Wordless Wednesday: Happy Leap Day!

Organize Your Pet's Heath Info With New Pet Health App from Purina

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Triad Retail Media for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Need a way to keep track of your pet's meds, appointments and contact information for all of your pet's providers (like vets, groomers and kennel or day care)? Now, there's an app for that.

The new Purina Pet Health App includes:

• A page to list information for each pet in your household
• A contact page for your vet, groomer and kennel
• A place to list meds and appointments
• Tabs for medical and first aid tips
• And even a tab for exercise!

We downloaded the free app for iPhone (it's also available for Android) to give it a test run. In addition to the places to list contact information and appointments, we like some of the additional features such as the ability to search for a nearby veterinarian or dog park.  You never know when you might be in need of either, especially if you're visiting a new city.

And even with one pet, I find myself running to the cabinet every time I need to look up Cosmo's medication type and dosage strength. So with this app, you can keep all meds listed in one place so re-ordering is easy. I also can see this being extremely important to have at your fingertips in the unfortunate event you end up at an emergency clinic with your pet.

So if you're looking for a way to organize all your pet's information in one place, download here or go to your phone's app store and look up Purina Pet Health.

Review: The Invincible Gecko Dog Toy from Nip and Bones!

Cosmo waits patiently for his chance to test out a new squeaky
toy from the Baby Patches Tester Program at Nip and Bones

Long live the squeaker! There's nothing more fun than a brand new squeaker toy for your dog, especially if it can withstand sharp doggie teeth and hours of rigorous play. And if you're looking for a squeaker toy that will last, the Gecko Dog Toy at Nip and Bones may be the perfect choice for your pup!

As a member of the Baby Patches Tester Team, Cosmo got the chance to take the Gecko for a test run. Take a look below at Cosmo's honest review of the Gecko, but first a few product details.

What we're testing

• The Invincibles Gecko Dog Toy in a size small  -- 13" x 8" with two squeakers. It also comes in large - 17" x 8" with four squeakers.

What makes it special

• It's non-stuffed and made with squeakers that last, even after being punctured. In addition to the squeaker, a rattle in the tail makes this toy sound extra exciting. 

Options

Cosmo gives the Gecko a good tug!

• Order the Small with two squeakers or the Large with four squeakers. Both come in orange or blue. 

Who makes it?

• Kyjen

How much is it?

• $10 for the small and $12 for the large at Nip and Bones

Cosmo's test run

Worthy of a good game of tug or session of toss and fetch, the Gecko provided Cosmo with loads of fun.

After a couple of weeks of play, the Gecko has held up beautifully, with plenty of squeak and rattle power for months to come. Just listen... !

As a member of the Baby Patches Tester Team, we received the Gecko toy free of charge. We were not paid for our review, and our opinions, squeaks and shakes are authentically our own. 

Celebrate National Dog Biscuit Day!

It's National Dog Biscuit Day! While the origins of this day seem to be shrouded in mystery, there's one thing for sure. Dogs like biscuits!

Here are a few of our favorites.

Nutro Natural Choice Crunchy Treats with Berries - These crunchy treats made with real berries smell delicious and they break easily into even smaller pieces for multiple treating.

Loving Pets Barksters Sweet Potato and Chicken Krisps - Air puffed and low in fat, these treats pack a big crunch without wheat or gluten.

Hills Hypoallergenic Dog Treats - These are the treats that magically cured Cosmo's grass-up-the-nose incident.

For training treats, we typically gravitate to soft treats that break easily into smaller bits or other treats that don't fit into the category of "biscuits." But since today is the day to celebrate the biscuit, here's a look back in time to one of the granddaddies of all dog biscuits...

Biscuits may have changed over years -- not to mention the advertising! -- but one thing's stayed the same. Dogs are still our best friends.

Good Dog! 

Wordless Wednesday: Dogs and Tongues

Nommy SmartBones for One Lucky Winner!

Cosmo loves his SmartBones, and today we unveil one lucky winner who wins a three-month supply of these nomilicious dog chews!  The winner of our SmartBones giveaway is........ drumroll please >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Spooky Shorty!

Congrats to you! I'm sure your doggie pals will LOVE these tasty chews!

Thanks to everyone for playing.

