Show Your Pet True Love With Expert Nutrition & Great Food #WeBelieveInNB

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."
Elizabeth Barrett Browning starts her love poem out with a simple question about expressing love and the different ways in which it can be shown. As St. Valentine's Day draws close, all I can think about is how much Mommy and I love each other, and the many ways that she answers that very question the poet asks.
This post is sponsored by Natural Balance® and the BlogPaws® Professional Pet Blogger Network™. I am being compensated for helping to share my thoughts about why we believe in Natural Balance as a quality food for me, a dog. "Pixel Blue Eyes: Her Tails of Adventure" only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Natural Balance Pet Foods is not responsible for the content of this article.

Mommy shows me in countless ways just how much she truly loves me. She's been my true love Mommy for 9 wonderful years, and she knows me inside and out. Of course we hug, cuddle, laugh, play, travel together, and learn new things together all the time. Taking care of my physical needs, including making sure I eat a properly balanced nutritional diet, is another important way to show her devotion.  

Mommy knows how much I love good food and treats, but because of my allergies & delicate system, she has to be so careful about what she feeds me. Imagine our joy then, when we were invited a few months ago to partner with Natural Balance® and try their delicious Limited Ingredient Diet (L.I.D.) dog food, made from premium quality ingredients that goes through 9 safety tests before it ever gets put on the store shelves.

I've been eating the Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Chicken Formula Limited Ingredient Diet since November and I love it! Just this one recipe has so many choices for my little palette to dine upon. There's the crunchy kibble that help keep my teeth clean, the soft canned food that looks and tastes just like a casserole, the finer chicken & gravy cups that Mommy pours on my food for special days, and then there's the delicious treats. They even have Jumpin' Stix treats with glucosamine in them! Oh my, this little girl has been so happy!! It has put more pep in my 9 year old step, and made me smile with every bite. As you can see, my latest open bag of kibble is well worn at the top from being accessed, haha! And I don't let a single morsel go to waste either. As a 'finder of lost kibble', if one goes rolling, I always make sure to hunt or chase it down so it won't get lost or lonely!

Mommy sure does love me to give me such excellent food. But how can you as a pet parent find the best food for your pet? There are several things to consider in searching for and finding food with high quality ingredients that are safe for your beloved pet to eat. I have some great Pixel Tips that will help you to make the right decisions.

Pixel Top 5 Tips for Finding the Best Food for your Pet:

1. Know what your pet likes/dislikes as far as food and ingredients. Some pets can't handle certain meats, others are allergic to things like corn, wheat and soy.
2. Read the Ingredients! This is critical for all pet parents so they understand what is going into their pets. If you don't know or understand what an ingredient is, look it up.
3. Talk to fellow pet owners and read cool blogs pet blogs to find out what they feed their dogs and why. It's always helpful to speak to others about their experiences because it will help you make an informed decision.
4. Talk to your vet. Veterinarians are often a great source of information on nutrition for your pet, especially since they know your pet's medical needs, current weight and general health.
5. Talk to the Pet Food Representatives and Experts. Some pet food companies have on site expert nutritionists and veterinarian technicians who would love to help you find the right food for your pet. Natural Balance has an entire team Nutrition Experts to helping pet parents find the most appropriate food for their pet. You can chat with them as soon as you get to the site. They are so friendly and very knowledgeable. Mommy has spoken with them a few times about my allergies and need for a limited diet.

Show Me You Love Me with Great Tasting Food

I can't tell enough how reassuring it is for me to know that my one and only true love, Mommy, cares for me so much that she would spoil me with such amazingly good food! For Valentine's, she's been making little hearts in my food to make me smile even bigger. It's little things like this that makes life extra special. And it's one of many ways she shows me she loves me.

She surprised me this morning with a special treat...my favorite Natural Balance L.I.D. Sweet Potato and Chicken Formula dog treats, an adorable squeaky toy and a homemade card. I am one very lucky (and very loved) pup! The L.I.T. treats taste sooo delicious, I can't wait to eat one (or two)!!

