I used randompicker.com to select a winner. I don't know if the link will show up, but here is how it appeared http://www.randompicker.com/Project/Result.aspx?ID=24572
The winner was Lauran (The Real Young Housewife of Southern Va)!!
Lauran-I'm going to attempt to contact you via your blogger profile. If you don't here from me, please email me via mine.
This was lots of fun, so I'm definitely going to do it again!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Cheesy Dog/Wolf Stuff
For Valentine's Day I gave Les a gift card to Bass Pro Shops. Yesterday we decided to head to Cincinnati to visit Bass Pro and whatever else caught our attention.
While at Bass Pro, I snapped some phone pics of a few items.
We left Bass Pro Shops, and headed for Trader's World, supposedly the largest flea market in the Midwest. It was huge. We ran into a stall where a gentleman was selling dog treats, so I had to look around. I found these.
Tripe treats! I bought two packs of three. I thought they were a chew, like dehydrated tripe braids, but upon giving each dog one, I realized they were more of a snack. All three loved them, though.
We then headed to Jungle Jim's International Market. I love that place, and have even made the two hour drive just to go there.
I saw a pig head, and was very tempted...
...but I didn't buy it.
I did but some duck feet, to be given as treats.
We wandered through the pet section, which contains more and a larger variety of products than many small pet stores. There I found an awesome deal on antlers, so I purchased three.
They have a VERY large alcohol section, and I enjoy trying new beers. I bought a six-pack of this amber (?).
I also purchased a single of another beer by the same company, because Les wants to take it to work.
Old Leghumper. Haha!
Fun day trip, but I kind of felt bad leaving the pups all day.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
While at Bass Pro, I snapped some phone pics of a few items.
We left Bass Pro Shops, and headed for Trader's World, supposedly the largest flea market in the Midwest. It was huge. We ran into a stall where a gentleman was selling dog treats, so I had to look around. I found these.
Tripe treats! I bought two packs of three. I thought they were a chew, like dehydrated tripe braids, but upon giving each dog one, I realized they were more of a snack. All three loved them, though.
We then headed to Jungle Jim's International Market. I love that place, and have even made the two hour drive just to go there.
I saw a pig head, and was very tempted...
...but I didn't buy it.
I did but some duck feet, to be given as treats.
We wandered through the pet section, which contains more and a larger variety of products than many small pet stores. There I found an awesome deal on antlers, so I purchased three.
They have a VERY large alcohol section, and I enjoy trying new beers. I bought a six-pack of this amber (?).
I also purchased a single of another beer by the same company, because Les wants to take it to work.
Old Leghumper. Haha!
Fun day trip, but I kind of felt bad leaving the pups all day.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, February 23, 2013
BarkBox Giveaway!!
I'm trying this again.
Les signed up for the recent BarkBox Groupon, because he's technically a new customer. The timing of the redemption meant we received two February BarkBoxes. I'd like to give one away!
You can view my review here.
Once again, I need a minimum of 15 entries, so spread the word.
To enter, comment on how you stumbled upon here, and your dog(s)' name(s) and breed(s).
Deadline for entry is 5 PM EST on Wednesday, February 27, 2013, and if entries are entered, winner will be announced that evening. Winner will be selected via random drawing.
Obviously, no anonymous entries. If you enter with a blogger account, make sure there's a way for me to reach you (email link) on your profile.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Les signed up for the recent BarkBox Groupon, because he's technically a new customer. The timing of the redemption meant we received two February BarkBoxes. I'd like to give one away!
You can view my review here.
Once again, I need a minimum of 15 entries, so spread the word.
To enter, comment on how you stumbled upon here, and your dog(s)' name(s) and breed(s).
Deadline for entry is 5 PM EST on Wednesday, February 27, 2013, and if entries are entered, winner will be announced that evening. Winner will be selected via random drawing.
Obviously, no anonymous entries. If you enter with a blogger account, make sure there's a way for me to reach you (email link) on your profile.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday Photos
I guess technically it's very early on Saturday.
