The Free School for Dogs

05/30/2026

Most pet parents focus on what’s in their pet’s bowl🥣, but this conversation shows that what the food is stored in matters just as much!

Materials like glass, food grade ceramic, and stainless steel sit at the top because they’re inert and don’t interact with food, while plastics fall into a spectrum depending on their type, quality, and condition. More stable plastics like #2, #4, and #5 can be reasonable options, but they’re still not completely inert, especially over time with exposure to fats, heat, and wear. Lower-quality or unknown plastics ( #3, #6, 7) raise more concern due to additives and higher potential for chemical migration, particularly when containers become scratched, cloudy, or degraded. Silicone is stable for short term use, but capable of absorbing oils and odours with long-term use.

One of the most practical takeaways is that storage habits matter: keeping kibble in its original bag and placing the whole bag inside a container helps reduce direct contact and preserves freshness. It’s nearly impossible to eliminate plastic entirely, but reducing long-term exposure from everyday storage is possible.

05/24/2026

A new peer-reviewed study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science found that 2 out of 3 dogs with lymphoma were exposed to benzene at DNA-damaging levels, and nearly 9 out of 10 were exposed to xylene. But here’s what most people miss: over half of healthy dogs had similar benzene exposure, and nearly all dogs had xylene exposure too.

This isn’t rare, it’s everyday life. These chemicals, released from products like cleaners, air fresheners, candles, paints, furniture, and even gas stoves, are commonly found in indoor air and can damage DNA in lab studies. Most dogs are living in a constant background of exposure we rarely think about.

The good news is you can reduce it.🙌 Focus on your indoor air, improve ventilation, use an air purifier with activated carbon if possible, avoid synthetic fragrances, switch to simpler low-toxin products, and eliminate smoke exposure. It’s not one big toxin that matters, it’s the constant low-level exposure over time.

And while reducing exposure is step one, supporting your dog’s ability to handle what they’re still exposed to matters just as much.

If you want a science-backed detox support option, Liver Lift™ is a daily, multi-pathway formula designed for pets living in today’s chemical world. It supports liver detox and bile flow, kidney filtration, lymphatic movement, gut binding, antioxidant regeneration, and nervous system regulation.

👉 Comment CLEANUP and we’ll send a link your way.

05/22/2026

From dr Ruth roberts
For anxiety

If you have ever typed "natural calming for dogs" into Google, you know what comes up. A wall of products all claiming to be the one. Calming chews. Pheromone collars. Essential oils. CBD. Herbs. Supplements with fourteen ingredients you cannot pronounce.

Most of it comes with zero guidance on how to actually use it.

So today I am breaking down what I really do in practice, the way I would walk through it with a coaching client.

Foundation first.​ Anxiety is rarely a brain-only problem. Inflammation in the gut sends signals straight to the brain through the vagus nerve, and about 90 percent of serotonin is produced in the gut. If we are medicating the brain and ignoring the gut, we are treating the smoke instead of the fire. Step one in every anxiety case I work is real food. The Original CrockPet Diet provides whole-food nutrition that supports the gut-brain axis from the ground up.

Daily wellness stack. ​Holistic Total Body Support is my whole-food glandular multivitamin. It contains the magnesium, B vitamins, and adrenal-supporting nutrients that anxious pets often run short on. Magnesium in particular supports muscle relaxation, sleep, and nervous-system function — and most kibble-fed pets do not get enough of it. Pair HTBS with a high-quality omega-3 (Calamari Omega-3 is what I use) for brain and nervous-system support.

CBD for situational and chronic anxiety. I have a relationship with EarthBuddy and use their products for my own dog. The quality criteria I look for in any CBD product:
Third-party tested
THC-free
Dosed by body weight, not "one chew per day regardless of size"
Given with a meal containing healthy fat — absorption is significantly improved this way
CBD is not magic, but used consistently it is one of the most reliable tools in my toolkit.

05/21/2026

I’ve written about this in the past. Now here is someone else’s story

🐾 Not every dog wants to be touched — and that's okay.

Dogs are not public property, and we should never assume that an unfamiliar (or even familiar) dog is inviting interaction just by being present.

The golden rule: don't approach unknown dogs. Give them space, stay relaxed, look slightly away, and let them come to you.

