Betta Tank Prize Finds a Home

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Oliver Has Spent Hours Watching Chiffon

Yes, we named the Betta Fish 'Chiffon'. Fitting, don't you think? His flowing tails and fins remind me of the beautiful fabric that many ball gowns are made off. Our list of pets just grew again.

Who knew that a tiny little Betta Fish tank could generate so much excitement. I'm beyond surprised to see how many of you were interested in adding a swimming pet to your Furry households. I wish I could give away a whole bunch of them, but alas, I only agreed to TRY to give away one. I actually thought it was a longshot that I'd get much action. You proved me wrong!

The Random.org draw is nerve-wracking. We have 2908 entries and I can only hit the button once. Gulp. Cross your fingers and your paws. Here goes! The winner is Lenny G. whose pups Shayna and Tiki will now have a fun new roommate to keep them entertained. We wish you luck and advise you to keep your new finned friend out of reach until you know how the dogs will respond :)

Not a winner? I'm sorry! The good news is you can pick up one of these compact Betta Fish homes in your local Petco or online at Petco.com. It won't set you back a ton and you'll be providing your dog with some much-needed stimuli. Enjoy!

Petco has provided one Betta Fish tank to a reader as a promotional courtesy. I reviewed this one and Chiffon now lives there. Sorry, his house is not available. I was not paid to share our experience or to provide this giveaway. No purchase was required to enter. Thank you for participating.

Dog Entertainment: A Betta Fish?

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Who Knew the Dogs
Would Enjoy this Experiment?

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Tanner Meets New Roomie

Well this review was one of my most surprising dog blogging adventures. I honestly did not think Tanner and Oliver would even notice the little swimmer inside, even though we were watching Olympic swimming on TV this past 2 weeks. By the way, these Betta Fish are terribly expensive. I paid about $2 for this red one. Ouch! JK!

I rather expected Chiffon (we had to name him!) would be heading off to grad school with my middle son when we completed the photos and kissed Brent goodbye. But after seeing Tanner and Oliver's reaction I couldn't give the little fella up. He actually provides good entertainment, stimulation, and an occasional drink, Ill admit. Tanner doesn't really know one water bowl from another. It's a Retriever thing. Gotta keep the toilet bowls closed in this house :)

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Get Out of the Water Dude!

At first, the boys did not really notice his presence. Once the first one discovered life existed in there, I couldn't keep them away from the bowl for several hours. Tanner tried endless ways to get in and join Chiffon for a swim. He simply couldn't figure out why the fish could swim and he couldn't. At one point he even managed to dislodge the lid and take a good gulp.

Oh my dog....I feared for Chiffon's life for a quick moment as my heart fluttered. Whew! When Tanner stopped slurping, Chiffon was still swimming away in the bottom of the tank. I moved it to higher ground, making it a big tougher for Tanner to put his snout inside.

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
What's That in the Water Bowl?

Now a spectator sport, the fish tank is safer, and Tanner and Oliver have acquiesced to watching him rather than trying to join him. So, how would your dog react to a fish in the home? Want to find out? Enter the giveaway below.

Obviously, this tank is smaller than your average home fish tank. It's actually perfect for a bedroom, dorm or apartment. I have always found watching fishtanks to be relaxing. It certainly did not have that effect on my dogs, but perhaps a child would enjoy the silent roommate as a little company that encourages introspection. Whatever your reason, let me know in the comment section. Petco will enjoy your responses.

The Rafflecopter entry form is at the bottom of the post. If you have trouble viewing it simply click on the post title to refresh and it will magically reappear. Best of luck to you all.

 

The Betta Fish Tank in this giveaway is provided by Petco as a promotional courtesy. There is no purchase required to enter. US households only, please.

Fun Help for Selecting the Right Breed

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

This dog breed infographic is one of the funniest and yet mostly accurate tools I've seen yet. I hope you all enjoy the humor and entertainment, as well as the helpful info in this great flow chart:


Doggyloot - Discover new dog toys, treats & chews at up to 75% off
 

Renting with Your Dog: 10 Tips for Success

© by Carrie Boyko

Canine Mischief

Landlords! That word definitely can have a bad connotation. This post is written for the benefit of all of you out there that have to deal with pets and landlords. 


It's a pretty simple concept. Landlords want their apartment/house/condo back in relatively the same condition it was given to you in. This doesn't include chewed cabinets or curtains that were used for tug toys. A little wear on the carpet is to be expected, but your Mastiff's accidents may not fall into that category, unless they are completely cleaned up. 


I'll address clean up in a later post, but for now, let's talk about what you need to do to keep that landlord happy.

