All Things Dog Blog

Pet Photo Tips for Amateurs: Point and Click!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Simpler Equipment
Can Still Net Good Results

For those of you who prefer to take your photos with easy, point and click cameras, here are a few simple tips to help you take better shots:

· Natural light always gives the best results.

· Consider a contrasting background to your subject's color and texture.

· Watch for unwanted objects in the background. Reposition your pet for a pleasant, contrasting background.

· Have some fun with themed items for your photo set--any suitably-themed props you may have available.

Borrow colors for your theming, using bandanas, hair ribbons, Tshirts, collars and other props.

· Shoot with primary lighting behind you, if you're not outdoors.

· Moving subjects generally blur in photos. Set your shutter speed accordingly when shooting pics of pets.

· Use a photo editing program to remove red-eye, but generally you get your best pics when using little editing, and more pre-planning of your subject and background.

· Flash photography often produces green-eye in many pet photos. This is tough to fix, so shoot for pics that don't have your pet looking directly into the camera.

Candid shots are often best for pets that don't pose well.

· Try shooting with your flash off, using a night setting, and see if you get better results.

· Use a squeaky toy or treat to get your dog to look in the desired direction.

· If you have a black pet, try close up shots.

· Experiment with your macro setting for close ups.

· Close ups and portrait shots will display best in the SuperDogSunday™ Blog Hop's thumbnail photos for the Photo Contest.

We hope to see you Sunday, Feburary 5, when we open at 8 AM EST. The Blog Hop will remain open through 9 PM EST and photo contest winners will be announced on Monday, February 6. Photo Contest rules are below. More on prizes for each winner (Yes; there are a bunch!) as we move closer to game day.

Every party has its rules to protect privacy and keep the dogs in line:

Only photos of dogs will be accepted; no humans please.
Limit one entry per dog.
Readers from the US and Canada, with the exception of Quebec, may participate. Only submissions from these areas can be accepted. This offer is void wherever it is prohibited.
Prize winners from Canada will receive a substitute prize of our choice for any dog treats or edible items won during the contest. This is due to regulations with regard to shipping of pet food over the border.
Large images must be submitted to assure our ability to share photos in a slideshow: 400 px please.
By submitting your photo, you agree that the photo was taken by you and is owned by you. No professional images can be accepted for copyright reasons. Please read additional details at our Giveaway and Contest Rules page. Your dog's photo will be identified by his name. If there are duplicate names, your initials will be included with his name as an identifier (Ex: c.b.'s Tanner)
Bloggers may publish their photos and link up to the blog hop, to display their photos on our blogs at Dogtipper and All Things Dog Blog. Code will be available for you to share the linky on your own site as well, allowing you to enter to win Blogger participation prizes.
All entries by non-bloggers must be emailed to EventBarkers@gmail.com. If your submission is received by All Things Dog Blog or Dogtipper, and you have clearly identified the photo as being for Super Dog Sunday™, we will forward it to EventBarkers@gmail.com for publication in the Photo Contest. We take not responsibility for photos that do not make it into the contest, as errors in email addresses can occur without our knowledge.
Please include your name for correspondence and your dog's name in your submission so that we may identify Fido's name on our blogs. Announcement of winners will be by dogs' names.
Our judges' selection decisions are final. Viewers will have the opportunity to vote with "thumbs up" in one category to be announced later. The remainder will be judged by our panel of photo and dog enthusiasts.
Winners will be announced on Monday, February 6, 2012. Each winner will also be emailed or DM'd on Twitter and must respond with their address and phone number for shipping purposes.
In those cases where prizes must be custom-fitted, or a choice is offered, you will need to provide this information promptly in order to receive your prize from the provider. While we attempt to protect your privacy, your address for shipping from these prize providers is a necessary part of the acquisition of the prize. Please do not enter if you cannot provide an address for shipping.

Good luck!

Weekly Wag #5: Disc Dogging for You and Bowser

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:50:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

A friend of mine from agility is an avid rescuer, agility competitor, trainer and all-around dog enthusiast. For quite a while I listed her rescues in my sidebar. During that time an Aussie turned up that was quickly adopted after appearing in my sidebar. I have no idea if my blog was responsible, but Chris Engel is now Kota's owner, and Kota is a star in the disc dog world.

Today's challenge, or Weekly Wag, is to give your dog a chance at tackling a flying disc. I'll share a few tips that we tried with Tanner. He's no Kota, but he can catch short throws and enjoys the chase and the return. He just doesn't have the "ups" required to be a Michael Jordan in the disc dog world. That's okay! This Saturday weekly is all about bonding, not spectacular performance.

Here are a ideas to get you started:

Start by knowing your dogs motivation (food, affection, a special toy) and having a solid recall.
Practice in a safe area. I learned quickly that the Frisbee does not always go where I intend it to. What can I say? I throw like a girl :)
When Fido is watching you from a few feet away, gently toss a disc such that it will not hit him if he is completely surprised by it.
Reward him for any effort to move toward it.
Gradually increase your distance as he begins to learn to snag the disc in the air, making sure he gets plenty of attention for every effort.
Keep your practice sessions short so Fido does not burn out. Fifteen minutes per session of trying to catch a plastic plate may be all that is required.
Be sure to enjoy some one-on-one time afterwards. Rub his belly. Tell him what a good boy he is. Make this a special time for the two of you that is a regular habit and he will begin to connect the appearance of the disc with his time alone with you. That's when real progress will appear.

