monthly review: April Pawalla Mini!

Our Pawalla Mini box came so late this month! It was shipped out on April 20th and didn't arrive until today. It was very hard on me because I'm very impatient. I contacted Pawalla about the delay yesterday and apparently it was a problem throughout the east coast with Pawalla. Something about storms? It's been sunny here but I haven't paid attention to what's been going on in the rest of the country weather-wise so I'll trust what they say.

How Pawalla works: You can get a standard box or a mini box. Standard boxes come 6-10 full sized products that include wet food, treats, supplements or vitamins, essentials and a toy. Standard boxes range from $21-29 a month depending on your subscription plan. Mini boxes come with 3-5 products that include treats, a toy and surprise item(s) but NO wet food. Mini boxes range from $12-17 a month depending on your subscription plan.
We get a mini box simply because we also get BarkBox and because I don't want them to get picky and only eat wet food :) You fill out information about your dog's age, size, and such so that they can tailor it to your needs.

Ginger and Luna knew what was up. Ares was trying to be dignified for the picture. Basically, all of my pictures were a mess because they all forgot what "sit" means. (Ginger doesn't know her own name, much less any commands. It's hard to get her to do anything and Luna follows her lead.)

 Ares loves getting the first glimpse of our haul!

First up: In Clover - Grin Dental Chews. Pawalla says "Grin is a licorice dog treat (one of the first I have ever seen), with a flavor/taste that dogs tend to like. Along with the flavor, this is a grain free product that contains the anti-oxidant green tea. It also contains inulin, a prebiotic that works to feed the good bacteria in the intestinal tract. Dried seaweed meal contains chlorophyll which helps to freshen breath. These clover-shaped treats contain 16 calories each. The chewy texture of the treat encourages chewing to clean teeth." They're roughly $4.99 and can be found here.

The shapes are super cute!

Silly puppies didn't want pictures, just treats.

Next up was their favorite treat: Locomotion Pet Treats (cheesy flavor). Pawalla says "Quick production and delivery to store shelves allows this company to use no preservatives in the making of their treats. Their products are so fresh that they don't need any. Oats are great for GI health, cheese powder, nonfat powdered milk and egg powder all provide healthy Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium and all of the B vitamins. The garlic powder will make the treats a hit with all dogs." We got a 6 oz box but a 1 pound box costs $5.99 and can be found here.

Now here's a potential dilemma for some people: garlic powder. It's kind of controversial in the dog world, some people think it's just fine in small amounts for dogs, some people think it's something dogs shouldn't have at all. I'm actually quite surprised that the Pawalla nutritionist approved the treats to go in our monthly box for this reason. My dogs have never had treats with garlic in them but I figure that in small amounts, they'll be fine.
For real, here's what happened when I opened the box. I tried to take a picture of one treat on the blue chair that all of the product pictures are taken on. Luna snagged that treat as soon as I put it down and hauled ass to find a spot to eat it. After she ate it, this picture happened:

We also got Grizzly - Pollock Oil. Pawalla says "Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are part of the daily nutrient recommendations for cats. The omega 3s keep the heart and kidneys healthy for cats. We think of omega 6 fatty acids when we think about coat quality in cats. However, you will find that great contributions come from omega 3 fatty acids like those found in Grizzly Pollock oil. Pollock fish is a great source of the omega 3 fatty acids we commonly associate with salmon oil. There is a good ratio of 1.3:1 of DHA to EPA. Because of the high level of polyunsaturation in the product, it is preserved with rosemary extract." I can't read what size my bottle is, but an 8 oz bottle is about $8 and can be found here.

You guys, I didn't write the above wrong - the whole paragraph was written by Pawalla about how good Pollock Oil is for CATS, not dogs. Rest assured, with a little research I found that Pollock Oil has the same benefits for dogs that it does for cats. I think they might have forgotten to switch "cat" to "dog." :)

You may or may not remember that we got items from Grizzly in our February Pawalla Mini. They loved those Salmon treats they got then and they loved the stuff they got now! Luna got about 1 pump because she's about 10 pounds in her food and I put 2 pumps in Ares' dish because he's about 20 pounds. The wet spot on Ares' food is the Pollock Oil. They LOVED it and licked their bowls completely clean (although they do that every night anyway!)

And finally, their toy. They got the Amazing Pet Rope Ball. Pawalla says "This ultra-durable, rope ball promotes healthy play while also helping keep your pup's teeth clean." I can't find this toy online ANYWHERE. I would low-ball estimate it to be about $3.00. It will probably be on the Pawalla shop page in the next month or so.

