As the food chain becomes more & more fragile/compromised/potentially weird...I realise that staying with niche production & manufactury is key to safety when one elects to feed "kibble". I received a notice of recall regarding "Unrefined Rabbit"...a food sold by Earthborn Holistics...& one I have on-paw here for emergencies. No more though.
​
With the tragic demise of NRG (my go-to)...& my learning that Earthborn Holistics has their product crafted by Midwestern Pet Foods...I quit. From here forward, its just me & me...

Yesterday's recall list: ***note that Earthborn Holistics Ancient Grains Rabbit is called "Unrefined Rabbit"***

Earthborn Holistic Adult VantageMay/04/22M2 L125#
Earthborn Holistic Adult VantageMay/05/22M3 L1, L225#
Earthborn Holistic Adult VantageAug/04/22M1 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Earthborn Holistic Adult VantageSep/19/22M3 L1, L225#
Earthborn Holistic Coastal CatchMay/03/22M1,M2 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Earthborn Holistic Coastal CatchMay/04/22M3 L125#
Earthborn Holistic Coastal CatchAug/04/22M3 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Earthborn Holistic Coastal CatchSep/18/22M3,M1 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Earthborn Holistic Great Plains FeastAug/08/22M3,M1 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Earthborn Holistic Great Plains FeastAug/09/22M3 L1,L225#
Earthborn Holistic Great Plains FeastSep/15/22M1,M2 L1, L212.5#, 25#
Earthborn Holistic Large BreedMay/03/22M2 L1, L225#
Earthborn Holistic Large BreedMay/04/22M3 L225#
Earthborn Holistic Large BreedAug/12/22M3 L1, L225#
Earthborn Holistic Large BreedSep/15/22M2 L125#
Earthborn Holistic Meadow FeastApr/26/22M3 L228#
Earthborn Holistic Meadow FeastMay/09/22M1,M3 L1, L214#, 28#
Earthborn Holistic Meadow FeastSep/18/22M1,M2 L1, L212.5#, 25#
Earthborn Holistic Ocean FusionAug/03/22M3,M1 L1, L225#
Earthborn Holistic Ocean FusionSep/18/22M2 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Earthborn Holistic Primitive FelineApr/29/22M1 L1, L2, L35#, 14#
Earthborn Holistic Primitive FelineSep/17/22M3,M1 L1, L25#, 14#
Earthborn Holistic Primitive NaturalApr/28/22M2 L3, L24#, 12.5#
Earthborn Holistic Primitive NaturalApr/29/22M3,M2 L1, L2, L34#, 25#
Earthborn Holistic Primitive NaturalSep/17/22M1 L1, L225#
Earthborn Holistic Small BreedMay/09/22M1,M2 L2, L34#, 12.5#
Earthborn Holistic Small BreedMay/11/22M1 L212.5#
Earthborn Holistic Weight ControlAug/03/22M2 L1, L24#, 25#
Earthborn Holistic Weight ControlAug/04/22M3 L14#, 25#
Earthborn Holistic Western FeastMay/03/22M1 L1, L228#
Earthborn Holistic Western FeastSep/15/22M2 L228#
Earthborn Holistic Wild Sea CatchMay/04/22M1 L35#
Earthborn Holistic Wild Sea CatchMay/05/22M1 L114#
Earthborn Holistic Wild Sea CatchMay/09/22M1,M4 L1, L214#
Earthborn Holistic Wild Sea CatchAug/08/22M1,M2 L2, L35#, 14#
Earthborn Holistic Wild Sea CatchAug/09/22M3 L1, L25#, 14#
Meridian DaybreakMay/04/22M1 L35#
Meridian DaybreakAug/10/22M1 L214#
Meridian RiverbendAug/12/22M1 L114#
Meridian TwilightMay/02/22M1 L3, L15#, 14#
Pro Pac Adult ChunkMay/03/22M1,M3 L1, L240#
Pro Pac Adult Mini ChunkMay/11/22M3 L1, L240#
Pro Pac Adult Mini ChunkSep/15/22M3 L1, L240#
Pro Pac Mature AdultApr/28/22M3 L128#
Pro Pac Performance PuppyApr/28/22M3 L1, L240#
Pro Pac Performance PuppyAug/01/22M3,M1 L1, L240#
Pro Pac Performance PuppyAug/08/22M3 L1, L240#
Pro Pac Performance PuppySep/16/22M1 L1, L240#
Pro Pac Ultimates Bayside SelectMay/11/22M3 L1, L228#
Pro Pac Ultimates Bayside SelectAug/05/22M1 L1, L2, L35#, 28#
Pro Pac Ultimates Bayside SelectAug/12/22M1 L1, L228#
Pro Pac Ultimates Chicken & RiceAug/05/22M3 L1, L2, L35#, 28#
Pro Pac Ultimates Heartland ChoiceMay/04/22M1,M2 L1, L228#
Pro Pac Ultimates Heartland ChoiceAug/10/22M1,M2 L1, L228#
Pro Pac Ultimates Lamb & RiceAug/02/22M3 L1, L25#, 28#
Pro Pac Ultimates Lamb & RiceAug/12/22M1 L1, L228#
Pro Pac Ultimates Large Breed AdultSep/17/22M2 L1, L228#
Pro Pac Ultimates Large Breed AdultSep/18/22M3 L1, L228#
Pro Pac Ultimates Large Breed PuppyApr/28/22M3,M1 L228#
Pro Pac Ultimates Meadow PrimeMay/02/22M2 L128#
Pro Pac Ultimates Overland RedMay/04/22M2 L128#
Pro Pac Ultimates Overland RedAug/05/22M3 L1, L228#
Pro Pac Ultimates PuppyMay/11/22M1,M2 L2, L35#, 28#
Pro Pac Ultimates PuppyAug/10/22M2 L1, L25#, 28#
Pro Pac Ultimates PuppyAug/11/22M1 L35#
Pro Pac Ultimates Savannah PrideAug/11/22M3 L1, L2, L35#, 14#
Sportmix 24/20 Energy PlusApr/28/22M1,M2 L1, L244#, 50#
Sportmix 24/20 Energy PlusMay/12/22M3,M1 L1, L244#, 50#
