My Human Was Nearly Killed Trying to Save my Life- So I Decided to Do Something About It–A Guest Blog Post

Well hello everybody!

My name’s Naraku and my tail is wagging with excitement about doing a guest post for Dakota’s Den.

Thanks Dakota and  Caren!

I’m writing this blog today to let you guys know we need your help!

Let me tell you why.

A few years ago my dad Trevor was hit by a car on an early morning walk with me.

It was still dark outside and the car couldn’t see us.  In America, on average, a pedestrian is hit every 8 minutes.

This is a major problem that needs to be addressed.  We have declared war on this issue and made it our mission to spread the word and raise awareness.

You rarely see a human riding a bike at night without some sort of blinking light.  Why is that the standard for bike riders and not for dogs and dog walkers?  It needs to be the standard!

 

Our mission is to have a light up product on every dog that walks their human companion at night or early morning. We want to bring awareness to this issue and provide solutions. We hope no one else has to risk their life for their best friend.

To combat this problem we designed a two tier approach:

1.                  Create a hilarious and amazing video that people will want to share that will raise awareness of this problem.  We use humor to soften a serious issue.
2.                  Design a solution that people will be happy to put on their dogs and will tell their friends about.

We saw that LED dog products already existed but we couldn’t find companies that were pushing the message.  We don’t want to sell products first and then push the message to sell more products.  We think that is backwards, we want to push the message first and provide a solution to the problem.

 

We knew we had to make a good-looking product that people would want to show off so I could get my dog buddies excited to put them on.  When dogs and people are excited about a product, they tell their friends.  These products are not like anything else out there.

We designed a series of high quality LED dog leashes and collars.

These Leashes and collars are stylish, durable, easy to clean and replacing the batteries is simple even without an opposable thumb.

We really need your help to get this off the ground!!  We have 2 weeks left to reach our funding goal!

Please check out this short video we made explaining our product and our mission in more detail.

We ship internationally and anyone can order or even just donate to help us out!  If you don’t want a collar or leash, we have some really cool rewards for donations.

Click below to see what all the buzz is about.

PUP PROTECTOR

See you soon!

-Naraku and the Pup Protector team

Click the link  to help spread the word:  http://bit.ly/PupProtector 

and share this blog post!

 

From Dakota’s Den: It was our pleasure to feature Naraku and the Pup Protector Team. When we heard about this product we felt that it could help save lives and we would love to see it receive the funding it needs to get off the ground! Dakota and I were not compensated for this guest post. We just felt the need to help spread the word!

Plus,  Naraku is awfully darned cute, isn’t he?

The “Soul of the Dog”–Dakota’s eyes captured by Artist, Sheila Wedegis

click on my eyes to visit Sheila’s blog!

Isn’t this just unbelievable?

Mom and I think that Sheila captured my eyes beautifully. So beautifully that Mom has bought this painting and cannot wait for it to arrive!

Some of you might be familiar with the art of Sheila Wedegis, but for those who aren’t,  this painting is part of a 30 day challenge that artist Sheila Wedegis is taking part in called

THE SOUL OF THE DOG

“The eyes are the windows to the soul” 

so it was no wonder that Sheila chose to paint dog’s eyes for her challenge.

Mom and I are just in love with this painting!

If you would like to submit a photo of your dog,  visit Sheila’s blog here and I linked to her in various other areas of this post.

You can also visit her on Facebook by clicking here

Thank you so much Sheila! You are sooo talented!

Barks and licks and love, Dakota and “Mom”

 

I’ve been “Limericked” by OZ!!

My buddy Oz The Terrier is a regular wordsmith!

All of the blogging doggies LOVE his way with words and his limericks and we always tell him so! Because we love them so much, Oz gave us all the chance to be “limericked!!” yeah I made that word up!! Guess what? I decided to “bite” and have him do one for me. Wait til you read mine! Oh my DOG did my Mom and I bark out loud about THIS ONE!!

