Kurgo Winners Grab First Aid on the Go

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Take Care While Hiking

Thanks to all of you who showed your interest in and support for making sure your pets are well cared for when they need first aid while out and about with you. Many of you indicated a need to add a first aid kit to your car as well as to have one for outings like Fall hikes. 

Just today we finally had a slight reduction in the usual Florida heat. It's 81 degrees and glorious. After work we'll be taking an extra long walk just to celebrate this spectacular weather. Hallelujah!

I'm excited to announce the winners of our 5 Kurgo first aid kits that strap onto your belt or backpack for easy, hands-free carrying while you're out walking or hiking. Congratulations to Megan S., Abby C., Bryn N., Brynn D., and Joann S. It's wonderful to see familiar names that have stuck around, and also grand to hear new names that have just joined out readership. Welcome aboard!

I'll be in touch with our winners via my AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com email account.

courtesy Kurgo.com

Watch your inboxes and your spam files to assure you don't miss your email. I'll need your correct full name and a shipping address. Feel free to email me directly if you prefer not to wait. 

For those of you who are not on the winners' list this time, I encourage you to soak up the review and the information at the giveaway post. Perhaps then you'll want to order yourself one on the Kurgo website to make sure you're prepared. Thanks again for joining us.

Happy tails,

A Kurgo First Aid Kit was provided to us for review and trial. The comments above are completely my own observations. I was not paid to provide this review or the giveaway.

Our Readers Learn Gator Safety Skills and Win Prizes for their Efforts

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

I always feel just a little bit better when I wrap up our annual gator safety class here at All Things Dog Blog. I'll sleep just a wee bit better knowing that you guys helped to get the word out about keeping our dogs safe when we're in areas where gators reside.

Rafflecopter seems to be misbehaving a bit this afternoon, so my winner drawing is delayed. I know you are all eager to find out who gets to receive a package of treats and a gator toy for their dog. I'll update this post by adding the winners names just as soon as I am able. I'm hopeful that the problem is very temporary and I'll have more news soon. You can also check up on the status by looking at the giveaway widget here.

FINALLY, we have winners! Hurray!  It's possible that the issue I was experiencing was due to my location in the mountains, while trying to draw winners. I had lots of internet connectivity problems there. Now, let's get to it:

Our winners are Jennifer D., Claudia D., Nunya B., and Sherry B. I'll be writing you momentarily to get your shipping address. Watch your email and your spam for a message from AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. Congratulations!

Check back tomorrow and cross your paws!

Thanks again,

The gator toys and treats to be given away will be photographed and shared on my social media and in the winners announcement on Friday, September 6. These toys have been purchased by me in an effort to soften the tough information above and get you to read it and learn. The Good Buddy treats have been provided by my advertiser, Castor and Pollux.

ORGANIX Winners Get Bonus Bowls

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
ORGANIX and More....

This latest promotion of our dogs' favorite chow has really brought out some newbies, along with our long time readers who are always a pleasure to have paying us a visit. It's been fun watching the chatter on various social media. With new bowls up for grabs along with a 25 lb. bag to each winner, you guys have really shown off your enthusiasm. Thanks and please remember that both Castor and Pollux and yours truly love to see "after" photos!

I have to clear up one important matter. One curious and concerned reader wrote to ask if I was really putting Oliver on a diet--LOL!  Good heavens! Under all that fluff he weighs in at 10 lbs. I think he's good! 

What I do plan to do is check the weights of each of our winners to assure we don't give a Chihuahua-sized bowl to a Great Dane winner, or vice versa. You get the idea. Our winners will receive a specialty bowl--or in some cases a pair of them--properly suited to their dog's size. 

More importantly, however, these lucky pups will get to enjoy the transition to an organic food, made by the manufacturer's own company from quality ingredients without toxins or artificial tagalongs that we find in other foods. Oh happy day!

We'd like to help you make this transition completely so that you'll discover the emerging benefits of this nutritious diet in the coat, behavior and health of your pup. Believe me, it's worth the time and effort to find out what you've been missing. Take the challenge and transition completely to the new food, noting changes in your dog as you go along. Be sure to let us know how it goes.

Drum roll please....our winners are: Bryn N., Jackie dogmoma, J. Diehl, and L. Glickman. I'll be in touch via AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. Watch your inbox and your spam file or feel free to write to me. I'll need your dog's weight and your full name and shipping address.

Happy tails,

As my primary advertiser, Castor and Pollux Pet compensates me for the ad you see at the top of my posts column. As their biggest fan, I serve their food to my dogs and recommend it whole heartedly. This giveaway was written entirely by me and contains only my own opinions.

Winners! Instagram Guessing Game for Dog Treats!

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

On a whim last week I tossed in a #Good Buddy giveaway with an Instagram post. Tanner was busy having himself a Fetch game that was more fun that life itself. We have an advanced version of Fetch that requires Tanner to retrieve multiple toys from the swimming pool before any additional ones can be tossed in. The rules may sound beyond your average dog, but Tanner figured it out fairly quickly after discovering that I was not going to toss until he retrieved. And retrieve he did!

