D.I.Y. Chicken Heart Pill Poppers for Pets

   One of the biggest problems most pet parents have is giving pills to their dog. No matter how hard I try to disguise a pill in the Bayou Boys' food, they will devour their meal and all that will be left in the bowl is their pill! It never ceases to amaze me that they can avoid a tiny little pill in their food but they always do. I don't like having to push a pill down their throat. It makes me feel bad and they hate it. Not long ago I found a perfect and inexpensive solution. We were already adding it to their dinner and using it for healthy snacks. What is this awesome protein-packed treat?  Chicken hearts!

D.I.Y. Chicken Pill Poppers for Pets

 Our local grocery store sells packages of fresh chicken hearts for $1.49 per pound. That is much less expensive than ready-made pill treats.

Remember Me Thursday 2018

   This is our fifth year to participate in Remember Me Thursday where we shine a light on the millions of dogs and cats waiting in shelters for forever homes. I pray that one day there will not be a need for this annual event but until then, we will continue to remember those waiting to give and receive unconditional love.

   There will be millions of unwanted pets dropped off at shelters and rescues this year. Many will find their forever families and live happily ever after. Sadly, others will live out their lives in those facilities. It is hard to think about them but there are others who have the misfortune of being brought to a high kill shelter. They don’t have a chance at life. We must shine a light on them so they do not die in vain.

Always Choose Laughter

Bentley Basset Hound: “Today has been set aside to honor the life and humor of our friend Madison D. Cat. We are joining her sweetie Raz for a fun blog hop called Come Laugh with Us. Madi loved to make us laugh and was famous for her twerking skills at the Blogville pawties!”

Pierre Westie: “Did you know the Scrabble dictionary added twerk as one of the 300 new acceptable words? That has to make Madi so proud! We should totally tell some jokes. I know Madi loved our stand-up routine.”  

Bentley: “She did enjoy a good pun. Let's see...do we know any cat jokes?"

Pierre: "You gotta be kitten me!"

Introducing Dr. Harvey's Raw Vibrance

   Let the bells ring out and the banners wave!! We are introducing Dr. Harvey’s newest base-mix that will take the guesswork out of homemade or raw feeding. Without further ado, all of you pet parents, puppies and dogs meet the incredible

RAW VIBRANCE

   More pet parents are realizing the health benefits of a homemade or raw diet for their dogs. The problem is in today’s ultra-busy world finding time to prepare a complete and balanced raw or homemade diet is difficult. How can you be sure your dog is getting the proper amount of nutrition? Not to mention the mess of grinding organ meat and bones! That is where Raw Vibrance comes in with a complete nutritional base for the perfect raw or homemade diet. Now it’s easy to prepare a healthy and balanced meal that your dog is going to LOVE.

How to Be a Responsible Dog Owner

   According to the AKC, September is Responsible Dog Ownership Month. We don’t like to use the word “own” when it comes to our dogs, but I guess Dog Parenting is still a term that raises some folks’ hackles. Bentley and Pierre are part of our family. They are part of our tribe. All of our decisions take them into consideration.

   We try our best to be responsible dog parents and as with most things in life, when you know better, you do better. One of the reasons we write Barking from the Bayou is to help you have a better relationship with your dog. Some of that is by showing you our mistakes so you don’t make them.

This post contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you purchase via these links. You will not be charged any extra and in most cases, you will save money. Thanks for your support.

• Provide a quality food

It is important to become a label reader when you are selecting a food for your dog or cat. With all of the recalls lately, it is a good idea to do some extra research before buying a particular brand.

Save 10% on Dr. Harvey’s Fine Food for Companion Animals with my Ambassador code BFTB2019

In Search of Booty

   Avast ye mateys! It be Talk Like a Pirate Day and the Bayou Buccaneers have a yarn to spin so let’s weigh anchor and hoist the Jolly Roger!