Faolan and Jasper playing last weekend.
The prettiest girl working on a chew.
Bruce trying to be patient.
Faolan, at the beginning of a scent roll.
My alpha dog (Neeko) watching "Alpha Dogs"
Super close-up of Faolan.
Bruce's new tag. It makes me giggle.
My cute little boy.
Bruce looks tired.
Buddy, a therapy dog at the hospital I work at. He even has a hospital-issued name tag.
Friday, February 22, 2013
February BarkBox Review
All kinds of goodies in the mail recently, and today was no exception. We received our February BarkBox.
Wet Noses Organic Cheddar Treats. Approximate retail value $1.99. Small, round cookie treats, with good, limited ingredients. I am sure this flavor will be well-received, as cheese conquers all in my house.
Wet Noses Agave & Pear treats. Same as above, with different flavor. I opened this package. It contained eight cookies. They smell delicious. I gave one to each of my three, and all ate with no issues, including Faolan, who will spit out a treat he doesn't like on occasion.
Pet Qwerks Fetch 'n Floss toy. Approximate retail value $6.99. Nubby ring toy. Quite cute, and I could see how the texture would be very inviting to a dog. I will give this one dog at a time, supervised, as they are all very hard chewers. Neeko in particular likes to dissect toys, and will systematically find a weakness and work it over.
Sprocket Pet Goods P:ECO penguin toy. Approximate retail value $14.99. This is beyond cute, and made from recycled materials. It's a decent size, but doesn't seem particularly durable. I have decided to keep a bag of the toys, treats, and foods I receive and don't use, and will donate them to GHAM, the shelter we adopted Faolan from.
Get Naked N Bone Super Antioxidant Dental Chew Sticks. Approximate retail value $6.55. The ingredients are OK, but the true test would be if my crew liked/ate them, and how long they lasted. Conveniently, there was six large sticks in the bag, so I gave each one. Surprisingly, they actually lasted about a minute, so I was impressed. They all ate theirs, with Faolan scent-rolling on his first. I like these, because they are an alternative mid afternoon snack, and do require a bit of chewing.
The Goods
Wet Noses Organic Cheddar Treats. Approximate retail value $1.99. Small, round cookie treats, with good, limited ingredients. I am sure this flavor will be well-received, as cheese conquers all in my house.
Wet Noses Agave & Pear treats. Same as above, with different flavor. I opened this package. It contained eight cookies. They smell delicious. I gave one to each of my three, and all ate with no issues, including Faolan, who will spit out a treat he doesn't like on occasion.
Pet Qwerks Fetch 'n Floss toy. Approximate retail value $6.99. Nubby ring toy. Quite cute, and I could see how the texture would be very inviting to a dog. I will give this one dog at a time, supervised, as they are all very hard chewers. Neeko in particular likes to dissect toys, and will systematically find a weakness and work it over.
Sprocket Pet Goods P:ECO penguin toy. Approximate retail value $14.99. This is beyond cute, and made from recycled materials. It's a decent size, but doesn't seem particularly durable. I have decided to keep a bag of the toys, treats, and foods I receive and don't use, and will donate them to GHAM, the shelter we adopted Faolan from.
Get Naked N Bone Super Antioxidant Dental Chew Sticks. Approximate retail value $6.55. The ingredients are OK, but the true test would be if my crew liked/ate them, and how long they lasted. Conveniently, there was six large sticks in the bag, so I gave each one. Surprisingly, they actually lasted about a minute, so I was impressed. They all ate theirs, with Faolan scent-rolling on his first. I like these, because they are an alternative mid afternoon snack, and do require a bit of chewing.
Faolan waiting patiently for his Get Naked N-Bone.
Also included in this month's BarkBox was a $10 coupon for wag.com. This would probably cover shipping (which is free if one orders $49 or more), so I will probably check them out to see if there is anything I need/want to order.