Sportmix 24/20 Energy PlusAug/02/22M3,M1 L1, L250#
Sportmix 24/20 Energy PlusSep/15/22M2 L150#
Sportmix 24/20 Energy PlusSep/16/22M3 L1, L250#
Sportmix Bite SizeApr/26/22M3 L1,L240#
Sportmix Bite SizeMay/12/22M3 L1, L240#
Sportmix Bite SizeAug/03/22M1,M2 L1, L240#
Sportmix Bite SizeSep/15/22M1 L1, L240#
Sportmix Canine X ChickenMay/04/22M3,M1 L1, L240#
Sportmix Canine X ChickenAug/11/22M1,M2 L1, L240#
Sportmix Gourmet CatMay/02/22M3,M1 L1, L215#, 31#
Sportmix Gourmet CatAug/01/22M3,M1 L1, L215#, 31#
Sportmix Hi Protein 27/12Sep/17/22M1,M2 L1, L250#
Sportmix High Energy 26/18May/05/22M3,M1 L1, L244#, 50#
Sportmix High Energy 26/18Aug/05/22M1 L1, L250#
Sportmix High Energy 26/18Sep/16/22M2 L250#
Sportmix High Energy 26/18Sep/17/22M3 L1, L250#
Sportmix Maintenance 21/12Apr/29/22M3 L244#, 50#
Sportmix Maintenance 21/12Aug/01/22M2 L1, L244#, 50#
Sportmix Original CatAug/04/22M2 L115#, 31#
Sportmix Stamina 24/18Aug/02/22M3 L1, L244#, 50#
Sportmix Wholeomes Large BreedMay/11/22M3,M1 L1, L240#
Sportmix Wholesome Performance PuppyAug/11/22M1 L116.5#
Sportmix Wholesomes Beef & RiceMay/04/22M1,M2 L1, L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes Beef & RiceMay/05/22M3 L1, L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes Beef & RiceAug/04/22M2 L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes CatApr/26/22M3,M1 L1, L215#, 16.5#
Sportmix Wholesomes Chicken & RiceAug/11/22M3,M1 L1, L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes Chicken & RiceSep/16/22M1 L1, L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes Fish & RiceMay/11/22M2 L1, L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes Fish & RiceMay/12/22M3 L1, L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes Fish & RiceAug/03/22M1 L1, L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes Fish & RiceAug/11/22M2 L1, L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes Grain Free Beef Meal & ChickpeasMay/05/22M3 L235#
Sportmix Wholesomes Grain Free Beef Meal & ChickpeasAug/05/22M3 L1, L235#
Sportmix Wholesomes Grain Free Chicken Meal & PotatoMay/04/22M2 L235#
Sportmix Wholesomes Grain Free Whitefish Meal & PotatoMay/11/22M3 L235#
Sportmix Wholesomes Grain Free Whitefish Meal & PotatoAug/05/22M1 L235#
Sportmix Wholesomes Grain Free Whitefish Meal & PotatoAug/12/22M1 L235#
Sportmix Wholesomes Lamb & RiceMay/11/22M1,M2 L1, L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes Lamb & RiceAug/02/22M1 L1, L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes Lamb & RiceSep/16/22M2 L1,L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes Large BreedAug/11/22M2 L1, L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes Large BreedAug/12/22M3 L1, L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes Large BreedSep/17/22M2 L1, L240#
Sportmix Wholesomes Performance PuppyAug/10/22M2 L1, L216.5#
Sportmix Wholesomes Sensitive LambApr/29/22M1 L230#
Sportmix Wholesomes Sensitive LambMay/02/22M3,M1 L130#
Sportmix Wholesomes Sensitive SalmonAug/09/22M3,M1 L1, L230#
Sportmix Wholesomes Sensitive SalmonSep/16/22M1,M2 L1, L230#
Sportmix Wholesomes Sensitive SalmonApr/26/22M1,M2 L1, L230#
SportstrailAug/03/22M1 L150#
SportstrailSep/15/22M3,M1 L1, L250#
Unrefined LambApr/26/22M2 L3, L24#, 25#
Unrefined LambApr/27/22M3 L3, L2, L14#, 25#
Unrefined LambAug/09/22M1,M2 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Unrefined RabbitMay/10/22M3,M1 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Unrefined RabbitApr/27/22M1,M2 L3, L2, L14#, 25#
Unrefined RabbitAug/09/22M2 L1,L212.5#, 25#
Unrefined RabbitAug/10/22M3,M1 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Unrefined RabbitApr/28/22M3 L125#
Unrefined SalmonApr/27/22M3,M1 L3, L2, L14#, 12.5#, 25#
Unrefined SalmonMay/09/22M1,M2 L1, L212.5#, 25#
Unrefined SalmonMay/10/22M3,M1 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Venture Alaska Pollock Meal & PumpkinAug/02/22M2 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Venture Alaska Pollock Meal & PumpkinSep/18/22M3,M1 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Venture Alasla Pollock Meal & PumpkinAug/03/22M3 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Venture Duck Meal & PumpkinAug/01/22M1,M2 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Venture Rabbit Meal & PumpkinMay/02/22M1,M2 L34#
Venture Rabbit Meal & PumpkinMay/03/22M3 L1, L24#,12.5#, 25#
Venture Rabbit Meal & PumpkinAug/02/22M1,M2 L1, L2, L34#, 12.5#, 25#
Wholesomes Chicken &RiceMay/02/22M1,M3 L1, L240#
Wholesomes Fish & RiceApr/26/22M1 L1, L240#