Cap’n Bentley Basset: “Blimey, First Mate Pierre! Did ye bring our treasure map? We shan’t be finding no golden doubloons or pieces of eight without a proper pirate’s map.”

First Mate Pierre Westie: “Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! Ye cut me to the quick, scallywag. Do ye take me for some landlubber? This salty ol’ seadog never set sails until everything is shipshape and that includes having our top-secret treasure map.”

Cap’n Bentley: “Aye, bucko! Let’s batten down the hatches in case the bayou gets rough. I’ll man the crow’s nest and try to find where the map leads us. Keep an eye out for pillagers cuz these be dangerous waters ye are navigating.”

First Mate Pierre: “Yo ho ho! Ye tail is better than a weathervane at showing wind direction. Keep it up and we will be giving buried treasure the heave-ho by nightfall.”

A Wooftastic Breakfast Buffet For Your Dog

   We were recently sent some H&P Dog Treats by our friends, Henry and Penny in exchange for our honest opinion. They not only have their own dog treat company, but these two adorable French Bulldogs have over 100,000 followers on Instagram, some viral videos, commercials and an online boutique. Talk about busy!

Bentley Basset Hound: “Hey, Mom! What’s that incredible smell? Have you been baking banana bread without me?”

Pierre Westie: “No way, dude! I smell peanut butter pancakes. There is no mistaking the delicious aroma of peanut butter with a hint of honey. Mmmmm!”

This That and the Other

I had planned to introduce you to the incredible new base-mix recipe from Dr. Harvey’s called

Raw Vibrance today but with so many of our friends in the path of Hurricane Florence, we decided to postpone it until next week. We are praying that the storm is not as bad as forecasted. Many people that have decided to stay will likely be without power but if you are reading this, please stay safe. You can get tips on what to do 
After the Hurricane
that we wrote after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston.

 I’m excited to join Five Sibes for their

Happy Flashback Friday Blog Hop.

According to FWV Fetching, today is

Hug Your Hound Day

This is one of my favorite photos we’ve ever taken. Bentley is not a snuggler but loves to give hugs.

He melts my heart.

What's Your Fortune?

Happy Fortune Cookie Day!

Hoppy Friday

It's Friday and we decided to join our friends on their different blog hops. That means we are filling in blanks, sharing flowers and flashing back to puppy days! Have a great weekend and stop by all these great hops to find some incredible bloggers.
✎ Fill-In the Blanks 

We are joining 15 and Meowing along with Four-Legged Furballs for Friendly Fill-Ins. Be sure to hop over and visit everyone participating.

• September is the perfect month for college football.

• This month, I am looking forward to cooler weather we can get outdoors with Bentley and Pierre.

• My morning routine always includes snuggling on the floor with the boys and two cups of coffee.
• I have a love-hate relationship with my hair.

If Your Dog Could Talk

   I say "IF" dogs could talk but we both know that dogs do talk to those who choose to listen. I am re-posting this important list of

 7 Things Your Dog Wants You To Know

7. I am a pack animal and you are my pack. Don’t leave me ignored outdoors. If possible, let me live inside with the rest of my family. I thrive on love and attention.

Work Like A Dog Resume Update

   It is Work Like a Dog Day and the Bayou Boys thought they should spruce up their resume. They looked through our photos to find proof of all their many talents in hopes of impressing any future employers. They have each applied for their own dream jobs but they work best as a team. 

They feel they are qualified for the following individual positions:

Ice Cream Truck Driver:

Qualifications include

• Loves ice cream

• Enjoys riding in a truck

• Never lets an ice cream drop hit the floor

Writing to Save Lives #RememberMeThursday

   It’s time to get excited about pet adoption! There are only four more Thursdays until Remember Me Thursday 2018. We will once again join thousands of others to shine a light on pet adoption. I’m inviting all my blogging friends to join in this amazing project. Rescues across the world are holding special events. You can check here to see what is happening in your area. If you’d like to organize an event, you can register here.