Pet Care

Basil’s Favorite Things Special Edition Monday! — WagAware

Happy Monday everyone! Hope everyones weekend was a great one and if it was sunny where you are, I hope you got to get out there and enjoy the coming of Spring. Today I am doing a very special edition of Basil’s Favorite Things. As you know this feature usually comes on Fridays but I stumbled upon something this morning and it could not wait!

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WagAware is a online company that sells über adorable dog charms. Okay, I know what your thinking… ” Um, why couldn’t this wait until Friday? They are just dog charms!” And you would be right IF they were just dog charms but they are so much more then that!

These charms, which also glow in the dark (!!!), are not just stylish but also help support some amazing dog charities. WagAware donates 50% of all their proceeds to pet based charities like American Humane Association, Canine Companions for Independence, and American Bulldog Rescue. Donations to date have reached $19,500. This week WagAware will be donating 50% of all sales to Blue Ridge Boxer Rescue. Basil loves boxers and we love to support local rescue groups. Blue Ridge Boxer Rescue is a very worthy charity and we are beyond happy to help support them as well as WagAware. 276442_137987256230893_1695626341_n

Head over to WagAware and order charms for all your four legged children. If you buy 2 or more you’ll save 10% and shipping is free on all orders!

I ordered Basil’s this morning and I can’t wait to add it to his collar. Once we receive it I’ll post a ton of photos of the cute overload.

So now do you understand why it couldn’t wait until Friday? Okay, I knew you would get it! Now, don’t wait, go get your WagAware charm right now!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

 

Basil’s Favorite Things – Bully Bites

Happy Friday everyone! This last week has just flown by. Last Sunday our Seattle Seahawks became Super Bowl 48 champions (!!!!) and then last Monday we welcomed a house guest for the week. Basil showered her with tons of snuggles and love and we showed her this southern city we’re currently calling home. Now that our house is quiet and our friend has gone Basil thinks he deserves all the treats for being such an amazing host. He has almost completely toppled the treat bin more than once today; but the best treats are kept in the fridge!

We discovered Bully Bites this last summer at a Boston Terrier/Boxer meet-up party. The second we walked up to the sales table

Basil’s nose was telling him that these treats were the real deal. He choose the very popular peanut butter flavor and fell in love.

Bully Bites are homemade, preservative – free dog treats made by a family with 2 great danes and an English bulldog. Being a loving pet family they understand that you love your pets too and don’t want to give them anything that may cause them harm. There are absolutely no preservatives added to any of their dog treats and because of this they recommend storing their tasty treats in the refrigerator or freezer. 

Basil loves Bully Bites and would eat the entire bag in one seating if we let him! I can almost guarantee your dog will also love them and they have a flavor that is just perfect. Head over to the Bully Bites website and order some treat for your furry friends just in time for Valentines day!

Bully Bites… Basil’s Travels approved!! 

Travel well, Nap well, Live well!

-Abbey & Basil

Tips for Road Tripping with your dog!

Over pack – When it comes to dogs always over pack! Bring everything that you may need just in case. Bring food, large refillable bottle of water, blanket, favorite toy, leash and food/water bowls. We have portable dishes that stay in the car at all times. Plan for an emergency. Even if you are only going on a short day trip, plan for a longer trip, just in case.

Check the weather along your route – For a longer trip make sure to check the weather on the route you will be taking. This isn’t just for you but for your dog. If you need to stop and have to leave your dog in the car you want to make sure its not going to be too hot or too cold. Extreme weather can harm your pet! Never leave your pet in the car when the temperature is above 69 degrees fahrenheit. If its cold my basic rule of thumb is, if its too cold for you its too cold for your dog!

Stop often – You know your dog better than anyone, so you know when they have to use the bathroom. When we are on the road I try to stop at a rest area and let Basil potty even 2 hours at the least. This may sound like a lot but for us and Basil, who is a smaller dog who drinks plenty of water, this works. If you have a larger dog you may not need to stop so much but I would say its better to be safe than sorry!

Make a comfortable space for your pet – For us we have never crated Basil or Nolan when in the car. They have both been great road trip dogs and are just happy to chill in the back seat. To make Basil comfortable I always bring his favorite blanket. He curls up in it and falls asleep. To keep the car seats protected we use a little weight weighted water proof picnic blanket. Its perfect for keeping the car clean from wet, dirty dog or spilled food or water. It is washable and folds up super small. For those of you that do use a crate in the car make sure to add comforts from home like a pillow or blanket.

Set the child locks on the windows – This sounds funny but it is something that we have learned over the years and it has really come in handy. If we don’t set the child locks on the power windows Basil takes it upon himself to lower the windows in the back seat no matter what the weather outside may be.  

 These five tip have helped us when traveling with our dog all over the United States by car. If you have any other tips you would like to add make sure to let me know in the comments below. Hope everyone is staying warm!

Travel well, Nap well, Live well!

-Abbey & Basil

 

Basil’s Favorite Things – Burt’s Bees Dog Shampoo

Its Friday and its time for a very over due bath for Sir Basil. Somehow he has gotten out of it everyday for about the last month; Not today! I started the bath, added the bubbles and wake him up from his daily afternoon nap.

He begged me with those eyes to keep that very strong dog odor that he worked so hard for, but it didn’t work!

