Product Review - Canine Genius' Leo

I got another comment on our myspace page the other day celebrating how great these toys are, and I happen to agree, so I thought I would "officially" review the products on our blog.

To start off with, treat dispensing toys are not necessarily new. They have been around for awhile. I have tried them before, and have watched the dog go from frustrated, to mastery in a very small amount of time, and then it takes me longer to put the treats in them then to take them back out again. So, I would say they were fun for awhile, but then, not so much.

I was a bit skeptical when these came out. First, what would be the challenge. What treats do you put inside of them? How long would it take them to go from frustrated to treat-foo master? I was very surprised.

I bought Hannah one of these for Christmas. She didn't get it very quickly. I had always taken her for the smarter of the two, but just was not interested. Sam, however, got the game almost instantaneously. I stepped on the toy and squeezed a treat out, and he was off and running. He enjoyed about two weeks of uninterrupted play, because Hannah is the boss, and if she wants the toy, she usually just takes it. But, since she didn't "get it", she left him to play, and would occasionally snatch a treat that it dropped that he missed.

Two weeks passed, and after carefully watching him, and finally having the persistence to play with it to get her own treat, she finally "got it" as well, and then wouldn't share it any longer. I suppose thats fair, it was her present, but since Sam enjoyed it so much, we got him one soon after.

Now is where the real fun comes into play. They have both mastered their "treat-foo" getting the toys to dispense the treats, but what makes these toys so unique, is that they can be combined into numerous different shapes, in any amount of numbers, and each time it makes a new, unique toy, that they then have to work to figure out. It might flop in different directions, more complex patterns, giving them a new challenge so that they don't empty it before you even make it back to the couch.

I am sold. I would rate these with two thumbs up as one of the best toys I have seen, and definitely the winner that came out in 2007. Our Bark-B-Q trainer chips work great as treats you insert into the slots - better than the treats that the website sent us as samples with them in my opinion. Our chips are a little more consistent in their thickness, making them easier to get into the toy without breaking. This toy is worlds of fun, and I have seen our dogs play with them for hours and hours, giving a nice, quiet, relaxing break from them tearing around the house like banshees!

Rating: ***** (Five Stars)

Sweet Potatoes - Our Newest Edition

Hey Guys!

At BigWag we're always looking for the newest healthy treats for our canine friends, so last week when a customer told me about sweet potato chews, I was excited to look into them. It turns out sweet potatoes can be dehydrated and used as a substitute for rawhide. Since rawhide is among the most evil of dog treats, I am excited to find good alternatives to this hideous product. Sweet potatoes are also high in anti-oxidants and rich in vitamins. And, because these new treats are made from sweet potatoes, they're a great chew for dogs with allergies to animal products. Of course these chews are made in the United States, just like all of our other chews and treats. And they don't have any wheat gluten, additive or preservatives. So they are a great addition to our safe, healthy, hand-made treats. I hope you and your dog will stop by and check these new chews out. Or look for them on our website. This link will take you directly to their page. http://www.bigwag.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_29 Have a great Monday!

Lots of Love,
Erin

These are two of the three kinds of sweet potato chews we now carry. We also have them in "Bichon Fries" for small dogs!

Our Little Visits the Bakery

Hey Everyone!

Cary and I are "bigs" in the Big Brothers Big Sister organization, and our "little", Alex came to visit us today. He made Bacon and Egg Piglets and pupcakes. He helped out with some Chicken & Stars and Squirrels too! Alex said BigWag "looks like a nice place."

Lots of Love,
Erin

Alex feeds Hannah and Sam a treat he made.

BigWag Gets Shadowed

Hey Everyone!

Hope you're enjoying this beautiful spring day. Today was a new experience at BigWag. We had our first job shadow. Katy wants to be a pastry chef, but unfortunately the local bakeries were unable to allow her to shadow them because of health codes. So instead she tried her hand at being a doggie pastry chef. I personally think she did a great job. These are pictures of her decorating a barkday cake, check out her great work!

Lots of Love,

Erin

More from the Easter Egg Hunt

Hey All!

Just wanted to share a picture of this fun Easter cake I got to do. I bet Brock and Forbes had a Happy Easter :D Hope you all did too!

In case you're looking for more pictures of the Easter Bunny Hop, check out these from Jackie Collie of Pets Rock Photography. She does an excellent job capturing the personalities of pets on film. http://petsrock.smugmug.com/gallery/4536489_9PByM/1/267182886_pjDJo#267182886

Also, the event was covered in the Morning News! If you missed it in print, you can still check out the article here:
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/03/22/living/032308dogbonnets.txt

Have a great Monday!

Lots of Love,
Erin

Pictures from the Easter Egg Hunt

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to post a few pictures from the Easter Bunny Hop on Saturday. It was cold and windy but we still had a great turn out. Thanks to all of you who braved the wind and rain to let your dogs hunt Easter Eggs and support Murphy Memorial Dog Park. We hope to see you again soon. The next event we know of right now is Dog Days Downtown at Frisco Park in Rogers on April 12th. But we'd love to see you and your dogs in the store before that!

