The Weekly Growl:

A Canine Commentary

Full Petential

 By Stacy Mantle

There are very few dog treats that are 100% natural, great tasting and make a healthy (and very likable) alternative as a treat.  However, rest assured that PetsWeekly has discovered some tasty treats for your pets that meet this requirement.  Full Petential treats are all that and more.   With five types of wholesome treats to choose from, and several sizes that are either available, or on their way soon, you can't really go wrong!  So, let's start our dogs personal favorites!  

	Doggie Dance Chicken Jerky Tenders:  These tasty treats are made from 3/4 lbs of fresh chicken breast!  Good enough for us to eat?  Probably, but I have to admit my husband and I haven't tried them yet.  The dogs LOVE them. Since two of our three dogs are a bit overweight, we especially love that these treats are low in carbohydrates and fat content, so we can give them to Roscoe and Tristan in moderation without worrying about them arguing about exercising.  These are the ultimate dog treats for our three dogs and what's even better is that they are good for them!   Want to know the ingredient list?  Here they are:  Chicken Breast Fillets.  Yep - that's it.  The only ingredients  in this wholesome reward for your well-behaving dogs.  Want to know more?  Click here for the Guaranteed Analysis and Ingredient list or click the picture to order now.
	Doggie Dance Luv Bites:  Pet treats with natural antioxidants built into them to help your dog's immune system and reduce the effects of "Free Radicals".  Now, if you are like me and have a personal history of back pain, you know how important limiting the effects of free radicals can be.  This unique and very tasty product helps you do just that.  Free radicals have been linked to degenerative conditions in people and animals, conditions such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease and even cancer.  So now you can give your pets the tools they need to help fight off these negative conditions, in a treat that they will love. Each treat obtains their antioxidants from tomatoes, blueberries, pomegranate and Lutein.  They also contain Omega Fatty Acids which will help improve your pets skin and coat and help promote a healthy heart.  Click here for the Ingredient List of these treats, which are packed with antioxidants!
	Doggie Dance Deli Twists:  This is a pork-flavored treat that is porkhide wrapped around a core of chicken breast and is one our pets love!  It makes a nice change from just beef (my dogs have a tough life).  For those who like to give your dogs rawhide, this is a much better and safer alternative.  For those who don't know about the difference between rawhide and porkhide, and I was one of them, here are the results of an email I sent to the Vice President of FullPetential to determine the difference between types of rawhide.  Here is what I learned:   There is a difference between pork hide and rawhide in terms of the type of processing and chemicals that are used during the process. Rawhide is the portion of the hide that is left after the tanning process and the top grain has been split off for making clothes, shoes, gloves, car seats etc. Pork hide is what is left over after the tanning process and the top grain has been split off for work gloves etc. Because of this process, the leather is treated less and there are less harsh chemicals used that may be left in the finished chew in terms of a residue. Now, my dogs have a bad habit of "wolfing" their food, meaning they don't chew.  This is one of many reasons why they are never given rawhide or other treats that are unpalatable.   While I have discovered that pork hide is much more digestible than rawhide, it's still not really a great idea to give them a treat they won't chew (which is true for any dog).  So be sure to size your dog's treat with your dog! What we found out is that these are perfect size treats for smaller dogs, such as our Beagle and his friend Cheiss, the mutt.  But until he can learn to chew his food, Tristan the coyote doesn't get any more of these fun treats, (much to his dismay).  To check out the ingredient list, click here.
	Doggie Dance Magic Bones:  This is one more of the unique treats that you can find at Full Petential.  Magic Bones are formulated with antioxidants, which in this case include pomegranate and Vitamin C. Designed to enhance the immune system, these bones come in two sizes, with a third size on the way.  We were able to test the medium sized bones on one of our dogs, the one who chews (Cheiss), and he loved them.  Cheiss is also one of our pickier eaters, who requires his food to be highly nutritional and tasty (he was starved before we rescued him and had a crushed hip, as well as a delicate digestive system, so we can see why he's the pickier of the three).  This is one of his favorite treats. Tristan and Roscoe are anxiously awaiting the release of the Large-sized Magic Bones, which we are told will be out soon!  Click here for the ingredient list and Guaranteed Analysis.
	Doggie Dance Bits for Tricks:  These all-natural chicken treats are the newest way to train your pup. Specially designed with the help of professional trainers, this is a healthy alternative to fat-filled treats.  Over 90% of this products consists of real chicken and the roasted chicken smell is guaranteed to grab your dog's attention during a rigorous training session!  Again, be sure that you pick up the appropriate sized treats for your pets and provide lots of water while they are learning!  Click here for the ingredient list (of which there are only FIVE!).

