rand hill paracord #dog leash review and #giveaway

As a professional pet sitter, I've walked my share of dogs. Each dog has his own way of walking, and my main goal is to make sure each one is safe, getting an appropriate level of exercise and having fun. All of this hinges upon my control of the dog, and the proper leash is essential. 

I've tried 'em all. Regardless of style or length (I'd recommend different versions depending on the dog), quality is essential. We don't want anything coming loose or the dog breaking free when he decides to bolt after a squirrel. Comfort for both the walker and the dog is also critical. You want to be sure your hand doesn't become chafed or painful during a walk with a dog who pulls, for example. This is especially important to me due to my hand injury. And please don't get me started on retractable leashes. Let's just not go there.

I was recently asked to try the Rand Hill Paracord Dog Leash. Rand Hill Paracord is a new company–just nine months old–"offering quality paracord creations made only with genuine 7-strand 550 paracord." What is paracord? I feel like I know what it is, but, then, when asked to describe it, I was stumped. Like when your kids ask you the definition of the word "the." So I turn elsewhere for an accurate summary. According to Wikipedia:

Parachute cord (also paracord or 550 cord) is a lightweight nylon kernmantle rope originally used in the suspension lines of US parachutes during World War II....It is now used as a general purpose utility cord by both military personnel and civilians...The braided sheath has a high number of interwoven strands for its size, giving it a relatively smooth texture. The all-nylon construction makes paracord fairly elastic."

There you have it.

When I first opened the package and checked out my 5-foot Rand Hill Paracord Dog Leash, I was a bit concerned that it wouldn't suit my dog, N.A.S.H.A. She's a wee little thing, and this is a serious leash. It looked so sturdy that it might drag her down. And, then, on second thought, perhaps that wouldn't be such a bad thing. She's quite a puller. I handled the leash and came to the conclusion that it really wasn't as weighty as I initially thought. Though it looked tough on the outside, it was quite light, actually. 

So I hooked N.A.S.H.A. up, and we headed out. The leash was quite comfortable to me, and she skipped for the duration of our hike in her usual happy way, so I think she liked it, too. She pulled some, but that's not the leash's fault. My bad. We were both quite comfortable with the leash. 

I thought my review should include a more in-depth trial, so I called upon Knox to help me out. He's a two year-old in-tact black lab. You may have seen his appearance on the blog this past Wednesday. Knox is strong and healthy (if not a bit goofy), and his parents reported to me that he likes to pull on his walks. Just what I needed to put the Rand Hill Paracord Dog Leash to the test!

Knox and I set out, and sure enough, he drug me to the first bush he saw, and then off to the rock up the way, and then he attempted to drag me out of the neighborhood right into the desert. The great thing about the paracord leash was it's strength and flexibility. Though Knox is strong and a sub-perfect walker, the leash had enough elasticity to give and soften the blow to my arm while simultaneously holding firm. 

I thought about other applications. I walk quite a few dogs who like to walk themselves, so to speak. You know the kind. They immediately grab the leash in their mouths and chew and pull, sometimes for the duration of the outing. This leash would be perfect for that type of pooch. 

Rand Hill Paracord outlined a few other features for me:

• paracord is rated for 550 lbs

• mold and mildew resistant

• used in parachuted in military (good job, Wikipedia)

• leash can be unwound and used in many survival situations

• all Rand Hill Paracord is made in the USA

• has seven inner strands that can be taken out and used for fishing line

Now I'm not sure I'd find myself in a situation where I'd use that last feature, but I imagine quite a few of you rugged outdoorspeople would find comfort in back-up fishing line, not to mention the fact that it can be unwound for use in survival situations. Keep calm and use paracord. 

Function aside, let's talk about what's really important: fashion. 

Twenty-seven colors. I'm not good at math, but I think that gives us about a gazillion combo options. Photo courtesy of Rand Hill Paracord.

This leash looks slick. Each one features two colors, and you can customize your combo. My leash came in teal and charcoal grey, but there are twenty-seven colors to choose from. Each leash is custom made according to your specifications. In addition to your choice of color, you can order your leash in 4', 5', 6', or 7' lengths. 

Rand Hill Paracord offers other great products, too, so be sure to check out their full collection. What's more? Shipping is always free to any U.S. or Canadian address.

You know you want one.

Rand Hill Paracord is offering one Well Minded reader a custom dog leash. You pick the length and colors, and they make your leash especially for you and your dog with love. Please enter so you can join me in the cool kids' club with this awesome leash.

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Connect with Rand Hill Paracord on Facebook and Twitter, or check out their Etsy Shop.

I was provided with a Rand Hill Paracord dog leash in exchange for my honest opinion.

in case of fire, save our dog #giveaway

As a professional pet sitter, I go in and out of homes every day. Many of those homes have stickers in the window that say "in case of fire, save our pets" or some such thing. I wanted to know how effective these stickers are, so I contacted my local fire department.

