Dog Poop Happens! Listen up for a Sneak Preview of a new subscription service!

Hi my furiends, it’s Dakota  and boy oh boy am I ever excited to bark some news out at you!

I was contacted the other day by a wonderful woman who sent me information about a new subscription service, and she asked if I would help her BARK out the news!   I told her I am ALWAYS up for a BARK about SOMETHING! Especially something that I think will have you or your human barking with joy!

Doggies, you know how when you take a walk with your human and you stop to use the facilities, it oftentimes is accompanied by all sorts of barking curse words from your human? Why? THEY FORGOT TO BRING A BAG TO PICK UP THE POOP!!!

 

That is the most frustrating thing for our humans! I am ashamed to say I have seen my Mom grab giant leaves (yes, you heard me correctly!) from bushes and use THOSE to pick up my poop because she was too lazy to go back upstairs to get a bag.

My Dad is guilty too. If he doesn’t have a bag, he will often LEAVE THE POOP until he makes a trip back outside!

Well, you know how THAT goes! The ONE time that you don’t have a bag and you leave the poop, you get a crotchety neighbor with nothing to do but dial phones and report renegade poop (key Wicked Witch of the West music from the Wizard of Oz here)   she almost steps in aforementioned poop, and then, you get a note chastising you about proper poop disposal. YES! Dad DOES go back out and pick up the poop but sometimes not fast enough!

Did you know?

“Scientists have been able to trace dangerous bacteria in water back to dog waste. By offering people an affordable, fun and convenient way to keep a constant supply of waste bags, PoopBuddy aims to help reduce the spread of water pollution by the 72M strong dog owning community.”

Let’s not forget the current uproar about plastic bags being harmful to the environment. Soon, they might be a thing of the past. Imagine having eco-friendly, super-cool looking waste pick-up bags automatically mailed to your house! Your humans will be so happy that they will become never ending treat dispensers!

I want to give you a peek at a new product called:

Click on the logo to visit their website!

PoopBuddy™

An Eco-Chic Poop Bag Delivery Service

“The service addresses the increasing demand for eco-friendly alternatives to plastic bags and the want for fun and stylish dog accessories. PoopBuddy aims to motivate the 40% of dog owners who opt out of dog waste cleanup to form new habits.”

Are these too cool or what? Remember, I told you this is just a “sneak peek.” PoopBuddy is shipping me a bag (I hope more than one bag but we will see!), so that I can tell you what I think of these,  and then I will give you more information about how the subscription service works.

If you can’t wait, you can always  visit their website give them a bark-out on Facebook  in the meantime!!

ABOUT PoopBuddy: Based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, PoopBuddy is a subsidiary of OnePet.co. Founded in 2013 by a group of entrepreneurial-minded dog lovers who believe that people can love their pup, love their planet and look like a million bucks.

Stay tuned for my review of the product when it arrives, I received no compensation for this post. I will receive a PoopBuddy bag.

Barks and licks and love,

Dakota

Advertisement

ChalkboardDogs! ™ Your reminders never looked so good! Enter to win!

Hi everyone and boy am I excited to share something really cool with you today! When I was first contacted to see if I wanted to review

ChalkboardDogs! ™

I admit that I was skeptical….my first question was, “Just exactly what ARE ChalkboardDogs!  ?

Photo courtesy of http://www.steadfastfriends.com
Click on the photo to visit their website!

From steadfastfriends.com, ChalkboardDogs!:

are large, repositionable chalkboard canine silhouettes that can be mounted on any flat surface such as a wall, door or refrigerator. You can write on them with regular chalk or with Chalk Ink®.

There are over 50 dog breeds to choose from!

The material that is used for ChalkboardDogs! is eco-friendly, it is a chalkboard film coated with  REPOSITIONABLE,  removable adhesive.

When mine arrived, it was rolled up and my first thought was “Uh-oh, will I rip this when I attempt to remove the silhouette from the backing?” Not a chance! I am all paws when it comes to these things (and this is Dakota’s MOM talking), and if I can do it, YOU CAN DO IT!

I picked a Shetland Sheepdog (what else?) as my silhouette and removing it from the poly sleeve backing couldn’t have been easier!

To apply, simply remove the silhouette from the poly sleeve and peel off the white backing.  Carefully apply the silhouette to a clean, dry, flat surface taking care to be sure that any small bubbles or folds are flattened. That’s it!

