One of our favorite things about the blogosphere is meeting new people and discovering new blogs that are full of things we love. That's why we were super excited to participate in the Pet Blogger Gift exchange, the brilliant idea from Pamela at Something Wagging This Way Comes.
Pamela paired up each participating blogger, and the idea is for us to exchange gifts of encouragement, compliments and a little bit of link love!
I was randomly paired with Elizabeth at My Life in Blog Years, who is one of the hosts of Black and White Sundays, the weekly blog hop featuring -- obviously -- black and white photos! If you haven't checked it out yet, head over there today, and you might be inspired to try your own hand at black and white.
Here's one of Elizabeth's photos, above, featuring her pups Penny and Luna.
Other things I learned about My Life in Blog Years... and worth checking out:
Elizabeth is a fabulous photographer. And not just in black and white.
Get your checkbook ready when you head to Elizabeth's blog and Etsy shop, Pretty Shiny Object, for affordable and stylish handcrafted jewelry. You'll probably find more than one thing you like!
For more pretty eye candy to brighten your day head to Elizabeth's Pinterest page.
I also learned that both her dogs have tried their paw at agility, a sport that's close to my own heart.
Happy holidays, Elizabeth! I'm glad to get to know your blog better and hopefully some of your photography expertise will rub off on me!
Here's one more lovely photo from My Life in Blog Years, above. Elizabeth shares a few of her photo techniques here.
Now, head on over to the Blog Hop to check out some of the other bloggers participating in the gift exchange.
When Cosmo was diagnosed with cancer about four months ago, one of the hardest things to come to grips with was not knowing how the story would end. I did so much research and also read about other dogs with cancer, and so I knew what their stories were, from beginning to end. I was convinced our story would go on much longer than it did.
Last Sunday, Cosmo's four-month journey with cancer came to an end. The average survival time for a dog with his type of cancer -- a metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinoma -- is nine to 12 months. But Cosmo had responded so well to surgery and then to his chemo treatments that his future was looking pretty bright.
In mid-October, six weeks after surgery and after two of five scheduled chemo treatments, Cosmo looked like he felt great, zooming around and chasing squirrels, above.
I took Cosmo to do all the things he loves, like the lure course he got to run near the end of October, above.
By mid-November, Cosmo seemed a little off but blood work came back normal and chest x-rays showed no sign of lung tumors. Still, we already knew that some of the cancer had metastasized to his lymph nodes. And there was no telling if the Carboplatin chemo treatments were getting rid of all the cancer. He was cleared to travel to Chicago with me for Thanksgiving, and while he was just a bit subdued, he did fine with the trip and seemed to enjoy it.
Above, Cosmo enjoyed some reflection time at the Chicago lakefront.
Cosmo lived every day to the fullest up until his last week in mid-December when he declined rapidly. I had wondered how I'd know when the end was close, but Cosmo made it perfectly clear by his actions. He had trouble moving and the pain seemed to be too much. We tried every kind of treatment to help manage the pain but it kept getting worse. Cosmo let me know he had lived a full and wonderful life and now it was time to go. His body was failing him, and the Cosmo we all knew had already left us.
Cosmo went to the Rainbow Bridge on December 23, but his life was not about cancer. He was the life of the party -- a sporty, fluffy, handsome fellow who greeted everyone he met with kisses and wags before he asked for belly rubs. He attended every BlogPaws and BarkWorld Expo social media conference, traveled to Italy twice and all over the U.S.
He used social media to help raise money for animal rescue groups across the world. He loved to zoom, catch discs, play agility, run a lure course, herd sheep and he had started to learn nose works. He just liked to come along, whether it was shopping or to a restaurant.
He'll be missed greatly by both me and young pup Rocco, who came to live us with just four weeks before Cosmo passed on.
I had expected them to have a least a year together and I secretly hoped for a few more, but even in the short time together Cosmo seemed to have an impact on Rocco, teaching him all about toys and treats and how to enjoy a good chew.