Now that Tanner has successfully retrieved as many as 12 toys from the pool without a single additional toss, he'll soon be moving up to the next level of this advanced game--13 toy Fetch! I hope you'll get behind him and give him some encouragement. This isn't easy for a toy-crazed, water-loving Retriever. He has trouble deciding which toy to bring to the pool edge first, so many a toy gets dropped before any make it to land. It is quite entertaining to watch him as he picks up and then drops multiple toys before finally getting one toy to the side. And often, that very toy ends up back in the drink. Silly dog!

Some of you are probably wondering what the answer to the Instagram question is: "How many Fetch toys does Tanner have?" I pulled them all out of toy baskets in various locations--at least I think I have them all--and started to count. I knew there were more than 18 but was surprised to see how close I had come in my estimate--19! Wow!

I'll admit that many of these toys only get tossed in occasionally, being that their condition is quite tentative and I worry we'll be having a funeral soon. We've all but planned one for Firefly, but Tanner is having none of it. This is one of his favorite toys, and for good reasons. It's soft, light, squishy and fun. What's not to love, right?!!!

I got to wondering how long Tanner has had this toy. Surprisingly it has held up quite well for a fabric toy. Who knew that this toy has lasted 3 1/2 years of daily fetch play. That's nothing short of amazing. I guess a funeral will be due when the toy finally kicks the bucket. We'll keep you posted. Who wants to step up for a eulogy?

Now it's time to announce the winning guesser, the first person to guess the number of Fetch toys that Tanner has. The correct answer is currently 19, giving the winning entry to @jjmentos of Instagram. I'll be in touch, but if you see this, please email me your address at AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. Congratulations!

Thank you all for playing, and watch for another game soon.

The @CastorPolluxPet treats were provided by my advertiser, Castor and Pollux Pet. No compensation was received for running this IG giveaway, but CP is my primary advertiser.

PurOtic Winners Get Clean Ears

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
All Done, Tanner. Wasn't that Easy?!!!

My heart is all aflurry right now for my readers' dogs. There are clearly a lot of you with ear issues, based on the emails, comments and Tweets during our giveaway of PurOtic Ear Cleaner and Dryer. Thanks for your participation and for adding your thoughts to the conversation.

With so many stories out there about ear troubles, it feels good to have played a small part in easing the challenges of cleaning Fido's ears. Thank you to PurOtic for creating this silicone applicator that is oh-so-soft going into the ear canal. This creation truly eases the anxiety of most any dog that was previously frightened by the hard object inserted into his ear. No wonder, right?!!!

Our winners will be thrilled to receive a full size bottle of each product--the ear cleaner and ear dryer. These will be shipped to them via the PurOtic warehouse. Please join me in congratulating S. Dela Cruz, K. Volz, and M. Wright. I'll be in touch via AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. Please watch your inbox and your Spam file for my message within 24 hours after the announcement. Congrats to you all!

For those of you who enjoyed the review but didn't win, please visit PurOtic solutions  for the best service. We recommend that you select the Extra Strength Ear Cleaner for your dog. According to the company's representative, the regular ear cleaner is better suited to cats, so please watch this detail carefully as you place your order. Best wishes to you and your dog for healthier ears, and remember--always end a healthcare or grooming session with some affection and a treat. 

Happy tails,

This giveaway and the associated review of Innovet's PurOtic has been written completely from my own experience. I was not compensated to share my thoughts or to offer the giveaway of their products.

Canine Camping Winners Hit the Woods!

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Buffer

Camping Tent and Blanket

Let the camping begin! Our Petco giveaway of camping supplies for Fido has closed and today I have winner announcements. What a terrific way to start the Independence Day weekend, planning another fun Summer getaway. 

Tigers and Leopards for Playtime!

One lucky winner scores a pup tent and a bedding blanket that folds up to fit whatever space is available. In the photo above, Oliver is sitting on the blanket as it is folded in half. This blanket is large and has nice batting for comfort. The tent, pictured below, comes in a plastic carrying case to keep it clean and dry till next year's camping season.

Our best tip for a long tent life is to assure that the tent is wiped out and dry before rolling it up and storing. This will help to assure that you don't reopen it next year to mold or mildew. Prevent is key!

While you're out in the woods relaxing around the campfire, Fido will need some fun ways to enjoy his time. Two of our winners will receive a wild animal toy appropriate for most sizes of dogs, along with a surprise from Petco that is sure to delight every pup.

courtesy Petco.com

You can learn more about the tent and about Petco by referring to our review, linked above. On their website, you'll find other great supplies for camping, including the all important prevention for fleas, ticks and mosquito-born illnesses. Be sure to treat your pup with appropriate methods to prevent any problems from pests. We recommend you get your "pupatrician's" (aka veterinarian!) advice on this topic.  Be safe and have fun!

One final tip. Never leave home without an adequate supply of your dog's regular food. Changing food abruptly will often lead to digestive upset which could disrupt the camping fun. Shop Petco.com for our favorite: ORGANIX organic dog food. You'll find other travel tips appropriate to camping here and here.

Our winners are M. Tabora, S. Cole, and C. Joslyn. I'll be in touch via AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. Watch your inbox and your spam file for my message requesting your address for shipping, and other details.

Happy camping,

Petco has provided these products for promotional giveaway. I have not been compensated to tell you about them and the comments above are my own thoughts.