Company Contact InformationConsumers:
Midwestern Pet Foods Consumer Affairs 
 800-474-4163, ext 455
 [email protected]

​1930 Kiev (USSR) dog show handlers: men of the DOSAAF (paramilitary).

Our little Terra's...imagine the level of vermin in London had this sport not enjoyed it's long tenure in the annals of dogdom...(& debauchery)...

Think of it! Established breeds portrayed 200 years ago!

Because I'm highly disappointed in Grizzly Salmon Oil...which now has Pollack added...I stepped out...& upgraded significantly! Thanks Legit! $10.00 per 8 oz 
Here is their web address...

The Dhole Dog...foxlike & mythic, is native to Central Asia...with packs found in satellites to the south & south easterly regions therein. Also known as the Asian Wild Dog, Indian Wild Dog & other sundry descriptives....tis the Asian Whistling Dog which might be most accurate These gorgeous beasts have a melodic chime, very bell-like & as cadenced as Big Ben...if you listen to my youtube selections below, you may find yourself as I did...waiting for a yodel...& then realising that the magnificent birdlike chime were the Dhole.

That they pee while doing a hand-stand really just endears them to me.

Interestingly, these relics of the mid-pleistocene lack a 3rd lower molar & their upper molars don't possess the wavy cusps we see on the teeth of our own best friends...you'll see from the slideshow that these stunning canids have the convex profile of primitive slicing dogs (& other faces...such as that of the Thylacine)...does this play in to the dentition of the Dhole? Hmmm.

Were they morphing from scavenging to predator?