So, after a few moments of the sad eyes, in the bath Basil went. Being the amazing dog that Basil is he doesn’t fight it or cry he just tries to enjoy the warm water and yummy smell coming from his favorite puppy shampoo. Burt’s Bees Apple & Eucalyptus Deodorizing Shampoo is just perfect. It smells fantastic, bubbles up well, and cleans this little black & white dog like nobodies business!

If you haven’t used Burt’s Bees before we highly recommend it. Their shampoo is made from natural ingredients and is 100% cruelty free. Its easy on Basil sensitive skin and leaves him smelling like apples!

After being soaped up and then rinsed off it was time to call in the “muscle”, also know as my husband. We have a very old house and a super deep bath tub so lifting a wet, 25 lb. dog out of the bath without getting soaked is a little tricky for me.

Once out we dried him off and watched his attitude change from sad face back to the happiest dog in the world! He knows that always after a bath he gets rewarded with many treats, which he totally did! He now smells delicious and I hope that lasts for a long time. 

If you are looking for a new dog shampoo give Burt’s Bees a try. You can find at pet stores or we always get it in the pet section of Home Goods.

Hope everyone is have happy Friday and staying warm!

Travel well, Nap well, Live well!

-Abbey & Basil

FidoFest 2013 – Historic Southend Charlotte

This last Saturday we woke Basil up “super” early, like at 8am, for a great cause. We headed down to the Historic Southend Charlotte neighborhood in some seriously heavy fog to walk in the 3K 2X4 FidoFest! The Southend neighborhood is an area of Charlotte that we haven’t spent a lot of time in but once I learned that 80% of Southend residents are dog owners we knew we needed to spend some more time there. 

This walk, where the proceeds go to CMPD Animal Care & Control, took us down the light rail line and let us really enjoy this little gem of a neighborhood. Great, clean walking paths passing by luxury apartment buildings and condos. A lot of chic shops and restaurants sprinkled in between. 

On our walk we meet a lot of new friends, like a giant 7 month old great dane that kept trying to make his poor mom “win” this 3K walk! Along the way there were stop off spots for water and goodies. Basil picked up his fair share of dog treats and poopy bags while we got a lot of information about living in this area. One of the spots that was handing out swag was Club Fetch. They are a soon to be opening doggy daycare and play center. We loved their logo and then got to meet the face behind it, Jackson. Basil loves meeting fellow adorable Boston terriers and for the short time they got to sniff each other they totally hit it off. Once they open we will for sure be checking this place out and we recommend if you are in the Charlotte area you do too! 

Once we finished up the little under 2 mile walk it was party time! FidoFest had set up booth after booth of sponsors offering their wares and giving out even more swag. There were also food trucks and a dog house contest. The one dog house that stood out above them all was the one made by Balfour Beatty Construction. This incredible handmade dog house is up for sale currently on eBay and the proceeds will go to Coalition to Unchain Dogs. Head over to eBay to check it out!

We had some serious fun and couldn’t have had a better time. A big thank you goes to FidoFest for really introducing us to this little spot and putting on this event. I made sure to start following them on twitter so I can keep up with the goings-on of the Historic Southend. Can’t wait for the next event!

Travel well, Nap well, Live well!

-Abbey & Basil

 

 

 

Basil’s Favorite Things – Chilly Dog Sweaters

Its TGIF and you know what that means… Basil’s favorite things! This Friday, as the weather almost everywhere turns to full on fall we decided to share a long time Basil “must have.” The Chilly Dog sweaters are handmade in South America and 100% wool. They follow fair trade guidelines and give all the employees a fair wage. Not only do we love their company practices but their sweaters are top-notch.

From XS to XL these sweaters fit almost ever dog shape. For Basil, it’s almost impossible to find a well fitted sweater based on his broad chest and thick Boston neck. When we came across Chilly Dog a few years ago at our favorite pet store, All The Best Pet Care, we fell in love. The perfect cold weather dog sweater and every year they sold like hot cakes in Seattle. The first sign that it was going to be wet and cold for awhile we let Basil pick out a few of his favorites.

Right now, while we are traveling in the South, today was the first truly chilly day. I pulled out his moose sweater and slipped it right on. The thick wool and hood, with the most adorable moose ears warmed him right up. If you’re looking for a sweater for your four legged friend and may be having a hard time finding a good fit or just don’t want a prissy dog sweater make sure to check out the Chilly Dog website. 

So, today we are going to enjoy this brisk fall day without having to worry that my little guy is going to catch cold. Enjoy your weekend!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

Every dog needs a pickle pocket!

Hello! Basil was being a little too needy so I pulled out his favorite toy, the pickle pocket! It is kind of the best toy ever. Fill it with whatever your dog loves and they are happy for at least an hour… maybe. Enjoy this video of Basil enjoying his P.P filled with some lamb lung. Its both hilarious and a little gross! Hehe

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

Hooray for Fall!

It’s September and Labor day is officially over. In my book that means its fall! Pumpkin Spice lattes, the changing of the leaves, cooler weather, I love it all. Basil is getting ready too. Even though he is a sun dog at heart, he loves the smell of leaves on the ground and crisp air. To make Basil happy when its wet or cold all you have to do it throw on one of his wool handmade sweaters or a scarf and hit the road. Basil recommends some great and not to sissy (!!!!) dog sweaters that can be found at most All The Best Pet Care stores in Washington state or at Petco.com and Petsmart.com. So say hooray to fall with us and get ready for those shorter days by enjoying these photos and maybe doing a little shopping for your pet.

Travel well, Nap well, Live well!

-Abbey & Basil

 

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