Sunday, October 31, 2010

Halloween


Happy Halloween!




Make sure your furry friends don't get into any chocolate!!!

Love, 
The Little Blogger 

P.S. See you on Tuesday for a fun post!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Paul Mitchell Pet

Good morning!  How has the week been treating you so far?  Aren't you glad there's only two more days until the weekend?! 

Teton had a rough day on Tuesday.  In preparation for a little get together we're having this weekend, he got...a...dreaded...BATH.  It was just the worst.  Of course, the Little Blogger is lucky because I used to give him baths every two weeks until one veterinarian told us that bathing your dog that often actually lessens the effectiveness of flea treatments.  Those of us with pets know how expensive those darn flea treatments are so I wasn't about to start jeopardizing his protection against those little buggers!  Anyway, now Teton gets one bath per month and let me tell you, he does not care for them.

Of course, once I actually have him in the tub and we're halfway through he calms down a bit.  And after his bath he can't wait to do crazy dog all over the house and rub on everything in the hopes of getting his stank back on.

To get that nasty stank off, however, we use Paul Mitchell Pet shampoo.




Like mother, like son!  (I use Paul Mitchell shampoo and conditioner, too.)  
 



Now, I'll be the first to admit that I know nothing about shampoo.  That is, I have no clue what ingredients you should and shouldn't look for.  Do less ingredients mean that a shampoo is better?  Or can shampoo not really be shampoo if it's not packed with all sorts of things that I can't pronounce?  

For those that are curious, here is the ingredient list from Paul Mitchell Pet's Cleanse Calming Moisturizing Shampoo.




Pretty much the only thing that sounds out to me here is the Sweet Almond Oil.  Sounds nice, doesn't it?  Let me tell you, it sure smells good!

People always ask me if I brush Mr. T. every day or if he gets a bath once a week.  This dog has some serious hair!  We're pretty lucky because his hair has always been puppy soft and we rarely brush it.  In fact, I only really brush Teton after his monthly bath.  I think we owe his awesome hair to his genetics, his breed mixture, and Paul Mitchell Pet Shampoo.  Seriously!   

From my experience, this shampoo lathers well, washes out fantastically, and smells grrrrreat.  And I mean, come on!  Look at this kid's luscious locks!  




Action shot! 




I paid $9.99 for this shampoo at a local pet store, but I know they carry it at Petco and possibly PetSmart.  I'm not sure what it costs there, but I think it might be a little more expensive.  Try to support those small local businesses!  Sometimes they really do have better prices! 


Teton gives Paul Mitchell Pet shampoo a 1 out of ten because he hates baths.  I give it a 7 out of ten because it's inexpensive (depending, of course, on how often you bathe your dog and what his or her hair is like), it works wonders, and it smells fantastic!  I'd still like to do more research on what to look for in a pet shampoo, but for now, we'll stick with this stuff! 


Have a great next few days!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Distinctive Dog - Peanut Butter Bread

Happy Tuesday, everyone!  We're one day closer to the weekend!  

Our Tuesday review is of Peanut Butter Bread treats from Distinctive Dog!

I'm pretty amped about these treats because I randomly found them online and realized that they are made locally.  Then, as if things couldn't get any more exciting (I know, I need to get out more), my sister and I found them at a new pet store in the area last weekend!  




There were a couple of different flavors to choose from.  Of Pawberry Cobbler, Sweet Potato Carrot Cake, Chicken Pot Pie, and Peanut Banana Bread, I chose Peanut Banana Bread because two of Teton's favorite things are peanut butter and bananas.  

Here are Distinctive Dog's reasons why dogs love their treats. 




Here's something that I love!  




A short ingredient list!  Look at all of those good-for-you yummies!  

I also love that these treats are locally made.  That always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. 

My initial thumbs down about this product was the price.  I paid $8.98 for a 12 oz box of the Peanut Butter Bread treats.  But, I was pleasantly surprised when I checked out the packaging. 