Reassured and Confident

Mommy is reassured knowing that Natural Balance has their Buy with Confidence Guarantee, and that they conduct stringent 9-point safety testing of every batch of food and treats that are made in their facilities. We don't have to worry about what is in the food I eat...we are confident knowing the only things in there are high quality ingredients and lots of love! Are you that confident about your pet food?

Some Important Questions to Ask Yourself...

So now I must ask you to think about some things friends. Take my paw, look me in the eyes and ask yourself these questions:
1. Does your pet food have a "Buy With Confidence" Guarantee?
2. Do you know for a fact that your pet food company has a panel of Nutritional Experts just waiting to speak with you about all your pet's nutritional and dietary needs?
3. Does each batch of your pets' food have 9 separate safety tests performed by highly qualified microbiologists and chemists before it is purchased?
If  you aren't sure and are looking to make a change for the better with your pet's food, why not give Natural Balance a try. Start by talking to one of their Nutrition Experts about your pet. And read all about their Buy With Confidence Promise and 9 point testing, then tell me what you think about it in a comment below, on my Facebook page, on my Instagram page, or send me a tweet on my Twitter page! I'm everywhere and I'd love to have a conversation with you. We believe in Natural Balance and I know you will too!

Happy Valentine's Day!!
Don't forget to  show your love to those you care about. 

Natural Balance is a very socially oriented company and they'd LOVE to hear from you!
Visit the following links to get connected and learn more about the quality of Natural Balance:
Natural Balance on Facebook
Natural Balance on Instagram
Natural Balance on Twitter

I love getting social with my friends too. Visit me on all my social media sites. 
I'd LOVE to connect with you!
Pixel on Facebook
Pixel on Instagram
Pixel on Twitter
Pixel on Pinterest

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Natural Balance. The opinions and text are all mine.

Sister Selfie Sunday: Jellie Learns To Love The Camera

I've been working real hard to help my sister Jellie get more comfortable in front of the camera. She's a real cutie patootie and should be photographed and celebrated as much as any other super model.
Problem is, she tends to freeze up, look away or just get super self conscious whenever the camera comes out. I keep telling her she's a natural beauty and that she's got a lovely smile, but I suppose we all have our insecurities. So, for today's "Selfie Sunday" I got some of our fur sisters in on the act.
Dixie Mae (the black and tan Dachshund) and Bella Boo (the copper Dachshund) really know how to work the camera! It certainly helped bring Jellie out of her shell a bit, and it was really fun doing group photos with them.
We let Jellie take photos of Bella and Dixie Mae to see how fun it was...this helped her feel more comfy in the group shots.

We put the camera back on the tripod, set the timer and took more group shots. Jellie's looking right in the camera now. Way to go Jellie!

In the end, Jellie was giving silly faces. It was hilarious! I think this last one could be a great music album cover don't you agree?
We had so much fun taking part in today's Selfie Sunday Blog Hop. It is hosted by my dear friend Janet Blue & her Kitties on their blog Cat on my Head. This is such a fun hop! I hope you'll visit some of my friends below to see their cool and entertaining selfies.

How to Show Your Dog Love & Build Confidence at Mealtime #WeBelieveInNB

Building Love and Confidence from the Beginning:

Mommy and I have an incredibly strong bond. We've been together almost 9 years now, and our hearts and souls are intertwined as one. I was very shy and sick when she first found me as a puppy. She and my vet worked to get me well, and every day Mommy did little things to build my confidence and help me to feel loved and happy.
This post is sponsored by Natural Balance® and the BlogPaws® Professional Pet Blogger Network™. I am being compensated for helping to share our thoughts about why we believe in Natural Balance as a quality food for me as a dog, "Pixel Blue Eyes - Her Tails of Adventure" only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Natural Balance Pet Foods is not responsible for the content of this article.