If you'd like to learn more, read my 5-part guest series by disc dog competitor Chris Engel:

Frisbee Dog 101: Part I

Part II: Dog Selection for Frisbee Dog Enthusiasts

Part III: Getting Your Dog Ready to Become a "Disc Dog"

Part IV: Frisbee Training Begins..

Frisbee Choices for Your Dog: Part V

Check out Chris and Bandit on YouTube for some great motivation

Need a disc and a cap to keep the sun out of your eyes? I'm giving away a Dog Park Kit in my sidebar, so drop by and check it out. You may be the lucky winner. If you enjoy this activity, be sure to leave a comment including any tips you learn along the way.

Thanks for visiting. I hope to see you next week at the Weekly Wag, your bonding day with Bowser. If you'd like to make these activities a regular part of your special dog time, sign up for our quarterly rewards program by clicking on the Weekly Wag button. Be sure to leave a comment there and return regularly to tell us what you're enjoying the most. See you next week.

PS--Have you heard about the Red Carpet Cat? The Tiniest Tiger will be tweeting from the Academy Awards, and Dogtipper is lucky enough to join them with a Twitter Party to post their pics with the stars and give away some Tiniest Tiger Hipster bags. Sounds like fun--January 24th.

Today's post is a part of the Saturday Pet Blogger hop, co-hosted by Confessions of the Plume, Two Little Cavaliers and Life with Dogs. You are welcome to link up here, or visit their sites to read their rules for participation. Enjoy your hopping:

Dog Food Changes: Grain Free Organix Wins Over Our First Trial Group

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:27:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

It's hard not to oooo and ahhh at cute little Wicket, huh? I'm sure the folks at Castor and Pollux Pet, who make Organix Grain Free food were happy to see some of the cute photos you guys submitted. I know a few of you are still figuring out how to harness technology to create these images, and I appreciate your challenges.

I have to say I've been really proud--just beaming--about your open-mindedness about trying grain-free food for your dogs. When I started the challenge, I wasn't sure how many of you would take me up on it. After all, no grains may seem odd to some of us. Imagine life without bread!

A lot of you seemed to realize that dogs did not evolve eating grain. It was added to their manufactured diet as a form of calories for energy, and a few other factors that probably are less important than the fact that Organix is predominantly made of organic ingredients.

Speaking of calories for energy, did you notice the difference in how much your dog needs to eat? Compare the Feeding Guidelines on the back and side of the bag to those on the original Organix and you'll find that Grain-free Organix requires less food to provide the necessary calories and nutrients for good health. I suppose that explains the more compact deposits in my yard. What about you?

If you miss out on this giveaway, watch for another coming later next month. I'd like to give more of you an opportunity to take the Grain-free challenge. If you visit our giveaway post that lead to this winners' announcement, you'll see that the comments are all quite positive--great results and seamless transitions. Grain-free seems to agree with these owner's dogs, and I can say the same for Tanner and Oliver.

Today's winners are: Tia S., Amy O., Misty W., Shiloh, Shelley P., Nancy W., Cheryl F, Rita S, Katie M, Claudia M, Rick W, and Colleen R. Watch your email for my notification, to be received from AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. If you don't see it by Sunday afternoon, please write to me with your address for mailing. NOTE: The coupons to be sent out have an expiration date of February 15, 2012. You'll need to identify your closest supplier quickly and be ready to pick up your food promptly. Finally, always follow the transition instructions for a new food, detailed at Castor and Pollux's site here.

Best wishes to all of you and thanks for following All Things Dog Blog.

Full disclosure: There was no purchase necessary to win in this giveaway. I was provided coupons for free bags of Organix as a promotional courtesy, and was not compensated to give them away. Watch for more giveaways coming soon.

Fido's Freebie Friday Invites Listings of Pet Product Giveaways

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Oops! Looks like the dogs were taking a bit of a cat nap and slept through our opening. We're here though, and as you can see, there is plenty to choose from if you're looking for giveaways.

Bloggers with pet product giveaways or pet lover prizes may link up below. Thanks for joining us. The hop will be open to linkups through midnight Friday. Enjoy!

Dog Toy Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Does Tanner look sad? Well, maybe that's because he knows I'm giving away these toys. He's a toy-motivated dog who loves nearly every toy he owns. My house looks like a childrens' daycare at the end of the day!

To win one of the toys below you must include your dog's breed/mix and weight or size in the Rafflecopter where required. I always fuss over assuring that prizes are appropriately sized so that no pup ever is in danger. Toys should be used with supervision so that you know your dog's play style and what toys are safe for him.

If you cannot see the Rafflecopter entry form below, please click on the post title to refresh and it should appear beneath the disclosure statement. Good luck. This giveaway will be open until midnight February 9. The winners will be announced on Friday evening, February 10, 2012. Best of luck to you all!

Full disclaimer: The toys in this giveaway are a combination of conference swag (free samples) and one item I purchased as a test of a website function. There is no purchase required to enter and US and Canadian entries will be accepted, with the exception of Quebec, where this giveaway is forbidden. I have not been compensated to give these toys away.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dog Park Kit Giveaway: Get Out and Run for Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:15:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Are you seeing double? Nope! Tanner was in the last post with a batch of toys to give away, and here he is still posing. He has a rock-solid stay. I think he acutally likes getting his picture taken!

