Gather 'Round the K9 Kampfire

Rocco enjoys some backyard time with his pals Bingo and Codie

K9 Kamp always seems to fly by so fast and this session was no exception. So gather 'round the Kampfire pals and tell us all about all the fun you had with backyard games during the past few weeks!

Link up your posts in the Blog Hop below or just tell us what you've been up to in the comments section. We can't wait to hear all the stories about your fun and games

We had a lot of fun these past few weeks, trying out some new games and playing some old favorites too.


During K9 Kamp we:

• Enjoyed some swimming fun in our pal Miko's backyard pool.
• Had fun with some DIY dog toys, playing fetch and chase games. We're especially loving our version of the flirt pole and perfecting the motion for optimal chasing action.
• Set up a backyard obstacle course.
• Practiced weaves with our DIY 2 x 2 weave poles

We also checked out our pals pictures from #K9Kamp. Seems like some other Kampers are using the same hashtag, but you'll recognize some familiar faces here:

We also got our K9 Fit Club certification while K9 Kamp was going on, so we've been super busy getting ready to launch classes in the Atlanta area! If you're in Atlanta and interested in either taking a class, hosting one at your location or helping out with classes please drop me a line! I'd love to hear from you!

See you 'round the Kampfire!

The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!). Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.

DIY Dog Toys for Backyard Fun and Games!

We can't believe it's already the final week of K9 Kamp.  Next week we'll all join around the Kampfire and share the backyard fun and fitness games we've been playing the last few weeks.

We can't wait to see what you've been up too! In the meantime, here are a few games we dreamed up this week.

We've got two DIY dog toy games to share with you, perfect for some backyard fun!

First, we took the toy we made from a carriage whip we bought at Tractor Supply and a flat, fuzzy toy.

I simply tied the end of the whip to the toy, and voila! We had a new toy for loads of chasing fun!

Here's a close-up of the toy we assembled.

And what it looks like in almost its entirety.

The whip is pretty long -- about eight feet in all --  so it provides plenty of length to throw the toy out for your pup to chase. We originally made this toy to help create toy drive for our agility training.

Here's a look at the toy and Rocco in action!



Next, we took a retractable leash and attached a dog toy to it with a carabiner. We used a dog toy that includes a treat pouch, making it extra irresistible for Rocco!

I placed Rocco's kibble inside the treat pouch, but you can use any type of treat.  This toy took a little longer for me to get the hang of, but once I did, Rocco went crazy for it! I think it might have had something to do with the treat pouch.

Take a look!



Remember, next week is the week to link up your own backyard fun and fitness games as part of our FitDog Friday and K9 Kamp Blog Hop.

We also have a winner to announce for the colossal K9 Kamp Giveaway Prize Pack.  Huge congrats to Janet Keefe from Wag 'N Woof Pets for winning the giveaway.  Thanks to all for playing and special thanks to all our prize pack contributors: Petco, PetSafe, DogTread, For Love of a Dog, Jones Natural Chews and Smart Cookee.  

The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and The Writer's Dog (formerly known as Peggy's Pet Place) to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!). Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.

Benefits of Swimming for Dogs

On a hot summer day, there's nothing better than a cool dip in a refreshing pool.  And a swim can also provide some great fitness benefits for dogs and their people, too!

Rocco recently had the chance to go swimming at his pal Miko's pool.

Of course, it's always safety first with pools and dogs and we kept an eye on the boys at all times.

One of the first things both Miko and Rocco learned was the location of the steps to get in and out the pool. Rocco wasted no time in finding the steps and he launched himself into the water on his own!

Rocco swam out and back and found the steps with no trouble at all. Good boy!

Some terrific benefits of swimming for both dogs (and people, too!) include:

• Helps build strong, toned muscles
• Aids in cardiovascular fitness
• Works range of motion for increased flexibility

Increased flexibility and strong, toned muscles also helps active dogs like Rocco avoid injuries.

Another fun game to play in a pool is raft balancing! Rocco and Miko show off their balancing skills as they work their core muscles on the unsteady surface. Just like the games Rocco plays on his wobble board, balancing on the raft helps build body awareness, strength and confidence too!

Then, after a swim, there's nothing better than a wet dog game of chase!

Rocco loves the water and he's getting to be a stronger swimmer too. We don't get to swim too often, since we don't have a pool in our own backyard. But we both love it, every chance we get!

Does your dog like to swim?

Don't forget to enter our K9 Kamp giveaway with over $350 in terrific prizes! And remember, July 25th is the day to link up your K9 Kamp backyard fitness games.

