Does anyone have any suggestions for good dog food? I agree that high-quality dog food is important, but even when I find food that's labeled "organic" or "all-natural," I look at the ingredient list and it usually has about 30 ingredients, more than half of which I don't recognize. Are there any dog foods out there with a very limited number of recognizable ingredients?

No matter what a pet shop owner or dog trainer might say, a crate is just a cage, and putting dogs in crates is just a way to ignore and warehouse them until the guardian finally gets around to making time for them.

Crating is a popular because it is convenient. But this inappropriate practice deprives dogs of the opportunity to engage in some of the most basic activities, such as walking around, stretching out to relax, and looking out a window. Obviously, it prevents them from relieving themselves or indicating the need to relieve themselves as well.

Crating began as a way for people who participate in dog shows to keep their dogs clean, but they did not take into account their dogs' social, physical, and psychological needs. Dogs are highly social pack animals who abhor isolation and crave and deserve companionship, praise, and exercise. Forcing dogs to spend extended periods of time confined and isolated simply to accommodate their guardians' schedules is unacceptable.

Crate training does not speed up the housebreaking process. Regardless of the training method, puppies do not develop full bladder control until they are about 6 months old. It is counterproductive to crate young puppies in the hope that they will "hold it." They are physically incapable of doing so and will be forced to urinate in their crates after experiencing great discomfort while trying not to soil their beds.

Puppies who repeatedly soil their crates often lose the urge to keep their crates clean, which in turn prolongs and complicates the housebreaking process. Puppies who are born and raised in crate-like structures in pet shops and puppy mills can experience severe anxiety and develop fearful or destructive behavior if they are confined to crates. They may even injure themselves while trying to bite or scratch their way out.

Studies have shown that long-term confinement is detrimental to the physical and psychological well-being of animals. Animals caged for extended periods can develop eating disorders and anti-social and/or aggressive behaviors, or they can become withdrawn, hyperactive, or severely depressed.

Keeping a dog in small area if it is in the dog's best interests (e.g., when cage rest is ordered by a veterinarian or when confinement will keep the dog safe during travel) is ok. In such cases, guardians should always take steps to ensure that dogs are provided with bedding and the opportunity to relieve themselves and that they are given access to water, fresh air, food, and other basic requirements.

i completely agree with re-use. How many times have you bought a toy for your dog to find out they don't like playing with it. Pass those toys onto friends who have dogs and see if they like the toy. Just like kids, dogs have different tastes in toys.

Please don't let gray make you feel guilty about using a crate. When used correctly it is the best training tool out there. I agree that you should not be putting a puppy in a crate for training, however once they are old enough for house training go ahead, enjoy the crate. We still have our 7 year old pug's crate in the livingroom corner. When our 1 1/2 year old husky/lab cross is a bit too much for little Lucy to handle she crawls up on her memory foam cushion and I push the door closed behind her. It is not latched, she knows she can get out, but she also knows Chloe can't get in. Her training is long over so the gate is never latched but she uses her crate as her bedroom and we all know to leave her alone when she is there. Dogs crave their own space as much as we do!
Dogs should not be crated when you are home and awake, you should be interacting with your dog. But for those of us who are not able to work from home, putting a dog in a crate while you are at work is not cruel. The alternative is not have a dog which for me means 2 less dogs adopted from rescues and instead they would have been put down. To me, that is cruel.

I would worry about crating the dog when I am not home. Fire, etc. Also one of the perks of a dog is deterring casual robbery - a perk that disappears if the dog is crated.

I am not sure why the only choices would be to not have a dog or crate it, if you don't work from home? Surely you could train the dog to be trustworthy and refrain from digesting large pieces of furniture?

If its open and they come and go I'm cool with that, but for myself, I would not be comfortable crating a dog 6+ hours a day as a regular thing.

My dog is crate trained and I often find her in it on her own. She likes having a "den" and I know that while I'm at work or class she is not wreaking havoc. When we have our own place I hope to transition her out of it, but right now, since she has developed a taste for things belonging to the room mates and I can't get them to remove them from the common area and I can't permanently close my doors because they are friction hasp french doors, I prefer to know that she is safe from whatever hazards they leave out. Is it ideal? No. Is she scarred for life? I think not. She seems to be a pretty content pooch.

My dog liked her crate too, its her own space and I keep it next to the sliding glass door so she can stare out (with the blinds pulled down so she doesnt roast in the sun).

also, if you do use frontline or the others for flea control, soap will was that off right away and you have to use dog shampoo... i learned that the hard way by dealing with fleas so bad and then finding out i was washing her flea medication off while trying to help.

The best eco-friendly pet idea is to adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue organization instead of buying a puppy from a breeder.

We did a lot of research before deciding on a great dog food. It's a little more expensive up front, but really saves on the long run (with less vet bills and health issues... just like people). We currently use Innova and are pretty happy with it, but if you want to really make sure you are happy with the ingredients, you can always make it yourself with tons of ideas online but consult your vet first!

And totally agree with emilyl... Go to a shelter!

We are part of a foster-pet program, to help get the pups out of the cages for awhile and into a nice home, while helping find new owners. If you are in the San Antonio area, Animal Control Services has a GREAT fostering program worth checking out.

Also, I use an eco friendly shampoo from a company here in Texas (local!!). Smells like coconut and vanilla, so it's good for our dog and good for our noses, ha!

My dog is crate-trained as well, for a good reason. She's a rescue whose mother had to be put down when she was two weeks old, so not only was she bottle-fed for the six weeks before we got her, she has a wicked case of separation anxiety that manifests itself in destructive behaviors. Rather than send her to the vet with chewed-up god-knows-what every few weeks, we crate her for her and our well-being.

We'll let her roam the house when she's appropriately tired (read: spent the day at doggy daycare or mountain biking), but otherwise, we tuck her into her "den," and she's overall a very happy and sweet furball.

@staceylafayette Look up Evolution Diet Dog Food, this is what I feed my dog. They have very high quality ingredients, all of which you can recognize and it is a completely balanced kibble for your dog. Due to my personal ethical beliefs and health reasons I am vegan and felt hypocritical buying low quality dog food that isn't even safe for humans to consume. After doing lots of research everything pointed to putting my dog on a vegan diet as well. This was the most recommended plant-based dog food and there are tons of documented cases of dogs living over 20 years old in perfect health eating this food. Contrary to what many people think, dogs are not carnivores they are omnivores just like us and can live a very healthy life without animal products. Cats are another story, they are carnivores and need meat, while Evolution does have cat food that they say is perfectly healthy for cats I'm a little skeptical and haven't tried their cat food yet. But good luck! My dog loves his food and is very healthy and energetic, I definitely recommend that dog food.

@staceylafayette this is a little late but Acana and Orijen are great food lines. Orijen is from Canada and they have very strict standards for their dog food. I pick Acana becuase it's a 60/40 mix of protein to fruit and veggies- Check out local mom and pop pet food stores, they tend to be really knoweledgable and will usually have samples.