You’ve never seen a dog treat truck like this before. From the oversized dog bone to the lighted elements and retro look, it’s love at first sight. But this is more than just a fancy “ice cream truck for dogs.” Their mission is to help educate pet owners about using positive reinforcement dog training to ensure their animals enjoy deliciously balanced lives.
American Pet Nutrition (APN) created the Good Stuff Pet Truck as a way to educate pet owners and have some fun handing out treats across the country. APN products have typically been sold in the western half of the United States, but new and existing APN brands are increasingly available across the country.
The truck will be taking seven different micro-tours throughout the summer. They just completed their Southern California tour, and are headed to Arizona this weekend, followed by the Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Chicago, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Northeast throughout the next several months. For a complete list of cities and stops, you can visit www.GoodStuffPetTruck.com, which will be updated as stop details are finalized.
Events By City
A core belief of APN is encouraging meaningful connections between dogs and owners, so that’s what the Good Stuff Pet Truck is about: spending time with your dog and other pet parents, learning how to improve your dog’s health, treating and training by way of positive reinforcement, and snapping fun photos with your dog in front of the Pup Pics backdrop.
The tour events will vary by city. Some events will involve a local trainer who will provide demonstrations and answer questions about positive reinforcement dog training. Other events will involve a local veterinarian who will answer pet owner questions and offer nutritional tips.
The tour is not a free clinic, so formal check-ups are not offered. They do welcome questions of any kind, and in some cities, they will be offering dog body condition scoring exams by veterinarians.
San Diego-based veterinarian Dr. Ruth MacPete – nationally known as “Dr. Ruth the Pet Vet” – will evaluate dogs’ physical conditions and determine their BCS scores on their Southern California tour.
“Positively reinforced, fit dogs are happy dogs,” said Dr. Ruth. “Overweight or obese dogs have an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes, heart and respiratory disease, and even cancer – and more than half of dogs in the United States are carrying extra pounds.”
Dr. Ruth will be joining the tour at various times. Also joining will be Steve Dale, CABC (Certified Animal Behavior Consultant), who is the author of a twice-weekly national newspaper column. He’s host of two national radio shows as well as Steve Dale’s Pet World on WGN Radio, Chicago. His blog is chicagonow.com/stevedale.
In each city, the Good Stuff Pet Truck will hire local trainers and/or veterinarians so that pet owners can seek ongoing counsel from that trainer if they choose.
The Good Stuff Pet Truck lives at the American Pet Nutrition headquarters in Ogden, Utah. That’s where it sleeps and is maintained between trips. Currently, the truck is scheduled to make stops through the month of September. Check out the website www.GoodStuffPetTruck.com to follow the Truck’s schedule.