And, we're also honored to be nominated for a Pettie in the Best Overall Blog category.  We're in some great company, including several of our pals. Check out the list here, and then to vote, click on the tab at the top, right of that page for "finalist voting," log in with your email or Facebook and then vote! We hope you'll consider voting for us once a day through August 7!


The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!). Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.

Happy Fit Dog 4th of July!

First we hope you all have a wonderful and safe 4th of July holiday (if you're in the U.S.).  You might want to get outside and enjoy the day before the start of all those loud fireworks. They sure are pretty but they also are pretty much hated by dogs across America.

It's also the first full week of K9 Kamp, and we hope you're all playing some really fun backyard fitness games! We can't wait to see what you all are doing and try some of your games ourselves!

This week, we set up a backyard obstacle course, and had a little fun of our own.  We used a few items we had for agility and conditioning, and some of these are also in our colossal K9 Kamp giveaway prize pack.  Find more about our giveaway and enter here.

Rocco works on his balance and core conditioning on the K9FITbone. This is one of the really nice items in our giveaway prize pack, contributed by the nice folks at DogTread.  We also have been working on front paws and back paws on the FITbone. This item is so versatile I even used it myself to do some planks and hip lifts!

Behind Rocco is the FitPAWS Balance Disk, you'll see him spin around on it in the video below!

We've had this FitPAWS wobble board for a while and Rocco loves to bang around on it! I think it's what helped make him fearless on the agility teeter.

When designing a backyard obstacle course, there's no need to be fancy! We used this box that the FITbone came in!

Rocco learned his agility tunnels easily by using this tunnel from the Kyjen backyard agility kit when he was just a puppy. He still loves running through this fun play tunnel. Petco kindly donated this item to our K9Kamp prize pack!

This is what our course set up looked like. We added a few agility jumps too.

Take a look at Rocco in action! We got a few style points taken off, because for some reason on this day, Rocco didn't like the corner of the backyard where the first jump is placed.  We also typically take more time to balance on the FITbone, to help build strength, stamina and body awareness.

It also was a really hot day, so hydration and cool down was really important. After our run we headed in for a cool drink from our PetSafe Drinkwell Fountain. This one is similar to the one in our K9 Kamp prize pack, donated by the nice folks at PetSafe.

Rocco's pony holder matches the fountain! How funny is that?!

Special thanks to all our prize pack contributors: Petco, PetSafe, DogTread, For Love of a Dog, Jones Natural Chews and Smart Cookee.  Get more details about K9 Kamp and enter our giveaway here!

Happy 4th of July! Do you have any fun activities planned?

The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!). Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.

Welcome to K9 Kamp Summer Session 2014 #Giveaway!

Welcome back Kampers! We can't believe it's already time for the summer session of K9 Kamp, the virtual camp you can enjoy with your pup from anywhere!

We're so excited to share lots of big news today.

First, of course, is that it's the opening day of K9 Kamp and we have one HUGE giveaway, chock full of items to help make playtime fun for you and your pup!

Be sure to read down to learn more about each item in the giveaway below. And then enter for a chance to win on the giveaway widget at the bottom of this post.

And, don't forget the theme for this session of K9 Kamp is

Backyard Fun & Fitness Games!

We can't wait to see all the fun games you all play. And if you don't have a backyard, there's still plenty of fun to be had right outside your front door.


My next bit of news is that I'm so excited to share that I'm now officially certified as a K9 Fit Club Trainer! That means I've passed the K9 Fit Club certification and will start teaching classes in the Atlanta area soon!

It's all a natural progression of the fun and fitness we already enjoy with the pups in our lives. Only now,  you can take your dog with you to work out … and they get some exercise and bonding time too!

If you're in Atlanta and interested in classes, please let me know and I'll get you more details.

And you'll likely see some of our K9 Fit Club exercises show up in our upcoming posts!

The Biggest Ever K9 Kamp Giveaway!

Our generous K9 Kamp supporters have provided the best Prize Pack ever to help you enjoy your backyard games even after K9 Kamp is over.  Here's a look at what one lucky K9 Kamper can win!

Backyard play 

As you know we love to train and compete in agility. But even if you never have aspirations to compete, agility is a great way to bond with your dog and you both get exercise too! I also find it helps improve memory as you learn the patterns of various courses. To get started, we love The Kyjen Dog Agility Starter Kit, donated to our K9 Kamp prize pack by Petco.  

The kit includes six weave poles, a jump, a short tunnel, pause box, start/finish line, and it even comes with a stop watch and three award ribbons!  