The Vice President of this company, Dale Greenbury, was just named one of the "25 People to Watch in 2007" by the PetProductNews group, and we have discovered why.   As the former technical sales manager at  AFB International, Greenbury has a unique ability to see what dogs need in their diets and how to best formulate a tasty, healthy product for them.  Our dogs are living proof of the high quality treats that this company is putting out each year!  Affordably priced, great-tasting, and a healthy treat for your pup, what else could you look for in a snack?   

From the Dogs:

Growls:  While we are anxiously awaiting their BIG dog sizes, we have no complaints!  We can't wait for them to come out with the same line of treats for dogs over 70 lbs!   

Leaps of Joy: Twelve Paws Up! We love these treats as we can have them more often than other types and they test a LOT better!  

From the Humans:

Two opposable thumbs up: Healthy treats, filled with antioxidants and real meat!  We feel great about giving these to our dogs!

Ingredient Lists and Guaranteed Analysis: 

Chicken Tenders -   Chicken Breast Fillet

Guaranteed Analysis:
Min. Crude Protein - 60.0%
Min. Crude Fat - 2.3%
Max. Crude Fiber - 0.3%
Max. Moisture - 14.0%

Doggie Dance Luv Bites - Beef, Chicken, Chicken liver, Rice flour, Pre gelatinized corn flour, Brewer's yeast, Chicken meal, Gelatin, Glycerin, Dextrose, Water sufficient for processing, Beet pulp, Fish oil, Phosphoric acid, Calcium carbonate, Molasses, Lecithin, Cultured whey, Caramel color, Salt, Garlic, Natural smoke flavor, Vitamin E supplement, Tomato pomace, Blueberries, Vitamin C, Pomegranate extract, Iron oxide and Lutein.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Min. Crude Protein - 20%
Min. Crude Fat - 7%
Max. Crude Fiber - 4%
Max. Moisture - 28%

Doggie Dance Deli Twists - Porkhide, Wheat Flour, Chicken, Corn Syrup, Gelatin, Propylene Glycol, Poultry Digest, Wheat Gluten, Phosphoric Acid, Salt, Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate (used as a preservative) and Mixed Tocopherols (a natural antioxidant). 

Guaranteed Analysis:
Min. Crude Protein - 59.0%
Min. Crude Fat - 5.7%
Max. Crude Fiber - 6.7%
Max. Moisture - 10.8%

Doggie Dance Magic Bones - Wheat Gluten Isolate, Glycerin, Soy Protein Isolate, Gelatin, Natural Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin C, Mixed Tocopherols, Pomegranate Extract and Natural Color.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Min. Crude Protein - 45.0%
Min. Crude Fat - 1%
Max. Crude Fiber - 15%
Max. Moisture - 14%

Doggie Dance Bits for Tricks -  Chicken, Potato Starch, Glycerin, Gelatin, Sugar and Salt.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Min. Crude Protein - 35.0%
Min. Crude Fat - 3.5%
Max. Crude Fiber - 1.0%
Max. Moisture - 35.0%

About the Author

Stacy Mantle is a freelance writer who currently resides in the southwestern deserts of Arizona with a number of cats, a coyote/wolf hybrid, and a very understanding husband. Her writing has appeared in publications such as The Arabian Horse Times, Today’s AZ Woman, and Pets Illustrated and she currently writes two pet product review columns for www.PetsWeekly.com. Many of her stories and articles have been translated into several languages, and now reach an international audience. Quickly becoming known as "…the Erma Bombeck of animals", her writing has skyrocketed to new heights as she records the stories of those she loves, inspiring the reader to learn why we have all come to love the animals we share our lives with. She is the author of Conquering the Food Chain: Living Amongst Animals (Without Becoming One), which is available in Barnes & Noble bookstores nationwide, as well as online at www.bn.com or www.amazon.com

Read about these other great products: Canine Covers, Bamboo Grooming Products, Brakefast Bowl, Dog Holiday List, 12 Days of Dog-mas, Prepping Your Home for the Holidays, Happy Tails Spa Products, Wellness Bed, Spray Commander, PetSleeves, Pet Costumes, 1-800-LostDog, Animal Pathways, Wubba World's Dog Toys, Ruffwear, PupLight, Drinkwell's Big Dog Pet Fountain, and the Tapeless Wound Care System