Natural defense to the Rescue

It is stinking hot here ... even here ... and Kenya and I have both been swimming as much as possible this afternoon.  Now I have the dehumidifier on downstairs and a fan blowing 26 degree air around upstairs.

I was happily ensconced on my bed reading  a novel ... after doing some obligatory reading for tomorrow's lesson ... when Kenya set up a frantic howl and headed up the road to the mountain.  The last time she behaved like that she ended up with $300 worth of porcupine quills in her face.

I took off after her, barefoot, a Natural Defense bone in my hand ... I waved it around and told her I had something very special for her  ... and ... she turned her back on whatever she was chasing and came back to the house like a docile lamb.


The last time we were in that situation I used every wile I knew ... including raw beef ... nothing worked like this magic just did.

Congratulations, Natural Defense.

We are almost at the end of the trial ... just the breath tests left ... To be honest I don't really notice a difference in her breath ... but I will pay close attention and report.  What is absolutely clear though, is that both she and Remi thought these treats were to die for.

Natural Defense

Natural Defense is the last brand to be tested and it appears to be the winner so far.


These "bones" are the largest of the treats and are intended for medium dogs.  The recommended amount is 2 per week.  I must say these look good enough to eat with their marrowy looking centres.  The ingredients, with the exception of salt and sodium,  read like a health food product for dogs, and there are 140 calories in every bone.  That is only 40 calories per day, the same as the Crunch'n'Cleans.  They also smell like something a dog would salivate for ... strong smoky sausage.

Ingredient List:
corn starch
potato starch
glycerin
water
natural flavour
dehydrated myrtle leaf
sodium tripoliphosphate
salt
potassium sorbate
a number of vitamins
rice hulls
chlorophyll

Kenya agreed with my assessment.   First she sniffed cautiously ... then with enthusiasm.  Then she took the treat to her treat-eating carpet in front of the wood stove.  She took a long time savouring this one.  No worries about gulping down indigestible, intestine-blocking chunks here.  She licked for a few minutes and then held it between her paws the way a chipmunk or groundhog eats a treat and nibbled away at it for a very long time.

I haven't priced any of the products or compared their price and appeal to Dentistix, but so far this one is definitely a treat we like.  By the end of the test we will report on Kenya's breath and the appearance of her teeth.

Not part of the official taste test ... Kenya stole the smaller of my recently planted hydrangeas yesterday thinking it was a stick to play with ... Maybe she isn't as bright as I had thought!  She refused to give it back and tore off into the woods with it.  I have replaced it with a rosemary plant.  Good grief!

Other Doggy News ... Remi, who was supposed to come last weekend is now coming today.  He may be here for a couple of weeks.  Kenya will be in heaven.  And I can see if Remi is dumb enough to like the Crunch&Cleans.