Conditioning for your pup

In order to enjoy the fun and games in life to the fullest, it'll benefit any pup to work on balance, strength and endurance.  Exercises on the  K9FITbone help to develop strength, endurance, proprioception (body awareness), balance and flexibility. And besides, we think it looks cool too!

The K9FITvest dog fitness vest helps to improve strength, speed, performance and body awareness. Both the K9FITvest and K9FITbone are being contributed to the prize pack by DogTread.

Hydration

Rocco loves to drink out of his fountain and we hope your dog will do, because hydration is so important to help keep your pup healthy and fit. The Drinkwell Pagoda Fountain is made from porcelain and continuously recirculates 70 ounces of fresh, filtered water. It's easy to clean and looks great in your home! 

The upper and lower dishes provide two drinking areas for pets, and the patented dual free-falling streams aerate the water for freshness, which encourages your pet to drink more. Thanks to PetSafe for providing the Pagoda Fountain to our prize pack.

Yummies for your pup

From our pals at Jones Natural Chews, this center bone is marrow filled, with meaty bits clinging to it, dipped in natural liquid smoke before being slow baked to perfection. The 7" Center Bone is in the top 10 of dog favorites and is perfect for medium to large dogs, or more aggressive chewers. 

All Jones Natural Chews are made in the USA.

After a job well done, every good dog deserves a cookie. Smart Cookee is adding one package of its 100% All Natural Omega Dog Treats to the K9 Kamp prize pack. All Smart Cookee treats are corn, wheat, soy and gluten free and made in the USA.

What to wear for both you and your pup! 

Donated by Collarific Dog Bandanas, these clever bandanas slide over your pet's collar. The reversible bandanas include a fully lined collar channel with reinforced seams for extra durability. Collarific specializes in designs suitable for large dogs, and their "Ruff Rating" helps you choose the right fabric style. 

And finally, just for you… this woof worthy pendant from For Love of a Dog is perfect for any dog lover!  A handmade porcelain dog bone proclaims WOOF and dangles from an artisan lamp work floral bead in shades of carmel, brown and tan.

Hand wire wrapped with silver jeweler's wire with a silver bale. Perfect to wear on your own necklace, cord or ribbon. Length is 2 1/2 inches.




Special thanks to all our prize pack contributors: Petco, PetSafe, DogTread, For Love of a Dog, Jones Natural Chews and Smart Cookee.  The prize pack is valued at over $350! Wow! That's a whole lot of backyard fun and fitness for one lucky pup and human!

Remember to enter for a chance to win on the giveaway widget at the bottom of this post!

Some final K9 Kamp details

Kamp runs from June 27 -  July 18 with the K9Kampfire Blog Hop on July 25. That's where you'll link up your posts about your own backyard fun and fitness games.  As always, K9 Kamp will run alongside FitDog Friday, so you can feel free to post about your games at anytime during the Kamp session!

Your K9 Kamp coaches are Peggy's Pet Place, SlimDoggy and us! So be sure to check out our co-coaches to see what kinds of ideas they have for backyard games.

And, if you'd like to post a photo of your K9 Kamp activities just tag it with hashtag #K9Kamp so we'll be sure to see it! Insider hint: If you post it on Instagram and tag it #K9Kamp, we'll feature your photos here on a K9Kamp slideshow!

The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!). Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.

Entry-Form

Fido's Freebie Friday Gets Ready for K9 Kamp!

Welcome to another edition of Fido's Freebie Friday (FFF), the weekly giveaway blog hop for all things pet!

This week we're busy getting ready for the summer session of K9 Kamp, the virtual Kamp you can participate in with your pup right in the comfort of wherever you may be! Everyone is invited to attend and we'd love to have you pop in for one week or stay the whole session.

We choose a theme for each K9 Kamp session and this session's theme is

Backyard Fun & Fitness Games!

Rocco enjoys some backyard fun!

Come back tomorrow and check out opening day! We'll have a super giveaway that includes items for backyard play, hydration, doggie fitness, yummy snacks, and a few things to wear for both you and your pup! Over the next three weeks you'll also find lots of tips, fun and games offered by bloggers participating in the blog hop (during K9 Kamp, we all link up as part of our regular FitDog Friday Blog Hop). 

In the meantime, check out the selection of this week's giveaways in the Fido's Freebie Friday Blog Hop below. You can enter them all or add your own! We make it easy by linking them up all in one place.

Here's how to participate

The rules for Fido's Freebie Friday are super simple. Here's all you need to know to link up:

• You have up to 45 characters to describe your prize and include an expiration date
• Fido's Freebie Friday Blog Hop is open to posts with prizes for pet products or services, including pet-related or pet-themed items for owners. Use your specific post url to link up.
• Or simply enter the giveaways that interest you for a chance to win some fabulous prizes!

