Through this blog I hope to share the adventures of Spencer, a rescued Goldendoodle, along with providing helpful information on pet safety, products, rescue organizations and much more.
More pets get lost and go missing on the 4th of July than any other day in the U.S. Making July 5th the busiest day for animal shelters across the nation.
Here are some safety tips to help keep your dog safe this 4th of July:
Make sure you dog has up to date ID tags on their collar. Even if they have been microchip, not everyone has a scanner to read the chip.
Exercise you dog early that day. This will help them from having excess energy when the fireworks start that evening.
If you are going to any parties, leave your dog at home. They will be more comfortable in a familiar place.
Lower you blinds to help your dog from seeing the bright lights the fireworks give off. You can also add background noise by playing the tv or radio .
Escape-proof you house and add a comfortable space for them.
Provide interactive toys or treat dispensers, such as peanut butter stuffed kongs.
Mircochip your dog just in case they do get lost and their collar comes off.
Calming collars, lavender oils, and pressure wraps can help your pup with anxiety. I love my herbal calming collar, here is the direct link if you want to learn more.
If your dog does suffer from anxiety make sure to talk with you veterinarian about the best options for your dog.
Around Earth Day, I won an Earth Rated prize from Her Dog Blog and it came in the mail yesterday.
I was extremely surprised to find a box full of goodies. I thought I just won poop bags. Instead, I won:
*8 Lavender Scented Poop Bags
*Poop Bag Dispenser with Bags Inside
*Bandana
*Notebook with Pen
*Sticky Notes
*Magnet
*3 Stickers
Thank you again to Earth Rated and Her Dog Blog. If you haven't heard of Her Dog Blog, I encourage you to check it out. They review pet products and post about them on their blog.
Today I'm joining the Thoughtless Thursday Blog Hop hosted by:
Ruckus the Eskie, Love is being owned by a Husky and M.K. Clinton
I am excited to share with you a new company I just learned about: Open Farm. Being that my mom grew up on a farm, she knows what raising quality animals means. Especially by farmers who live, eat, and breath farming.
Let's getting to know the company more. The first thing I saw on the packaging was the words, "Do Some Good." Here is what that phrase means to Open Farm.
"Do Some Good"
By feeding your pet the absolute best.
By respecting the farm animals and allowing them to live in their natural, non-stressed, non-crowded environment.
By supporting local farmers.
By reducing our environmental foot print.
Please watch this video to learn these four key points better.
Here are their three flavors:
Catch-Of-The-Day & Green Lentil Recipe:
*Ocean caught and never farmed fish. *Free of antibiotics, artificial feeds and preservatives. *Sourced using environmentally sustainable fishing practices. *Sourced seasonally for the freshest, most flavorful catch.
Pork & Root Vegetable Recipe and
Homestead Turkey & Chicken Recipe
*Raised naturally on family farms with humane and sustainable practices.
*Nourished by vegetarian diets free of antibiotics and hormones.
*Raised without the use of cages or crates in environments where they have space, shelter and the ability to engage in their natural behaviors.
*Raised on farms that are inspected, audited and certified by third party organizations to ensure they meet the highest standard of care.
I love their packaging, they remind me of visiting the farm. They proudly display their mission "Sustainable, Locally Grown, Humane, and Family Farmed." But the most important part of the packaging, they are the first nationwide bag recycling program. Simply bring you empty bag to your retailer and they will send them to TerraCycle. They will then turn you empty bags into new products.
Now on to the taste test! My favorite flavor was Catch-Of-The-Day! I definitely give this product 4 Paws Up!
I went on their website to locate the closest store from my house. The closest one I could find was about an hour away, closer to the Twin Cites. You can order their products off of doggiefood.com. On that website you can purchase their product in a 4.5 pound bag starting at $22.99+S&H, in 12 pound bag for $44.99+S&H, or in a 24 pound bags starting at $78.99+S&H. This is pricey for dog food, but when my mom buys organic food that is pricier, too. Wouldn't you want the best for your dog?
*Disclaimer: Spencer the Goldendoodle was given these three samples for an honest review. All options are our own and no other compensation was given for this review.
Rated PG (action violence, peril, brief language and some thematic elements)
Warner Bros. Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures
In Theaters: June 26, 2015
MAX is about a military dog who serves on the frontlines in Afghanistan alongside his handler, Kyle Wincott, a U.S. Marine. But when things go terrible wrong Max loses not only his handler, but his best friend. Traumatized by this loss, Max is unable to remain in service and is shipped stateside.
