Easy Walk Harness

Does your dog have a fight with the leash when you take him for a walk? Maverick was the worst puppy when he was put on a leash when he was younger. He was always pulling against the leash and I thought he was going to choke himself. People will tell you “they will stop pulling before they choke”, but this still seems like a silly way of training your dog to be a good boy on their leash. Therefore, I am going to recommend an Easy Walk harness. Instead of clipping in the back like most harnesses, Easy Walk harnesses clip in the front. By clipping here, it is a great way to stop your dog from pulling against their leash. IF they do pull, then they are redirected either to their left or to their right depending on which side of their body the leash is on. They are available at PetSmart. Here is an example:

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We keep a normal collar on Maverick since we only put him in the harness for walks. If you are in the market for a new collar and leash, I recommend one of these by Harry Barker. Each collar is made of 20 recycled plastic bottles.  I love that Harry Barker is doing some good for the environment and they are stylish too!



Monthly Subscription Boxes

I’m sad to hear that Postal Puppy is closing its doors after only a few months. Postal Puppy was a monthly subscription pet toy/treat delivery box similar to BarkBox that would send a box of toys, treats, samples, etc. I wish all the employees of Postal Puppy all the best in their new adventures.

Now I have written about BarkBox in the past because I just love the people there and the service that they provide. Oh, have I mentioned that their boxes are amazing?!? We have been a part of their service for several months and Maverick has loved everything in his boxes so far. But there are many other monthly subscription services that you can sign up for.

Toys4Tails

Toys4Tails lets you select toys and treats that your dog would like and then sends you a box each month. It costs $14.95 a month or $8.95 per month if you sign up for a whole year.

Best Friend Box

Best Friend Box is a little more expensive than the other monthly services, but it contains gourmet treats and luxury items (grooming, toys, gear, etc). Their subscription plan costs $45 a month.

Pawalla

Pawalla’s box is full of food, treats, supplements, toys and more. All items are chosen by their nutritionists. It costs $26 a month or $21 a month with an annual subscription.

Bugsy’s Box

Bugsy’s Box is full of treats, toys, grooming products, etc. It is $29 a month individually or $17 a month for a 6 month subscription. I am still waiting for an answer Bugsy’s Box because their website says it is $29 CAD, which is Canadian dollars and I’m not exactly sure how what their prices will be in US dollars. Hopefully, I can give you an update once I hear back from Bugsy’s Box.

I wish I could subscribe to ALL of these boxes; however, I can’t because it’s just too expensive to subscribe to all of them. But a girl can still dream…

If you are interested in a monthly subscription service for either your dog or yourself, I suggest you check out this blog. Like me, the author is addicted to subscription boxes and she reviews as many as possible. She breaks down the value of each item in her boxes and then compares the value of each box to how much she paid for the box. Best of all, she includes pictures of her boxes!

Tell me what monthly subscriptions you get each month…

Event Fun!

Whew, did we have one busy Saturday! As you know, my best friend Brandi came to town on Saturday and the three of us took Maverick to the Paws and Claws Expo at the Ladson Fairgrounds. What a fun time! Maverick racked up 2 Frisbees, 5 tennis balls and a whole pile of treats. It must be nice being so cute. We ran into people we knew, and lots of people we didn’t know, but my little social butterfly puppy had a great time with everyone.

Saturday night was the big doggie event in our neighborhood that I have been putting together over the last couple of months. We gathered tons of food for the Pet Helpers shelter and had a blast with the dogs and owners from the neighborhood that made it out to the event. We gave out tons of great prizes and of course the sample boxes, which we ended up calling Swag Bags. All of the dogs got to play together and we met some fun new dogs.

Thank you to everyone that made the events so much fun! Now it is time to rest up and recharge for the next event.

Paws and Claws 2012 Pet Expo

If you live in Charleston…

This weekend at the Ladson Exchange Park is the Paws and Claws Pet Expo. Doors are open from 11-4 with a $2 cash admission fee. Feel free to bring your furry friend with you (on a leash of course). There will be lots of demonstrations, vendors, food vendors, and contests. They are having contests for the best dressed and most talented pets. Here is the link to the Paws and Claws Pet Expo website where you will find full details.

MJ, Brandi (my best friend) and I will be bringing Maverick to check out all of the fun stuff going on that day at Exchange Park. We hope to see everyone there!

Sample Boxes

For those of you that have been following my blog – and I thank you! – you know that the Doggie Event that I have been planning in my neighborhood is happening this Saturday. Yikes!

Anyway, a very good friend of mine named Katie got married last November and I helped her with some wedding-related things like making wedding wands (for 9 straight hours), making bows (ugh, what a painful process that was), and stuffing candy apples into cellophane bags. With all of that friend credit in hand, I figured it was time to cash some of that help back in. Katie came over to Sunday morning to help me assemble the sample boxes for the event. Thank goodness she came over! We managed to pack up around 100 sample boxes for the doggie event!! Here are some pictures of our apartment with all the fun samples and giveaways.



All the fun stuff is in the dog sample boxes.



My hallway lined with boxes of samples and coupons.



The kitchen covered in the sample boxes for the assembly line.




Cute sticker I made for the top of each box.

Thanks for all your help Katie!!

September Dog of the Month Contest

Time for the "dog of the month" contest for September. Here is the info that needs to be emailed to me.

A little bit about your dog. Age, breed, personality quirks, etc.
A picture of your dog.
A few sentences about why your dog should be dog of the month.

Email me at southendogsblog@gmail.com by September 29th, 2012.

The winner will recieve a prize package from Southerndogs!

Maverick at the Beach!

We had an extremely busy Labor Day weekend. MJ’s family was in town and I love it when they come to town. They just love Maverick to death, so he is showered with love. We ended up taking Maverick to the beach for the first time and he had a ball. He was a little nervous of the waves at first, but then he figured out that he could jump over them. Such a smart puppy!

What I did not know (and I should have done the research) is that salt water can make dogs sick. I love Maverick, but he winds up inhaling a lot of water while he is swimming the ball back after it’s been thrown into the water for him to fetch. He got a little sick from the saltwater he drank, but it wasn’t too bad. I guess he is too used to going to the park where there is fresh water for him to swim in (and consequently drink).

If you live in Charleston and want to take your dog to the beach, I highly recommend Beachwalkers County Park on Kiawah Island. There is a whole section where your dog does not have to be on a leash so they can run and play with other dogs. It does cost $8 to park so be prepared.

Here are some pictures of Maverick’s first trip to the beach that I wanted to share with you!