Vita Bone Fun and Photo Contest

BlogPaws Conference Day One

This year's BlogPaws Conference is being held in the 

Sheraton Music City.

BlogPaws and Good Humor

We have made it to the BlogPaws conference!  

The official kick-off is today, but last night we had an 

Ice Cream Social with the Good Humor man!

Yvonne DiVita and I found ice cream a perfect way to cool down in the Nashville heat!

Yes, they even had ice cream for the pups!

*Bentley and Pierre loved the Good Humor man!

Welcome to Nashville

Howling for Full Moon Treats

BFTB NETWoof News 5-25-2015

Bentley: “Happy Memorial Day and welcome to this week’s BFTB NETWoof News.  I'm Bentley, your news hound.  Along with my co-anchor Pierre and our Weather Lab Paisley, we bring you all of the latest news a dog lover needs to know.”

Remembering on Memorial Day

Please take a moment during this exciting

Memorial Day weekend

to remember the real reason for the holiday.

Thank you to all of the men, women, and dogs who have served and protected this fantastic country that we call home.

We are joining Sugar the Golden Retriever and Dachshund Nola for their 

Black & White Sunday's photo hop!

 

Packing PrideBites for the Road

   It is official!  The BlogPaws conference is sold-out!  That means that 500 bloggers are packing and hurrying to get their things ready for traveling to Nashville this upcoming week.  I am not an early packer…at all.  The reason is that I like to pack one time and be done.  If I pack early, I will inevitably have to get something out to use or wear.  Then, I might forget to re-pack it.  My packing will be done Monday night.  I am packing the boys' stuff early.  They have specially designed bandanas and their Mardi Gras accessories to be festive.  I will also be packing PrideBites toys for the road to keep them entertained. 

We Are Loving Life #FuelTheCure

Las Vegas Sky #52Snapshots

Last year’s BlogPaws Conference was held in Las Vegas.  It was a beautiful setting and away from the glitz and flashing lights of The Strip.

Who is BlogPaws Conference Cruising?

*Click to enlarge

The Honest Kitchen's Love ~ A #BlogPaws Conference Sponsor

  We are excited to tell you about another awesome sponsor of this year’s BlogPaws Conference.  It is our friends at The Honest Kitchen.  I met their fun representatives for the first time last year in Las Vegas.  We have reviewed several of their scrumptious recipes since that time.  Recently I received a box of Revel, which is their chicken recipe and then, we were given a Perk by Klout with a box of Love with ranch-raised beef.  Today, the boys will give their opinions of Love.

Bentley: “Let me just begin by saying that I am an expert on Love.  Before you ask, yes ma’am, I am referring to The Honest Kitchen’s dehydrated grain-free recipe of Love.  They use human food grade ingredients with no by-products, fillers, preservatives or anything from China.  That’s important to Pierre and me.”

Pierre: “Are you talking about me?  Wait a minute.  Are those two unopened boxes of The Honest Kitchen up there?  Go get me the stool and I’ll fetch them for us.”

BFTB NETWoof Channel 7 News 5/18/2015

Bentley: “Welcome to this week’s BFTB NETWoof News.  I am your newshound Bentley Basset.  Joining me at the anchor desk are my co-host Pierre Westie and our Weather Lab Paisley.  We have tracked down some exciting news for you this week.”

Is Don Draper a Real Dog? #MadMen

The BlogPaws Effect

   

   A couple of weeks ago I was thrilled to participate in my first webinar with Rachel Sheppard, Jon Roska, and Tadas Deksnys.  It was part of an Inside Warehouse discussion titled, “Is Revenue from eCommerce going to be the Next Big Thing for Pet Publishers and Bloggers.”  The answer is “Yes.”  You can’t really have a discussion about pet publishing and blogging without mentioning BlogPaws.  I had several slides relating to how brands interact with bloggers.  Businesses both big and small are looking to bloggers to promote their products.

Dog Poisoning Emergencies

  It’s National Pet Month and the perfect time to poison proof your home.  We all try to keep our pets safe and free from harm.  That means keeping potentially lethal items out of their reach.  Unfortunately, each year thousands of dogs and cats are poisoned in their own homes and nearly half of those ingested human medications.  NEVER leave your medications within the reach of your dog! 

Homemade Grain-Free Dog Food With Veg-To-Bowl

Back in the days of children, I cooked dinner.  Now that it is just Skipper and I, we eat mostly quick meals.  This is a huge disappointment to Bentley.  He always knew when I cooked meat, sometimes a piece was dropped for him.  Imagine his surprise when I went to the stove to brown some turkey the other day.

Bentley: “Hey Mom, what cha cooking?”

Me: “I’m browning some turkey.  Do you need to sit under my feet?  I could trip over you.”

Bentley: “Yeah, that’d be a real shame if you were to spill that freshly browned turkey on the floor.  *snicker Hey, Pierre!  Come here, I need your help.”

Pierre: “What do you need?  It is almost Squirrel: thirty and I have to be at my station to patrol.  *sniff-sniff  Dude, is Gramma cooking?  Are we going to try to get her to spill the meat?” 

Meet Me in Nashville

Yee Haw!  I’m so excited!