I've grown to become a very confident, happy dog. I make Mommy laugh all the time with my silly antics, my constant toothy smile, and my ability to play with one little toy for literally hours on end. She makes me smile with all the affection  and attention she gives me, the wonderful meals she feeds me, and that she's always ready to play with a toy at a moment's notice. We're basically best friends and soul mates! And every single day we show each other how much we love each other.

Showing Love With a Quality Pet Food:

One of the most important ways that Mommy shows me that she loves me is by feeding me the very best dog food she can. It makes me feel confident knowing I am so loved and cherished and that my quality of life is of such importance to her. Did you know that a high quality, premium food is a contributing factor to a dog's quality of life? That's why Mommy is a hard core, no-bones-about-it, research expert when it comes to finding me the best high quality food and treats. She wants me to love the food I'm eating, but there are important parameters that the food must meet for Mommy to feel confident in feeding it to me. I have special needs including a sensitive digestive system and allergies to certain foods/ingredients so I need a limited ingredient diet. There are some important attributes that Mommy feels are important in a high quality pet food.

Top 5 Attributes in a High Quality Pet Food:

1. Premium Quality Ingredients
2. Single Source of Protein
3. Limited Ingredient Diet (L.I.D.)
4. Supports Healthy Digestion
5. Great Variety

With so many foods out on the market right now, it might be difficult to make any kind of wise decision on what is best to feed me, but there's one food that really stands out for Mommy and me. It's Natural Balance® L.I.D. Dog Food in my favorite recipe of Chicken and Sweet Potato. We've always known that Natural Balance was a good brand, but after hearing about their vast selection of limited ingredient diet recipes, their 9-Point Safety Test for each batch of pet food in their state of the art lab, and their Buy with Confidence™ Promise, we just had to try it.

Time to Go Shopping for a New Food:

About 3 weeks ago, we went to our local big box pet store to find me some Natural Balance dog food. When we got to the store, we were overwhelmed with the incredible variety of choices for the Natural Balance L.I.D. foods. Not only do they have different recipes for both differing taste choices or protein needs, but they also have a great variety of dog food types & textures for each recipe, so you can try some of each of just find the right one for your finicky pet.

I was literally salivating at the mouth. I never do that. Embarrassing! I can't believe Mommy took this photo! But I was just overcome with excitement at all the choices! She was overcome with joy at knowing she was about to purchase a healthy, nutritious dog food that is literally safety tested 9 times, and has that reassuring Buy with Confidence™ Guarantee. We read all about it and you should too! It'll make you want to try the food just like we did.

Mommy and I Made the Switch to Natural Balance:

Mommy and I decided to try a little bit of everything since it was all so nutritious and wonderful looking. I love variety in a consistent recipe, so she stuck to the same theme of my two favorite main courses, chicken and sweet potatoes. The official name of my favorite recipe is Natural Balance L.I.D. Sweet Potato and Chicken Formula.
We Trust the Buy With Confidence Promise!! #WeBelieveinNB!

Feeling More Playful, Having More Energy and Being a Little Sassy:

I've been eating it for 3 weeks now and I love it!! Mommy swears I'm more playful and energetic. I seem to have a little more energy and stamina outside when we play. Maybe it's because my food is made with the very best nutrition in mind. Natural Balance carefully crafts each formula with quality ingredients, including, fruits, vegetables and premium animal proteins such as chicken (like my recipe), salmon, lamb and venison.

It might have even given me a touch more sass and silly attitude. What do you think? I just turned 9 years young but who would know by looking at me right?
Okay, let's do a recap on the facts about this awesome food I've been eating so YOU can have your pet try it too!

THE FACTS ABOUT NATURAL BALANCE:

1. Natural Balance only uses Premium Quality Ingredients in their Limited Ingredient Diet pet foods.
2. Natural Balance tests every single batch of food not once, but NINE TIMES in a State of the Art Lab.
3. Natural Balance has a fantastic Buy With Confidence Promise to guarantee each customer satisfaction with their pet's food.
4. Natural Balance has a group of highly trained Veterinary Technicians on hand to speak with you when you contact them with any questions you many have about their products. You can chat online during the day on their website with one of their nutritional experts to help you find the perfect food for your pet!
5. Natural Balance pet food tastes DELICIOUS!!! That's coming straight from me of course.