And while I miss Cosmo so much, I have absolutely no regrets for the life we led together or the attempt to save him from cancer. I wouldn't do a thing differently, and in that I can find a lot of comfort.
I never really thought about how many folks both Cosmo and I met, through agility, social media and other outings we took. The support of everyone -- from the time Cosmo was diagnosed, up until the end -- has meant a great deal to me and I can't thank you all enough. I'm so grateful to have Rocco now, and what's ironic is that I started the process of getting another pup even before Cosmo was diagnosed with cancer.
These last few photos are some of the last action shots I took of Cosmo, when he was feeling great in October. He was always ready for a great adventure.
RIP sweet Cosmo Havanese. You may be gone, but you'll live in our hearts forever. ♥
Guest article provided by our friends at Protect Your Bubble pet health
insurance.
With more than 85 million
pet households in the United States, millions of Americans will gift pet
products, services, or even pets themselves this holiday season. With the potential for millions, or even
billions, of dollars to be spent on pets this holiday, Protect Your Bubble pet
health insurance brand urges pet parents to make the most of their pet-focused
spending by avoiding some common pet spending mistakes.
“Whether you’re purchasing
gifts for your pets, someone else’s pets or you’re considering gifting a pet
this year, it’s important to understand the unwritten rules of the game as it
concerns gifting and spending on pets,” says Stephen Ebbett, President of
Protect Your Bubble. “At Protect Your
Bubble, we are passionate about protecting our customers and giving them advice
that will save time, money and heartache.”
Considering these useful ideas will keep the holidays
happy and stress-free for you and your beloved furry family members:
Think twice before gifting a pet:While it may be fun and exciting for you to pick out
a puppy or kitten and give it as a gift, not everyone is ready for that commitment. Remember that pets can live several decades
and every pet deserves to have a family that can care for them throughout their
entire life. Instead, consider
purchasing a gift certificate to a rescue organization, shelter or breeder - that way the recipient can choose to either
redeem the certificate for a pet they pick out themselves, or consider it a
nice donation in the holiday spirit.
Gift thoughtfully for your pet loving friends:It may be tough to come up with a unique gift every
year for that hard-to-buy-for family member on your list, so think outside the [litter]
box and gift something clever that is focused around their pets. You might consider a certificate to their
favorite pet spa, grooming and boarding facility or even some pet training
sessions. These practical gifts are
thoughtful, useful and endearing to those whose pets are truly a part of the
family.
Don’t overspend on the latest and greatest:As humans, we tend to purchase for our pets as we
purchase for ourselves; we must have the latest and greatest this, that and the
other. Our pets are much simpler and
typically happy with a warm human to cuddle with and a few inexpensive
toys. Purchasing items that make your life easier like a better leash, a
new pooper-scooper or a self-cleaning litter box will free up your time to
better serve your pets. This means more
play time or longer cuddle sessions. Your pets will appreciate this more than a
new expensive item.
Give the gift of health: If you haven’t been diligent about your pet’s
veterinary visits in the past, remember that as your pets get older, they will
likely need more medical attention.
Instead of purchasing costly gifts for your pets this year, stash some
money away in savings specifically earmarked for pet health care. Better yet, consider purchasing a health
insurance policy that will cover accidents, emergencies and illnesses that may arise
throughout the year. This way you won’t
be overwhelmed with an expensive vet bill should something happen to your pet. Protect Your Bubble offers policies that
start at just $15 per month. So, for the cost of what you might spend on a
single holiday gift, you can protect your pets’ health all year long.
By keeping these simple
tips in mind when shopping this year, pet families can make the most of their
holiday spending, while keeping human, canine and feline family members
happy.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Protect
Your Bubble is available online, via mobile app or phone, and allows consumers
to understand, buy and, most importantly, protect what’s most important to them.
Pet
– Plans provide up to 90 percent
reimbursement for covered vet fees for eligible accidents, illnesses,
hereditary conditions and routine wellness visits.
