Archive for January, 2007
Nylabone Galileo Souper
January 29, 2007 3:37 pm- First Impression: Man it was time for a new Nylabone. Mom and Dad bought me my first two almost 5 months ago! They were looking a little nasty, but I still loved them. The kind folks over at Nylabone sent me a gift box and I got to try out this new monster of a chew bone. Now it is shaped a little weird, but I like it none the less. Every time Mom and Dad eat lunch or dinner I lay down and chew on a Nylabone. It keeps me entertained while they eat that amazing smelling human food… I just close my eyes and pretend.
- Conclusion: Great chew bone! Lasts a very long time. Not sure what could be improved.
- Buy it from PetSmart now!
- Click on the image below:
3.5 out of 4 paws!
- First Impression: I’m a very tall dog, my back is 28 inches off the ground. I don’t really like having to bend way over to eat and drink my food, so Dad went to PetSmart and bought 2 of the Little Giant - Mini Feeders for horses. Then he constructed a wall mount out of 2×4s so the feeders would be up off the floor. He looked at some of the store bought stands, but none were tall enough, or worth the money. Each of the feeders were less than $10, and a 2×4 is less than $2. If you would like more detailed construction plans let me know and I’ll ask Dad.
- Conclusion: Amazing! Every tall puppy should have one!
4 out of 4 paws!
Planet Dog - Pink Ribbon Ringo Toy
11:37 am- First Impression: This ball is very similar to the diamond plate ball. It smells the same, tastes the same, it has the same size holes, the ball is the same diameter, etc. However it has this 1/2 inch raised rib that goes around the center of the ball. This causes the ball to act erratic when Dad or I throw it. However, I don’t think it’s quite as bouncy as the Diamond Plate ball. If I had to choose I would pick my super bouncy orange diamond plate ball.
- Conclusion: A great rubbery ball, for a great cause! Support Breast Cancer Research! 3.5 out of 4 because it’s a strong toy that supports a great cause.
3.5 out of 4 paws!
Nylabone Big Chews - Truck Tire
11:18 am- First Impression: Well I chewed on it for a few minutes when Dad first gave it to me. I was just being nice though. This tire is HARD, just like my other Nylabones. However it’s just not a shape that appealing to me. After five minutes of play, I haven’t touched the toy in days.
- Conclusion: If for some reason you like to chew on an extremely hard circle, this toy is perfect for you. Personally, it just wasn’t for me. 2 out of 4 paws because yes it is indestructible, but I’ll never use it
2 out of 4 paws!
Planet Dog - Orbee-Tuff - Diamond Plate Ball
January 26, 2007 2:13 pm- First Impression: This toy seems very sturdy! Plus dad says I make a “sucky face” noise when I’m chewing on it (slurp, slurp, slurp). I’m partial to tennis balls, but this ball is winning right now. It’s WAY bouncier, and it smells better too. It has all the advantages of the soccer ball, it floats, it bounces, it smells like peppermint, but it seems to be constructed even better! The holes are 1/2″ on one end and 3/8″ on the other end.
- Conclusion: Overall I’m very pleased with this ball. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to destroy it. It’s super bouncy. It smells great. What more does a giant puppy need? I would definitely recommend this ball!
4 out of 4 paws!
Natural Balance dry kibble
1:17 pm- First Impression: The kind folks over at Natural Balance sent me 4 samples of their dry food: Ultra Premium, Potato & Duck Formula, Venison & Brown Rice Formula, and the Sweet Potato & Fish Formula. Normally dad does not like to feed me other types of dry kibble because as a rule it can be shock for puppy’s systems (upset stomachs). But after reading more about the food he decided to see if I liked it. We started off with the (blue) Ultra Premium which basically has all kinds of wonderful ingredients like chicken, duck, and lamb meal. I’m thinking about switching my diet over to this one, no more Pro Plan Selects! I then tried all of the others, which were quite wonderful. Honestly I have no complaints about the food. Dad didn’t even have to put yogurt on my breakfast! Usually I’m quite picky in the morning.
