Rach got a new ball! |
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
GIVEAWAY: Living organic for a healthier, happier life! #OrganicPet
This post is sponsored by Castor and Pollux and the Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about ORGANIX, but you know that Johann The Dog only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Castor and Pollux Pet Works is not responsible for the content of this article.
We've been talking organic lately and wanted to share a couple of shopping trips we have experienced recently.
People that know us and know that we live an organic lifestyle sometimes ask us a lot of questions about what we buy on our trips to the grocery and the pet store. One person even remarked once to us that they would love to join us on one of our grocery experiences, they thought they may learn a lot. So today we're going to share!
When shopping for pet food we do shop organic whether it be our kibble or our raw food. We think it's really important to minimize all dangerous chemicals, insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, and gmos from our lives to help us stay healthier. And organic food is one of the ways that we do that! We think it's helped both me, Mum, Gracie, Rach and our kittie bros, Wolfie and Wiggy stay as healthy as we are (knock wood!)!
After our agility trial a couple of weeks back, we stopped in at PetSmart on the way home to check out their organic food availability, and guess what? They had Castor and Pollux Natural Petworks brand dog food, one of the very few organic pet foods on the market. We loved that it's fairly readily available, even for us living out in the middle of nowhere at our cabin.
Organic, free-range chicken is the #1 ingredient in their ORGANIX Dog Food. They build on that foundation by adding organic brown rice and fresh organic fruit and vegetable purées that provide natural sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Castor and Pollux foods and treats for pets are available at Petsmart, Petco, Whole Foods Market and pet specialty retailers nationwide, and you can get them online as well...all with USDA Organic Certification.
Just a few days later, Mum decided it was time to go into town and stock up on more food for her. We have a pretty good grocery in town, which is about 30 minutes away from our cabin. They have a nice selection of organic foods for Mum and for us!
Mum stocks up on a wide variety of organic fruits and vegetables, keeping all those yucky chemicals out of her body and ours. We love it when she brings home our favorites...bananas, blueberries, watermelon, carrots, green beans and more. And we also love it when she stocks up on her favorite meats - chicken and turkey - as she doesn't eat very much beef at all and no pork, and nearly always shares her chicken and turkey with us!
One of my favorite things about Mum is that when she cooks she cooks very whole foods with no seasonings so that she can share them with us! Then she may season to taste after if needed for herself. For example, coming up on this Thanksgiving meal, we'll be sharing her organic sweet potatoes, her turkey, her apples, her pumpkin, carrots, green beans and other items that are safe for us dogs. Rach is even loving the wonderful variety we get in our diet. He hasn't turned down one single fruit, veggie or meat (raw or cooked) yet!
Here's just a snapshot of our haul on our shopping trip. Come on Mum, when are you going to get those sweet potato chews and homemade frosty paws going? I need some homemade treats!
You may remember that a couple of weeks ago we shared information on going organic, feel free to visit that post and learn more about how others feel about organic foods for pets too! And, If you'd like to learn more about organic food for dogs, feel free to check out Castor and Pollux Natural Petworks for more info and a great option for going organic.
Now for the best part!!!
Here's your chance to win a one year supply of ORGANIX Dog or Cat Food for your pup or kittie and a $100 Prize Pack too!
Just follow the instructions in the widget below and good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
We've been talking organic lately and wanted to share a couple of shopping trips we have experienced recently.
People that know us and know that we live an organic lifestyle sometimes ask us a lot of questions about what we buy on our trips to the grocery and the pet store. One person even remarked once to us that they would love to join us on one of our grocery experiences, they thought they may learn a lot. So today we're going to share!
When shopping for pet food we do shop organic whether it be our kibble or our raw food. We think it's really important to minimize all dangerous chemicals, insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, and gmos from our lives to help us stay healthier. And organic food is one of the ways that we do that! We think it's helped both me, Mum, Gracie, Rach and our kittie bros, Wolfie and Wiggy stay as healthy as we are (knock wood!)!
After our agility trial a couple of weeks back, we stopped in at PetSmart on the way home to check out their organic food availability, and guess what? They had Castor and Pollux Natural Petworks brand dog food, one of the very few organic pet foods on the market. We loved that it's fairly readily available, even for us living out in the middle of nowhere at our cabin.
Just a few days later, Mum decided it was time to go into town and stock up on more food for her. We have a pretty good grocery in town, which is about 30 minutes away from our cabin. They have a nice selection of organic foods for Mum and for us!
Mum stocks up on a wide variety of organic fruits and vegetables, keeping all those yucky chemicals out of her body and ours. We love it when she brings home our favorites...bananas, blueberries, watermelon, carrots, green beans and more. And we also love it when she stocks up on her favorite meats - chicken and turkey - as she doesn't eat very much beef at all and no pork, and nearly always shares her chicken and turkey with us!