I was pretty impressed with this month's BarkBox. We have a minimum of three more months coming, and I look forward to receiving them.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Fetching Tags Review
On Sunday, I placed an order for three tags with Fetching Tags, and received them today (Thursday). Let me first state that I am very impressed with how quickly they came, considering they are all hand-stamped. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM!!
The Tags
The backs of the tags, with my number cut off
I chose the tagmaker's choice option in regards to tag shape for each of them. I figured the tagmaker would select the best shape for the shapes and lettering I wanted stamped on each tag. I think these are amazing. I created the "tag lines" and then selected the icons for each dog. I love the skull on Bruce's tag, to go along with, "I'm a jerk."
I immediately placed these on each woofer's current collar, and had to take photos of them modeling their new gear.
Neeko
Bruce
Faolan
Overall, I'm very impressed with the quality, cute-factor, and speed in which I received them. I highly recommend Fetching Tags!!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
February Spoiled Rotten Box Review
We received our February Petflow Spoiled Rotten Box today!! This is my second box, you can also view the January box.
The first thing I noticed is that this month's shipping box is much fancier than last month's.
Clear Conscience Tender Beef & Cheddar Sliders. Approximate Retail Value of $9.99. These are so new, I used the price listed on the information card, as I could not find them for sale online. These actually have very nice ingredients. Another plus is that they don't contain yeast. I'm always needing soft treats, so I am very pleased with these. All three of the dogs gobbled them up when I offered each of them one. Strangely enough, these smelled a bit like a cheeseburger.
Ark Naturals Breath-Less Brushless Toothpaste Mini Dog Treats. Approximate Retail Value of $5.99. My dogs have no need for something such as this, as they all have sparkling teeth and odorless breath, so this is not something I would normally buy. The ingredients are ok, and these do not contain yeast. I give Bruce a couple, and he (of course) at them without issue. While its a treat, the packaging only recommends giving one or two daily.
Luther's Soul Biscuits. Approximate retail value $5.99. Last month's Spoiled box also contained a variety of Luther's biscuits, and I was pleased with them. This is a different variety, and I look forward to offering them. As I stated last month, the ingredients are pretty stellar for a biscuit type treat, and these are made from US ingredients.
Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea Stew. Approximate retail value of $1.99. This appears to be a quality canned dog food. It is potato free, along with being grain free. I have been using canned food once a month to mix the dogs' crushed Trifexis in, so this will be put to good use.
Bright Bites Medium Spearmint Dental Treat. Approximate retail value of $1.59. Another gimmicky item, and not something I would normally purchase. I don't like that it contains artificial ingredients. I know these boxes are intended for a single dog, so I chose to give Bruce this treat. He enjoyed it. Big surprise.
Natural Formula Lamb Formula food roll. Approximate retail value $5.99. Last month we received a couple of mini rolls, which I cut up and used as treats. The ingredients in last month's rolls were much better than this one. This one is actually pretty terrible, especially if people feed this as a primary food as opposed to an occasional or training treat. This contains yeast, but it is pretty far down the ingredients list. I might give some to Bruce in a very small quantity, but most of it will go to Neeko and Faolan.
Gimme Gummy chew toy. This is a very neat concept. It's like a KONG, hollow in the middle for stuffing. It's also heat resistant to 450 degrees F, so a treat can be baked in it as well. This particular one is for moderate chewers. That, along with its smallish size, are prohibiting me from using it for my crew. If it were a little tougher and bigger, I would absolutely use it. As I said, very neat concept.
Silver Dog Charm Key Chain. Kind of cute, kind of generic. It has a dog, a fire hydrant, a bone, and a paw print. I'm not sure if I'll add this to my menagerie of key chains yet.
The first thing I noticed is that this month's shipping box is much fancier than last month's.
The Goods
Clear Conscience Tender Beef & Cheddar Sliders. Approximate Retail Value of $9.99. These are so new, I used the price listed on the information card, as I could not find them for sale online. These actually have very nice ingredients. Another plus is that they don't contain yeast. I'm always needing soft treats, so I am very pleased with these. All three of the dogs gobbled them up when I offered each of them one. Strangely enough, these smelled a bit like a cheeseburger.
