Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Turkey Day my pals!

Remember our trip and hike at Fort Mountain a few weeks back with our best buds Rocco and his Mom from To Dog With Love

Driving on the way over we turned a corner and whoa! Brake Mum! There's a wild turkey in the road!

Mum yelled to Rocco's Mom, camera! Take a photo, quick! Luckily Rocco's Mum had her camera in her lap as Mum was driving, so Mum slowed way down and she got a quick pic of the turkey, look at that!

We've seen a lot of wild turkeys on our hikes throughout the two or so years here in GA, but they are quick little buggars and we've never been able to get a photo, but we have one now thanks to Rocco's Mom. Cool huh!?!


We are very thankful today that we've got lots of electricity going in our cabin, that we've got great heat as it's super cold for this area this time of year. We woke up to a little snow yesterday and 22 degrees. This morning it's 15 and uber cold!

We're also thankful for all of you who visit our blog, thanks for being our pals, my pals! Happy Thanksgiving!

Pssstttt...shameless plug. Don't miss our post for all the great Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals we're digging out for you on our deal post, K? Great shopping, great deals from great companies we love! And for our international pals, we've got a great deal too!

Monday, November 25, 2013

Holiday deals for dogs and dog lovers: updated daily!

It's time to grab a great deal!!!

Every year we get tons of notifications about Pre-Black Friday, Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals that we just had to share with ya! Great dog stuff (and human too) from some of our favorite companies. Enjoy!

And be sure and check back, we'll keep this post updated through Cyber Monday!

So let's get started!



Calendars.com and DogBreedStore.com! Black Friday Sale! This weekend only - up to 60% off everything on site! Plus, get an additional 10% off when you spend $50 or more using coupon code BFSAVE (valid November 28th through December 2nd).


Are you gonna throw that stick? Life is Good tees, cards, lounge pants, great dog stuff and more! Always free shipping, always free returns! 


Free Standard Shipping at Orvis! No minimum order! Click to activate. Valid through 12/9/2013!
20% off select new dog beds from Orvis! One of my favorite places to shop for great quality dog gear.



Right now, lots of free shipping items at Clean Run! DVDs, treats, toys, shoes, dog coats and more! And you can see in the image free shipping for US and International orders. And check back here for their super 12 Days of Christmas Celebration of deals starting on December 2nd!


REI is holding their annual BlackFriday deals! Fitbits, sportswear, shoes, hiking gear and more! And don't forget about the REI Outlett (up to 45% off some items).


Free Shipping at EzyDog.com with code EFREESHIP exp 12/2/13 with coupon code: EFREESHIP. 15% Off EzyDog Jacket with code EZYELEMENT exp 12/2/13. 15% Off on the EzyDog Summit Dog Backpack with code EZYSUMMITBP exp 12/2/13. 10% Off the EzyDog Chest Plate Harness with code CHESTPLATE exp 12/2/13.



EntirelyPets has some great deals coming up! From Thursday 9pm - Friday 12 pm PST. Black Friday Deals up to 76% OFF at EntirelyPets.com include buy one get one free offers, buy 2 get one free offers and more on November 29, 2013. Cyber Monday Deals on December 2, 2013 from Sunday 9pm - Monday midnight PST.


Only Natural Pet, one of the very first wonderful stores we found online has some deals! Use code HOHOHO for 15% Off our Holiday Gift Shop. Valid now through 12/6. Bully Sticks and Chews are on Sale for 20% Off. Valid now through 12/15.



If you are readers like us, Barnes and Noble has some great deals on their Nooks. $50 off NOOK HD Tablets(8GB/16GB), originally starting at $129, now only $79/99. And $40 off NOOK Simple Touch® Originally $79, now only $39. You can also take 30% other items using code BFRIDAY30 at checkout.


Petsmart has some deals over the next week or so including: 1 Day Only! Free Shipping, No Minimum at PetSmart.com! Offer Valid Thanksgiving Day 11.28. Save 50% on hundreds of items at PetSmart.com. Shop Black Friday deals early online on Thanksgiving Day! Offer Valid 11.28 - 11.29. Cyber Sale starts Saturday, November 30th and includes: Save 30% on hundreds of items! 2 days only! Offer Valid 11.30 - 12.1. Cyber Sale! Save up to 60% on select items! Online Only! Offer Valid 11.30 - 12.2. Cyber Sale! Save up to 50% on select dog crates and houses. Online Only. Offer Valid 12.4 Only.



