Petsmart and Milk-Bone Cares About #DogDentalHealth

This post is sponsored by PetSmart, and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Dental Health Month, but I, Carma Poodale, only shares information I feel is relevant to my readers. PetSmart is not responsible for the content of this article.

It's February and that means its National Pet Dental Month.A fact about dental health is that over 80% of dogs and 70% of cats will show signs of dental diseases by the age of 3!  Many people don't think about their pets dental health. I got a good checkup last vet visit but the vet said that with me being 9 yrs old now that I should have a professional cleaning at least yearly. I will be having my pearly whites cleaned this month. Until then I will keep my teeth as clean as I can by having my nightly chew. 

I have been a very good girl except for one day when I didn't want to eat my dinner. Ma won that fight. *shakes paw in the air* She forgave me and we went to Petsmart® to get our food for the week. 

Ma told me that it was my turn to pick the nightly chews since Scooby got to pick the last one.

I need something that is chewy, long lasting and satisfies Ma's want to clean my teeth. 

15 minutes later....

I had already made up my mind but ma had to point to each chew until I stood up and wagged my tail. What did I choose???

I chose the New Milk-Bone® Brushing Chews™. I love these chews. They look like a toothbrush that has a little twist to it. They are fun to eat. I have to admit that I took the extra time picking out my chews because of the attention that I receive from the PetSmart staff. 

Ma approves the Milk-Bone chews because they are VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) accepted. The Milk-Bone chews help to control tartar, they can also help to reduce up to 80% of the tartar that is there. The nubs and ridges are designed to be like bristles of a toothbrush. The box reminds me of Ma's toothbrush box too. 

You can find out the top three tips from Dr. Patrick Mahoney on PetMD. They also have a great article about cat's and dogs teeth and it includes photos of the teeth and what to look for. You can find that article about Pet Dentistry

Scooby Doo likes these chews too but he prefers the mini's so Ma put the big box back and got 2 boxes of the Small/Medium and 1 Mini. That is what is so great about the Milk-Bone Brushing Chews is they come in 2 different sizes!! 
                 

PetSmart Vision is to provide Total Lifetime CareSM for every pet, every parent, every time—which we do by offering superior products, unmatched services and superb customer service to pet parents and their pets.

I know that at 7pm each night that I will get my Milk-Bone Brushing Chew to help to fight that tartar and keep my gums and teeth healthy. Even my vet says that for a 9 yr old poodle, I have wonderful teeth. I have a little tartar but nothing a professional cleaning won't treat. I also love chewing on the Milk-Bone brushing chew. Those twist and nubs make them fun to eat. 



I am a very picky poodle and Milk-Bone brushing chews gets my Poodle Stamp of Approval! 

Find a PetSmart location near you using their PetSmart Locater 

You can find a wide selection of chews to fit any dogs or cats taste at PetSmart. Want to see what they have available? Here is a link to all the dental chews.

Be sure to follow PetSmart on all their social media channels. It will help you to keep up with sales, specials, new products , etc...

 Facebook

Twitter 

Pinterest 

Instagram 

YouTube 

Google+ 

Visit Milk-Bone to find out more about their products and stay connected to get coupons, specials, the latest news. You can share photos of your pets enjoying their products on their social media channels. 

Facebook

Twitter 

Instagram 

 Now if you excuse me, I need to finish brushing my teeth with my Milk-Bone brushing chew. 






Join @BlogPaws February 3, 2015 from 8 – 10 pm Eastern as we kick off Pet Dental Health Month with@PetSmart chatting about why prevention of dental disease in our pets is so important. Be sure to use the hashtag #Blogpawschat. 

BW- Here I come!

I love when ma says "Run, Carma! Run!"

I run as fast as I can in big circle 8's. 

The wind in my face, the feeling of the grass beneath my feet,

its great to be a poodle! 

Happy Sunday

Thank you to our host
Dachshund Nola
&
Sugar Goldenwoofs

When Advertisers Ads Go Bad A Community Comes Together

*Steps on Soapbox*

*Clears throat* 

I seen something on the internet that lit a fire under my tail and it got my ma and many other people riled up. I am one mad poodle! 

Why am I so mad?? 

Have you seen it? Have you seen the new commercial for GoDaddy? 

It starts out with a little lab puppy falling out of the back of a pickup truck, the pup gets lost and finally finds their way back to their home and as the pup is walking in the door the lady says "I am glad your home Buddy, I just SOLD you on my new Go Daddy site"

So what? Why should I be mad? 

