The Dogs of BarkWorld Expo: A First Look!

BarkWorld Expo  -- the pet social media conference in Atlanta -- officially kicked off today, but we got the chance to visit with new and old friends as humans and pets started arriving in town yesterday! 

 Cosmo Havanese checks out a K9 Carry All with his new pal Kona, whose mom designs these nifty stroller/shopping cart combos.

 Cosmo and Kona enjoyed a stroll to Atlanta's Piedmont Park.

Niqqi, joined Cosmo and Kona while the humoms enjoyed lunch at Atlanta's tasty food trucks.

Flat pets were also out in force! Flat Tyler hangs with fluffy Cosmo!

 Pepper Pom

Cosmo meets YouTube rock star Jasmine, also a Havanese! Both show off their dancing skills at an opening night reception at Hotel Indigo!

Paige the Border Collie is also in town to show off her amazing tricks!

Friday morning, flat pets unite at BarkWorld registration.

The exhibit area is filled with fabulous vendors and products. Can't wait to see more of them tomorrow!

Cosmo warms up the room for the first speakers! It was a fabulous first day at BarkWorld. More to come!

Wordless Wednesday: Cosmo and Johann go hiking!

Last weekend, we heading to an agility trial in North Georgia and met up with our pal Johann the Dog and his mom! We'll post some agility videos later -- we had two very nice runs! -- but after our runs we went on a nice hike around the agility grounds.  Here, Cosmo and Johann get all rugged and stuff climbing on the logs!

There was a nice pond nearby where Cosmo (left), Johann (right) and his sister Gracie (center) admired the view... and Johann and Gracie took a little swim!

Meanwhile, Cosmo relaxed on a cool grassy patch after a lovely day of agility, hiking and playing!

Stay tuned for the videos of our agility runs that day.

Ask Dr. Tiffany Bierer: Pet Nutrition Twitter Party this Wednesday!

Dr. Tiffany Bierer provides
nutritional expertise for all
pet food brands at Mars,
including Pedigree food for dogs

Have some questions about your pet's nutrition or do you simply want to share what you do for the love of your pet?

This Wednesday, Sept. 28, Dr. Tiffany Bierer, manager of health sciences and nutrition for Mars Petcare US, will be on hand (on Twitter!) to answer all your questions about pet nutrition.

In addition we'll have fun and games, some great giveaways AND for everyone attending, Pedigree will donate a bowl of food to a shelter dog in need.

Twitter Party Details

Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Time: 3-4 pm ET / 2-3 pm CT / 12-1 pm PT

Co-Hosts: @CosmoHavanese and @PedigreeUS

Featured Expert: Dr. Tiffany Bierer

Topic: Pet nutrition and what we do for the love of our pets!

Hashtag: #DrTiffany

• Share your own stories and get answers to your nutrition questions
• Learn what every dog deserves
• Hear about the four universal needs of dogs
• Win some great prizes!

Prize pack includes a Dogs Rule Gear sweatshirt, DRG duffle bag,
Pedigree umbrella and a Pedigree notepad!

The prize pack includes items from dogsrulegear.com, where all proceeds go directly to help shelter dogs find loving homes. SPECIAL OFFER: Through the end of September, use the code Blogpaws10 to receive 10 percent off your purchase!

Don't forget to use the hashtag #DrTiffany to join in all the fun and education on Twitter this Wednesday. And follow @CosmoHavanese, @PedigreeUS and @DrTiffanyB for information and quizzes too! 

Who says toy dogs can't be working dogs too?! Cosmo Havanese
will be your co-host and quizmaster during the nutrition
Twitter Party with Dr. Tiffany Bierer

Review and Giveaway: Barksters Dog Treats from Loving Pets

The nice folks from Loving Pets sent Cosmo a care package of Barksters Dog Treats to review and now you get a chance to win some too!

They certainly looked good from the impressive package which boasted:

• 100 percent made in the USA and using only U.S. farm-grown ingredients
• Wheat-free, gluten-free with no additives or preservatives
• Air-puffed, low in fat and only 12 calories per treat

In fact, they looked good enough for me to eat! But alas, Cosmo would have none of that... these are his treats to sample!

We were sent the Sweet Potato & Chicken Krisps and Brown Rice and Beef Krisps flavors to sample.  Cosmo is more than ready to try one!

Let's see what he says...

"Yep,  these pack a good punch of flavor and crunchiness! "

"Um, can you lay another one right here, please?"