Fido's Freebie Friday opens each Thursday afternoon for linkups at 4 p.m. ET, and renews each week at the same time with a new listing. Link up anytime during the week!

For more information, you can check out the help page. Your hosts are All Things Dog Blog, DogTipper and To Dog With Love.

Happy (s)hopping!

Individual rules of entry and guidelines for winning may apply to each listing. All Things Dog Blog, Doggies and Stuff, DogTipper and To Dog With Love take no responsibility for the legality of the rules governing the listings on other sites and giveaways that are posted here. We simply provide this forum as a gathering place for pet products to be offered. Fulfillment of each giveaway is done by the blog conducting the giveaway, not by the hosts of this giveaway hop; please contact the giveaway host with any questions regarding a giveaway or giveaway prize.

Take Your Dog to Work and to K9 Kamp! Coming Next Week!

Today is Take Your Dog to Work Day.

But if you're lucky enough to work in a pet friendly office or in your pet friendly home, then every day can be take your dog to work day!

All the years I worked in an office, I never worked for a company that allowed pets in the office on any day.

So now that I work from my home office, I like to take advantage of this perk, every day. And that means being able to take short breaks throughout the day to get in a little training with Rocco and a little exercise for myself too.

For a pup with a short attention span (and that's a lot of them!), short training sessions are a huge benefit.  You want to finish training on a good note, before the dog gets bored or wants to wander off. And that might mean keeping each training session to 15 minutes or less.

Whether we're learning a new trick or playing agility, we'll often train for about 5 minutes and then call it quits, while Rocco still wants to do more. That way he's happy and enthusiastic about the next training session.

There's some thinking that short workout sessions for humans can be better than long ones too.  It could be because it's easier to find 10 minutes in a busy day than an entire hour. But in the end, you still need to put the time in to stay fit and healthy.

For us, the key is to keep it fun. When training is fun, it keeps us both going back for more. And, there's nothing like a furry pup to keep things motivating and fun!

Speaking of fun, it's already time for our summer session of K9 Kamp! The next session starts next Friday and we want to give you a sneak peak at the Challenge so you can starting thinking about all the fun you can have. The Challenge for K9 Kamp Summer Session 2014 is….

Backyard Fitness Games!

We think you'll have lots of fun with it and we can't wait to get started!

Kamp runs from June 27 -  July 18 with the K9Kampfire Blog Hop (where you'll link up how you did with the challenge) on July 25. As always, K9 Kamp will run alongside FitDog Friday, so you can feel free to post your progress at anytime during the Kamp session!

And, next week, we have some other big news to share with you too… stay tuned! Hint: it's all in line with having fun with your pup.

And finally, it's time to announce…  another colossal K9 Kamp giveaway filled with goodies that active pups will love!

Get Ready for Another Awesome K9 Kamp Giveaway! 

The giveaway will officially open next Friday, when we announce the K9 Kamp challenge! Take a look at these goodies you'll have the chance to win! *Dogs not included! 

One lucky winner will win all these amazing items donated by these K9 Kamp supporters: PetSafe, Collarific, Petco, DogTread, SmartCookee, Jones Chews, and For Love of a Dog!

1. Drinkwell Pagoda Fountain (donated by PetSafe)
2. Collarific Bandana (donated by Collarific Dog Bandanas)
3. Kyjen Dog Agility Starter Kit (donated by Petco)
4. K9FITbone (donated by DogTread)
5. One Pack 100% Natural Omega Dog Treats (donated by SmartCookee)
6. Seven-inch Center Bone (donated by Jones Chews)
7. Handmade Porcelain Dog Bone Pendant (donated by For Love of a Dog)
8. K9FITvest (donated by DogTread)

Value of the prize pack is over $350. Wow! We could have a whole lot of fun with all these goodies! 

The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!). Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.

FItDog Friday meets K9 Kamp: Gather 'Round the Kampfire!

Rocco plays the Find It Game! 

We can't believe it's already time for the final Kampfire at K9 Kamp!

If you're new to K9 Kamp, this is the week that all our Kamp pals will share their stories about all the fun and adventures they've had while attending this winter session of K9 Kamp, a virtual camp we hold right here alongside FitDog Friday twice a year.

For each K9 Kamp session, your Kamp counselors -- that's us, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place -- issue a fun challenge. And then all the campers -- that's you guys -- go have fun with it and then tell us all about it at the final Kampfire.