For another great giveaway, don't miss our Stella and Chewy's Carnivore Kisses giveaway! 

Pekingese Malachy is Top Dog at Westminster

Malachy the Pekingese, the only dog on the show floor who could fit INSIDE the coveted silver bowl, nabbed top honors at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show last night. It was 4-year-old Malachy's 115th Best in Show title as he beat out  a Dalmatian, German Shepherd, Doberman Pinscher, Iris Setter, Kerry Blue Terrier and Wirehaired Dachshund to become the newest Westminster champ.

AP Photo

It was the fourth time a Peke has won at Westminster and the first time since 1990.

Favorite quotes around the show ring (From Blooomberg reports):

"He’s a charismatic little guy," said Lisa Croft-Elliott. "He’s like your favorite pair of bedroom slippers.”

Malachy's handler and part-owner David Fitzpatrick was asked whether the 11-pound champ has feline traits, given his Persian cat-like resemblance. He's not like a cat at all," he said. He's like a Pekingese."

Photo by John Ashbey

We hear Malachy will indeed make the traditional trip to Sardi's to eat steak today. Can't wait to see that photo!

Valentine's Love: Win a 4-month Supply of Kisses from Stella & Chewy's!

We wanted to find a special way to spread the love this Valentine's Day. So today we bring you the opportunity to win a four-month supply of Carnivore Kisses from Stella & Chewy's!

Carnivore Kisses dog treats are available  in 100 percent Angus Beef, 100 percent Chicken, 100 percent Duck and 100 percent Wild Alaskan Salmon. And now, To Dog With Love readers have the chance to win a whole basket full of kisses -- one jar in each of the four flavors!  Wow!

You can win the four jars of kisses pictured here! 

Carnivore Kisses are a great way to share the love with your pet all year round!

• All Natural, diced 100% premium meat treats
• Made with raw, freeze-dried naturally raised meat, from USDA-inspected facilities
• NO grain, fillers, added hormones or antibiotics, artificial preservatives, colorings, sugar or salt

Enter our Carnivore Kisses Giveaway

Enter to win one jar of kisses in each flavor: 100 percent Angus Beef, 100 percent Chicken, 100 percent Duck and 100 percent Wild Alaskan Salmon. That's a $40+ value! U.S. winners only. Enter on the Rafflecopter widget below. Entries close at 12:01 a.m. ET on February 29, 2012.
 
If you can't wait for your kisses, here's where to buy Stella & Chewy's.

Thanks to Stella & Chewy's for sharing the love! Mwaaah!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Who Will Win THIS Year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show?!

Photo by John Ashbey

The Scottish Deerhound Hickory won Best In Show at  the 2011
Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show

If you're not lucky enough to be in NYC in person, get your TVs and DVRs ready for the airing of the 2012 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show tonight and tomorrow night!

Schedule 

NIGHT 1: 
Monday, February 13
Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding Groups
8-9 p.m. (ET) live on USA Network
9-11 p.m. (ET) live on CNBC 

NIGHT 2: 
Tuesday, February 14
Sporting, Working and Terrier Groups, Best In Show
8-11 p.m. (ET) live on USA Network 

Watch live streaming coverage and breed judging highlight videos  throughout the day on Monday and Tuesday on the Westminster Web site. These highlights will be available after the show, as well. 

West Coast viewers: The West Coast telecast is delayed for your time zone. Since results are posted to the WKC Web site as they occur live, if you want to enjoy the drama of the moment, please avoid the Westminster Web site after 5 p.m. Pacific Time on each evening. 

Schedule For Canada 

Animal Planet LIVE (online also)
Discovery World Thursday and Friday Feb 16 and 17 at 8p
Discovery Channel Saturday and Sunday Feb 18 and 19 at noon


Who are you rooting for to win?

Photo by Mary Bloom

After winner last year's show, Hickory, enjoys steak on a silver platter

at Sardi's,  served by owner Max Klimavicius

Help Pedigree Help Dogs at its "Every Dog, Dog Show" #Dogsrule

Cosmo says, Dogs Rule!

Around the time of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Pedigree has typically kicked off its annual Adoption Drive campaign. Over the years, with the help of dog lovers everywhere, Pedigree has been able to raise more than $7 million for this cause.