Lots of Love,
Erin

P.S. The last little guy on the bottom right is Astor, he's a sheltie mix and he's available for adoption from Lone Pine Shelter. He's super sweet, so if anyone is looking to give a dog a forever home, check him out!

One Year Anniversary of the Pet Food Recall

Hey Folks!

As we near the one year anniversary of the horrible pet food recalls from last year, I would like to take this opportunity to let people comment on any experiences they may have had, as well as give any opinions on what could be done different. Currently, absolutely nothing has changed legislatively, and all FDA recalls are voluntary with self regulation. Why has nothing changed in the last year to help protect our pets from future outbreaks like what happened?

I have read in other blogs that what happened in the US in 2007 happened before in China in 2004. Obviously these companies do not care about anything other than short term profits. The Chinese governement protects their companies from lawsuites. What safety protocols should be in place, and how do we enforce them? Are we prepared to sit by and do nothing, opening the door to similiar events in the near future?

As a consumer, you have a vote. I don't buy any food or treat made outside the United States. Apparently, these companies are not only still selling products, but are raising the prices to offset lawsuits from last year. YOU are paying for their mistakes. YOU are paying for the lawsuites against these companies. How does that make you feel?

These companies want you to sit by, idely buying their products because they spend millions of dollars to help you forget. Chime in, I want to hear from you! How has the recall affected you, and are you satisfied with what was done about it?

Tomorrow is the Easter Egg Hunt!

Hey Guys!

Don't forget to come out and visit us tomorrow from 1pm-4pm at the Easter Bunny Hop at Murphy Memorial Dog Park. We'll have treats and prizes! And there are tons of things to do. Participate in the Biggest Wag contest, let you dog hunt for Easter eggs, try to be the highest hopper, or show off your dog's Easter bonnet. It's a lot of fun and the proceeds benefit Murphy Dog Park. If you haven't pre-registered yet, there's still time. Or you can pay $5 at the door tomorrow. Hope to see you there.

Lots of Love,
Erin

P.S. Murphy Dog Park is located at 1st and Nursery in Rogers
P.P.S Check out pics of last year's Easter Egg Hunt on our website http://www.bigwag.com/phpgraphy/?dir=Easter%20Egg%20Hunt%202007

PRESENCE OF SALMONELLA BACTERIA IN ROLL OVER PORK TENDERS PREMIUM DOG TREAT

PRESENCE OF SALMONELLA BACTERIA IN ROLL OVER PORK TENDERS PREMIUM DOG TREAT
OTTAWA, March 13, 2008 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Rollover Premium Pet Food Ltd. are warning consumers not to purchase or use the Roll Over Pork Tenders Premium Dog Treat described below. This product may be contaminated with the bacteria responsible for salmonellosis in humans.

The affected Roll Over Pork Tenders Premium Dog Treat was sold in 50 g packages bearing

UPC 0 60766 88138 1. All lots up to and including 07 MAR 10 are affected by this alert.

Roll Over Pork Tenders Premium Dog Treat was distributed nationally.

There has been one illness reported associated with this product.

People may risk bacterial infection by handling the treats directly or by contact with pets who have used the treats. Anyone who may have handled the treats should wash their hands with warm water and soap. Consumers should dispose of these treats in the trash.

Common symptoms of Salmonella infection are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea, although more serious consequences are possible, especially in young children, the elderly, and in people with weakened immune systems.

Rollover Premium Pet Food Ltd., High River, Alberta, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

For more information, consumers and industry can call one of the following numbers:

Rollover Premium Pet Food Ltd.
403-652-4300 or 1-800-616-9267
info@rolloverpetfood.com

CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

For information on Salmonella, visit the Food Facts web page at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/causee.shtml.

For information on receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety facts, visit our web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.

The Hartz Mountain Corporation Recalls Vitamin Care for Cats

The Hartz Mountain Corporation Recalls Vitamin Care for Cats Because of Possible Health Risk

Contact:
Mr. John Mullane
(914) 391-0943

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — March 7, 2008 — The Hartz Mountain Corporation is voluntarily recalling a second specific lot of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats due to concerns that bottles within the lot may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella. Hartz is fully cooperating with the US Food and Drug Administration in this voluntary recall. Hartz recalled a specific lot code of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats last November due to similar concerns. Both lot codes were manufactured for Hartz by UFAC (USA) Inc. in 2007, and were removed from distribution last November. However, bottles from the second lot had been shipped to customers prior to their having been removed from distribution.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, all of whom are at particular risk from exposure and should avoid handling these products.

Salmonella symptoms may include fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea in both cats and humans. Anyone experiencing the symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek immediate medical attention. Owners of cats exhibiting these symptoms should also seek veterinary assistance.