Here is how mine looks after I wrote on it. If you can’t read it, it says “Everyone loves Shelties” and there is a reminder from Dakota to “BUY BONES!”

The size varies between breeds due to the orientation of the silhouette, but on average, the  ChalkboardDogs! are 22″ long and anywhere from 15″ to 30″ high.

Mine works perfectly in our kitchen, but as I mentioned above, should I wish to move it to another room I can! Once again, the message can be wiped clean with an eraser, damp cloth or sponge and you can write on it with chalk or special

Chalk Ink® 

If you use your imagination there are countless things you can write on your ChalkboardDogs! silhouette! Everything from:

• Grocery lists
• Reminders
• Have the kids draw on it
• Vet Appointments
• Just DOODLE!
• Phone Numbers
• Special Holidays
• Just to say “I Love You”
• These would make GREAT graduation gifts for students heading off to college in the fall! They can have a reminder of their canine friend in any room that they choose!

The options are endless!

Another thing I absolutely love about www.steadfastfriends.com is that:

Every time you purchase something from their website they will donate 10% of your purchase price to one of their Charity Partners, and importantly, they are going to let you choose which charity gets the donation.

I could not be happier with my ChalkboardDogs! silhouette and I am certain that you will be too!

ENTER TO WIN! The kind people at http://www.steadfastfriends.com have offered ONE of our readers who resides in the USA the chance to win a ChalkboardDogs! silhouette and Chalk Ink®  of their own! (an almost $50 value!)

HOW TO ENTER: Just LEAVE A COMMENT telling me what breed you would select for your silhouette if you are the lucky winner AND be sure I have an email address for you should you be the lucky winner! COMMENTS THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

THE GIVE-AWAY IS OPEN NOW and will end at 5pm EST on June 24th. The winner will be chosen by http://www.random.org and will be announced on WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26th.

If you can’t wait to see if you are the winner, visit http://www.steadfastfriends.com NOW to order yours! THIS JUST IN! The kind folks at steadfastfriends.com are offering a 20% DISCOUNT to my readers! How cool is that? Just use the DISCOUNT CODE STEADFAST20%: 

Good luck to all who enter!

In full disclosure: I was not compensated for this review/give-away. I was given a Shetland Sheepdog ChalkboardDogs! silhouette and Chalk Ink. All opinions are my own!

Mish-Mash Monday-A little housekeeping: where we stand on book and product reviews

Fabulous Friday Find- “Neater Feeder”

Hi everyone!  It’s   Dakota and  am I ever excited to tell you about my latest find!!

As many of you know, doggies can be messy eaters,  for  that matter, kitties can be as well, but since this is a DOG BLOG we aren’t going to worry about THEIR mess today! It wasn’t so much that I was particularly messy with MY food, the problem in our house was the WATER!

You see, Shelties are pretty smart. If my Mom and Dad were remiss slow on the uptake about   filling my water bowl enough, I had an excellent way of reminding them. I used to knock my water bowl over on to the floor! It was sooo much fun! Occasionally there would be some water left in the bowl and it would make the prettiest patterns on my Mom’s Pergo floor!

Also, Mom does laundry in the same area that my bowl is in and she was notorious for knocking it over and spilling water everywhere! It was sooo much fun to watch! The same thing would happen when either Mom or Dad would fill my water bowl, they are  too lazy to pick up the bowl, so they often lean over the baby gate, (we should have called it “Watergate” but I digress), to fill it and yep, you got it! They would overfill my bowl and I would have fun listening to them bark curse and blame each other for HOURS!

Sadly the water show is over.

Back in May Mom was reading a favorite blog of hers called:

Click on the photo to visit them! They are always featuring the BEST give-aways! You could win something great too!

and she read about a give-away that was being held by a  site called Sweep Tight  and the give-way was for a fabulous product called

NEATER FEEDER

AND GUESS WHAT?

MOM WON!!!

WHAT A  “LUCKY DOG”!!!

This is what it looks like

Click photo to visit their website!

From the Neater Feeder website:

“The Neater Feeder is designed with protective walls to contain splashes and spills from an inadvertent kick or an excited pet. This revolutionary system holds spilled food in an upper reservoir while spilled water flows down a gentle slope through a patent-pending filtering system.

The spilled water drains into a lower reservoir that can safely contain more than an entire bowl of spilled water, keeping it off the floor until you are ready to dispose of it. Keeping the spilled food in the upper reservoir, off the floor, not only saves you work, but also keeps it clean for reuse.”