Powerfully Good™ Greenies ~ #Mars a BlogPaws Conference Sponsor

Bentley: “We had a special guest last week.  It was our good pal Chewy and as usual, he came bearing a gift.  I love a considerate guest.  I have to admit that Chewy.com has great taste!  I was super-stoked to open our package and discover Powerfully Good™ Greenies®.

BFTB Channel 7 NETWoof News 5/11/2015

Bentley: “Welcome to this week’s BFTB NETWoof News.  We were pre-empted last week by a very important post about Vet on Demand.  It was nice to know so many of you missed our report.  To help me sniff out the best stories, I have my co-anchor, Pierre.  Our Weather Lab Paisley will share the most accurate forecast a six-month-old pup can report.  Let’s get right to our top story.  Pierre?”

Mother's Day ~ They Call Me Mom #52Snapshots

Happy Mother’s Day!

Here are my reasons for celebrating today. 

They call me Mom.

I love being their Mom.

National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day #52Snapshots

"Is it time for recess?"

Bentley: “Hey, Pierre!  Guess what we are celebrating today?”

Pierre: “Well, I know it’s not time for my birthday again.  Whatever it is, will there be cake?”

Meet PetSafe ~ A #BlogPaws Silver Sponsor

   In only three weeks, 500 bloggers will converge on the Sheraton Music City for three days of learning sessions, networking, and meeting brands.  It is exciting to have the opportunity to meet and talk to your favorite brand representatives.  One of our first stops is going to be the awesome Silver Sponsors, PetSafe®.  We have several brands that we are very loyal to and one of them is PetSafe.  I’m going to share our three favorite products that are always found here on the bayou.

Packing for a BlogPaws Conference ~ Printable List

  I’m a list maker.  I make grocery store lists, to-do lists, and before any trip I make detailed packing lists.  It stems from being a mom, a Brownie leader, and cheer coach.  If I didn’t want to have a little girl without her pillow or retainer, I’d better provide a check-off list.  It has become a bit of an obsession.  The main difference now is that I am only responsible for packing things for my husband, the dogs, and myself.  Believe me, it’s a lot less stressful than a list for twenty girls!

The Give for Good was Great

  Yesterday we celebrated Cinco de Mayo with our community by coming together for a day of giving either online or at one of the many events across NW Louisiana.  We chose to support our favorite no-kill shelter the Humane Society of NW LA.  The Great Raft Brewery, a local microbrewery hosted a fundraiser for the shelter.  There was a great turnout of pet lovers and their furry friends.  Ki’Mexico served delicious Mexican Soul Food, Great Raft had a special Cinco de Mayo beer release, we listened to live music from The Katalyst and Jonathon Brasell and of course, the volunteers from the HSNWLA were on hand to answer questions.  Great Raft donated $1 from every beer sold.  Best of all, it was PET FRIENDLY!  There aren’t many pet-friendly venues in our area.  The Give for Good fundraising day is led by The Community Foundation of North Louisiana to raise unrestricted dollars for our non-profit groups.

We are Going Backcountry with Merrick ~ A BlogPaws Conference Sponsor

The delivery of a large box had Bentley and Pierre very excited the other day.  They always assume any packages are for them and on this particular day, they were right.  We hurried into the kitchen to see what was inside this mystery box.

Bentley: “Lemme tell them, Mom!  I just can’t contain myself a minute longer.  Okay, it was a box of Backcountry™ Raw Infused from our friends at Merrick!  They have a new line of dog food.  It is the ultimate in eating like our ancestors.”

One Call Paw Care #VetOnDemand

Our dogs can't tell us where it hurts.

  How many times has your pet gotten sick on the weekends or after your veterinarian’s office has closed?  It seems as if mine schedule upset stomachs or unexplained limps at exactly those times.  In the past, your choices were limited to emergency vet clinics which result in you having to go into your “emergency” funds.  Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could simply video chat with a trusted experienced vet on the telephone?  I am excited to tell you there is an app for that!  It's One Paw Call Care.

   Vet on Demand™ is a brand new iPhone App for pet parents that will allow affordable access to some of the nation’s top veterinarians.  The fact is the United States is home to 80 million families with about 150 million cats and dogs.  Yet one in four of those can’t afford

Defenders of Liberty #BlueAngels

  This weekend is the annual Barksdale Air Force Base  Defenders of Liberty Air Show in Bossier City, LA.  It was held for the first time in 1933.  The Open House highlights the fantastic home of the B-52.  A two-day event features the latest in military planes.  You can also see historical and civilian aircrafts.  The base is open to the public to tour, meet the brave pilots, and enjoy incredible aerobatic performers.

  The highlight of the show was the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.  The skill and precision they fly is breathtaking.  There were also skydiving exhibitions and a dozen other talented pilots taking to the air.  You can click here to see the line-up of performers.

Look Out Below #52Snapshots of Life

A squirrel in our tree

Will definitely see

Nothing but woe

With Pierre down BELOW!

We are participating in The Lazy Pit Bull’s

52 Snapshots of Life

Each week there is a word prompt.  This week’s word is

↓Below↓

It's National Purebred Dog Day

   I’ve never met a dog that I didn’t like.  I’m not a purebred snob, I love mixed breeds too.  We have always had purebred dogs because we needed breeds that would be best suited for our family.  For the most part, it has worked for us.  Choosing a purebred dog allows you to know what characteristics to expect, the adult size, and its working/training capabilities.  You can also be more informed on certain diseases or problems that are inherent to certain breeds.