Dog Toy Review – The Odin A Geometric, Puzzle Dog Toy

Blue Belle, the Canine Dog Blogger reviews the Odin, a geometric puzzle dog toy.

Information about the Odin:

The Odin is a dog toy designed to look great in your home, while being a full featured puzzle toy. You place dog treats into the toy and then your dog tries to get the treats out by playing with the toy. It gives dogs the mental and physical stimulation they need and stays interesting to any dog who loves food.  The Odin was a kickstarter campaign reviewed by our dog blog.

Product:  The Odin by Up Dog Toys

Website: updogtoys.com

Discount for our Readers: Our readers can take 10% discount before 8/30/15 with the code DOGBLOG10.

Key features:

  • Modern, geometric design looks great in any home and stands out from other dog toys.
  • Geometric shape also makes the toy more fun and enjoyable because it prevents the toy from rolling around excessively and causes the toy to bounce unpredictably when thrown.
  • Male and female interlocking pieces allow The Odin to be chained together to offer more challenge and versatility. We plan to create new toys to attach to it as well.
  • Tough and large enough to not be swallowed by big dogs but light enough that small dogs can roll it around.
  • Dishwasher safe, non-toxic and phthalate free.
  • Four differently sized holes to allow treats of varying sizes to fall out. Smaller treats come out easier, while larger treats increase the challenge for skilled dogs.
  • Flaps to allow treats to be easily placed inside without falling out. Flaps also are a way for dogs to try to lick the treats instead of rolling or tossing the toy to get treats out.

We received two of the toys.  Blue Belle was so excited to see that the treats we placed inside the toys can easily drop out as she rolls the Odin around with her paw and nose. We do recommend this toy.  We will let Blue Belle tell the rest of the story.

 

Fantastic All Natural Dog Biscuits – Nutro Ultra Review

We Took These Great Dog Treats on Our Vacation

Dog Treat Review By:  Blue Belle, DogBlog Canine Contibutor
A Dog’s Eye View

Canine Vacation - Road Trip

Canine Vacation – Road Trip

Blue Belle here, your dog blog canine contributor. There are two things I absolutely love – going for a ride in the car on a super vacation and snacking on yummy dog treats. My FurEver family took me on a great vacation to beautiful Washington State. We saw rocky mountains and stayed at our favorite pet friendly motel , The Aster Inn, in Cle Elum. We saw a cool waterfall at Snoqualmie Falls, and fields of flowers in the Skagit Valley. We even saw some funny looking kritters.

Nutro Ultra Dog Biscuits and Our Vacation

Nutro Ultra Dog Biscuits and Our Vacation

I must say my favorite part of the trip was eating the scrumpdillyicious dog treats from Nutro Ultra – All Natural Biscuits with Wild BlueBerry and Pomegranate. How did I get to experience such fine delights, you ask. Well let me tell you.

The doorbell rang, I barked (of course). Julie and I went to the door to see a delivery box left on the step. The parcel was from Chewy.com, one of my favorite websites for dog treats. We brought the package in before the stupid squirrels could even think of coming to investigate. I sniffed the box – ooh something smelled so good. Julie opened the box and sure thing, it really did smell good. It smelled like blue berries!

Nutro Ultra Wild Blueberry Dog Treats Arrive

Nutro Ultra Wild Blueberry Dog Treats Arrive

We decided they were the perfect treat to bring on our fun-filled doggie adventure to the great northwest. Every time we opened the package to snatch a treat, we would get a whiff of delicious wild blueberry and pomegranate. The aroma would fill the car and we would smile. So glad we chose to bring these treats on our fun and furry vacation. I totally think you and your pup will enjoy these flavorful dog biscuits, and if you can swing it, hop in your car and take your family on a trip to the Northwest.

Here’s what my dad, Murry, has to say about the biscuits: “I liked the dog treats because Blue Belle really loved them, and I like the smell of them.  They smell so good, I even wanted to eat them.  The Nutro Ultra Biscuits are easy to break apart, about the size of a quarter.  They really get the attention of your dog. One of my main concerns is feeding my pet good quality food and treats.  These treats have lots of antioxidants and a blend of three different kinds of protein, which is ideal for your dog.  So I would highly recommend them.”