This giveaway is for my active readers to get out and play with their dogs. With cooler weather here, this is the perfect time for us to visit the dog park with Tanner. The summer heat in Florida forces us to make our dog park visits only on early weekend mornings, as the heat is so oppressive.

This prize includes a Toki Poki hat and a flying disc from Izea, which will both go to one winner. With the sun out of your eyes and a disc to throw, you and Fido can have some fun and both get some exercise. Watch for a Weekly Wag on disc dogs coming soon to my Saturday series. Have you signed up to win prizes by commenting on your own experiences with the Weekly Wag? If not, visit the announcement post here. This giveaway will be open through midnight February 9, and the winner will be announced on Friday, February 10, 2012. Good luck!

Full disclaimer: The items in this giveaway are conference swag (free samples). There is no purchase required to enter and US and Canadian entries will be accepted, with the exception of Quebec, where this giveaway is forbidden. I have not been compensated to give theseitems away.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This Hound Needs a Harley! Woofing Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:19:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

It is forecasted to be 82 degrees here today, so it's ironic that I choose to show off Oliver's Christmas gift from his special girl. Check out this fur-lined leather jacket! Oliver's got a "little black book" tucked inside so he can collect phone numbers from all the girls that come to see how studly he looks.

We're hoping for at least one cold snap when he can get some use out of this adorable addition to his wardrobe. I have to admit, it is rather fun receiving cool stuff for Oliver to wear. Poor Tanner only owns one jacket, recently received from Petco as a review sample. What about your dog? Do you dress him or her? Do you find that your small dog gets all the cool fashions?

I have a theory on that common situation. Beside the obvious factor that smaller items require less fabric and therefore are not quite as expensive to make or to buy, our smaller pups' bodies have less mass, making it a bit harder for them to stay warm.

Of course there are owners out there that dress their tiny ones strictly for cuteness, and I can enjoy them as well. Oliver has a few Tshirts that are obviously not for warmth. They are generally just used for "events" like conferences and photos.

Tanner can still swim on a chilly day and not seem to notice the cold. Oliver, on the other hand, will shiver on a cold day while we walk, if he is not wearing a sweater. I've come to believe this is at least partly due to the different in body mass. Any opinions?

PS--Have you heard about the Red Carpet Cat? The Tiniest Tiger will be tweeting from the Academy Awards, and Dogtipper is lucky enough to join them with a Twitter Party to post their pics with the stars and give away some Tiniest Tiger Hipster bags. Sounds like fun--January 24th.

Ask the Vet with Dr. Mark: Diabetes and Allergies Combined

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

by Mark Nunez, DVM

Hi Dr. Mark,

I have an eight year old Tibetan Terrier that has diabetes and cataracts. I inject him twice a day with 26m of insulin. I also walk him at least three times a day.

He has recently been covered in a rash, which he constantly scratches, causing it to bleed. The vet gave us cream to put on and a special shampoo to bathe him with. He has been on Piriton (for allergy) and a prolonged course of antibiotics (20 days), but to date the problem still exists. What else can we do?

Many thanks, Mr G. Alland

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Mr. Alland,

Diabetes can be a difficult disease to manage, both the primary issue and all of the secondary issues that can arise because of it. If your dog has allergies (it's called Atopy in pets) along with diabetes, you are in between a rock and a hard place. Nothing works better for resolving the discomfort associated with allergies than our good buddy Prednisone. The flip side of this particular coin is that Pred will wreak havoc on his diabetes. Fortunately there are options.

The best option is to have him tested for allergies (assuming it is not a food allergy) and start him on allergy shots (immunotherapy). Skin testing is the gold standard of allergy testing, but is not often done due to expense, the need for shaving large areas of fur, and the need for sedation or general anesthesia. Blood tests are the next best option and they are getting much more accurate. I use Veterinary Allergy Reference Laboratory, Liquid Gold and get great results. The goal of immunotherapy is to decrease the amount of medications needed to control your dog's symptoms. It will not cure his allergies, but should decrease the frequency and severity of symptoms.

Other medications and nutriceuticals that can help include Atopica, Claritin, Zyrtec, Hydroxyzine, Benadryl, and Welactin. Atopica is an immunosuppressant (this is how Pred works) that can help. It does not affect diabetes the same way that Pred does and does not have the other side effects that long term Pred use has. It is best used with antibiotics (in the beginning) and then can be tapered to the lowest effective dose. Occasionally Ketoconazole is used in conjunction with it because it increases the effect of Atopica.

Claritin, Zyrtec, Hydroxyzine, and Benadryl are all anti-histamines and are much more effective that Piriton. Anti-histamines in general give variable results and need to be used at high doses.

Welactin is a fish oil supplement for dogs and cats. It is far superior to most fish oil supplements that are on the market. Many of them do not have a high bio-availability, Welactin does. If you choose to use another form, you may need to triple, or at the very least double the recommended dose.

Shampoos are another VERY important component of treatment. Up until recently, it was believed that the primary way of allergen exposure was via inhalation. We now know that contact with the skin plays a much larger role. Oatmeal based shampoos are fine for maintenance, but medicated shampoos are often needed. Ketochlor is my favorite anti-microbial shampoo. It covers both bacteria and yeast. Shampoos that contain cortisone can also help control itching. Depending on who you ask, some people feel the cortisone may be absorbed through the skin, so use with caution in your case. Epi-Soothe is my favorite shampoo of this class. Epi-Soothe also comes in a cream rinse that can be left on, or rinsed off.

