Congratulations to the following PetSmart “My Dog’s Mission”  winners, each are currently featured on a Eukanuba dog food package sold exclusively at PetSmart! Below are the winning entries and pictures:

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Congratulations K-9 Arras on being featured on a Eukanuba Large Breed Adult bag!

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K-9 ARRAS – Large Breed Adult Winner – “To Protect & Serve”

K-9 Arras was imported from the Netherlands in December of 2002 by Vohne Liche Kennels in Peru, Indiana. After I was chosen to be the next K-9 Officer by my department (Warren City PD, Warren, Ohio), a seasoned handler & myself made the trip to the kennels. We chose Arras from approximately 90 other dogs because of his incredible drive & fabulous personality. We then completed 6 weeks of rigorous training. Since then, we have been protecting & serving the citizens of our community by taking a lot of illegal drugs & bad guys off the streets. Arras also visits our schools, community meetings & children’s groups teaching them what being a police officer is all about. He is the best partner & companion anyone could hope for & I am truly blessed to have him. That is why he has been eating Eukanuba foods from the 1st bowl of food I gave him & will continue until the last )

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Congratulations Bella on being featured on a Eukanuba Adult Maintenance bag!

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BELLA – Adult Maintenance – Small Bite Winner – “Bella loves to volunteer”

Bella is a registered therapy dog, specializing in the reading education assistance program. Her mission is to improve the reading, comprehension and confidence in all the children that read to her. She also likes to show all the children that they are loved and special in her eyes. Schools, libraries, churches and care facilities are among the places she volunteers. Along the journey she has also learned to read. She can read a word on a card and do the behavior. She is up to eight words. She likes to do demonstrations for the children and then have me tell them “everyone can read, even a dog”. Bella loves to volunteer, she tries to inspire others to volunteer, to show that everyone has a gift or a talent they can share, including a dog.

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Congratulations Yogi on being featured on a Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy bag!

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YOGI – Large Breed Puppy Winner – “Yogi to the Rescue”

My name is Yogi, as in Yogi Bear. You might think my mission is to steal picnic baskets, but it’s way more exciting than that. At 1 week of age, I was promised to one family, but at 5 weeks of age they decided they couldn’t have me. Fate intervened, and on 12/27/10, I traveled to the home I was always destined to go to. Originally, my mission was to mend the broken hearts of my family who had suddenly, and tragically, lost their other dog. I decided right away to be the best dog ever so as to make things easier for them. Instantly, I showed them how smart and loving I was. I was house trained in 10 days, and learned simple commands like sit, lay, shake, stay and leave it in the first two weeks. I make my family smile constantly. They say I am the best medicine for whatever ails them. They really love my head to toe wiggle when I get really excited. I don’t just wag my tail, I wag my body. It makes them laugh every time. Mission accomplished!

Well, I thought I had successfully completed my mission, but I now know my journey has just begun. My family is so thrilled with my personality that they want me to become a therapy dog and share my love with others. They want me to visit nursing homes, hospitals, and especially the autism classes at the school where mom works. They know I can bring happiness to so many others. I’m in basic puppy training classes now, plus mom and dad do their own socialization training with me. They take me to a park and then to PetSmart every night. I walk the aisles in the store meeting new dogs and people. Mom and dad want me to be prepared for all situations, and to learn to hold back a little of my initial excitement when meeting new people. I’m working on that. If PetSmart had door greeters, I would be their guy. I haven’t met a person yet that I can’t make smile. Anyway, I know I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I couldn’t be happier.

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Congratulations Reba on being featured on a Eukanuba Adult Maintenance bag!

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REBA – Adult Maintenance  Winner – “Service Dog Producer!”

I started fostering Reba as a new brood dog for Guiding Eyes for the Blind almost 5 years ago. While an active breeder for this organization, she had 4 litters and from those litters produced 4 guide dogs for the blind, 2 wheelchair assistance dogs and a hospital facility dog, 1 explosive detection canine, 2 ATF dogs, and 2 therapy dogs and an autism support dog. She is a wonderfully goofy, always happy yellow lab who makes OUR life great, but she has also helped many, many others through her puppies! Now retired, she is “just” a dog. Just OUR dog, so her well deserved retirement includes getting her Canine Good Citizen certification and lots of long walks/hikes/trips to the dog park. AND she is a Canine Ambassador for Guiding Eyes for the Blind!

We had the most photo’s submitted so far during the 2013 Eukanuba Calendar Contest!  With so many to choose from, it was the most difficult to choose 5 to date, but here they are!

Voting is between 9AM EST May 7th through 5pm EST May 11th !  Be sure to vote daily on our Eukanuba Calendar Contest tab and tell your friends to vote too!

Official Rules.