This year, Pedigree will be launching it in a different way. No longer the sponsor of the Westminster Dog Show (which airs Feb. 13-14 this year), Pedigree is turning to other ways to celebrate every dog, both purebred and mixed.

From now through 11 p.m. ET on Feb 14, Pedigree is holding an "Every Dog, Dog Show" in its Facebook community. For every dog lover who interacts with the Pedigree Adoption Drive Facebook page, Pedigree with donate a bowl of food... up to 500,000 bowls. Upload a photo of your four-legged friend or share your pup's story. That's all it takes, and Pedigree with feed homeless dogs in shelters and breed rescues.

For Pedigree, every dog is a champion. This video is from last year's campaign, but we think it will make you smile!

The Dos and Don'ts of Lickety Stick and Giveaway Winners!

Do check it out, before diving in...

Cosmo is STILL enjoying his Lickety Stik, but we have more important things to announce today!

Drumroll please......... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The winners of our Lickety Stik giveaway are:

• Ashley Clark
• Lori Miller
• LouPeb

Please check your emails or Twitter DMs for messages from us!

Congrats to you and thanks to all for playing!

Do sniff the magic roller ball...

Don't bite it like a chew bone! ...

Do lick and enjoy! 

What's Better... or Worse? Posting Pictures of Pets or Kids?!

Is there such a thing as posting TOO many photos of Fifi or Fido on you Facebook page? Ironically, I ran across this post -- Posting Pictures of Your Pet on Facebook is Slightly Annoying --  while searching for the perfect Wordless Wednesday photo of my Cosmo Havanese (and getting slightly sidetracked).

Mary Fischer writes:

Pets are cute and sweet and give us a warm fuzzy and all that good stuff. But as much as we love them, they really aren't "kids." We don't need their lives -- which consist of sleeping, eating, and sitting by the front door waiting to be taken out to do their business in the snow -- documented on a Facebook timeline. You adore your pet, we get it. But we don't need a visual every single time Rover rolls over to have his belly scratched.

The bond between humans and their animals is undeniable, but should pets really be treated as kids when it comes to social media sharing?

hmmph... what do you think? (need I ask?)

And in the meantime, look how cute Cosmo looks all nestled in a pile of laundry! sigh...

Now, let's go look at lots more photos of pets! On to the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!

Best of Super Bowl Ads: The Making Of The Dog Strikes Back Volkswagen Commercial!

Dogs are the stars of some of the best ads (in our opinion!) that aired during the Super Bowl. We love how Bolt gets up off the sofa in this commercial and gets in shape, but wondered about the "fat" dog in this spot. Take a look here at the secrets behind the Dog Strikes Back commercial.



And here's what we saw on game day!



Get up offa that thing, and dance 'till you feel better!

Disney "Treasure Buddies" Giveway Winners!

It's official! The winner's of our Disney "Treasure Buddies" giveaway are: Kellyr78, Ashley Clark, Amy Orvin, JudyWhatILiveFor and David Deibert!


We sure have a talented bunch of readers too... David has a cat who walks on two legs; Amy's dog jumps into her arms; Kelly's dog likes to give paw, sit and roll over; and Ashley's dog plays dead when you "shoot" her!
 
Thanks to all for playing, and it sure sounds like you all have lots of fun training some fun and useful tricks! 

If you're not one of our lucky winners, or you want to pick up a few extra copies as gifts, you can buy Treasure Buddies on Amazon.com.

AKC/Eukanuba Blogger Stakes: Show handling tips and a "surprise" ending!

We had the opportunity to attend the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship dog show as a Eukanuba VIP Blogger, and one of our favorite events was the Blogger Stakes. Our group of bloggers got to see just what it's like to show a dog in the big Best in Show ring, complete with bright lights and plenty of photographers! 

Most of the bloggers were provided with dogs, straight from the AKC show ring, like Billy Wheeler at Dog Show Poop and Kathleen Riley-Daniels, who is a Dogs Examiner and creator of the website Outlaw Chinooks!

But I had to have a Havanese, so I went straight to the Havanese Meet the Breeds booth and found none other than... 

... Cosmo Havanese! Yep, this is the OTHER Cosmo Havanese!  My Cosmo and I knew THIS Cosmo from Facebook and I was so excited to meet him in pawson at the dog show! This Cosmo is a Canine Assisted Therapy (C.A.T.) dog and a champion in the show ring too! He's from Fort Lauderdale and his parents Anna and Mitch were kind enough to let me borrow him for the Blogger Stakes!   