Max has a hard time adjusting. The only human he seems willing to connect with is Kyle's teenage brother, Justin. So Max is adopted by Kyle's family. Justin has issues of his own and, at first, isn't interested in taking responsibility for Max.
Justin grows to trust Max and the two find an unlikely new best friend in each other. “Max” stars Josh Wiggins (“Hellion”) as Justin Wincott, Lauren Graham (“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” TV’s “Parenthood”) as his mom, Pamela, and Oscar nominee Thomas Haden Church (“Sideways”) as his dad, Ray.
You can watch the officialtrailer here.
One of the major topics this movie addresses is PTSD in dogs. We hear about soldiers suffering from PTSD but rarely hear about how war affects animals, in particular dogs. This movie gives parents the opportunity to talk with their children about PTSD in both humans and dogs. Here is some information about PTSD in dogs.
Who can be affected:
PTSD can affect military dogs as well as household dogs.
Causes/Triggers of PTSD:
Violent personal assaults
Natural or human-caused disasters
Accidents
Loss of a care taker
Military Combat
Signs and Symptoms of PTSD:
Change in behavior
Nervousness
Weight loss
Aggression
Shaking or whining
Fearful behavior
Avoiding places or things that remind them of the traumatic event.
Treatment
Retraining them to be comfortable again in tense situations is the number one form of treatment.
Training is usually done with a certify/qualified trainer.
Military dogs who show signs and symptoms of PTSD are taken out of service.
Medications are generally not used since they mask the symptoms instead of helping/training the dog to cope/adapt to stressors.
On Tuesday, my humans are going to an advanced screening. I look forward to hearing and sharing their experience with this film!
A big thanks to Kenn Bell from Dog Files for all of his hard work in sharing and promoting this movie.
Today I'm sharing with you one of my latest adventures, Geocaching. I bet most of you have never hear of Geocaching before. If you are one of those people please watch this informational video to get you all caught up.
Alright, we are all on the same page now. I would also like to add a quick disclaimer: if you plan on geocaching the Minneopa State Park in Southern Minnesota, please do not continue to read. ***Spoiler Alert Ahead*** Now I can start my adventure.
My humans and I arrived at Minneopa State Park with their cell phones in hand. My dad entered the first set of coordinates that we got from geocaching.com. And we where off. Our cell phones lead us behind a building. There they were staring us in the face, our next set of coordinates. After inputting them, we headed off following the little compass on our phones.
As we were following the compass we couldn't help ourselves but to notice the beautiful scenery around us.
Then we came to a bench. We searched and searched and then underneath we found our second set of coordinates.
Once again, we inputted them and hit the trail.
This time the coordinates lead us over a creak and up a steep set of step.
Finally we get to the top of this hill. We took a moment to catch our breath as well as enjoy the gorgeous waterfall. This state park has two amazing waterfalls that draws people from near and far. Especially during winter when they freeze over.
After a few minutes appreciating our surroundings, we were off again.
Then I noticed a big log laying, in what seemed like the middle of nowhere.
So I started sniffing around and there was a hole in the back of the log. With the help from my mom we cleared the pile of sticks covering the hole and noticed a metal box.
We pulled the metal box and we all started celebrating.
WE FOUND IT!
We immediately open it and pull out the log box and sign it with our geocaching name.
Then we pulled out the treading cards to see which flower represents Minneopa State Park. Each of the stated parks in Minnesota have a different trading card for people to collect. This theme is "Call of the Wildflowers."
We took one as a souvenir, got our usual photo as proof, close the metal ammo can up and place it back where we found it. We then recorded "found" on our geocaching account, bringing out total finds up to 472. Another successful fun and another great adventure.
We love geocaching! It is a great way to bring some excitement to your hike as well as getting people and animals moving. Geocaching is great for adults and kids alike, I mean, who doesn't like to go treasure hunting.
You're invited to attend a complimentary advance screening of Warner Bros. Pictures new film MAX on Tuesday, 6/23 at Theatres of Mall of America at 7:00pm. Tickets can be downloaded at the following link while supplies last: http://www.wbtickets.com/SpencerGoldenDoodle
Please note that the theater is overbooked to ensure full capacity and seats are not guraanteed. Arrive early to secure your seats. This film is rated PG. #MaxTheHero http://max-themovie.com/
Check out who I ran into, Bailie the PR dog for My GBGV Life.