Luna was still licking her lips from her amazing dinner but she wanted that ball!

I love this picture. See Ares' hind leg flying up? I managed to take the picture right as he was slipping on the hardwood floor!

And a more dignified picture of him playing fetch.

Want your own Pawalla or Pawalla Mini? Clickity-click this link for $5 off your first subscription!

monthly review: April BarkBox!

I think that this BarkBox is my favorite so far. In the letter I got with my product descriptions, the team at BarkBox stated that for our April showers, they wanted to make sure that our pups got fun indoor things to keep them occupied, which is great because my pups and I hate the rain! Ginger is visiting us again and this time, she has learned to join in our box opening fun!

Now first, about BarkBox: it's a company that sends you four or more products every month to try out with your pups. A portion of each months proceeds help doggies-in-need (a different cause every month). The price of the boxes range from $19-$29 a month, depending on the plan you choose (a 6 month subscription is $19 a month, a month to month subscription is $29 a month).

Only my boy is sweet enough to pose for pictures for his mama.

 Ginger and Luna were so excited to get the box open.

Their lovely haul. So many fun goodies to explore!

First things first: They got Licks liquid vitamin. Strangely enough, it's not on the sheet of goodies to explain what they are and why I should give them to my pups. Licks is a canine health supplement and treat. There are 3 super easy ways to administer the vitamins from these packets: 1) feed to dog directly from packet 2) pour over food and 3) pour into their water dish. The joint and heart formula we received is packed with Omega 3 fatty acids, vegetarian Glucosamine, and Vitamin E. They also have formulas for athletes (to maximize energy) and zen (to calm down anxiety-ridden pups). You can find them here.
If you remember, I got a couple of these in their Bugsy's Box back in January. I haven't used those and still haven't used these so I don't have an opinion on them. I am very intrigued by them and will probably add them to Ares and Luna's water dishes in the next few days to see how they react to it.

The next thing is my absolute favorite from the box: The grooming mitt. This is by ABO Gear. BarkBox says "The GroomMitt is handy for times when your pup could use a bath, but you don't feel like dragging sad puppies to the sink, or enduring a wrestling match in the tub (advantage: dog.) You stay dry, they stay happy and clean." They are sold for $6.99 and you can find them here.

I naturally had to pull one out to try it. They have the same cloth feel that baby wipes do but it's something that you can just stick your hand in. Ares and Luna were both pretty clean but it didn't stop me from wiping them down! The best parts about it: it smells yummy and it's amazing for cleaning those pesky pug wrinkles! I am a happy mama!

The lovely Etta Says also sent us a few things. BarkBox says "Etta says makes treats with the highest quality, USA sourced duck. They're all natural - no fillers, coloring, preservatives, grain, gluten, or by-products - and come enthusiastically recommended by our R&D team." The duck jerky retails for $9.50 and can be found here.

They got a crunchy duck chew which I haven't given to them yet because I'd rather that World War III didn't start in my apartment and they got duck jerky treats.

One piece easily broke apart for me to share among the three of them. They barely sat still for the pictures and they more or less inhaled them when I finally let them have their piece of jerky.

We also got a Barkworthies bone. BarkBox says "Nothing sates a four-legged chewer quite like a bone. These stuffed shins are filled with brown rice and ground bully sticks, which makes them doubly appetizing and entertaining - it takes skill to get all of the filling out!" They retail for about $6.50 and can be found here.
I thought Ares was going to go nuts, trying to get the bone before I was done taking pictures of it! Unfortunately, due to my dog's inability to share, they aren't getting it until I can get something comparable to keep everyone happy.

And finally, their toy. BarkBox says "Whether your best friend is a chewer, a retriever, or an avid tug-of-war enthusiast, this rope toy is made for all types of play. Best of all: you can partake in puppy playtime! Rough-housing pups, rejoice! It retails for about $7 and can be found here.

Ares usually LOVES ropes but tonight he happily let Ginger play with it by herself. This is the perfect toy to take to the dog park though - they'll have so much fun with it!

Want your own BarkBox? Clickity-click this link for $5 off your first subscription!

Product review: Puppia belly band

The owners of Maximus and Annabelle told me that they were considering breeding Maximus and Annabelle at some point so Maximus had not been desexed. They also said that he didn't exhibit very many dominant behaviors though - he didn't mark in the house or hump his sister (yet!).

