Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy thanksgiving everyone, hope you all had a pawesome day!

Switching Computers

I'm currently switching over to a new laptop, I have none of my images or anything really that I had saved, so it may take a few days for me to finish the transition. You're patience is great! :)

A New Friendship

Phasing out the Crate

Guess who has spent the night outside of his crate two nights in a row? Buddy! Guess who did destroy anything, have any accidents, or go crazy running around and barking and wake everyone up either night? Buddy! It seems I have successfully done away with the crate.

I started by letting him stay out while I went to the store or to run errands, and from there I worked up more and more time with him out of it, and now I'm happy to say he will go in the crate no more! (Well, we'll keep it for if it's ever necessary, but I don't anticipate that it will be)

Yay for Buddy!

Something in the Works

That will benefit myself and Buddy greatly! I'm going to be setting up a mini house to live in while I'm at college, so that I don't have to live with my parents or worry about finding a place to live with my 50lb mutt. Which is so much fun by the way.

When I can get the money, I'm going to fence in around it as well, so Buddy will finally have something he's never had before--A place to safely play completely off leash, with neither of us having to worry! I'm so excited, and I'm sure he would be too, if he knew what was going on.

None of this will be happening until 2014, I'm sure, but it's only around the corner anyways! So look forward to updates on that.

Basically, everything you see here will be mine! (And Buddy's, of course)

An Explanation Owed

So I know I missed posting a few days, and I feel like I should explain. I sort of had an impromptu weekend packed full of plans that other people made for me and declined to inform me of.

My mother had a garage sale of sorts over the weekend that I somehow got roped into helping her with, which took all day Friday and Saturday, and Sunday my friend came in the early morning to pick me up and we spent the day in the city (I don't think she'd planned that at all, it just sort of happened.) Add in my night life which decided it wanted to kick up this weekend, and I haven't had 5 minutes to myself since Thursday. My stepdad got to take care of Buddy for me while I was gone; I literally only came home to sleep and was gone as soon as I woke up (5am) all weekend.

So anyways, don't expect that to happen again ever, because I don't usually have any semblance of a social life. Sorry, guys!

Scared Pup

Can dogs be scared of the dark? Apparently. Buddy didn't handle it so well the other night when the power went out. Quite frankly, neither did I, but that's beside the point. I had to get him out of his crate and snuggle him. Crazy dog.

Wordless Wednesday

Cutie

Reminisce & Camera Troubles

First, happy Veterans Day, and a big thank you to all our brave veterans!

Secondly, I've been feeling pretty terrible of late. I wish I knew once and for all what was driving Buddy's fur away.

Look at how furry he used to be! What happened? It's driving me crazy, but I just can't seem to fix it.

Oh, and on a final note, if any of my fantastic readers could recommend a good camera (cheap, not a DSLR) that would be great, because my old one is starting to seriously act up. I haven't been able to get a decent pic in awhile, because it shuts off randomly, won't take pics when I hit the button, etc. etc. I've had it a few years, though, and I'm far from the most responsible with my cameras, so I suppose it had to quit on me sometime.

Black and White Sunday

Sophie Saturday

Goofy Boy

Sometimes, Buddy can be very serious, and look deep and meaningful...

And then sometimes...

Accepting Kitties

Well, folks, it's finally happened; Buddy has accepted that the cats are here to stay, and now he doesn't seem to have a problem with them.

Big improvement for the dog that thought they were chew toys, or on occasion dirty random things that needed to be licked obsessively. After 6 months, we finally have peace.

Well, sort of. We thought we had two sisters, but the sex-change fairy must have visited us one night, because Reef decided to become a boy! Since we already had a boy cat, things have been a bit like a war zone in here. We're hoping they can move past it.

Zukes Jerky Naturals: Review and Giveaway!

Yes, this is Wednesday, and yes, normally I would be doing the Wordless Wednesday blog hop, but I figured y'all had enough wordless picture posts last week. So today we'll be reviewing Zukes Jerky Naturals Grain Free Dog Treats, as well as having our very first giveaway!

A package? What could that be?

Totally awesome treats!

The kitties were interested too.

A bit about the company:

The light bulb moment 

Anyone who's experienced an aha! moment can usually recollect with giddy excitement the exact date, time, and place that the proverbial light bulb went off. And often, that flash in time is the inception of a great idea. For Patrick Meiering, it was 1995 during a hike in the Colorado Mountains with his typically energetic companion, Zuke. Noticing that Zuke had become exhausted, Patrick broke off a piece of his energy bar and tossed it to him. Zuke perked right up. And there it was, the moment that Patrick realized that pets needed healthy, all-natural treats, just as much as people do. 

