| Fido's Freebie Friday Fetches Up More Fun Posted: 30 Jun 2011 11:30 AM PDT by Carrie Boyko, CEB  Welcome back to Fido's Freebie Friday. Doreen and I are enjoying watching this little event begin to grow. Thank you all for your support and visits, comments and entries. We appreciate and enjoy your appearances here.
To assist you with questions and problems, we have created a "Help Page" full of information and tips on connecting up to the Blog Hop. Visit this page if you are looking for assistance in getting started, or simply have questions.
Our goal in starting this hop was to provide a place for pet lovers to seek out the best in pet giveaways from pet bloggers all over North America. We want to make it easy to be found and simple to participate for the bloggers, as well. That's why there are only 2 rules for linkups:
The Fido's Freebie Friday Blog Hop is open to posts about giveaways, drawings, prizes, and freebies for pet products or services only, including pet-related items for owners.
Please post the badge or a link to this post in your Fido's Freebie Friday blog post and invite your readers to visit their hosts, All Things Dog Blog and Doggies and Stuff. Comments are encouraged!
The Fido's Freebie Friday Blog Hop will open each Thursday afternoon by 4 PM and close at midnight on Fridays. During these hours bloggers may add pet related giveaways to the hop with a link directly to giveaway posts at their blogs. This blog hop is ONLY for free pet products or services. It may include any contests that involve a free, pet-related prize (photo contests, guessing games, etc) including pet-related items for pet owners, as long as the contests are family friendly.
If you have multiple giveaways, feel free to post each of them. If your blog is hosted with Wordpress.com, you will find the code for this hop at our Help Page.
And for our visitors and readers, please enjoy a look around at the possibilities, and feel free to leave a comment to let us know how you found us. Happy tails!
Individual rules of entry and guidelines for winning may apply to each listing. All Things Dog Blog takes no responsibility for the legality of the rules governing the listings on other sites and giveaways that are posted here. We simply provide this forum as a gathering place for pet product giveaways to be offered.
 You'll also find these giveaways listed at other places around the Internet, a couple of which are shown here:           
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| Petstages Mini Nesting Mat Gets Snuggle Points from Oliver Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:15 PM PDT by Carrie Boyko, CEB  | © Carrie Boyko
Ahhh....That Was Fun! | Petstages is fast becoming a favorite among the All Things Dog Blog pack. Tanner enjoyed tackling their Gator toy recently, during my series on gator safety. He's wishing we had done a full-fledged review on that toy, and I have to agree. It has a cool-beyond-cool squeaker that won't choke Fido.
 | © courtesy Petstages
Mini Nesting Mat | Now it's Oliver's turn to do some tackling. The Mini Nesting Mat resembles a folded up baby blanket--soft and cushy--when you pull it out of the box. The colorful color blocks each fold in, allowing for plentiful exploration by a pup who enjoys foraging or digging. You guessed it--perfect for your Terrier! Apparently Oliver has a budding Terrier inside of him, as we found he quickly took to the idea of digging and rearranging this wonderful bedding toy until he got himself completely wrapped up inside it. He's too funny! Let's watch--like a spider on the wall--the progression as he investigates this new surprise inside his crate:  | © Carrie Boyko
Cool! What's Underneath Here? |
 | © Carrie Boyko
Let the Investigation Begin... |
 | © Carrie Boyko
"Where's The Bottom of This Thing?" |  | © Carrie Boyko
I Call It the "Adventure Blanket" |
 | © Carrie Boyko
Drag it Out
and I'll Be Able to Get a Better Sniff |  | © Carrie Boyko
How Did This Happen? I'm Swaddled! | Did Oliver wear you out? I took about 50 photos of this session, but I had to pare that number down for your enjoyment. Needless to say, this blanket was a ton of fun for Oliver. Each morning I find it in a completely different arrangement when he awakens. He must enjoy a midnight playtime that only he is privy to. One morning, I found him completely buried, snoring softly as if to say, Please don't wake me; I'm still dreaming of my tag game with the squirrel that I know is inside this blanket!"
