It is hard to believe that another year is heading for the history books. Instead of looking back, let’s look ahead to a brand new 2017. You have a clean slate and 365 days to accomplish great things. We will be here every step of the way cheering for you. This should be an exciting year and we hope that you join us for all of the fun!
We keep things low-key around here on New Year’s Eve. Bentley hates fireworks so there is no way that we would leave him. He will get Dr. Harvey’s Relax added to his breakfast and hopefully, the noise won’t be too bad. (Bentley is praying for rain)
I know many of you will head out to parties to ring in the New Year. We made some helpful reminders for you…
Every year people resolve to lose weight and exercise more. I can’t remember a year when it wasn’t on my list of things to do better. It will be a goal again this year…after my New Year’s Day dinner of black-eyed peas, cabbage and ham. Some traditions are just too important to overlook.
This year, instead of joining a gym or going on an unsustainable diet, why not pledge to move more with your dog? Obesity in dogs has reached epidemic proportions with 53.8% of them being overweight or obese. According to Petplan Veterinary Advisory Board member and founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, Dr. Ernie Ward, “It’s no surprise that the biggest health threat to pets in 2017 is obesity.”
I am writing this on behalf of my bestie Pierre the Westie and myself. It is an urgent plea to those of you that are thinking of engaging in the custom of lighting pyrotechnics this New Year’s Eve. We decided it would be a public service to point out all of the reasons that fireworks in the hands of amateurs are a bad idea.
• You are literally blowing up your money. Big. Money.
• Fireworks make a mess on the street and we aren’t allowed to eat them. This is unfair on every level.
We hope that you have had a fabulous 2016. It has been a great year here on the bayou. Pierre and I have been very, really, pretty good. Truth be told, I have probably been better than Pierre. Just ask the squirrels, if you can catch them because Pierre sure can’t! That isn’t me being naughty because it is true.
As the two of us discussed the things that we would love to find in our stockings or under the Christmas tree, we came to a startling realization. Pierre and I have afew toys, lots of toys, more toys than any two dogs need. We love each of them in their own special way. That’s not to say that we wouldn’t gladly accept a new laser light or stuffy, but we would rather toys go to the shelter dogs and cats to play with until they get forever homes.
The treat situation is a different story. Someone has been begging more than their fair share of yummies. That has led to a serious shortage of delicious snacks. Therefore, we are asking for some tasty goodies to keep us from starving between meals. From the photos that we’ve seen of you, I’m sure you catch our drift. A fella's gotta stay nourished, am I right? Ho Ho Ho!
We have everything else that we need. Being good boys, we will not turn our snouts up at anything you leave. Thanks in advance!
I have a confession to make to you. There was a time when Bentley was overweight. At the time I refused to see or admit it. I know how important it is for dogs to maintain a healthy size. Our vet would make comments; friends would say things and even total strangers felt the need to tell me that my best friend was fat. There was one lady that actually stopped her car when we were walking to tell me he was too big. That was the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. I had to take off my rose-colored glasses and get serious about bringing my boy back to a healthy weight.
Do you have a book lover on your Christmas list? May I suggest The Returns and The Returns 2 ~ Showstoppers in paperback? Of course, if they have a tablet or eReader, you can gift copies to enjoy on those too. You could always fetch them for yourself, too.
Pierre put his paw down after a week of Bentley’s birthday and our blogiversary celebration. He feels that our readers miss his happy face. I tried to explain that he gets plenty of exposure but how could I say “no” to this face?
It is hard to believe that it was 3 years ago today that my life went to the dogs. Literally. What started out as a platform for my book series morphed into a lifestyle dog blog and I couldn’t be happier. Barking from the Bayou has become much more than a hobby. My husband Skipper and I have worked to build the blog into a place where our readers can forget the troubles of life and enjoy a laugh or smile. We have learned so much and have so much more to learn. I know blogging has made me a better pet parent to Bentley and Pierre. It is our hope that we have helped you too.
Barking from the Bayou, LLC received a goDog RhinoPlay toy in exchange for an honest review. We only share products that we use and believe would be of interest to our readers. GoDog is not responsible for the contents of this article
Bentley and Pierre LOVE their toys. There are several go-to favorites you can depend on them to grab for a game of tug or catch. It is important those toys can stand up to Bentley’s strength and Pierre’s Terrierism! We received a new toy for Bentley’s birthday from goDog® but Pierre has claimed it as his own. It is a tough molded non-toxic PopFoamNT™ that has earned its name, RhinoPlay™. If goDog says it is durable, I believe them. After all, this is not our first goDog toy.