My Neater Feeder

Isn’t this great? Even the color is fabulous! There is NEVER water on the floor anymore!

Check out this video that shows how the Neater Feeder works (there is no music or sound so feel free to bark amongst yourselves!)

When Mom won the Neater Feeder there was NOTHING obligating her to have me tell you about this great product!  Mom and I love it so much that we wanted  YOU to know about it! We also wanted to share the great sites that enabled Mom to win this fabulous product that ACTUALLY DOES WHAT IT IS DESIGNED TO DO!!!

You may take a walk on over to Neater Feeder right here

While you are doing that, I am going to try to think of a NEW way to make a mess!!!! Wish me luck!!

Barks and licks and love, Dakota

You could win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

Hey guys!

Want a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card?

SureFlap wants your opinion! 

They’re interested in learning more about dog owners  throughout the world,  ahead of the launch of their new, larger SureFlap Microchip Pet Door, which will be released in October and is appropriate for small dogs.

Photo Courtesy of http://www.sureflap.com, click photo to visit their website!

All you have to do is take a short survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SureFlapDogs and one winner will be chosen!

MORE GOOD NEWS!!

Also, if you register to receive more information about the SureFlap Microchip Pet Door (http://www.sureflap.com/microchip-pet-door) when it’s released, you will be  automatically entered into a giveaway for a Pet Door

 (one will be given away FREE for every 100 registrants)

Barks and licks and love, Dakota

We were not compensated for this post.

Dachsies With Moxie Tapestries, Quilts and More! A Guest Blog By Agnes Bullock

My name is Agnes Bullock and I have an Etsy shop called Dachsies With Moxie Tapestries, Quilts and More.  I opened the shop last fall, after I began making pet portrait quilts and place mats for friends on Blogville. I am a novice, self-taught quilter who lives in Ohio with my husband Geoffrey and our five dachshunds, Ginger, Chip, Thai, Tasha and Anna Rose.

I learned to sew over thirty years ago in Home Ec, but hated it!  When I was honorably discharged from the Army in 1988, I bought a Singer sewing machine and tried teaching myself to sew- not until I moved back to NY four years later, did I finally conquer craft sewing and made wreaths and trees for my family for Christmas, and dipped my hand into the world of quilting. I became frustrated with that and gave up sewing for twenty years.  Fast forward to the summer of 2011- thanks to the friends that I was beginning to make via the blogging world (which involved pets), I found myself compelled to purchase a couple of dachshund related quilting patterns, and then suddenly I had the idea to take the photo of a friend’s dachshund and make a quilt from the photo! My very first creation was of Frankie Furter, the Mayor of Blogville, a gorgeous black and tan long-haired mini dachshund.

 

 

Utilizing the first photo, I made an applique pattern with the help of Adobe Photoshop, cutting and fusing the pieces to the background of the quilt top, then embroidered each piece in place.  I then completed the piecing the quilt top, then added the backing and batting before quilting and binding. Frankie was made as a thank you gift to new friends who have become a source of strength and inspiration especially since my husband was laid off without notice in mid August of 2011.

My second pet portrait quilt was for another Blogville friend, whose beloved dachshund, Twix, had crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  I again used a picture of Twix the Twixerrific, and cut and pieced away, completing the quilt and mailing it the same day as Frankie’s went out.  I simply wanted to help her Mom and Dad deal with the hurt of losing her so soon.

The response to Frankie’s quilt was huge- his Mom and Dad went crazy over it and she ordered a pet portrait of her daughter’s German Shepherd, Sarge!

Sarge was supposed to be a Christmas present, but was shipped off for Thanksgiving, and was loved by his peeps!  (I took pictures of every step of the way for Lana)

While I was working on Sarge, Lana was talking me into starting up a little cottage industry, making the pet portraits for Etsy- I was quite unsure, since I  am relatively new to quilting after a 20 year hiatus, and didn’t want to promise something that I could not deliver.  I also tried my hand at making place mats- one of our Blogville friends was loving the quilts and I wanted to surprise her and so the Miss Amber Da Weenie place mat line was born-

 

With the advent of the place mat line, I soon had my first order (not through Etsy- a direct commission)- Sarge’s Mom wanted a set of six place mats of Frankie for Christmas!  I found myself in the position of working on a gift for Lana, while working on another commission from Lana- who had ordered another quilt, this time with two portraits, of Frankie’s wives Ruby and Penny!!  On top of that, I was turning my hand to pillows to see if they would be feasible a  gift from me to Lana, a pillow of Ernie, Frankie’s puppy, and another of Frankie, which my dachsies insisted that I make!