I include this fascinating excerpt on the molar morphology of the Dhole taken from Thai National Park's website:

"The first study on the origins of the species was conducted by paleontologist Erich Thenius, who concluded that the dhole was a post-Pleistocene descendant of a golden jackal-like ancestor. The earliest known member of the genus Cuon is the Chinese C. majori of the Villafranchian period. It resembled Canis in its physical form more than the modern species, which has greatly reduced molars, whose cusps have developed into sharply trenchant points. By the Middle Pleistocene, C. majori had lost the last lower molar altogether. C. alpinus itself arose during the late Middle Pleistocene, by which point the transformation of the lower molar into a single cusped, slicing tooth had been completed. Late Middle Pleistocene dholes were virtually indistinguishable from their modern descendants, save for their greater size, which closely approached that of the grey wolf. The dhole became extinct in much of Europe during the late Würm period, though it may have survived up until the early Holocene in the Iberian Peninsula and at Riparo Fredian in northern Italy The fossil record indicates that the species also occurred in North America, with remains being found in Beringia and Mexico.

The dhole's distinctive morphology has been a source of much confusion in determining the species' systematic position among the canidae. George Simpson placed the dhole in the subfamily Simocyoninae alongside the African wild dog and the bush dog, on account of all three species' similar dentition. Subsequent authors, including Juliet Clutton-Brock, noted greater morphological similarities to canids of the genera Canis, Dusicyon and Alopex than to either Speothos or Lycaon, with any resemblance to the latter two being due to convergent evolution. Subsequent studies on the canid genome revealed that the dhole and African wild dog are closely related to members of the genus Canis, and that both are more closely related to grey wolves, coyotes, golden jackals and Ethiopian wolves than the more basal black-backed and side-striped jackals are. This closeness to Canis may have been confirmed in a menagerie in Madras where, according to zoologist Reginald Pocock, a dhole interbred with a golden jackal.

However, studies on dhole mtDNA and microsatellite genotype showed that there are no clear subspecific distinctions. Nevertheless, two major phylogeographic groupings were discovered in dholes of the Asian mainland, which likely diverged during a glaciation event. One population extends from South, Central, and North India (south of the Ganges) into Burma, and the other extends from India north of the Ganges into northeastern India, Burma, Thailand and the Malaysian Peninsula. The origin of dholes in Sumatra and Java is, as of 2005, unclear, as they show greater relatedness to dholes in India, Burma and China rather than with those in nearby Malaysia. In the absence of further data, the researchers involved in the study speculated that Javan and Sumatran dholes could have been introduced to the islands by humans."


The Dhole was first described in literature in 1794, by a Russian explorer who encountered them in his travels. He described them as regular pack hunters of the Apline Ibex & by 1811, they'd had been given the taxonomy: Cuon alpinus.

The etymology of "Dhole" is rather vague. Firstly, they are not "D-hole" (something one might call their D-named sibling....) but rather "Doll". It was in 1808 that a soldier named Thomas Williamson first referenced the Dhole after encountering one in the Ramghur district of India where he was commissioned. He stated "Dhole" was the common name used by the natives when referencing the curious red creatures. We do know that Dhole has been erroneously attributed to the Turkish "Dwalaz" ( which is proto-Germanic for: "foolish"..."stupid"....). It has been verified that "Dwalaz"  was not a word spoken by natives in the region & era...so...we may never know where "Dhole" originated....

Other names for Cuon alpinus are based upon the area from which the Dhole resides...such as: In Assam she is called " Kuang-kukur"; In Bhutan " Phara"; In Bengal "Bon-kutta"...etc...


Now listed as endangered, with approximately 2500 adults in existence...what say you of these wondrous creatures?

Click here for a Dhole genome study...

I have taken this excerpt from the Terrierman's blog...he says as regards working dogs as pets:

There are two aspects to health:

1. Physical health
2. Mental health

I will not go into physical health. I have written a lot about that in the past, and there is a search engine on this blog.
​
That said, I have not talked too much about mental health, and it is the brain that is the most important part of the dog, especially the working dog.

To begin with, let me say that I want all dogs to be self-actualized.

Self-actualized? What do I mean by this?

Simple. I want the dog to live up to its full potential, to be in harmony with its place and circumstances, and to to be free of self-loathing, fear, and long-term psychological conflict.

Step One on this road is to make sure the dog is properly socialized. How do you do this?

Well, look at the word -- there's a hint there.

Socialized.

No dog can be properly socialized without being in society at least a few hours a day, especially during the first 9 months of its life.

What this means is that good breeders do not have 50 breeding dogs in their kennels because they know they cannot properly socialize the progeny of 50-dogs, even if they can feed and water them and keep the kennel clean.

Step Two involves respecting the code that is within the breed.

This is where so many pet breeders -- and buyers -- fall down.

