Mutt Monday Goes Greener

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

We're here today to share ways to live a little more lightly on planet Earth: Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle with your dog. Bake your own healthy, organic treats, make homemade dog toys, choose recycled or Eco-friendly products, or seek out new places to find Earth friendly things for Fido. You've found the right place.

Today I'm asking bloggers to join in with their posts to offer you any help or ideas along this line. I hope you enjoy this theme and find something useful in these articles. Next week, watch for our new theme:

Top 10 Posts of 2012

I'm pretty sure I'll have a tough time sorting through all of last year's posts, but it's a great way for me to share some of my better tips and strategies for your life with your dog. Be sure to join us for this upcoming week's great offerings.

Last week I made an announcement. I'd like to help Mutt Monday become easier access for the bloggers who participate, giving more of them a chance to join in with their own posts. For this reason, Mutt Monday will now become a 24/7 event. The current week's event will open with a new theme on Monday at 12:01 AM and bloggers can link up anytime during the week.

Want to help get the word out? Here's a Tweet you can chip in on:

#MuttMonday is a 24/7 themed #BlogHop. Join us each week at http://ow.ly/igIzS for a fun, new theme.
— Carrie Boyko (@AllThingsDog) March 10, 2013

Did you miss last week's Dog Book Reviews theme? Check it out here; there were some terrific choices.

Happy Mutt Monday,

Mutt Monday Loves Dog Books

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

More and more I'm seeing dog book reviews and dog book giveaways popping up in the pet blogging space. I'm reading a Chet and Bernie mystery right now and totally loving it. What's your current fave?

Today's blog hop is focused on book reviews and book giveaways--ones that are currently going on. Bloggers may feel free to link them up here and let's give all of our readers the opportunity to see what's up for grabs and learn more about a great read.

Now, on to next week...You know the mantra for green: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle? We'll, here at All Things Dog Blog we have tweaked this phrase to better suit pet owners. It is now Reuse, Repupose and Recycle, and this is our theme for next week. Same green idea, but more pet friendly, and that's what we are here--green and pet friendly. 

We're inviting bloggers to dig deep into their archives and share their "green dog" posts  along this theme next week:

Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle

And just a quick sneak preview of the following week. I always tell myself that I'm going to go through my archives and name my top 10 posts, but it never happens. Perhaps if I get ahead of myself and simply announce it, I'll be committed. Watch for "Top 10 Posts of 2102" on March 18. Join me?

Now let's make another announcement. I'd like to help Mutt Monday become easier access for the bloggers who participate, perhaps giving more of them a chance to join in with their own posts. For this reason, Mutt Monday will now become a 24/7 event. The current week's event will open with a new theme on Monday at 12:01 AM and bloggers can link up anytime during the week.

Want to help get the word out? Here's a Tweet you can chip in on:

#MuttMonday is a 24/7 themed #BlogHop. Join us each week at ow.ly/igIzS for a fun, new topic.
— Carrie Boyko (@AllThingsDog) March 3, 2013

Going forward, Mutt Monday will open at 12:01 on Mondays and continue throughout the week, allowing bloggers to link up whenever they wish. Feel free to comment with topic suggestions.

Happy tails,

Mutt Monday Prepares for Spring

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Prepare for Spring? What's she talking about? Okay, maybe it's a lame topic, but think a bit longer and you'll begin to follow me. If you live in a cooler climate than Florida, your home has probably been closed up for the entire Winter. It's time for a good Spring cleaning and airing out of everything, including Fido's beds and toys.

Here's a few quick tips, but other topics can be linked up by bloggers here. Dig deep and locate those you'd like to share along this line, or just include your most recent post. Anything goes here on Mutt Monday, although we do offer a theme for archived posts that are linked up.

Fido's Spring Cleaning List:

• Remove and wash bed covers in hot water, repeating frequently throughout the flea season.
• Air out bedding cushions and padding on a fresh, breezy day, for best results.
• For non-washable bedding, sprinkle cushions with baking soda, brushing in well. Allow to sit in the sun and vacuum later for a fresher bed.
• When zipping the bed cover over the cushion, you can help repel and demolish fleas by sprinkling some Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth inside. This product acts like shards of glass to fleas, taking them out when they crawl through the fabric to hide out inside Fido's bed.
• Get ahead of the flea season flare up by sprinkling this DE powder in corners, under bedding, and dusting your light-colored dogs with it for a great way to prevent infestations.
• Treat your yard with a flea preventative BEFORE the fleas begin to start their Spring families. DE power can be used to dust your yard, and other methods include peppermint oil and clove products. Be aware that botanical oils should not be placed on your pet's skin in full strength. 
• When the risk of freeze is past in your area, wash and store all Fido's sweaters in ziplocks or old suitcases (much greener!) to prevent them from becoming dust bunnies throughout the warmer seasons.
• Are your dog's toys as gross as Tanner's? Yuck. Time for a group bath (sounds risque, right?!!!) or at least a good tumble in your dryer to remove dust and other loose soil. Look for tears and other damage that you may have missed--openings to dangerous ingestion of stuffing material. Repair or discard damaged toys to safeguard your dog.

