Thursday, June 25, 2015

Barkworthies Bully Sticks - Naturally Healthy

Bentley: “Hey Pierre, do you see what I see?  There is an envelope from Barkworthies® on the counter.  Their bully sticks are the natural chews and I naturally choose you to try to jump up there.  ”
Pierre: “What? No way!  I’ll do the “Lassie” routine where I go stare at Gramma and then race back in here to the counter.  She is always so impressed with that old standby.”
Bentley: “Hee-hee!  You’re right, Mom is so easy.  I think I’ll use the “stop working and entertain me” method.  If she is busy, she will use the Barkworthies as a distraction.” 
Me: “I can hear y’all.  It just so happens that there are two bully sticks in there.  I wish that I knew two dogs that weren’t manipulative to share them with…”  *Opening envelope
Two Barkworthies Bully Sticks with two dogs

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

The Art of Dog Tags #DogTagArt

Are you a fan of dog tags?  I’ll admit that I have a number of tags for the boys.  I love to change out the boys’ name tags as often as I change their collars. Dog Tag Art™ was another awesome sponsor of the BlogPaws conference. They have over one hundred designs to choose from or you can upload your own photos or artwork.  When I went to the Dog Tag Art website, I wanted most of the tags they offer.  Then, I saw them…the absolutely, positively perfect tags for Bentley and Pierre.
Dog Tag Art dog tags
Do they actually know Bentley and Pierre?

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Tuggo Toys are Terrific!

One of the sponsors that we were anxious to meet at BlogPaws 2015 was the Tuggo™ Toys team.  Adam Harrington is the inventor of the award-winning Tuggo Dog Toy.  He is a graduate of MTSU and lives in the Nashville area.  Like most of us, Adam was tired of spending his hard-earned money on a tug toy that only lasted one good playtime.  That is when he decided to create a destruction-resistant toy that would promote exercise, build muscle, and be extremely entertaining for his dog.  The result is a tug-o-war toy that is like no other. 

It is available in the hard plastic 10” ball or the 7” Tuggo Mini.  Both can be filled with water, gravel, or sand, so it is customizable for every dog.  That means that you can add a little or a lot depending on your dog’s size and ability.  When it is empty, it only weighs one pound. If you fill it to the maximum with water, you have a twenty-pound toy!  That makes it a great toy to entertain your dog when you can't play.  You fill the Tuggo through the recessed screw cap.  It is easy to open with a coin so there are no tools required.  The unique patent-pending design allows the rope to be pulled through the ball.    
After visiting the Tuggo display, they offered us our very own 10” Tuggo Dog Toy.  We had a choice of sizes and three colors.  I knew this was going to be a special souvenir for the third member of our BFTB NETWoof News team, our “granddog” Paisley (the Weather Lab).  She is a huge fan of tug-o-war.  We visited her this weekend to see if she was enjoying her new toy.
How to tell if a dog loves the Tuggo Dog Toy:

A boy and Labrador puppy playing tug-o-war
All you need is the Tuggo, an active 8-month-old puppy, and an equally active 8-year-old boy.  Luckily, we had all three this weekend.  It was the trifecta of a good time!

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Father's Day Plans

B & W photo of a tired Bentley Basset
“It’s Father’s Day so I am letting Dad sleep late.  I need extra belly rubs for being so considerate.  I love my Daddy.”


Pierre Westie close-up in B & W
“Happy Father’s Day to my Daddy and my Papaw, I love them both.  Now, let me bark at nothing in particular and wake Papaw.  He enjoys that.”


Happy Father’s Day!

We are joining Sugar the Golden Retriever and Dachshund Nola for their 
B & W Sunday's blog hop.
You can join in or enjoy these other B & W posts by clicking the links below.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Seeing Double #Westies

Each time that we go anywhere with the boys, people always tell us that Pierre looks like the Cesar Canine Cuisine mascot.  I was so excited to discover they were one of the sponsors for the BlogPaws conference.  There was no way that we were missing THAT photo opportunity.  What I didn't realize is how cute they would have their display.  It was set up with fine china and a huge Flat Cesar.  
Westie meets Westie for tea