The product involved is 739 bottles of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats, lot code SZ 22771, UPC number 32700-97701. While normal testing conducted by Hartz and UFAC has not revealed the presence of Salmonella in any Hartz products, recent sampling conducted by the FDA did detect the presence of Salmonella.

Although the company has not received any reports of animals or humans becoming ill as a result of coming into contact with this product, Hartz is taking immediate steps to recover this product from consumers. Cat owners should check the lot code on their bottles, and, if the code is not visible, or if the bottle has lot code SZ 22771 or lot code SZ-16371 imprinted thereon, they should immediately discontinue use of the product and discard it in a proper manner.

Consumers can contact Hartz at 1-800-275-1414 with any questions they may have and to obtain reimbursement for purchased product.

You’ll find the release on the FDA website.

Our Treats at Acropolis Salon and Day Spa

Hey Guys!

Pam from Acropolis Salon and Day Spa in Bentonville came in today and purchased sample packs of our treats. She's going to give them away with shampoo purchases! Thought our customers might be interested in checking out her spa, especially if you can get free BigWag treats :) http://www.acropolissalonanddayspa.com/ Happy Pampering!

Lots of Love,
Erin

Egg-stravaganza

Volunteers for Murphy Memorial Dog Park are seen here stuffing plastic eggs with dog treats. BigWag donated 20 lbs of trainer chip mix for the Easter Bunny Hop being help at the park on Sat, March 15th.

How Good is Your Dog's Food?

Hey all!

Just wanted to let you in on something I discovered today. We have recently begun carrying Taste of the Wild, and I've found that Hannah and Sam prefer it to Solid Gold. I'm very excited about this, especially since it's reasonably priced for a grain-free diet. Yes! Grain free! That means that it has not only no wheat, corn or soy, but also no rice or barley. Today as I was researching, I came across the dog food analysis website. This board basically evaluates the labels of pet foods, to tell you exactly what all the gobbly-gook really means. They also rank the foods, based on their interpretations of the labels. Now, I believe Solid Gold is a good food. Hannah and Sam both love it and their coats are soft and shiny. But, the Hund-n-Flocken is only a 4 star food, while two of the Taste of the Wild foods are 6 star (the highest rating) and one is a 5 star. If you're interested to find out where the food you give your dog ranks, check out http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/ I think you'll be shocked at some of the foods on the 1 star list.

Lots of Love,
Erin

Multimedia message

Bark day cake

Coupon This Week - Good till 3/11/2008

Getting to Know the Pet Community

Hey Guys!

Okay, you can tell that it's nasty and icky outside when I post more than one blog a day :p Oh, well. Anyway, we thought it would be great fun to get to know the people of the Northwest Arkansas pet community and as I am a big fan of the questionnaire at the end of Inside the Actor's Studio, I used some of their questions, plus a few of my own, just for spice. Sheri Jensen of Fetch! Pet Care was kind enough to be my guinea pig for this month. So enjoy getting to know a little more about Sheri and look for more interviews to come. (And if you'd like to be a guinea pig, feel free to come visit me at the store!)

Name: Sheri Jensen

Profession: Pet Sitter, Owner of NWA franchise of Fetch! Pet Care

Pets: Tybeau, a Yorkie; Shania, a German Shepherd; Titan, a Belgian Malonios who is a K-9 cop that works with Sheri's husband

1. What is your favorite word? Please

2. What is your least favorite word? No

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Being of help to others

4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Mean and disrespectful people

5. What sound do you love? Coins dropping from the slots at a casino

6. What sound do you hate? When a car won't start

7. What profession other than your would you like to attempt? K-9 trainer

8. What profession would you not like to attempt? Investigations (Sheri used to be a private investigator, so been there, done that, doesn't want to go back)

9. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Job well done

10. Cat person or dog person? Dog

11. Favorite BigWag treat? Chicken and Stars

12. Least Favorite BigWag treat? None, they love them all (I swear she said this, honest!)

13. What's your pet peeve? Not following through

14. What's your guilty pleasure? Chocolate

15. What do you drive? A white Toyota Forerunner

16. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate

17. Where is you favorite spot to hang out? On my sofa in my pajamas

18. What was the last book you read? Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer

Hope you had as much fun reading this as I did asking it, and I'm serious about needing more guinea pigs :D

Lots of Love,
Erin

Happy Professional Pet Sitters Week!

Hey everyone!

This week, March 2nd-8th, is professional pet sitter's week. We are privileged to work with many fantastic pet sitters. For those of you not familiar with the concept of pet sitting, the gist is that someone will actually come to your house and take care of your pets while your away, whether you're on a business trip or just at work. If you're looking for more information on choosing a pet sitter or trying to decide if a pet sitter is right for you, check out this link to the Humane Society of the United States.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/choosing_a_pet_sitter/

And if you see your favorite pet sitter this week, be sure to tell them how much you appreciate the way they care for your furry friends!

Lots of Love,
Erin