Luther's Soul Biscuits. Approximate retail value $5.99. Last month's Spoiled box also contained a variety of Luther's biscuits, and I was pleased with them. This is a different variety, and I look forward to offering them. As I stated last month, the ingredients are pretty stellar for a biscuit type treat, and these are made from US ingredients. 
Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea Stew. Approximate retail value of $1.99. This appears to be a quality canned dog food. It is potato free, along with being grain free. I have been using canned food once a month to mix the dogs' crushed Trifexis in, so this will be put to good use. 
Bright Bites Medium Spearmint Dental Treat. Approximate retail value of $1.59. Another gimmicky item, and not something I would normally purchase. I don't like that it contains artificial ingredients. I know these boxes are intended for a single dog, so I chose to give Bruce this treat. He enjoyed it. Big surprise.
Natural Formula Lamb Formula food roll. Approximate retail value $5.99. Last month we received a couple of mini rolls, which I cut up and used as treats. The ingredients in last month's rolls were much better than this one. This one is actually pretty terrible, especially if people feed this as a primary food as opposed to an occasional or training treat. This contains yeast, but it is pretty far down the ingredients list. I might give some to Bruce in a very small quantity, but most of it will go to Neeko and Faolan.
Gimme Gummy chew toy. This is a very neat concept. It's like a KONG, hollow in the middle for stuffing. It's also heat resistant to 450 degrees F, so a treat can be baked in it as well. This particular one is for moderate chewers. That, along with its smallish size, are prohibiting me from using it for my crew. If it were a little tougher and bigger, I would absolutely use it. As I said, very neat concept.
Silver Dog Charm Key Chain. Kind of cute, kind of generic. It has a dog, a fire hydrant, a bone, and a paw print. I'm not sure if I'll add this to my menagerie of key chains yet.
All in all, I was moderately impressed with this month's Spoiled Rotten Box. Getting these boxes is somewhat addictive. It's like Christmas, the anticipation of receiving one, and not knowing what one is going to get. I'm giving it one more month, and will decide whether or not to continue it based on the March box.
Bruce Update
I managed to collect a urine specimen from Bruce today, which was slightly difficult. It seemed as if he cut his stream off each time I attempted to place the cup under it. I finally succeeded, only getting a few drops of urine on my sleeve.
I took it to the vet, and the UA came back negative for glucose. Great news!!
Stress can cause an elevated blood glucose, and the vet speculates that's the case with Bruce.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I took it to the vet, and the UA came back negative for glucose. Great news!!
Stress can cause an elevated blood glucose, and the vet speculates that's the case with Bruce.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Taming the Beast
Faolan demonstrates some reactivity on our walks. My sweet boy becomes a demon-lunging, jumping, barking, forgetting I exist. It's mostly directed at barking dogs. Unfortunately there's a surplus of neurotic, neglected yard dogs in my area. Our walks are fairly nice when he's not acting like a fool.
He also tends to act this way in public. He's a sweet boy, and adores people. I'd like to take him more places.
I decided to seek the help of the trainer suggested by both the shelter and the vet. Steve Lackey relies solely on word of mouth, and gets plenty of business from it. He has rehabbed "unadoptable" dogs for various shelters and rescues, and offers boarding and training. I messaged him last week, and drove out to meet him yesterday.
He. Is. Amazing. He truly speaks dog. Faolan liked him instantly, even though he was too excited/overwhelmed too take a treat.
Steve fitted him with a prong collar. I have never used one, because I didn't know how to fit one, use one properly, or even undo the prongs.
We took Faolan to his fenced in area, and another trainer brought out Jasper (more on him later).