Black Friday Sale at PetCareRX! 25% OFF Flea and Tick, Heartworm and Select Gifts! Use promo code BLKFRI25 at checkout. Offer valid 12:01am EST on 11/29/2013 through 11:59pm EST on 11/30/2013. 20% OFF Flea and Tick, Heartworm and Rx + 200pts for every $50 spent! Use promo code CYBERDEAL at checkout. Offer valid 12:01am EST through 11:59pm EST on 12/2/2013.


Dogwise has some deals! All toys are marked down 30% until December 4th.

Check back to this post for more great deals all week. And remember, when you click on our links and purchase anything, you are supporting our efforts to keep JohannTheDog up and running! Thanks!

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Fall color on our North Georgia Mountain!

As of today Mum finally got all of our leaves raked up in our yard and in our drive. She's always tired after three weeks of raking nearly every day. But it's worth it because the color we get to see is just amazing on our Mountain in North Georgia!

Just outside our front door.
Our circular driveway.
The view from our back deck!
To the right of our deck.
And we get to enjoy all the leaf piles!!!
The best part of all this leaf raking? Our agility practice area is cleared out now, so we can get a little practice in! Can't wait!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Book Review: “Second Chance Dog: A Love Story” by Jon Katz!

Just recently we got a chance to review the new book by Jon Katz, “Second Chance Dog: A Love Story,” thanks to the good folks at Ballantine Books.

I admit it. Mum and I were leery of reading another Jon Katz book. Why? Because of what happened in one of the first and only Jon Katz books we read, years ago. But I, like everyone, know that people change, people grow, people learn. And people's decisions at the time may differ if presented with similar situations later in life. Just ask my Mum, she has made a lot of mistakes with me and she's always learning and growing, and changing how she would handle situations with me and Gracie as she gains more knowledge and understanding.

Second chances are about second chances; and that's what we wanted to give Mr. Katz. We have open minds and understand time, learning, loving, living and growth are a part of everyone's life, so we dove in to the new book.

Mr. Katz's experience with a particular aggressive and difficult dog, wrapped around an interesting story of new love, getting along, learning to live together, second chances; well you get the idea...is pretty much the premise of this book

I am happy to say that in our eyes we believe Mr. Katz has learned a lot over the years and am very happy that Freda, the second chance dog, is now a happy, healthy, 'integrated into the family' pup thanks to the gentle and respectful time that Mr. Katz worked with her.

A difficult dog is difficult. I am not the easiest dog to get along with, mostly because of the time years ago I was attacked by dogs. I became very reactive, very misunderstood, very challenging around other hyper, high energy dogs (most all the dogs that we find at agility). But Mum understands me, is patient with me, works with me (luckily the way I needed even though she was very inexperienced in dog training and behavior in the beginning). Mum gets me! And I have really improved over the years.

What we loved reading about in Second Chance Dog is that Mr. Katz learned to 'get' Freda. And we believe that this is what made all the difference in both of their lives.

The story begins as Jon meets Maria, an artist that he fancies with a rottie-shepherd mix named Freda that she adopted from the local animal shelter. While Maria is quiet and introspective, Freda is a wily, fervently protective and people/dog aggressive pup; both obstacles standing in the way of real, potential relationships for both of them.

Not only does Jon have to win over Maria (not an easy task given his past relationship experiences), but he has to win over Freda too; and that's how Mr. Katz begins his work; with determination, patience and positivity to win over both of them and become a new, integrated and together family.

Do we agree with everything Jon does in the book? No, there are a few things that Mum and I would do differently, but that's what learning is all about, right?

We give Second Chance Dog an overwhelming second chance and a definite four paws up. You can get the Kindle version of Second Chance Dog: A Love Story on Amazon like we did, or you can order the paper version.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Whole Paws Dog Food review and $50 Whole Foods Market gift certificate giveaway!

If you read my blog you know that Whole Foods Market is one of our favorite places to shop, for a wide range of items from organic vegetables to organic raw chicken backs and necks!

So when the nice folks at Whole Foods Market contacted us to try out their new Whole Paws® Dog and Cat Food for free, we jumped at the chance. Get it, we're agility dogs, we jump!

We've been trying out the Whole Paws Grain-Free Maintenance Dog Formula in Salmon and Sweet Potato and have to say that we love it!