The Zuke's adventure begins 

From the beginning, it has been essential that Zuke's treats are formulated with only natural ingredients providing the specific nutrients your cat or dog needs. But early on our fledgling team realized that Zuke's was about much more than healthy treats. Instead, we consciously created a company focused on exploring and adventuring with your dog. About the love you get from your cat. And the pursuit of a healthier life that makes pets and people happier. This is what motivated us then and what motivates us today. Zuke's wants to keep the adventure going by giving our pets something to wag about. 

A commitment to caring 

Come to the Zuke's office and you'll see dogs curled up under a workstation or bounding in our backyard creek, and we love to go home to our cats snuggled in on the couch. We're passionate pet lovers just like you. Our pets are a great source of motivation and give us so much, so it's only natural that we want to give them the best. That means the finest meats, premium grains, fruits, vegetables, and oils available. All natural ingredients, all sourced in the USA (except our rabbit and venison which comes from New Zealand) with final products made in the USA. The commitment to our products stems from the love and care we have not just for our own pets, but for dogs and cats everywhere. 

As Zuke's grows, it's more important than ever that we remain true to our original intentions - to insure that the passion we have for our pets shapes the products we make, the company we continue to become, and world we live in.

We were sent three bags of the Jerky Naturals to review, one of each flavor-Lamb, Beef, and Turkey. The Lamb treats have 17.3 calories each, the Beef have 17.8 calories each, and the Turkey has 16.6 calories each. The soft texture and large size of the treats make them perfect for breaking into smaller pieces for each training session; I can go an entire day and only use two or three of the treats between both dogs, which is great, as it means the bag lasts longer.

Buddy's favorite was the Lamb.

Pros

• Made in USA
• Superb ingredient list
• Lot of options to choose from
• Easily broken down into smaller treats
• Lasts a fairly long time
• A very high value treat
• Resealable bag
• Good price
• Grain free--Good for allergy sufferers

Cons

• Smell is a bit strong when you first open the bag 

All in all Buddy and I give Zukes Jerky Naturals  5/5 Treats!

Giveaway!

First, to get those pesky rules out of the way, this giveaway is only open to US residents over the age of 18. I'll be drawing the winners name on Saturday. 

To enter to win three bags (one of each flavor) comment below telling me what the hardest trick you've learned is. (Buddy's was jump, it seemed so foreign to him to be told to jump after us always telling him not to!) You can earn additional entries by liking their Facebook page here and/or following them on Twitter here. Just comment liked/followed to let me know! And don't forget to leave your email.

Good luck!

Cheating

Every day when I wake up, I take Buddy out as soon as I let him out of the crate. Then about the exact time we come back inside and I get his leash hung up, my dad will walk through and ask if Buddy's been out yet. I always say no, so that he gets an extra little walk. My dad is convinced Buddy must be peeing in his crate at night because he never has to pee on there walks, and he is positively befuddled by the fact that the crate doesn't smell like pee.

Hehe.

Buddy's in on the gig, but he won't rat.

Recall

Buddy's recall has gotten great--when he's in a stay. But not having a space to let him roam freely, play, just run around where he'd be safe, I have no way of know what his recall would be like if he broke his leash, I don't know if I'd be able to trust him at an off leash park or beach (not that I would let him off leash at a place other dogs might be, given how annoying he seems to be to other canines. He just wants to make friends!) It's just something that would help my peace of mind to know, ya know? Maybe one day I can borrow someones fenced in yard to test it.

Sorry, Bud. You can't go play today!

Black and White Sunday

Sophie Saturday

Yep, I've still got some pretty bad puppy fever going on over here.

Hello, November

Where did the year go? Seems like just yesterday everyone was cheering for January first, and now we're Stuffing turkey? Weeeiiird.

I don't believe Buddy cares for the cold weather at all. More and more he's hiding under the computer desk when I pull out his leash. Then again, if someone asked me to go outside naked (which is basically what he's doing, having lost all the fur on his back an all) I probably wouldn't be too happy with them either.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, keep your paws crossed! A possible vaca to the mountains is in the works. Neither Buddy or I have ever been, so I'm super excited, though it might still fall through. Hope not!

This is the face of a dog who needs to eat turkey in the mountains this year!