BlogPaws Bliss thanks to Nutrish®-Thankful Thursday

Before I write another word, I want to make it clear that this is NOT a commercial.  At the heart of this blog post is the belief in a brand, as well as the person behind it.

click on the logo to visit the Nutrish website for more deliciousness!

Long before I had Dakota’s blog, he was eating  Nutrish^®. Why? Because I have been a fan of Rachael Ray’s from the time her first 30 Minute Meal shows aired on The Food Network. In those first shows she wasn’t the star that she is today. She was, by her own admission, a “home cook” NOT a chef. Her first shows were a tad awkward, she seemed tentative and reserved, a far cry from the bubbly, talk show host, magazine magnate and household word in the kitchen that she is today. What I saw in her then, and what I see and relate to now, was that she was and is REAL. She seems approachable, she drops food  “it isn’t a party until the food falls on the floor” and she burns toast. Yes, she burns toast. Just like you and me.

I knew that she used to test recipes on her first dog, a pit bull named Boo,  in her cozy cabin kitchen in the Adirondacks. She COOKED for her first  dog, she cooks for her current dog, Isaboo,  she cooks for her family. She is a home cook, like ME and like  many of YOU.

I own the majority of her cookbooks, I subscribe to her magazine, I watched nearly every episode of every show she has been on, beginning with  The Food Network and beyond.

Dakota became a part of our family in 2007, Rachael Ray began her dog food company, Nutrish^®, in 2008.  As soon as  Nutrish^® was available in Michigan, it was served to Dakota. He has eaten it ever since, long before his blog began in 2011.  It is the ONLY dog food that he is served.

Did you know that sales of  Nutrish^® goes towards Rachael’s Rescue? Rachael’s Rescue was created for “forgotten pets”, for those that have no one to love them. 

There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING better than being given the opportunity of representing a brand that you LEGITIMATELY USE,  that you LEGITIMATELY BUY, you BELIEVE IN THE BRAND, AS WELL AS THEIR PRODUCTS.  Yes! I  AM yelling! I will shout it from the rooftops! Writing blog posts about a brand and products that you love  are not  a chore, you aren’t nervous about what you are going to say, or what the brand will think, why? Because you legitimately LOVE THE PRODUCT. When you love and believe in a product, the rest is gravy, whatever you have to say will come naturally, it comes from the heart, it comes from actually being a regular consumer of the product.

BlogPaws is another love that I first discovered in the fall of 2009. Without BlogPaws I wouldn’t know a thing about blogging. When I first discovered BlogPaws it was to me, a gift from the Gods!

Imagine my excitement when a brand that I LOVE approached me to be a “brand influencer”, and offered to sponsor my trip to BlogPaws 2013. I felt as if I had come full circle. I was ecstatic. It was a dream come true. I jumped on that opportunity the way Dakota jumps on his Rachael Ray Nutrish soup bones. If I had a tail it would have wagged. I wasn’t just on an airplane flying to BlogPaws, I was floating on air!

I took this from the plane!

Meeting the Nutrish^®team at BlogPaws was a true delight! They are just as warm and personable as the wonderful woman behind the brand that we are representing.  Having dinner with them and my fellow blogging friends who were also sponsored,  the night before the official kickoff of BlogPaws, was a treat whose flavor will stay in my mouth forever!  Especially due to the delicious Tiramisu we had for dessert!

Without Nutrish^® I wouldn’t have met and connected with other bloggers who were sponsored by Nutrish^®for BlogPaws. Without Nutrish^®I wouldn’t have FINALLY met fellow dog bloggers,  Jodi Stone of Heart Like a Dog, Sugar The Golden Retriever’s Mom, Rosalyn,  Jen from My Brown Newfies,  Carrie from Tales & Tails, Aimee and Chuy from Irresistible Pets,  the list goes on and on, and I apologize for not mentioning everyone!

Chuy of Irresistible Pets

Without Nutrish^®I wouldn’t have experienced all that there is to experience at BlogPaws from the Professional Product Review session presented by Rose Hamilton (Pet360). Carol Bryant (of  BlogPaws and Pet360) and Jeff Davis.  Nor would I have been able to learn from, and enjoy the  down-to-earth and wise Kimanzi Constable who presented his workshop,  The Key to Marketing with Social Media, which I enjoyed immensely.