I spoke with a fire fighter who outlined his department's policies, which–he made very clear–vary from city to city. He explained to me that the number one priority of fire fighters is to save lives, both human and animal. However, human life has a higher value than animal life. In the case of a fire, the fire fighters on scene will risk their own lives for other savable lives, and, as individuals, they have to calculate the risk based on the specific circumstances. They will not risk their own lives to save property or unsavable lives (in a room that is completely engulfed and collapsing, for example). Though animals are not as high a priority as humans, they rank much higher than property. Odds are, most fire fighters would go in after your pet, provided the risk of losing their own (human) life was low. Our local fire fighter said "our policy is to risk a little to save a lot." That includes pets.

So where do the window stickers come in?

Apparently, they were all the rage in the not so distant past. Fire departments printed them and gave them out. Our local fire department no longer does this, and, chances are, yours doesn't either. "It's a program that doesn't exist any more," our local fire fighter explained.

So does that mean the stickers in our window are obsolete?

Absolutely not. Though most pets are saved because a pet owner who got out of the home tells the fire fighters on scene that their pet is inside, in a case where the pet owner is unable to speak, fire fighters usually pay attention to a sticker, if they see it on a window. They will try to rescue any pets they find, so long as the risk to their own lives is low. The stickers, when updated, can be helpful to them for determining which pets they are looking for.

But if most fire departments aren't providing the stickers any more, how do we get one?

Designer Laura Sly has a fantastic solution in her "save our dog" stickers ("save our cat" stickers are coming soon!). Not only are the stickers she designed functional and arresting, they look great! Even the most stylish home can feel good about sticking one of these in the front window.

Laura has generously offered to give away ten "save our dog" stickers to ten well minded readers. Please enter this important giveaway and help protect your pets in case of fire.

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Please contact your local fire department to discuss their policies on rescuing pets and window stickers and come back to tell us about it.

petbrosia #giveaway with a prize for all non-winning entrants!

When I first learned about Petbrosia pet food, I was really intrigued. A custom food created just for my pet? And it comes right to my door? And the ingredients are super healthy and high-quality? Yes, please! What an amazing concept.

So we tried it for the first time a few months ago. N.A.S.H.A. loved it, and we even recommended it to a few friends who have thanked us. We love to help out like that.

Now the kind folks at Petbrosia are offering our readers a stellar opportunity. They are giving away a ten pound box of Petbrosia pet food for one lucky winner! But, get this: Even if you don't win the giveaway, they'll give you a 50% off coupon code for your first order of Petbrosia, just for entering (new customers only)! Amazing, right?

So, give it a shot! Even if you don't win the grand prize, you'll still win big!  

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We appreciate you sharing this post so tons of pet parents can save big. XO

Disclaimer: well minded is an affiliate partner of Petbrosia.

relieving canine anxiety the natural way with #ThunderShirt

This article first appeared last month on Hybrid Rasta Mama, where I contribute a monthly article about holistic pet care that you can read on the second Wednesday of each month. Head on over to Hybrid Rasta Mama to see this months article, "Dogs Going Vegan."

It seems everyone is anxious these days. There are bills to pay, mouths to feed, and politics to debate. 

Though they don't give a darn what's going on in congress, our dogs have their own anxieties. These anxieties can seem irrational and hard to understand since our pets can't pipe up and explain their feelings. 

Dogs have their own language to show anxiety. Signs that your dog has anxiety include:

• shaking/trembling

• destruction of things

• hiding/cowering

• pacing

• aggression

• restlessness

• excessive barking

• raised paw (as if injured)

• crinkled brow

• yawning (when not tired)

• excessive itching

• excessive paw chewing (or other body part)

• licking chops

• tucking tail between legs

Anxiety in dogs can be general, especially in a dog who has been traumatized or abused, but is more typically situation-specific. Some common anxiety-producing situations for dogs include storms, fireworks, or other loud noises, fear of certain types of people (children, men, etc.), travel, and separation anxiety.

We have the option to pop a pill to relieve our anxiety. And we have the option to do the same for Fido. But most of us don't wish to live life in a drug-induced haze, and we certainly don't wish to deal with unwanted side effects that these strong medications–however effective–can bring. Herbal remedies are an excellent alternative, as is behavioral modification, or a combination of the two. These methods can take time, and it's hard to be patient while we watch our pet in panic mode. Wouldn't it be great if we could just give our pooch a great big hug to melt his worries away?

We can.

Enter ThunderShirt.

HRMThunderShirt

After doing a lot of research, including case studies of my own, I now recommend my clients and friends try the ThunderShirt as a natural, quick, safe, and effective method to reduce canine anxiety. It doesn't work for everyone, but it does work for most, which is awesome. No medication required. No side effects. It seems almost too good to be true. So how does it work?

ThunderShirt uses gentle hugging to calm your dog or cat. With its patented design, ThunderShirt's gentle, constant pressure has a dramatic calming effect for most dogs and cats if they are anxious, fearful or overexcited. Based on surveys completed by over two thousand customers, over 80% of dogs and cats show significant improvement in symptoms when using ThunderShirt...How does ThunderShirt work? Experts believe that pressure has a calming effect on the nervous system, possibly by releasing a calming hormone like endorphins. Using pressure to relieve anxiety in people and animals has been a common practice for years...

thundershirt.com

Using pressure to relieve anxiety has proven to be effective for infants (swaddling), in people with autism, and by animal trainers and veterinarians to release a variety of animal anxieties.

