Enter Fussy's Birthday Giveaway For Your Choice Of Dog Breed Crate Tag

          Yesterday was my dog Fussy's 13th birthday. I'm so excited about her birthday it got me thinking that I want to share my excitement with the rest of you! What better way to do that then to have an awesome giveaway. Sure it was a spur of the moment kind of thought but when you are this giddy you do crazy things like this.

          I will be giving away to one lucky winner one of my handmade crate tags, their choice of dog breed from the breeds and colors I currently carry (sorry no custom crate tag).

          Fussy had a super birthday, she enjoyed her Frosty Paws treat and hung out with her doggy pals. By the end of the day she was pooped and told me it was time to go home. We got everything and everyone packed up and headed home, once there she slept like a log. It was a terrific day and I hope we will have many more days, months, and years like this together.

          Visit my Website, Etsy shop, or Bonanza shop to see all the breeds I carry. Now onto the giveaway details and how to enter!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER.
1. Promotion Description: Fussy's Birthday Sweepstakes begins on 9/10/2013 at 12:00 AM (Central Time (US & Canada)) and ends on 9/30/2013 at 12:00 AM (Central Time (US & Canada)).
2. Eligibility: You must be 18 years of age or older, void in Quebec.
3. How To Enter: You must fill out the Rafflecopter contact information and leave a comment on my blog about which dog is your favorite breed, this is a mandatory entry. Once you have completed that you will then be offered additional ways to receive bonus entries.
4. Prize Description:

• 1 (#) winner will receive [1 Handmade Dog Crate Tag created by barleecreations, your choice of dog breed from the breeds and colors I currently carry (sorry no custom crate tag)]
• (Approximate retail value "ARV": up to $24.00)

Prize can not be redeemed for cash. If the actual value of the prize turns out to be less than the stated ARV, the difference will not be awarded in cash. Sponsor (barleecreations) will not replace any lost or stolen prize items. All federal, state and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner.
5. Odds Of Winning: The number of eligible entries received determine the odds of winning.
6. Winner Selection: The winner of the sweepstakes will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received throughout the promotion period. The random drawing will be conducted within 48 hours after the closing of the sweepstakes by the Sponsor , whose decisions are final. Winner will be notified by email at the email address provided in the entry information on or about 48 hours after the random drawing. Potential winner must except prize by email as directed by Sponsor within 48 hours of notification. Any winner notification not responded to or returned undeliverable may result in prize forfeiture. No substitution or transfer of a prize is permitted expect by Sponsor.
7. Sponsor: Sweepstakes is sponsored by barleecreations, barleecreations@yahoo.com
8. Winners List: Name of winner will appear in a blog post following the selection of the sweepstakes winner.
VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

FDA Releases Arsenic in RiceTest Results – But is it Safe for Your Dog?

FDA Releases Arsenic Test Results – Is Rice Safe for Your Dog?

           There is a great article on the DogFoodAdvisor (one of my favorite dog related sites) about arsenic in rice. If you feed your dog food kibble or use rice in your homemade dog food you may want to think twice. Read the article and educate yourself to make an informed decision. I personally don't think you need to abandon rice altogether but similar to tuna and other fish with mercury you don't want to be feeding it for every meal.

          Currently I've been taking a good look at what I feed my dog and how I feed my dog. I've always read the labels but now I'm looking into ways to limit my dependence on kibbled food. I know the convenience and easy that commercially produced dog food gives can really be a godsend, so for some of us we are kinda stuck with it. So what I've been doing is to add things to the kibble which allows me to cut down on the amount of kibble I give. Adding raw or cooked fruits and vegetables to your dog's food is a great start. Also adding cooked meats and/or even organ meats (I never recommend feeding raw meat, read my past post) as a supplement to the commercial food. What is nice about doing it this way is, as I said before, that you will be cutting down on your dog's kibbled consumption but still keeping the convince and nutrition that that kind of food provides. Buy your "supplement" food items when they are on sale and/or when you have the time to add them to your dog's diet.

          Adding "supplement" foods to your dog's commercial food is a great stepping stone and practice to making home cooked meals and ditching the kibble altogether. Even just doing one home-cooked meal a week will (in my opinion) do your dog good. Do your research, learn all that you can, then make your best educated guess on what is right for you and your dog.

Dog Product Review - Cranimals Organic Supplement

          Back in April or May doggyloot, my favorite place to find cool dog related deals, had listed Cranimals UTI test kit with supplement. I didn't need the test kit but upon reading about the supplement it had me intrigued. I then went to the Cranimals website to read more, it is a pet supplement that uses organic cranberry, red raspberry, and blueberry extracts without artificial anything.

          They have different products but I went with their Very Berry. That one is supposed to help with maintain eye heath and prevent macular degeneration, slow and improve age related declines in memory, balance & coordination, dental health, cardiac health, kidney health & some UTIs, and has antioxidants. I thought the Very Berry was the best one for a senior dog to be on. Fussy will soon 13 years old and anything I can give her that will help fight the aging process I am all for that.

          Towards the end of 2012 I noticed that Fussy was having some senility problems so I started to get her to exercise (physically and mentally) more and added fish oil to her daily health regimen. After do that her mental deterioration stopped and reverted. Earlier this year before Fussy had her surgery she had a UTI, which surprised me because I didn't see any symptoms. So when I read about the Cranimals product I felt it would be a perfect fit for my aging gal. I ended up buying the 1lb bulk container of Very Berry.