Jeff Davis, Carol Bryant and Rose Hamilton

For those who have stuck around to read this blog-post-turned-into-a-tome, I thank you! If there is a brand that you would love to work with, I am here to tell you it is NOT all about the numbers. It is EVERYTHING about “doing more than is expected” (as I learned in the Professional Product Review session and was thrilled to learn that it  was something that I was already doing), and about partnering with a brand that you truly believe in, that you would use NO MATTER WHAT.

Thank you Nutrish^® for your wholesome food, treats, and bones, for making my Sheltie smile, and thank YOU for the honor of representing you at BlogPaws and beyond! YOU ROCK!

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LOW-COST VACCINATION CLINIC FOR DOGS AND CATS #MICHIGAN

 

Thankful for the #ASPCA and their Campaign for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month

From the ASPCA: “April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, and each year, the ASPCA urges supporters across the country to support our efforts and Go Orange for Animals in honor of the signing of the ASPCA’s charter in 1866”

How can YOU become involved?

Here are some suggestions from the ASPCA:

Get to know and look out for the animals in your neighborhood. By being aware, you’re more likely to notice, for example, that the dog next door who was once hefty has lost weight rapidly—a possible indicator of abuse.
Make the call. Without phone calls from concerned citizens who report cruelty in their neighborhoods, we wouldn’t know about most instances of animal abuse. It all comes from the public, it all starts with YOU—that’s why it’s so important to keep your eyes and ears open.

Provide as much as information as possible when reporting animal cruelty. The details that you provide can go a long way toward assisting an investigating officer. It helps to write down the type of cruelty you witnessed, who was involved, the date of the incident and where it took place.

Support your local shelter or animal rescue organization. It’s a great way to make a difference. Some of our ASPCA volunteers foster animals who have been abused in their former homes, giving these dogs and cats the chance they deserve to have a good life. You can find a list of shelters and rescue groups in your area in our National Shelter Directory.

Start a Neighborhood Watch Program. Get to know the animals in your neighborhood and invite your friends and neighbors to do the same. Together you can keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviors—abuse and neglect of companion animals, the mistreatment of local wildlife, dogs left in hot cars and other signs of abuse.

For more ways that YOU can help stop cruelty to animals, read  the rest of the post here

Thankful Thursday: For Love Of A Dog

Throughout the nearly four years I have blogged, I have seen many products and met, albeit in many cases” virtually”, many different people.

There are  products and people who come and go, and there are some you just know will be around forever. Some products thrive and remain popular due to their superior quality and the meticulous care that goes into making them, and there are some people who sparkle and shine both inside AND out, just like their products.

One of these people and her products, is Sue Kottwitz from For Love Of A Dog.

Click photo to visit Sue’s website and blog!

I have featured Sue a few times  on Dakota’s blog, and I am tickled to feature her again!  This  time I was the  lucky recipient of a gorgeous bracelet of Sue’s that came from a give-away that Sue had in honor of her cherished  mother’s birthday. (Sue’s mother passed earlier in February of 2013. What an incredible woman she had to have been to have raised a daughter who has a heart bursting with goodness, as Sue does.) 

Here  are photos of what I won:

From For Love Of A Dog: “This is a one of kind piece of dog lover jewelry that I created specially for this celebration.

The focal is a hand crafted purple porcelain dog bone with DOG MOM hand inscribed.  The dog bone is surrounded by a variety of chubby artisan lampwork beads in shades of purple and lavender.  Pale lavender core with purple raised dots, a looping scroll design, and a drum rondelle.”

From For Love Of A Dog: “The clasp is a silver heart with paw print lobster claw.  To finish things just right, I added an artisan lampwork heart that is nicely fat and scarlet red.   This bracelet is a $75 value!”

I wish you could see this bracelet in person, it is even more exquisite than it is in the photos. Here are some photos that I took:

Sue’s creations are always packaged with love, and focus on presentation

 

I squealed with delight when I opened my PRIZE!!

Did you notice the beautiful presentation of the package?  A couple of years ago, I ordered pieces from Sue and some jewelry from another place, the jewelry all arrived at the same time. I felt bad for the “other” person, because her jewelry was wrapped in a haphazard manner, and then there was Sue’s? Who do YOU think I still purchase jewelry from?

The bracelet is simply GORGEOUS and as I mentioned before this is not the only piece of Sue’s jewelry that I own. I also bought some pieces myself, here is my beloved Sheltie necklace that I BOUGHT!

Yep I bought this breed specific necklace (along with some cat items but THIS is a DOG blog!) I wore this necklace to BlogPaws 2011!

