Reviews published here are solely the opinion of Talking Dogs Blog and For Love of a Dog. We accept no monetary compensation for reviews.
We're big fans of Mr. Chewy, so we were happy to review their new offering of dog treats call YumZies. YumZies is a grain free, soft, moist dog treat made in the United States by Nootie. They contain no wheat, corn, soy, artificial preservatives or artificial flavors and are easily digestible.
Our dogs tasted tested YumZies Natural Hickory Bacon Flavor Treats and loved them. We received our usual super fast delivery from Mr. Chewy and gave YumZies a rating of excellent. If you're looking for USA made, grain free, natural dog treats, give YumZies at Mr. Chewy a try.
Golden Retriever dog themed soap from Scentability
Handmade by Tricia Samundsen at Scentability, each soap is hand poured using a detergent free glycerin soap base. Dog soap (for people) bars are available in black Labrador Retriever, chocolate Labrador Retriever, and Golden Retriever. These are made to order and available in many scents. We purchased the Golden Retriever soap bar in Intuition for Men. Super fast turn-around time, friendly customer service, and a beautiful product. We highly recommend it!
Mr. Chewy Online Pet Food Retailer
Mr. Chewy is an online pet food retailer offering over 70 brands and subscription based ordering for home delivery. We gave Mr. Chewy rave review for easy online shopping, wide selection of dog food and treats, easy to navigate web site, competitive prices and super fast free delivery. We also appreciate Mr. Chewy's Refer Your Friends Program. We love Mr. Chewy and highly recommend them!
Read Talking Dogs full review of Mr. Chewy for more information.
The Soggy Doggy Super Shammy absorbs up to seven times its weight in water and is made from the same textured, ultrafine strands of woven chenille. Both are machine washable and ultra soft for delicate dog paws and bellies.
The Soggy Doggy Doormat is available in beige with a red dog bone or summer blue with a brown dog bone. It's 26" x 36" in size, which we found just fine for our 100 pound dogs. Plus, Joanna notes that the doormats make great crate pads or as mats in a car for traveling. Suggested retail price is $39.99.
The Soggy Doggy Super Shammy is 31" x 14" and comes in marine blue with red trim. Suggested retail is $19.99. Both can be purchased directly from Soggy Doggy at their web site www.soggydoggydoormat.com
We give both the Soggy Doggy Doormat and Super Shammy our highest recommendation. This is a product that really works, is attractive, well priced and something we know we'll be using for a long time to come. Learn more about Soggy Doggy products at the soggydoggydoormat.com
Pros:
- Super absorbant
- Easy care machine wash and dry
- Absorb 5 - 7 times more than other doormats or towels
- Convenient and easy to use
- Attractive
- Affordably priced - Door Mat $39.99; Super Shammy $19.99
Cons:
- None
Most detergents are designed to leave something behind: fabric softener, fragrance, or optical brighteners. This residue is a breeding ground for dirt and bacteria and can be toxic to pets.
Doghouse Rock Pet Bedding and Toy Detergent from Rockin' Green contains none of those pet hazards. It's a clean rinsing detergent that can be used on chew toys and pet bedding without any worry or residue or toxic chemicals.
Doghouse Rock is made of safe, phosphate free ingredients which makes it good for the planet and your furry pals. No dyes, no fillers, no enzymes, 100% Phosphate free. Actual ingredients are sodium carbonate, sodium percardonate, natural chelating agents, sodium sulfate, biodegradable surfactants.
Rockin' Green supplied us with a full size bag of Doghouse Rock to try. Delivery was fast and via UPS. Packaging is recyclable and clearly states the ingredients and instructions for use. Unlike supermarket laundry detergents, the scent of Doghouse Rock is subtle and clean.
Easy to use, just put the dog bedding or toys in the washing machine and do a quick warm rinse. Then add 2 tablespoons of Doghouse Rock detergent and run a wash cycle.
Dog House Rock is a big winner at our house. Using only two tablespoons per load of laundry resulted in definitely clean, fresh smelling pet bedding. We highly recommend it! Read the full Talking Dogs review of Doghouse Rock Detergent here.
Loving Pets Corporation sent Talking Dogs some of their new Barksters Krisps to sample: Brown Rice & Beef, Sweet Potato and Chicken, Alfalfa & Liver. These are all natural, air puffed, low fat/low calorie dog treats.
Pros:
- Attractive packaging with plentiful information about the contents
- Handy store locator on the manufacturers web site
- Nice size treats: approx 1" x 1/5"
- Good taste: all four dogs loved them.
- All natural, no additives or preservatives
- Low calorie
Cons:
- Not (yet) available in our location
Rating: 4 dogs' paws up (our highest rating)
Read our full review of Barksters dog treats here.