Oliver, as some of you may remember, is not the most toy-motivated dog. It takes a special plaything to engage him. I hoped this blanket would have that effect. Mission accomplished! Thank you Petstages!
Do you have a toy-challenged, toy-sized dog? Petstages has graciously agreed to give 3 of the Mini Nesting Mats away to our readers. If you'd like to participate in the giveaway entries, here's how: - You may enter the giveaway once daily per method, but you must use a different Tweet, comment, photo, etc. each time.
- COMMENTS are the primo form of entry--super simple since you're already here. Visit the bottom of the post to find the COMMENTS link and click.
- As of this week, winners will be selected from comments here on the blog that include a method of contact (URL, email, Twitter handle, etc). All Tweets and emails must be followed up with a comment here to be entered in the drawing. Random.org will be used to select the winners.
- For 3 entries, drop me an email at AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com with a photo of your pup and a sign that says "We Love Petstages ". You can print the picture at the top and write the note on the photo for an extra entry. That's 4 entries right there! Your photo may even be featured on our Facebook page, Petstages' Facebook page, or here on the blog. You can also submit a photo to Petstages for their Summertime Photo Contest. The winners will each receive a gift basket of Petstages toys valued at about $100. See their Facebook Page for more info.
- Leave a comment here saying "I Like All Things Dog Blog and Petstages on Facebook" for another entry.
- Likewise, follow @Petstages on Twitter and leave a comment here telling me you've done this.
- Subscribing to our blog by email using the dog house subscription box at left is a great way to keep up with our posts, giveaways, Ask the Vet and Trainer columns and more. Leave me a comment for one entry, saying "I subscribe to All Things Dog Blog." RSS subscribers may use this method also.
- Tweet "Thx @AllThingsDog 4 connecting us up 2 the @Petstages Photo Contest and gift basket giveaway!" Don't forget to leave me a comment that you've tweeted.
- And of course, hit that Tweet/Retweet button at the top of the post, and then leave me a comment telling me you Tweeted/Retweeted this post. Leave your Twitter handle for verification and we'll be thrilled to give you another entry.
- Don't forget to include a method of contact so we can notify you if you win.
- Entries will close at 5 PM sharp on Thursday, July 7th. I'll report the winners on Friday, July 8th.
Before you head off, be sure to check out our second round of photos with the Mini Nesting Mat in the slideshow at 5 Minutes for Fido, where Oliver got to enjoy his new digging spot outdoors in the warm sunshine of our screened porch. Either way you offer this nice soothing mat, your pup is sure to find it to be an engaging and relaxing activity. The fleecy fabric and padding inside is just delicious. Do you think they make one my size?
If you're not terribly lucky and want to order your own post haste, try here: Full disclosure: All Things Dog Blog has been provided with a free sample to do this review of the Petstages Mini Nesting Mat. We have not been paid to provide our opinion of this product, and the opinion provided is our own. 
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| Dog Pack Snacks: Treat Review Team Finally Fetches a Giveaway Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:01 PM PDT by Carrie Boyko, CEB Well, we're certainly off to an interesting start with this panel of "experienced experts". Expert thieves is what I'll call my own two, who seem to have located the shelf where samples to be reviewed were stored. :( You probably know what that means. They've been reprimanded and Tanner refuses to take off the sunglasses. Tsk!