One of my favorite things about Mum is that when she cooks she cooks very whole foods with no seasonings so that she can share them with us! Then she may season to taste after if needed for herself. For example, coming up on this Thanksgiving meal, we'll be sharing her organic sweet potatoes, her turkey, her apples, her pumpkin, carrots, green beans and other items that are safe for us dogs. Rach is even loving the wonderful variety we get in our diet. He hasn't turned down one single fruit, veggie or meat (raw or cooked) yet!
Here's just a snapshot of our haul on our shopping trip. Come on Mum, when are you going to get those sweet potato chews and homemade frosty paws going? I need some homemade treats!
You may remember that a couple of weeks ago we shared information on going organic, feel free to visit that post and learn more about how others feel about organic foods for pets too! And, If you'd like to learn more about organic food for dogs, feel free to check out Castor and Pollux Natural Petworks for more info and a great option for going organic.
Now for the best part!!!
Here's your chance to win a one year supply of ORGANIX Dog or Cat Food for your pup or kittie and a $100 Prize Pack too!
Just follow the instructions in the widget below and good luck!
- The Giveaway will be live from 11/24 – 12/5/14 at 11:59 PM EST.
- Open to U.S. residents only.
- Void where prohibited.
- 18+ to enter no purchase necessary.
- Winner will have 24 hours to respond before prize is forfeited.
- Grand Prize is 1 Year of ORGANIX for one Cat or Dog (winner’s choice).
- 1st Prize is $100 Prize Pack for a Cat or Dog.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Monday, November 17, 2014
Great agility weekend: I went 6/6 and a won Perf. Grand Prix!
This past weekend was the last agility trial of this year for us. So we aimed to make the most of the weekend!
We entered three days. Even though Mum had to pull me from the last trial because of the heat, we decided since it is the last agility trial of the year we wanted to really enjoy it, and take advantage of the opportunity and the cooler weather.
Being 10.5 years old now, Mum and I know that I may not have that many more trials in me. But one thing is for sure, I'll run as long as I'm able!
Friday we ran PIII Gambers, Standard and Jumpers. Mum was hoping I was having a 'feel good' day. And it turned out that I had a feel good day both Friday and Saturday!
My first run was gamblers. Mum had a good plan and the gamble part of the run was right up my alley. A jump, out to the tunnel, back to the dogwalk and another jump.
I was running really, really well...nice and fast. So we got in a lot of obstacles before the buzzer, including two 7 frames. When I reached the dogwalk in the gamble Mum yelled, 'Dude, EASY!!!' and I kind of paid attention. Luckily I got a toe in and we Q'd! For this run I got the most points in the shortest amount of time for all the dogs in both performance and championship levels. Cool!
Our next run was Standard. I don't run many standard runs in my elder years, but I thought this one was fun! Mum worked to help me get as tight of turns as possible to help with our time. Turned out we didn't need to worry about that because I was running great. But it always helps, right? Ended up with a Q and 1st place and I had over 10 seconds to spare!
Our third run of the day was PIII jumpers. I love jumpers, it's my favorite event. Always has been from 18 months and on. It's the first title I received when I was young in all the levels I've run in over my years.
Again, I ran well with this one too. Interestingly, on the straight line jump areas of the course, Mum didn't remember I like to hear 'go on!' when we reach these parts of courses when I'm running really well, so I was looking back at Mum a lot. Lost a bit of time with that, but again, ended up with 1st place and a great time!
Gracie ran PI Gamblers on Friday and was really, really wild. She stayed pretty focused, but the gamble was difficult for a starters level and she got the first two jumps and missed the out two jumps. But she was having a lot of fun and stayed with Mum which is always their goal.
After that she ran PI Standard. If you know her, she's leery of the teeter, but Mum thought they'd give it a go after loving the teeter where we occasionally practice. She was running really great, but when she got five feet from the teeter, she froze. Mum tried to keep her focused, and just about the time Mum thought she may bolt, she sent her to the next obstacle which was the tunnel (she loves tunnels) and Gracie finished up great. Too bad...no Q for Gracie.
She ran PII Jumpers after that and did really well! She started out kind of slow, but when Mum said about three jumps out, 'are you ready to go tunnel?' Gracie sped up a lot and ended up with first place and a Q. Good girly!
Off to home we went to get ready for the next day.
We got up very, very early on Saturday and headed back over to the trial site which was an hour and a half away. Mum felt good, but she noticed I looked a little tired from the day before. She gave me a Traumeel and let me have a nice nap in the car since I didn't run until about Noon.
Gracie ran her gamblers run and was really unfocused and wild. Mum thought she was going to bolt and possibly jump the ring fence, but Mum sent her to a lot of tunnels and she got her focus back. Then the buzzer went off and Gracie was flying through a jump, frame, jump, jump, jump and got far ahead of Mum and missed the final jump. But wow, oh wow, she was flying!
Finally it was my time to run. Mum entered me in my very first Performance Grand Prix event. We were pretty excited as I haven't run in Grand Prix for years!