And even when a dog does approach you, sniffing, standing nearby, or coming close is NOT necessarily an invitation to pat them. Wait for clearer signals — loose, relaxed body language, leaning into your leg, gentle eye contact, a nudge, a paw, or a play bow. Those are consent.

Once you have those signals, you can ask their guardian if it's okay to interact. Keep it brief, and pause to check if they want to continue.

🚫 Avoid: patting on the head, pushing your hand in their face, hugging, or overwhelming them with too many people or too much intensity.

⚠️ Signs a dog is uncomfortable: lip licking, yawning, looking away, moving away, ears pinned back, tail tucked, whale eye (whites of the eyes showing) — and of course snapping or growling, which is an immediate request for more space.

This applies to children too — teaching kids that unknown dogs are not to be approached is one of the most important lessons we can pass on.

I've put together an infographic breaking all of this down — save it and share it! 👆

And if you want to go deeper, I've also made a video exploring whether people should even have the expectation to pat an unknown dog — and why "asking first" doesn't always make it okay 👇
📺 https://youtu.be/K2D8cOGUhs4

05/19/2026

🐴 A HISTORIC DAY FOR HORSES 🐴

After decades of operation, Canada’s largest horse slaughterhouse — Bouvry Exports in Fort Macleod, Alberta — has officially closed its doors for good.

This was the facility where thousands of horses each year drew their final breath: retired racehorses, faithful ranch and trail companions, family pets sold at auction, and wild mustangs. Many shipped across the border from the United States, held in feedlots, then slaughtered for the horse meat markets in Japan and Europe.

For years, brave activists, undercover investigators, journalists, and everyday horse lovers refused to stay silent. They documented the suffering, held protests, gathered petitions, and kept the pressure on. Today, that tireless work has delivered a real victory. 💔🤍

The Canadian Horse Defence Coalition has confirmed: Bouvry Exports is permanently closed and no longer accepting horses for slaughter.

This moment belongs to every person who has ever gazed into a horse’s eyes and seen a soul staring back. To the rescue groups who outbid kill buyers at auctions. To the volunteers who stood in freezing weather with signs. To the investigators who never looked away.
But the fight is far from over. 🐴

Horse slaughter continues at Viande Richelieu in Quebec. Live horse exports to Japan by plane still happen. And there are real concerns that slaughter operations could expand elsewhere to fill the gap.

So today we celebrate this hard-won victory.
Tomorrow we keep fighting — until every horse is allowed to live out its days in peace.
Every horse deserves a pasture, not a slaughterhouse. 🤍

What are your thoughts on this victory? Share below 👇

📰 Source: Canadian Horse Defence Coalition / World Animal News

05/16/2026

“You’re just avoiding it" 🙄
Yes and no.
What we are avoiding is escalation.

Or if they’re already in a full verbal reaction, we are avoiding keeping them there for a second longer than necessary.

But we have to remember something really important here.

Dogs are often reacting long before we hear barking, growling or lunging.

They fixate.
Their movement changes.
The body slows and stiffens.
Breathing changes.
They can posture.
Their nervous system is already shifting.

That stronger reaction we see?
It’s often the final stage, not the beginning.

The U turn is not about pretending the trigger does not exist.
It is about recognising emotional change earlier and responding before the dog fully tips over threshold.

Distance changes behaviour.

As distance increases you will often see
• softer body language
• reduced fixation
• quicker disengagement
• less emotional intensity

And above all else, it teaches you to observe.

You begin noticing the tiny changes before the explosion happens and you start recognising patterns.
You begin trusting that your dog’s body language is giving you information, constantly.
Way before the barks.

05/15/2026

A large peer-reviewed study survey of over 8,800 pet owners found that only about 14% rely on veterinary advice when choosing what to feed their pets, meaning the vast majority of decisions are influenced by forces outside the exam room. While the study didn’t investigate the reasons behind this gap, it highlights a clear disconnect between pet parents’ priorities and where they get their information, especially as many owners are increasingly seeking minimally processed and human grade diet choices that aren’t found in veterinary clinics.

Rather than pointing to a lack of trust, the findings suggest an opportunity: as interest in evolving nutrition grows, there’s a chance for veterinarians to play a more active role in guiding these conversations and helping bridge the gap between ultraprocessed, feed grade diets and what pet parents are actually looking for.