"That's it! Nom, Nom, Nom!"

"Can't get enough of these!"

"Any more in there?"









Before we get to our Barksterrific giveaway, Cosmo also want you to know about a nifty Facebook contest over at www.facebook.com/lovingpets. To enter, "Like" the Loving Pets Facebook Page and fill out an official entry form in the "Contests" tab. You'll be asked to name the Loving Pets mascot for a chance to win $2,000 in cash! You need to enter by 11:59 p.m. ET on September 26, 2011. Official rules here.

And now, for our Barksters giveaway!


One lucky To Dog With Love reader will receive two Barksters dog treat packages. Follow the directions below to enter and please leave a way to contact you. Entries must be posted on this blog by Sunday, Oct. 2 at midnight ET. U.S. and Canada entries only.

Mandatory entry:

Leave a comment on this blog post telling us what your dog does for treats! For example, Cosmo sits, stays, dances, gives me 5, 10 and 20 and so on and so on... !

Extra entries:

• Like To Dog With Love on Facebook and leave a comment below telling us.
• Like Cosmo Havanese on Facebook and leave a comment below telling us.
• Follow @CosmoHavanese on Twitter and leave a comment below telling us.
• Follow us publicly on Google Friend Connect (on sidebar to the right) and leave a comment below telling us.

Disclosure: Loving Pets sent us the Barksters treats to review and will provide the prize package for our  giveaway winner. The opinions posted herein are entirely mine and Cosmo's.

Good luck!

Wordless Wednesday: Agility Havanese!

Photo by In Motion Photos

Cosmo Havanese enjoys some agility fun on the dogwalk obstacle!

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, head on over to the BlogPaws Blog Hop!

Write a Post update: Pedigree to donate 27,000 lbs of dog food to help shelter dogs affected by Hurricane Irene

#CosmoRules

First, thanks to all our bloggie buddies for rallying to Write a Post and Help a Dog. Thanks to all of you, we collectively wrote 149 blog posts about the Pedigree Foundation which resulted in a donation of 2,980 pounds of Pedigree dog food to shelter dogs who need it most. Woo Hoo! #BloggersRule!

But that's not all! Now, Mars Petcare US is increasing the donation to 27,000 pounds of dog food (that's no typo!) to help shelter dogs in areas impacted most by Hurricane Irene. Mars Petcare will donate the food to RescueBank -- a national pet food distribution organization working to get dog food to where it's needed most in the Albany, New York area.

And, as a way to thank everyone who participated and anyone who wants to help a shelter dog, you can still purchase Dogs Rule gear at a discount at dogsrulegear.com. Just use the promo code BlogPaws10 through September 30 to get a 10 percent discount. AND, it's never too early to start buying holiday gifts, so here's a way to pick up a little something for the dog lover in your family. AND any time you purchase, a portion of proceeds go to the Pedigree Foundation to help shelter dogs who need it most. So everyone wins!

And now, we bring you this message from Betty White, who we also LOVE in Hot in Cleveland! #BettyWhiteRules #BloggersRule #DogsRule!

Winners of Freaky Dog People t-shirt giveaway

Hurrah freaky dog people! Today's the day we announce the winner's of our Freaky Dog People t-shirt giveaway. Three lucky winners each are receiving one fabulous t-shirt from the nice folks at FDP!

And the winners are >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
We'll be back with the announcement right after this station break.

FDP t-shirts are perfect for lots of activities, including agility like
Cosmo and I are running here!

Where's Cosmo?!

Photos by Phyllis Ensley

Here he is!!

And now, without further ado, the winners are:

• Wyatt and Stanzie at Gardening with Wyatt
• Pup Fan at I Still Want More Puppies
• Oskar at The Daily Oskar

Congrats to all you freaky dog people and thanks for playing!

Remembering September 11: A Special Breed of Hero

On this 10th anniversary of 9-11, we bring you this video and timely message from American Kennel Club President and CEO Dennis Sprung:

"On September 11, 2001, we saw a very special breed of hero.

Ten years later, we remain in debt to the search and rescue dogs who, along with their handlers, entered the maelstrom at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the fields of Shanksville, PA. We will never forget those selfless acts.

As a result of 9-11, the AKC CAR Canine Support and Relief Fund was created to help search and rescue organizations throughout the U.S. This charitable, non-profit fund continues to thrive today, and has allocated over 3.5 million to canine search and rescue operations and disaster relief. It is the very least we can do."