The course was fun, and Mum had a great plan. There were a couple of tricky areas, but if you paid a lot of attention in helping your dog keep their lines, you had a great chance of success. And Mum did just that. I ended up with first place with only two Q's in performance, and only about only 8 Q's in championship. So I got my first PGP bye for regionals, cool!
My next run was PIII Jumpers. Again, I love jumpers. Mum had a conflict with Gracie's PII Jumpers run, so she had to walk both courses and remember both courses.
She got both of us out and asked a friend to hold me while she ran Gracie. Did I tell ya I hate it when someone else holds my leash, I throw fits. But Gracie is used to it and doesn't get as concerned about me anymore while running.
Gracie started slow again, but sped up and got her Q for her PII Jumpers title, cool!
Then Mum had to run me right after. She grabbed me, warmed me up really quick and we were off! It was a bit of a complicated course, and she didn't get in the several front crosses she wanted to. But she led me through with some rear crosses and I got first place again!
Soon after that I was up to run my first Performance Speed Jumping course at 12 inches. Again, we haven't run Steeplechase events for years, so we were excited.
This course was fun! But it had two sets of weaves which aren't my fastest obstacle anymore. Nevertheless, we did well and I ended up with second place, just a couple of seconds from first place. So we were really happy!
We decided not to go back on Sunday. It was very cold both Friday and Saturday, and rain was scheduled for Sunday on top of that. We were only entered in a couple of events anyway and Mum wanted us to end on a super high note, which we did! Good thing we stayed home because by late afternoon we were getting sleet up on the mountain and we're really glad we didn't have to drive through that.
Gracie ended up with 2 PII Jumpers Q's and her PII Jumpers title. And, I ended up the weekend with 2 PIII Jumpers first places, 1 PIII Gamblers first place, 1 PIII Standard first place, 1 PGP first place and 1 PSJ second place. Not bad for a 10.5 year old, huh?!?
It was such a fun, fun weekend! We're looking forward to our next trial early next Spring!
We entered three days. Even though Mum had to pull me from the last trial because of the heat, we decided since it is the last agility trial of the year we wanted to really enjoy it, and take advantage of the opportunity and the cooler weather.
Being 10.5 years old now, Mum and I know that I may not have that many more trials in me. But one thing is for sure, I'll run as long as I'm able!
Friday we ran PIII Gambers, Standard and Jumpers. Mum was hoping I was having a 'feel good' day. And it turned out that I had a feel good day both Friday and Saturday!
My first run was gamblers. Mum had a good plan and the gamble part of the run was right up my alley. A jump, out to the tunnel, back to the dogwalk and another jump.
I was running really, really well...nice and fast. So we got in a lot of obstacles before the buzzer, including two 7 frames. When I reached the dogwalk in the gamble Mum yelled, 'Dude, EASY!!!' and I kind of paid attention. Luckily I got a toe in and we Q'd! For this run I got the most points in the shortest amount of time for all the dogs in both performance and championship levels. Cool!
Our next run was Standard. I don't run many standard runs in my elder years, but I thought this one was fun! Mum worked to help me get as tight of turns as possible to help with our time. Turned out we didn't need to worry about that because I was running great. But it always helps, right? Ended up with a Q and 1st place and I had over 10 seconds to spare!
Our third run of the day was PIII jumpers. I love jumpers, it's my favorite event. Always has been from 18 months and on. It's the first title I received when I was young in all the levels I've run in over my years.
Again, I ran well with this one too. Interestingly, on the straight line jump areas of the course, Mum didn't remember I like to hear 'go on!' when we reach these parts of courses when I'm running really well, so I was looking back at Mum a lot. Lost a bit of time with that, but again, ended up with 1st place and a great time!
Gracie ran PI Gamblers on Friday and was really, really wild. She stayed pretty focused, but the gamble was difficult for a starters level and she got the first two jumps and missed the out two jumps. But she was having a lot of fun and stayed with Mum which is always their goal.
After that she ran PI Standard. If you know her, she's leery of the teeter, but Mum thought they'd give it a go after loving the teeter where we occasionally practice. She was running really great, but when she got five feet from the teeter, she froze. Mum tried to keep her focused, and just about the time Mum thought she may bolt, she sent her to the next obstacle which was the tunnel (she loves tunnels) and Gracie finished up great. Too bad...no Q for Gracie.
She ran PII Jumpers after that and did really well! She started out kind of slow, but when Mum said about three jumps out, 'are you ready to go tunnel?' Gracie sped up a lot and ended up with first place and a Q. Good girly!
Off to home we went to get ready for the next day.
We got up very, very early on Saturday and headed back over to the trial site which was an hour and a half away. Mum felt good, but she noticed I looked a little tired from the day before. She gave me a Traumeel and let me have a nice nap in the car since I didn't run until about Noon.
Gracie ran her gamblers run and was really unfocused and wild. Mum thought she was going to bolt and possibly jump the ring fence, but Mum sent her to a lot of tunnels and she got her focus back. Then the buzzer went off and Gracie was flying through a jump, frame, jump, jump, jump and got far ahead of Mum and missed the final jump. But wow, oh wow, she was flying!