Here is the scoop about the All Natural Biscuits Nutro Ultra

Link to Chewy.com Website – Nutro Ultra Biscuits

Nutro Ultra Wild Blueberry & Pomegranate Biscuits Antioxidant Blend Dog Treats, 16-oz

Nutro Ultra All-Natural Biscuits are made with super-premium whole foods to promote the health and well-being of your dog. The unique blend of nutrient-dense, superfood ingredients delivers superior functional benefits to your dog’s vitality. These Wild Blueberry & Pomegranate Antioxidant Blend Dog Biscuits don’t just taste great, they serve a function too. Because blueberries and pomegranate are naturally loaded with powerful, cleansing antioxidants, these treats help support your dog’s immune system, heart health and longevity.

Key Benefits

  • Helps maintain and boost your dog’s immune system
  • Supports healthy heart function
  • Farm-raised chicken, pasture-fed lamb and salmon ensure optimal amino acid levels
  • Packed with antioxidants to help maintain a strong immune system, a healthy heart and sharp mind
  • NO wheat, ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, soy, artificial colors or flavors or fillers
  • Made in the USA

 Ingredients

Whole Brown Rice, Ground Rice, Whole Oats, Oatmeal, Chicken Meal, Flaxseed, Lamb Meal, Salmon Meal, Blueberries, Pomegranate, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Oat Fiber, Dried Plain Beet Fiber, Sunflower Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Egg, Natural Flavors, Tomato Pomace, Dried Blueberry, Dried Pumpkin, Dried Pomegranate, Dried Spinach, Dried Carrot, Dried Cranberry (preserved with mixed Tocopherols).

READ MORE REVIEWS ON THE CHEWY.COM WEBSITE

Share your road trip experiences with us, we love to hear about dog friendly places.

Blue Belle’s Rescue Story

Surprise My Pet Box Review

Surprise My Pet Box

Surprise My Pet Box

Surprise My Pet is a new gift box service for dogs, other pets coming soon!  They launched their new website Mid February.

Each month your pup can receive 2-3 or 4-7 treats/toys and other fun/essential items in the mail!

 My Special Coupon:

My DogBlog readers are offered a special coupon that you can use to get a discount on your first box!

Coupon Code:

*BestDogBlog*    to get $5 off (Expires on 4/4).

They Say:

None of the treats/chews are made in China and are inspected to assure they are healthy and safe for your pets. Each box that is shipped helps support animals that are in need. After they get some support from customers they plan to use a lot of that money to educate folks about properly owning a pet and giving them all the free support they need along with connecting homeless pets with owners

Their Website:

They do have a beautiful website: surprisemypet.com

The description of the website reads “SurpriseMyPet is a monthly subscription that sends out goodies to your pup! Surprise your dog with gifts here: www.SurpriseMyPet.com”  The website is very user friendly, it even has a link for an online chat.  You can learn how it wokrs, send a gift, look at the frequently asked questions, select your dog size to get started and see the pricing.  They show you customer feed back and show you some of the charities they work with, giving back to pet charities.

Our Box Arrives:

We received a box of three items for our review.

Surprise My Pet Box

The packaging is a beautiful box. I must say we were surprised, but I wondered if they forgot to add all the products. Such a big box for just three items. Then I realized it was supposed to be just three things.

We received the following items:

  • Vermont Fleece Ball
    An extra durable fluffy ball from Ethical Dog. Super great for hours of fun and chewing pleasure!
    Cost $5.50
    This was Blue Belle’s favorite thing in the box. She pulled it out of the box first thing. She loves squeaky toys. The squeaker is still working after several weeks of use.
  • Cadet Premium Chicken Tenders
    A Delicious, 100% real chicken treat from Cadet. The treats pack deliciously high protein content that your pup won’t want to stop eating.
    Cost $10.50
    They do look delicious, but our family doesn’t use jerky treats because of our concern of many that have been recalled. This product from Cadet does say it is made in the USA. I did some research on the manufacture’s website and found this press release – Memo –  IMS Responds to Customers Concerns Regarding Jerky Treats from China
  • Smokehouse Dog Treats
    Yum! A crunchy treat from Smoke House. This Prime Slice is 100% natural and it’s slowly roasted for 53 hours to get amazing color and flavor!
    Cost $6.50
    The ingredients indicate Beef Ligament. Package says Made in USA.

The Cost:

Pricing - Surprise My Pet

Pricing – Surprise My Pet

Month to Month: 4 – 7 items $32.95/Mo + 7.95 S/H
Month to Month: 2 – 3 items $13.95 +6.95 S/H

3 Month: 4-7 items $26.66 +7.95 S/H
3 Month: 2 – 3 items $12.56/Mo +6.95 S/H

Annual: 4 – 7 items $27.02/Mo +7.95 S/H
Annual: 2 -3 items $11.44/Mo +7.95 S/H

My DogBlog readers are offered a special coupon that you can use to get a discount on your first box!

