The Chicken Soup for the Soul book series is known for providing heartwarming stories and My Very Good, Very Bad Dog is a wonderful example of that tradition. If you are looking for a book that’s guaranteed to make any dog lover smile and is easy to read in between your hectic schedule, then Chicken Soup for the Soul’s My Very Good, Very Bad Dog by Amy Newmark is the perfect choice.
No matter the breed or personality of your dog, you will find stories in this book that speak directly to your experiences as a dog owner. You’ll find reassurance that other dogs can be as mischievious as your naughty pet. Your heart will warm with the tales of the human-animal bond. And as you read, you’ll be cuddling closer with your own pets, cherishing the smiles they bring to your life.
I also really enjoyed all of the interesting facts before each story. Did you know there’s a dog collar museum in England? Or that when a dog chews on your shoe, he or she is trying to learn about where you go when you’re not home? And that the Shar-Pei and the Chow are the only two dog breeds that don’t have pink tongues? (Their tongues are a blue/black color in case you were wondering.)
Another heartwarming aspect of this book is that part of the proceeds are donated to charity! All of the author’s royalties from Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Very Good, Very Bad Dog are donated to the American Humane Association. The animals thank you, Amy Newmark!
With the crazy, unpredictable weather lately, this book is the perfect choice to read to the family by candlelight when the power goes out. You’ll have everyone laughing and smiling, forgetting about the stress of the world for a few precious moments.
Steak is one food that is guaranteed to bring a smile to my dog’s face. When our friends at Chewy.com sent over some dog treats made from real sirloin steak, I knew Sadie would be excited. When you have a picky dog that needs to be coaxed and encouraged to eat anything, it’s a wonderful feeling to find a dog treat that your dog will eat immediately, without hesitation. And True Chews Premium Grillers are exactly the treats I need to make my dog’s mouth water.
True Chews Premium Grillers are the perfect form of enticement for Sadie. As I explain in our book, How To Get Your Dog To Eat (Chapter Four), sometimes my dog doesn’t find her dinner interesting enough to start eating. She’ll smell her dog food and then walk away, hoping for something more exciting to eat. That’s when I can use True Chews Premium Grillers. I take one of the treats and break it up into small pieces, which I sprinkle over Sadie’s dog food. Since she can’t resist the steak treats, Sadie will eat her whole dish of dog food just to get at all the little pieces of the True Chews Steak treats!
The beef used to make True Chews Premium Grillers is sourced entirely from American farm-raised cattle. These treats are all natural and made in the USA without fillers, by-products, grain, artificial flavoring, or preservatives. The sirloin steak is slow roasted to give your dog that great tender grilled taste.
As a small dog owner I have to be conscious of the level of stamina required for the various adventures we undertake. For every step I take on a walk with Sadie, my dog takes about 6 steps. Exercise is important for both Sadie and myself, but I want to make sure that Sadie never overexerts herself. That’s where the Lambo Pet Carrier from Pet Magasin comes in. I wear this carrier like any other backpack, but when Sadie gets too tired to keep walking, I can place her securely and comfortably in the Lambo Pet Carrier and continue the rest of our journey with her on my back.
In our everyday adventures, the Lambo Pet Carrier comes in handy most when faced with stairs. I’ve noticed that Sadie is perfectly happy to walk along with me wherever our adventures take us, but she hesitates sometimes at stairs. When we get home from an average walk, Sadie is usually still full of energy and looking for a ball to play with. But if our walk required a bunch of stairs to get to and from our destination, then Sadie seems sore by the time we get home. Sometimes she even starts limping because her hip joint, which wasn’t formed correctly at birth, starts aching. Glucosamine can help ease these aches and pains, but it’s better if Sadie could avoid the stress to her joints altogether. So now when I know a walk will involve quite a few stairs, I can pop Sadie into our Lambo Pet Carrier and whisk her up and down the stairs with no threat to her joints. Yes, I could carry her in my arms if necessary, but then I can’t hold onto the railing. Plus I usually have my camera in my hands which complicates things even more. So by using the Lambo Pet Carrier, Sadie is safe and comfortable on my back and my hands are free to use the railing.
The Lambo Pet Carrier is extremely useful for airplane travel. It is approved by airlines to be used for pets traveling with you in the cabin of the airplane. You can wear it on your back, knowing your pet is safe and secure as you check in and deal with all of your luggage. And you can walk around the airport with your hands free, without the hassle of trying to carry your dog or cat in a typical carrier that you probably need to juggle from hand to hand or shoulder to shoulder, making both you and your pet uncomfortable. The backpack fits nicely under the airplane seat and the cushioned reinforcements inside make sure the bag doesn’t collapse around your dog as some soft carriers tend to do. And the top of the backpack has a mesh zippered layer so that your dog has adequate ventilation and can keep an eye on you from under the airplane seat.
And I haven’t mentioned the wings yet! The sides of the backpack can zip open, revealing expanding mesh wings. Your dog can access these wings from the inside of the backpack, so that when they are open it effectively doubles the amount of space for your dog. These wings offer much more ventilation for your dog if you are in a hotter environment. And they are also a fun place for your dog to lay down but still be able to take in his or her surroundings.
