Happy Halloween BarkWorld Style!

We had a blast at the BarkWorld Expo Howl-O-Ween party last weekend. Here's a look at some of our favorite costumes!

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

A Walk Through BarkWorld Expo 2012

Cosmo and I hang with Ruff and Mews, the Petco mascots!

We're back from BarkWorld Expo and there's so much to tell -- from parties to educational sessions to visiting with exhibitors and meeting with friends old and new. We've attended every BarkWorld since it began in 2010, and they just keep getting better each year. 

If you haven't yet heard of BarkWorld, it's a special kind of social media conference for pet-related businesses, social influencers and pet owners. So whether you want to learn more about blogging or other forms of social media, connect with social influencers or learn about the latest in technology or lifestyle as it relates to pet owners, there's plenty to take in! 

And don't let the silly photo, above, fool you! While there's plenty of fun at BarkWorld, it's also serious business for pet companies, animal rescue organizations and anyone who wants to connect with pet owners and pet-related businesses. 

Since there's just not enough time to mention all the great speakers and sessions, here's a look at the all-star speaker lineup with folks like Brent Herd from Twitter and Matt Meeker from Meetup.com.

Now, here's a look at some of the highlights from our perspective!

BarkWorld kicked off with a Howl-O-Ween party and pet costume contest on Thursday night sponsored by Atlanta Dog Spa. Rick Rockhill from Natural Balance played a brilliant emcee as the swashbuckling pirate, above! The pets were the real stars of this show, so check back on Halloween and we'll show you more pics of adorable pets!

The next day was filled with educational sessions and presentations, including a cooking demonstration by the fabulous Amy Burkert from Go Pet Friendly and Kim Clune from This One Wild Life. Kim and Amy whipped up some tasty dishes using Honest Kitchen and had no trouble attracting an attentive crowd...

Cosmo and canine pal Fabulous McGrady, above, wait for a taste test, and were not disappointed. 

Next, it was time for a quick break outside where Cosmo and Kona from K9Carryall see how their rides stack up to the new Ford Escape. I can't tell you how many times over the weekend I wished I had a handsfree tailgate like the one featured on the Escape.

Then, a quick meeting to compare notes with some great pals... it's Cosmo, Carma Poodale, Jasmine and Linus! Looks like a worthy representation of the Havanese - Poodle alliance! 

During one of our outdoor breaks we met Wendy Santee from SirMacandLadyAlley.com. What's really cool is that Wendy and Cosmo are both lung cancer survivors. We wish for continued good health for both of them.  

Wendy's pups Lady Alley, pup Jazzy Moon and Sir Mac look on during the photo shoot with their human and Cosmo!

We also were thrilled to meet Ginger Morgan from 2 Millon Dogs, the organization that is exploring the links between canine and companion animal cancers through comparative oncology research. One way to join in and help is to walk in one of the Puppy Up! Walks in a number of cities across the United States. Several walks will be happening next weekend, Nov. 3 and 4. To find one in your area, check here for the Puppy Up! Walk schedule.

Back inside the sessions continued. With so many good speakers, the most difficult part of BarkWorld was deciding which sessions to attend.  Above, Kate Benjamin from Modern Cat and Jaime Derringer from Dog Milk talk about trends in modern pet lifestyle products, like the one's they feature on their blogs. If you haven't already, check out their blogs for some of the hippest products around.

Seeing old friends is another reason we love to attend BarkWorld. Above, Eldad Hagar, the famous rescuer of animals, shows how he's always thinking of the animals. Before I could dig out Cosmo's water bowl, Eldad offered up his own glass of water. Cosmo quickly took him up on it. (Hope no one from the hotel is watching!) And, by the way, the food was as good as it looks. Big kudos to the Westin Hotel in Buckhead (Atlanta) for hosting and to Denise Quashie for organizing a fabulous conference.

Friday night, the networking continued with a fun "Block Party" sponsored by Petco, Iams/Eukanuba, PetCareRX and Nutrish.  Above, Cosmo, is surrounded by his pals Brett Chisolm from Life + Dog magazine, Kristine Tonks from Rescued Insanity, Kim Clune from This One Wild Life, Mel Hammonds from Fetching Images and photography for Life + Dog, Vicki Cook from Bunny's Blog and Amy Burkert from GoPetFriendly.com.