First off, the commercial starts with a small puppy riding in the back of a pickup truck then when the truck hits a bump, the pup being THROWN OUT of the truck onto the side of the road! The truck never stops, never puts its brakes on, never turns around to search for pup. 

Second, it shows the pup navigating through all types of traffic such as railroad tracks, down the side of the road, through the rain till he gets soaked and finds a box to sit in. Scared and lonely.

Third, He finally finds his way home and he is so excited to be there and the lady says "I'm glad your home Buddy, I just sold you on my new website built with GoDaddy" with the next scene of her putting him in a box and then in a van yelling "Ship them out!" 

WHAT!!!??  

Did this breeder not care that she lost her pup or that he was out by himself? To me and apparently many others , that was a breeder who is in it for the money and only the money. 

To some people the commercial means nothing and take it as the spoof on the commercial that features the Budweiser Clydesdale's and their puppies. To many people it meant more. Twitter and Facebook lit up hashtags #NoDaddy #Superbowl from bloggers, rescue people, and even breeders telling GoDaddy to take that ad down. The main thing that people said was it was appalling, disgusting and poor judgement about airing the commercial on TV. Many have started pulling their domains from GoDaddy. I will be moving my domain name after I write this post. I don't want anything to do with promoting puppy mills, backyard breeders or online sales of puppies!  To me it promotes online shippers and puppy mills! How many times have you read a story about someone getting burned by someone who claims they have pups but after they sent the money, no pup was ever sent to the buyer. 

Petitions started to demand that GoDaddy pull the ad before showing it on the #SuperBowl. 

The petition got over 38,000 signatures in just a few hours!!! Before I even finished this post, GODADDY PULLED THE AD!! *Dances around the room* Sorry GoDaddy, you lost a lot of domains and a lot of customers due to your ad.

Here is the ad that was featured so you can see it for yourself.  
Watch GoDaddy Ad

I hope retailers and businesses pay attention to what happened. There is a whole world of people who are there to give voices to those who have no voices. Between us, those animals DO have voices but it takes a special person to hear it. How many pet parents talk to their dogs and cats and swear they know what they are saying with a look, a tail wag or even a purr. Those people hear what their pets say. 

There are many many people who are advocates for animals in shelters , rescues and bad homes. We have the voice and when we team together, we make our point loud and clear! Can you imagine what GoDaddy could have had if they would have maybe had someone who started helping shelters or rescues with their PR and created a site for that shelter or rescue and once they got the animas online and in the publics view their adoption rate soared until they had NO animals or at least a few empty kennels? Sometimes the power of the internet can be the best thing for shelters. Their animals who are searching for homes can be seen from coast to coast. While I was at the Humane Society, we had someone who drove 18 hrs to meet a dog and they fell in love with each other. The person brought all their vet records and numbers to call for verifications, passed the interview part of the application and returned the next morning and took that dog back with them. 

I have nothing against responsible breeders.YES there is such thing but those breeders don't sell their pups online nor do they ship them. They want to meet the person who is adopting one of their pups. There are many purebred dogs in shelters who get euthanized every day. I was once a dog in a rescue and I am a purebred poodle. During my career as a Spokesdog of a no kill shelter, there were many purebred bassetts, beagles, maltese, German shepherds, collies, labs, shih tzu's and cocker spaniels to name a few that came through our doors. They are in homes of their own now but there will be more purebreds that will come through those doors. 

Please check out shelters, rescues or foster rescues (those who don't have a physical address but use fosters to save dogs and cats out of shelters before their time is up) before buying a dog. I wish more people would adopt, foster or even sponsor an animal who is in a shelter. Don't give your money to the HSUS, give it to your LOCAL shelter. 

Now, if you excuse me, I have to go find another domain host. This may have been a way for them to get publicity but I don't want to use a company that does that. 

*steps off soap box*

Why Joining #TheMajorityProject Is Important To Me And Others #Sponsored

This post is sponsored by The Animal Farm Foundation and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the The Majority Project, but I, CarmaPoodale, only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Animal Farm Foundation is not responsible for the content of this article.

My name is Carma Poodale. I am a poodle who is a friend of pit bull owners. I do not believe in BSL (Breed Specific Legislation).  BSL determines whether a dog is a safe breed by the features of the body. Dogs like German Shepherds, Akitas,chow chows, and even mastiffs were on the list at one time. This also included dogs who were mixed with one of the breeds. Since starting BSL laws the number of dog bites have not went down. The laws have not made a huge difference like the lawmakers thought it would. 

