“We love our pets and want what’s best for them. After all, they’ve seen us naked and don’t judge us when we drink directly out of the milk carton.” This is Zuke’s mantra and I for one couldn’t agree more.

With summer fast approaching, everyone seems to be going into diet frenzy, but have we forgotten that our beloved pets like a seasonally shiny summer mane too? Thanks to Zuke’s all natural dog treats, you can feel good about indulging the pooch in a healthy way.

I love spreading the love about brands that have an inspirational story behind the products. When I came across Zuke’s in my local dog store I was so excited to share the news. The Zuke’s brand came about one morning in 1995 while Patrick Meiering (Founder & CEO) was on a hike with his dog Zuke. Patrick noticed Zuke became fatigued and decided to give Zuke some of his power bar. It is safe to say that Patrick then had his light bulb moment on top of a mountain when Zuke immediately perked up. He realized that pets need healthy, all natural treats just as much as people do.

Thinking back to the Juicy-Juice commercial with the little girl trying to pronounce unrecognizable-fifteen-syllable-words in other Juices is the total antithesis of Zuke’s. All products are made with natural ingredients and include only USDA beef and poultry, New Zealand lamb, premium grains, fruits, vegetables and natural oils. None of Zuke’s products have animal by-products, additives or dyes.

Zuke’s mini naturals are perfect for small (and not-so obedient) dogs. I use them for training or for a quick distraction while Tucker is trying to attack the neighbor or delivery man. Each treat only has two calories and comes in peanut butter, salmon, and chicken.

If you have an older dog and are looking for nutritious and wholesome treats that will do their little body good then Zuke’s Hip Action is for you. Each treat has 300 mg of Glucosamine and 50 mg of Chondroitin so your pup will feel their best. Zuke’s also donates a portion of their annual processed to the dog and cat cancer fund.

In a time where recalled products are becoming the norm, it is imperative to pay close attention to the products we purchase for our pets. Zuke’s treats is the perfect brand as they are made in the USA, completely natural- which means there is no risk in the product getting recalled. Plus, how can you ignore a company that donates proceeds to animals with cancer?

Website: www.zukes.com

We love our cosmetics, beauty products, perfumes and spa treatments. However, not one of us would like to think that animals suffered so that we could pamper ourselves. It’s really not worthwhile to stave off a wrinkle if it put a bunny rabbit in pain, is it? So we do the right thing and stock up on products with the label “Not Tested On Animals”. But can we trust that this label really means what it says?

Oftentimes, products claim to be “cruelty-free” or “not tested on animals,” but this may only refer to the finished product. As you may be aware, the majority of animal testing occurs at the ingredient level. Similarly, some companies may contract other companies to do the testing.

Neither the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission requires animal testing for cosmetics or household products, respectively. There are sufficient existing safety data as well as in vitro alternatives to make animal testing for these products obsolete. Note that virtually every ingredient, even water, has been tested on animals in the past.

My name is Darby and I have red fur. I think I’m from a species called “What-To-Do-She’s-A-Rambunctious-Irish-Setter”, or at least that’s what my human mommy shouts to people in the park when I try to eat a squirrel, pull on my leash, or roll in a gloriously smelly spot.

My mommy types a lot on a metal contraption that sits on her lap to what she calls her PR Contacts. I don’t know what that means, but they’re very nice people who send packages, that my favorite mailman delivers. Some of the packages have yummy treats, some have soapy liquids that mommy uses on me. I get confused – apparently getting wet in the pond is bad, but getting wet from a bath is good. And I always get a bath with the soapy liquid after I go into the thick green pond. Mommy writes about all the stuff she uses on me, which I don’t mind.

Lately, mommy and I have been making new friends through that metal contraption of hers. It’s got a strange name like Inter-Web or something like that. Our favorite meeting place is Dogster (www.dogster.com) where I met my pup pals Zuzu and Magoo. We all have photos on Dogster too, how cool! Woof! We exchange pretend gifts like bones and rosettes. My mommy also shares advice with other dog parents, she’s pretty smart and knows lots of doggy info. The strange creature next door called Napoleon-the-Cat says he makes friends too on Catster (www.catster.com). Both Dogster and Catster have very important stuff like Breed Info, Vet Advice and Adoptions.

I hear it all the time, people stopping me on the street, letting me know that I have a beautiful dog, followed by the inevitable: “Setters are dumb, aren’t they?” Actually, NO! Irish Setters, like most hunting and working dogs are very smart. How can a dog hunt or work if they’re not bright?

The Intelligence Quotient for dogs came about through many different sources, one of them being Dr Stanley Coren’s book The Intelligence Of Dogs (www.stanleycoren.com). In his book over 200 professional dog obedience judges ranked 110 dog breeds on the basis of their intelligence. According to them, the top dogs in terms of intelligence are:

1. Border Collies
2. Poodle
3. German Shepherd
4. Golden Retriever
5. Doberman Pincher

At the low end of the intelligence rankings are:

106. Borzoi
107. Chow Chow
108. Bull dog
109. Basenji
110. Afghan Hound - The Afghan apparently is pretty, and kinda dumb.