Are you drooling by now? I thought so! It wouldn’t be fair of me to show you these wonderful items and not tell you that we have an upcoming GIVE-AWAY that will be on Dakota’s blog THIS MONDAY APRIL 1st (and THAT is no joke!) You will have to come back Monday to see what you can enter to win if you live in the U.S. AND CANADA! (it is TOTALLY different than what is featured here today!)

In the meantime you can follow Sue every which way possible and count the minutes til you can enter on MONDAY!

 The Website: www.ForLoveofaDog.com 

>The Blog:  www.Talking-dogs.com
>Facebook:  www.Facebook.com/ForLoveofaDogJewelry
>Google+ : www.gplus.to/ForLoveofaDog
>Twitter:  www.twitter.com/ForLoveofaDog
>Pinterest:  www.Pinterest.com/Forloveofadog

THANK YOU SUE FOR MY GORGEOUS BRACELET!!

 

 

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?

A Birthday Letter to My “Boy”

Dear Dakota,

Today is your birthday. YOU ARE NOW SIX YEARS OLD! 

 

It is hard for me to wrap my head around that  number.

This is the first of your birthdays that I am sad.  I am trying with all of my might to be in a celebratory mood, and I will accomplish that, I just can’t at this moment.

Where has the time gone?

this was the first photo we were given of Dakota from his breeder, Shelia Ellis, before we had met him

 

It seems as if it was only yesterday that after an INTENSE and most DEDICATED search by your Dad to fulfill a childhood wish of  mine of presenting me with a Sheltie for my birthday, that SIX YEARS HAVE PASSED.

 

When you joined our family you were only 8 months old. A mere pup. I remember when we had picked you up and were bringing you “home”, sitting with you in the back seat of the car, you were in your crate, I was next to you petting you and talking to you because we were told that you and cars did NOT get along. I did my best to  soothe and reassure you.

You instantly became friends with your kitty brother, a huge blessing for your Dad and I.

My biggest frustration in those early days was that I thought you would NEVER be housebroken!! I remember a relentless parade of going up and down 12 stairs with you, you were housebroken in your previous home,  you just had to learn the lay of the land with us.

It is hard for me to believe that the first two weeks that you lived with us you were QUIET! I honestly thought you did NOT know how to bark! To think, that ever worried me with the multitude of times every day that you show us that YES INDEED YOU CAN BARK,  and  quite well I might add!

I often feel guilty that you live on the second floor of a condo. I often feel that we are doing you a disservice. I see other dogs with fenced yards that are able to romp freely during the day, you? I think you are part cat, or maybe it is because you live with a cat, you don’t enjoy walks and prefer to stay inside.  I never was one to force you to do what you don’t wish to do, so maybe our situation isn’t that bad after all.

 

You never cease to amaze me. You hated obedience classes but are an apt pupil for learning EVERYTHING that we DON’T want you to learn! You seem to have a grasp of language far better than many humans that I know. You know just what you want and let us know, you know just what your Dad and I need, and give it to us unselfishly.

Your Dad and I survived indoor “accidents”, chewed cell phones, CD’s, paper, and enough wood to light a fire, it is a miracle you are still with us!

This was particularly delicious. The green color gave it a “Minty Fresh” taste. I was stopped from my fine dining experience before I could get to the delicious licorice flavored battery

But, with the blessings of God, you ARE still with us! Your sixth birthday has made me face the brutal fact that you are no longer a pup, even though you still act like one, you are approaching your gasp, Senior years. I am having trouble accepting this.

Dearest Dakota, you have brought so much laughter, joy, love, craziness, and devotion to your Dad’s and my world that I cannot even fathom what life would be like without you.

So, rather than be melancholy and reflective, I am going to switch to celebratory mode.

I celebrate your birth, I celebrate our good fortune when your human sister told us about you, I celebrate your smile, your warm and lavish fur, I celebrate your loving licks, your gentle eyes, they way you hold my hand with your paw when you lick me, the way you pick up your red, white and blue ball when your Dad and I return home, even if we were gone for only 5 seconds.

“Hooray for the red, white & blue!!!”

YES, I even celebrate your BARKING (remind me please that I said this)

My precious Sheltie boy, I vow to make your remaining years with us, and I hope there are MANY, ones full of continued learning, NEW adventures, MORE walks, tons of snuggles, oodles of  kisses, tasty food and  never-ending love.

YOU, Dakota, were the answer to my childhood dream of one day having a Sheltie of my own.

Happy, Happy Birthday my silly and sensitive boy,

 

I love you more than all of your cherished bones being piled to the “moon and back”

Mom

BLOGPAWS COMMUNITY FEATURED PET by Kristin Dewey, BlogPaws Special Projects Manager

I am wagging my tail with delight! I am honored to be the BlogPaws Community Featured Pet!