Finally it was my time to run. Mum entered me in my very first Performance Grand Prix event. We were pretty excited as I haven't run in Grand Prix for years!
The course was fun, and Mum had a great plan. There were a couple of tricky areas, but if you paid a lot of attention in helping your dog keep their lines, you had a great chance of success. And Mum did just that. I ended up with first place with only two Q's in performance, and only about only 8 Q's in championship. So I got my first PGP bye for regionals, cool!
My next run was PIII Jumpers. Again, I love jumpers. Mum had a conflict with Gracie's PII Jumpers run, so she had to walk both courses and remember both courses.
She got both of us out and asked a friend to hold me while she ran Gracie. Did I tell ya I hate it when someone else holds my leash, I throw fits. But Gracie is used to it and doesn't get as concerned about me anymore while running.
Gracie started slow again, but sped up and got her Q for her PII Jumpers title, cool!
Then Mum had to run me right after. She grabbed me, warmed me up really quick and we were off! It was a bit of a complicated course, and she didn't get in the several front crosses she wanted to. But she led me through with some rear crosses and I got first place again!
Soon after that I was up to run my first Performance Speed Jumping course at 12 inches. Again, we haven't run Steeplechase events for years, so we were excited.
This course was fun! But it had two sets of weaves which aren't my fastest obstacle anymore. Nevertheless, we did well and I ended up with second place, just a couple of seconds from first place. So we were really happy!
We decided not to go back on Sunday. It was very cold both Friday and Saturday, and rain was scheduled for Sunday on top of that. We were only entered in a couple of events anyway and Mum wanted us to end on a super high note, which we did! Good thing we stayed home because by late afternoon we were getting sleet up on the mountain and we're really glad we didn't have to drive through that.
Gracie ended up with 2 PII Jumpers Q's and her PII Jumpers title. And, I ended up the weekend with 2 PIII Jumpers first places, 1 PIII Gamblers first place, 1 PIII Standard first place, 1 PGP first place and 1 PSJ second place. Not bad for a 10.5 year old, huh?!?
It was such a fun, fun weekend! We're looking forward to our next trial early next Spring!
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
A pawsome solution for a pup getting over car sickness! #SeatCovers4Knine Review and Giveaway
This post is sponsored by 4Knines and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about 4Knines Products, but you know Johann The Dog only shares information we feel is relevant to you, our readers.4Knines is not responsible for the content of this article .
Over the past couple of months, Rach has had a major problem with traveling in the car. During the few trips we took, he was becoming very car sick, and very fearful of being in the car.
When we would go to agility practice a time or two, there was lots of throw up to clean up and Rach drooled uncontrollably. Not good......
We needed to take action now!
So when the nice folks at 4Knines asked if we wanted to receive a back car seat cover for free to review, it was like they read Mum's mind!
Mum wanted to try and see if Rach would be more comfortable in the back seat of our Rover, wearing a car restraint harness, instead of being in a crate like Gracie and I ride.
We needed two things to try out this solution; a car seat cover that is waterproof and super easy to clean up ooopsies, and a car restraint harness. We received the 4Knines car back car seat cover and immediately started testing out Rach in his new set up.
Mum started by just having him sit in the back seat on the car seat cover, clicking and treating. After that went well, she started the car and got in the front seat, clicking and treating as Rach eased some of his fears, drooling and flat ears. Within just one day he improved tremendously with no drooling in the car.
That's when Mum took him down the mountain road about one half mile, clicking and treating as she drove as Rach was comfortable. Within a few days they worked up to driving almost all the way down the mountain. By that time we received the car harness restraint and used that as well as the car seat cover.
It's been a little over a week, and they go for drives nearly every day. We can proudly and happily say that Rach has not drooled in in the car the entire time and never lost his dinner (even though he had just ate) in the past week of car trips!
We are so grateful for 4Knines for providing the car seat cover and helping Rach feel much more comfortable in the car. Being a prospective agility dog, he has lots of car travel in his future, so this is very, very important for his happy life.
When we saw the 4Knines car seat cover we loved it immediately! It comes in tan, gray and black. We chose black so as not to show as much dirt being the outdoor adventure dogs that we are.
The car seat cover has velcro slots so we can easily attach Rach's car seat harness tether to the baby seat bar in the crook of the seat. It has a rubber backing so it doesn't slip at all, and it's a little padded for his comfort. We can easily hook it around the back car seat headrests to secure it. And if you want a scoop cover there are loops to hook it over the front seat headrests as well. We like leaving the scoop part down as Mum can now use the backseat floor for storing our gear on trips.
The rear car seat cover is completely water resistant and cleans up very easily with a quick wipe of a damp cloth, it's machine washable and has a lifetime warrenty! One of the super neat things is that 4Knines donates $1 to the ASPCA for every unit sold, and they support multiple pet advocacy groups such as the Arizona Humane Society, Soldiers Best Friend,Marley’s Mutts, Desert Harbor Doberman Rescue and more!