We sure enjoyed looking at the wabbits. Well, I enjoyed looking at the wabbits, Bailie wanted to chase and eat them. I really hope she doesn't tell Emma, she might get jealous.
I'm trying to convince Bailie's mom that her and Emma need one of these cools car to cruse around in. I can see them now driving up to Blog Paws next year in one similar!
Testing out beds...too small.
Just right!
Here are some other guys I met at the expo: two Saint Berdoodles, cats, one very tall Great Dane, miniature ponies, fluffy pals, and a couple of snakes. Oh, I can't forget to mention the giant doo-doo!
The pet expo was great, but it was even better spending time with my pal, Bailie.
What do you like to do when you hang out with your fur-iends? Are any of your fur-iends blogging dogs?
My mom scored an amazing deal yesterday. She has been eyeing this little guy at JoAnn Fabrics for a couple of months now. Unfortunately, he was way out of her budget at $79.99. That is a lot of treats. But yesterday, she found this fire hydrant in the clearance area for $23.99. No questions were asked, it is now mine. And no, it isn't for peeing on!
Today I'm joining the Sepia Saturday Blog Hop hosted by:
I wanted to share with you one of my mom's latest projects: a DIY Dog Wreath. Here is a list of supplies she used:
Wire Wreath
Wire
Wire Cutters
Fabric
Tennis Balls
Chain
Bone Shaped Board
Paint
Leash or Bow
Even though I am in love with this wreath, do you know how hard it is not to tare it apart. The tennis balls just sit there staring at me saying, "Hahaha!" But, everyone who walks in the door loves it!
I'm joining the Thoughtless Thursday Blog Hop hosted by
Ruckus the Eskie, Love is being owned by a Husky and M.K. Clinton
Today, I am sharing with you a list of possible Poodle Mixes you can have. I have included the "poodle" name as well as the description of that name.
Enjoy!
Please note that this list may not contain all the possible combinations. If you see one that isn't on the list feel free to share in the comments section below.
Almost a year ago I custom order a 90 inch long, King Cobra braided, multipurpose lease from Strike a Cord. (Here is the link to that review if you are interested.) Not only do I love that leash but my humans do as well. It is great for going on hikes, shopping, or going to events.
However, it was a big leash just to walk to the mailbox or to keep in my mom's purse. So, I reached out to Strike a Cord again to see if she would make me a smaller, custom leash. A leash that was light weigh, compact, and of course fashionable. Now lets get one thing straight. I may be a boy pup, but to us dogs leashes and collars are like shoes to women or tools to men. You can never have too many and we want to look our best as we are prancing around!
Lisa, from Strike a Cord, communicated throughout the entire process. Asking us what braid, length, color we were wanting. She made sure to communicate to my mom when my leash was next up for her to hand make. As well as, messaging us when it was ready to be shipped, including a tracking number.
In the photos below shows the two colors I picked, purple and neon green. I picked these colors so it matches my multipurpose leash. This leash is 36 inches long and cost $22 plus shipping. This leash is great for my mom to stick in her purse or my dad to put it in his pocket.
It may be small and light weight, but since it is made out of paracord, also known as parachute cor or 550 cord, it is extremely tough. Paracord is made of seven strong nylon cords with each cord made of several smaller woven stands, all wrapped in a flexible outer braided nylon wrapper. The combined breaking strength of paracord is 550 pounds making it great for parachuting. And this is also where the name 550 cord comes in.
Strike a Cord also makes bracelets, collars, harness, and so much more. To learn more about Strike a Cord, their other products, or their prices visit them on their Website or their Facebook page.
Now time for a GIVEAWAY! One lucky person will win a two color 36 inch leash from Strike a Cord. To enter you must be 18 years of ago or over living in the US. No purchase necessary. The Giveaway will run from Wednesday, June 3 through Thursday, June 11 at 12:00 am. One winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter and will be notified via email.
I have heard and seen photos of my other pals across the U.S. get their paws on these tasty looking treats. So I had to check out our local Starbucks and see if the rumors were true. And I'm happy to say that my local Starbucks does hand out a free treat to your pup. It is called the "Pupachino."
This tasty treat is whip cream that every dog will drool over.
Has your pup ever had a Pupachino? Please share below, would love to hear from you! Also, do you know any other places that will spoil us fur-butts?
I'm joining the Tasty Tuesday blog hop hosted by: Kol's Notes and Sugar the Golden Retriever