Friends, you have GOT to try Natural Balance pet food! Go to their website and read about their
Buy With Confidence Promise .
Chat with one of their highly trained, extremely nice Nutrition Experts and then make the switch to a pet food that is made with premium ingredients. Natural Balance really cares about you and your pet! And they want to get social with you too!
Visit the following links to get social and learn more about the quality of Natural Balance:
Natural Balance on Facebook
Natural Balance on Instagram
Natural Balance on Twitter
I love to get social too. Visit me on all my social media sites. I'd LOVE to connect with you!
Pixel on Facebook
Pixel on Instagram
Pixel on Twitter
Pixel on Pinterest
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Natural Balance. The opinions and text are all mine.

The Joy of Buying A Quality Dog Food with Confidence #WeBelieveInNB

As you know, I consider myself a dog food connoisseur of sorts, always searching for great tasting, nutritious dog food that Mommy trusts to be safe and well balanced for my delicate little body's nutritional needs. Being the adventurous dog that I am, I've been on a nationwide quest for a great tasting dog food that has the following very important characteristics that both Mommy and I can agree on:
1. Single Source of Protein
2. Limited Ingredient Diet (LID)
3. Premium Quality Ingredients (it does make a difference)
4. Food that is free of soy, gluten/wheat, and corn
5. Fantastic Variety of Flavors and Products
Sound like a pretty tall order? Well I've got great news!
This post is sponsored by Natural Balance® and the BlogPaws® Professional Pet Blogger Network™. I am being compensated for helping to share my thoughts about why I believe in Natural Balance as a quality food for my dog, "Pixel Blue Eyes: Her Tails of Adventure" only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Natural Balance Pet Foods is not responsible for the content of this article.



After all my searching, I found everything I was looking for in Natural Balance® L.I.D. pet food and treats! L.I.D. stands for Limited Ingredient Diet, but don't let the word 'limit' fool you, because this food has no limit on variety and taste!!

I've never seen such a fantastic variety of not just flavors but types of dog food styles, plus treats, available just in one line of food. It's UNBELIEVABLE!! There's over half a dozen different varieties of flavors of the L.I.D. foods available that are made with premium quality ingredients, plus a number of different versions of the food, depending on what your dog likes, needs or just in case they want variety while still maintaining a consistent diet. 

For example, when Mommy and I went shopping for my food, I chose the chicken and sweet potato L.I.D. recipe. I was amazed at all the choices I had for just that one flavor though. There's dry kibble (as you know, I love my kibble!) for both large and small breed, then they have two different versions of canned food, and they have a really cool chicken and sweet potato gravy packets that is strictly pulled chicken, sweet potatoes and gravy. Plus they have treats that are so delicious, I'm always begging for some of those! They even have chicken and sweet potato glucosamine treats for older dogs like me who want to keep their joints healthy. I had Mommy buy some of everything because it all looked so good. And the price was very reasonable. 

Natural Balance believes that you should get the very best food possible for your dog. They are so committed to high quality, balanced nutrition, and absolute safety of their pet food for your dog, they have the Buy with Confidence™ Guarantee ! That's right! You have GOT to read about their 9 POINT SAFETY TEST done on each batch of food and treats. They don't test it once, they test it nine times! They have an accredited lab that is one of the most technologically advanced in the country testing Natural Balance foods. This is why Mommy trusts their food so much, and believes that the ingredients in this food is healthy, nutritious and safe for me to eat.
Read all about their Safety Testing and Buy with Confidence™ Promise.