I'd love to hear your ideas on preparing for Spring with your pups. Please share in the comments area and feel free to offer us some advice. We can all learn from you!

Next week's topic, for great outdoor reading on beautiful Spring days, is:

Dog Book Reviews or Giveaways

I'm happy to see more and more of these types of posts and look forward to reading up on what our bloggers share here. See you next week!

Dog Humor, Great Read, Don't Miss It!

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
What are Tanner's Secrets?

About to finish that book your reading? Well you're in luck; today begins the entries for the giveaway of Things your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know. A laugh-out-loud, downright hilarious book about what dogs are thinking. Three books will be given to the winners of the drawing. 

Enter via the Rafflecopter below and watch for the announcement of the winners on Tuesday evening, November 6. You can enter through Monday, November 5.

If the Rafflecopter is playing hide-n-seek again, just click on the post title to refresh and it will reappear. Thanks and good luck!

Can't wait till November? You can get the for-sure version of this giveaway at  Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Indigo.

Three copies were provided by the authors as a promotion for their book. I was not compensated to review it and the thoughts included in the review and this giveaway are entirely my own. There is no purchase required to enter, just a sense of humor. :)

Dog Thoughts Make for Great Reading!

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

(c) All Things Dog Blog
I Wonder What Tanner is Thinking?!

Ever ask yourself, "I wonder what my dog's thinking?" I know you do; I do it everyday. Every time one of my dogs does something cute, or barks at something he thinks he's heard. Now you can truly discover what your dog is thinking about, whether it's about food, the funny names you call him, or what they do when you're gone; and these are just a few.

In Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know, you can finally understand your dog's thought process in this comedic compilation of letters from dogs to their owners. The book features 11 different dogs, each with their own distinct personalities. Each dog has his own uniquely-styled background with fun colors and designs to complement his personality.

© AllThingsDogBlog.comWin a Copy for You,
a Friend or Family Member

It's hard to choose favorites; however, one of my favorite letters is from Tinkerbell, a Chihuahua who thinks she is the queen of the world. It's entitled "I hate your boyfriend". In this letter, Tinkerbell goes on to explain how she has attempted to end relationships her owner has had with men she disapproves of, until finally, she meets her match when her owner sets her up with her new boyfriend's handsome Bichon. 

Tinkerbell is just one end of an extreme scale in terms of dog personalities. This book features every type, from Tinkerbell to Axelrod's generically sweet Labrador demeanor, to Rufus T., the bloodhound with his best friend forever, Toby, whose owners are also friends.

This book is great for any dog-lover, or even dog-admirers. It will broaden your thoughts to what goes on in your dog's mind and give you a nice laugh at the same time. Not only that, it's an extremely easy read, perfect for reading anytime of the day. Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know will capture your attention from start to finish with these fascinating tales about the everyday lives of dogs as they relate to their owners.

Are you dying for a copy right away? Here are some options for buying your own, as well as connecting with the author:

• Buy it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Indigo
• Get acquainted on Facebook
• Follow the book on Twitter

A Dog's Purpose: Giveaway Winners Named

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© K.K, reader copyright on file
Rory Shares her Love for Today's Giveaway

You guys did a great job of showing the print publishing industry that book readers are alive and well! I was pleased to see the enthusiasm for winning an adult book. Great work!


Next week I'm going back to kids books, so if your children, grandchildren, nephew and nieces or students love dog stories, you know where to enter to win them. Today's celebration, however, is about adults reading and this is very important. When we read in front of the children in our lives, we set an important example for them, and one that will often make the difference between kids who grow up loving to read and ones who find it a chore. 


Let's see what Random.org has to tell us about the winners of this giveaway. With 110 entries, this should be an interesting drawing. Here are the names of the winners: Diana Russell, Cynthia Downer, and Ashley C. You will each receive an email from AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com requesting your address for shipping. Be sure to reply quickly to assure you get your book soon. I know you will all enjoy it as much as I did. Be sure to report back and let us know what you thought. Happy tails!




Full disclosure: The publisher provided 3 copies of this book as a promotional giveaway. I read and reviewed the book and gave my honest opinion. No purchase was necessary to enter or win this drawing and I was not compensated to do this review.