Dogs Take Off to Workplaces in June: We're Ready!

by Oliver

© AllThignsDogBlog.com
Ready for Work

I'm all ready for All Things Dog Blog's #WorkLikeaDog Twitter Party. I've got the wardrobe down, had a Linkedin profile photo taken and I'm trying to get Tanner with the program. He says he's not into the businessdog look. He fancies himself a professional Fetcher.

I finally said "Ok, so what sort of Linkedin profile pic are you thinking of?" He offered these two below. Sad, right? I asked him why and he insists he's got different priorities than I do and that I should just respect that. But seriously, Fetch is not a profession.

I'm a blogger. I take that seriously. I help mom with photo modeling, product reviews, Twitter Parties and I'll be acting as her PR front man at Blogpaws.  Any ideas how I can help Tanner get a handle on his professional personna?

His reply to my concerns was that he has a perfectly handsome wetsuit that allows him to fetch year round, so why not show it off? Ugg.

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Tanner in his Wetsuit

I suggested a more mainstream profession for #WorkLikeaDog and he offered Dock Diving. He insisted that dogs do this on TV. Hopeless, just hopeless.

Any ideas out there? Tanner needs a professional makeover and quick. Offers?

© Brent Boyko
Personal Best Standing Dive

Blogpaws, Here I come!

by Oliver I did it! I finally talked mom into taking me to Blogpaws. I feel just a teensie bit guilty about Tanner staying behind, but I'll get over that. Besides, as it turns out our family is going to have lots of company while I'm gone and Tanner will have to be the host, guard dog and lifeguard. Oh, and let's not forget the Fetch master. He'd be upset with me if I left that out.
I'm making a list of things he has to do while I'm gone. Can you help me out? Here's my list below. Will you leave me a comment if you have any other ideas. I'm worried that I'll forget something very important.

Tanner's To Do List:

• Guard the Natural Balance with his life. I've told him this is his number one priority. I don't want to come home and find out that our chow is missing.
• Keep Jacque from pestering Patches. She's a senior citizen and deserves some peace and quiet.
• Do the nightly bedcheck to make sure all is well in my kingdom.
• Put Jacque to bed each night with his blankie. Okay, give him a treat for going to bed nicely.
• Keep and eye on mom's office. Some of my favorite new products are in there waiting for reviews and Twitter Parties, so it's important to keep them safe from Todd, Marc, Brent and anyone else that might snoop.
• Get Toni out for her exercise. Our walk to the bank today was super fun. Maybe she'll take you there again. Mom took a video of us coming home:

What a great day for a walk! vine.co/v/b2B11VheAAD
— Alan Boyko (@AlanJBoyko) May 5, 2013

Why Can't Dogs Have Fish?

by Tanner

courtesy K.M.
My First Catch--A Fresh One

I'm frustrated today. Last night when me and the two squirts went outside for our last evening constitution, I immediately caught the scent of FISH. Yes! I rushed to the bush where I smelled my prize, resting at the bottom of a large pine tree. Apparently the hawks nesting above had dropped it or it fell overboard. I don't care which; I was simply thrilled to snag this delicious-smelling treat.

I had to be a bit trickier this time. The first time I managed to get myself a fish, mom was sneaky and used the "DROP IT"  command on me. No fair!

So instead of parading around showing off my catch, this time I hurried back to the door and waited for it to open so I could go inside and hide my treasure. I remember that Xena used to have a terrific spot for hiding stolen slices of pizza--under Dad's pillow. I like that because it's safe there till bedtime. I had my plan and was prepared to implement.

Oliver and Jacque took their time about returning to open the door. I tucked my snout down so Mom wouldn't notice my tagalong, and wagged my tail, giving every sign that I was ready to go inside. You'd think I was in the clear, right? But no! Mom somehow figured out that I had a prize. She made me sit and let the little ones inside. Dad grabbed a large, thick, enzyme-treated rawhide strip. Oh my dog, do I love those things!

Dad waved it in front of my nose and my mouth reflexively opened as he popped the strip into it, and mom quickly snapped up the aromatic fish I had dropped when they tricked me.  Sigh. We don't even have a photo this time. Mom hurried off to dispose of the best snack I've ever scored and I was left to make sure that the rawhide was not absconded by my two minuscule housemates.

