When Your Little Pumpkin Needs Some Pumpkiny Peanut Buttery Bliss 🧡

I love their products and the limited edition seasonal packaging makes me smile!

Isn’t this the cutest packaging you've ever seen? I bought it just so I can let it sit on the counter in these broiling hot August days until the cool, crisp autumn finally arrives. It's almost like having a pumpkin spice latte in my hand and watching the first frost on the pumpkins. As of today, they still have this limited edition in stock so grab yours before some faster Puppy Mom buys them all up lol. (that would be me!).

I’m always encouraging people to keep treats in their pockets so they can offer a lightning-fast reward to their puppy (or grown dog, says Hastings!). These are great for toting in pockets, have no smell, are not crumbly, and are delicious!

I love Mother Hubbard’s snacks, simple, nutritious treats, great for cleaning teeth, and perfect when you want a yummy snack for your dog that won't spoil his dinner. Check out all the different varieties, but here at my house, the peanut butter is everyone's favorite! I just checked Amazon and they still have these in stock so hurry if you want a bag on your counter! There’s a coupon code here so don’t forget to add it to your order!

Peanut butter & banana another yummy dog biscuit favorite!

Peanut butter and banana, another yummy choice, banana adds a boost of tummy pleasing fiber and don’t miss my other favorite, Carrot & Pumpkin is also on sale!

Wellness Old Mother Hubbard Pick of the Patch Grain Free Natural Dog Treats, Crunchy Oven-Baked Biscuits, Ideal for Training, Mini Size, 16 ounce bag Buy on Amazon

Yak Dental Chew Review

With only 4 ingredients: cow milk, yak milk, lime, and salt; I’m kind of in love with these Native Pet Yak Chews. There are lots of options in this category, many of which I don’t recommend, but this is a sturdy and slightly indestructible option for everyone from the teething puppy to the adult dog who needs to work on keeping his teeth pearly white.

I bought the medium-sized, 15-count package so I could taste-test them on puppies and dogs of all ages. Hastings was the first canine guinea pig. I and he had the funniest reaction. I still haven't figured out what was going on in his little mind, but after reading the ingredient list, it might have been that he could smell an unknown creature in the mix. Having never personally met a yak, he wasn't entirely sure if they were edible or not.

I gave him the first one out of the bag; it was a rather bland-looking beige object about 7 inches long, feeling a lot like a Nylabone in density and weight. There was no smell to speak of, at least to my human nose, and overall, I’d say it was not particularly tasty-looking, but who am I to judge, not being a dog? 

Anyway, off goes Hastings with his new prize to his bed, where he proceeds to lay down beside it and whine, and cry under his breath. Sometimes he does this when he's really happy but I'm thinking he was a little bit more on the confused side of the track. After he decided that it was indeed his very own and that he was allowed to chew on it to his heart's content, all holds were off and he spent the next few hours going back and forth and picking it up and chewing it enthusiastically.

After all that chewing, I was sure he would have substantially reduced it in size, but happily, it resisted most of his efforts and just had a line of tooth marks on both edges, with about 6 & 15/16 inch remaining for future fun.

Quincy, a 12-week-old Cavachon puppy, pounced on his Yak chew and carried it around proudly in his mouth, waggling and woggling with puppy delight. It proved a huge success with the puppies and withstood their determined efforts and sharp little teeth without a problem. They did manage to make a slight impression along the sides, but after their chewing session, they enjoyed a blissful hour of napping, dreaming about unusual creatures on the African bush, I’m sure.

All in all, I see it being an excellent tool for both satisfying the urge to chew and providing hours of canine entertainment. It’s free of dyes and colors, and while I’d use caution if you’ve an elderly dog with dental problems, for the average healthy dog who loves to chew I think it’s a great product and will help eliminate plaque and tarter AND be a long-lasting chew you can feel good about providing for your pet.

I just checked the pricing on Amazon; they’ve got 10% off running now and an incredible 35% off subscription orders. I’d try the small package to start, and you can set your subscription for the longest window, as they do last forever!

When Your Really Didn't Mean To Throw Up On The Carpet

Thank goodness for Amazon’s speedy shipping; that’s all I can say 😮

When your good dog decides to ingest something unspeakable from the backyard and, after pondering his upset tummy, deposits it helpfully on mom’s snow-white bedroom carpet, the Bissell miracle that I didn’t even know I was going to need was, thanks to Amazon Prime, already delivered and ready to rescue my carpet!