The bottom of the Lambo Pet Carrier has sturdy feet, so you can securely place the bag down, making sure your dog doesn’t feel any impact with the ground. There are elastic tabs strategically placed on the bag for you to clip on necessities likeyour dog’s leash, a water bottle, collapsible dog bowl, and dog waste bag dispenser. And there is also a mesh front pocket, perfect for travel paperwork or even your cell phone. The backpack is made from sturdy, waterproof material that should hold up well through various travels and adventures. The cushioned, adjustable backpack straps help evenly distribute your pet’s weight, making it easier to carry for longer periods of time than your average pet carrier.
You can learn more about the Lambo Pet Carrier and their other products at the Pet Magasin website. You can also get your own Lambo Pet Carrier on Amazon! (http://amzn.to/2sFMg0X).
I received a free product to test and review. All opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with this product.
Sadie and I love to spend quality time together by having our own little photo shoots. I enjoy exercising my photography skills, Sadie is a natural diva model, and we both love playing with different outfits and accessories to create our own style. For our latest photo shoot celebrating Chewy.com’s fashion week, Sadie and I worked hard matching the perfect hair flair with each fashion fabulous dress.
Fashion and photo shoots require a lot of hard work, from the styling and quick changes to the lighting and set design. So it’s no surprise that we needed to pause for a break now and then to refuel. Sadie found the perfect fuel for this particular photo shoot: Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Meal or Mixers. These bite size moresels pack a ton of protein, perfect for an on-the-go energy boost!
As the name suggests, Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Meal or Mixers can be eaten as a complete, balanced meal or as a mix-in to complement your dog’s regular kibble. Just follow the portion guide on the bag, add a little water, and your dog has delicious, nutritious meal. Or you can add a portion of Mixers into a portion of your dog’s kibble. Just remember to reduce the amount of regular kibble you serve based on how much of the Mixers you add, thus ensuring you don’t overfeed your dog. Adding these Freeze-Dried Meal or Mixers is a great way to make your dog’s meals more exciting, keeping your dog interested in eating healthy dog food.
Sadie tried the beef formula, which lists deboned beef as the first ingredient. Other ingredients include potatoes, carrots, blueberries, and apples, providing a good mix of fruits and vegetables to create a balanced meal in each serving. This is the perfect source of crude proteins and fats that my little pup needs to stay healthy and energized. And my picky pup thoroughly enjoyed her Freeze-Dried beef portion. She kept interrupting our photo shoot to snack on the samples I had on display!
Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Meal or Mixers are available in three different varieties: beef, chicken, and salmon. You can even purchase the corresponding versions for cats! The beef and salmon varieties are poultry free for any pets with a poultry intolerance. All of the Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Meal or Mixers are grain, gluten, and soy free, with no artificial preservatives, flavors or colors.
A few weeks ago I talked about what you can find inside the purse of a typical Dog Mom. When I take Sadie out for a walk I regularly lug that full purse with me, stuffed with poop bags, tissues, some treats, my phone, camera, collapsible bowl, water bottle, etc. I’m always frazzled when we leave the house, worried that I forgot something. And it’s twice as difficult when someone else in the family wants to take Sadie for a walk and I have to make sure they have everything she might need. But with the RokaPets Dog Treat Pouch, I no longer have to worry about being prepared. All of the essentials fit in a handy little wearable pouch.
For me the RokaPets Dog Treat Pouch is great in terms of comfort and hands free convenience. I can wear it around my waist like a belt (and it actually fits my waist, which was a pleasant surprise) or I can use the belt clip instead and hook it directly onto my pants. My shoulder doesn’t ache from carrying a bag for an extended amount of time. The Dog Treat Pouch is comfortable to wear around your waist for short walks or even extended hikes. And it’s absolutely perfect for spontaneous photography, which if you know me you realize happens frequently on walks with Sadie. I no longer have to juggle the camera and my purse and Sadie’s leash all at the same time. My hands are free to take all of the photos I want!
But the RokaPets Dog Treat Pouch is especially useful for the other members of my family. All they have to do is put it on and go. No more worrying about transferring the necessities from my girlie purse when Sadie’s uncle or grandfather wants to take her out for a walk. The RokaPets Dog Treat Pouch is stylish for both men and women in a pretty blue color that everyone can enjoy.
There are four separate compartments to hold all the necessities in the RokaPets Dog Treat Pouch. The large, open, main compartment can handle everything from treats to a water bottle to a water bowl. In the back is a zippered section that holds the poop bags (one roll of poop bags included!). A zippered compartment in the front is perfect to keep necessities safe like your ID, credit card, or some cash. And lastly a mesh compartment in the front provides a handy place to keep your cell phone or other item for quick access. The material is waterproof and easy to clean, which is always a plus for any dog owner. It seems like the perfect pouch to stand up to the crushed dog treat crumbs and spilled water and grass stains that accompany the typical life with dogs.