If you haven’t joined the BlogPaws Community. Click on my photo to join!

 

by Kristin Dewey, BlogPaws Special Projects Manager

 

Dakota is a loving, funny, stubborn, (loud!) 5-year-old Shetland Sheepdog gentleman from Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Dakota is a Native American word meaning ‘trusted friend,’ and his name won the popular vote in a naming contest for a canine character in the new Amy Shojai book, “Lost and Found!”

He loves eating bones, being brushed, modeling and playing with his ball, and he’s a great brother to Cody, the cat.

His mom, Caren Gittleman, says he can spell! (You’ll have to ask him about that…)

You can get to know the handsome and adored Dakota better on his mom’s Community Page, at his blog: Dakota’s Den, onFacebook and on Twitter @dakotasheltie.

PURINA® DOG CHOW® GIVES THE GIFT OF HOPE FOR MICHIGAN ANIMALS IN NEED

Donation of hundreds of pounds of food to support the MHS free pet food bank

On the heels of a successful community pet food donation drive that helped fill a truck with food for the Michigan Humane Society’s (MHS) free pet food bank, another gift has arrived just in time for the New Year, and it means a holiday full of hope for hundreds of local animals. More than 8 pallets of Purina® Dog Chow® brand dog food was delivered to MHS this week. This gift of hundreds of pounds of dog food will be used to support MHS’ free pet food bank program, which every year helps thousands of pet owners who love their pets but have fallen on hard times and are struggling to feed them.

“Every day, dozens of pet owners depend on the MHS pet food bank to feed their four-legged friends,” said Debby MacDonald, MHS Chief Cruelty Investigator and MHS Detroit Facility Director. “These are people like you and me who love animals, but who may have fallen on hard times. Without programs like these, they’d be forced to give up their best friend.  “We are extraordinarily grateful to Purina Dog Chow for this generous donation, which will help MHS keep hundreds of families together this holiday season.”

(Photo caption: “Former Detroit Red Wings player Kirk Maltby holds Crosby, a 2-month-old Hound mix, in front of a Michigan Humane Society van on Wednesday, December 19 in Detroit. Maltby was helping gather pet food for MHS’ free pet food bank.”)

MHS’ pet food bank assists qualifying low-income families in metro Detroit by providing them with dog or cat food at no charge. The program is supplied through food donations at MHS’ three centers for animal care, in Detroit, Rochester Hills and Westland. Low-income pet owners can pick up one bag of food every week to help feed their hungry pets.

Last Wednesday, MHS was proud to team up with the Detroit Red Wings, including former player Kirk Maltby and the voice of the Red Wings, Ken Kal, at the MHS Detroit Center for Animal Care to help “Fill the Truck” with pet food. Through the community’s tremendous support, more than 100 bags of pet food were collected, and are already being distributed to struggling pet owners.

“No pet should ever go hungry,” MacDonald said. “Thanks to the generosity of Purina Dog Chow and everybody who came out to donate food, dogs and cats across metro Detroit will have a much brighter holiday.”

For more information about the MHS free pet food bank, including eligibility information, please visit www.michiganhumane.org, or call 1-866-MHUMANE (648-6263), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Michigan Humane Society is a private, nonprofit organization which cares for more than 100,000 animals each year, while working to end companion animal homelessness, provide the highest quality service and compassion to the animals entrusted to our care, and to be a leader in promoting humane values.

Thankful Thursday: Pet Blogger Gift Exchange! Our New Friend “Kirby”

There are many traditions that take place during the holiday season. Some involve music, some involve decorating or the preparing of special heirloom recipes, still others involve the tradition of gifts.

When we think of  gifts, we think of presents that  are in boxes or bags and decorated with silvery, satiny bows.

There is what I hope will be a NEW holiday tradition taking place in Blog Land called the Pet Blogger Gift Exchange. Upon first glance one would think that it also involves exchanging gifts with fellow pet bloggers that involve boxes and bows. Not so.

Our friends over at Something Wagging This Way Comes,  have created, in my estimation, one of the best group blogger events…EVER! It is:

Click the badge to visit Something Wagging This Way Comes

 

What it involves: Positive Affirmations. From Something Wagging This Way Comes: Anytime during the month of December, shower your fellow online animal lover with encouragement and compliments. You can write it into a blog post, tweet about them, set up a Pinterest board, or post to your Facebook wall. It’s an easy way to share a gift while feeling good yourself for encouraging someone who works so hard at advocating, educating, or just plain entertaining the animal loving community.