They allow owners to visit any licensed vet in the country. Additionally,
there’s only a $100 annual deductible that only needs to be met once per plan year. Coverage starts from less
than $1 per day.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post provided by Protect Your Bubble pet health insurance.
But that's not all! New this year is the nation's largest canine celebration, Celebrate Dogs! In addition to the competitions taking place over the weekend, AKC and Eukanuba are inviting the dog-loving public to Celebrate Dogs! Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Celebrate Dogs! will feature dozens of dog-centric activities like the Eukanuba SuperDogs, AKC Meet the Breeds booths, DockDogs, Eukanuba Extreme Soccer Dogs, appearances by celebrity dogs and a canine shopping mall with holiday gifts for dog lovers! Learn more here.
Olate Dogs rocked America's Got Talent!
Some of the celebs you might meet at Celebrate Dogs! include Yakult, the adorable poodle/chihuahua mix from Suburgatory, and Olate Dogs, the winners of 2012 America's Got Talent!
And, if you're not lucky enough to be at the event in person, highlights from the daytime Best of Breed judging and the Bred-By-Exhibitor groups will be video streamed by Bowtie, Inc. at www.dogchannel.com. The evening events will be live streamed on Ustream. A link to both streams will be available on akc.org.
You can also follow all the fun and photos on Twitter by searching for hashtag #CelebrateDogs.
The Dogger does double-duty as a sleigh ride for Rocco Havanese!
One day a year, dogs are allowed at the Atlanta Botanical Garden for the Reindog Parade, and the event has become one of our yearly favorites. That's our new puppy Rocco, above, enjoying his ride.
It was a big day for 12-week-old Rocco. He won Best Puppy and took home that enormous basket on top of the stroller. It's bigger than he is!
We draped some garland over our Dogger, added a few flashing snowflakes and counted on getting by on Rocco's cuteness! Other costumes were more elaborate, with folks competing for Best Botanical, Best Adult, Best Dog Pack and Best Dog - Owner Dress-a-like! We figured this year might be our only chance to win!
Here are a few other's dressed in their finery. That's a Garden Service Dog above!
Everyone paraded across the stage for he judges. That's Victoria Stilwell and Holly Firfer, in the background, as emcees.
Red Bird Plush Ball was found at the North Pole in week one of the contest
Ho ho ho! We love holiday toys, and this year, Hartz is unveiling a special line of limited edition holiday-themed Angry Birds dog toys.
Cosmo and our new puppy love the Angry Birds toys we've collected over the years, so we're excited to bring you two ways to win the entire special holiday collection of Angry Birds toys.
Hartz is running a Facebook contest throughout the month of December and we're running a giveaway on To Dog With Love too! Read down to learn how to enter both!
Details for the game on Facebook are as follows:
There are four unique holiday Angry Birds toys that will be shown in four different in holiday locations that will be slowly revealed throughout the course of four weeks.
Each week (Monday-Sunday) a photo of one of the toys in a distinct setting, will be featured on the Facebook application with only a small amount of the photo visible.
As the week progresses, more and more of the photo will become visible and ultimately be fully revealed each Sunday.
Fans will be able to submit their guesses as to the location where the toy is hiding out as many times as they like throughout the week.
The campaign will kicked off on Monday, November 26, 2012 and runs through December.
For more holiday toy suggestions visit the Hartz holiday gift guide. We also love the DuraPlay and Tuff Stuff toys, so check them out in the gift guide!
Enter our To Dog With Love Giveaway!
Simply enter via Rafflecopter, below, to win the set of four limited edition holiday-themed Angry Birds dog toys. Contest is open until Monday, December 17 at 12 a.m. ET. U.S. Entries only.
One of our favorite things about the blogosphere is meeting new people and discovering new blogs that are full of things we love. That's why we were super excited to participate in the Pet Blogger Gift exchange, the brilliant idea from Pamela at Something Wagging This Way Comes.