Food allergies can ONLY be diagnosed with a food trial. The best diet for this purpose is Hill's Z/D Ultra (find online here), but there are many others that fit the bill. In order to do this properly, your dog cannot have anything other than the special diet to eat for at least 3 months. At the end of the 3 month period an assessment is made on how well he did. If there was complete resolution, we have our diagnosis. If there was improvement, but not complete resolution, he may have environmental allergies (atopy) along with food allergies and he should be tested, and if there was no improvement, it's not a food allergy.

I hope I have shed some light on this for you and have given you new options to try. I tell all of my clients who have pets with allergies that allergies are 2 things, expensive and frustrating. It cannot be cured, only managed in different ways. Best of luck to you :-)

Dr. Mark

Dr. Nunez is a practicing veterinarian while also assisting patients through The Balanced Canine blog and his own online veterinary pharmacy. Have a question for Dr. Mark? Send it to AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. You can also follow Mark on Twitter.

Want to read more from Dr. Mark? Try these, or visit his archives:

The Dangers of Animal BonesTuberculosis and DogsTiming of FeedingArthritis Treatment and Prevention

EventBarkers Announce #SuperDogPics Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Apparently there are a load of novice pet photographers out there. And guess where they all were on Sunday afternoon? On Twitter at our #SuperDogPics Twitter Party!

We had a great time sharing tips between the participants' ideas and those of my co-host, Dogtipper, and our guest expert, Brett Chisholm, Publisher of Life+Dog. I saved the party Tweets to a file and plan to reread them all--sort of my self-help work for this week! Maybe I'll share an assortment of the ideas with you in a post, so watch for that. It could be very helpful in your efforts to get a good pic for your Super Dog Sunday photo contest entry.

© Gypsy Eyes Clothing

Today I want to share with you the winners from our #SuperDogPics Twitter Party. I'm not going to bore you with all the prizes that each winner scored, but I will highlight one of the prizes that each winner received. Yesterday's post showed off lots of the prizes, and today you get to learn who won some of them:

@Shiloh777 got lucky and snagged Prize #1 which included the Live Caricature done during the Twitter Party by our guest artist, Missy Johnson, of Dogs for the PAWS and Art and Dog Design. We all enjoyed watching her progress, as Missy posted updates of her sketching.
@CrazyDogMama surprised me when I learned her true identity--a well-known reader whose Twitter handle I had never connected with. All of our winners, including this one, received 3 bags of Terra Paws Sweet Potato treats!
@Griswald60 took a nice assortment of goodies including a cool NFL collar for Fido.
@lakuti was one of the lucky winners of an NFL jersey or cheerleader dress from @SugarChic, a prize provider. Great stuff from Sugar Chic Couture.
@gfaccenetti lucked upon a year's subscription to Life+Dog magazine, among other prizes in her package.
@PixelBlueEyes will be enjoying an adorable plush football toy from sponsors @Dogtipper and @AllThingsDog, with a bunch of other great goodies.
@Cynth201: This winner's collection includes Arenus botanicals, from our prize provider that makes a multitude of great products for dog health and behavior.
@IslandSnoopy got a giftbag from Dogs for the PAWS, our guest artist, that includes a string backpack, dog bowl and a cool retro slap bracelet. So cute!
@JoeJ8948 won the NFL fleece hoodie donated by Etsy shop Gypsy Eyes Clothing. She makes the most adorable stuff. Watch for Oliver's Packers hoodie in upcoming photos.
@ShellChis won the first of our "Take a Bow" prizes from the Super Dog Sunday charitable sponsors: the Citizen Canine dog carryall by Tom Bihn.
@Angelysty took the prize from our Wag sponsor, the bank for dog lovers, receiving an autographed copy of Secrets of a Working Dog, among other prizes.
@njweitzel will have a happy dog when her 2 bags of Gringa Loka peanut butter cookies for dogs arrive. I'm sure she'll enjoy the rest of her prizes too!
@Mom4everever was the winner of our PetHub silver membership and tag from this QR code-inspired company.

© Sugar Chic Couture

@KirbytheDorkie took the Grand Prize which included 3 bags of Terra Paws, a caricature of her dog, one year of Life+Dog magazine, Arenus flower essences, a plush football toy, and an NFL jersey or cheerleader dress of her choice.

What do you think of these prizes? This is just a cameo sketch of the total list, but WOW, was it a prize-laden party. Our participants who joined us to ask photography questions were pleasantly surprised when they also won great gifts. Now that's my idea of a cool party. Hope to see you all next time. Happy tails!

All proceeds of Super Dog Sunday and this supporting event, #SuperDogPics go to Petfinder Foundation to support their work with rescue pets. Thank you to our prize providers and guest experts for providing photo tips and live art for our guests to enjoy. We hope to see you at Super Dog Sunday.

Mutt Monday is Worn Out from the #SuperDogPics Twitter Party

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Were you with us yesterday as we #SuperDogPics partied the afternoon away? Wow! Did we have fun. Today my office is overflowing with boxes in preparation for the mega shipment of prizes. The Post Office may close their doors when they see me coming. Hehe!

Brett Chisholm was a real sport, offering tons of photo tips as the publisher of Life+Dog magazine. I'm compiling them from tweets and hope to recap them for you a little later in the week. Both he and Paris offered some great advice, so if you're like me (point and click!) you may enjoy learning a few new strategies.