- Conclusion: Natural Balance knows what they are doing. I’m talking Dad into switching me over to 100% Natural Balance Ultra Premium (blue package).
3.5 out of 4 paws!
Wish Lists
January 24, 2007 12:56 pmHere you will find my ever changing wish lists. If you would like me to review one of these items, feel free to send it over.
Any of the AussieDog products would be amazing! But this would work great for tetherball. Imagine the fun that could be had with a Carnivore toy!
Fat Cat - Doggy Hoots - Incredible Strapping Yankers - Rainbow Trout
January 23, 2007 3:14 pm- First Impression: Well the kind people over at Fat Cat inc. sent me a rainbow trout! I personally had never seen one before, so Dad had to explain it to me. Fascinating! I think the reason I like it so much is because bears eat them, and of course I want to be just like a bear. Dad gave me two new toys last night, and this one won out! Dad was actually surprised. For some reason I really like to chew on this fish, and throw it around. Sometimes I just like to hit Dad with it. It says that they have tested it to withstand a half a ton of “yank testing.” Dad says that there is not enough for him to hold onto for it to be a good tug-a-war toy - I can pull it away from him pretty easily. Doesn’t matter to me, I’m really like this catch!
- Conclusion: So far I haven’t damaged the fish at all! I would like it a little bit more if there were 2 or 3 squeakers in it. One squeaker seems to be difficult to find. Also if they spent all that time making it withstand a half a ton of “yankin”, they may want to make it easier for humans to hold onto. Overall it’s very entertaining for me!
- Follow up: After 2 nights of playing I’ve partially torn one of the fins off and there is stuffing in there that I’m going to start pulling out soon. Also I’ve torn a good “L” in the side of the fish. I can see the “strapping” inside that is supposed to make the toy strong. Not much they can do to protect the fabric. I’ll post more when it’s completely destroyed.
- Follow up #2: After about 30 more minutes I ripped the nose off of the trout. As soon as Dad saw me pulling stuffing out he trashed the fish… Guess it’s bad for puppies to eat. Darn! Fun while it lasted, but it only lasted 3 days…
3 out of 4 paws!
- First Impression: Well what dog doesn’t like liver treats? These treats have five simple ingredients: wheat flour, cranberry, liver, salt, and garlic powder. Of course I always like it when meat is the first ingredient, but these are pretty good. Dad likes their mild smell and since they are dry he doesn’t have to get his hands all dirty.
- Conclusion: Well I know how good cranberries are for humans. So they must have a similar antioxidant property for puppies too, right? You bet they do! Cranberries support a healthy urinary tract! Also cranberries are a natural preservative. Since it’s an antioxidant, it helps keep fats from becoming oxidized. When fats become oxidized they start to taste bad, and loose nutritional value. Sorry, if I started ranting, but I really like natural science. Even if you don’t understand the science, I really think you will like how they taste. Dad says they are very handy when he doesn’t have time to clean up after a quick training session.
3 out of 4 paws!
Petsport - Tuff Balls
January 22, 2007 12:07 pm- First Impression: Now let me start off by saying I’m a tennis ball aficionado. I can entertain myself for hours playing soccer, trowing the ball for myself, bouncing it off peoples feet so they don’t even know they are playing, etc. But tennis balls tend to fray and Dad doesn’t like it when I start pulling off the felt. Plus with enough time I can split a tennis ball wide open. So the wonderful folks over at Petsport came through again, and sent me some Tuff Balls! Word around the dog park is they have a 4 inch model too. I need to get my huge paws on one of those!
- Conclusion: Tuff Balls are industrial strength, extra thick, non-toxic, and colorfast! If your puppy love tennis balls as much as I do, I would highly recommend trying Tuff Balls! I’ve been chewing on mine for days and except for the dog hair that’s stuck on it, it’s just like new.
4 out of 4 paws!