“I, Bentley Basset Hound celebrated my 9th birthday on Saturday, December 3rd. My mom, dad, and Pierre gave me a party. What you might not realize is there ain’t no party like a Basset Hound party! Let me take you behind the scenes at my big bash.
We started with a delicious dinner of baked hamburger surrounded by Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl with a few bananas added for flair. It was the perfect beginning to the evening. It looked better than what Mom and Dad ate.
T’is the season to celebrate the holidays and we all have the picture perfect celebration in our minds. Of course, more often than not, something happens and the Norman Rockwell image goes out the window. You can visit YouTube for endless videos of trees crashing, presents being shredded and turkey stealing dogs. Take it from me, over the years those become the treasured memories that provide the laughter and love.
Most of us consider our dogs, cats, and other pets family and include them in the holiday festivities. The trick is to make sure they don’t start hating the whole Christmas season.
In honor of this milestone, I thought I’d share 9 reasons I love him so much. Okay, there are seriously a gazillion little things that he does to melt my heart but sticking with the theme of 9, I will hit the highlights. If you have never read how he came to live with us, please take a minute to check out Bentley’s Story. It explains a lot.
Without further ado and in no particular order here are…
Bentley is going to celebrate his 9th birthday this Saturday, December 3rd. It doesn’t seem possible that it has been nine years since he was a wiggly long-eared wrinkly puppy. Then again, I can hardly remember life before he was in it. He has changed me in ways that I never dreamed possible. I will discuss that tomorrow.
You might remember on my birthday a couple of years ago when he was gracious enough to interview me. I decided it was time to ask him a few probing questions.
Me: “Bentley, thank you for agreeing to this interview. I know that you are a busy Basset.”
Bentley: “Never too busy for you, Mom. Are those the treats you promised?”
Do you enjoy cooking for your best friend? It is such fun to create something special for your pup in the kitchen. One of the best things about making homemade treats is you have complete control of the ingredients. This is especially important if your dog has allergies.
As I reflect on all of the things that I am thankful for this year, my friends of Blogville are some of the ones that fill my heart. If you had told me five years ago that some of my very best friends would be people that I had never met face-to-face, I’d have said, “No way!” Yet here we are in 2016 and my friends in Blogville are the ones that I can count on to pick me up when I’m feeling down and make me laugh when I need desperately a giggle.
Thanksgiving is next week so when you are shopping for your family’s feast, don’t forget your best friends. Here are some pawsome recipes from Kurgo that will have your pups drooling.
Remember not everything that goes on your plate should go in their bowls.
Gone are the days of Bentley and Pierre having accidents in the house. I must say that I don’t miss that one iota. Unfortunately, Pierre does get an occasional upset tummy. This usually happens in the middle of the night. I spring out of the bed as if it were on fire and run into the living room to take him outside. It is always too late. He throws up bile which stains immediately. I clean up the mess and head back to bed. I know it would be better to stay awake and tackle the stain but as the saying goes, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!” I love and treasure my sleep. That means the next morning, I have to pull out the steam cleaner and shampoo the carpet.
My laundry room cabinets have a plethora of stain fighting sprays. None of them have ever eliminated Pierre’s stains on the first try. Pierre has gone months without getting sick at his tummy. That is until last night. This morning I tried a spray we received at this year’s BlogPaws™ conference.
Let me introduce you to Rocco & Roxie’s Professional Strength Stain & Odor Eliminator. I met the owner of the company at the event and explained about the trouble that I’ve had with those stubborn vomit stains. He told me that his product should work so he gave me a bottle and asked that I let him know if I have a problem. It worked like a miracle!
Have you joined the coconut craze? It has become the go-to drink of choice for many health conscience people. Did you now that it is also great for dogs? I add coconut oil to our Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl and Canine Health. They love it and wait to lick the spoon. Coconut oil consists of over 90% saturated fats. The best type of coconut oil is virgin or extra virgin in a glass jar.
Barking from the Bayou LLC received our Jelly Wellies in exchange for an honest review. We only share products that we believe in and feel will benefit our readers. Jelly Wellies is not responsible for the contents of this article.
We are entering the rainy season here on the bayou. That usually means wet dogs to dry off several times a day. I keep a towel by the back door for just such occasions. If only there was a better way to combat the muddy paws and drenched pups. Good news! There is a better way and they're called Jelly Wellies.
