Big News! I'm in a Book! #PaddleTails

I know I haven't posted in forever, but mom and I have been super busy having all kinds of adventures.  But I wanted to share with you the latest, greatest news -- we're in a book!  And not only in a book, but also on the cover!  

Our friend Maria has written a wonderful collection of stories about paddling dogs and their humans.  It's about how we find balance and peace and adventure together on the water.  It's funny and sad and inspirational.  There's even a story about a paddleboarding CAT!  It's available on Amazon.com at this link.

The Week's BEST Photos!

Happy Friday everybody! To celebrate Friday, I'm sharing with you my favorite photos from this week.

The Perfect Pillow for Stomach-Sleepers

(Siblings Serveta and Zosia)
Photo by Tim Kondas 
Owlcore on Instagram

Keeping an eye on things in the kitchen

(Me)
Photo by Garth's momma
TWAGR Facebook Fan Page

I can hear the sound of the ocean

(Me and Frankie's butt)
Photo by Frankie's momma AKA Emily Wallace

A ROCKin' Gift Idea: Kurgo Skipping Stones

My chocolate lab cousin Toby used to have a rock that he carried around in his mouth. He would carry it with him wherever he went and he'd put it down next to him if he sat or lay down. He didn't try to chew or eat it, he just liked to have it.

I can't quite understand Toby's relationship with his pet rock. My momma collects rocks, and I don't understand the attraction. I suppose some rocks can be kinda' cool, but you can't eat or chew them, they don't make very good toys, and they don't float. But what if you had a rock that you could play with, chew, and it floated? Wouldn't that be the coolest?

A month or so ago, the nice people at Kurgo sent me a new product to try out - Kurgo Skipping Stones Dog Chew Toys. 

I wasn't sure what to think of the Skipping Stones at first . . . 

What now Momma?

but I soon learned they're fun to chew. 

Nom nom nom

I like the blue one too

Momma likes them because they're not so hard that they will wear down or break my teeth, yet they're tough enough that I can't chew them up. She suspects they would survive most heavy chewers.  I haven't even managed to make teeth marks in them yet.

I also learned that they bounce in weird directions, which makes them super fun to play with.

But the coolest thing about Skipping Stones is that THEY FLOAT!

You know how much I enjoy the water and how much I enjoy retrieving things, so I absolutely had to try these things out. And of course momma wanted to see if she could actually make them skip.  So we took them to the pool at Alpha Dog Club. They definitely float but momma couldn't manage to get them to skip (I think it was thrower error). But I had a great time retrieving them!

First I must get in the zone

There I go

Throw it again please

If you're looking for a stocking stuffer or a unique gift for the dog who has everything, check out Kurgo Skipping Stones. While you're at it, check out some of the other cool Kurgo Merchandise. They have harnesses, carriers, dog car seats, outdoor gear -- all kinds of stuff that adventure doggies like me need.

Momma's two cents:

• I love this idea but I expected them to be larger. The green one is about 3 inches by 2 1/2 inches, and the blue one is about 3 1/2 inches by 1 1/2 to 2 inches. They're big enough for Garth, but I think they would be easier for him to grab in his mouth to retrieve them from the water if they were larger. They're probably perfect for small to medium-sized dogs, but I wouldn't recommend them for anything larger than a lab. I think they would be too small for a Great Dane or Newfoundland.
• I couldn't make them skip. Rather than skim the surface, they seemed to hit the water, sink, then float back up. But admittedly I haven't skipped a stone in probably 30+ years, so I may be a bit rusty.
• The blue one is difficult (perhaps impossible) for dogs to see in a swimming pool:

DISCLOSURE:
Kurgo provided the Skipping Stones (retail value $13.00) free of charge. We received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are ours alone.

Now I have my own pet rock

Roads? Where We're Going, We Don't Need Roads.

A Lab in Springtime

Wordless Wednesday: April Snow

1800PetMeds.com Review

A few weeks ago, I got a package of products to review from 1800PetMeds.com. I was so eager to try out the treats, I couldn't wait for mom to get home, so I went ahead and helped myself to the Wet Noses Organic Pumpkin Treats.

Yep, they were good
*burp*

Wet Noses All Natural Organic Pumpkin Treats

These treats were so yummy, I ate through two layers of cardboard and one layer of cellophane to get to them, then I ate the whole box. (Warning: It's really not a good idea to eat the whole box at once like I did. I suffered no ill effects, but these are meant for periodic feeding as treats, not to make a whole meal of them.)

These treats are wheat-free, corn-free, and soy-free and made with 100% USDA organic ingredients. They come in Cheddar, Peanut Butter & Molasses, Pumpkin and Sweet Potato flavors.

Ingredients: Organic Rye Flour, Organic Pumpkin, Organic Canola Oil, Organic Ginger, Organic Cinnamon. 

Pet Naturals Scoot Bars

Scoot Bars are yummy, crunchy bars made with pumpkin. They're called Scoot Bars because they help with problems like loose stools and scooting. I scoot from time to time and have been changing foods a lot lately. We've found that the bars seem to help keep my stool more normal and my scooting has decreased. And I love the bars because they're yummy and crunchy and take a little while to finish. When mom gives me one I take it into the living room where I can munch it in peace.

Nom nom nom

These bars stop your dog from scooting, support healthy anal gland function, and provide immunity, digestive and colonic support.

Ingredients:
Active Ingredients per 2 bars: Proprietary Pumpkin Blend 2800 mg (Larch Tree Extract, Digestion Resistant Maltodextrin and Pumpkin Powder) 
Inactive Ingredients: brewers yeast, canola oil, citric acid, glycerin, mixed tocopherols, natural duck flavor, ground oat groats, oat meal, propionic acid, rosemary extract, ground rye groats, silicon dioxide, sorbic acid, soy lecithin, vegetable oil.

1800PetMeds Ear Cleansing Solution

Dogs with floppy ears like mine often get ear infections after swimming because their ears just can't dry out. One way to prevent this is to use an ear cleaner like this one. I go swimming almost every week, so momma uses this in my ears after every swim. I don't like having stuff put in my ears, but it's way better than getting a nasty ear infection.

Ear Cleansing Solution,
Super Pure Omega 3,
and Tick Twister

Super Pure Omega 3

I've already written a post about my Omega 3 Experiment and how Omega 3 helps with my itchy skin. You can read about it in The Omega 3 Experiment.

Tick Twister Tick Remover Tool

We have not yet tried the tick remover because I haven't encountered any ticks yet this early in the season, but mom put it on a key chain and put it in her backpack so she will have it when she needs it. We have found that even the most effective monthly preventive treatment won't stop 100% of ticks, so from time to time mom has had to remove them from me and herself. The quicker you remove them, the better, so we're glad to have a handy remover in mom's pack. I'll report back once we've used it.

Tick Twister on a key chain

Giving the Tick Twister a sniff

As you can see from the selection of products I received, 1800PetMeds.com is a great source for all of your dog's needs -- treats, supplements, meds, and various other grooming and health care products.

Helping Pets in Need
Did you know that 1800PetMeds also helps shelters in need? You can Suggest a Shelter in Need of donations.


Disclosure: In return for providing an honest review of their products, 1800PetMeds.com sent me a box of free products and gave me a $50.00 credit to use on their website. The products reviewed in this post were purchased with the $50.00 credit. I received no other compensation for this review.