Cute Puppy Photo and Some Stuff About Healthy Dog Food

DudeDog (aka Maya), our American Bulldog/Boxer mix joined our family five years ago.

The Dudes had been begging for a dog, and I really wanted a baby, so we compromised, and this little 6lb ball of fire came home to us by way of an IKEA parking lot (no, we didn’t find her, the guy who gave her to us met us there for the “adoption”).

None of us were quite prepared for real life with such a teeny puppy.

The Dudes probably thought she’d be more sturdy and less eager to nap. And, they expected her to know things like how to fetch, and how to walk on a leash, and to not use those razor sharp teeth of hers to nip at their ankles.

I didn’t anticipate that she would be quite so much like an actual baby, devoid any real ability to keep herself alive with a lot of crying, and whining, and pooping all over the place.

But mostly, the love.

It was instant.

Something about her personality just made you want to love her forever.

And that is what we are doing.

Even when she got into the Halloween candy a few years ago and, er, painted out house with it.

Even when she chewed up a perfectly good pair of brand new sneakers.

Even when she broke straight through the screen of our patio trying to escape a creepy noise in the dark.

She wiggled her way into our hearts all of those years ago, and there’s no digging her out now.

Believe me when I say I tried following the Halloween Candy Debacle of 2014.

Honestly, I can’t even imagine life without her.

And we work really hard to make sure she is happy and healthy for years to come.

Starting with her grub.

I’m not going to lie, Maya is one of those dogs that will literally eat anything (seriously, we had to ban crayons from the house because she loves them so much) –she’s never turned down any type of food (or anything that looks like it might be food).

She is entirely ruled by her tummy and she doesn’t let things like instincts or rules or allergies get in the way of a good meal.

When she was quite young, we discovered that despite her wanting to put everything that would fit inside of her belly, she actually has quite a few food sensitivities.

Weeks and weeks of unrest from her backside led us to our vet for help where they determined that she shouldn’t spend too much time in the grass, her ears were prone to infections, and, if we wanted the mud butt and the aggressively bad smelling gas to stop, she needed to switch to a meat based diet –no corn or wheat or rice.

And, if we wanted her to feel really great, we should stay away from chicken too.

Our vet’s exact words were, “You know how some people can eat McDonald’s all the time and be mostly fine, but then other people eat it once or twice and they feel crappy? Your dog can’t eat McDonald’s.”

So we launched a quest to find her a new food option.

A new quest that led me on countless journeys to specialty stores and out-of-the-way shops filled with food that cost more than what I feed my children.

DudeDad rebelled against our ultra healthy dog food at first, because WHY DOES HER FOOD COST $75 A BAG?!

Until I explained to him that the evil she was leaving in the yard, and the air bombs she was dropping in the living room would all disappear if we made a change.

via GIPHY

We’d finally be able to enjoy Primetime TV with her in the room without anyone gagging.

And we’d never have to get up at 2am to urgently take her into the yard.

via GIPHY

Worth it.

Annoying. Expensive. And totally worth it.

Which is why I was excited to learn about the awesome that is “i and love and you”!

They make seriously good food – healthy dog food made from real meat, with no icky fillers, for healthy pets.

It smells good (no joke, I can not stop inhaling the treats they sent, I am thiiiiis close to just eating one myself).

It tastes good (I mean, I’m not speaking from personal experience here, I swear I didn’t try it, but based on how she inhales it, I feel like it’s a safe assumption to make.).

It comes in a bunch of interesting meat options (like, not just chicken).

And it looks good too (hello, it is shaped like hearts, how cute is that?!)…

And, possibly most awesome of all, it can be found in regular ole grocery stores, where regular ole people do regular ole shopping with regular amounts of good ole money.

No driving to a specialty store to find it. No selling a kidney to pay for it.

Win.

It’s easy to find, it’s competitively price, your dog’s belly will love it (which she will prove to you by not making TV night unbearable with her fire breathing, winged dragon farts), and so will you.

Just like how you love dogs in sweaters.

Want to win a $25 gift card to Target or Amazon AND a $100 gift pack of “i and love and you” healthy dog food for your furry sidekick?

Leave a comment on this post to win.

If you win, you can give it to her for Christmas and pretend you bought it!

We won’t tell.

Learn more about i and love and you by catching up with them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

If you’re ready to buy, here’s a coupon you can use: http://bit.ly/2eaDUXE

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for “I and love and you” Total Pet Care. The cool dog in the sweet sweater and the opinions are all mine. No purchase necessary to win. Open to US residents only. Contest closes 12/8/16 at 11:59pm

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