Today's Mutt Monday, as always, is a compilation of pet posts--yours and mine--that may be on any pet topic you choose, as long as it is family friendly. Please join me by linking up your pet posts and showing them off to my readers. Feel free to grab the code and share the linky with your followers. Have a great Mutt Monday.

Pet Prizes Please at #SuperDogPics Twitter Party

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

What a day! According to our stats, there were nearly 1500 tweets that shared the #SuperDogPics hashtag. Dogtipper and I thoroughly enjoyed sharing the photo tips of Brett Chisholm, of Life+Dog, and the artistry of Missy Johnson, from Dogs for the PAWS. These two guests were a class act and our partiers enjoyed them thoroughly.

Photo questions were flying high and Brett had all the answers, backed up by Paris, who is no camera novice herself.

Missy Johnson provided exciting entertainment by drawing a Live Caricature of one participant's dog, and posting images as she went. This was a popular feature of the party and two of our participants won an 11 x 17 framed caricature as a result of her participation. What a grand event!

Prize providers, in addition to one "take a bow" prize from our Super Dog Sunday Charity Sponsors, included Sugar Chic Couture, Arenus Botanicals, Life+Dog magazine, Etsy shop Gypsy Eyes Clothing, Terra Paws, sponsors Dogtipper and All Things Dog Bog, and guest artist Dogs for the PAWS and Art and Dog Design.

Would you like to see some of the prizes we gave away? Winners got packages of multiple prizes. Here are just a few of the items we handed out today:

In two weeks we'll be hosting a photo contest for your NFL-themed dog photos. Don't you want to get in on this prize action? You can join us in support of Petfinder Foundation, by submitting your pics to EventBarkers@gmail.com. If you are a blogger, you'll be able to submit your photo by linking up to the blog hop on February 5, 2012. We'll see you at 8 AM EST and be open through 9 PM EST. Entries at EventBarkers@gmail.com will be accepted until 6 PM EST.

Finally, you'll also find this post and other fun mischief at the Monday Mischief Blog Hop, sponsored by My Brown Newfies, Snoopy's Dog Blog, Alfie's Blog, and Luna, a Dog's Life. I'm sure you'll enjoy seeing what they've been up to as well. Happy Monday!

All proceeds of Super Dog Sunday and this supporting event, #SuperDogPics go to Petfinder Foundation to support their work with rescue pets. Thank you to our prize providers and guest experts for providing photo tips and live art for our guests to enjoy. We hope to see you at Super Dog Sunday.

Pet Prize Previews for #SuperDogPics

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

This is what you have been waiting for. The big announcement of prizes for #SuperDog Pics is finally here. Remember, all proceeds go to Petfinder Foundation, to support their work in pet rescue. Be sure to join us to celebrate our fundraising success for their great work. Tomorrow is the big day--the pre-Super Dog Sunday™ Twitter Party--and your job is to RSVP at the link above so you can win. Wouldn't it be a darn shame if all these great prizes went to other people? Here goes:

Our guest expert, Brett Chisholm, Publisher of Life+Dog, will be offering photo tips for capturing your Super Dog at his best. We're delighted to announce, also, that Life+Dog will be giving away one year subscriptions to their fun lifestyle magazine for dog owners. The visual arts for dog lovers have never been so well represented at one Twitter Party!

Artist Missy Johnson, of Dogs for the PAWS and Art and Dog Design, painted the original portrait of Oliver that you see above. She has also painted Dogtippers' Irie and Tiki, but neither Paris nor I are the least bit prejudiced when we say that she is mega talented! Missy will be performing a live caricature during the Twitter Party, from a winner's dog photo. What does that mean for you? Be sure you have a great portrait-style shot ready, just in case you are the winner. Watch for more details at the party and surprises too!

Arenus botanicals will be providing bottles of their "In Training" to help in your work with training Fido. This flower essence product increases your dog's patience and tolerance during training and times when you need more focus from him.

Football fans will not be disappointed when they see the array of fun goodies from Sugar Chic Couture and Etsy shop Gypsy Eyes Clothing. There will be Cheerleader outfits, football jerseys, NFL team hoodies, collars and toys. What a day to celebrate your Super Dog! And we'll also be handing out bunches of plush football toys and our photo prop footballs, so there are no excuses for not having a "theme"!

If your Fido needs some Super Bowl snacks, #SuperDogPics is the place to go. Our prize provider, Terra Paws, has filled our need for treats with their Sweet Potato yummies, some of Tanner and Oliver's faves. Tanner is guarding the snack bowl in his photo below of our Terra Paws sweet potato treats.

I hope this highlight has whet your appetite for our #SuperDogPics prizes. In addition to the images you see here and more from these same providers, we'll get a peekaboo appearance from our Super Dog Sunday™ sponsors--1 prize from each. Join us Sunday at 3 PM EST for photo tips and plenty of pup prizes. Don't forget to RSVP so you can win.

Full disclosure: #SuperDogPics is a supporting event to Super Dog Sunday™. All proceeds go to Petfinder Foundation to support their work with rescue pets. Prizes have been provided for the Twitter Party as a promotional courtesy. No purchase is required to win.

Pet Photo Shoot Fun for Everyone

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:18:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

I'm sure many of us are going through this same fun and games right now as we prepare our submissions for the Super Dog Sunday Photo Contest. Can you relate?

Bow Wow Baffled by Twitter Parties?

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Believe you me; I totally get it. When I first signed onto Twitter some 2 years ago, I had no clue. And brevity is NOT one of my talents, so I've had to practice writing more succinctly, just to participate. I suppose that has been a good thing.