This food tastes SO good friends, you've got to try it yourself. Okay, get it for your dogs I mean and have THEM try it. Natural Balance really knows how to make a Limited Ingredient Diet taste delicious. These foods are simple formulas that encourages healthy digestion.
Simple does not mean limited variety. Just look at the range of food types you get with just one recipe, and there's several recipes to choose from. I love that they have everything from chicken to fish, all the way to venison. There's something for everyone's taste-buds and single source protein needs.

I love treats just like any other dog, and the Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Chicken Formula Treats are absolutely scrumptious! We bought the 14 oz bag of regular size dog treats, which are pretty big, so Mommy breaks one into smaller pieces for me since I have a little mouth. To me, that just makes me think I am getting a bunch of treats instead of just one. Of course, first she teases me a little bit and I do all my talking, singing and smiling for her because I love doing my tricks for treats for her! She loves making me happy and I love making her smile with my cute animated facial expressions.
These treats are crunchy, all natural and designed to support my digestive health.

My other favorite treat of theirs actually support my senior joint health, can you believe that? My Natural Balance L.I.T. Limited Ingredient Treats® Jumpin’ Stix®, which of course are in Chicken & Sweet Potato Formula, are so soft, chewy and delicious I literally jump to ask for them. They are formulated with Glucosamine and Chondroitin to help support healthy hips & joints, and I need that especially since I'm about to turn 9 years young. I am so happy that Natural Balance cares about my well being from my head to my stomach to my little toes.

Visit their website, and if you have any questions, you can Chat Live to one of their very nice, well informed Expert Veterinary Technicians and nutrition experts. The chat windows are in the lower right of the screen on every page. Mommy spoke with a very nice person named Shawna, who told us about how the L.I.D. foods help keep my digestive track healthy and shared their link on how to transition your pet to a new food, which of course should be done over several days. Their conversation was informative, engaging and of course, they talked about pets too!

We believe in Natural Balance, and you will too, so give Natural Balance L.I.D. (limited ingredient diet) dog food a try. And for all my kitty friends, Natural Balance has an entire line of L.I.D. cat food products as well.
Natural Balance loves being social with you, so connect with them on the following social media sites:
Natural Balance on Facebook
Natural Balance on Instagram
Natural Balance on Twitter
Go visit the Natural Balance website   friends,  and read about their Buy With Confidence Promise !
Use their cool Live Chat tool available on any page, read all about the great tasting Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet (L.I.D.) pet food and tell me what you think. And when you try their food or treats, I want to hear about it!!
Do you like what I had to share today? Do you think that a pet food with limited ingredients is a good idea? Do you like the idea of a pet food company with a 'Buy with Confidence' guarantee? Leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts! Visit their Buy with Confidence™ Guarantee page and tell me what you think about that too friends!
I love to get social too. Visit me on all my social media sites. I'd LOVE to connect with you!
Pixel on Facebook
Pixel on Instagram
Pixel on Pinterest
Pixel on Twitter
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Natural Balance. The opinions and text are all mine.

Sharing Selfie Sunday With My New Sister Jellie

Hi friends!  I know it's been a while since you heard from me. I took a hiatus from blogging this summer and in that time, a lot of changes have occurred.
One of the best things to happen is that I now have a I now have a little sister named Jellie. She is a beautiful, sweet ball of energy and love who has blessed our family with immense joy.
Jellie and I have so much fun with each other! Today we "borrowed" Mommy's phone so we could take some photos together. Jellie can be a little camera shy, so we took some 'silly selfies' to get her feeling confident. By the end of her selfie session, she didn't want to give the camera phone back to Mommy!
I think Jellie is well on her way to being a supermodel. What do you think?
Have fun looking through our fun selfies posted below and tell me which ones are your favorite. And please give a warm welcome to little Jellie. She said she's looking forward to helping me on my blog.

Jellie and I are taking part in the Sunday Selfie Blog Hop, hosted by my good friend Janet Blue and her Kitties of "The Cat on my Head" blog. It's such fun! Check out the "meow mix" below of cute kitties and doggies.
So tell me...how was your Sunday friends? 