Happy Birthday Cosmo!

Photo @Boris Kitty

Cosmo says, "It's my birthday, I'll eat cake if I want to!"

Photo Brett Chisholm

One year ago today, Cosmo celebrated his birthday with cake and gifts at BlogPaws! It was a day to remember.

Happy Birthday Cosmo!!

Cosmo says to leave birthday wishes -- or slices of cake -- here or on his official Facebook page or at @CosmoHavanese on Twitter. He'll be sure the fetch them all!

Then, head on over to the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop!

Review and Giveaway: Freaky Dog People T-Shirts!

The Heart Paw T in a size medium

When we first heard about Freaky Dog People, we took one look at their cute t-shirts and accessories and thought "this is not your typical  oversized boxy t-shirt company." And not only do they carry adorable t-shirts and accessories for women and men, but they also help out rescue organizations and canine assistance programs through charitable efforts and sales of FDP products. 


So when the folks at FDP offered to send us a few t-shirts for a trial run, we jumped at the chance. And when they arrived, they were even better than I expected. The cotton t-shirts are super-soft with just the right about of stretch. And the designs were just as adorable in person as they are on the website.

I tried the "Home is Where the Dog Is" and "Heart Paw" t-shirts, one in a small and one in a medium because I heard they ran small. Both fit perfectly, but if you don't want a super fitted shirt, you might want to go a size up.

Cosmo, Leanne and me in my size small
FDP T at BlogPaws

A little more about FDP before we get to our giveaway

At BlogPaws, I had the chance to meet Leanne Afetian, who with her husband Ted founded Freaky Dog People for people like themselves (and most of you if you are reading this blog...) who consider their dogs part of the family!


Leanne and Ted created Freaky Dog People to unite business, community, and charity with the single mission of making a difference in the life of a dog.

In addition to the super-cute Ts and adorable accessories like the Dog Bone Necklace, FDP has developed an Affiliate Program geared towards ongoing fundraising for dog rescues, clinics, shelters and canine assistance programs.

Here's your chance to win a Freaky Dog People t-shirt!

To enter our giveaway, go to Freaky Dog People, pick out your favorite t-shirt and tell me what it is in a comment on this post! That's all you need to do to enter, but for extra entries:

• Like To Dog With Love on Facebook
• Like Cosmo Havanese on Facebook
• Join this site with Google Friend Connect (on the right sidebar)
• Subscribe via email (also on the right sidebar)
• (leave a comment on this blog telling me you did the above)

Entries will be open until Wednesday, Sept. 14 at midnight ET and the winners will be announced on this blog on Thursday, Sept. 15. Freaky Dog People is providing one t-shirt each for three lucky winners. Be sure to leave your email address in your comment if your comment doesn't link back to some way to contact you.

Disclaimer: Freaky Dog People provided us with two t-shirts to review and three t-shirts to give away. The opinions posted are my own. 

Wordless Wednesday: Cosmo's big box of BlogPaws swag!

Our BlogPaws swag arrived in a big box, because no suitcase was big enough --  and I'm certainly not strong enough -- to carry home the haul from this year's event. Guess what's inside!

No, the cheesecake didn't make the box...

But most of this did...

And this...

And what's in here too!

Now head on over to the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!

Shop to Donate to Pet Rescue at AdoptAShelter.com

Next time you go shopping online, here's an easy way to donate to your favorite animal rescue organization at the same time.

We learned about www.AdoptAShelter.com at the BlogPaws pet bloggers conference last week.  Cosmo and I had the chance to meet founder and CEO Chris Ruben who explained the benefits of the new online community to us.

"Just by shopping online at your favorite store, you can earn money for the shelter you choose and you don't even need to log on or remember a password," said Ruben. "So even if you're shopping at 2 a.m., you can help your favorite animal rescue group."

It really is simple as 1-2-3 and the stores from which to choose are a terrific selection of more than 400 top retailers... probably at least a few where you already shop... Banana Republic, PetSmart, Lowe's and North Face just to name a few!

Just go to www.adoptashelter.com and

1. Choose a shelter to adopt -- You can also add a shelter or organization here, and since this is still pretty new, we suggest adding your local favorites
2. Shop online - Once you select a shelter, you'll be taken to an extensive list of retailers
3. Shelter gets money - Every time you shop using adoptashelter.com, you financially support your favorite animal charity

That's it... no extra costs involved and it's super easy!