There once was a Sheepdog in the Hills

who swore he was a dog of no frills.

I tell you it’s true,

ask “what do gentlemen do?”

and then watch as he sits real stills.

This video was the inspiration for the above limerick:

Thanks Oz!!

That was great!!

Barks and licks and love, Dakota

*****An original poem by Oz the Terrier; re-posted with permission, in its entirety, as originally posted at www.oztheterrier.com.

Happy Birthday Pip & Sissy!

We just heard that our buddy Pip is having a birthday today and so is his human sister, Sissy!

Click on the photo to stop by and wish them both a

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Photo by Ann Adamus of Zoolatry

 

Sending them both, 

TONS OF

BARKS AND LICKS AND LOVE,

DAKOTA

 

Roxy Doggie Necklace

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Back in January our friends at one of our favorite blogs,  Roxy The Traveling Dog, had a give-away where you could win one of the beautiful, handmade, beaded “necklaces” that Roxy wears.

Photo Courtesy Of Roxy The Traveling Dog. Click on the photo to visit!

Click here to see more colors and styles.

Mom entered the give-away, and was lucky enough to be one of  the two winners! Do you believe that Mom had the nerve to ask Roxy’s Mom if she could have her prize made  as a BRACELET  for  her? What nerve! Mom’s  reasoning was that my “mane’ is so long that if I wore a beautiful collar/necklace like that it would never be seen, and my kitty brother, Cody, who it WOULD fit, doesn’t wear collars.

Roxy’s Mom was kind enough to make Mom her own bracelet and Mom couldn’t have been more excited when it arrived!

Along with the bracelet that Mom adores, she  received  a lovely note from Roxy and Torrey’s Mom as well as some of their beautiful business cards. (Ignore the notepad with the coffee mug stain that Mom put the bracelet on, geeze!) Here is a better shot of how beautiful the bracelet is!

From their  website (and we apologize but WordPress wouldn’t let me remove the italics on the last two points)

All necklaces are 5/8″ wide, unless ordered larger, and any length you need. Cost is $2.00 per inch. Matching people bracelets are 7″ and $15.00, unless you request differently.

 Available colors – White, black, red, yellow, green, pink, orange, coral, lilac, beige, crystal clear, dk.blue, light blue, turquoise.  

 Patterns– Horizontal stripes, checker board w/line, random dots, vertical stripes, checker board, zig zag, stars, Native American.

 

For information on how you can order one of your own, click here

 

 

Roxy and Torrey’s gifted Mom and Dad create the most incredible art that you can buy or share with others who might be interested in buying their incredible artwork. Take a look at their art here

 

Thank you Roxy and Torrey!

Mom LOVES her bracelet and will wear it with pride!

Barks and licks and love, Dakota

 

 

 

 

To MY “Queen of Hearts” Happy Valentine’s Day!

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY ALL!

There were a number of us in the U.S. who didn’t realize until the last moment that Mollie and Ranger’s Valentine’s Ball was going on all week and many of us had other blogging obligations that we had to fulfill and were unable to adjust our schedules.

I still was lucky enough to attend the ball with MY “Queen”….EVA……..

We had a wonderful time and appreciate all the work that was involved in putting on such a spectacular event!

Neither Eva nor I  had any aspirations of winning   the title of “King and Queen” of the Valentine’s Ball, and of course we didn’t, but  in OUR hearts we will always be “KING” and “QUEEN” to each other!

Happy Valentine’s Day my precious and stunningly beautiful Sheltie girlfriend Eva! 

 

Be sure to stop over to Mollie’s and see who the REAL King and Queen of the Valentine’s Ball was.

 

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY TO ALL OF YOU!

Thank you for being our special furiends and for sharing your day with us!!

Barks and licks and love,

Dakota and Mom

Mischief Master Class: A Book written by Dogs (two Cats and a Turtle!)…assisted by Annette Vivian

Hi everyone it’s Dakota, it’s Monday and you know what THAT means! It’s Mischief Monday!!