Jasper was fairly calm with Paul, and Faolan didn't demonstrate his usual stupidness. They brought out a cute little barking blue pit bull who got Faolan's attention, and he started pulling his usual stunts. One quick "correction" from Steve and he instantly stopped, and focused on Steve. We did this a couple times, and Faolan was able to walk by without being a beast.
We took a break, removed the prong collar, and placed the leash on his flat collar. Paul brought Jasper back outside, and the leashes were dropped to see how Faolan did greeting a strange, calm dog. They were instant buddies!!
Steve holding Jasper.
We put the prong collar back on, and walked Faolan through the neighborhood and into the small town where Steve is located. We strolled through an antique market. The owner joked that Steve is in there every week with a different woman and different dog. Faolan attempted to jump on the owner (his other bad habit), and Steve corrected him. He hasn't attempted to jump on Les since yesterday, when that typically occurs several times a day.
We walked back to his place, and gave Faolan a break and some water in a kennel. We went back out again into the bitter cold, this time with Paul. We walked by houses with barking dogs, and after the second house, Faolan was only just looking at the dogs. Steve then passed by us with another dog on leash, and Faolan was interested, but not freaking out. That's good enough for me. We let them greet, and he did fine.
Steve holding my big baby.
We spent three hours there, and it was well worth it. It's about a 45 minute drive, one way. I definitely will be going back, once it warms up. I'm strongly considering taking Bruce out there to work with him. If anyone can help Bruce, I believe he can.
I did purchase a prong collar today for Faolan. I put it on him, and sized it correctly. I know there is some stigma surrounding prong collars, particularly in the wolfdog community. Steve said to call or message him if I have any questions, and I certainly will if I need to.
He also tends to act this way in public. He's a sweet boy, and adores people. I'd like to take him more places.
I decided to seek the help of the trainer suggested by both the shelter and the vet. Steve Lackey relies solely on word of mouth, and gets plenty of business from it. He has rehabbed "unadoptable" dogs for various shelters and rescues, and offers boarding and training. I messaged him last week, and drove out to meet him yesterday.
He. Is. Amazing. He truly speaks dog. Faolan liked him instantly, even though he was too excited/overwhelmed too take a treat.
Steve fitted him with a prong collar. I have never used one, because I didn't know how to fit one, use one properly, or even undo the prongs.
We took Faolan to his fenced in area, and another trainer brought out Jasper (more on him later).
Jasper was fairly calm with Paul, and Faolan didn't demonstrate his usual stupidness. They brought out a cute little barking blue pit bull who got Faolan's attention, and he started pulling his usual stunts. One quick "correction" from Steve and he instantly stopped, and focused on Steve. We did this a couple times, and Faolan was able to walk by without being a beast.
We took a break, removed the prong collar, and placed the leash on his flat collar. Paul brought Jasper back outside, and the leashes were dropped to see how Faolan did greeting a strange, calm dog. They were instant buddies!!
Steve holding Jasper.
We put the prong collar back on, and walked Faolan through the neighborhood and into the small town where Steve is located. We strolled through an antique market. The owner joked that Steve is in there every week with a different woman and different dog. Faolan attempted to jump on the owner (his other bad habit), and Steve corrected him. He hasn't attempted to jump on Les since yesterday, when that typically occurs several times a day.
We walked back to his place, and gave Faolan a break and some water in a kennel. We went back out again into the bitter cold, this time with Paul. We walked by houses with barking dogs, and after the second house, Faolan was only just looking at the dogs. Steve then passed by us with another dog on leash, and Faolan was interested, but not freaking out. That's good enough for me. We let them greet, and he did fine.
Steve holding my big baby.
We spent three hours there, and it was well worth it. It's about a 45 minute drive, one way. I definitely will be going back, once it warms up. I'm strongly considering taking Bruce out there to work with him. If anyone can help Bruce, I believe he can.
I did purchase a prong collar today for Faolan. I put it on him, and sized it correctly. I know there is some stigma surrounding prong collars, particularly in the wolfdog community. Steve said to call or message him if I have any questions, and I certainly will if I need to.
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