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Cooked To Perfection - Wagging Rights Meals For Dogs

The Wong Dogs was invited for their very first media event by Wagging Rights (more on that in another post) and came back with quite the haul.

What caught our attention at first was a freezer filled with homemade meals for canines. It seems WaggingRights is huge on cooking for their canines.

Wagging Rights meals compromise of 60% human-grade meats from a local wholesaler (75% in grain-free and raw versions) with the other 40% comprising of fresh fruit, vegetables and supplements such as calcium phosphate, vitamin D, zinc etc.

“Feeding your dog right is the biggest positive impact you have on your dog’s life. We feel – and we know so from experience – that proper feeding practices greatly improves both life span and quality of life for dogs. What this means for the owners is healthier, happier, sturdier dogs that need fewer visits to the vet. We want to change the way you feed your dog, one meal at a time,” says Lu-Yi.

Wagging Rights also cater to different preferences and under special request, can prep grain-free and raw versions of all their recipes.

The Wong Dogs Review
During the media preview last week, the people behind Wagging Rights blessed The Wong Dogs with four different flavours to savour. The first night, Cory enjoyed a heart Sunday Roast Beef set that was contained farm-raised beef with sauté broccoli, carrots, watermelon cubes and blueberries. Picky Cole (ever the epicurean) on the other hand took in the sweet-smelling Posh Pulled Pork set that came with pork medallions, sauté spinach, French beans, red peppers and apple bits. Both the boys finished everything up within five minutes tops. The boys will enjoy Chicken Terrine and Shepherd Lamb Stew next week.

It is not easy to impress The Wong Dogs with home-cooked food for pets. But if you are truly serious in getting a balanced home-cooked diet for Fido, then The Wong Dogs can gladly say Wagging Rights should be your first stop. How could I not be when every single item on the menu has been measured to perfection?

Through my conversation with founder Lu-Yi Ong, she was able to give me the lowdown on what the ideal meal for a dog should be. Even the nitty-gritty, and sometimes controversial details such as supplements was not spared.
I love how the dog menu has also been meticulously styled (to charm the eyes of pet owners, I am sure). After all, don't we all feel better when food is presented in such a manner? Whether our pets realise it or not. :p

Many a times, I have seen many would-be furkid-food chefs carrying walking around overweight canines. Mind you, these people buy their produce straight from the supermarket and rarely do these fortunate dogs eat kibble. The problem is portioning – it is either too much of something that sometimes lead to obesity or health problems in most of these furkids.

“Through many years of dog ownership. Plus, my partners have worked with so many dogs. This experience has taught us that a well-balanced diet prevents lots of health issues in later life,” says Lu-Yi.

To find out more on Wagging Rights' dog menu, you can visit their Facebook page or call them at 6447 0335

Labels: dog food, homemade, homemade dog food, media event, miniature schnauzer, mixed breed, pets, raw diet, review, singapore special, the wong dogs, wagging rights, waggingrightsssg

❤ "Cooked To Perfection - Wagging Rights Meals For Dogs" was Posted On: Tuesday, 21 October 2014 @01:28 | 0 Wong comments ✿

Precious Little Finds: The Duf Store

There is just something about discovering places which stock the quirkiest of stuff. One such find is The Duf Store.

Founded by graphic designer, Delia Goh, this entrepreneur married her interests to start The Duf Store: dogs, animals and a passion for design and crafts.

What attracted me most about The Duf Store is the opportunity to get Cory and Cole illustrated! Delia tells The Wong Dogs that she started out illustrating her Miniature Schnauzer, Duffy for her own collection, “It was only natural as I was taking tons of photos of him. You can say Duffy was my inspiration and I thought it would be a good idea to offer customised illustrations to other pet owners too.”

She adds that due to each piece being drawn by hand, an artwork can take about two weeks for the final product. “This is to allow minor tweaks in-between,” Delia explains.

Besides creating unique illustrations of people’s furkids, The Duf Store also makes a variety of accessories aimed at ladies. “Besides doing illustrations, my other interest in handmade crafts and products are also animal-related to I decided to offer it under The Duf Store too,” explains Delia.

For example, The Duf Store released a limited edition Night Owls Early Bird Necklace where you can choose from four different styles. “These are handmade and came about only when I went out to source for ideas and materials. The Night Owls Early Bird Necklaces was inspired by the recent white lifestyle display products that have been cropping up at interior displays. The birds on these necklaces are made of rubber yet I have managed to give them a ceramic look,” says Delia.

The Wong Dogs also spotted a Frenchie Multi-Purpose Pouch which breed aficionados will love to have but it has unfortunately been snapped up!

