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Ernest and Petey love having their very own special napping places. We have several beds both upstairs and down. They always like trying out new ones, too. We were invited to review a dog bed from Smiling Paws Pets . They carry pet beds for cats and dogs, along with other pet supplies. Would your dog like a new bed? We're giving away one free dog bed in the Rafflecopter below. So be sure to enter! We received the Modern Dog Bed in size Large. The bed was too small for our adult golden retriever Ernest, but 9-month old Petey took to it immediately. It was actually on the small side for him too, but he loved rolling over atop the super-soft sherpa fabric. Some of the pluses are that the bed is attractive, with a striped exterior and a brown sherpa interior. The bottom is a waterproof, slip resistant fabric. On the negative side is that the bed is more lightweight than I expected and the sides are not as sturdy as I thought they'd be. This hasn't detracted from Petey's en...

Are you looking for a book to help you connect more to nature AND get more out of the holiday season? Then check out All Creation Waits by Gayle Boss ... I'm giving away two copies of All Creation Waits here today, so you too can enjoy this wonderful book. All Creation Waits is a unique and thought-provoking book about the advent season which depicts how wild animals of North America adapt when cold and darkness descend. Each day for 24 days you'll discover how the Painted Turtle, Whitetail Deer, Chipmunk, Raccoon and many other woodland animals endure the long, dark days of winter. At the end, the author helps us to see how these winter preparations can help us prepare our hearts for the spiritual gift of Christmas. Today I'm pleased to have the author, Gayle Boss, join us here at The Writer's Dog:   TWD: Your book is about animals and the Advent season. What does Advent mean to wild animals? GB: Now is a time in the Northern Hemisphere when it is getting very dark a...

Do you wear a FitBit or other activity tracker? You know they're helpful in managing your activity goals. But have you ever wondered if your pet is getting enough exercise? Petey, photo by Roy Gumpell Are your walks together long enough? Is he running around in the yard or just laying in the sun? When you leave the house, is she actively playing or is she sleeping on your bed? If only you could have a FitBit for your dog! Now you can, with the Poof activity tracker . AND, we're Giving Away Two Poof Activity Trackers at the end of the blog!! Poof sent us two activity trackers to sample and review, and two to give away. We tried out the blue Bean for Petey, and the green Pea for Ernest. Setting Up At first I was a little intimidated because there seemed like a lot of parts. But the instructions are really clear and simple, and the parts are very straightforward. THE BEAN- uses a USB cable to charge. THE PEA- uses a battery So the first step would be to determine which you would ...

To be a pet parent is to have a car with: Smudgy nose prints all over the windows. Muddy footprints on the upholstery. Drool down the back of the seats. Dog hair flying everywhere. And that ewwwww stinky dog odor . Does this describe your vehicle? It does mine! Ernest and Petey have lent a paw or two to make sure our car has that lived-in look and smell! It's time for a total car clean-up. Luckily, I was sent a set of high performance car care products to review....and because I think they're so fantastic, I'm giving you a chance (below) to win  a set of five  Meguiar's car care products! We take Ernest and Petey in the car to go to the vet's, the park, training classes, visiting Grandma, and we recently took them with us on vacation. So they've certainly left their mark on (and all over!) our CRV. The trouble is, actual human beings have to ride in that car too. Most of them prefer not to sit in a rolling dog bed. It would be nice, just once, not to e...

When is dinner time also play time? Answer- When you're a dog! I've long promoted products that help stimulate dogs' curiosity and give them a puzzle to solve, while also slowing down food consumption time. (Ike can gulp his meal in 2 seconds flat!) When I learned that a new company was providing "environmental enrichment for dogs through thoughtful product design" I had to find out more. Paw5 Rock 'n Bowl “Dogs are incredibly intelligent and social creatures that need ways to think, work and be active. By adding environmental enrichment to mealtime, a routine part of every day, we believe we’ve made enriching dogs’ lives easier for busy pet parents,” says PAW5® Co-Founder, Dennis O’Donnell. Paw5 sent me their product to review...and at the end, I'm giving away two Rock 'n Bowls to lucky readers!! Be sure to enter, because you're going to want one of these for your dog! Rock 'N Bowl™ builds off dogs’ natural behaviors and instincts, and turn...

A few weeks ago, Ike and Zeke were playing and Zeke somehow managed to get Ike's collar off. This has happened several times before. They play rough, but it's all in good fun. What wouldn't be in good fun is if Zeke got severely tangled in Ike's collar and as the two struggled, the collar tightened around Ike's neck. There are an estimated 26,000 collar strangulation accidents a year. This week is Collar Safety Awareness Week. Toni Mark, KPA-CTP, MA, Training and Behavior Education Specialist for PetSafe (R) brand, explains that collar stangulations not only occur during play, but also the collar may get caught on furniture, crates, fences, bushes, trees and heating and cooling vents. "By launching Collar Safety Awareness Week, we hope to help reduce the incidence of these tragedies." To help, we're giving away one PetSafe (R) KeepSafe (R) Breakaway Collar. The way this collar works is the buckle releases when pressure is applied or it gets caught on s...

 Are you ready for some fall fun? Here's an awesome way to show us a beautiful fall picture of your dog, and you could win a $50 (USD) PetSmart gift card! Here's how to enter 1. Follow all the hosts on Instagram: @kolsnotes @Heartlikeadog @Talesfrombackrd @cindylus @pfrezon @petproductreview 2. On Instagram, post a photo of your dog having fun and tag it with #dogfallfun The contest is open to those living in the US and Canada. The contest ends at 11:59pm(EDT) on September 28, 2015. The winner will be chosen at random from all Instagram photos featuring dogs tagged with the contest hashtag using Random.org and announced by the hosts on Instagram. Winner has 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Here's an older picture, but one I like of Kelly, and dear Brooks, in the fall. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Instagram, Inc. or PetSmart. By entering, entrants confirm they are 13+ years of age,...