This post is simply to point out that you can follow along with the party by watching the Twitter Feed live, right here on the blog. Just as you see the feed widget in this post below, the same widget is placed in my left sidebar. It will remain there until Monday, so you can watch the festivities of #SuperDogPics if you're not Twitter-literate.

If you're eager to learn, look just scroll down beneath the widget in the left sidebar and you'll find some Twitter Party Tips:

Twitter Parties 101:

Helpful Tips & Pre-Party Stuff

These tips will get you up to speed if you read each of them. Of course, you'll first need to start with a Twitter account, which you can sign up for at http://twitter.com. Hope to see you Sunday, no matter where you are!

Full disclosure: #SuperDogPics is a Twitter Party sponsored by Event Barkers, a partnership between Dogtipper and All Things Dog Blog. This Twitter Party is a pre-event to our Charity Photo Contest and Blog Hop, Super Dog Sunday, to be held Sunday, February 5, 2012. All proceeds go to Petfinder Foundation to help in their work with locating forever families for homeless pets.

#SuperDogPics Backup Rain Date!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 04:55:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Are you wondering the same thing we are? What happens if Twitter is down at the time of #SuperDogPics? No worries. We've got your umbrella! Just to be prepared, we have chosen a Rain Date, an optional time when we will have the party if Twitter happens to have a sinking whale. You know the one...

So, if we're not on Twitter Sunday afternoon because of technical difficulties at Twitter, watch for #SuperDogPics at our alternate time:

#SuperDogPics Rain Date

Monday, January 23, 2012

9 PM - 10:30 PM EST

Check in early and be ready to party! Trust me, the prizes aren't going anywhere until we pull off this shindig, and that's a serious problem for my space issues here. So don't miss us.

Let's act like actors and say "break a leg". In that case, we'll see you Sunday at 3 PM EST.

Happy tails!

Weekly Wag #4: Bond by Teaching Toy Names

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 04:50:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Wow, is this a fun game for your dog. And you'll find it is soon your favorite too. It's a great way to show your uncertain friends how smart your dog is. Here's how Tanner learned his Fetch toys' names:

Start by playing with one toy and one toy only. Give it a simple one or two syllable name and use it each time you or Fido touches it. Feel free to reward for progress toward success with treats or by use of a clicker.
Soon Fido will be able to get the toy you request by name. Have a party each time he gets it right--praise, treats and lots of happiness along with belly rubs.
Now work another toy, playing exclusively with it for a few days until he masters the name of this toy also. Continue in this way until you have named all the toys you'd like Fido to remember by name.
Now for the test. Start simple. Place 2 toys on the floor side by side. Ask Fido to get one particular toy, using its name. Ignore an incorrect response and try again. When he gets it right, be sure to reward and praise.
Gradually add to the sampling of toys, to practice selective Fetching by name.
Pretty soon, your dog will know many of his toys by name. Tanner's favorite pool game is when I toss several fetch toys into the pool at different locations. Before I give him permission to "Swim", I tell him which toy to bring me. He will fetch that one first and look to me for his next assignment.

A more advanced game is to Fetch all the toys before receiving another round of praise and tossing. This is a fun game to watch, as Tanner has favorites and often will drop one toy when he spots his favorite on the other side of the pool. It sometimes takes 10-15 minutes for 5 or 6 toys to be returned to my feet. This game never fails to entertain ME! Thanks Tanner :)

The first time we played this last, more advanced game, Tanner was swimming nonstop for nearly 30 minutes before all the toys finally made it out of the pool. He dropped exhausted at my feet and napped on the pool deck for 2 solid hours. He was one satisfied Fetcher.

These games don't need to be played in a pool, and certainly during Winter it is not an option for many of you. Your home or back yard will do just fine. Have fun playing the naming game, and leave a comment about your success. See you next week for another Weekly Wag.

Missed a Weekly Wag?
Or just want to sign up to win prizes for participation?
Check these out:
Say Cheese!
Scentwork: Great Fun for Fido!
Stay and Come to Get in Shape

Today's post is part of the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop hosted by Two Little Cavaliers, Life with Dogs and Confessions of the Plume. Feel free to link up your pet post here and enjoy the hop. I recommend you check with one of the hosts' sites for review of their hopping rules. Enjoy!

Terriers from Florida Take #SuperDogPics PreTweet Prize

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:22:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

I got first shot at the PreTweet drawing and you guys will not be disappointed. Keep in mind that Dogtipper still has one of these to do, so if you're not yet signed up on the RSVP list, you may want to get on over there pretty quick. Yep; you have to be signed up to attend in order to win a prize.

Before I announce the winner, I've got to roll out the prize package. Ready for some fun? First, our sports loving Fido will get a plush football toy from the basket above. After he's finished playing "Go long" with you he'll be hungry, so we're tossing in some Terra Paws treats--3 bags!

You can use some of these treats as rewards while you take his photo and he sits nicely for you with his photo prop football, to be included. Please note that the photo prop football is not a suitable dog toy. While it may be safe enough for your Yorkie to push around on the floor, you don't want to leave it accessible to a Fido large enough to pick it up. It is not a dog toy; it is merely a photo prop. Take some great shots and be sure to send your best one to EventBarkers@gmail.com to enter into the Super Dog Sunday™ photo contest on game day, February 5th.