Pet ‘n Shape - Chik ‘n Breast
10:17 am- First Impression:These are great! Think chicken jerky for man’s best friend! Dad and I both think they smell great. Also Dad is impressed that they look like white meat. Personally I don’t mind dark meat, but Dad says the white stuff is healthier. Not sure how you can improve on 100% chicken breast!
- Conclusion:Tastes great, healthy, pure meat! What more can a growing pup ask for?
4 out of 4 paws!
Multiple “Exclusively Dog” products
10:04 am- First Impression: The friendly folks over at “Exclusively Dog” heard about my website and sent me 5 of their products to test. I’ve included scans that detail the ingredients and health facts for each of the products below.
- Cheese Flavor - Best Buddy Bits.
- Chicken Parsley Flavor - Gourmet Wafer Cookies.
- Carob Chip Flavor - Cookies.
- Peanut Butter Flavor - Best Buddy Bones.
- S’Mores Flavor Sandwich Creme Treat (looks like an Oreo).
- Let me just start off by saying that I Love how sweet all of these treats taste. Dad was/is considering trying one because they look and smell so much like human cookies. Plus the ingredients are very straight forward, they are probably healthier than most the stuff Mom eats… But there in lies the problem. Dad thinks that they are too sweet for a puppy of any age. The second ingredient in almost all of them is sugar. As we all know puppies have a hard time processing sugar, and just like humans can develop diabetes.
- Conclusion: Your puppy is nearly guaranteed to LOVE the taste. However these should only be used as an occasional treat! If you were to feed your puppies these sugary sweet morsels every day, they would soon plump up. If you puppy is already overweight or does not exercise regularly, you may want to think twice. On the PRO side they are all natural, with no animal bi-products! 3 out of 4 paws, because Dad made me! If we were judging on taste alone they would be a 4.
3 out of 4 paws!
Canine Caviar - Gourmet Duck Dog Food (moist)
January 18, 2007 7:14 pm- First Impression: Well after the Beaver incident Dad decided we should check out the Duck. Luckily this can looked great! I normally don’t get moist food. I live on dry kibble and a fair amount of treats. I LOVE duck! Amazing what you learn in life.
- Conclusion: It only has duck and water in the can. Thats pretty darn healthy! Plus I loved how great it tasted. Dad just put it on some of my dry kibble, and man I went to town! Dad said I sounded like a hog rooting for truffles… Whatever those are…
3.5 out of 4 paws!
- First Impression: Well when Dad opened the can I was VERY excited. I thought it smelled great, even though Dad wasn’t so sure… After dad poured it into my bowl he noticed there were TONS of bone chunks. After he saw that most were 1/4 inch in diameter he wouldn’t let me eat it. Dad was afraid that it could cause a blockage, or tear passing through my “system.” Dad dug though part of it and grabbed a few chunks. I would guess that he got about 1/4 of them. High Res Example. & Low Res Example.
- Conclusion: If this was a “one time” manufacturing problem, then I guess I would try it again. If this is how it’s supposed to be, I would steer clear because your puppy’s health is VERY important. One paw because I liked how it smelled, but couldn’t eat it.
- Followup: Mom spoke with Jeff Baker over at Canine Caviar and he said there definitely should NOT be bones. Mom gave him the lot number that was on the can and Jeff said that he was going to have cans opened all over the country to see if this was an isolated incident, or if it had affected the entire batch. I sure am glad Canine Caviar is taking it serious. I really would have eaten it, if Dad would have let me…
1 out of 4 paws!
Pet ‘n Shape - Duck ‘n Rice Stix
3:29 pm- First Impression: I LOVE the ingredients! 100% natural duck breast fillets and rice. Nothing else! The sticks are very dense and crunchy. Dad’s teaching me how to “sit up” so only my hind feet are on the ground. Let me tell you. This was a great motivator! I was sitting up like a human in a matter of minutes.
- Conclusion: 2 ingredients need I say more? They taste great, they are healthy, and of course they are 100% natural. Do not hesitate to try these treats.
4 out of 4 paws!