Shaggy Dog Photography

Before we went into the show ring, Cosmo and I had a little bonding time and discussed strategy.

It was a formidable line-up of bloggers and pooches. Here's Wendy and Charlie from Petside, Jessica (a.k.a. Dr. V)  from Pawcurious, Billy from Dog Show Poop, Pam from Pet Blogs United and Cosmo and me way down on the end.  You'll notice my focus and attention on Cosmo's position... Show Handling Tip #1: Keep your eye on your dog and the judge. You never know when he'll be looking at you and you always want to show your best side! 

Shaggy Dog Photography

Some of us had some show handling experience, and some had none! I'll admit I've been in the show ring before with my Cosmo, but it's been many years and it's not like we ever went to a dog show of this enormity! Here, I dust off my stacking skills and ... Show Handling Tip #2: I chat up the judge so he knows a little more about the handsome Cosmo Havanese! The judge for the day was Eukanuba's Jason Taylor.

Cosmo's mom Anna took this video of us in the ring! I could use a little practice lifting Cosmo off the table gracefully! Show Handling Tip #3: It's not as easy as it looks! Practice, practice practice! And Show Handling Tip #4: Take time to neatly gather up your show lead and make sure you're ready to walk up and back. Then, stop with plenty of room for the judge to admire your dog!

Shaggy Dog Photography

Cute!

Shaggy Dog Photography

It's time for the final cut! Show Handling Tip # 5: Keep your eye on the judge and "ask for the win"! Looks to me like Kathleen and I are the only ones keeping our eye on the prize, though I suspect Billy glanced down only for a second. The others, well, I'll let Jessica tell you her side of the story! 

Shaggy Dog Photography

Cosmo and I take one more lap around, and the winner is.......

.... Cosmo Havanese!! Look at the huge trophy we won! Can you imagine taking that home on the plane? Ok, just kidding. This trophy went to the new AKC/Eukanuba National Champion, London, the Standard Poodle.

We had loads of fun at the show and, as luck would have it, the telecast of the show is being aired on ABC this weekend! Check your local listings for times, but it's scheduled for 2 p.m. ET in my neck of the woods.

And, hop on over to Twitter or Facebook while you're watching the show and join the online conversation with all of us!  Here are the details for the online viewing party.

See you at the show!

One Lucky Dog Will Win a Three-Month Supply of SmartBones!

Cosmo says his SmartBone is paw lickin' good! 

Hot dog! We have a giveaway today we wish we could win! Last year, Cosmo helped review and give away SmartBones, the easy to digest, rawhide-free dog chew. And today, the folks at SmartBones have provided us with a three-month supply to give away! That's a lot of good chews!

One lucky U.S. winner will win SIX BAGS of SmartBones in the appropriate size! Entries must be posted by 11:59 p.m. ET on February 12, 2012. 

Cosmo's willing to share his SmartBones enjoyment!

To enter our SmartBones giveaway:

(mandatory)

• Leave a comment on this blog post telling us you want to win a THREE-MONTH SUPPLY of SmartBones!

For additional entries:

(leave a separate comment for each one)

• Like To Dog With Love on Facebook
• Join this site using Google Friend Connect (look on our sidebar to the right)
• Follow Cosmo Havanese on Twitter
• Tweet: Win a 3-month supply of SmartBones from @CosmoHavanese! Giveaway: http://bit.ly/zxM4dE

Good luck!

What's Left To Do After Competing at the AKC Eukanuba Dog Show?

... head to Disney World, of course!

No wonder this Rottweiler is smiling! Coal, a.k.a. GCH Falcon Crest Diamond in the Ruff,  earned his "mouse ears" after competing at the Orlando Cluster of dog shows, one of the many events leading up to the AKC Eukanuba National Championship in December. Coal took Best of Breed in the Rottweiler Specialty Show and also captured an Award of Merit! Go Coal!

You can watch all the action this Saturday, Feb. 4 on ABC at 2 p.m. ET. Check your local listings for time in your area.

We'll also be following the show with a viewing party on Twitter. Just use #AKCEukShow to follow the fun!