          The powder can be added to the dog's food or even mixed into some yogurt. Fussy doesn't seem to like it in yogurt so I mix it into her breakfast. She isn't wild about the taste so I add some irresistible sweet potato to her meal. Other dogs might enjoy the taste of Cranimals more then Fussy because after all she is....well....fussy.

          Has Cranimals' Very Berry made an improvement on Fussy's health? To be truthful it is hard to say, I haven't noticed any markable improvement. However I can say for sure that she hasn't gotten any worse. But if you think about it perhaps that is exactly what you should be seeing. What I mean is this formula is to mainly help maintain what functions the dog already has so you wouldn't see anything change. I am wondering if it has helped improve anything in Fussy that perhaps it was either so small or gradual that it has been overlooked. I have also around the same time been doing several other things to help with Fussy's health that that also makes it hard to say which one thing or even a combo of multiples things helped her or the what degree. Bottom line, I think I will continue using Cranimals until Fussy refuses to voluntarily take it anymore.

          Have you used Cranimals? What was your experience with it? Did you think it worked?

New Design - Boxer With Natural Ears

New Boxer with natural ears

          In case you haven't heard yet, I had some problems finding a new supplier for the clasps I use in my crate tag. Thankfully after a loooong search I was able to locate a suitable replacement. I bought a ton of them now I'm all fully stocked with a fresh supply of clasps. I had been waiting to release the new Boxer style as soon as I had found a new clasp supplier, now that I have ..........Introducing Boxer with Natural Ears!

          You Boxer lovers will be thrilled to know that you can get all the same colors I currently carry for the cropped ear style now in the natural ears. Once again this was a style with a slight color modification requested by a customer. I am always happy to hear customer requests!

Boxer crate tags with cropped ears. Same colors can now be gotten with natural ears.

          At the time of this post this new style is not yet listed in my shops or on my website, but rest assured I will post them as soon as possible. Not to worry if you don't see them (or any other breed I currently carry) in my shops you are always more then welcome to contact me and request a custom listing. Also don't forget you can also get this new style not only in crate tag form but also as a magnet, ornament, and more.

          Didn't find your favorite breed or color? If you didn't then I would love to hear from you. Because if I don't then there is no telling how long it will take before I'll get around on my own to make it.

Tips For Your Skin When Grooming Your Dog

Fussy right before a much needed haircut.

          I do all the grooming on my dogs which are all English Springer Spaniels with the exception of one Chinese Crested. So not only do I do trimming with scissors I also use a clipper to keep them all nice and trimmed. But anyone who has clipped snippets of fur off a dog knows that those little bits of hair likes to collect on your skin and even stab you. OUCH! Not to worry as I am going to give you some tips to help save your skin and make cleaning those little stabby hairs off you a bit easier.

          First you want to make sure you are wearing the proper clothing for the job at hand. Long sleeves will help be a barrier for you arms but if that is to hot short sleeves will work. You don't want to have anything with a low cut neck unless you want hair going down into your shirt. I like to groom wearing a old T-shirt. Long pants are best but once again if that is to hot to wear shorts will do. If you go with shorts I would recommend them not to be super short shorts. I normally wear jogging pants, jeans, or if it is hot out a long short. As for footwear I like to use gym-shoes but any shoe that covers your foot completely will also work. You don't want to wear sandals or you run the risk of getting a hair splinter in the bottom of your foot, also you don't want anything with an open toe just in case you drop your scissors.

          Second thing to do is wear some type of grooming smock. There is a wide variety of grooming aprons and smocks that range from short to long length, long sleeve, short sleeve, or no sleeve, and even in different types of materials. Pick one that fits your needs and that you would be comfortable wearing. I personally have a bunch of different types of aprons and smocks that I use. For quick examples I have a long heavy water proof apron for washing dogs, long sleeve smock for when I have to do a bunch of haircuts, and a lightweight small apron for brush-outs.

          Now you got your clothing and apron on, what is next? You need a skin barrier. Products such as: Oster Clear Glove (I mainly use this one), Gloves In A Bottle (I also use this), Liquid Gloves, and Invisible Glove. Before you begin to groom you will want to apply one of these to your neck, hands, and arms. What these products do is to create a barrier between your skin and any hair that comes in contact with you. When using this you are less likely to have hairs stabbing into your skin and it makes it much easier to wipe the fur off your skin.

          After you finished clipping make sure you run a horse hair brush or other soft bristle brush over your dog to remove any loose trimmed hair. Next you now need to get any hair that is on you off. Before you jump in that show get a dry small towel and use that to dust yourself off. Clipped dog fur likes to stick to wet skin so by using a dry towel first you will have an easier time knocking off the hair. If you don't feel any hair splinters or see any clumps of fur on you then you are ready for the shower. Afterwards you will want to check your fingernails, you may see tiny bits of trimmed hair under your fingernails. If you do take a nail trimmer and pull out that metal file that is attached to it. On the end of the file is a hook use that part to go under your nails and gently remove any hairs you see.

          I hope you found my tips helpful and maybe even learned something new. If you know a tip or trick that you use to help with keeping the fur off your skin I would love for you to share it.