Ask any pit bull or any breed owner what they love about their dog and some of their answers will be "unconditional love", "best dog in the world", "happy to see me when I come home" or "I love the breed".  If a poodle parent says it about their dog and a pit bull parent says it about their dog, then why do people look at pit bulls in a negative stereotyped way? Isn't everyone's dog, the best dog in the world??

In an effort to change the way people see pit bulls as a "bad dog", Animal Farm Foundation created The Majority Project. Animal Farm Foundation is a non-profit organization who helps animals to find new homes, as well as making grants to other humane organizations, since the mid-1980's. The mission of the Animal Farm Foundation is to get pit bull equal treatment 

The Majority Project is a collection of photos showing how many pit bull dog owners are making a difference in their communities and showing the world that a pit bull should not be a banned breed.

I bet you are wondering why I, a poodle, would want to tell you about The Majority Project? Did you know that I was adopted from a pit bull rescue?? I spent a lot of time playing with pit bulls and pit bull mixes. Many pit bulls are also used as service dogs. 

One of my best friends is a red nosed pit bull who finally found a home of his own after waiting for 7 yrs. Dozer says "I am the MAJORITY" 

When we start treating all breeds the same , it will create a safer environment. Instead of blaming the dog for the breed, we need to make the owners accountable. 

Animal Farm Foundation partnered with actor and “pit bull” dog owner, Jon Bernthal to create this upcoming public service announcement (PSA) to raise awareness for The Majority Project; some of the photos submitted will be chosen to appear in The Majority Project PSA to help raise awareness for the

cause.

The Majority Project with Jon Bernthal from Animal Farm Foundation on Vimeo.

Infographic: All Dogs are Individuals
by Animal Farm Foundation

_{Click to see the full image}

I want to encourage you to visit the Animal Farm Foundation and check out the Majority Project on Facebook and Twitter.  Go to the Animal Farm Foundation and print out the sign for you to write who you are and that you are a participate in #TheMajorityProject. You can upload your photo here

You never know , your photo may be used in the next video! 

Please share my post to let your friends, family and followers see what The Majority Project is about and encourage them to participate too. 

All dogs are created equal! 

WW- Wednesdays Wheek

It was 55 degrees today!

Ma took us out for a little bit. Cinnamon was happy to start his mowing (munching) season early. I was excited to get back to my job of being the babysitter!

The black birds were landing everywhere in the yard. Cinnamon didn't like that so he stayed close to me and at times would get under me. Since the ground wasn't warm, ma took him in early but we got to stay out longer. Scooby, Molly Mew and I sure did enjoy running around in the sunshine. 

Wednesday's Wags!! 

If you would like to nominate my blog for one of the categories of the (click link to go to form)  BlogPaws Nose to Nose awards (its similar to winning an Oscar or a Golden Globe award but for pet bloggers) my email address is 

CarmaPoodale@gmail (dot) com. My ma (Bunny Allen) is the owner of this blog. 

Best Written Pet Blog Post
One of the blog post that I had a lot of great interaction with was when Ma registered sissy as a service dog. We wanted to show that those sites online are scams and explained why it would hurt real teams.
http://www.carmapoodale.com/2014/12/sarah-certified-service-dog.html

The second post that had a lot of interaction was about fake emotional support animals. You can find it at http://www.carmapoodale.com/2014/08/fake-emotional-support-animals.html

Best Photo Category. 

Any photo can be nominated that you have liked that I shared. I love our photos in our "Why We Love Spring"post. I especially love the one of Molly Mew. 

 http://www.carmapoodale.com/2014/05/ww-why-we-love-spring.html 

Nominations open till Jan. 31 2015

How My Fur Friends Keep Warm In The Winter.

Let's face it, winter is a cold season. Sometimes it can be WAY too cold unless you are a Ky Poodale Bear like me. BOL! That is what Ma calls me in the winter when she lets me become a wooly (bully) poodle. 

My friends, Davina and Indiana from Two Little Cavaliers  are hosting a Keeping Pets Warm Event blog hop. They wanted to know how we keep warm in the winter. 

I have to admit I wrote the wrong blog topic on my calendar. I thought Monday was a different topic until I doubled checked my source and then my paws started to sweat. Problem was I didn't have many photos for this post yet because I thought it was due NEXT Monday!!! So I did the only thing I knew to do. I gave ma the "pitiful look". She couldn't stand it. You know the look that gets you the treat you want or gets you supper early?? Yeah, that look. 

She went online and asked her friends to help me out. Thank goodness for friends! They came through. So please let me introduce you to some of my friends and the ways they stay warm in the winter.