Don’t turn up those noses just because The Duf Store only has an online presence. Delia tells me that due to the high number of requests she gets, orders today will need a slightly longer waiting time for her to start. In fact, she only could afford to do an illustration for Cory and promises one for Cole in the near future.

With that, The Wong Dog is passing on a message, “I am waiting!” - Cole :p

For more information on The Duf Store, visit their website here.

The latest updates can be found on their Facebook page and their Instagram account.

Labels: crafts, dogs, dogsofinstasg, homemade, illustrations, miniature schnauzer, online, pets, picture, portraits, singapore special, the duf store

❤ "Precious Little Finds: The Duf Store" was Posted On: Wednesday, 27 August 2014 @23:30 | 0 Wong comments ✿

Treats Of Creativity - Feed My Paws

With this dreary weather, it can only mean one thing, sharing The Wong Dog's latest finds - meaning what Cory and Cole have been munching on! Let’s hope these two rascals keep their weight down with all the exercise I am giving them!

This time, the boys received a fabulous care package from the up-and-coming Feed My Paws! Owner and professional dog sitter, Crystle Tan made it a point to ask which of her many treats and cakes would suit the boys. I ended up quite a haul. She explains that this is simply due to the well-being of every pet, “Every item on the menu is typically made-to-order.”

Starting Feed My Paws in November last year, Tan had a head start in her cooking skills when she had to prepare home-cooked meals for pets with different nutritional needs every day. “My customers were very happy to see the difference the meals made to the lifestyle of their pets,” she says. Soon, her customers were taking orders from her and that encouraged Tan to go into this full time.

Delivery day came and Tan made sure the boys had something extra special! An extra packet of Beef Lungs and pup cakes were added to the mix!

Cory and Cole’s sampling platter:

1. Little Carrots Biscuits (From $10.00)

Who knew that carrots treats could look this good? Adding in Manuka honey for a boost of antioxidants, it is a guilt-free moment every time I dished one out for good behaviour.

2. Mighty Milk Animal Cookies (From $14.00)
It is a zoo out there! These are almost too cute to let the boys chomp everything down! Using lactose-free cow’s and goat’s milk, these are easy to digest. Insisting on using organic produce, these Might Milk Animal Cookies also contains organic brown rice flour and coconut oil.

3. Organic Mini Cupcakes (Set of four for $9.80)
It is going to get messy! But can you blame the boys when they smelt so fragrant? With ingredients brown rice, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato among others, you can also choose from a variety of meats such as Beef, Salmon, Pork and Chicken.

4. Pork and Apple Cinnamon Cookies (From $12.00)
If I love the fragrance of pork and apple cinnamon combined, can you imagine how much more the boys will enjoy it? Well, the sure did by running away from me to enjoy these relatively large biscuits in their own quiet corner.

5. Beef Lungs (From $10.00)
Trust me, from personal experience, making this is no easy task! But Tan has managed to perfect the process which took 15 hours to prepare! Looking at the speed the boys devour these portions each time, I doubt they truly know how much work went into it!

Tan assures me that all her produce are 100 percent natural and uses human-grade ingredients. She is so serious that there is even a furry panel of judges who have tried and tested every recipe before she puts it up for sale. “In fact, I think they are sometimes a little too honest!” she laughs. Though I did not pry, I suspect these picky judges are none other than Hoovy, a 12-year-old Chihuahua and Skotch a six-year-old Pomeranian. “Skotch was a very sickly pup when he was one and half years and we made countless visits to the vet. Skin issues, diarrhoea and vomiting and even a viral infection,” she explains. Upon the advice of her vet, she started cooking for Skotch and he has been healthy ever since.

Her quirky creations are inspired by the very things she eats and said her dogs staring at her each time was the starting point to everything, “You know how it is, when you eat something and they never stop staring?” To ensure that all the food produced is nutritionally balanced, she seeks the advice through veterinarian friends who informs her the best ingredients to use.

Feed My Paws is also about giving back to the community. Tan does her best to work closely with a number of dog shelters here in Singapore. “I always appreciate playing their dogs and watching them chomp down on their treats is one of the best feelings in the world!” she says. Tan has big plans for Feed My Paws and hopes that in time to come, it will become a household name for furkids on our little red dot, “I would like people to think of our dog treats that are not only healthy but adorable and fun. With a successful business, it also means I can contribute even more to our local shelters and I am definitely looking forward to that.”

For more information, you can visit their Facebook page here.