This is Hastings, the Cavachon, who, as you can see by his expression, is anything but repentant about having thrown up on the carpet; he’s already comptemplating his next snack event, I can tell by that dreamy expression on his spoiled rotten little face.

I’m all about cleaning, I love housekeeping (sorry, to those who don’t like cleaning the house, it’s true!), and keeping everything shipshape and Bristol fashion is one of my favorite things to do. I had been eyeing the Bissell Little Green for a while and finally decided to go ahead and order the upgraded model with the steam cleaning option. O’ happy day! I had ordered this little gem a few days before my Hasting’s tummy event and it was still sitting in the box.

Downstairs, I raced to the garage where my new purchase sat, awaiting just such a carpet emergency; I almost hugged it in my relief though I sincerely had grave doubts as to what it would be able to do to eliminate this particularly nastly mess.

My brother Richard, who had stopped in for a visit and loves to give products the acid test, quickly helped me unbox it, and we dove in.

I had already promised everyone a review when it arrived, but now I had a white carpet in dire need of rescue, so I filmed the entire episode, including my goofy Hastings hanging out on my bed overseeing our efforts; he’s helpful like that…

I will spare you the “before” images and jump to the happy ending. Not only did my favorite new doggie cleanup product make short work of Hastings's tummy indiscretion, but we decided to try it in the guest room on stains from a spilled can of Coke that had defied even professional stain removal attempts.

We used the good-sized sample bottle of cleaner that came with the unit; though designed for pet events, it worked beautifully on the ancient Coke spill and several other old spots that I’d given up hope of ever eliminating. I was delighted, still skeptical, but delighted.

We tried all of the old carpet stains with the same wonderful results.

I can’t tell you how low my expectations were. Some pet accidents are truly permanent if they’ve been allowed to sit very long on fabric. I watched dismally as the sudsy water miraculously sped into the fibers and literally erased every trace of the nasty yellow stain.

Not only did it remove the stains completely, but thankfully, two weeks later, the nap on my carpet looks refreshed, and unlike other machines I’ve tried, it has left no telltale evidence of clumped carpet fibers to mark the spots.

This is my new favorite pet product. If you have pets, you can count on issues like this one, whether it’s on your carpet or the brand new couch in the den. Suddenly, you don’t have to lay awake nights worrying about stains (am I the only woman who does that?). This amazing machine will pay for itself dozens of times over in the years you have it, and you’ll sleep better at night knowing it can handle whatever life throws at your floors.

I’m glad I sprung for the upgrade to the model with steam; it was a bit more pricey, but I’m convinced the addition of steam and stronger suction to remove the dirty water and used cleaning solution was the reason the stains were completely eliminated.

The real acid test and reason for my lingering sceptisism? I waited anxiously to see what would happen after the carpet had a chance to dry thoroughly. Almost 2 weeks later, instead of resurfacing as many supposedly cleaned spots can do, I still have a lovely white carpet, and best of all?

I just checked Amazon and you can get one, too, for an amazing 41% Off! Today is July 29th, and I don’t know how long the discount will apply, but if you have pets or are even thinking about getting a puppy you need this sitting in your garage waiting for your next carpet emergency!

And just in case you were feeling sorry for the little hoodlum? Hastings is happily back in his Mom’s good graces 💕

Hastings lounging like a good dog wannabe…

Cavapoo Puppy Love ❤️

Cavapoo puppy Memphis says to tell everyone he is actually the best boy of the bunch! He is such a character. When he wants a treat or a pat on the head, he scrunches his little bottom down and sits very politely, just like a little statue. He's watched Hastings perform for treats, and he's figured out that any and all cute behavior is rewarded with cookies. How adorable is that?

Don't be fooled by his slightly forlorn expression; some puppies, like some people (myself included), are not thrilled with having their pictures taken. I totally sympathize; he just wasn't at all convinced that my big black camera was his idea of fun. I have to laugh though; as soon as the camera went away, he was all jolly and bouncing around; the moment I picked it up, his eyes got big as saucers and he was obviously “posing” for all he was worth, silly puppy!

