Category Archives: Reviews

Hot Dog Collars – a Review and a Contest!

dogs, designer dogs, yorkipoo, yorkie poo, hot dog collars, reviews, contests

I was really excited when Sadie and I were give the opportunity to try out and review some products from HotDogCollars.com. In case you don’t know, Hot Dog Collars is an online store that sells a variety of pet products. Even before we were contacted about this review, Sadie and I had purchased quite a few collars from their website, so we already knew they had a great selection of high quality items. For this particular review we chose to focus on one of the leashes by Yellow Dog Design, the Rubit heart dog tag clip, and the personalized dog collars by Yellow Dog Design.

The first item we received from HotDogCollars.com is a designer leash by Yellow Dog Design. It’s a great looking dog leash, five feet long with a nickel plated clip on one end to hook to your dog’s collar or harness and a loop on the other end for a secure grip. The material, which is a cotton/poly blend, seems very durable and is even machine washable. It feels very comfortable in your hand during those long walks, unlike the scratchy fabric of some other leashes. And these leashes by Yellow Dog Design were made in the USA! But the factor that makes this leash special for me is the pattern. Hot Dog Collars offers leashes in a wide variety of colors and patterns to fit any style or occasion. I chose the pink and black polka dots to match Sadie’s favorite collar. The price for this leash is $13.45 from HotDogCollars.com

The next item to review from HotDogCollars.com was the small heart Rubit dog tag clip. Having tried out a Rubit dog tag clip, I can honestly say that we will never go without one ever again. The Rubit dog tag clip allows you to secure your dog’s ID tags with a keyring onto the Rubit, which then clips onto your dog’s collar. The clip is made of lightweight aluminum, so it’s durable, but won’t add extra weight around your dog’s neck. The main purpose of a Rubit dog tag clip is to make life a zillion times easier when changing your dog’s collar. No more struggling to pry open the keyring enough to slip the tag out. No more broken nails or sore fingers. You just unclip from one collar and clip onto the next. Hot Dog Collars offers the Rubit dog tag clips in a number of different colors, sizes, and styles starting at $5.79.

The last item we chose to review is one of the personalized collars by Yellow Dog Design. This time we picked out the red kilt pattern to match Sadie’s winter coat. But to be honest, Sadie actually has one of these collars for almost every season and occasion. She’s got one for Christmas, Easter, St Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Fall, Winter, and the Fourth of July, just to name a few. That is how much we love these Yellow Dog Design collars from HotDogCollars.com. But the vast selection of collar designs isn’t even the best part… these collars can be personalized! You can put your dog’s name in a variety of colors right on the collar at no additional cost. And I even had little paw prints added on either side of Sadie’s name to make the collar even cuter (added graphics do cost $1.99 extra). We’ve owned one of these personalized collars for almost two years now and it’s still vibrant with perfectly intact text, no chipping, cracking, or fading. Even with the personalization, the collar is machine washable. The price for the personalized collar starts at $13.95 for a size small (add $2 if you choose additional graphics) from HotDogCollars.com.

On a personal note, these personalized collars have actually helped Sadie get more comfortable when meeting strangers. When we last travelled, people often came up to Sadie to say hi. She would wag her tail and sniff the new people, but she was hesitant to get close enough for a stranger to touch her. Many people then noticed Sadie’s name on her personalized collar and would start talking to her by name. Sadie would relax much faster and be more willing to interact with someone new when they called her by name. So I’m grateful that these collars can be a good tool to help my dog be happier and less stressed when meeting new people.

Now I’d like to announce the contest. Hot Dog Collars has offered one $50 gift certificate for one lucky winner. All you have to do to win is go to the YourDesignerDog twitter feed and be the 10th (tenth) person to retweet my tweet that begins “Get personal with personalized dog collars from @hotdogcollars”. (Contest begins at 9AM Thursday March 12th, 2015 and continues until winning conditions are met.)

And now I’ll end my review with a photo of Sadie enjoying one of the treats that come with every order you get from HotDogCollars.com.

This post is part of the Thoughtless Thursday blog hop hosted by Ruckus the Eskie, Love Is Being Owned By a Husky, and M.K. Clinton.

This post is also part of the Thursday Barks and Bytes blog hop hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like A Dog.

YourDesignerDog received no monetary compensation for this post. I was given a choice of complimentary items to try out and give honest feedback. All opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts on these products. This post contains affiliate links.

#Cube – The Digital Picture Frame for Instagram

dogs, designer dogs, yorkipoo, yorkie poo, reviews, instagram, digital picture frame, gadgets, technology

Today Sadie and I are going to tell you about a really interesting new gadget we got to try out called the #Cube. It’s like a digital picture frame that uses your Instagram account. As you know, I’m constantly taking new photos of Sadie, and the #Cube is a great way to show them off. The 8 inch square screen is bright and vibrant, giving more life to the photos than a standard digital picture frame. Plus the #Cube updates over WiFi, adding new photos every time you or your friends and family add new photos to Instagram.