Unfortunately for me, my apartment has too many fun scents in it. He thinks it's a lot of fun to mark my furniture. I would immediately get after him whenever I witnessed him doing it and spot clean the couch and recliner as needed but by Monday, I knew that there was no way I could handle a week of him marking everything I own. Seriously, he decided that he owned EVERYTHING. A belly band was in order (note: belly bands are also referred to as manner bands).

I stuck him in one of Ares' harnesses and Maximus and I went off to the local pet store for some help. I absolutely adore our pet store and this visit wasn't any different. I told the girl working what I was looking for and she immediately had all of the belly bands out to find the perfect one for him. My favorite design said "buttweiser" on it (!!!) but I decided to stick with the band that I recognized and always heard good things about - Puppia. His is navy blue, green and white with a cute anchor on the side. The plus side? This belly band also has a matching harness available!

I was ignorant of the ways of belly bands, other than they existed so the worker happily explained it to me. She told me to buy a pack of cheap maxi pads. Only the cheap ones will do because the more expensive ones have a waxy coating on them that prevents the pee from soaking up. You put the pad inside the belly band before wrapping it around your dog (it velcros on). 

It's important to note that it doesn't stop the behavior of marking - it only prevents him from actually peeing on anything.

I absolutely adore the belly band. It's machine washable and so easy to use! I change the pad if' it's soiled when I take it off to take him out to pee and it seems to be comfortable on him. He actually doesn't even mess with it as much as I thought he would (I'll occasionally catch him pulling at the edges of the band trying to undo the velcro so he can run free). Our only problem is that even though he was sized for it, I think he probably could have done better with a slightly smaller band (a medium rather than a large). 

Maximus could easily run around and play with Ares, Luna, and Annabelle and also had no problem sleeping at night with it on. It didn't slow him down one bit, even the girls liked to try to yank on it when "fighting" with him!

I absolutely love it and completely recommend it to anyone who is having trouble with dogs who feel the need to mark their territory. 

To buy your own Puppia manner (belly) band, you can visit their website here.

monthly review: March Pawalla Mini!

Oh, boy were we excited to get our Pawalla Mini! Luna couldn't wait for me to get the box open but I managed to sit them down long enough to get pictures this time.

Right after I took this, Ares snagged the monkey stick and took off running. Note the line of fur behind him. That's where Ginger's cage was while pet sitting. She went home last night and with my work schedule, I haven't had a chance to vacuum yet. It's really attractive, I know.

Their haul! I'm most excited for the shampoo!

We'll start with the Pet Greens Semi-Moist Li'l Treats - Tasty Lamb flavor. Pawalla says "The small size of Li'l treats is great for smaller dogs or when used as a training treat for larger dogs. The vegetable glycerin keeps this treat soft and chewy for fur family members. They also contain wheat grass powder which provides SOD (superoxide dismutase) an anti-aging enzyme, and GAGS (glycosaminoglycans) which are part of joint synovial fluid. This is a good, healthy treat for your fur family." They retail about $7.99 and can be found here.

They're in the shape of hearts! I love hearts! They're full of LOVE! They're also Ares and Luna approved and I'm not ashamed to admit we've already gone through half of the bag with training exercises. Actually, I am ashamed to admit it - we need more! Someone send us some!

The next thing we tried was the Natural Balance Healthy Bones Turkey, Oatmeal and Cranberry treats. As you can tell, Luna was excited for me to open the bag. Pawalla says "Natural Balance has added additional vitamin E and zinc to these tasty treats. Both the E and the zinc are related to coat quality, so there is a definite contribution from these treats. There are no artificial flavorings (rosemary is used as a preservative) or colors added. There are grains in this treat such as oats, barley, rye, which are just fine for pet foods when used in supportive roles to a meat protein." They retail at about $5 and can be found here.

Luna still couldn't resist. These were shaped like bones and had "NB" stamped on them. Ares and Luna found them delicious. Also, Luna stole most of Ares' from him. Poor Ares.

We also got a 2 oz sample bottle of Fresh Dog Oatmeal Shampoo. Pawalla says "This soap free shampoo is great for dogs sensitive to soaps and detergents. Fresh Dog shampoo contains coconut oil, oatmeal and sweet almond oil. These essential oils in this product are also aroma-therapeutic and are very pleasant. Echinacea has been added to naturally disinfect and promote healing. This is safe for kittens and puppies as well as adult dogs and cats. It can also be used by the human members of the pet family." 

I'm really excited for this one because while I don't know if it's just the winter weather or what but Luna suffers from dry skin and dandruff. This will be perfect for her! A full sized bottle retails at $12 and can be found here.