Pixel's Top 5 Tips for Keeping Pets Safe & Happy on July 4th

Happy U.S. Independence Day friends! 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday with family and friends. I'm reprising my role as "Patricia Henry" this Independence Day in honor of the occasion.
The July 4th holiday is perhaps one of the top summer holidays in the U.S. and people absolutely LOVE it! But your pets? Not so much.

Dogs Fear Loud Firework Bangs

Dogs especially have a terrible time in most cases dealing with the loud bangs, hisses and pops that fireworks make. And people love to play with fireworks. According to a recent Time.com article, it is estimated that people spend an average of over $100 getting various fireworks, with many folks spending a LOT more. That is a great amount of scary noise for dogs. We've had people in the neighborhood and around town popping off fireworks for days and so my sisters and I are constantly looking up at in the air, barking at the bangs (that's what I do), or in little Dixie Mae's case, running around like crazy, trying to dig and hide through the tub, wall or floor on her way to China to get away from the scary sounds. All us pups feel like we are under attack, just like our forefather's did back during the Revolutionary War.
Many dogs and cats end up getting so scared, they run out of the house or yard, leap out of their pet parents' arms or break free from leashes and collars, then get lost forever and end up in homeless animal shelters. What a horrible scary thought!!
This year, let's keep our pets extra safe!

Pixel's Top 5 Tips for Keeping Pets Safe:

1. Bring any outside pets indoors during the evening hours and if you hear ANY fireworks going off.
2. Have safe places that your pets can "hide in" such as "blanket/bed caves", special corners made up extra cuddly, or just let them cuddle with you on the couch or chair.
3. Keep the TV on to mute the sound of outside noises, bangs and fireworks.
4. If you open a door, make sure your pet is secure before hand so they do not run outside out of fear.
5.  If you want to play with fireworks, do NOT do so near your pet. Go to a friend's house, or have someone watch your pet at another location where they will not hear it. It's not worth scaring them, just to hear loud bangs. There are quiet fireworks out on the market, and they are actually more colorful I hear. What a cool idea!

One extra note for comforting a scared pet:  

Use of a warming/heating blanket, or putting blankets in the dryer to warm them up can be extra soothing when cuddling your scared pet.

I hope everyone has a safe and fun 4th of July, and I hope you pets enjoy it too! Just remember to keep their fears in mind, and everyone can have fun. 

Pixel's Chewbacca Hair and Helping Mommy Plan for Her Trip

You may have been wondering, "Where in the WORLD has Pixel been ever since announcing she was chosen as a BlogPaws 'Nose to Nose' Award finalist?"
Well, besides growing my hair out extra long to play the part of Chewbacca's sweet yet strong-willed sister in the latest Star Wars movie, I've been busy helping Mommy get prepared for her trip to the conference in Arizona at the end of this month. Problem is... I've been so excited about being chosen as a finalist for "Best Written Blog Post", I totally forgot that I'm a BLOGGER and should be blogging!!
Let me catch you up on our activities...basically it's all been about the trip. It's amazing all the things you need to do in order to travel across country in preparation for long distance travel, especially if you'll be gone for several days. And Mommy will be flying in a real life air plane...several in fact...so she is not too thrilled about that. The TSA has soooo many regulations. But everyone she's talked to has been super nice. She's very nervous about the actual plane ride and won't stop talking about it. I told her she's not allowed to cling to the stewardess' leg during the entire trip and that she can't "nervously eat all the almonds" on the plane. I'm thinking I might have to give her a Benadryl before the flight and ask the stewardess to hold her hand during take-off and landing. I mean, Mommy's never traveled without me before and she'll be lost without me.

Do you have any travel helps for Mommy since she'll be 'Pixel-less'? And maybe some helpful "plane ride" tips for Mommy? Please only good positive stories too....no horror stories of scary plane stuff. If you have to make something positive up, that's okay. She just can't take anything scary, BOL!
Oh, and back to my hair....anyone know where the "Star Wars Chewbacca's sister" tryouts are going to be held? I've got to keep busy while Mommy's away....