Now that your Bowser snacked and had his photo shoot done, perhaps you'd like to check out the options for his new tag from PetHub, and decide how to spend the $10 Giftcard to go with it. You can upgrade your tag or upgrade your protection plan. It's your choice!

Finally, all that online shopping is exhausting, right? Maybe Fido needs some help with his patience and tolerance of the process? Now could be the time to test out his new bottle of holistic "In Training", a remedy for impatience and intolerance, made by Arenus.

All these prizes go to one lucky winner--@FloridaTerriers. This winner will be notified by Tweet and will need to reply by email to AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com with name, address and phone number for shipping. You'll receive other details at that time. Congratulations to our PreTweet winner. We look forward to hearing from you!

Full disclosure: The products included in this prize were provided as a promotional courtesy for the charity event, Super Dog Sunday™, and the #SuperDogPics Twitter Party. All Things Dog Blog and Dogtipper have not been paid to give away these prizes. All proceeds of Super Dog Sunday and its supporting events go to the Petfinder Foundation to help support their work in finding forever families for homeless pets.You can support their work by donating at this link.

Pet Photos in High Gear: Last Batch of Photo Props Here

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:22:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

This is it folks. Say goodbye to these adorable footballs. They will be nothing but commemorative dust collectors after February 5th. Today the final batch of 10 winners will receive their notice. These winners have all RSVP'd for the #SuperDogPics Twitter Party, and this is where the drawing was made from. (HINT: There may be another drawing for something from that RSVP list this weekend, so don't delay. Get your name on it sooner rather than later)

Tonight's winners are: @mellanhead, @JBjerga, @billfoundation, @lakuti, @bmom76, @darrenswife1, @ZACSMA, @myfolly, @kolsnotes, and @frompenny. These winners will be notified by Twitter between now and the start of the Twitter Party. You must reply to my email at AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com with your address and your Twitter handle, so that I may correctly record your prize. It will be shipped next week, and should arrive in time for you to take photos of your Fido with it for the Super Dog Sunday™ Photo Contest.

Thanks for joining us at the Twitter Party on Sunday; be sure to check in early if possible. We hope you have as much fun participating as we did preparing it. While you're at it, don't forget about the Petfinder Foundation. If you can spare a few bucks, they can certainly put it to good use helping more pets find forever home. Just click the logo to visit their donation page. It's quick and painless, and any amount will help. Thanks for whatever you can do to help.

Petco Reversible Fleece Jackets Give Pups a Warm Snuggle

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:30:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

I tried. Really I did. Apparently dogs do care about color. Tanner insisted on keeping the blue jacket. Look at him; he looks very ferocious, right? What can I say; he stood his ground!

Enough about Tanner and his obstinate nature (!), let's get down to the business of handing out the other 5 jackets. Here are the names of the winners:

Olivia R snagged the large Red jacket
LMurley won the Large Orange jacket
The medium blue one goes to Romapr
The Red plaid was drawn by Shelley P
The medium Red and White jacket now belongs to DealBunny

Medium Jackets

We hope you will all be very warm this winter. Watch for an email from AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. If you don't see it by Sunday morning, check your spam file or write to me. Finally, please be sure to let the folks at Petco know how appreciative you are for their generosity. Drop by their Facebook page and leave a little gratuitous note. Thanks!

Full disclaimer: The 6 jackets pictured here were provided as a promotional courtesy by Petco. I have not been compensated to give these away to you; however Tanner has chosen to keep 1 jacket for a chilly day. We'll call that a review sample :) There is no purchase necessary to win.

PetHub Gift Cards Add an Extra Flash to Our Giveaways

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:15:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

These surprise giveaways are fun, huh? I'm sure PetHub enjoys happy customers. You can use this giftcard to upgrade your membership that comes included with tag purchase, or pay for part or most of a QR tag or collar. Enjoy this little windfall!

The winners of a $10 Gift Card from Pet Hub are: @cynth201, @ashley41jones, and @mdweitzel. You'll hear from my AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com email over the weekend. Thanks for a quick reply, and do watch your spam file if you don't see an email. Happy tails and we'll see you at #SuperDogPics on Sunday.

PS-Just in case you feel like sharing your windfall, you can use the instructions on the image at right to give a little donation to Petfinder Foundation. A simple text message and you're done!

PetHub Promise of Safer Pets Draws Interest

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

The PetHub Scrufftag Collar review and giveaway have been a lot of fun. I'm so pleased with Oliver's new collar that blends in nicely with his patterned leash. But most of all, I'm happy that I feel confident he would come home to me if ever I were to lose him.

It has also been a joy to finally not have to battle neck fur stains from dangling tags. I'm sure other owners of dogs with white neckfur have experienced this frustration. It is nice to have a clean pup!

Today I have the pleasure of sharing the winners in our giveaway of 5 Scrufftag Collars, each with a Silver membership. This means you'll receive the benefits outlined above, including shelter alerts for your lost pet and a gps mapping system. The winners of this giveaway are: Laura Jacobson, CMC, Rust Hawk, Carma Poodale Allen, and Anna Galanos.

Each of you will receive an email from AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com over the weekend. Be sure to watch for it, and check your spam if you're a first time winner. A quick reply is always appreciated. Congratulations!