We reviewed the ingredients and thought it looked great! So Gracie was the first to try it out and has been on it for about three weeks. Switching was simple from our other kibble which we eat part time in addition to raw. She had absolutely no issues with the switch. She loves the taste and I have to say that when Mum sometimes drops a kibble piece on the floor when she dishes out our food I always beat Gracie to the punch.

Whole Paws from Whole Foods Market
Whole Paws is an exclusive line of premium value pet food, that features 24 products for dogs and cats. Made with chicken, salmon and other wholesome, nutrient-rich ingredients, Whole Paws contains no corn or soy, no animal by-products, no artificial colors, no artificial preservatives, and no added sugar.

Now for the good stuff!!! You can try out Whole Paws too by entering to win a $50 gift certificate to Whole Foods Market right here, right now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

We thought the new Whole Paws Whole Foods Market Dog Food is something new that you'd like to know about and appreciate Whole Foods Market for allowing us to try it out their new dog food for free. I also wanted you to know that I received compensation for my time from Whole Foods Market for sharing my views in this post, but the views expressed here are mine, all the way!

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Gracie tries out #NaturalStride to keep her agility dog joints moving great!

Being agility dogs, Gracie and I have been taking supplements pretty much all of our lives. Why? Because we want to have a long, wonderful and feel good career in agility as long as we can.

I've been taking supplements (specifically joint related supplements) since I was just two years old, not long after I started competing. Gracie however, as she doesn't compete as much as I do and hasn't had as many muscle related problems as I have, started taking supplements a little later in life.

When the nice folks at Natural Solutions for Life asked if we wanted to try out their new supplements, we jumped (get it, jumped like in agility? ha!) at the chance for Gracie to try them, as we had been evaluating what she was taking and considering a change now that she's getting older; she's eight years young now.

We received the packet of Maximum Strength Natural Stride Joint Supplement for Dogs about 3-4 weeks ago and Gracie has been taking one scoop per day throughout that time, as many of you know it takes a while for you to see results with supplements such as this.

While Gracie has been playing around in the yard, and zooming, practicing some agility and wrestling with me, we didn't see any significant change in her well being. But after last weekend's agility trial (more on that later) we can tell she is feeling really, really good!

If you know Gracie from over the years, she's had a little trouble with focus on the agility course. When she feels super good (or when she gets stressed out), she gets a little crazy out there, especially in competition.

So when Mum put her in a stay at the start line on Sunday for her gamblers run, led out a little bit and planned a front cross after the first jump; Gracie was already off doing her own thing on the course, silly girl! She felt so good that she actually jumped the orange fence blocking off the starters ring, and then jumped right over the orange fence that blocks off the masters ring and went to play agility with Garth (the BC) that she's had a little play time with at agility practice on occasion.

What a silly girl!!! People couldn't believe that she jumped two 30" or so fences, but Mum wasn't surprised as she used to do that years ago when she was young and feeling good. The good thing is that we didn't mess up Garth's run and they got to start over. And Gracie completely and utterly redeemed herself during her standard run later that morning, doing every obstacle in the standard course, didn't run off at all, and even did her teeter! Mum was super proud of her as she has been afraid of the teeter for about two years now. This was so huge for Gracie!!


Was it the Natural Solutions for Life? Maybe!

We wanted to try their product because when we looked at the ingredients listing they have on their website, we were pretty impressed. It contains all natural forms of cetyl myristoleate, glucosamine hcl, glucosamine sulfate, msm, omega 3 from fish oil, vitamin c from ascorbic acid, yucca and hyaluronic acid; all the things that agility and aging dogs need to help with joint paint and/or prevent joint problems. And Gracie loves the taste as Mum adds it to her kibble or gives it to her with a little water after her raw feeds.

If you are looking for a joint supplement for your dog (or horse or human) you may want to check out Natural Solutions for Life. The neat thing is Natural Solutions for Life guarantees their product for 60 days, so if you try and you're not satisfied you can return it for a full refund. Cool huh? Remember it's always good to consult your veterinarian before taking any new supplement.

**UPDATE (11/19) The company is offering all of my readers a discount if you would like try their product. Visit their website and use this coupon code: JOHANN20. This code is good for 20% off any order of dog, equine, or human product through 3/31/14.**

"This post is sponsored by Natural Solutions for Life on behalf of the BlogPaws Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Natural Solutions for Life's Natural Stride Supplement, but Johann The Dog only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Diamond Naturals is not responsible for the content of this article."

