Ramping Up Ease of Entry for Fido

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Ready to Board

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Time to Board: Wag that Tail!

The All Things Dog Blog gang is getting ready to embark on a new chapter. We're adding an RV lifestyle to our travel with dogs. What's more, we'll be doing this in a very uncharacteristic way--green! As we begin to venture out more frequently, I'll be bringing you tips for camping greener, living lighter and finding solutions for your Fido friends.

Today's post is all about solutions. With Tanner sitting on the fence between middle aged and senior (I can't believe he's 7 already!), I'm starting to be more careful about his joints and overall comfort and ease of activities. No more agility for this boy; we want him to live to a ripe old age without hip issues. We've started with the addition of a ramp for entry into the RV. 

While Tanner doesn't yet need a ramp, we want to be prepared. And further, it was

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
No Problem! Love My Personal Bridge

important that he learn to use it and build the necessary muscles he'll be using to traverse this bridge to his temporary home. This super light Ultralight Bifold Pet Ramp folds in half and stores easily in the compartments under the RV "house", making it the ideal solution for RVs, SUVs and other larger vehicles, as well as homes with several steps into the entrance.

Tanner learned quickly and easily how to use the ramp. You can find out more here. Even without agility training, your dog will happily follow a treat up the ramp in order to get their reward, especially when his family is inside calling him happily! Keep that tip in mind :)

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Down He Goes; Super Easy!

Our friends at Solvit Products have many helpful pet solutions for dogs who have various challenges, l

courtesy SolvitProducts.com
CareLift™ Lifting Harness

ike the CareLift™ Lifting Harness. This product is designed for dogs who have a loss of mobility in either the front legs, rear legs, or both. Choices make it possible for you to address the needs of your dog's particular challenges. This patent-pending product is also great for use in rehabilitation after an injury or surgery. You can find out more at the link.

courtesy Solvit Products

I'd like to highlight a couple of other travel solutions that Solvit Products have developed--their Vehicle Safety Harness line and their Front Seat Net Barriers. The latter is a great way to remind Fido that he is to remain behind the front seats for both his safety and yours. The harness can serve as an additional safety device, helping keep him in the car in case of an accident. This harness is available in 4 sizes that adjust to fit 6-120 pounds. Wow!

courtesy Solvit Products

These are just a few of the many pet solutions that Solvit Products have created. Others can be found at their website: www.SolvitProducts.com. When you find a product you'd like to buy, check out their Store Locator here. Watch for a giveaway coming soon!



I received a sample of the UltraLight Bifold Ramp to review with Tanner. I have not been paid to share my thoughts and the opinions are completely my own, as well as observations of Tanner's experience. I only share the reviews of products in which I find value and usefulness.

Introducing the Best of All Things Dog Blog:

Find me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter

(c) photo copyright Carrie Boyko 2009

Tanner Invites You to Read On...

Scrolling through my archives the other day found me wondering how any new visitor to the blog would ever find my best posts. Tanner and I put on our thinking caps and came up with a brilliant idea:

The Best of All Things Dog Blog

This link will take you to a list of YOUR favorite posts. No, I'm not bluffing. My really geekie analytics program tells me which posts and what topics are most popular with my readers. If you'd like to explore some of our more oft-read articles, you need only click on the sub-heading just above this paragraph to find a list of these posts. Enjoy!

Three Winners Named for Visibility Vests

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Visibility Vests Make Hiking Safer

Looks like we have a lot of hikers out there; good for you! With so much in the news about obesity problems among both humans and dogs, you're on the right track. Today we're going to name the three winners who will receive a Visibility Vest to make their hiking expeditions infinitely more safe for their dogs. Let's face it, when Fido is wearing a bright yellow vest, he's easily visible against the deep green leaves--or brown during a drought--throughout the forest.

If you're running through babbling brooks, romping in the surf, or trekking in a rain or snowstorm the same thing applies. Bright yellow will make your pet stand out against the background, assuring he is visible to any hunters, vehicles, fishermen or others that could accidentally cause harm.

Thanks for all of your enthusiastic participation in our giveaway, sponsored by Gold Paw Series. If you missed it, please read our review and visit the Gold Paw Series webpage to learn more. If you find yourself itching to buy one for your dog, you can use this Store Locator.

