What's in the BarkBox?

August's BarkBox arrived last week. And just like last month Draco was super excited.

And Draco, Bella and I are more satisifed with this month's goodies.

As you can see, Draco setting up shop for the unveiling.

I couldn't keep him away to take pictures. I thought it was cute.

Draco was especially interested in The Elvis treats by Bocce's Bakery. And Draco is in luck, they are wheat free and are "Chassie" approved. They are the King's favorite flavor combination of bananas and peanut butter with the addition of nitrate-free turkey bacon. And he loves them

This is Nature's Miracle Refreshening Spray for dogs in between their baths. I tried it on Draco but Draco doesn't like to be sprayed with anything so he ran away. Only to return when he was sure I had moved on to the next BarkBox item.

Milkbones Trail Mix for dogs. A combination of mini milkbones and mini chewy milkbones. Since milkbones have wheat they are not "Chassie" approved for Draco. And we are not sure how Bella will react to them. We are holding on to these for now.

Acadia Antlers's Moose Taster was a HIT! Bella absolutely love it. We will be ordering more moose tasters and larger antlers soon. And a "Got Moose" t-shirt for me.

This is a Flying Fish from Hyper Pet. It is a sling shot toy. There are several different animals which Hyper Pet offers in the Flying Series Toy. We got the Flying Fish. I secretly wish we had gotten the pink Breast Cancer Awareness Flying Duck. But I will survive. You use the toy by holding onto tail and pulling the nose/peak and let go. It will fly in the air for your dog to retrieve. We were going to try it out today at the dog park at South Run. But when we got there it started to thunder. So we will have to try it out another day. :(

A final picture of the goodies.

One final picture of Draco loving the BarkBox.

Thank you BarkBox for another great box of goodies.

Summer Vacation is Over?

Bella’s summer vacation started when she received her CGC Certification in July. She thought she was done forever but Dave and I had other plans.

One of our main goals for Bella was the CGC. But we also want her to be a Therapy Dog. The jury is still out whether or not she has the exact right temperament for it. But Dave and I decided to enroll Bella in a TDI prep course anyway.

The TDI Prep course is being taught by our favorite trainer, Sarah. And a few of Bella’s previous classmates will be in the class too. Ziva, Lucy and Bella’s on again off again boyfriend McGee. Classes start this Saturday.

The TDI Prep course will be Bella’s fourth obedience class. And although she seems to really enjoy the classes, I thought Bella and I should do something different.

We decided to enroll Bella and myself (only one adult and one dog may attend) in Fairfax County Park’s Doggie Fun and Games. Fairfax County Park’s description of the class:

“…designed for owners and dogs to have fun together. A combination of traditional obedience taught with games and various nosework games and other activities to engage your busy dogs attention and enthusiasm. Class is ideal for the working breeds who don't have any work to do. Also a wonderful way to bond with your newly rescued dog.”

I was looking for a fun class to take with Bella on Sundays during football season. Dave will be going to the home Redskins games and I wanted a way to tire Bella out on game days. And this class seemed like a way to bond with Bella while she works out all of her extra energy. Plus Bella is a working dog breed and she for sure doesn’t have a job.

Even though our summer vacation was a short one (only four weeks) we are excited to start the new year.

Queen Bella vs. the Evil "Wella"

The first night on her "throne."

Our little girl has grown more and more comfortable with her surroundings lately. She has some confidence issues when we are outside or at new places, but she is completely at home in the basement. A few weeks ago she hopped up into a leather recliner, turned around a few times and then plopped down. When it happened, I was so surprised that she had actually done it, I just let her stay there. The next day I got a picture message from Chassie showing the same thing I had witnessed the night before. She said the same thing, that she didn't have the heart to get her down since she looked so cute.

Since she has claimed her throne, she has not relinquished her seat of power. Most of the time she sleeps on it, however she will bring some of her toys with her as well. She tends to chew those toys by resting them on the arm and usually after a few seconds, they drop to the ground. She will normally look at the toy for a few seconds before hopping down and resume chewing on the ground or make another attempt at chewing it in the chair.