Cali submitted by Linda from Laurel, MD

Jace submitted by Minori from Pearl City, HI

Jax submitted by Sandra from Grafton, ND

Kimo submitted by Kyle from Owosso, MI

Rina submitted by Sarah from Poulsbo, WA

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By Kathy Corbett

If you’re thinking about purchasing a puppy from a breeder, you should have a list of questions you’re prepared to ask. In fact, Exceptional Canine offers a helpful blog on what to ask a dog breeder.

If the breeder is reputable, however, they’ll likely be asking you some questions too. Screening puppy buyers is just about the most important thing we do. We breeders have a lot invested in our puppies, and we’re very concerned that they wind up in the right home. Of course, we also want our buyers to be happy.

Here are a few questions you should expect to hear from your breeder:

What’s your past experience with dogs? If you owned a dog, what became of it? How long did it live? One of my puppies went to owners who previously owned a 12-year-old St. Bernard. Those dogs never live that long, so I knew they took good care of him.

Do you have a veterinarian, and will they provide a reference for you? We believe that someone who spends several hundred dollars for a puppy will be more invested in the dog — and therefore more likely to spend money on veterinary care to provide for the dog’s health.

Do you have kids? If you’re looking at a dog that might not be suitable for small children, we’re going to be the first ones to tell you that. We really do want the right dog with the right family.

If you do have kids, can we meet them? We’re not so concerned with how your child interacts with the puppy, but we are very concerned with how parents respond. I had a child poking fingers in my dog’s eyes and pulling on the dog’s tail, and the mother did nothing. I was disappointed she didn’t protect the dog, because I was ultimately concerned the dog would bite the child in self-defense. And hounds put up with a whole lot more than other breeds, which means they can be seriously hurt by a prodding child.

What do you plan to do with your dog? If you’re hoping to show the dog, you’ll need one that not only looks the part, but also has a personality that enjoys dog shows.

Do you have a fenced-in yard? And are you prepared to walk the dog on a leash? There are very few places where it’s safe for a dog to run loose, so we’re very leery of people who say they’ll train the dog to stay in their yard.

How will you keep your dog active/healthy? I happen to raise a breed that doesn’t require a lot of exercise, but if you chose a more active dog, your breeder would want to know how you’d ensure your dog gets enough exercise.

Where will the dog sleep? If you get a puppy only to leave it to sleep in the doghouse out back, that’s not the kind of home we want our puppies to end up in

If you run into any issues with the dog, will you call the breeder? If something’s going on that you’re not quite sure how to deal with, we expect you to pick up the phone and call, because it’s probably something we’ve all experienced. Some dogs in my breed (black and tan Coonhounds), for instance, are susceptible to hypothyroidism, which can present all kinds of strange symptoms. If you call us first, we might be able to save you some money at the vet’s office.

If you want to read more about this, I recommend How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend and The Art of Raising a Puppy, by the Monks of New Skete.

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This article originally appeared on www.exceptionalcanine.com, an independent editorial source.

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All dogs have the potential to be extraordinary!  The Eukanuba BreedMatch quiz will help you find the right dog to fit your lifestyle.  Just answer 16 questions and see what Breed Matches your lifestyle:

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What breed is right for you?  Tell us in the comments!

Select Group of Veterinary Leaders Assemble at P&G Pet Care for Fifth Annual Pet Care Academy

April 26, 2012 11:57 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CINCINNATI–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Pet Care, maker of Iams, Eukanuba and Natura Pet Food products, hosted the fifth annual P&G Pet Care Academy this week. The purpose of this event is to bring together the most respected veterinarian leaders to share best practices and information, to help improve the lives of pets everywhere.

“P&G Pet Care is proud to host some of thought-leaders in veterinary medicine from around the world”

“P&G Pet Care is proud to host some of thought-leaders in veterinary medicine from around the world,” said Marcie Campion, scientific relations manager, P&G Pet Care in North America. “This event is designed to generate dialogue between P&G Pet Care team members and veterinarian leaders to further strengthen our innovation programs to help enhance the lives of more dogs and cats.”

The event attendees enjoyed multiple presentations discussing the latest innovations in dog and cat nutrition, GI health and probiotics. At the Newport Aquarium, 2012 P&G Pet Care Academy attendees celebrated a $5,000 donation made from P&G Pet Care to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation to support their disaster relief efforts worldwide.

About P&G Pet Care

For more than 60 years, Procter & Gamble Pet Care (NYSE:PG), the maker of Iams and Eukanuba, has enhanced the well-being of dogs and cats by providing world-class quality foods and pet-care products. To learn more about Eukanuba^® and Iams^® Dog & Cat Foods or general pet care and nutrition information, call the Iams Consumer Care Center at (800) 446-3075. You can also visit us on the Web at http://www.iams.com or http://www.eukanuba.com.

About Procter & Gamble

Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Folgers®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, and Braun®. The P&G community consists of 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

Contacts

P&G Pet Care
Julie Franklin, 513-622-2331
franklin.jk@pg.com