Without adieu, let's name our winners: B. Jaroudi, H. Bridson, and M. Core. Congratulations, ladies!  You'll be hearing from me via AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. Watch your inbox AND your spam file. I'll need to hear back from you with your dog's size selection, your name and street address for shipping. Please use the information on the webpage to select your size. If your dog is borderline, I recommend going up to the next size. The vests are not large, and they do have adequate adjustability to tighten them up when needed.

Please let our sponsor know you've enjoyed this promotion by giving them a thank you on their Facebook page. Once again, we thank you for joining in on this event.

Happy tails,

While we did receive samples of the Visiblity Vest for review, we have included only our own opinions in this article. No compensation was accepted for this review and giveaway.

My Merrick #TreatRight Review

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Let's Get to Work, Mom!

As we prepared for the announcement of the #TreatRight Twitter Party and this product review, I prepared a photo shoot set. Tanner and Oliver now know that the appearance of the yoga mat means that their company is requested. I always invite them to join me for yoga practice, no matter what I'm working on. Their companionship is not only important for our bonding, but helps them become comfortable with the funky things I try, even when I'm not including them in a pose. 

Tanner and Oliver do get a fab benefit for joining me. They get a #TreatRight snack from

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Have Treats. Will Travel.

one of our favorite treatmakers. Today they'll be noshing on Grammy's Pot Pie from Merrick's Kitchen Bites line. Doesn't that sound like a delicious homemade dinner? These treats are oven-baked with deboned meat as the first ingredient. Merrick adds fruits and veggies and bakes these treats to their crunchy, USA-made goodness. 

There's no corn, soy, or wheat in the Kitchen Bites treats; these babies are grain free and gluten free! Inspired by Merrick's award-winning classic canned foods, they're available in 6 flavors that will have you and Fido salivating. In addition to Grammy's Pot Pie, there's Cowboy Cookout, Turducken, Brauts-n-Tots, and the Wingalings that come in two flavors--Applewood Bacon Flavor and Hickory Smoke Flavor. This is country dinner treat time at its best!

Next up is the Power Bites line. These tiny, soft and chewy treats are packed with the highest protein in the industry, using meaty recipes and no sorbic acid--perfect for training your smart dog to do all his great tricks and nice behaviors. All natural and perfect for your higher energy Fido or training that needs a little extra encouragement. 

courtesy Merrick Petcare

Your dog's dental specialist will be pleased to know that Merrick now offers Dental Chews called Li'l Brush Bones. Clever, right?!! Oliver just finished his second one and there was no coersion required to encourage him to chow down. He was super eager to jump right in and work his jaws to clean his choppers.

The Merrick Jerky Chip Treats come in 4 oven-baked flavors to please your dog with the most discriminating palette. Look for chicken, beef, lamb and salmon flavors, all boasting their protein as the first ingredient. And remember, all of these Merrick treats are Grain Free and Gluten Free. Yum!

Let's wrap this ambitious review up with some important facts:

• Find a store near you using this Store Locator.
• Place an order online at this wide assortment of pet product online shopping sites.
• Don't miss the Merrick #TreatRight Twitter Party on Sunday, October 26. hosted by Event Barkers. Visit the link to enter our pre-party giveaways and RSVP for the fun.

See you at #TreatRight!

We are working with Merrick Petcare through our partnership in Event Barkers, a social media promotions company specializing in Twitter Parties for the pet industry. We only promote products we have checked out. You'll find additional details on our partner sites at DogTipper.com and ToDogWithLove.com. Join us!

Pet Parents Love ModaPet Bowls!

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
This Giveaway is a Wrap! 

Wow! Our readers truly showed off their fashion sense with a huge assortment of different color favorites shared at this giveaway. I would love to see your kitchens. What fun!

I'm sure the folks at Modapet are enjoying your feedback at the giveaway and are checking stock to see which products and colors are the most popular with their prior customers compared to this new group of entrants who have voted so vigorously. Thanks for showing ModaPet how enthusiastic you are about your pet's mealtime fashion and functionality. Both are important, right?!

What? You missed our ModaPet review and giveaway? Not to worry. You can order your favorite bowl and color (choose from bunches of colors!) by locating a store near you or ordering from ModaPet.com. Your choice!

Now I get the pleasure of announcing our winners: D. Reilly, Kristen C.P., and H. Dawn. Congratulations to these lucky winners. Watch for an email with details coming from AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. Check your inbox and your spam file if you don't see anything from me by Friday evening. Feel free to send your selection--bowl style and color--along with your full name and shipping address to me at the email above. Thanks again for participating!