I also participated in a couple of giveaways and auctions in Blogville, during November and December one for Pet Blogs United, and for Crossed Paws– both were of place mats that became Christmas presents! The Crossed Paws family also ordered a place mat for a friend in the United Kingdom-

I also received lots of encouragement from Blogville- Sugar the Golden retriever’s Mom created the banner for my Etsy shop and other friends gave me much-needed advice!

Right before Christmas, however, a tragedy struck our Blogville family- friends in Texas lost five of their pack to a terrible house fire just before Christmas.  These heroic animals, now called The Fearless Five, gave their lives warning their peeps and no one was lost.  Guero, Coco Chanel, Shelby, Lucky and Tiger perished saving their people, and will never be forgotten.  I had just received a large commission, from the White Dog Army, and I now found myself torn I wanted to make a queen sized memory quilt, but with the WDA order and Christmas didn’t think that I could handle the work load.  The Mom of the WDA, graciously allowed me to piece the top of the Fearless Five Memory Quilt.  Donations of fabric poured in from South America, the UK, Australia, Canada, and all over the United States.  A real quilter from NY, Cynthia Welch, volunteered her services and quilted and bound what became a king sized undertaking.

 

Accompanying the quilt were private commissions of love two pillows, a baby quilt, two bandanas for the surviving pack members, and two prayer shawls for the Mom and Grandmother of The Fearless Five pack.  All told, the quilt and these items reached our friends at the end of February.  Sixty people world-wide donated fabric to this undertaking without them, none of these gifts were possible.

Right after that, I started the White Dog Army commission- a large quilt, 70 X 55, with FIVE pet portraits!  My husband helped he is my right hand and he is in charge of fabric choice and pattern making without him, DWM would not be possible.  Sue received her birthday gift the weekend before and loved it.

Right now, I am working on three auction items a set of four place mats, a pillow and a quilt!  These will be shipping this month!

While I have not had any Etsy orders, I keep my hand in quilting and taking online quilting classes.  I make items for auctions and giveaways, and am hoping that my business starts to take off I can easily accommodate orders of up to three/four quilts a week plus 12 placemats per week. I am not limited to dog portraits cats, etc are welcome!  My current Etsy listings are linked below:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/84843774/dachsies-with-moxie-tapestries-quilts

http://www.etsy.com/listing/85335133/dachsies-with-moxie-tapestries-quilts?ref=v1_other_2

 

 

From Dakota’s Den: we were honored and excited to feature Agnes on Dakota’s blog. When we stumbled upon her and saw her work we were just overcome with how talented she is. We hope you enjoyed learning more about her as much as we did!

Valentine’s Day Is Coming! Need Gifts For Dog Lovers?

We got ya covered!

Mom and I were cruisin’ around the net one day and we found the MOST INCREDIBLE website for dog lovers!  Here it is!

www.forloveofadog.com

CHECK OUT WHAT MOM ORDERED!

That looks like someone you know doesn’t it?  Yep! That “someone” would be ME! It’s a Sheltie Necklace! (It could pass for a Collie too!) You can check it out right here

Mom was ecstatic when she saw this and just had to order it because:

1) Shelties are very hard for Mom to find on ANYTHING

2) This is the MOST REALISTIC piece of Sheltie jewelry that Mom has ever seen!

When the necklace arrived, the first thing that blew Mom away was the painstaking care and attention to detail that was used for packing. Mom’s jewelry  came packaged in rich chocolate brown boxes accented with red and green and had bows on them. The presentation was just spectacular and the quality of the items were superb!!

Ok doggy buddies I bet you know someone who would LOVE to have an item from this fabulous website! Grab your nearest human and jump online and check them out now!

You may just earn yourself some extra bones if you do!!

GUESS WHAT??!!  For Love Of A Dog  is  offering ALL OF YOU A 10% DISCOUNT (and their usual FREE SHIPPING!!) on your order! Just enter this CODE at CHECKOUT: FLDNEW

 

Oh! I nearly forgot! They also have a blog and you can check that out here

Mom and I are certain you are going to love whatever you order just as much as she did!

Barks and licks and love, Dakota

Mom and I were not compensated for this blog post. Mom purchased every item that she  received from For Love Of A Dog. Mom and I feel that when someone works as hard as they do in offering good, unique, quality products that are shipped with creativity and care, they deserve to be mentioned!