The #Cube is really easy to set up. You plug it in and use the touchscreen to connect to your WiFi. Then you just enter your Instagram login information and a slideshow of your feed starts right away. The #Cube uses your WiFi to automatically add any new photos your Instagram friends have uploaded, so that your feed slideshow is always up-to-date. You can also scroll through the photos on your own with the touch screen, as well as click on individual photos to read the description, comments, likes, date posted, etc. And you can find out what user posted a specific photo, along with the number of photos and followers for that Instagram user all in one place.

There are three buttons on the top of the #Cube, along with the touchscreen. The left-most button is circular in shape and functions as the power button. The middle, square shaped button is the menu button. With the menu button you have the ability to search for specific hashtags to see photos about specific topics. You can also choose to view a feed of the most popular photos currently on Instagram. There is also a settings menu, where you can adjust the brightness of the screen, control the speed of the slideshow, and read the user guide, among other things. The third button is heart-shaped and gives you the ability to easily like/favorite whichever photo is currently on the screen.

Another feature of the #Cube, which I use all the time, is the ability to search for a specific Instagram username and view just that person’s photos. It’s a great way to see what a specific friend or family member has been up to lately. I also like to use the #Cube to show off my recent Sadie photos by selecting my own username as the basis for the slideshow. And I think the #Cube would be a great gift to a less tech-savvy friend or family member. You could help them with the initial set up, and then it will continuously bring them all the newest photos from their loved ones.

The #Cube has a built in speaker to view any videos in your Instagram feed. It also has a four-hour battery, so you can enjoy your Instagram feed completely wirelessly. The software on the #Cube comes with lifetime updates to ensure seamless, easy use of the product. The #Cube comes I’m three colors: black, white, and the classic model which, as you can see from my photos, is designed to look like the Instagram app’s icon. Find out more about the #Cube and buy one of your own from hashtagcube.com and Amazon
for $149.00.

This post is part of the Thursday Barks and Bytes blog hop hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like A Dog.

This post is also part of the Thoughtless Thursday blog hop hosted by Ruckus the Eskie, Love Is Being Owned By a Husky, and M.K. Clinton.

YourDesignerDog did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. I was given a free product to try out and review. All opinions are my own unbiased observations about this product.

Sadie’s Shiny New Collar – A Hamilton Collars Review

For the last few weeks Sadie has been trying out a shiny new collar, sent to us by the nice people at Hamilton Collars. The collar is very lightweight, yet sturdy, which makes it perfect for everyday wear. It’s adjustable with a six inch differential, so there is plenty of wiggle room to get the right fit. Our new collar is a vibrant pink color called Raspberry, which is perfect for Sadie. All the colors used in Hamilton Collars are fade resistant, so you never have to worry about losing that bright new collar look.

Our Hamilton Collar is made of high quality nylon webbing with standard hard plastic buckles. The buckle seems very sturdy – none of that cheap, flimsy plastic you sometimes find with bargain collars. Plus this collar was designed with an extra safety feature built into the clasp – you need to slide one half of the buckle through the metal ring in order to put the collar on and off. This means that if the collar somehow became unbuckled, it would still remain securely around your pet’s neck until you were able to refasten it. That feature alone makes this a great collar in my opinion – an extra secure collar gives me extra peace of mind.

You can find out more about Hamilton Collars and other products on their website, hamiltonproducts.com.

YourDesignerDog received no monetary compensation for writing this post. We received a free product to try in return for our honest opinion. There were no outside influences or incentives involved in writing this review.

I Love My Dog Shampoo!

Let me start this out by saying that I was always perfectly happy with Sadie’s current shampoo. I’ve tried many brands, but someone in the family usually had an issue with the smell or some allergen relating to other shampoos. So I’ve always just stuck to the same puppy shampoo I’ve used on her since day one, with no plans to change brands. Until now. After trying I Love My Dog shampoo by Lovely Fresh I’ve realized that I was just settling for any old shampoo. But not anymore. From now on Sadie will be using I Love My Dog Shampoo during every bath.

Basic facts:

All natural
Uses neem oil and oatmeal to soothe sensitive skin
A 17oz bottle costs $14.95 on Amazon
Made in the USA!
100% money back satisfaction guarantee

dogs, designer dogs, yorkipoo, yorkie poo, bath, shampoo, dog grooming

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Cuddle Up With a Buddy Blanket Comforter!

The weather is getting colder around our house, and where Sadie had been looking for a cool floor to sleep on, she is now looking for warm, cozy spots. This is the perfect time of year for Sadie to snuggle up with her Buddy Blanket Comforter. The Buddy Blanket Comforter is a down comforter, made especially for dogs and cats. It’s just as fluffy, comfy, and warm as your typical made-for-humans down comforter, but it’s sized perfectly for your pets.

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