We'll forge ahead anyway, making do with what we managed to get shots of. Note to self: Use a higher shelf for treat storage. BIG NOTE TO SELF!!!!
 | © courtesy Dog Pack Snacks
Chicken Jerky | Now then, I bet you'd love to hear about Dog Pack Snacks. Our friend Deb and her pup Cocoa have been very active on Twitter and Facebook, making sure we got all the great info we need to pull this review together. She sent wonderful yummies that the dogs all loved. I'll fill you in as we go along.
 | © Dog Pack Snacks
Turkey Chips | My first two choices for review were the Chicken Jerky and the Turkey Chips. I envisioned a replacement for rawhide that would be more nutritious and appetizing. Tanner and Oliver agreed, despite Oliver's struggle with the Chicken Jerky. Oliver has the tiniest mouth on the planet, according to his vet. His teeth are like little specs of diamonds from a promise ring. But after about a a half hour, he finally emerged from his corner, satisfied that he had demolished the Jerky without asking Tanner to help. Wouldn't that be against some sort of dog code of ethics or something?
 | © Dog Pack Snacks
Freshly Made and Shipped Next Day | Reports from the whole team were excellent, with everyone especially loving the Turkey chips which were a bit easier for all the pups to crunch up and chow down on. I guess we'll call that the paws-down favorite.
 | © Carrie Boyko
Mac-A-Doodles | We also tested a hearty sample of the Mac-A-Doodles. These smelled good enough to eat myself, but I did manage to hold back and let the dogs do their thing. They were highly appreciative, even though I did serve them like a dessert at a banquet. I don't think they cared!
Let's share a few tidbits about my new friend Deb at Dog Pack Snacks. She's the face behind the company, along with her dog, Coco. For years she's been making dog treats of all sorts to share with friends and neighbors. Now, with the birth of Dog Pack Snacks, she's sharing 20% of her profits with a local, no-kill animal rescue. That's a cause we can all get behind.
Imagine giving your own dog a delicious, low fat, high protein, healthy treat, and knowing that while you're doing this, Deb is adding up her profits and writing a check to the rescue. Doesn't that just give you a good feeling inside?
 | © Carrie Boyko
Mac-A-Doodle Doggies | Speaking of inside, let's talk about what's NOT inside Dog Pack Snacks: wheat, corn, soy, by-products, sugar, salt, or artificial preservatives or colors.
The company is licensed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and meets all applicable labeling guidelines, so your freshly-made snacks will come with a guaranteed analysis, certified by a lab, labeled on the package.
Dog Pack Snacks also has a "frequent flyer" club called Club Coco, after Deb's dog, of course. There's no cost to participate in Club Coco, but there are plenty of benefits: twice monthly coupons, instant savings on your first order, news and giveaways, and a faster checkout process. Sounds good, right? Shall we give you all a chance to try some of their great treats?
 | © Carrie Boyko
Mac-A-Doodle Yummy! | Deb has graciously offered to treat (pun intended) four of my readers to 2 bags each. You can even pick your flavors from these choices: Chicken Jerky, Liver Snaps, Turkey Chips or Mac-A-Doodles.. Two bags of these delish doggie decadence and you and Fido will be hooked for life. I get brownie points for bringing you to her door too!
I'd like you guys to show off your commenting talents for Deb. No holding back, okay? She needs to know just how much you'd like these treats for your pup. So let 'em rip. Here's how:
- You may enter the giveaway once daily per method, but you must use a different Tweet, comment, photo, etc. each time.
- COMMENTS are the primary form of entry--super simple since you're already here. Visit the bottom of the post to find the COMMENTS link and click.
- Winners are selected from comments here on the blog that include a method of contact (URL, email, Twitter handle, etc). All Tweets and emails must be followed up with a comment here to be entered in the drawing. Random.org will be used to select the winners.
- For 3 entries, drop me an email at AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com with a photo of your pup and a sign that says "We Love Dog Pack Snacks ". You can print the picture at the top and write the note on the photo for an extra entry. That's 4 entries right there! Your photo may even be featured on our Facebook page, Dog Pack Snacks Facebook page, or here on the blog.
- Leave a comment here saying "I Like All Things Dog Blog and Dog Pack Snacks on Facebook" for another entry.
- Likewise, follow @DogPackSnacks on Twitter and leave a comment here telling me you've done this.