Congratulations,

ModaPet provided these bowls for us to use, review and share a giveaway. Products will be shipped from ModaPet. We were not compensated to provide our opinions in the review or to manage this giveaway.

Giveaway: Visibility Vests for Dog Hikes

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

(c) AllThingsDogBlog.com
Visible During a Hiking Break

The lightweight visibility vests I've reviewed and am now going to give away, have proven to be cool enough for warm weather hikes like the one photographed here. It was 86 degrees outside and even Tanner, my always loving chilly weather dog, was feeling chipper and enjoying the hike. That was a great sign that the vest was not overdone. It's just large enough to make him visible, but not so imposing as to turn him into a billboard. Perfect!

Now that we've enjoyed sharing our thoughts, we've been cleared to give away 3 vests to our readers. Calling all hikers; it's time to rally for the safety of your pups.Tell your club members and friends that we've got this safety event going on and our goal is to find homes for 3 visibility vests.

The Rafflecopter entry form will be open for your entries through midnight Thursday, October 23. I'll announce the winners on Friday afternoon, October 24. Prizes will be shipped to our winners after I receive shipping details from each.

One last detail. The Rafflecopter entry form could use a Visibility Vest! Sometimes it's hiding, so here's a tip on how to find it: click the post title above. That's it, and the Rafflecopter will pop to attention and allow you to select your entries of choice.

(c) AllThingsDogBlog.com
Oliver Loves His Bright Vest

Remember to keep it fun, using only those entry methods that you love doing.

What's my favorite entry method to see on this end? It's always fun to watch the Tweets coming through. Gold Paw needs a little coaxing to get onto Twitter, so you get to help. This time I'm going to give you a chance to share your dog's hiking photos in this giveaway, so grab your cameras and have some fun.

Not into entering giveaways? No problem. You can order your vest online at Gold Paw or find a store near you at this link.

Good luck!

While we did receive samples of the Visiblity Vest for review, we have included only our own opinions in this article. No compensation was accepted for this review and giveaway.

Safely Enjoy Fall Colors With Fido

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Visibility Vests are Comfortable Enough
 for a Whole Day Hike

Our recent trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway took us on many a beautiful hike through dark, damp woods. We had lots of dirty paws, plenty of wipes to clean them up, and more importantly, we had safety vests to assure that our dogs were easily seen.

With the peak of Fall colors coming soon, many of you may be contemplating a hike to view the explosion of Mother Nature in the trees and forests near you. Please be sure you're hiking in areas that are not open to hunters, and as an added safety measure, we recommend use of a safety vest to give your dog a standout look that no one will mistake for a wild animal.

We like the Gold Paw Series that includes a great selection of eco-friendly (made from recycled poly knit with low-impact dyes) sports coats for dogs. For hiking, we chose the Visibility Vest shown in these photos. You won't need lights since the glow in the dark trim needs no light source to glow. These USA-made vests are dayglow yellow and include an emergency information card to add your pet's important facts--health facts, name, contact info.

If you'll be hiking on a chilly day, you may wish to consider a stretch fleece under the vest to keep your dog warm. All Gold Paw wearables are machine washable in the gentle cycle. The Visibility Vest may also be rinsed off and hung to dry. Easy peasy!

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Enjoying a Break

Clear pockets make room for storage of a few waste bags and a whistle is attached with a lanyard for the owner, just in case you risk an off-leash session in a safely guarded area. To be sure, this is not something I would recommend while hiking in the woods, but an enclosed area could appear in an abandoned farm, so it's a nice touch that could be useful.

While the Visibility Vest comes in 5 sizes to assure the perfect fit for your hiking buddy, we love the adjustable elastic, no-clip front to keep the vest snug again Fido's chest so as not to catch on underbrush. A good fit is important to keep your pup from getting snagged. 

Got a hiking club? Gold Paw can help with bulk orders. Visit their Visibility Vest page here. You'll also find a Store Locator on their website so you can visit and view products to feel their tremendous quality. There's more to learn on their Facebook page, so be sure to "Like" Gold Paw on Facebook and tell them I sent you!

Of course you know what's coming up next--a giveaway. Three winners will get to select the size needed for their dog and Gold Paw will custom make the perfect Visibility Vest for their next hike. Watch for the giveaway post to open soon.

Happy tails,

While we did receive samples of the Visiblity Vest for review, we have included only our own opinions in this article. No compensation was accepted for this review.