Cool New Products/Services I Learned About at BarkWorld!

Still recovering from having too much fun at BarkWorld

Events such as BarkWorld need sponsors, and they had some awesome ones.  Petco was the biggest sponsor (Thank you Petco).  Other sponsors included Pruven by 3M, which hosted the contest I won to go to BarkWorld (THANK YOU PRUVEN), the wonderful Westin Buckhead (where the event was held), Dogster, Catster, The Honest Kitchen, Nourish dog shampoo, Unleashed by Petco, Vectra Protect the Love, Be Pawsitive, Zuke's, Pet Care Rx, K9 Carry All, Nylabone, and a bunch of others.  (See 2013 Sponsors for a full list.) 

Thank you so much to all of the sponsors for sponsoring the event and for providing such awesome swag!

We learned about a lot of new products and services at BarkWorld.  Some of them are designed to make pet parents' lives easier, and others are designed to make pets' lives more fun.  At the top of the fun category is the new line of products at Petco called the Star Wars Pet Fans Collection.  

They have Star Wars toys for both dogs AND cats,

Star Wars costumes,

A long time ago, in a city far far away,
I was enticed into posing wearing Yoda ears
by the promise of some Zuke's treats

and we even got a Star Wars survival kit as part of our swag.  Star Wars Pet Fans Collection products are supposed to go on sale today, September 1, but we saw some at Petco yesterday -- so they're probably available at your local Petco now!

This is my Star Wars Survival Kit

. . . but will I survive the embarrassment?

Another GREAT new product we learned about is Pruven Scratch Protection Film.  Although we don't need it because I'm not a scratcher, mom says they certainly could have used it with my black lab brother Jake.  You stick the clear film on surfaces you want to protect, such as doors, windows, window sills, etc. and it protects the surfaces from dog or cat scratches, then you won't have to repaint them!  Mom thinks it's a brilliant idea.  Pruven also has lots of other great products to make the lives of pet parents easier.  Mom always keeps a Pruven lint roller in her car, her office, and various places around the house -- something to do with not wanting yellow lab hair on her dark business suits.

Just not that excited about nonedible swag
(although my mom was)

We also learned about Nourish dog shampoo and we got a couple bottles to try.  We haven't tried it yet because I haven't needed a bath, but we will report back to you when we do.  One of the great things about Nourish is that for every ounce of shampoo they sell, they give an ounce of shampoo to an animal shelter, because clean dogs are more easily adoptable.  We think this is a great idea -- we LOVE companies that give back to the community and help puppies (and kitties and other creatures) in need. 

Speaking of helping puppies in need, for every treat box purchased from Be Pawsitive, a box of treats is sent to an animal shelter or rescue organization.  I tried a Be Pawsitive treat box back in June, and I LOVED the all natural, USDA-certified organic treats.  (See my Be Pawsitive Treat Box Review.)  I kept stopping by their booth at BarkWorld because they have such awesome treats, and all I had to do was look cute and pose for photos.

Just hanging out with a Be Pawsitive treat on my paw

Although not a new product, I wanted to mention Vectra because it's a great product.  I've been using Vectra 3D for a couple years now and I've found it to be very effective against ticks, which is extremely important with all the time I spend out in the woods.  Did you know that Vectra 3D also repels and kills fleas, mosquitoes, biting and sand flies, lice and mites?  Mom says we live in the mosquito capital of the world.  She wishes they made Vectra for humans.  Vectra also has a new facebook page called Protect the Love, "a place where people who are crazy in love with their dogs and cats can interact and share with those just like them!"  (Sounds like my kind of place.)

This is how I remind mom when it's
time for my monthly Vectra application

Not a new product, but a cool product -- our friends at K9 Carry All make custom-made leashes with your name, your rescue's name, your company's name, or whatever you want on them.  (I'd love to get a special TWAGR leash once I have a logo.)  They also carry other great products such as doggie first aid kits, dog-friendly wrapping paper, and doggie strollers.

Personalized leashes from K9 Carry All

Zuke's, another sponsor of BarkWorld, makes some of our favorite training treats, Zuke's Mini Naturals.  Mini Naturals make perfect training treats because they are small, soft, and low-calorie.  Sugar's momma discovered that having some Zuke's treats was one way to get my attention for photos.

Sugar's mom is holding a bag of Zuke's treats
(see top of photo)

We didn't just learn about products, we also learned about some cool new services.  Mom had the opportunity to meet and speak with the founder of Rover.com and learn all about what they do.  Most people hate to leave their pets when they go away, but sometimes they have to (like when my parents go to Arizona and they can't take me with them on the plane).  Rover.com provides an alternative to leaving your pet in a kennel by hooking pet parents up with people who will take care of pets in their homes.  We think this is a fantastic idea because we know pets are more comfortable in a home with a family than in even the nicest of kennels.  And Rover.com is set up to take care of all of the logistics -- finding a pet sitter, providing them with your pet's information, paying them, etc. 

I'll be hosting a giveaway of Rover.com gift cards soon

Mom is VERY excited about a new service from Pet Care Rx called Protection Plus -- the first ever prescription card for pets.  Mom says prescriptions cost a huge amount, so she thinks this is a great way that pet parents can save money on their pets' veterinary expenses.  Protection Plus offers savings of up to 75% on prescriptions as well as additional savings on vet visits, vaccinations and more.  Visit ProtectionPlusCard.com for more info.

There was lots of other awesome stuff at BarkWorld, and I got LOTS of great swag.  I'll be hosting some swag giveaways soon, so stay in touch.  If you haven't already, please go "like" my new facebook fan page TWAGR: The World According to Garth Riley.  Thanks!

Mom thought it would be funny to cover
me up in Barkworld swag . . .
I beg to differ