- Subscribing to our blog by email using the dog house subscription box at left is a great way to keep up with our posts, giveaways, Ask the Vet and Trainer columns and more. Leave me a comment for one entry, saying "I subscribe to All Things Dog Blog." RSS subscribers may use this method also.
- Tweet "Thx @AllThingsDog 4 connecting us up 2 the @DogPackSnacks' Club Cocoa Discount" Don't forget to leave me a comment that you've tweeted.
- And of course, hit that Tweet/Retweet button at the top of the post, and then leave me a comment telling me you Tweeted/Retweeted this post. Leave your Twitter handle for verification and we'll be thrilled to give you another entry.
- Don't forget to include a method of contact so we can notify you if you win.
- Entries will close at 5 PM sharp on Thursday, July 7th. I'll report the winners on Friday, July 8th.
 | © Carrie Boyko
Oliver Waits Permission | That's always a mouthful, but we sure do have fun watching the comments fly. Join in and see what a great time we have. I'll invite Coco to make an appearance on our Facebook page. She's got cool shades too. Maybe Tanner and her can face off! Don't miss it.
 | © Carrie Boyko
Ahhh.....Liver!
| PS--Other yummies we tried and loved: Buffalo Chips, Liver Snaps, and Buffalo Chicken Bites. Be sure to check 'em all out at their site. And if you missed the introduction to our Treat Review Team's dogs, please visit their post here. It's always fun to know who is giving the input. It certainly isn't me!
Full disclosure: Dog Pack Snacks provided samples of a number of products for our Treat Review Team to try. We were not paid to do this product review and the opinions provided herein are our own. 
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| From the Doghouse: Poems to Chew On A Kids' Book Giveaway Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:01 PM PDT by Carrie Boyko, CEB  | © Carrie Boyko
More Book Giveaways: It's Mutt Madness! | Last week's giveaway of children's books about dogs was a modest success. So we're here to try again. I have 3 copies of this adorable hardbound book to give away this week to 3 lucky families. Each copy has a nice dust jacket and some of the most adorable artwork I've seen in children's books. The poetry is precious--perfect for young kids of all ages. Here's how to enter: - You may enter the giveaway once daily per method, but you must use a different Tweet, comment, photo, etc. each time.
- COMMENTS are the primo form of entry--super simple since you're already here. Visit the bottom of the post to find the COMMENTS link and click. Tell us what you read to your pup! How about your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews or neighbors?
- Winners will be selected from comments here on the blog that include a method of contact (URL, email, Twitter handle, etc). All Tweets and emails must be followed up with a comment here to be entered in the drawing. Random.org will be used to select the winners.
- For 3 entries, drop me an email at AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com with a photo of your pup and a sign that says "We Love Dog Books". You can print the picture above and write the note on the photo for an extra entry, giving you a total of 4 entries--Bam! Your photo may even be featured on our Facebook page or the blog. Don't forget to leave a comment telling me you've sent a photo, so we'll be sure to grab and feature it.
- Leave a comment here saying "I Like All Things Dog Blog on Facebook" for another entry.
- Subscribing to our blog by email using the dog house subscription box at left is a great way to keep up with our posts, giveaways, Ask the Vet and Trainer columns and more. Leave me a comment for one entry, saying "I subscribe to All Things Dog Blog." This method works for our RSS subscribers as well.
- And of course, hit that Tweet/Retweet button at the top of the post, and then leave me a comment telling me you Tweeted/Retweeted this post. Leave your Twitter handle for verification and we'll be thrilled to give you another entry.
- Don't forget to include a method of contact.
- Entries will close at 5 PM sharp on Thursday, July 7th. I'll report the winners on Friday, July 8th.
Before you leave our site, you may want to check out the other giveaways that are being offered at Fido's Freebie Friday.
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| Doggie Grab Bags are Here! Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:01 PM PDT |