We're really proud of Rach conquering his fears. We noticed that the last time they got back from their test car trip, he was much more confident and happy than any of the other times. The trip didn't phase him at all!!! What a good boy!
Now for the best part!!! Here's your chance to win one of these pawsome 4Knines rear car seat covesr for your pup! Just follow the options in the widget below to enter. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only (apologies to my friends across the ponds and north and south). You need to be age 18 and older to enter. This giveaway is void where prohibited.
If you win you'll be able to select the size and color of your rear car seat cover and please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery! You have until midnight ET November 30th to enter, so get cracking!
Oh and, if you just can't wait like we couldn't 4Knines is having a Black Friday / Cyber Monday deal! Get 20% off!
And don't forget! You need to enter through the widget below so we have a record of your entry and your email address to contact you if you win!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Over the past couple of months, Rach has had a major problem with traveling in the car. During the few trips we took, he was becoming very car sick, and very fearful of being in the car.
When we would go to agility practice a time or two, there was lots of throw up to clean up and Rach drooled uncontrollably. Not good......
We needed to take action now!
So when the nice folks at 4Knines asked if we wanted to receive a back car seat cover for free to review, it was like they read Mum's mind!
Mum wanted to try and see if Rach would be more comfortable in the back seat of our Rover, wearing a car restraint harness, instead of being in a crate like Gracie and I ride.
We needed two things to try out this solution; a car seat cover that is waterproof and super easy to clean up ooopsies, and a car restraint harness. We received the 4Knines car back car seat cover and immediately started testing out Rach in his new set up.
Mum started by just having him sit in the back seat on the car seat cover, clicking and treating. After that went well, she started the car and got in the front seat, clicking and treating as Rach eased some of his fears, drooling and flat ears. Within just one day he improved tremendously with no drooling in the car.
That's when Mum took him down the mountain road about one half mile, clicking and treating as she drove as Rach was comfortable. Within a few days they worked up to driving almost all the way down the mountain. By that time we received the car harness restraint and used that as well as the car seat cover.
It's been a little over a week, and they go for drives nearly every day. We can proudly and happily say that Rach has not drooled in in the car the entire time and never lost his dinner (even though he had just ate) in the past week of car trips!
We are so grateful for 4Knines for providing the car seat cover and helping Rach feel much more comfortable in the car. Being a prospective agility dog, he has lots of car travel in his future, so this is very, very important for his happy life.
When we saw the 4Knines car seat cover we loved it immediately! It comes in tan, gray and black. We chose black so as not to show as much dirt being the outdoor adventure dogs that we are.
The car seat cover has velcro slots so we can easily attach Rach's car seat harness tether to the baby seat bar in the crook of the seat. It has a rubber backing so it doesn't slip at all, and it's a little padded for his comfort. We can easily hook it around the back car seat headrests to secure it. And if you want a scoop cover there are loops to hook it over the front seat headrests as well. We like leaving the scoop part down as Mum can now use the backseat floor for storing our gear on trips.
The rear car seat cover is completely water resistant and cleans up very easily with a quick wipe of a damp cloth, it's machine washable and has a lifetime warrenty! One of the super neat things is that 4Knines donates $1 to the ASPCA for every unit sold, and they support multiple pet advocacy groups such as the Arizona Humane Society, Soldiers Best Friend,Marley’s Mutts, Desert Harbor Doberman Rescue and more!
We're really proud of Rach conquering his fears. We noticed that the last time they got back from their test car trip, he was much more confident and happy than any of the other times. The trip didn't phase him at all!!! What a good boy!
Now for the best part!!! Here's your chance to win one of these pawsome 4Knines rear car seat covesr for your pup! Just follow the options in the widget below to enter. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only (apologies to my friends across the ponds and north and south). You need to be age 18 and older to enter. This giveaway is void where prohibited.
If you win you'll be able to select the size and color of your rear car seat cover and please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery! You have until midnight ET November 30th to enter, so get cracking!
Oh and, if you just can't wait like we couldn't 4Knines is having a Black Friday / Cyber Monday deal! Get 20% off!
And don't forget! You need to enter through the widget below so we have a record of your entry and your email address to contact you if you win!!!
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Rach's first bath...so we all get a bath, no fair!
If you know us, you know that we don't get baths very often. Mum trims our nails and toe fur on a weekly basis, and gives us a great comb out every week, as well.
But sometimes, it's just time for a bath. Rach had been having some itchy bug bumps on his inner thighs soon after he came to live with us. Mum finally figured out that they were no-see-um's biting him and put a little all natural essential oil based lotion on his thighs once a day and the bug bites disappeared.
Then one day Mum found a tad bit of flea dirt on me. No fleas were found on any of us, but Mum wanted to make sure and get that dirt off me. So off to the bathtub I went!
I'm really good about getting a bath. I stand there, while Mum wets me down, suds-es me up and rinses me off. I even shake in the tub when Mum tells me it's time to 'shake.'