Meet “The Pet Loo” A Guest Blog By Tobi Skovron, CEO and Founder of The Pet Loo

 WHAT IS THE PET LOO?

Designed & developed in Australia in 2003 available worldwide as of 2006, The Pet Loo is your backyard in a box – A very clever solution for all your animal’s toilet problems.

•   Forget those early morning toilet runs
•   Say goodbye to those toilet walks in the rain
•   Farewell to those stains on the carpet

Keep your feet up and enjoy having a pet as part of your lifestyle while The Pet Loo takes care of the toilet problems for you.

This innovative lawn toilet will contain your pet’s waste in one designated area and will ensure your peace of mind on those extended stays out of the home. Should you live in an apartment or a house, take your dog to the office or simply want to leave those toilet training headaches behind, The Pet Loo is a hygienic, convenient, simple and an environmentally friendly way to allow your pet the freedom to do its business without relying on you for an opportunity.

The Pet Loo has a uniquely patented draining system and is a pioneer in the category of Pet Toileting. Whilst other potties are as basic as a piece of grass rested on a flat plastic base – The Pet Loo has a base that is slightly angled to assist gravity in the catchment of urine. It has been reinforced specifically to support the weight of an animal and is shaped to channel the urine towards the collection jug. It is unmatchable in its design, structure, features and benefits as before launch the team behind Pet Loo protected their ideas with the registration of strong intellectual property.

They didn’t stop there; The Pet Loo has a range of value add products to make life even easier for pets and pet owners.

Train your Pet with “Skip To My Loo”

A unique attractant that has been designed to attract and encourage your dog, puppy or kitten to relieve itself in an area designated by you.

Absorb the waste with “Pee-Pods”

The revolutionary Pee-Pod is a biodegradable container that fits neatly inside the catchment jug of The Pet Loo. When Wee Sponge (powder) comes into contact with liquid waste it rapidly absorbs the urine and turns it into a solidified gel, also trapping any airborne odors. 

Clean The Loo with “Wee Care”

WEE Care is the original Pet Loo Cleaner!

It is the only recommended cleaner for The Pet Loo and works to eliminate odors and soiling. 
The natural actions of enzymes leave no by-products behind which would attract dirt and bacteria. Leaving The Pet Loo free from problem causing organic contaminants and residue.

If & When you need – Replacement Pet Loo grass is also available

The team behind Pet Loo are highly passionate about pets and care about the world they live in.

With the success they’re having they never forget where they have come from along with the foundations on which they started this business – the drive to increase pet ownership, decrease pet surrenders, and promote the amazing benefits of animal companionship for people of all circumstances.

Their intention is to ensure that The Pet Loo brand not only solves pet owners’ toileting needs but also donates portions of profits to support pet shelters, charities, pets in need, and causes related to animal welfare.

Do you have a question about The Pet Loo?

Have a look at their Frequently Asked Questions and see if we have an answer. You can also get social with Pet Loo on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube:

www.facebook.com/PetLoo

www.twitter.com/PetLoo

www.YouTube.com/PetLooUSA

 

THE PET LOO IS MORE THAN JUST A PRODUCT 
IT’S A SOLUTION!

To purchase The Pet Loo, which ranges in price from $99-$149, visit its online store at, http://shop.thepetloo.com/.

ABOUT TOBI SKOVRON,  CEO and Founder of The Pet Loo:

 

At the tender age of 23, Tobi Skovron,  (a  self-confessed go-getter from Melbourne, Australia),  literally came up with The Pet Loo business after standing in the pouring rain with his dog, wishing there was an easier way for him and other apartment dwellers with pets to take their dogs to the bathroom, otherwise known as the “loo.”

That soggy day was the catalyst that sparked an impressive entrepreneurial fire, with Skovron inventing The Pet Loo, a 100% chemical-free, odorless synthetic backyard in a box that can fit comfortably inside a person’s home, apartment, boat, RV or other small or limited dwelling.  The Pet Loo is the only product that uses a uniquely patented drainage system that lets your pet do its business without having to go outside. If cleaned properly, the Pet Loo’s grass only needs to be replaced as needed, a drastic difference from many of his competitors who sell disposable products that last merely a month or two

 

From Dakota’s Den: In full disclosure we have not used this product but agreed to feature it because we thought that  it would be useful and  of interest  to many people, and we think that  a number of people will  be interested in trying it!  We received no compensation for Pet Loo appearing on our blog.