Not all, but some, veterinarians can be quick to prescribe anxiety-relieving medication. They want to see quick results to help your animal, but some may be uneducated about alternatives, and some even have ulterior motives. I feel that for my family, including my pets, it is important to try natural methods before taking that route. ThunderShirt can provide relief that is just as effective and rapid as harsh medications, so, in my opinion, it's worth a try!

The first step when using the ThunderShirt is to slowly get your pet used to it in a positive way. ThunderShirt recommends that you feed your dog a favorite treat using the shirt as a plate. This way, your pooch will feel good about his new attire right away. The next step is to try the shirt on and use it for very brief periods. Many dogs achieve instant anxiety relief the moment the ThunderShirt is put on, but some may take a bit longer. There are countless stories of animals with extremely high-anxiety levels during a storm, for example, finding instant and complete relief, even falling asleep during a storm that would have otherwise thrown them into a complete meltdown.

ThunderShirt is not an affiliate of well minded, though I have been provided the ThunderShirt product in order to conduct some of the following case studies:

• the big, bad world: enter, ThunderShirt, part 1 (Rex)

• the big, bad world: enter, ThunderShirt, part 2 (Jack)

• the big, bad world: enter, ThunderShirt, part 3 (making it through the 4th)

• the big, bad world: enter, ThunderShirt, part 4 (Remington)

ThunderShirt is available for both dogs and cats and can be ordered online or purchased at most pet stores.

Have you tried ThunderShirt or another natural method for reducing pet anxiety? We'd love to hear your story!

pet food safety and #giveaway with #DiamondNaturals

 It's unfortunate that it has become downright scary to feed our pets these days. Not only do we now worry more about nutrients and the quality of the ingredients, but we have to make sure the food we are feeding our pets hasn't been recalled due to contamination. It's alarming to hear about recall after recall. Pet food manufacturers are realizing how damaging these recalls can be, and reputable ones are taking drastic steps to ensure the safety of their food.

Diamond Pet Foods, who manufactures their pet food in the USA and has just introduced Diamond Naturals Grain Free, is one such company. Their commitment to food safety means that they are producing a product that we can trust. They say:

At Diamond Pet Foods, nothing is more important to us than the safety of our products. We adhere to stringent and scientifically advanced food safety protocols. We constantly monitor and test our raw materials, production environment, processes and finished products. By continuously improving performance with the latest advancements in science and technology, we've developed a comprehensive food safety system.

So what is their food safety program all about?

• on-site product testing: They test and monitor every part of the manufacturing process, including pre-production and post-production.

• mycotoxin control: Diamond Pet Foods describes mycotoxins as "toxic chemicals produced by fungi that can appear in grains." They allow no grain ingredients to enter their facilities without being thoroughly analyzed, and they perform 1,075 mycotoxin tests every week.

• microbial control and testing: The dreaded word we all hear is "salmonella." By adhering to a strict environmental monitoring program, Diamond Pet Foods analyzes the processing areas during production and after cleaning and sanitation. They conduct extensive tests, and ingredients must have a Certificate of Analysis, proving to be salmonella negative before being submitted to a Diamond Pet Foods Facility.

photo courtesy of Diamond Pet Foods

 * water and air quality: Integral in pet food manufacturing, Diamond Pet Foods uses a reverse osmosis water purification process and their zonally segregated manufacturing facilities are equipped with HEPA® filters.

• test and hold program: No food is distributed without certified, independent laboratory tests. 

• independent good manufacturing practices audits: Every Diamond Pet Foods facility undergoes an annual Good Manufacturing Practices audit to verify that the pet food produced has the "identity, strength, composition, quality, and purity that it is represented to possess."  

• state-of-the-art facilities in the United States: With Diamond Pet Foods, we can rest assured that all manufacturing is done in the US and is carefully monitored and tracked.

All of these practices help to ensure that the Diamond Pet Foods we choose to feed our pets are safe as well as nutritious. After researching their newest food, Diamond Naturals Grain Free in terms of safety, affordability, and nutrition, I felt confident letting N.A.S.H.A. try it when Diamond Pet Foods sent me a sample. Not only did I feel that she was getting a high-quality, safe food, but she was more than happy to partake and gave her review with a jump-up-and-spin, full-motion tail wag, and quick gobble. Diamond Naturals Grain Free passed the taste test, too.

Diamond Pet Foods is giving away some sweet swag to our readers. How awesome is that? Please enter, share, and spread the love. Good luck! 

check out the loot!

Connect with Diamond Pet foods on Twitter  and Facebook.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Diamond Naturals as part of the Blog Paws Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Diamond Naturals Grain Free dog food, but well minded only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Diamond Naturals is not responsible for the content of this article.