Sometimes I feel totally jipped when I spend a lot of money on treats for T.  (When I say "a lot," I mean more than $7.)  Too often dog treat boxes or bags look way more full than they actually are.  You know...like when you buy a bag of chips and half of the bag is air?  The Distinctive Dog treat bag was pretty packed!  




Um, Mom...do I get all of those? 




I've been giving Teton these without breaking them, but I can totally see myself snapping them in half and using the pieces as training treats.  He has really been going nutty over these.  When I give him one, he takes it ever so gently in his mouth and over to his bed, where he slowly chomps away at it.  Then, a few seconds later, he's back begging for another.  




I like these treats.  First off, they're locally made, and I like supporting local businesses.  Second, they're available in fun flavors (I think we'll try the Pawberry Cobbler next!).  Third, they have a pretty short ingredient list with a lot of good things for Mr. T.  And fourth, Distinctive Dog donates 5% of all of their profits to pet and wild animal welfare organizations.  If that doesn't make me all gooey all over I don't know what will!

The only downside of these treats for me is the price.  Even though the bag was pretty full, it's still a little steep for biscuits.  But, the pros outweigh the cons and the Little Blogger seems to really dig these treats.  

We give Distinctive Dog's Peanut Butter Bread treats a seven out of 10.  

See you on Thursday! 

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Twist 'N Treat

Happy Sunday! 

Before we give you our review of Premier Pet's Twist 'N Treat, I wanted to update you on our blogging schedule.  Check the blog on Tuesdays and Thursdays for pet product reviews and don't be surprised if we add a little extra somethin' somethin' on Saturdays, as well! 

On to the review! 

One of Teton's favorite activities is playing with his Twist 'N Treat!




This "activity toy," as I like to call it, is similar to the Kong in that you stuff it with an assortment of treats (or your dog's dinner) and let your pooch work to get whatever it is you put in, out!  The TNT comes in three different sizes - small, medium, and large.  Teton has the medium size and I believe it cost me around $12. 

Here's a size gauge for you.  This is Teton's TNT next to a fairly large Honeycrisp Apple (drool). 




Like I said, you can use the TNT as a special treat, for your pup's dinner, or as a way to have a few uninterrupted moments in your day.  I especially like to use the TNT when Teton is at work with me because it gives him something to do in an environment that he is easily bored in. 

One of the cool features of the Twist 'N Treat that the Kong doesn't offer (don't worry - we'll review the Kong, too!) is that you can adjust it's treat-retrieving difficulty.  For a dog that has never used a TNT before, you may want to unscrew it so that the opening is fairly wide, thus letting treats fall out more easily. 


 

Since Teton knows what he's doing, I screw it as tight as it will go. 




To take the TNT apart, all you have to do is, well, twist




I like to fill our TNT with an assortment of treats.  Sometimes I mix a little bit of dinner kibble in there, too.  And every once in a while the Little Blogger gets to eat all of his dinner from the TNT.  I've used peanut or almond butter in the TNT, as well, but generally I like to save that for the Kong since I think it's easier for dogs to get treats out of a Kong and the peanut butter jacks up the difficulty just a touch.  




I'll blog about some of these treats in future posts.  I like using smaller sized treats for the TNT, because then I can really pack it to the brim.  I even cut some of the treats into little pieces before adding them. 





The Little Blogger is clearly not amused that it took so long for me to prep his TNT. 




Twist it back together and voila!  A treat/activity that any dog will love!  Here's a video of Teton enjoying his Sunday TNT.  


 


It took Mr. T. between 10 and 12 minutes to get all of the goodies out of TNT.  We give the Twist 'N Treat an eight out of 10 because it's unique, easy to use (for both pet and owner), inexpensive, and fun! 




See you on Tuesday! 

Friday, October 22, 2010

Moldy Jerky

Happy Weekend!  Yes, it's officially the weekend (thank goodness!) and I am going to be one busy bee during the next few days.  In fact, Teton and I just whipped up a batch of Whoopie Pies for dessert tomorrow night with the fam.  