Resting in her "throne" after a day at Doggy Day Camp.

If she moves away from her throne, it's usually not far. Her other favorite spot to lay is next to the chair, practically leaning against it. Then there is our spots. Since I am downstairs most of the time with her when Chassie is not, Bella likes to lay where Chassie normally sits. I've also found that when I leave the room for any amount of time, she'll move to my spot and lay down. When I come back, she makes a big fuss about not wanting to leave.

Occupying Chassie's spot on the couch.

She has pretty much claimed her space in the basement. She even feels protective over it. Her nemesis makes an occasional appearance at the sliding glass door. It's the evil "Wella," or the window version of Bella. Most of the time "Wella" does not bother Bella, though sometimes it's a distraction for her. She stands on the couch, staring at "Wella" in the window, growling just audibly. Only once has "Wella" gotten the best of our Bella as Bella actually began to bark at her reflection in a mirror. The mirror, which has been sitting on our floor since Bella has come home with us, provided a showdown of epic proportions as Bella stood staring down her evil nemesis, barking furiously for five minutes before Chassie ended the confrontation by turning the mirror around. Bella, however, had the last laugh as she tore a cardboard chunk out of the back of the frame. Since that fateful evening, I have not seen "Wella" make her presence known.

BarkBox

Last month I signed up for the new hot thing in the dog world. BarkBox. In case some of you are not keeping up the happening world of the dog world, BarkBox is a monthly box of the dog supplies.  You can sign up for a box for as little as $17 a month. Which is a good deal.

The type of items vary from treats to poop bags. And you can select your dog's size so you get toys appropriately to their size. And most of them are made in the USA.

July's BarkBox:

Here is the BarkBox.

Draco was very interested in the BarkBox. 

Ta Da. The BarkBox...with fancy shredded, crimped, paper stuffing.

Draco Approved.

Its not a very good picture. But an inventory list was included.

Here is what we got and what we thought of the items.

IncrediBubbles-Doggy safe bubbles. We took video of Bella chasing the bubbles in the bark yard. So far its a hit!

YumZies-all natural, no grain treats. Unfortunately, Bella threw these up. So we threw them away.

T-bone Rubber Steak-Bella loved this toy. She ran around the room with it....for about 10 minutes before she chewed a hole in it. But Draco loved the toy after she made a hole in it. 

Poop Bags-no explanation needed.

Spinz Bone Toy/Treat- A weird looking chew toy which is edible. We haven't try this out yet.

Finally a $10 off coupon to PetFlow. Which is a direct dog food shipping company. Unfortunately they do not carry Draco's or Bella's food. 

The results of the BarkBox was a little mixed but I'm a happy customer. I love the idea of get a surprise box every month for my pups to enjoy!

Two Sun Showers and Two Rainbows

When Hunter, our beloved family Lab, passed away a few years ago Dr. Frank gave us a poem entitled Rainbow Bridge. The poem was to help our grieving. And while it helped me picture a place for Hunter to go after he was gone, I didn’t fully believe until a few days later.

I was in the kitchen (on Stratford Ct) when it started to rain. I looked out the window and noticed it was completely sunny out. I thought to myself, “That is weird. It is pouring and sunny out at the same time.” As I walked closer to the window to get a better look, a rainbow appeared. And it was not just a rainbow in the horizon. It was a perfect rainbow in my backyard. I was so close I felt like I could reach out an touch it. It was at that moment I completely believed. Hunter was waiting for me at Rainbow Bridge.

Every time I see a rainbow I know it is Hunter saying hi. And the past couple of days I got to see two rainbows. Both appeared when a sun shower was passing by. I will always think of Hunter when I see a rainbow and know he is smiling down on me.

Rainbow Bridge by Unknown


Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.


When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.


All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.


They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.


You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.


Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....