Love on a Leash loves... Kol’s Notes!

Editor’s note: Kol’s Notes is one dog’s blog sharing information on canine nutrition, delicious dog treat recipes, product reviews, giveaways, pet friendly events and how to give back to the canine community at large. I’ve been finding the blog to be such an inspiration that I wanted to share it with you. Here then is a note from Jodi Chick, owner of the irrepressible and outspoken Kolchak Puggle, the spokesdog of Kol’s Notes. Jodi tells us about the journey that led to this super blog. -- Tammy

I still remember that spring. A rescue from a less than ideal situation, Felix was the first dog I had in many years, since I was nothing more than a toddler. He arrived with no luggage, looking and smelling like a hobo and yet, when he jumped out of that crate and licked my face, I was instantly in love. Snuggling up with him in bed that night was like cuddling a bag of hot garbage juice, only furrier, but there was nowhere in the world I would rather have been than cuddling with MY dog.

I bought a ton of treats, the food the store clerk recommended and more toys than most kids on our block have and settled into life with Felix. Watching the news and learning that pets were dying and that more than 5300 products were being recalled, I felt like the bottom had dropped out of my world. Felix had lived with us for less than three weeks.

Confession: I am a rehabilitated “junk food feeder”.
That day in March, I looked on in terror as every single dog product in my home hit the recall list. Sure, our bags were from different code dates, but the fear was there: What if I had killed him before I even really had him? I vowed then and there that I could and would do better for my dog.

We brought Kolchak, our puggle, home that summer and let me tell you, we felt smug and happy, when we started him off right away on the “good stuff.” BOL! Oh, I had oh so much to learn! We quickly discovered that even on the vet-recommended, so called “high quality” prescription food that both dogs were eating, Felix has a hot mess. Frequent ear infections, backed up anal glands, big time bathroom issues and the itchies. Oh. My. Dog. That boy itchy. All hours, day and night, no matter what we tried. Felix had an itch to scratch and he wasn’t afraid to scratch himself raw. None of our vet’s solutions seemed to work and with my promise to Felix in mind, I waded into the world of holistic, natural health and cooking for my dogs.

Relearning All I Never Knew
The things I didn’t know about my dogs were overwhelming. What should they be eating? Were grains good, like some companies suggest or should they be eating grain-free? Could they digest dairy? And just why was bacon not considered to be the ultimate in fabulous dog treats?

Last year, I sent myself back to school and began studying canine nutrition via correspondence and reading everything I could find on canine nutrition and natural ways to improve my dog’s health. In my studies and cooking for my dogs, I discovered my passion and my purpose: Kolchak’s Kitchen. My dream and my goal: to develop my own dog food and treats, home-made and crafted to my standards, and to share what I have learned, helping to improve the lives of other junk food dogs. Right now, it’s only an idea and a vision for the future, but I have a dream and a plan to someday build Kolchak’s Kitchen up from a small home bakery catering to friends into a place where dogs and their people can confidently go for some good food from some good friends, because all dogs deserve the good life.

Kol’s Notes was an experiment that took on a life of its own.
At the urging of friends, this spring, Kolchak, Felix and I embarked on a new adventure together and we waded into the Blogosphere. In just over six months, we are amazed by all the things we have learned from my fellow bloggers and all the things I can still discover with Kol and Fe to guide me. Written from the perspective of the irrepressible and outspoken Kolchak Puggle, Kol's Notes is one dog’s blog sharing information on canine nutrition, delicious dog treat recipes, product reviews, pet friendly events and how to give back to the canine community at large. We hope you’ll join Kol for a few stories, a few snacks and a lot of laughs as he celebrates good food, good friends and the good life.

Jodi Chick
Kol’s Notes
www.kolchakpuggle.com