Fido's Freebie Friday Can't Wait for the Twitter Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Will you be there Sunday? Our #SuperDogPics Twitter Party, co-hosted with Dogtipper, will be giving away more than 5 dozen prizes of all shapes and sizes. From footballs to doggie NFL collars, toys, jerseys, cheerleader dresses and team hoodies. We hope you'll join us for photo tips from our expert, Brett Chisholm of Life+Dog, and tons of prizes too. Oh; and don't let me forget that we also have a surprise guest with a very cool live event and prizes to go along. Don't miss it!

Bloggers: You're welcome to link up your pet product giveaways and prizes here. Our two rules are listed below. Doggies and Stuff and I want to make this as painless as possible, so we have provided you with a HELP PAGE to answer all your questions about participating. We'll be open for linkups through Friday midnight.

While you're here, you may want to check out our special Blogger Participation Prizes for Super Dog Sunday™. All proceeds of Super Dog Sunday™ go to the Petfinder Foundation; we are proud to support rescue with this effort and invite you to join us in the photo contest and other opportunities to win, detailed in the post linked above.

Fido's Freebie Friday Blog Hop is open to posts about giveaways, contests, drawings, prizes, and freebies for pet products or services only, including pet-related or pet-themed items for owners. Feel free to link up multiple items if you have more than one event going on.
Please post the badge above (the code is in the sidebar and also on the HELP PAGE) or a link to this post in your Fido's Freebie Friday blog post and invite your readers to tell us you sent them. Your hosts are All Things Dog Blog and Doggies and Stuff. We'd love to hear from you!

Pet Prizes for PreTweeting #SuperDogPics

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

I announced this giveaway back on January 8 and you guys have done a great job of spreading the word. I'm giving you a heads up now; the deadline is looming. I'll draw and announce the winners sometime on Friday, January 20, so get your RSVPs in now!

I suppose you'd like to know what the prizes are, but I hesitate to take the fun out of the surprise. Let's just say your pet will be safer, get major snacks, score a fun toy, grab a great photo prop, and be more relaxed! The total prize package value is about $100. Now I ask you; don't you want to make sure you're open to the option of winning? It's time to go long, aka RSVP!

That's as much as I'm going to give away. See ya late Friday for our winner's announcement. Be sure to get those RSVP's in quickly. I'll draw late afternoon and announce Friday evening.
Best wishes to you all, and I look forward to seeing you at the #SuperDogPics Twitter Party on Sunday: 3 PM EST.

Organix Grain-Free: Settling Into Our New Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:21:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

I would not have believed it if my own mother told me how well the dogs would do without grain in their diets. It made sense to me, of course. Yet all these years of food that contained grains had me wondering whether Tanner and Oliver's energy would lag or perhaps their focus may be lacking from the carbs replaced by additional veggies. I worried about their skin too, not knowing if this change may affect them. Itchy? No!

Nope. Not so. No way. No how. Not only are my boys energetic and enthusiastic, they were ready to get back to work on product reviews as soon as I got the camera out. I used some of their new kibble as treats the first day, wondering if they would be as eager to perform. That too surprised me. We're on our third bag (or is it 4?), so I suppose if we were going to see any behavior changes, they would have kicked in by now. I'm guessing what we have is a successful transition. Correction; I'm not guessing. It's clear that Tanner and Oliver are thriving on Organix Grain-Free.

How are my Grain-free trial partners doing with their transition? A group of you won free bags in early January and were promised another if you shared your feedback. Now is your chance. Tell me how your fido is doing. Anything different? New behaviors? Changes, either better or worse?

I'm curious to know if any of you have noticed a calmer dog that sleeps more soundly at night? This is the one observation I have made that I find quite fascinating, and of course extremely positive. Time to spill, folks. The comment link is open.

Each of you who won a free bag will receive another free bag if your feedback is left in my comments either here or at the previous Grain-free posts. Those of you who did not win in the last giveaway will have your opportunity if anyone misses their chance. And of course, there's always next time. I'll give 12 bags away, with first priority going to those on the Grain Free Trial. Entries will remain open through midnight on Thursday, January 26. Let me hear from you:

Full disclosure: Product given away in this review series has been provided for promotional courtesy by Castor and Pollux Pet. I was not paid to write this review series, and my review comments are my own experiences.Yours may differ. No purchase was or is required to participate.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pet 'n Shape Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:30:00 +0000

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Tanner and Oliver love their jobs! After all, what's not to love about posing with yummy treats. Today they had the distinct pleasure of tempting their palates with Pet 'n Shape, a new dehydrated chicken liver treat that offers several flavors in fruit and vegetable choices.

We wrote our review yesterday, but saved our photos to share in this giveaway. The boys declare this a great snack, and I concur. It's high in protein and full of real fruits and veggies. Our Rabbit, Robby, would have been proud of Tanner and Oliver for eating their veggies. Be sure to stop in and read the review so you know what you're entering to win.

Today's giveaway is a generous 8 bags of Pet 'n Shape that your Fido is sure to love. You may want to drop by their Facebook page to say thank you, or possibly drop a Tweet to them. Knowing their giveaways are appreciated is very important to companies who are marketing their new products to the public. Thanks in advance for your help.

Use the Rafflecopter entry form below. If it does not appear immediately, simply click on the title above to refresh and it will appear just beneath my name. This giveaway will run 2 weeks with entries through Thursday, February 2 and winners will be announced Friday afternoon, February 3. Good luck!

Full disclosure: The treats in these images were provided as a review sample by the PR firm representing Pet 'nShape treats. I was not paid to write about or review them, and the comments included here are my own.
a Rafflecopter giveaway