Gracie on the other hand is really a challenge in the tub. She freaks out a little, then settles down, but when she gets a burr up her butt, she's really strong. So Mum uses one of those tub collars with her, so that before she can get out of control, Mum can calm her and make her feel more comfortable, give her treats and help her settle down for the rest of the bath.
But Mum had no idea how Rach would be with a bath. So she made sure it was a fun, treat filled, clicker filled experience for him. And look! He was great with the bath. After just an initial little freak out, he settled right down and after a while seemed to actually enjoy it!
So a couple of weeks ago all three of us got a bath at 10:00 PM one Saturday night. Mum started with me and said....'well, may as well give Rach his bath'....then 'oh well, guess I'll give Gracie done too!'
We had to get our bath zoomies on in the cabin, which was challenging, but after that we got some awesome Elk antler chews to enjoy.
One of the best parts is Mum uses her favorite dog shampoo, Cloud Star Buddy Wash in Lavendar and Mint. She loves the smell and loves having a chance to enjoy the calming scent the few nights after we have a bath. Me? I don't care what she uses, BOL!
Mum was really proud of all of us as she had all of us bathed and brushed out in 40 minutes flat! Not bad Mum, not bad!
But sometimes, it's just time for a bath. Rach had been having some itchy bug bumps on his inner thighs soon after he came to live with us. Mum finally figured out that they were no-see-um's biting him and put a little all natural essential oil based lotion on his thighs once a day and the bug bites disappeared.
Then one day Mum found a tad bit of flea dirt on me. No fleas were found on any of us, but Mum wanted to make sure and get that dirt off me. So off to the bathtub I went!
I'm really good about getting a bath. I stand there, while Mum wets me down, suds-es me up and rinses me off. I even shake in the tub when Mum tells me it's time to 'shake.'
Gracie on the other hand is really a challenge in the tub. She freaks out a little, then settles down, but when she gets a burr up her butt, she's really strong. So Mum uses one of those tub collars with her, so that before she can get out of control, Mum can calm her and make her feel more comfortable, give her treats and help her settle down for the rest of the bath.
But Mum had no idea how Rach would be with a bath. So she made sure it was a fun, treat filled, clicker filled experience for him. And look! He was great with the bath. After just an initial little freak out, he settled right down and after a while seemed to actually enjoy it!
So a couple of weeks ago all three of us got a bath at 10:00 PM one Saturday night. Mum started with me and said....'well, may as well give Rach his bath'....then 'oh well, guess I'll give Gracie done too!'
We had to get our bath zoomies on in the cabin, which was challenging, but after that we got some awesome Elk antler chews to enjoy.
One of the best parts is Mum uses her favorite dog shampoo, Cloud Star Buddy Wash in Lavendar and Mint. She loves the smell and loves having a chance to enjoy the calming scent the few nights after we have a bath. Me? I don't care what she uses, BOL!
Mum was really proud of all of us as she had all of us bathed and brushed out in 40 minutes flat! Not bad Mum, not bad!
Monday, November 10, 2014
Hiking Anna Ruby Falls and Unicoi State Park!
A few weeks ago we headed off to meet up with pals Rocco and his Mom for another great hike!
I love how there are so many places to explore within just one to two hours drive from our cabin. This time we wanted to take in some of the fall color and see one of the falls that we haven't visited yet.
We wanted the hike to be short and fairly easy, since this was going to be Rach's first real hike.
Being six + months, he can't take a long hike like our occasional seven milers, but we thought this hike would be perfect for him.
So we met up with our pals in Dawsonville, and then drove in one car to Anna Ruby Falls.
On the way our GPS took us on a mini detour. (It does that sometimes). But we were glad because if it hadn't we wouldn't have seen this sign in someone's yard, BOL!!
I love how there are so many places to explore within just one to two hours drive from our cabin. This time we wanted to take in some of the fall color and see one of the falls that we haven't visited yet.
We wanted the hike to be short and fairly easy, since this was going to be Rach's first real hike.
Being six + months, he can't take a long hike like our occasional seven milers, but we thought this hike would be perfect for him.
So we met up with our pals in Dawsonville, and then drove in one car to Anna Ruby Falls.
On the way our GPS took us on a mini detour. (It does that sometimes). But we were glad because if it hadn't we wouldn't have seen this sign in someone's yard, BOL!!
Do you think they meant yard? Because we know there is actually a thing called a 'yarb.' And why is the yard (or yarb) dangerous? Hmmmm...something to ponder, BOL!
Once we got to the start of the trail, we quickly headed up to see the Falls. As we discussed, this was Rach's first real hike with us. Over the months, he has become quite the puller. Mum doesn't really mind that too much, except when the trail is slippery or descends where she could slip. Rach doesn't know our 'easy' command yet. Mum is hoping he picks it up quickly!
On the way up to the main Falls, we found the stream running down the walk and took a quick little break to take in the sounds, smells and sites!