Friday, June 19, 2015

Bravo for Special Moments

If you are fortunate in life there are many times where you can say, “Bravo for special moments.”  I consider myself very lucky in that respect.  When Oz the Terrier asked for bloggers to join in a secret “Special Moments” blog hop, I had to make the choice of which moments I would share.  Everyone knows that I share special moments with Bentley and Pierre all of the time, so I decided to do something different.  Consider this a Flashback Friday complete with a Rick Springfield tee shirt!
Madison Von Schloss Clinton
I still remember the very first time that we decided it was time to add to our family.  We had just gotten married and yearned for the pitter-patter of four tiny paws.  I had three cats but wanted a puppy very badly.  We decided on a German Shepherd and set out to find our new best friend.  Let me tell you, we found a gem.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Dogs Know the Difference #JonesNaturalChews

Variety of Jones Natural Chews
Bentley: “Psst…Pierre, come here.  Mom and Dad went into the spare bedroom treat room.  Maybe they are finally going to get the Jones Natural Chews that they’ve been hoarding since the BlogPaws conference.”
Pierre: “Hot diggity dog!  Let’s whine in our most pitiful tone.  It’s bound to help.”

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

"Dogs are Loyal" ~ The Returns

The Returns book series quote by M. K. Clinton
"Dogs are loyal."

If you are looking for a funny dog adventure to read this summer, my book series is available on Amazon.com.  Recommended for ages 12 to 112.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Definition of Comfort #52Snapshots of Life

If you look up comfort in our Barking from the Bayou dictionary, you will discover this definition:
Comfort (kum’fƏrt), noun: 1. a state or situation in which you are relaxed and do not have any physical or unpleasant feelings caused by pain, heat, cold, lack of treats, or the need for belly rubs. 
*See also: Bentley or Pierre
Basset Hound comfort
Example A ~ Bentley

Friday, June 12, 2015

Dr. Harvey's Healing Cream

Bentley: “I have been waiting patiently since we returned from the BlogPaws conference for my turn to tell you about someone special.  Don’t get me wrong, I met many awesome humans during our trip, but I was looking forward to a certain friend.”
Me: “Are you referring to Ms. Wendy from Dr. Harvey’s?  You sure did cozy up to her.  What’s the deal?  I know that you ended up with some major hugs and goodies from her.”
Bentley loving the attention from Dr. Harvey's Ms. Wendy
Bentley: “We are pretty much best friends now.  She has a Basset Hound so she totally gets me.  When you love a hound dog, it is difficult to be away from one of our hugs for very long.  Her sweet girl is named Sasha.  I don’t mind saying that she is one gorgeous girl.”
Me: “Are you talking about Sasha or Ms. Wendy?”
Bentley: “Mom!  I’m trying to pay a compliment to Sasha.  Ms. Wendy is beautiful, but she is already married to Dr. Harvey.  You are not a very good wing-mom when it comes to me scoring points with the ladies.”     
Me: “Well, I am about to make it worse.  Let’s tell our friends about the horrible rash that I discovered on you when we arrived at the hotel.”
Bentley: “OMD!  Seriously?  I am going to have to recruit Pierre for help if I ever hope to spend time wooing Sasha.  Anyway, it seems that I drug my manly chest through some weeds and it became irritated.  As usual, you freaked out.”
Me: “Dude, your entire chest was covered in a red rash!  I didn’t want you itching and being miserable the entire conference.”
Bentley: “Did you have to show Ms. Wendy?  I was getting some serious Basset love for sitting up and looking all macho.  You really cramped my style by pointing out the splotches on my chest.”
Me: “I apologize for caring too much!  It’s a good thing that I never leave home without my handy jar of Dr. Harvey’s Organic Healing Cream.  Ms. Wendy told me to rub your chest with it at bedtime and that is exactly what I did.”
Basset and Dr. Harvey's miracle in a jar
Bentley: “I’m happy to report that my chest was completely cleared up when we woke up at 5:30 a.m. to go potty.  It is a miracle in a jar.”
Me: “It’s true; there was not a trace of the rash.  I think they should rename it Dr. Harvey’s Miracle Healing Cream.  I’ve used it before on your boo-boos and was excited with the results.  The way that your rash cleared though was amazing!”
Bentley: “I looked at the jar to see if it contained any magic fairy dust.  According to the label, it is organic shea butter, aloe vera, calendula (marigold) extract, Goldenseal extract (perennial herb in the buttercup family), Chamomile extract, Comfrey extract (Mountain Rose Herbs), propolis (bees make it), stillingia (root) extract, thyme extract, tea tree oil and rosemary extract.  They don’t even have miracle extract listed!”


