, not counting added water or salt, and must identify the organic ingredients as "organic" in the ingredient list when other organic labeling is shown. To identify an ingredient as organically produced in the ingredient list, the word, "organic" in conjunction with the name of the ingredient may be used, or an asterisk or other reference mark which is defined below the ingredient statement. The product may display the seal(s) of the agent(s) certifying the included organic ingredients, but not the "USDA Organic" seal.
If a manufacturer wants to advertise the fact that product has some organic ingredients, it can include less than 70% total and they must be identified as "organic" in the ingredient list. The product may not display the seal(s) of the agent(s) certifying the included organic ingredients nor the "USDA Organic" seal.


We don't want our dogs ingesting pesticide residue or GMO ingredients just as we don't want to ingest them. Of the few brands of dog kibble out there that are certified organic, I have to say that none really appeal to me based on the ingredients and percentages. We have found a couple of wonderful meat markets here in CT that will make dog food on request. They use chicken or turkey, soft bones, cartilage, feet, organs and grind it into a meal that is then frozen. They can also add vegetables to the mix. If you feed raw or are interested in feeding raw, you can find complete meals in this way for half the cost of the some of the raw companies. Our dogs love it. Chicken feet can also be purchased from your butcher and although they are kind of gross to deal with, they are great snacks. I clip off the toe nails and clean them really well then freeze and give raw.