There are two part to the Falls, this is the smaller falls on the right that drops about 50 or so feet.
And then the main falls on the left that drops 150+ feet. So gorgeous!
We hung out for a while and just had to take a three musketeers shot!
And of course the obligatory shots with the falls behind!
Then we hopped back in the car and drove down the road a bit to the trailhead at Unicoi State Park that makes it's way around the lake. We thought this would be an amazing place to view some of the fall color even though it wasn't peak.
And we saw a little!
One cool thing we didn't expect was that there were some other fun things to do. Like go out on the long boat dock and take in the views. For those of you who know Gracie, she's not fond of long boat docks and we've had a lot of trouble helping her get over her fears of them. But we were so very proud of her, she ventured right down the boat dock and didn't show any hesitation at all! Way to go Gracie!
A little further into the hike we came up to a bridge that was built out of the same wooden slats that the dock is made of. Gracie made it 2/3 of the way across and started to belly down (her go to position when she's scared of these types of things). Mum gently put her hand on Gracie's back, gave me and Rach to Rocco's Mom, and Gracie stood up more confidently and walked on her own the rest of the way across the bridge. Good girl again!
We stopped for a little break for some treats! It's the spontaneous shots that always come out the best. Mum was getting out the treats, we gathered around all close together and Rocco's Mom had her phone camera ready and snapped this one! You just can't plan these type of shots!
Sometimes the best part of hiking days are the times we get home and get to enjoy a nice Moose antler chew. What a fun day!
Sunday, November 09, 2014
Wednesday, November 05, 2014
Tuesday, November 04, 2014
I'm featured in the 'Rescued in America' 2015 calendar!
Back in 2010, I participated in a photo shoot for a new book called, 'Rescued in America'.
I'll never forget that day. It was long and tiring, but I had so much fun! It was fun because all day I did tricks and poses for Mum, and that's one of my favorite things to do in the entire world!
The book came out in 2012 and was one of the first books from Melissa McDaniel, the photographer. She has since published several more books that have been big hits.
This year she's put together and published a calendar featuring some of the rescue pups that were featured in the "Rescued in America' book and create a wonderful 2015 calendar.
And guess what?!? I'm Mr. June! I think they should have made me Mr. May, don't you, BOL!
If you'd like to get one of the 2015 'Rescued in America' calendars, just follow this link. Get 20% off now through the end of day on Wed (Nov. 5) if you use the coupon code READ at checkout! That's enough to pay for all the shipping and tax!
Also limited editions of the 'Rescued in America' book are still available and you can use code NL30 to get 30% off!
I'll never forget that day. It was long and tiring, but I had so much fun! It was fun because all day I did tricks and poses for Mum, and that's one of my favorite things to do in the entire world!
The book came out in 2012 and was one of the first books from Melissa McDaniel, the photographer. She has since published several more books that have been big hits.
This year she's put together and published a calendar featuring some of the rescue pups that were featured in the "Rescued in America' book and create a wonderful 2015 calendar.
And guess what?!? I'm Mr. June! I think they should have made me Mr. May, don't you, BOL!
If you'd like to get one of the 2015 'Rescued in America' calendars, just follow this link. Get 20% off now through the end of day on Wed (Nov. 5) if you use the coupon code READ at checkout! That's enough to pay for all the shipping and tax!
Also limited editions of the 'Rescued in America' book are still available and you can use code NL30 to get 30% off!
Monday, November 03, 2014
51% of pet parents think choosing organic pet food is important to their pet's life! #OrganicPet
This post is sponsored by Castor and Pollux and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about ORGANIX, but you know that Johann The Dog only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Castor and Pollux Pet Works is not responsible for the content of this article.
You may remember that we talked about the importance of organic in our lives back in October and hopefully you took the survey we linked to that allowed you to share information about the importance of organic in your life and how you view organic food for your pets.
Well the survey results are in!
Over 350 pet parents took the survey and I have to tell you that I was just a little surprised at the results.
Why? Because only 51% thought organic was very important to their pets and only 34% said they always feed organic to their four leggers.
Living organic all of our lives, we would have thought this to be true, oh, maybe seven or so years ago. But with all the concerns about pet foods, the recalls, and the treats harming pets from China within recent years,, we actually thought the percentages would be higher, especially from individuals that read dog blogs and frequent dog information on social media, and who were most likely to take the survey.
Let us know....are you surprised more pet parents aren't going organic?
I am sure organic pet food is a more of a new concept to people than Mum and I realize. And that's OK!
The fact that we're here talking about it more, and that there are foods like Castor and Pollux Pet Works Organix on the market for us dogs that contain free range, hormone free, antibiotic free and non-GMO fed meats as the main ingredient; we know that it's just a matter of time before more and more dog loving parents will sit up and take more notice of the importance of healthier dog foods and treats for their dogs that don't include dangerous ingredients.
We applaud any effort for folks to try new and healthier options for their dog and cats! And hope that you will join the organic movement!