05/14/2026

🐾 Not All Liver Is Nutritionally Equivalent

When it comes to homemade and fresh feeding, liver is often treated as a “one size fits all” ingredient.

But nutritionally, different species of liver have meaningfully different strengths.

That matters because liver is one of the most nutrient-dense components in the entire diet, and it plays a major role in supplying key micronutrients like vitamin A, B12, folate, copper, and iron.

Choosing which liver to use is not random, it’s strategic.

Below is a breakdown of the most commonly used liver types in fresh feeding and what each one brings to the bowl.

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🐄 Beef / Calf Liver

Rich, robust, and one of the most nutrient-dense options.

Key strengths:
✔️ Very high in copper
✔️ Extremely rich in vitamin A
✔️ Excellent source of B12
✔️ Strong iron content

Best used for: Supporting copper status, iron intake, and foundational micronutrient density in balanced formulations.

👉 This is often the “workhorse” liver in many diets, but also the easiest to oversupply if not balanced correctly.

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🐔 Chicken Liver

Milder and often more versatile in formulation.

Key strengths:
✔️ Higher folate content
✔️ Lower copper than beef liver
✔️ Highly bioavailable folate and B vitamins
✔️ Very palatable for picky eaters

Best used for: Gentler rotation, balancing copper-heavy diets, and supporting folate and B-vitamin intake.

---
🦃 Turkey Liver

An underused but valuable poultry liver option.

Key strengths:
✔️ Good selenium contribution
✔️ B-vitamin rich
✔️ Moderate iron content
✔️ Solid vitamin A profile

Best used for: Adding antioxidant support (selenium) and rotational variety in poultry-based diets.

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🐖 Pork Liver

Often overlooked, but nutritionally distinct.
Key strengths:

✔️ Extremely high in B1 (thiamine)
✔️ Strong overall B-vitamin profile
✔️ Good iron and folate contribution

Best used for: Supporting energy metabolism and adding B-vitamin diversity to recipes.

---
🐑 Lamb & 🐐 Goat Liver

Richer red meat liver profile with excellent mineral density.

Key strengths:
✔️ High in iron and B12
✔️ Good trace mineral diversity
✔️ Highly palatable for many dogs

Best used for: Iron support, red-meat rotation, and novel protein variety.

---
🐇 Rabbit Liver

A lean, gentle option often used in sensitive diets.

Key strengths:
✔️ Moderate vitamin A
✔️ Lean nutrient profile
✔️ Novel protein source

Best used for: Elimination diets, food sensitivities, and rotational diversity in sensitive dogs.

---
🌟 Bonus Liver Options

🦌 Venison Liver
Typically rich in iron and B vitamins with excellent palatability for many dogs.
Often used in:
▪️Novel protein diets
▪️Rotational feeding
▪️Sensitive dogs needing red meat alternatives

🦆 Duck Liver
A richer poultry liver option with strong vitamin A and iron contribution.
Often used in:
▪️Rotational variety
▪️Higher-calorie diets
▪️Dogs that tolerate duck better than chicken

🦬 Bison Liver
Nutritionally similar to beef liver, but often leaner and used in alternative red meat rotations.
Often used in:
▪️Novel protein approaches
▪️Red meat diversity
▪️Rotational feeding strategies

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🧠
Each liver has its own nutritional fingerprint.
Some are richer in copper.
Some emphasize folate or selenium.
Others bring stronger B-vitamin or iron profiles.

This is why rotational use of liver (when appropriate) can help broaden micronutrient diversity in homemade diets.

⚖️ Important Note
Liver is incredibly nutrient-dense...and also easy to oversupply if not carefully balanced within a complete formulation.

More is not better‼️

Balance always matters more than any single ingredient.

📌
Think of liver not as one ingredient, but as a category of nutrient tools.

Different tools. Different strengths. Same purpose:
👉 supporting a complete, biologically appropriate diet.

— The Holistic Canine 🐾 theholisticcanine.us

NRC balanced meals at home:
👉 Fresh feeding, explained—finally.
"Fresh-Food Feeding Explained" eBook
Available on our website❗️
https://theholisticcanine.us/ebook/