A report from Singapore where they opened a Dog Bakery has been circulated on the news network. As we all know that idea has been around for quite a while in this country. I remember Three Dog Bakery when it first established a store way back in the late 1980’s, and they were the World’s First Dog Bakery. It reminds one of that era and our college years when the rock group “Three Dog Night” were churning out great songs. That rock group, appeared in Milwaukee a few years ago, are still rocking although we are all somewhat older rockers.

Since those early years Three Dog Bakery has exploded and now have Dog Bakery Franchises all over the world, Dog Recipe Books, and very healthy products which have been honed through the years with meticulous care of choosing ingredients to tantalize your dog’s palate. I would predict this chain will increase in numbers in the coming years, with the explosion of the dog foods scandal, and the popularity of these doggy treats.

Recipe books from Three Dog Bakery encourage pet owners to turn on that oven and make some at home, its fun to make them, and could include the whole family in taking care of your dog. Your dog will also appreciate them so much.

The Singapore bakery opened in 2004, a bakery that only caters to dogs is on a busy traffic route in Singapore. It has taken them this long to clone our Three Dog Night Bakery and discovering just how good we can be to our dogs. They named this bakery the “US Doggie Bakery”.

You have to wonder if the humans have to wait outside chained to the fire hydrant, or whether they are allowed to eat the treats? However one has to wonder why they established it in a gas station, perhaps it is a pit stop for your dog and your car.

Dog food at this level, is supposedly safe for human consumption except for items that are not geared to humans. One would expect that common sense would prevail and people would eat their own food and isn't that a sign of better products available for our pooches!

After perusing the product line it does not compare to Three Dog Bakery. The Singapore products such as Mini Pizza, Chicken and Cheese, and Quiche contain no preservatives, no salt, but look rather bland from the pictures seen in the news item released a few days ago. However, Three Dog Bakery has such ingredients as: Garlic, Apples, Wheat, Egg, Milk, Honey, Vanilla, Blueberries, Cranberries, Egg, Milk and Molasses.

Their wheat is wholesome, which means no additives, all natural and comes from whole grains which adds more fiber and vitamins. They have a team of experts that track down the best wheat producers - that is how far one should go to get the finest ingredients for our dogs health. The whole pet food industry is on the alert since the pet food scandal of March 2007, and people just will not tolerate low standards on ingredients that go into our pet food chain.

Apples? Dogs eat apples? Blueberries? They sure do. My dog often chases a little green apple around the park, and chews it, now how is that so much better than a rubber ball? Its nutritious, its fun, it’s a little green thing that the dog’s brain thought was great to chase, its biodegradable, and best of all the dog ate it. No garbage, and no harm to the environment. A natural diet will increase your dog’s metabolic rate, helps to regulate hormones, and cope with diseases.

Most dog owners know the nutritional needs of our dogs and they are: Proteins and Amino Acids, Fats and Fatty Acids, Energy Needs, Vitamins, Minerals and water. Pretty basic stuff, we don’t need a degree to resolve that question, and its very similar to a human’s nutritional needs to keep us health and alive.

It seems that other countries are following the lead of our entrepreneurs who are

catering to a whole new world of pet foods and treats for our favourite dog.

One must guard against over feeding with this abundance of dog treats, and watch the caloric intake. If your dog is getting overweight you can see the fat deposits on its back, and the waistline seems to disappear. Obesity is now a great concern amongst pet owners, of both dogs and cats. One out of four pets have an obesity problem, and it can increase with age and lack of exercise.

The health risks are diabetes which was once rare amongst the dog population is now an epidemic. A boring lifetime of commercial based pet foods has made its contributions and other refined carbohydrates are also factors in dog obesity.

Dogs do eat meat, but they are not strictly chained to meat products.

The diet of a dog can include a wide range of vegetables, and plant based proteins. Older dogs need more protein to maintain good health and we will address that in upcoming articles.

In these dog days of summer, we also need to insure proper hydration and that means water bowls everywhere, inside, outside and on the road trips.

Stay in the shade if outdoors and only for short periods of time. Talk walks in the early morning rather than later in the afternoon, or later in the evening when it is cooler. Pour water on your dog if you feel their temperature is very warm.

If your dog is panting heavily that is a sure sign of overheating, to prevent heat stress. Water is a basic necessity for your dogs health.

In summary, to insure a properly balanced diet there is much room for improvement in the dog food industry and we look forward to the these changes so that the fear of feeding our dogs becomes less of an issue in making good nutritional meal plans for our best friends.

Written by: Teri Salvador