Friday, November 15, 2013

Our hike at Fort Mountain!

Two weeks ago, Friday, we had a great day spending time and hiking with our friend Rocco from To Dog With Love!

We met at Ellijay for a nice 30 minute drive through the Cohutta Wilderness to Fort Mountain, as it's a great place to take in the amazing fall color views here in North Georgia.

After a day or so of rain the days before, the skies cleared on Friday and made way for a perfect fall day hiking. So we all jumped in the car, met up, drove over and and wow, even the views on the way to Fort Mountain were spectacular!

We arrived at the park entrance and knew immediately that we were in for some pawsome hiking. So we gathered our hiking gear, got our cameras and treats, and headed off from the entrance of the park.


At Fort Mountain you can hike miles of trails, and see some very interesting sites, and the views are outstanding! We started out on the Stone Wall Trail and headed up the mountain. We all were very excited about getting out in the great outdoors.


We made a few quick sniff stops to check out some interesting things, including this rock that was split and the moss had taken over the crack. How symmetrical!


We saw lots of mountain laurel, even some that was still blooming!


At the top of this trail is the Stone Tower. Towers like this are built on high vistas by the Conservation Corp to watch for forest fires.


Gracie and I took a break in the doorway of the tower.


A little further we came to the famous stone wall at Fort Mountain.  The mysterious 855-foot-long wall is thought to have been built by early Indians as fortification against more hostile Indians or for ancient ceremonies.


After the stone wall, we headed up the other direction of the trail loop to the West Overlook. We were pretty excited because we heard you could see several states from this location on a clear day. But what did we find? Stairs, with grates; aka Gracie's nemesis and one of the many fears that Gracie still has. 


The sad thing is this is the one fear that Mum has not been able to help Gracie get over, yet. So we hung back while Rocco's Mum carried him down to the overlook. They got some great pics, but sadly Mum couldn't carry us way down and back up all of those steps. I'm not afraid of the grates, but there was no way Mum was going to let me walk on them with my little feet. Gracie says, 'nope, nope, not stepping on that Mum!'


So we waited for Rocco and his Mum and saw a great rock ledge. That's where Mum got this pawsome pic of me, surveying the land and taking in the vista!


On the way back down we stopped to awe at nature. Here's a huge rock that had lots of ferns, moss and fungi growing on it.

\
We saw lots and lots of huge rock formations. The sun was low in the sky and threw lots of shadows.



Then we got back in the car to head to the other side of the park to take in the Big Rock Trail, where we heard there are some pawsome falls. We came up on the first falls, but they were dry. Even though we've had a ton of rain this year, it's been dry the past month. Gracie and I are ready to head further up the mountain!  


The trails are marked by colored strips, we're following the yellow trail!


This trail had not had much sun and the leaves made it a bit slippery so we took our time. We turned the corner and wow, the view! The photo just doesn't do it justice.


A litter further up we found falls that were running! We stopped to enjoy the cool water, get a little sip in the falls pool before heading back down the trail as it was starting to get real late.


Before we got in the car to head down the mountain, we got a nice little pic of the three of us!!!


But the day wasn't over! We drove down the mountain and stopped for some pawsome views!


These two photos courtesy of To Dog With Love.

Then as we drove we saw this cow that had gotten out of it's fence and was getting too close to the mountain road with lots of drop offs. So Mum pulled over and talked to the little one. Mum got closer and she wanted to get back in her fence. So Mum coaxed her and suddenly she bolted and broke right through her electric fence! Safe and sound now, so we moved on. Over the years Mum has rescued lots of animals from roads....big snapping turtles and armadillos in Texas; sheep and pigs in Indiana, and more.


Since it was dinner time, Mum fed us our kibble, then we all headed into Blue Ridge to find a great place for the Mums to eat. They left us in the car as they went into a restaurant. Then after, we were able to take a nice walk around the little mountain tourist town. We saw the scenic railway....it was dark so we are sharing this photo from their website. Sadly dogs are not allowed on the train, although much of Blue Ridge is very, very dog friendly!


Then we walked around town, window shopping and planning our next trip up here where we can all eat outside. Here's a great photo from the Blue Ridge Facebook page showing Blue Ridge Downtown during the day where we walked.


Then we stopped at an outdoor eating/libation place and listened to the music! The musician reminded Mum of Leon Russell, remember him?


What a fun, fun day!!!! We didn't get home until midnight and we're already thinking about our next hike!
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...