Loving his deepest mahogany color, that rich, wavy coat, and those beautiful spaniely ears. His disposition (as long as the camera is put away!) is sunny and outgoing and yet thoughtful. He’s a most delightful little guy and teaching him a whole repertoire of tricks should be easily accomplished. He's just slightly brilliant!

Postscript: Memphis is established in his new home and doing the job I raised him to do, bringing Puppy Joy! Isn’t this the best picture ever!?? They look like brothers lol!

From his new family…

“Best day ever! thank you both so much! Everyone is completely in love with Memphis ❤️ ❤️”

My Beloved Announcement Bar Is No More 😔

Well, I finally gave in. My gloriously oversized and probably really annoying announcement bar is a thing of the past, and now, like a sensible creature, it is limiting itself to a few TINY lines, which will be difficult but entirely possible, I’m told.

I admit it had become a bit of a space for blog post-style entries, just a quick and easy spot to hop on and announce a new litter of puppies or a change in my favorite dog food, a coupon code, or just to let everyone know that Cavapoo cutie Baby Bella or her siblings had definitely found their homes.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and my announcement bar now must live in its proper spot on this blog page. I'm not sure how that's going to look long term, Puppy People, but it will make Google happy, and I'm sure it will be easier to navigate my site without that 5-inch banner across the screen blocking the pictures of my puppies, who were supposed to be front and center anyway, lol.

You'll have to pop in here when you visit the site I will be putting the news where it is supposed to be like a rebellious but nonetheless obedient child.

Sigh, I’m going to miss that ole bar; it feels like I’m breaking up with my best friend!

What Should I Feed My Dog To Keep Her Healthy?

Coming Soon! Expert answers to your pet care questions!

My goal as a dog breeder is to not only raise healthy puppies but to give their new owners the guidance and information to keep them healthy.

If you’ve got questions about making wise choices in caring for your dog or are confused about diet choices, the good the bad, and the truly dire I want to help keep you on track. I’m passionate about helping people find a blend of natural and conventional ways to take good care of their dogs. I’ve written a guide about the basics which you can get below and you can find more on my new website which will be launched Summer of 2023!

For example, so many choices in what to feed your pet, it’s truly mind-boggling.

(You'd be surprised which foods this dog breeder would NEVER feed her pets!).

While I've answered literally thousands of questions and calls from past customers continue to convince me that people who love their pets and want to take good care of them are deluged with so many options and yes, bad choices some of which come from their veterinarian's office.

Here's an example: I had a call from Donna the other day and as we chatted about the supplies she'd need before her new Cavapoo puppy arrived with the flight nanny, I asked what she was feeding her 9-year-old French Bulldog Barney.

Yes! I WANT THAT!

Your Free Guide "7 Mistakes Dog Owners Make".

"Oh, I've always gotten Barney's food from the vet, it's a prescription diet so I"m sure it's one of the healthier foods or they wouldn't be recommending it, right? Donna replied."

I groaned inwardly, hoping that the brand she mentioned had surely improved since I last checked the label. Since I was sitting near my laptop I told Donna to hang on while I shared with her the ingredient deck for Barney's food, thanks to Google, within moments I was looking in dismay at the following list of ingredients for one of the most expensive pet foods on the market; ingredients which unbelievably were even worse than when I used it in the days before I found out the hard way what a poor quality diet can do to the dog you love.

Corn, chicken by-product meal, brewers rice, brown rice, corn gluten meal, chicken fat, natural flavors, dried plain beet pulp, wheat gluten..."

What a genuinely dire list of components! CORN is the first ingredient and corn gluten meal is the 5th, and chicken by-product meal (you don’t even want to know what that consists of)!

For the sake of the dog you love, if you have a bag of one of the popular veterinary or prescription diets in your pantry right now, I beg you to take ten minutes and read this informative article from a resource I trust (though I wish they'd use slightly less flamboyant language, the message is still worth sharing so I'll share the link HERE even if I'm not thrilled with the language in the title 😢

My goal is to have a complete resource in the days ahead that will give you clear answers to so many questions that will affect the health of your dog in the years ahead, in the meantime, don’t miss the article from Dog’s Naturally, you need to know today what’s in the food you’re getting at the vet’s office.