I can’t think of a better day to feature the new book by my buddy Snoopy, (of the informative, fun and adorable blog, SNOOPY’S DOG BLOG,)   Mischief Master Class A Book written by Dogs (two Cats and a Turtle!)…assisted by Annette Vivian.

Photo Courtesy of Annette Vivian

How did this book evolve?

For the rare few who DON’T know, my buddy Snoopy is the MASTER of Mischief! So much so that on his blog he has a regular Monday feature called the Monday Mischief Blog Hop which is sponsored by Snoopy, Alfie’s Blog, Luna Dogs Life and My Brown Newfies. This Blog Hop is so popular and has so many weekly submissions from various animals all over the world, that it only made sense that the concept would make a natural evolution, into a BOOK! Now, when you want to read about all the mischief that everyone has been up to, it’s right at the tip of your paws!

My buddy Snoopy is a 2-year-old Bearded Collie who considers himself to be the “Master of Mischief”  That title didn’t come easy.  In order to attain the title of “Master of Mischief” you must have enormous skill and creativity! Snoopy has made it his mission to help all animals get the title of “Master of Mischief” by compiling this pawsome book!

But what exactly IS “Mischief? I’m glad that you asked!  Here is the definition that I found online:” It is “Playful misbehavior or troublemaking”

Snoopy feels, and I agree, that with so much seriousness in the World and in our jobs (did you know that Snoopy is a registered therapy dog? That’s some SERIOUS stuff!) it is important to incorporate some play in your day and what better way to do that than through creating some Mischief!

How Does The Mischief Master Class Work?

From Snoopy: “you must keep in mind some basic principles/rules/codes. If you stick to these principles, my experience tells me you’ll be a Mischief Master in no time!”

This book will be your greatest “go-to” to hone your mischief-making skills! You will LOVE the fun examples/stories shared by animals from all over the world (and their 2-leggers). The colorful photographs will make you wag your tail with delight!

Some of my favorite “Principles” in Mischief Master Class are:

Look Cute-Freddie of the blog BASSET MOMMA  has that skill learned, paws down!

Forgiveness is Easier Than Permission-shown by the sock stealing antics of Alfie the Entlebucher Mountain Pup. Visit him at ALFIE’S BLOG.

My Handiwork

Stand Tall, Be Firm-shown by none other than yours truly!! Yep! I’m in the book too! I tried so hard to protect my territory from the dogs across the hall that I tore up our door wall! Just for the record, I was so adept at this feat that the dogs have MOVED!

The Art Of Negotiation– remarkably displayed by our turtle friend Kroten, of the blog UNDERNEATH THE SHELL, who will eat anything and everything!

Don’t Underestimate The Little Guy, The Big Dog Isn’t Always The Top Dog-shown by Roxy and Torrey of the blog ROXY THE TRAVELING DOG, as well as  Snoopy himself with a hilarious intro to this chapter about Snoopy and his “sheep.”

Learn To Count– one of my faves, and highlights how my buddy Snoopy can count! Yep!  By learning to count he knows just how long he can stay on the forbidden bed before his Mom counts to THREE to get him off. He even includes a link to the video in his book (links to many other videos are in the book as well). Check out this one of Snoopy, you’ll see why it is a fave of mine!

The last principle we are going to share with you, (you will have to buy the book to see the rest), is showcased by Emma  of the blog MY GBGVLIFE and that is: Don’t Be Shy- Ask For What You Want where Emma was determined to have a special birthday pawty for her sister Katie and took matters into her own paws!

Photo Courtesy of Annette Vivian

Check out some more mischief that is in this great and FUN book!

Once you finish reading Snoopy’s Mischief Master Class, you will have “learned that no matter who you are or what you are, Mischief is for ALL!”

You will even have your own “Mischief Master” Certificate in the book, like mine!

Yeah I forged Snoopy’s “pawnigture”, hey, I read the book and contributed Mischief! I earned it!