Technically, not a product review. However, we discovered these barking good dog breed cookie cutters at Fancy Flours and we believe in sharing great finds.
They don't have all dog breeds, but they do have: Scottish Terrier, Poodle, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Bull Dog, Corgi, Chihuahua, Dachshund, St Bernard, Collie, Greyhound, Schnauzer, Irish Setter dog cookie cutters. Plus, they have a small puppy dog, heart, fire hydrant, dog house, paw print, and three sizes of dog bones!
And if cookies are not your thing, pick up some Sugar Dogs to decorate your (people) cupcakes! You can read our Talking Dogs original Dog Breed Cookie Cutter post here and see photographs of the St Bernard, Corgi, Golden Retriever and Dachshund cookies! Fetch some dog cookie recipes here.
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| Silver Tails Bottoms Up Harness from the Quaker Pet Group |
I was contacted before the launch of this new line of senior pet products to see if I’d be willing to try the new Silver Tails Bottoms Up harness with Tucker. At 14 years old, Tucker already had two ACL surgeries under his belt and suffered from arthritis, so I readily agreed to give the product a try. Unfortunately, before the Bottoms Up harness arrived, Tucker had passed away.
Our other senior dog, Lucy, has had no joint surgery, but does suffer from arthritic hips. I decided that 13 year old Lucy could give it a go. Not such a great idea. Lucy tolerates the Bottoms Up Harness initially when slipped on her. However, she quakes with nerves whenever we try to adjust it. She’s worried about her hips and I don’t blame her. She was diagnosed with arthritis in her hip joints several years ago and living with younger, rowdy dogs, she’s learned to be careful. She wants no part of the Bottoms Up Harness.
The Bottoms Up Harness is designed to relieve the weight from the hind legs and hips while aiding maneuverability and steadying older, overweight, post-surgical and/or arthritic dogs. The attachable leash for comfort and stability when walking and patented design allows elimination without removing the harness.
This adjustable harness fits around back legs and attaches across the back to your dog's collar for a secure fit. You can use the strap handle to assist your dog in getting up or the included short leash attached to the double D-rings for a walk. Durable, 1" wide nylon web construction with metal D-rings and swivel clasps and heavy duty plastic slide buckles.
We agree with the folks at Quaker Pet Group: just because your senior dog may not get around as well as he or she used to, it’s important to promote regular exercise. Lack of movement can make pain and stiffness from arthritis worse.Plus, excess weight can put painful pressure on joints.
In our experience, I think the Bottoms Up Harness would have been a wonderful aid to have had when Tucker had his ACL surgeries. At those times, Tucker was allowed out only on a short leash for walks that were specifically for “doing his business.” The Bottoms Up Harness would have allowed us to easily help steady Tucker on three legs and assist him with stairs and squatting.
We agree with the folks at Quaker Pet Group: just because your senior dog may not get around as well as he or she used to, it’s important to promote regular exercise. Lack of movement can make pain and stiffness from arthritis worse.Plus, excess weight can put painful pressure on joints.
In our experience, I think the Bottoms Up Harness would have been a wonderful aid to have had when Tucker had his ACL surgeries. At those times, Tucker was allowed out only on a short leash for walks that were specifically for “doing his business.” The Bottoms Up Harness would have allowed us to easily help steady Tucker on three legs and assist him with stairs and squatting.
For Lucy’s painful hips, not so much. Due to the way the Bottoms Up Harness wraps around the upper leg at the hip joint, I suspect that Lucy’s instincts might be correct and that the harness would not be comfortable for her.
In addition, I need to note that we live in the country and our dogs enjoy a two acre fenced backyard. We do not walk our dogs on a leash daily. However, for someone whose dogs must go out on a leash, I could see the Bottoms Up Harness being a true lifesaver.
If your senior dog has had joint surgery and you walk your dog, we definitely recommend the Silver Tails Bottoms Up Harness from the Quaker Pet Group. This product is available many places and I found it online at PetCo, Amazon and a number of other places. Retail price was $23.99. One size adjusts to fit dogs 20 to 150 pounds. Learn more and follow Silver Tails Senior Pet Products on Facebook.
If your senior dog has had joint surgery and you walk your dog, we definitely recommend the Silver Tails Bottoms Up Harness from the Quaker Pet Group. This product is available many places and I found it online at PetCo, Amazon and a number of other places. Retail price was $23.99. One size adjusts to fit dogs 20 to 150 pounds. Learn more and follow Silver Tails Senior Pet Products on Facebook.
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| The large round Rubit Dog Tag Clip in black. |
We love the Rubit (roo-bit) Dog Tag Clip and give it our highest recommendation!