You see, what makes a working dog is not the color of its coat, the lay of its tail, or the shape of its head -- it's the frantic morse-code of stimulus and impulse that is firing off within the dog.

A border collie is not a border collie because of the way it looks, but because of that code.

This is elementary. It is fundamental. It is basic.

The code inside a working collie is different from that inside a working pointer or setter, and it is different from that inside of a working terrier.

A scent hound and a sight hound are not just different looking-- the code inside them is different too.

What does this mean for dog breeders and dog owners?

It means that a dog that has been bred for generations to point birds in tall grass and brush should not be placed in a world of parking lots and city streets far from forest and field.

It means that a working terrier should not be placed in a home with a hamster running endlessly on a tread mill and a caged parrot that squaks and flaps its wings in an inviting manner.

It means that the code inside every working breed of dog should be acknowledged, respected and valued for what it is.

And yet, how many breeders of working dogs are doing this?

By definition, none that are breeding solely for pet homes.

And in that disconnect is a lot of canine misery.

The code inside herding dogs like the Border Collie, the Sheltie, and the Corgi tells them to "gather up the herd" and keep outsiders at bay.

The code inside the Jack Russell tells them to kill the hamster, bark at all squirrels, dig up the yard, and kill the cat which looks and acts amazingly like a red fox.

And yet if these dogs obey these instincts, they get into trouble!

Yet if they ignore these instincts, they are repressing everything they are, and are ever meant to be.

For the dog, it is a lose-lose situation.

The result is predictable: Boat loads of Border Collies, Corgis and Shelties with free-floating anxiety. Flotillas of Jack Russell terriers waiting in rescue for anyone to give them a good home.

Yes, surrogate work can be found for Border Collies and Jack Russell terriers.

I have known collie owners to buy ducks and chickens for their dogs to herd, and for terrier owners to keep pet rats in their garage for their dogs to chase in go-to-ground tunnels buried in the back yard.

More commonly, working terrier and collie owners turn to fly-ball, frisbee and agility to bleed off the steam building up inside their dogs.

There is nothing wrong with fly-ball, frisbee or agility. Excellent stuff and good for the dogs. But let's be honest here, eh? Any dog can do these activities.

What makes a border collie special is not frisbee or flyball -- it is what happens when sheep, cattle, or goats, or ducks are turned loose for them to herd.

What makes a working terrier special is not that it will retrieve a ball -- it is what happens in the field, at the hole, when fomiddable quarry is found at the other end of the pipe.

I am not against dog companion dogs, but if folks are looking for a companion dog, then get a companion dog!

Please.

There are scores of breeds, and millions of mixed breeds, suitable for no other purpose than companionship.

Get one of those. I will not object.

What I do object to is getting a highly charged hunting dogor herding dog and then expecting it to be something else.

That's going to be about as successful as a bridesmaid going to Gay Pride Day in order to find the Man of Her Dreams.

"They are all so handsome," she thinks, "and I KNOW I can convert one of them to my side, if only I love him enough."

Right.

That's a program for misery, isn't it?

And yet that happens all the time in the world of dogs (and humans too from what I can gather from reading the tabloids) .

Bottom line: It's important for us to accept dogs for what they are.

They are not surrogate children (see this post on that point), nor are they inanimate objects -- mere property.

They are sentient beings, and we have a duty to them. That duty is not simply take care of their bodies while ignoring their minds.

In seeking out an elegant, well-made dog bed for Safir...I have a few pertinent stips....1)made in USA  2) well-made in USA  3) relatively attractive...

I love my gigantic gorilla bed...& I have 2 XXL Kuranda cots for each floor...but, a prettified bed was desired...& by the grace of goddog...I located GoodNightDog.com.
Located in CT & with free shipping, how can one go wrong?! An Anatolian-sized bed for 180.00...cool...
Thanks Good Night Dog.
Comb, brush, bowl full of machine washable mush.

Portrait of a Woman with a Dog 1585-1587...
Exquisite! In Museo Thyssen Bornemisza, Madrid....

From Christine's website: Christine Merrill is America’s most extraordinary painter of dog portraits. She captures in oils the love and understanding of our canine companions, members of the family who rarely disapprove, never disappoint, but only offer unconditional love. 

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Christine developed a passion for painting animals at a very young age. When she was two, Christine’s mother put a pencil in her hand and she immediately started drawing animals. She painted her first dog portrait at age 5. Rather than pursuing a conventional academic degree in the arts, she went to the traditional Schuler School of Fine Art in Baltimore, where she studied for five years under the school’s founder, Hans Schuler and his wife, Ann.