Coupon Code:

*BestDogBlog*    to get $5 off (Expires on 4/4).

American Made Dog Treats – Beastie Bars

We have always tried to be careful about the type of dog food we feed our dog, but ever since our dog, Maggie, suddenly got violently ill and died, we have been suspicious and wondered if she got sick from the jerky she ate that was made in China.  The other day I received an email from Matt Goldman who told me about his Kickstarter campaign for Beastie Bars, healthy, ALL NATURAL, on-the-go dog treats. The bars have a protein meat base and select fruits, veggies & honey.  Looks like a great idea to me.  Check out their Kickstarter Project.

 

I told Matt we had concerns about dog treats from China, and he told me they have concerns about product made in China too! That concern is what led him and his father to create the dog treat line Kettle Creek Farms.

More of what Matt had to say:

We found that the most popular treat with both our taste tester Homer, and the customers was the fruit & veggies blend. We took that feedback and created what became The Beastie Bar.

Beastie Bars are individually wrapped, protein based dog treats, made here in America. Each bar is formulated with either chicken, turkey or beef, and includes our blend of strategic fruits and veggies to compliment a healthy diet.

We use ALL NATURAL ingredients and NO CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVES. Thanks to a special cooking process, and our proprietary cider vinegar preservative, Beastie Bars have a shelf life of 18 months.

There has been incredible growth in the human food bar market over the past decade. More and more people are eating on the go, and demanding a healthy option while they are at it.

Think about this: The US Food Bar Market (for humans) is expected to grow to over $8 billion by 2016

And this: Sales of “Natural” pet food is expected to surpass overall pet food sales by 2016

While there are many healthy dog food options to choose from, we haven’t found a meat based, individually wrapped doggy snack bar anywhere! So we set out to create one, and The Beastie Bar is the result of those efforts.”

Pet Product Review – Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Treats

Blue Buffalo Review

Blue Belle Reviews Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Treats

Our new family member Blue Belle, the rescue dog, is happy to review her first pet product.  A package arrived from Chewy.com.  “How exciting a box just for me.  Let me get my paws at it! ”  In the box is a dog treat – Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Treats Chicken Jerky.

We have heard of Blue Buffalo dog and cat products, but never tried them.  Before making the decision to review this product for our precious pup, I wanted to make sure it was safe.  Upon investigation I was reassured to realize that Blue Buffalo is made in the USA.  Our beloved dog, Maggie, recently died from something she ate, so you can understand our concern.

Blue Belle absolutely loved these tasty treats.  Of course she did, she’s a dog! We loved the details and information about the Wilderness Trail Treats.  The treats are made with the finest natural ingredients.  According to Blue Buffalo, Wilderness Jerky is a wholesome treat that will help support your dog’s strength, health and vitality.  Again, something that this dog loving family is very concerned about.  We find ourselves reading all the details on the packages, to make sure our dog gets the best of everything. There are no by-products or artificial anything in Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Treats Chicken Jerky.

For those of you who need grain-free products, Blue Buffalo tells us that this is a perfect grain-free treat.  “High-quality poultry makes BLUE Wilderness Jerky the perfect treat for dogs who are fed a grain-free or raw diet.  It’s jerky with a wild side!”

The jerky is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only. Ingredients listed include chicken, dried cane molasses and salt. For maximum freshness Blue Buffalo instructs you to be sure to store BLUE Wilderness Jerky Treats in a cool, dry place.  To keep them as fresh as possible, they recommend refrigerating after opening.

Because the product is not cheap, it might be good to use some scissors to cut the jerky up into smaller pieces to make it last longer.  We think your dog would still be satisfied with a smaller piece.

We found this to be an excellent product and Blue Belle approved.

Blue Buffalo Treats Delivered by Chewy.com

Blue Buffalo Treats Delivered by Chewy.com

Chicken jerky treats linked to mystery illnesses, deaths in dogs

Link to Vitals on MSNBC

Chicken jerky treats linked to mystery illnesses, deaths in dogs

The Food and Drug Administration has renewed a warning to pet owners regarding chicken jerky products imported from China. Reports tell of mysterious illnesses and some deaths in dogs. At least 70 dogs have been sickened so far this year. Read the story posted on Vitals at MSNBC.com.

Chicken jerky treats linked to mystery illnesses, deaths in dogs.