Me: “I shouldn’t have been surprised at the results.  I used Dr. Harvey’s Healing Cream on that cyst your vet drained.  It kept filling up and draining. It was pretty yucky, so I applied this cream.  It didn’t heal overnight, but it only took a few days.  In my opinion, we’d still be fighting it without the help of this cream.”
Bentley: “Did I mention how soothing it feels when you rub it into my skin?  It isn’t greasy either.  I can’t stand to be greasy and have dirt stick to me.”
Me: “I can promise you that we will never be without a jar of Dr. Harvey’s Healing cream here on the bayou.  A jar is only $11.95 which is not a bad price for a miracle in a jar!”
Bentley: “That is comforting to know.  Now, did you happen to get Sasha’s phone number for me?”

Dr. Harvey's Fine Foods for Companion Animals logo
We received a jar of Dr. Harvey's Healing Cream for our personal use.  There was no request for a review and no monetary exchange.  Barking from the Bayou/mkclinton.com only share products that we enjoy and believe our readers will benefit from learning more about.







Thursday, June 11, 2015

Wet Dogs and Muddy Paws

This has been an exceptionally rainy spring here along the bayou.  That means dealing with wet dogs and muddy paws.  These are not two of my favorite things.  I have tried to reason with the boys, but the conversations are usually unproductive.
Brown paw print Luv & Emma's Dry Pets towel





Me: “Are y’all sure that you have to go outside now?  It is pouring down rain!”
Bentley: “I can’t hold it another second.  I’ll hurry and try to dodge the raindrops.  I promise.”
Pierre: “If Bentley gets to go, then I want to go too.  OMD!  It’s a squirrel in a mud puddle.  Hurry!”
Me: “Seriously boys, stay out of the mud.  Do your business and get back up here.  Try not to get super messy.”








Of course, they return after Pierre has chased the squirrels through several mud puddles and Bentley’s ears have been drug through the mud.  

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Do You Have a Hot Dog?

*Disclaimer: I am neither a veterinarian nor a dietician.  The information contained in this post is being shared as a service to my readers  Please contact your veterinarian before making any changes in your pet’s food.
Do you have a hot dog?  How can you tell? Look for these signs: *seeks cool places to rest *actually hot to the touch *excessive panting *red skin and eyes *allergies *ear infections
Cool foods chart to help with dog allergies and infections

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Grand Dog Mischief

We had a visitor this weekend.  Our grand dog, Paisley joined us for a sleepover.  It was the first time that we have had her alone with Bentley and the other grand dog Pierre.  They ran and wrestled and ran some more.  There was no shortage of mischief! Paisley is a chocolate Lab so even at six months, she towers over the boys.  It was fun to watch them play.  Pierre felt the need to show Paisley how to chase a squirrel properly.  I hope they took the time to discuss Monday's BFTB NETWoof News!

Friday, June 5, 2015

Purina Makes #MyPuppyhood Easier

  

 There is not much that excites me more than a new puppy. It has been seven years since Bentley was a bouncing boy stepping on his own ears and four years since Pierre came into our lives.  Never fear though, I am now the proud Grandmother of two new little four-legged bundles of joy.  Paisley is my son’s six-month old chocolate Labrador Retriever.  Our newest addition is Pierre’s baby sister Clementine.  She is only eight-weeks-old and is a German Shepherd/Husky mix.  As the “Gramma” it is my duty to not only spoil them, but to answer emergency questions like “Why does she bite my feet?” and “How do I get her to love the kennel?”  These are important things to know when you bring home a squirming curious pup.  After all, you only get one chance to get their first year right!  Thankfully, Purina® has provided a great new website to find these answers.  The best part is that it is free and very user-friendly.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Snuggle Puppy to the Rescue

   If you follow Barking from the Bayou, you are aware that Bentley is terrified of thunderstorms and fireworks.  In other words, this dog won’t hunt!  We have been using the SmartPetLove Safe and Sound Harness™ on him at the first inkling of thunder approaching.  It has a heartbeat that immediately calms Bentley.  It is nothing short of amazing.  I highly recommend it.
PetSafeLove Snuggle Puppy and heart

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

PetSafe's Pet Park

   Our trip to the BlogPaws conference in Nashville was filled with firsts for Bentley and Pierre.  It was their first long road trip and the first time to ever stay in a hotel.  I will admit to being a little bit anxious as to how they would react.  To say that I was super proud of them is an understatement.  They traveled in their kennel like champs and slept a good deal of the way going and the entire way returning!  We did stop for a couple of potty breaks, but after five days of fun, they were exhausted.
PetSafe pet park sign
Photo courtesy of bybecka.com via BlogPaws