My first friends are Sabrina and Audrey. Sabrina has a wardrobe of many colors and styles of sweaters. Audrey likes to cuddle with Sabrina when she gets cold. Audrey's Christmas present was a forever home. I believe she has fit in quite well.  

Photos supplied by Laura

Next is Macie. Macie likes to wear sweaters in the winter. They keep her warm and I am sure her cuteness gets her an extra treat or two :)

Photo supplied by Jan

When you are small, you are closer to the ground and they always say that heat rises. When you have short hair, it doesn't keep you as warm as those of us who have long hair that insulates. Jax and Gordy are dachshunds so they were sweaters to keep them warm. 

Photo supplied by Leigh Anne

Maggie Lou and Boo Bear like to cuddle in their bed together. When you have someone to cuddle with it generates body heat. I know Scooby Doo likes to sleep on me to stay warm in the evenings. 

Photo supplied by Cookie

Some friends like Chewy wear hats to keep their head warm. Some wear jackets and some wear sweaters.

Photo supplied by Flea 

Some friends where t shirts or sweatshirts with their favorite teams logo like Shiloh.

Photo supplied by KeAsha

Some like to wear dresses like Jade and even cats appreciate to be covered while they sleep. 

Photo supplied by Natalie

Some kitties like Chevy like to lay on top of a blanket is covering your lap or maybe has a heated blanket under it. Remember never to leave a heated blanket on unattended. You do not want your pet chewing the cord.

Photo supplied by Sass

Scooby Doo loves to wear his sweaters and t shirts. Every day he gets it changed and he always ask for another one right away. If you can't find him all you have to do is look for the cover that is moving on the couch.

What do we do to help the wildlife to stay warm? Ma puts out suet cakes and extra bird feed for the birds and keeps an eye on the water to make sure it doesn't freeze. If it does , she adds a little warm water to the ice to help it melt.

We put out extra food for the squirrels and rabbits who live in our yard. We even have a possum that we feed too! 

She also puts out straw and the dry cuttings from the pampas grass for the birds and squirrels to use in their nest making. 

If you have stray cats who live in your neighborhood you can also help them by putting out cat food at night and making sure they have water. There are also tutorials online about how to make a cat house for strays to help keep them warm at night. Just google "DIY Stray Cat houses" . There are how to take a regular tote (like the ones you store stuff in) and cut holes in it to give the strays or your outdoor cats warm places to sleep at night. 

If you have dogs that stay outside, make sure you use straw in their houses. When a blanket get wet it will actually make a dog colder than they would be without one. If the blanket gets wet, it freezes. Your dog will be sleeping on a bed of ice. If you do use blankets please check them daily to make sure they are not wet. Inspect the house to make sure there is no cold air coming in. 

If temps get to or below freezing, please bring your pets in. I know some outdoor pets do not like it indoors but its just for the night. 

Double check their water to make sure its not frozen. Metal bowls or buckets will freeze and your pet needs fresh water. 

How do your pets stay warm in the winter? Do they like to wear clothes? 

Oh, I guess you would like to know how I stay warm? 

Its a Ky Poodale Bear! 

I have my full coat on. I spend 75% of the time panting because I stay so hot. Ma promises to get me a trim down but she hasn't yet. To me , the Ky Poodale Bear, I sure be glad when she calls my groomer! My hair is at 3" thick. That is a LOT of hair. 

Thank you to all my friends for sending me your photos to include on this blogpost!!! I can count on a little help from my fantastic friends. 

  

Please visit the blogs listed below and see how they stay warm. 

Happy Monday!!!

Frozen Run

Its cold here. Not as cold as other parts of the country but cold enough to keep ma in the house. Ma staying in the house means Carma staying in the house. I had a case of stir crazy, cabin fever and appawently it spread to Scooby Doo too. What is a Poodale to do? 

When I get stir crazy , I start barking or growling at any tiny noise. I growled at a box going down the sidewalk being pushed by the wind. It was entertaining watching that box go all the way down the sidewalk but I felt I needed to cheer it on. Ma told dad she needed to take us to run and he quickly agreed. Ma took a shower and layered up. Sissy Sarah and her took us to run. Ma walked us half way around the frozen lake but the wind was cutting her into she said and we had to turn around and head back to the car. She did let us run ahead to stretch our legs before we had to turn around. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was warm but Scooby didn't have to be told twice to get to the car and he had on a sweater. 

The lake is frozen all the way across. 

We are used to seeing ducks and geese