On Friday and Saturday there were two full days of sessions and networking, and we also enjoyed meeting all the sponsors in the exhibit area. Cosmo, above, uses his stroller to his advantage to get a leg up at the JW Pet booth! He's a blur because he was up on the table, checking out the toys in a jiffy!

Speaking of networking, we also enjoyed a special kind of "speed dating," thanks to BarkWorld, where bloggers met one-on-one with sponsors like Petco, PetCareRX.com, DogBFF.com, Iams, Eukanuba, Bayer, Apartment Guide, Natural Balance, Nutrish and Life+Dog magazine and more! 

Then, on Sunday morning, a small group of bloggers were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the Georgia Aquarium, thanks to Apartment Guide! It was spectacular and we'll include more photos in a separate post! 

All-in-all, it was a fabulous conference, and with so much to offer, you could easily customize your experience to suit your own needs. I'm lucky to have this conference in my own hometown, but it's definitely worth the trip and it was such a nice hotel, it would've been nice to stay there. Maybe next year! 

Did you go to BarkWorld and what did you like the best! We're still recovering from all the fun!

USDDN Disc Dog World Finals and Lure Coursing Fun!!

At last weekend's USDDN Disc Dog World Finals in Cartersville, Ga, not only did we get the chance to watch some amazing disc dogs, but Cosmo also got the chance to practice his lure coursing skills.

Here's Cosmo, going wild for the lure! It's hard to believe he had surgery just last month. And for those who have asked, dogs do tend to handle chemo treatments differently than people. Cosmo is in rare form, as you can see, especially considering he had his second chemo treatment five days before running this course.



After a satisfying lure run, we headed over to watch the disc dogs.

All-in-all it was a super fun day! Keep an eye on the USDDN schedule for events in your area.

Last-minute Packing Tips for BarkWorld Expo!

Cosmo and Diane

If you're heading to BarkWorld Expo in Atlanta this week, here's a quick check-list of must-have items to bring from a BarkWorld veteran! This will be the third BarkWorld for both me and Cosmo so we have plenty of ideas on what to bring for both you AND your pet!

And if you get here early (yes, Cosmo and I live in Atlanta), check out a few restaurants with pet-friendly patios near the Westin Hotel. We like Bistro Niko and Anis Bistro.  Give us a Tweet and maybe we can meet you there!

And now, for our seven must-bring items:

Swag from the first BarkWorld Expo

1. Business Cards -- There will be plenty of networking opportunities with fellow bloggers and sponsors so don't miss this opportunity to share information and stay in touch! 
2. Camera -- This is a photo opportunity like you've never seen before! If you like to photograph pets, you'll be in heaven! Don't forget to take group shots of your favorite blogger buddies, the fun pet signage and the Thursday night HOWL-O-Ween Pawty!
3. Smart phone and laptop or iPad -- Keep your smart phone handy for quick pics and videos so you can share them immediately via Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. It's fun to "watch" the action live via social media for both conference attendees and those who are following from home.  BarkWorld also is running a Social Good Campaign to raise $5,000 for 3 deserving charities. See how to participate here by just sending a tweet.  And don't forget all your power cords and chargers!
4. Large expandable suitcase -- Blogger conferences are notorious for having great swag and BarkWorld is no exception! Bring a LARGE suitcase and don't fill it. Then, open the expandable section for all your swag! 
5. Sweater or layering pieces -- You can expect beautiful weather in Atlanta this time of year -- mid 70s during the day and into the 50s at night. Bring layering pieces and comfy shoes.  And don't forget you and/or your pet's Halloween costume!
6.  Your pet's food, treats and toys -- Cosmo and I travel via airplane pretty often, so we've got this down. In addition to making sure your pet is comfortable with their pet carrier, you'll want to bring their familiar food, treats and toys. That'll make them feel right at home and help prevent upset stomachs!
7. Pet accessories -- Don't forget food bowls, leash, poo bags, medications or anything else that's specific to your pet's needs!

For some more helpful blog conference and travel tips with pets, check out these:

How to Prepare Your Dog for a Long Plane Flight

Travel Bag Comfort for You and Your Pet
Come on Back to Georgia and BarkWorld Expo

See you in Atlanta!

Cosmo's essentials

When a Dog Show is More Than a Dog Show!

This past weekend was a HUGE weekend for dog events in Atlanta. We managed to make it to a few events, including the all-breed dog show in Jonesboro, Ga.