1. Protect the carpeted areas with throw rugs, dog beds, crates and furniture, to the extent possible. If Spot favors a particular area of carpet for napping, come up with an ingenious plan for covering it (a rug!) or redirect him to another area with a bed, toys, chewies, etc. If you praise and treat him when he goes there, you'll soon find you won't have to ask him.
2. Give your dog's water bowl a vinyl placemat, to keep the floor clean and dry. This will help you avoid mold and mildew in the tile grout or discoloration of the vinyl flooring. You can pick these up at most pet stores. Choose one with a lip that will collect overflow for easier clean up.
3. If you have a drooling dog (all you Mastiff owners know who I'm talking to!), you'll find there is a line of his 'sling' at the level of his head. A rag and some vegetable soap (I like Dr. Bronner's) in warm water will help you clean up the walls once a week, and will only take a few minutes per room.
4. Bath time in your tub will work fine if you have a  small or short-haired breed. Chow Chows need not apply; go see your neighborhood groomer. The down side of an indoor bath is the to-be-expected SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE that is a natural reflex. All dogs will shake to remove trickly, tickly water after a bath or swim. Considering the clean up of mirrors, walls, floors, towels, etc., you may want to think about an outdoor bath with the hose, or at the groomer's will make it a whole lot easier on you. However, you choose to do it, just do it. A clean dog will not leave a dirty dog smell in the carpet, something that could end with you not getting your security deposit returned when you move. That might put it in perspective.
5. Stay on top of flea treatments to assure you are not growing a population of these bouncy pests that will attack the next family to move in. This could punch you in the wallet also.
6. Ditto for ticks. As you do your regular dog grooming routine of brushing, ear cleaning, etc., include a good massage that will allow you to feel his skin for any freeloaders that have moved into his fur. Remove by grasping with two finger nails and pulling out perpendicularly. If you find more than a couple, I suggest you read No More Ticks for Tanner, and take action accordingly. Better safe than sorry, as these parasites can carry diseases that you and your Rover don't want to deal with.
7. Crate train your puppies and maintain a crate-lover throughout his life. You won't regret the space a crate will take up when your senior dog needs a safe place to retreat during a thunderstorm or party, or just a quiet napping spot on a lazy afternoon. I've even had repairmen ask me to crate my dogs just because they are large.
8. Provide your dog with plenty of busy bones, chew toys, filled Kongs, and boredom busters of all kinds to assure he won't take out any frustrations on your shoes or your landlord's cabinets.
9. A daily walk for 30-60 minutes will go a long way toward tiring out Rover. A napping pup is 100% less likely to get into trouble than one with pent up energy who is looking to let it all out. Will it be your couch, a table leg, your Coach handbag, or maybe the window-treatments?
10. If at all possible, arrange for a mid-day potty break for your pup, while you are away at work. Perhaps a neighborhood teenager or friend can help out. You can repay them in kind by helping them with their dog, when they go away. Fostering these kinds of reciprocal dog-sitting arrangements can be a money-saver for both of you, while keeping Fido comfortable and giving him a chance to stretch his legs.

Besides saving your security deposit, these tips will assure you get a good recommendation from this landlord, when it's time to move. That simple act on the part of your landlord will give your more options to choose from, and hopefully that will be a Win-Win for you and your dog. Maybe your next home will have a big, fenced in back yard for lots of fun playtime. Happy tails!

© Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved

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Dog Photo Contest Winner: What Did She Buy with her Prize Money?

    A report from our Fetching Fido contest winner:

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Juliet Loves her Teaser Ball

"I finally went to Petco and spent Juliet's Fetching Fido gift card. Juliet is beyond excited with her 8" teaser ball, a ball within a ball. You can find it at Jolly Pets or Amazon has the 10" version for bigger dogs at this link."

"She played with it NONSTOP for 3 hours and I had to put it up because she was panting so hard. I've never seen Juliet stay interested in a toy this long, ever. Then she parked herself next to the toy closet, waiting. Wow!  Thanks so much!"  

A Note from Carrie at All Things Dog Blog:


Juliet's mom knows full well the value of a great toy to keep a pup entertained, stimulated and busy for longer periods of time. High-energy dogs need toys like this to occupy them during your busy times. Watch for my upcoming posts on Tanner's treat ball adventure and the experiment with Oliver's new game: The Muffin Pan Game. Happy tails!


Here's a video of Hadley, another terrier, playing with the Jolly Pets Teaser Ball. See how much fun your dog can have with this great toy:

Help protect our precious dog parks

Visit Adopt a Dog Park to learn how

© Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved

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