November is National Senior Pet Month and since Bentley is considered a senior, I thought I’d let him share some important tips.
Bentley: “Thanks, Mom. I became what is a senior dog two years ago. It doesn’t seem possible that 7 years old should be considered senior but that is what ‘they’ say. On December 3rd, I will be 9 years old and while I still feel great, I need a little more attention than I did as a pup. Here are a few ideas to help an older dog.
Halloween has gone to the dogs. Literally. Each year there are more costume contests, more dog-friendly events and an assortment of spooky dog treats that have the Bayou Boys drooling. While we love to let them dress up for the camera, we don’t take them out on Halloween. Our neighborhood streets are crammed with ghosts, ghouls, and superheroes in all shapes and sizes. Bentley and Pierre would lose their minds if they saw them. We haven’t participated in trick or treating for the past few years for personal reasons, but I am not exaggerating when I tell you that we have had hundreds of visitors to our door in the past. Several years ago there was a Domino’s Pizza truck selling pizza slices on the corner! That was when we knew that we had more than our fair share of trick or treaters.
Our Golden Retriever used to love Halloween. Tucker would dress up and sit out front with us to hand out candy. The kids loved him and he loved the attention. That was then and this is now. Bentley and Pierre don’t like all of the excitement and are not sure of all the strangers on their street. We turn our lights on low and our television on high to drown out the foot traffic. They aren’t allowed in the office so they can’t look out the window and bark. It is a perfect night to enjoy a good movie and get some extra snuggles.
I know many of you look forward to sharing a fun evening of trick or treating with your best friends. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Safe Halloween Tips
• Make sure your dog is comfortable in their costume. Never force them to dress-up if they don’t enjoy it.
• Keep all candy, chocolates, gum, and raisins out of reach of your dogs and cats.
• Safeguard the door so there are no great escapes when trick or treaters knock.
•Make sure your pets are safe and sound inside your home. Remember not all monsters wear masks.
• Do not allow candles anywhere near your pets.
• Watch for electrical cords and decorations that pets could become entangled in causing injury.
The Morning After
The problem with living a popular neighborhood at Halloween is that most of the people who visit are brought into the area. They don’t care if they drop wrappers, bottles, and other trash as they go from house to house. That makes walking the boys on November 1st like walking through a landmine. There is chocolate melting, empty wrappers, and pieces of those orange & black candies (because nobody eats that stuff!) on the street and in the yards. Bentley’s nose hits the ground and he is in search for the forbidden goodies. Pierre wants to sniff and pee on every single thing he finds. We have to watch each step they take until everyone picks up in front of their houses. #NotCool
I realize I am preaching to the choir, but if you have little humans to take trick or treating, please remind them not to litter. It is not only bad for the environment but it can be very dangerous to our four-footed friends.
In the spirit of the holiday, please enjoy our story The Night Before Halloween and this fun JibJab video featuring the characters from my book series, The Returns.
Barking from the
Bayou, LLC received PetSafe Calming Toys in exchange for an honest review. We
only share products that we enjoy and feel our readers will also. PetSafe is
not responsible for the contents of the article.
Does your dog hate fireworks or thunderstorms? If so, you have probably tried a variety of things to help alleviate their stress. My Basset Hound Bentley suffers from a fear of thunderstorms. He hears rumbling 30 minutes before the first clap of thunder reaches my ears. It doesn’t matter if the storm hits in the middle of the day or night when the sky starts talking, he wants his mom and dad to be with him. I can’t tell you how many nights we have sat up to reassure him that he will survive the racket.
When we know a storm is coming, I add Relax to his meal and the difference is incredible. However, we still need to keep his mind occupied until the thunder stops. That is where our new PetSafe® Calming Toys come to the rescue. Toys that dispense treats and that require problem-solving help to distract Bentley and he loves them. Our Busy Buddy® Calming Toys came with two chamomile scented toys that he was instantly attracted to. The moment I opened the box, his nose went to work.
Both the Barnacle and Squirrel Dude™ have chambers where you can add treats. The Treat Meter® prongs can be trimmed with scissors to allow the treats to come out easier and faster. Just remember that once you cut the prongs, you can’t put them back so make sure to only trim a tiny amount each time.
Pierre has absolutely no fear of noises or things that go bump in the night. That being said, there are certain times when he needs a distraction. Mostly during “squirrel:thirty” each evening. His new Squirrel Dude with some high-value treats can keep us from letting him outdoors to chase real squirrels every five minutes!