First, we stopped at the Havanese ring, of course!

In case you didn't know, Havanese come in all sorts of colors. Meet Cookie, above, and keep an eye out for her. We'll be following her progress all the way to the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship dog show, where for the first time, "class" dogs can compete. Cookie is entered in the 6-9 month class.

And another tip about dog shows... they also offer a great opportunity to shop for hard-to-find items.  Cosmo was ready to shop, and read on for some great finds! But first, that's our Canine Cool Hipster bag in the stroller with him. You can find out how to win one here.

We spent a lot of time checking out these nifty toys by FitPAWS, above,  from itsallrover.com. We think the peanut that Cosmo's sitting on and some of the smaller balancing discs and donuts would be great for pups starting out in agility so they can get used to various surfaces and types of movement.

We also met Johnny Boy, the famous corded poodle, who also is the cover boy on a new book on how to cord your poodle, coming out soon!

And finally, we stopped at the Pure Paws booth and picked up some extra shampoo. We tried the new H20 Shampoo that made Cosmo's coat super silky. We hear you can use in on human hair too. We'll let you know how that goes!

Then later in the weekend we headed to the USDDN Disc Dog World Finals in Cartersville, Ga. Stay tuned for more photos and fun from that event.

Now, let's see what everyone was up to this weekend!

Snag Some Swag! Win the Canine Cool Hipster Fresh From the Red Carpet Cat Emmy Tour!

Just when you thought it might be too late to win one of the coolest tote bags on the planet, here's one more chance!

Our pal Joanne, from The Tiniest Tiger, invited us to join the Red Carpet Cat VIP Emmy Blog Tour, and we are so glad she did!

Why are we so excited about this giveaway? First, because Joanne is super cool and does great things to help protect wildlife and all cats, great and small. And second, because the Canine Cool Hipster is the PERFECT bag for any occasion, beautifully made with a discrete canine pattern that's sure to make you the envy of all your dog-loving friends!

The new Canine Cool Hipster debuted on the red carpet during the 2012 Emmy Awards Swag Bag to the Stars event in September, and now YOU have the chance to win your very own Canine Cool Hipster!

Here I am with Cosmo Havanese and my Canine Cool Hipster,
both of us looking super cool at an Atlanta street festival!

Enter to win your own Canine Cool Hipster via our Rafflecopter giveaway below.  Entries with U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia shipping addresses are eligible to win the Canine Cool Hipster. For U.S. entries only, your Hipster will be filled with some extra nifty surprises from the sponsors and bloggers involved in the Red Carpet Cat VIP Emmy event.

AND, if you can't wait to win one, order any of the fabulous bags from the Tiniest Tiger's Triple T Studios collection here! A portion of the net profits from Triple T Studios benefits global conservation projects.

Entries are open until November 1 at 12:01 a.m. ET.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dock Diving for Dogs of Any Size!

Last week, I joined the pet blogger tour at PetSafe headquarters in Knoxville, Tenn. PetSafe has done lots of super things to help make Knoxville a more pet-friendly city, and one of the coolest places we visited was Concord PetSafe Dog Park... complete with a dock diving platform!

Big dogs enjoyed the jump...

and so did tiny dogs!

Big dog splash!

Tiny dog splash!

If you're ever in the Knoxville area, the Concord PetSafe dog park is worth the trip! Its four acres includes a small and large dog area, walking trails and of course the swimming hole with dock diving! 

Strolling, Walking and Running the Morningside Mile for Fire Station #19

October is National Fire Safety Month. And on Sunday, Cosmo and I did our part by participating in the Morningside Mile, a one-mile run, walk or stroll to benefit our local Virginia Highland Fire Station #19,  Atlanta's oldest fire station.

Cosmo shared his stroller with his new pal Jack. The race was only a mile, but we covered three miles in total to get to the start of the race and back home again.

The race welcomed folks of all types, from elite runners to kids and dogs -- running, walking and riding in strollers!

The race ended with a block party...

What party is complete without a game of corn hole!

 ... and of course the fire engine was there. This is the same fire engine that leads our neighborhood Halloween parade.  Fire Safety Cosmo says, stay safe this Halloween and keep candles and candy away from dogs paws!

Once again it's Mischief Monday, so let's see what everyone else is up to!