 

Now,  go tell the person in charge of the money in your house to hurry up and pawchase this fantastic book! Better yet, YOU create some mischief and grab their credit card and order it yourself! BOL!!

Did you know?

 Snoopy  and his Mum are generously donating 50% of the book Profits to Therapy Pets Support Charities

To purchase Mischief Master Class in paperback click here

To purchase the Kindle edition click here

ISBN-13:978-1481159920

Wanna follow Snoopy?

You can find him on Facebook by clicking here

Twitter @snoopysstory

On his blog: SNOOPY’S DOG BLOG

About the Author

Snoopy lives in Northern California with his Mum, Annette Vivian, and the rest of their family. Annette Vivian, born in the Isle of Man, British Isles, qualified as an Accountant and Project Manager. After spending 15 years working in start-ups and financial institutions around the Globe, she finally realized that she was neglecting the creative, fun side of her brain. She spends her time now, looking after her family, taking Snoopy on Therapy visits and writing. 

Barks and licks and love, Dakota

I won a BarkBox and Cody won too!

Hi everyone! It’s Dakota! Back in October, I was reading one of my favorite blogs:

 

Photo Courtesy of Roo’s Doins, click photo to visit his blog!

Roo has a super special story about his life, which if you don’t know his story, you can read about it here

Now being the super generous dog that he is, Roo was having a give-away for a BarkBox and/or a MeowBox  as part of Roo’s Birthday/Gotcha celebration and I decided to enter!

What is a BarkBox?

From their website:

When you sign up for BarkBox, every month you will receive a box in the mail with four or more carefully selected products and presents for your dog – anything from bones and treats to shampoos, leashes and innovative new gadgets!

A portion of proceeds from each box will go to help doggies-in-need. To learn more about our causes, read about our giving program.

Here is a photo of Roo and HIS BarkBox

click on the photo to read more of his blog post!

Then…when it was time to pick winners

of his contest,

look who Roo picked!

Photo Courtesy of Roo’s Doins

I was BEYOND excited that I won!

Look at all of my stuff!

Do you believe it? One of my favorite things in that box are the blueberry treats by Fruitables Pet Foods! They are the perfect size for all of my treat toys and they are super delicious! Not to mention the great treat toy by Bionic and of course a gift card from our pals at chewy.com !! Everything I love!!

Mom was  super impressed with the Bark Box and said if she ever starts making some money again that maybe she will look into this for me. If not for me, it would make a great gift for some other lucky doggies!

Now, if that wasn’t generous enough, Roo even got presents for my kitty brother Cody, so he wouldn’t feel left out! Look at all of this stuff that Cody got!

There was a KONG kitty toy, a dangly, a KONG brush, a blanket and wait! Even THIS! A Cat Amazing treat maze for Cody!

Click on the photo to enter to win one on Cody’s blog!! You have til Monday at 5pm EST to enter!

Here  is a video of Cody enjoying his Cat Amazing!

You can enter to win one on his blog until

5pm this Monday by clicking here

 

Both Cody and I want to thank Roo for his INCREDIBLE KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY! It would have been enough for just ME to win (of course!), but to include Cody as well, was one of the kindest things we have ever experienced.

We are deeply touched Roo,

we THANK YOU  from the top of our ears,

to the tip of our tails,

and to the “moon and back!!”

We love you Roo!

Dakota and Cody

“Devious?” Never! “Clever?” Of course! “Genius?” ABSOLUTELY!

Happy Friday all! Yep, I’m late! Almost wasn’t even going to be able to blog today with all that is going on at my house, but duty or is it DOODY? calls!

Today I am going to tell you about an award I was given by my buddy Toby over at

Click on the photo to visit Toby’s blog!

This award was a new one to me! Check it out!

The requirements that one must complete upon accepting this award, is to name and link to the doggy who gave it to you…DONE! 

You know what? I am not sure what the other requirements are, but to prove that I am worthy of this award, I am going to elaborate on a couple of things that Toby mentioned in his post that we seem to have in common. Once you read these you will know that I was a deserving recipient.