Labels: dogs, homemade, pets, review, treats

❤ "Treats Of Creativity - Feed My Paws" was Posted On: Tuesday, 29 July 2014 @21:26 | 0 Wong comments ✿

Treat Of The Week – Superdog Kitchen Strawberry Jelly Mint Tart

Strawberry Jelly Mint Tart

The Wong Dogs could hardly believe such beautiful-looking tarts were available exclusively for dogs! As such, I had Gwen Tan of Superdog Kitchen make a Strawberry Jelly Mint Tart.

Besides knowing the boys will gobble every slice they are given, I was partially attracted to its rich colour. Honestly, looking at the pictures, could you fault me?

Upon opening the box, the Superdog Kitchen Strawberry Jelly Mint 9-inch tart was revealed. I loved how it was sturdy and nicely formed (picture above) with a comfortable-looking brown crust. Even when serving up the slices to Cory and Cole, it did not crumble into a sad-looking mess – something I cannot say the same for many other tarts: even human ones.

The Strawberry Jelly Mint Tart uses minimal ingredients and contains fresh strawberries, agar powder, wheat-free and gluten-free flour, garbanzo bean flour, butter, honey and eggs. Further research on what garbanzo bean flour is revealed it to be made of chickpeas and are rich in protein, dietary fibre and a good source of iron.

Close my eyes and pray that my owner allows me to eat soon.

Taste-wise, a small nibble revealed a strong burst of strawberry flavour – proving that Superdog Kitchen are no stingy poopers in the ingredients section! Also, just inspecting the tart up close revealed.

“The Strawberry Jelly Mint Tart was a fun idea that I came up with. I do know of some dogs that dislike fresh fruits so making it into jam seems tastier for them. Additionally, topping it with mint enhances the flavour too,” says Gwen.

Even after their second slice, Cory and Cole were still begging for more. Sorry boys, it ain’t tea time every day for you. Till Gwen does a low-fat and low-calorie version of her Superdog Kitchen tarts for you, you will have to wait till special holidays and birthdays!

Oh wait, pet-friendly venue, Paw Pet-radise Café stocks their homemade tarts and the Mango Ice Cream Tart and Strawberry Vanilla Ice Cream Tart are hot favourites, selling out fast over the weekends!

ON SUPERDOG KITCHEN

“There is a need for dog owners to know what they are feeding their pets!” That is what Gwen Tan of Superdog Kitchen told The Wong Dogs what inspired her to start the business. Starting out with a partner, this entrepreneur also said that it is high time that the image of canine food is reimagined to be more enticing, “It need not be just what is seen and sold at pet shops. Pet owners can shop for their dogs as well as do their grocery shopping.”

In fact, Superdog Kitchen is so particular about how their products affect their pets that they have special considerations for dogs with allergies and have a custom order form on their website where customers can tell Gwen more about their dog so that something unique and safe be created for their precious furkid. “In fact, one of our products named Bruno’s Bento was inspired due to a particular canine who doesn’t eat anything but lamb and Cai Sim. This was also one of my biggest challenges to make a birthday meat tart for him but Superdog Kitchen did it,” she says.

Besides baking up a storm in the kitchen, Gwen makes time to attend as many events as possible such as the previous SOSD’s Pack Walk and the pets magazine picnic party. These events also allow Gwen to introduce new products where she gamely gave me a portion of Watermelon & Coconut Water for Cory and Cole. “Coconut and watermelon water can keep them hydrated on a hot day. Coconut water has natural electrolytes while chilled watermelon adds a certain sweetness, prompting dogs to munch on the fruit.

When asked where Superdog Kitchen sources their ingredients from, Gwen gamely said that everything is bought from NTUC Finest due to their relatively small size, “It just does not make sense to buy in bulk from a supplier yet. Of course, we hope this changes when we expand.” She also adds that Superdog Kitchen’s philosophy is simple – genuine, honesty, sincerity and ethics. “We never hide what goes into our food. We love how our customer always tells us how our tarts look like what they get in the restaurant,” says Gwen.

Moving on to future plans for Superdog Kitchen, it was surprising to hear that they have not even turned one! “Our anniversary is coming up so we do have some stuff in the works. For now, we hope to educate and change the way dog owners feed their pets and getting them to be more conscious about their dog’s health,” says Gwen.

Emma the Singapore Special and Marco the Golden Retriever enjoying a tart. Credit: Superdog Kitchen

For more information, you can visit their website here or their Facebook page for more details.

Labels: coconut oil, dogs, homemade, miniature schnauzer, mixed breed, pet cafe, pet treats, superdog kitchen, tarts, treat of the week