Speaking of Teton, I meant to blog about these awesome salmon jerky treats I found at the grocery store (I know, I couldn't believe it either!) but as I grabbed a bag of the $5.99 locally-made, low-ingredient count, all natural treats I quickly changed my mind because underneath the bag I picked up was another bag that was completely moldy!  Ew.  No, thanks.  I will not be feeding the Little Blogger anything that is moldy or has the potential to mold while sitting on the shelf at the store.  

That being said, look out for a review at the end of the weekend. 

For now, I'll leave you with a video of Teton at just four months old.  As you can see, he was already product testing (and doing so quite well, if I do say so myself).  The toy in the video, my friends, is a $.99 squeaky fish from Target.  If this video tells you anything (aside from how adorable the Little Blogger was), it's that sometimes the cheapest toys are the best!




Have a wonderful night!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Canine Cookies

Someone didn't want to get out of bed this morning...




Note the two, count 'em, TWO fleece blankets that he's wrapped himself in.  It was a refrigerator in our house last night!  I think that factor may have contributed to the Little Blogger (as my dad calls him) missing our morning walk!  Oh, wait, he's covered in hair.   

Our first review is...Canine Cookies from Great Harvest Bread Company!




These adorable cookies come in a pack of four and run about $4, I think.  Sorry - next time I'll save the receipt!  I bought them on my last trip to Great Harvest, when I only intended on buying a loaf of Cinnamon Swirl bread (yum!).  Of course, I caved when I saw the cute little doggie wrapping and convinced myself that Teton needed them. 

Take a closer look at these bad boys. 


 



I like to give Teton things with as few ingredients as possible.  These treats are pretty good.  Check out the short list of ingredients.  




Ingredients:  Freshly stone-ground whole wheat, nonfat milk powder, whole eggs, canola oil, and water

They're pretty big, in my opinion.  You can see how thick they are from some of the close-ups.  They measure almost five inches in length.  Because Teton is a fairly little dude (about 33 lbs) and we like to keep him slim, I prefer to break bones like these ones in half and only give him one half at a time. 




He doesn't seem to mind. 




What he does mind, however, is when I take my sweet time snapping photos of his dog treats as he drools all over the floor.  And he really minds when I have the audacity to tell him to hold a treat in his mouth while I take a picture of him.   





Anyhoo, it took Teton about five minutes to eat half of one Canine Cookie and let me tell you, he loved every one of those minutes.  I obviously need to work on my photography skills, but just so you know we're not faking it, here is a blurry shot of Mr. T. eating his treatsie.




Teton's pretty excited about this whole blogging thing.




Teton and I give Canine Cookies from Great Harvest Bread Company a six out of 10.  They're definitely yummy and we like the short ingredient list, but at the end of the day, they're a basic dog bone with not a lot of pizazz.  

Have a great day!   

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Meet Teton!

Teton is an American Eskimo Dog and Keeshond mix.  He was born on November 17, 2009, making him one year and 11 months old (give or take a few days!).  We adopted Teton from a local rescue the day that he turned 8 weeks.  Here's a photo from that day!




Wasn't he just the cutest?!  Ahem...still IS the cutest! 




Teton is pretty spoiled.  Not only does he get to go to work with me every day, he gets oodles and oodles of treats and toys on a weekly basis.  He's pickier than some dogs when it comes to food, treats, and chews, and he always takes his time when consuming a goodie.  You know how some dogs don't even seem to chew?  They just gulp down what ever is given to them in the blink of an eye?  Not Teton.  He takes his sweet time, enjoying every morsel.  




Since Teton is such an expert on toys, treats, and chews, and I am such a sucker in a pet store, I figured we'd better put some of this know-how out there for other pet owners.  I'll take lots of photos, be unabashedly honest, and have an open mind when it comes to new products! 

More tomorrow!


This is Teton.  He's tried just about every healthy dog treat on the planet (and some not so healthy ones) and doesn't plan on stopping any time soon.  Stay tuned for dog treat and product reviews!