PetSafe Calming Toys work great to keep your dog’s attention and divert it from the things that are causing them anxiety. You can put some dog-friendly peanut butter in the chambers and stick them in the freezer for a bit. When you take them out, you can watch your best friend forget everything other than getting the peanut butter out of their toy. Don’t worry about these toys getting dirty because they are top-rack dishwasher safe.
We have the medium size toys for dogs 20-50 pounds but they are also available for smaller 10-20 pound pups. You can fetch Calming Toys from PetSafe for under $20.
Barking from the Bayou, LLC received a PetSafe KeepSafe Collar in exchange for an honest review We only share products and services that we use and believe will benefit our readers. PetSafe is not responsible for the contents of this article.
Have you ever thought of the dangers your dog’s collar can pose for them? It is estimated that 19 million dogs wear a collar every day. Unfortunately, each year there are approximately 26,000 strangulations due to collars. That is why our friends at PetSafe® are sponsoring the 2nd annual Collar Safety Awareness Week. It is a great time to check around your home and yard for possible accidents waiting to happen. It’s also a great time to discover the KeepSafe® Break-Away Safety Collar.
Nobody wants their dog to get sick. We try our best to keep them healthy and happy with great food and regular vet visits. I believe that feeding Bentley and Pierre a diet of Dr. Harvey’s amazing line of food and supplements has helped them achieve their optimum health. Their veterinarian agrees and has urged me to continue with their current regiment.
October is National Pet Wellness Month so we wanted to share some tips on keeping your Basset Hound or any breed healthy.
Find a veterinarian that you trust.
Selecting your puppy’s veterinarian is one of your most important responsibilities. Ask friends and family who they use, read reviews, and look for the AAHA logo. You have to trust your pet’s doctor and be able to talk to them openly about any concerns that you have.
Barking from the Bayou, LLC received a Trusty Pup bed in exchange for an honest review. We only share products that we use and believe would be of benefit to our audience. Trusty Pup is not responsible for the contents of this article.
A couple of months ago Pierre received a new bed. He loves it but Bentley wanted a new bed too. You all know how sibling rivalry goes among dogs so there was only one thing to do. Bentley got a new bed too. We were contacted about reviewing a TrustyPup® orthopedic pet bed and Bentley was thrilled when it arrived.
Barking from the Bayou, LLC received bags of Whimzees in exchange for an honest review. We only share information that we believe in and feel our readers will enjoy. Whimzees and Petco is not responsible for the content of this article.
Halloween is one of our favorite times of the year. The boys enjoy dressing up but often complain that humans don’t give out delicious treats for tricky terrors or Terriers! Thanks to our friends at Whimzees and Petco, that won’t be a problem this year. From now until the end of the month Petco and Unleashed will have 14 of our favorite Whimzees featuring coupons for $5 off their Variety Value Pack! It'll be easy to treat your best friends to a great treat and unlike the stuff your little humans bring home, Whimzees are actually good for your pup’s teeth.
Barking from the Bayou, LLC received a Hear Doggy pig in exchange for an honest review. We only share products/services that we enjoy and believe will be of interest to our readers. Hear Doggy! is not responsible for the contents of this article.
Bentley: “No, why would you think I’m talking to you?”
Pierre: “I distinctly heard you holler, ‘Here Doggy’ and I look around and there isn’t any other doggy around here but me so I’ll ask you again…are you talking to me?”
Bentley: “I did not say here doggy, I said Hear Doggy!”
*I am proud to share Barking from the Bayou’s first guest post. It was written by my son, Dustin Clinton and recounts his experience moving across the country. He was joined in the moving van by our BFTB Weather Lab Paisley while my husband drove their truck with our daughter-in-law and granddaughter. I hope that you enjoy his story.
Here on the Bayou, we enjoy four seasons; winter, spring, summer, and football. People even tailgate at our high school games. We take our teams and winning seriously. This was made all too obvious earlier this week with the firing of our L.S.U. Tigers’ football coach, Les Miles. On a personal note, I think he is one of the nicest, most genuine coaches on the college sidelines. But nice doesn’t win games and winning is what brings the thousands of fans to Death Valley on Saturday nights. We are keeping our fingers crossed that a new coach can put the roar back in our favorite Tigers.
Enjoying a football game whether it is college or pro means delicious food. Bentley and Pierre know it’s game day when the food hits the table. That is when they try their darnedest to cause a finger food fumble. The problem is that football fare is not ideal for their doggy tummies.