No more broken fingernails trying to change dog tags from one collar to another, not to mention frustration. Simply add your dog's tags to the slip ring on the Rubit, then easily clip the Rubit to the collar.
We ordered ours from the Rubit Dog Tag Clip online store. They are reasonably priced (our large ones were $7.95), available in small, medium and large sizes, plus a nice variety of colors.
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| Graying Muzzles 2012 Calendar from The Sanctuary for Senior Dogs |
Technically, not a review, but a small sampling of the barking good dog lover calendars available this year that benefit dog rescue and advocacy organizations.
We love The Sanctuary for Senior Dogs' Graying Muzzles 2012 - a celebration of old dogs - calendar (shown above). Celebrate senior dogs all year long with this beautiful calendar. Order your Graying Muzzles 2012 directly from The Sanctuary for Senior Dogs web site. They're just $10 each. What a bargain! 
Another Talking Dogs favorite is this one from John Woestendiek and Ace over at OhMiDog and Travels with Ace: Dogs on the Road. The Travels with Ace calendar recaptures some of the more memorable moments from their year and 27,000 miles of travel across America, about half of that spent tracing the route John Steinbeck, 50 years ago, took with his poodle in Travels with Charley. It's an 18 month calendar priced at $25, plus $3 shipping. Not only is OhMiDog one of my favorite dog blogs, I traveled with John and Ace vicariously for that year and became addicted to reading about their adventures. Gotta have it; already ordered one. It comes autographed by John Woestendiek, author of Dog, Inc., which happens to be one of Talking Dogs favorite dog books.
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Preview the calendar and then fetch your copy. Cost is $18 plus $4.95 shipping. You can also purchase your 2012 Pit Bulls of New Orleans Calendar at the Sula Foundation web site.
If you love a Labrador Retriever (and you know we do), you'd better have a look at the Labrador Life Line 2012 calendar. Filled with beautiful photographs of Labs, selected from favorite entries in one of the organization's contests. The snowy deck yellow Lab for January is adorable. I love that you can click to preview each month, too.
Fetch your Labrador Life Line 2012 calendar for $19.99 at the Labrador Life Line's Cafe Press shop.
Pinups for Pitbulls calendars are retro-fabulous and they sell out quickly! This year Pinups for Pitbulls, an advocacy and public education group working on behalf of bully dogs, has devoted their 2012 calendar, titled Our FUTgotten Heroes, to women who advocate for Pit Bull type dogs along with their adorable dogs. With a very World War II retro military theme. Quite swanky! It's usually available on Amazon, though currently it is sold out. When they restock, be sure to snag a Pinups for Pitbulls 2012 calendar!
This is just a very small sample of all the wonderful 2012 dog lover calendar available. The sale of each one benefits an organization working hard to make the world a better place one dog at a time.
According to Walmart online, the ASPCA Microsherpa Bolster Gusset Bed provides utmost comfort to your pet dog. This fluffy bed is large enough to ensure that your pet dog can rest its entire body on it. It is well padded and made from a fine, ultra-soft fabric that is long-lasting. The bolsters surrounding the large pet bed on one side give a sense of security to your pet dog. On the whole, the ASPCA Microsherpa Bolster Gusset Bed is designed to protect your pet dog from cold and hard surfaces.
The Walmart order process was quick and easy. I definitely appreciated the customer product reviews. Site to store free shipping meant that I waited for the product to arrive at my local Walmart - about a week - then went to the store to pick it up. The process was smooth with timely email communication from Walmart.
There is no color or fabric choice available for this item. Thanks to customer reviews, I was not surprised that mine looked nothing like the photo on Walmart's website.
Pros:
- Price $25 for large 27” x 36” x 5”
- Egg crate foam interior core; cover zips off for cleaning
- Attractive
- Available at Walmart with fast, free site to store shipping
Cons:
- No color or fabric choice
The filling is a thick layer of orthopedic foam. The bed has a low profile height so an arthritic dog can easily step onto it. The cover has a zipper fly for easy removable and it is machine washable.
Pros:
- Orthopedic foam interior
- Attractive “fur” and tapestry cover zips off for cleaning
- Price $58.09 for large 30” x 40” x 6” dog bed
- Available at Walmart online with fast, free site to store shipping
Cons: None noted
These beautiful beds have high quality microsuede fabric with some piping and are certainly attractive. Available in four attractive colors.
Pros:
- Extremely attractive micro suede cover available in 4 colors
- Cover zips off for easy cleaning.
- Available at deep discount price at Tuesday Morning onine
- Price Retail price $169.99; I paid $59.99 for extra large 46” x 36”
Cons: None
Coming soon...
Rudy is waiting for more samples to arrive.
