For all the "Animal People" like me.

This is a sponsored review by BlogHer and Purina.

*The above is true, but this entire post took me on a walk down memory lane.  Although I generally stick to baby-lovin' on this blog, I thoroughly enjoyed dedicating an entire night to writing about my sweet Connor boy.  My thoughts on Purina Pro Plan are my own.

On a daily basis, the kids and I load up the jogging stroller with smoothies and snacks, throw on our morning play clothes, and set off on our four-mile walk around the neighborhood. It's partially for me, so that I can get some use out of my butt & leg toning Reeboks, but the real motivation centers around the well-being of my sweet puggle. He's been a top priority in my life since the moment I laid eyes on him (you know, the time we wandered in Pet Land "just to look" :), and I have no doubt that he'll continue to be an integral part of the family until he's old and gray.

Many people don't understand how an animal can be loved so much, or how an animal can be treated as an equal part of the household. My husband used to be one of those people... until he fell in love with Connor. Connor became his best buddy, the one who ran to him as soon as he walked in the door, jumping and squealing with the kind of excitement only a dog can exude. He learned to ring a bell to go outside by the time he was 12 weeks old; he learned to sit, lie down, and shake soon thereafter. He willingly went to his crate when we had to leave the house, and he loved to cuddle (still does) on the couch when we returned. No matter where we were in the house, Connor was by our side. I worked diligently to keep him crate-trained at night, but after a few weeks of seeing my sweet puppy crying to snuggle under the covers with me, I finally gave in. Nathan couldn't believe I had the audacity to do such a thing, but once we got married, he quickly discovered that it wasn't so bad after all.

Now that he’s older, Connor is not only our friend, but our protector. When I got pregnant, we both had high anxiety about how he’d react to not just one baby, but two babies entering his world. He’d been the center of our universe for two whole years, so how was he going to handle falling to the third rung of the totem pole? While I was on bed rest at the hospital, Nathan brought him to visit because I was terribly afraid he’d forget me, and once I had the babies, I called daily to check on him (although doped up on dilaudid and clearly out of my mind, for the most part). I even broke down in tears when my mom told me that he’d gotten sick overnight, fearful that his nerves were on edge. Dogs have a sixth sense, I’m convinced, and undoubtedly he realized that his whole life was about to change. The thought of my sweet Connor having to compete for his well-deserved place in our lives was too much to take.

Not long after bringing Tyler and Caroline home, though, our family fell into a quick groove. Unsure of them at first, Connor quickly grew to love the little guys, and he could hardly keep his tongue off them. He was quick to hover anytime one was lounging on the bumbo, in hopes that he’d get a lick or two of their tiny toes or fingers. As they’ve grown bigger and more mobile, he takes their constant tugging and pulling in stride. If he’s hanging out on the back of the couch, they immediately climb up and swat at him, hoping he’ll play. If he retreats to his safe-haven to escape their jabs, they climb in it with him until I drag them out. No matter how much toddler torture the poor guy endures, he never so much as snaps at them and he loves them just as much as he loves Nathan and me. We are forever grateful for his gentle nature.

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know how I feel about the health of my family. I like to implement the old adage "do as I say, not as I do," because it's no secret that I've got terrible habits. Rather than snacking on delightful things like raw carrots and hummus, I fall into the camp of Girl Scout cookies and Cadbury eggs. But the important thing is that I'm desperately trying to change that path for everyone else - including Connor. Although he shouldn't eat table food, Tyler and Caroline haven't quite grasped that concept and absolutely love tossing all their "healthy" food to him each meal. They love Connor just as much as we do, and sadly, that means they want to share all their goodies with him. Long story short, I try to make up for his "extra" calories by offering him the most nutritious dog food I can. We're not exactly in a position to spend more on his food than our own (which is an option, believe it or not), so finding one that's budget-friendly is a must.

When I heard about Purina’s Pro Plan Selects line, I jumped on the chance to offer it to Connor. A few key ingredients are natural chicken, beef or turkey, barley, oatmeal, brown rice, whole eggs and fish oils. Things it does not include are corn, wheat, soy, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. (After reading my baking bread post, you clearly know that I’m all about staying clear of preservatives – haha!) Purina was kind enough to send us enough food to feed Connor for a month, and I can honestly say that he runs outside first thing every morning to get his breakfast. We chose the Natural Turkey & Barley Formula, and I feel confident that he’s getting adequate nutrition from it each day. He loves it, and I wanted to share this post with all of you dog lovers out there in case you’d like to expand your furry friend’s palate as well.

Would $100 Visa gift card help you out with that?

If so, please comment below and tell me how I’m not the only one with this kind of love for my dog. I’d love to hear what you’d like to do to treat your pet if you won the $100, so feel free to brag on your buddy! Does he or she deserve a day at Camp Bow Wow? Perhaps it’ll buy you a big tank of gas to make a special trip to the park?

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*Sorry Canadians, this giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw on May 31st, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.  In the mean time, here's a great Purina Pro Plan coupon for everyone.  Good luck!