Pedigree Write a Post, Help a Dog 2011 #dogsrule

Anytime we have the chance to help donate food to shelter pets who need it most, we're all for it. And once again, here's a way that all bloggers can help too.

Write a Post, Help a Dog 2011

This year, as we head to the BlogPaws pet bloggers conference, Pedigree is resurrecting is insanely successful Write a Post, Help a Dog program. In 2010, 391 bloggers wrote about the program and with each post, Pedigree donated 20 pounds of its Healthy Longevity dog food to shelter animals. In all, 7,820 pounds of food was donated to two shelters renowned for their care of senior dogs: Muttville Senior Dog Rescue in San Francisco and Castaway Critters in Harrisburg, Pa.


How you can help in 2011

Simply spread the word about Write a Post, Help a Dog 2011 and once again Pedigree will donate 20 pounds of food for each blogger's post.  Here's all you need to include in your post:

• The Write a Post, Help a Dog program is aimed at raising awareness and food for the more than four million dogs that wind up in shelters and breed rescues each year.
• For each blog post mentioning the Pedigree Foundation from now until midnight ET on September 3, Pedigree will donate 20 pounds of its new dry Pedigree recipe food for dogs -- its best recipe ever -- to a shelter, because every dog deserves leading nutrition. 
• The Pedigree Foundation -- a 501 (C)(3) nonprofit organization is committed to helping dogs by providing grants to shelters and rescues and encouraging dog adoption. This year the Foundation has already raised more than $376,570 against its goal of $1.5 million to carry out its work to fund grants that not only help shelters operate, but to further shelter innovations.

The Pedigree Foundation depends on charitable contributions from individuals to carry out its mission to help dogs find loving homes. In addition to writing a blog post, here's how you can help:

• Donate online at http://pedigreefoundation.org/donate.aspx
• Apply for a shelter grant from the Pedigree Foundation by completing a form at www.pedigreefoundation.org
• Purchase Dogs Rule Gear at www.dogsrulegear.com where the proceeds go to the Pedigree Foundation to help loving dogs find a home. SPECIAL OFFER: Get 10 percent off Dogs Rule Gear by using the promo code BlogPaws10 from August 22 - September 30.

We'll make it even easier to spread the word

Feel free to copy and use anything from this post, including all images. (HINT: double click on any image to see it at full size, then save it to your computer or post).

Then, link up to our Blog Hop below, hosted by the Pedigree BlogPaws bloggers to help spread the word about Write a Post, Help a Dog.

Once again, we are honored to be one of the Pedigree-sponsored bloggers at BlogPaws 2011 and we can't wait to join up with the rest of our group to help feed more shelter dogs. If you're going to BlogPaws, come over and meet us! If you won't be there, please meet the rest of the Pedigree bloggers here:

• Sharon Castellanos at Grouchy Puppy
• Ryan Rice at Houston Dog Blog
• Ashley Niels and Nikki Jeske at I Love Rescue Animals
• Felissa Elfenbein at Two Little Cavaliers
• Debbie Jacobs at Fearfuldogs' Blog
• Joan DeMartin at Bocci's Beefs
• Paris Permenter and John Bigley at DogTipper and CatTipper

Look for Cosmo at BlogPaws and I should be close by!

How To Transition Your Dog's Diet

Cosmo indulged during his birthday celebration
at BlogPaws last September 

Unlike humans, who typically can indulge in new foods with few consequences, changing your dogs' diet too quickly can make his tummy very unhappy. And the "backend result" can cause not only an unhappy dog, but also an unhappy owner, who may be dealing with some messy clean-up.

The experts at Pedigree say the transition period may take about a week, and offer these tips to make the process a pleasant one.*

* If your dog is on a special diet, please consult with your veterinarian before switching to a different type of dog food.

Days 1 to 2 (25% new, 50% old)
WHAT TO DO
Introduce your dog to the new food gradually. For the first two days or so, your dog's meals should be about 75% old food and 25% new food. Mix the two foods together, don't keep them separated.
FEEDING TIP
The percentages of food and the number of days suggested are a general guide for a smooth transition. Your dog's specific "transition rate" may be different if he or she has a sensitive tummy. If you notice that your dog has an upset stomach or loose stool, feed less of the new food for a day or two more, before upping the percentage of new food.

Days 3 to 4 (50% new, 50% old)
WHAT TO DO
If the first couple of days of the transition have gone smoothly, you can now mix 50% of your dog's old food with 50% of the new food.
FEEDING TIP
Always make sure you're feeding your dog the right amount for his or her size and weight. You can find this information on every bag of PEDIGREE Food for Dogs. Overfeeding is the No.1 reason dogs become overweight, so follow the guidelines and keep track of your dog's weight to make sure the right amount of calories are being fed -- and no more.

Days 5 to 6 (75% new, 25% old)
WHAT TO DO
At this stage, your dog's meals should be about 75% new food and only 25% of the old food. Always look for signs that your dog is making the transition smoothly and without any sign of an upset tummy
FEEDING TIP
If you have more than one dog in your home and are only transitioning one of them to the new food, it's best to feed the dogs in separate rooms. And, when they are finished with their individual meals, remove any uneaten food. That way you can be sure your dogs are eating the correct foods.

Day 7 and beyond (100% new)
WHAT TO DO
At this stage, your dog's meals should consist of 100% of the new food. Which means your dog's old food is officially the "old" food.

Pedigree sponsored our trip to BlogPaws last year
as well as our trip to the Canine Nutrition Summit

We recently had the opportunity to attend a Canine Nutrition Summit at Pedigree headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., where we learned about the new PEDIGREE® Dry Food recipes as well as lots of other interesting information about canine nutrition.

Thanks to Pedigree, we had a terrific time catching up with a group of our pet blogger buddies, learning a ton about Mars Petcare US -- the makers of Pedigree Food for Dogs -- and the WALTHAM® Center for Pet Nutrition.

Check back Thursday for our behind-the-scenes look at our trip to Mars Petcare US!