TOBY EATS DOG POOP. YES, you read that correctly. If you think you missed it, let me say this again, TOBY EATS DOG POOP. Ya know what? So do I! Does that make me “devious?” Nooo…it makes me a genius and proves that I am quite  clever! Why? All dog poop is, is the same food that I just ate right before I  pooped!! It’s just in a more palatable form! It’s packed with nutrients and comes with the added bonus of dirt, cat fur, dust bunnies and whatever else I  may have ingested while going about my  daily “business.”  With everyone being so concerned about the environment, consider it a form of recycling and get over it, ok?

TOBY DOESN’T DO WELL WITH COMMANDS.  Neither do I. Let me put it to you this way, do YOU like to be told what to do? What if you feel like running and someone tells you to SIT? What if you want to rest and someone tells you to COME?  What if you found a hundred-zillion dollars and someone told you to LEAVE IT!! You wouldn’t listen, would you? Well, my 2-legged friends I am  no different than you! I have the ability to think, and in some cases I can exercise sound REASONING skills as well! I will be the one to decide WHAT I will do and WHEN I will do it! Being a Shetland Sheepdog I am the 6th most intelligent dog of the top 20 breeds. Don’t believe me? See for yourself!

1 – border collie
2 – poodle
3 – German shepherd
4 – golden retriever
5 – doberman pinscher
6 – shetland sheepdog
7 – Labrador retriever
8 – papillon
9 – rottweiler
10 – Australian cattle dog
11 – Pembroke welsh corgi
12 – miniature schnauzer
13 – English springer spaniel
14 – Belgian terrine
15 – schipperke / Belgian sheepdog
16 – collie / keeshound
17 – German short haired pointer
18 – flat coated retriever / English cocker spaniel / standard schnauzer
19 – Brittany spaniel
20 – cocker spaniel

Source(s):

The Intelligence of Dogs by Stanley Coren

 

See? I don’t need YOU to make decisions for me. You want TRICKS….buy a SEAL!

I could go on and on with further examples of why I am worthy of this award but one thing that makes me even more clever and even more of a genius is that I know when to STOP. Well, unless I am on a barking binge but I digress…

Now I am supposed to award this to 7 other bloggers!  Ok…here we go, if you have already received this just pretend I never told you about the award, it will be our little secret.

It’s EASY!!!! click on the photo to visit his blog

 

Click on the photo to visit their blog!

 

Click on their photo to visit their blog!

 

 

That’s it. Yeah, I KNOW that that’s not SEVEN. Did you NOT read my post above? I DON’T DO WELL WITH COMMANDS and I am the SIXTH MOST INTELLIGENT. I told you, I MAKE the decisions.  I don’t care what some arbitrary award tells me to do, “it’s MY way or the HIGHWAY!!” Now, if you will excuse me, I think I will go and:

EAT SOME POOP!!

Barks and licks and love,

Dakota

 

 

 

 

How Did YOU Name Your Dog?

Hi and happy Tuesday all! It’s Dakota’s Mom!

I remember when my husband and I first got Dakota. At the time, his name was “Tanner.” Now “Tanner” is a fine name, but when I would watch the handsome Sheltie who would soon become “Dakota”, the name just didn’t suit him.

Finding the perfect name was incredibly important to me. I always loved the name “Dakota” and had decided to look it up to see what it meant. I no longer remember the source, but at that time in 2007 the meaning I found was “trusted friend.”  The translation came from an Indian tribe…probably “Dakota???”

Once I saw the meaning, it was a done deal. “Tanner” would now become “Dakota”. I couldn’t be more pleased with my choice (or my dog!!)

How did YOU decide on a name for your dog?

Our friend Matt  Beswick sent us this great infographic  sharing the idea that maybe, just maybe your pet’s name was predestined?  Or are they just “plain random?” What do YOU think?

Dog names graphic produced by Matt Beswick for Pet365. Click here to view the full post.