If you are interested in trying out Castor and Pollux Organic Pet Food you can find them at a variety of online retailers and at Petsmart, Petco, Whole Foods Market and other pet specialty retailers nationwide. So go give it a try!
You may remember that we talked about the importance of organic in our lives back in October and hopefully you took the survey we linked to that allowed you to share information about the importance of organic in your life and how you view organic food for your pets.
Well the survey results are in!
Over 350 pet parents took the survey and I have to tell you that I was just a little surprised at the results.
Why? Because only 51% thought organic was very important to their pets and only 34% said they always feed organic to their four leggers.
Living organic all of our lives, we would have thought this to be true, oh, maybe seven or so years ago. But with all the concerns about pet foods, the recalls, and the treats harming pets from China within recent years,, we actually thought the percentages would be higher, especially from individuals that read dog blogs and frequent dog information on social media, and who were most likely to take the survey.
Let us know....are you surprised more pet parents aren't going organic?
I am sure organic pet food is a more of a new concept to people than Mum and I realize. And that's OK!
The fact that we're here talking about it more, and that there are foods like Castor and Pollux Pet Works Organix on the market for us dogs that contain free range, hormone free, antibiotic free and non-GMO fed meats as the main ingredient; we know that it's just a matter of time before more and more dog loving parents will sit up and take more notice of the importance of healthier dog foods and treats for their dogs that don't include dangerous ingredients.
We applaud any effort for folks to try new and healthier options for their dog and cats! And hope that you will join the organic movement!
The folks at Castor and Pollux, makers of ORGANIX, the most complete line of certified organic natural food for pets made under the USDA’s National Organic Program, features certified organic, free-range chicken or turkey as the number one ingredient with organic fruits, vegetables and more!
If you are interested in trying out Castor and Pollux Organic Pet Food you can find them at a variety of online retailers and at Petsmart, Petco, Whole Foods Market and other pet specialty retailers nationwide. So go give it a try!
Your Mum is going to love these....the best socks ever!
Mum has trouble with socks.
No, it's not because sometimes Rach and I grab them and run around the cabin and forest with them.
No, it's not because Rach, Gracie and I like to pull them off, leaving little toofer holes in them in our exuberance to help.
It's because she always, and I mean always, wears holes in the socks where the balls of her feet meet them.
I don't care what kind of socks she gets, wool or cotton, expensive or inexpensive; after a time, maybe a few months, maybe a couple of years, yep, there we have 'em....holes!
So when Mum was getting fitted for some new hiking shoes (more on that later) at our local Mountain Outfitters store, they mentioned that the shoes come with a free pair of socks that are guaranteed for life!
What?!? Guaranteed for life! That's just what Mum needs!
That means that anytime she wears one of those holes in her socks, all she needs to do is take them to any store that carries these socks and she'll get a replacement pair absolutely free.
Needless to say Mum bought the shoes and got the socks, and immediately ordered more socks! So what kind of socks are they?
Darn Tough socks of course!
What's super cool is they are made of merino wool (Mum's favorite sock material), so they stay cool in summer and warm in winter. They keep Mum's feet from drying out too, so no cracked heels. And they come in awesome colors, whether they are the no show athletic type, or the cushioned taller hiking versions of the socks.
We wanted to tell you about them, because we know how much your Mum would like them too. Check 'em out! We found the best deal on Amazon, about 10% off and free shipping!
No, it's not because sometimes Rach and I grab them and run around the cabin and forest with them.
No, it's not because Rach, Gracie and I like to pull them off, leaving little toofer holes in them in our exuberance to help.
It's because she always, and I mean always, wears holes in the socks where the balls of her feet meet them.
I don't care what kind of socks she gets, wool or cotton, expensive or inexpensive; after a time, maybe a few months, maybe a couple of years, yep, there we have 'em....holes!
So when Mum was getting fitted for some new hiking shoes (more on that later) at our local Mountain Outfitters store, they mentioned that the shoes come with a free pair of socks that are guaranteed for life!
What?!? Guaranteed for life! That's just what Mum needs!
That means that anytime she wears one of those holes in her socks, all she needs to do is take them to any store that carries these socks and she'll get a replacement pair absolutely free.
Needless to say Mum bought the shoes and got the socks, and immediately ordered more socks! So what kind of socks are they?
Darn Tough socks of course!
What's super cool is they are made of merino wool (Mum's favorite sock material), so they stay cool in summer and warm in winter. They keep Mum's feet from drying out too, so no cracked heels. And they come in awesome colors, whether they are the no show athletic type, or the cushioned taller hiking versions of the socks.
We wanted to tell you about them, because we know how much your Mum would like them too. Check 'em out! We found the best deal on Amazon, about 10% off and free shipping!
Sunday, November 02, 2014
Black and White Sunday: Snow?
Yesterday and very early this morning, we had our first snow of the season! It was Rach's first time seeing snow, and since the wind chill was in the 20's he had to wear a coat too for the first time. He took it all in stride and even wanted more. See?!?
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