Let me tell you just how much I LOVED this idea! I couldn’t wait to take part! Now, allow me to introduce you to the blogger that I was paired with over at:

KIRBY’S DAWG BLOG

Click the photo to visit Kirby’s blog!

 

How cute is this little guy?

From Kirby’s Dawg Blog September 2012– This blog is going to focus all around the trials and joys of owning my 5 and a 1/2 month old puppy…soon to be dog Kirby! He is quite possibly the happiest adventurous little dog I’ve owned. I hope this blog turns into a fun community for dog lover’s alike to discuss and relate to one another. I guarantee there will not be one dull moment with Kirby around- being cute also helps:) I have education in the dog/animal world and am hopeful to put it to some use!

I am embarrassed to say that I don’t know much…(yet) about the person behind the blog because I just started following her about a week ago. What I DO know is that the person behind the blog by all accounts is a complete sweetheart. We are now following each others’ blogs (I was honored to find out that before we were paired up for this exercise that she was already following me!)

What is pitiful is I forgot to find out her name! I am beyond embarrassed! I can tell you the name of every dog and cat in the blogging community (no, not really but I do know A LOT of them) but I forgot to ask Kirby’s Mom her REAL NAME!

What I see when I visit Kirby’s Dawg Blog is a completely adorable dog who shares his life with a human whose love is evident with each blog post.

Kirby’s human shares every day events in her dog’s life such as playing, bath time, one of my new favorites, “The Dreaded Christmas Sweater”  in a warm, friendly, humorous and welcoming way. You cannot leave her blog without feelin’ the love and to me that’s what pet blogging is all about.

Click the photo to read about the “Dreaded Christmas Sweater”

What I am most happy about after having been paired with Kirby’s Mom is that our journey is just beginning, it won’t end after this blog post. I will learn more about this fun-loving, warm and compassionate blogger and guess what? I WILL FINALLY FIND OUT HER NAME!! Hey Kirby’s Human! I am now your #1 Fan and if there is ANYTHING that you need, I am here for you!! ! I’m HONORED to meet you and I am so happy to have you as my new friend!  Keep on creating blog posts that are as adorable as the ones you have created, your posts brought a huge smile to my face and warmed my heart. I look forward to reading more! I wish you the warmest of holidays, and give that little guy a HUGE KISS FROM ME!

 

Thankful Thursday: A Special Holiday Message from ChazzTheDog-A Guest Post

From Dakota’s Den: I read this post from my buddy Chazz  on his blog  ADOPTED MOM TO CHAZZ and it resonated with me. It made such an impression that I asked Chazz’s Mom if I may re-post this. She graciously gave me her permission.  This holiday season let’s celebrate and welcome our differences. Let’s learn from each others’ traditions. Let’s expand our frame of reference to include everyone. It should be a joyous time of year for us all.   I am proud to welcome ChazzTheDog to our blog today as our guest. Enjoy his post!

Barks and licks and love,  Dakota

  HOLIDAY GREETINGS

 from ChazzTheDog

Pawwaves to all my pals. I wanted to take this time, as the days get busier and go quickly to wish you all

Happy Holidays!

It is important at this time of the year to enjoy your family and furriends; to gather for food, music, and celebration – whatever your traditions. To remember with fond memories those who have left us in body; but always remain in our hearts in spirit. We never lose the love we have for them – never.

And let us remember that while we all belong to different families, we are all part of a bigger family. We  all share the important things. To have a furever home, to be loved and give love.

Let me tell you a short story: About two years ago when i first came to make this blog; I was asked to join a Dog & Kitteh Christmas Choir. I was very pawcited to be asked to join the group.  But I thought I had better tell them that i don’t celebrate Christmas, because I’m Jewish. Now that didn’t mean I didn’t know all the words to the Christmas Carols, because I do…and I wanted to be in da singing group.  They said that was okay, I could be in da group even though I celebrate Chanukah. We should respect everybody’s personal traditions cause that’s what they believe.

 Just because people (or dogs) were raised in different cultures doesn’t mean we can’t respect them when they are different then us…

So that’s my  message as we enter this Holiday Season. Shopping, cooking, baking,  wrapping presents, will keep us all very busy in these days leading up to the end of the year and through New Year’s 2013.  But it is also important to remember these things. Peace, Love, and Harmony. It’s mostly all we have to give to one another.

Happy Holidays,

ChazzTheDog