And we have to save best for last: the PetLou Monkey Stick! As I said earlier, Ares was so excited about this, he grabbed it out of the box and ran when I first opened it. Silly boy. Pawalla says "This colorful monkey is sure to please your pup! Made of ultra-thick, durable material, this plush toy stick features a loud squeaker for extra fun. PetLou uses only premium grade fabric and fillers and construction-double stitched seams for durability." They retail about $7 and can be found here.

Ares and Luna loved it! Since the weather was nice, we went out on the balcony to let them play. They ran and played tug of war to their heart's content (and don't forget the tricks for their lamb treats!)

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Overall, not including the shampoo, I received about $20 in products. Pawalla Mini's run between $12-17 a month depending on the length of the subscription so I think we did great! We will definitely happily use everything that came in our box, and probably very quickly at that!

Want your own Pawalla or Pawalla Mini? Clickity-click this link to get $5 off your first subscription!

monthly review: March BarkBox!

We got our BarkBox today! As you can see, Ares and Luna have learned that they love this box and I couldn't even get them to sit down for a picture. Ginger, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on.

And their wonderful haul. BarkBox also changed it up by having the advice columnist for Elle magazine do a little advice column for our furry friends! It was a really fun way for them to describe what came in the box!

First up: Feel Good chicken liver treats. BarkBox says "All natural and made with limited ingredients, Feel Good Treats are many a BarkBox subscriber's favorite. We know BarkBoxers want the best for their fur babies, which is why you'll be thrilled to hear that all of Feel Good's meat is human-grade. Moreover, these treats are free of wheat, corn, and soy!" A bag costs $9.95 and their website is here.

Oh man, did Ares and Luna love these! All manners went out the window as they were desperate to be the first to try these scrumptious treats! 

 Even Ginger figured out that there was some yummy goodness going on!

The next treat that came up was the Little Eatz peanut butter cookies. BarkBox says "You pup might have to wait for you to finish your appetizer and entree, but you can certainly split dessert! Little Eatz peanut butter cookies are the first cookie that humans and dogs can enjoy together - we may have gone through a bag at the BarkBox office. Scout loves when they're topped with even more peanut butter!"  These treats are for a great price at $3.99 a bag and can be found here.

These suckers were so good that I couldn't get a picture fast enough of my babies chowing down on them. Poor Luna doesn't do well with peanut butter but I dropped a treat and she snatched it up before I could get it. We'll see what happens tonight! She loved it though. You guys will have to settle for a picture of me trying the treat. Because yes, I did try it. I'm not a fan of peanut butter cookies in general but these weren't bad! I think I'll leave them for Ares and Luna though!

The first toy I gave them to try was the Harry Barker hemp bones (the tag is already removed in the picture because Ginger grabbed it out of the box and ran while I was taking pictures of the treats!) BarkBox says "Harry Barker hemp bones are stuffed with eco-friendly fibers made from 100% recycled post-consumer plastics. They'll entertain four-legged squeaky toy afficionados while catering to the design-minded pet parent - plus, they're green! Everyone wins, including Mother Nature." The bones come in two sizes, we got the small one which retails for $10 and can be found here.

They loved it! The squeaker is JUST barely hard enough to squeak that it doesn't make it incredibly annoying for me to listen to and it squeaks enough to keep them entertained so it's a win-win for me. They did not want to share this toy with each other!

The last toy we got was the LollyCadoodle wool mouse. BarkBox says "If your pup's prey drive is anywhere as strong as the BarkBox office pups', you'll know that the pursuit of mice isn't just for cats. LollyCadoodle mice are handmade by master artisans in Nepal, who in turn source their wool from local vendors." I couldn't find the cute little mouse on their site but most of their toys seem to retail about $12.95. You can visit their site here.

I totally did find it weird that my dogs got a mouse toy but Luna LOVES that tail! I think it'll be put to great use as a tug of war toy!

Finally, we got poop bags. I think BarkBox read my mind because I had JUST run out of poop bags and they were on my list of things to pick up the next time I made a pet store run. I think these were just an extra throw in item (they promote Angie's List, as well as giving me a coupon to sign up for Angie's List at a discounted price).

For the second month in a row, Ares and Luna are absolutely THRILLED with their BarkBox and I love seeing them so happy. Hopefully, in the future, I can teach them to use better manners while waiting for me to give them their goodies but I loved all the "blooper" pictures I snapped today.

Clickity-click this link to get $5 off your first BarkBox. You won't regret it!