The upside is they didn't get a rawhide strip and were probably wondering why I did. Hehehe! I think they both missed the whole event, but this morning when we walked out for our early morning potty run Jacque was the first to catch the scent. He sniffed around the front porch, scratching at the rug and looking for something to pick up. "Nothing left, dude. Mom got rid of it already :( "

I guess Jacque will be putting on his cute act for a Tillman Treat now. After all, there's no fish left for him. Hey, maybe that's a good idea. Tillman Treats are easier to catch and mom doesn't take them away. She actually says they're good for me. Catch ya later!

Mom's busy writing her own post about my fishing expedition, no doubt, and I'm sure her story will go a bit differently. Check it out at All Things Dog Blog.

Mutiny! Tanner is Going to Blogpaws?

by Oliver

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Hard, Hard Work!

I work. I slave. I sit cute for photos. I test treats and toys and clothing. I couldn't possibly do more for All Things Dog Blog. And now I'm being slapped in the snout.

Just as I start hearing the word Blogpaws again, I suddenly learn that it is not cute little me that is going along. Instead, mom is planning on taking jumbo sized Tanner. Seriously? How exactly is he going to fit into that airline traveler, no matter how many mesh windows it has? He makes no secret of the fact that he weighs 70 lbs. I've got to figure this one out.

I've warned Tanner, but he says he has it all under control. He assures me that he and Mom are taking a road trip so they can visit our boys along the way. Sigh. I want to go too! Perhaps I should rally those boys and get some lobbying help. This is a serious cry for assistance. Can you help me? Please, oh please, just leave my mom a note on her Facebook page or send her a Tweet. Here's a Tweet you can RT to get the message across. Thank for any help you can provide!

HELP! Pls tell @allthingsdog that Oliver wants to go to #Blogpaws along with her & Tanner.
— Tanner & Oliver (@5MinutesforFido) April 17, 2013

What's worse than not getting to go to Blogpaws is that I've got to  stay behind to babysit the 'cousin'. You know, Jacque. He is living with us right now and I guess I've been nominated to puppysit. Well, somepuppy (me!) has to keep him occupied while Momma goes on walkabout with Tanner, I suppose. Patches certainly is not up to the task. She'd sooner swipe his snout off than put up with his childish antics. He needs a bit of help in the 'senior manners' department. I guess I'll be playing school while Tanner is off hobnobbing with the Natural Balance crew. Double sigh.

#PetBrandChat Has Oliver Rallyin

by Oliver

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
It's Classtime. This is Twitter 101

Oliver here. As usual, Tanner is out by the pool enjoying some wet stuff while I'm working my paws to the bone. Bone? Where? Oh wait, I gotta stay focused. It's classtime.

Attention, Jacque. You've got to learn this stuff, dude. If you're going to live under my roof, it's essential that you get schooled in some basic Twitter verbage. Open your laptop and let's get started.

© AllThingsDogBlog
Jacque Listens in Class

Good, now sign onto Twitter.com. Do you know your password? C'mon, Jacque. Get with it bud. I think it's XXXXXXX. Yeah, that's right. Do you see your avatar? Good.

Now, let's learn how to set up your Twitter page so you can watch our #PetBrandChat feed. Then you won't get so confused by other Tweets during the event. Here is how it's done: See the search box at the top of your page?  Just put our hashtag in that box and hit enter. Viola!

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
No Sleeping in Class, Jacque!

You're now looking at a column of Tweets that are all using the #PetBrandChat hashtag. Cool, huh? Just remember that I invented that technique and let's move on.

Now a few tips for Tweeting during the party.  Wake up! Take notes:

• RT important Tweets so everyone is sure to see them.
• Leave room for RTs to include all characters by sticking to no more than 130 characters.
• Always use the #PetBrandChat hashtag to be sure everyone at the chat can see your Tweets.
• And don't forget that Tweets can never ever have more than 140 characters, or the end of them will fall off the page, err disappear somewhere. That's always bad.
• Want to reply to someone's question? Hit the reply button and your Tweet will go straight to them. Be sure to include the hashtag so others can follow the conversation.
• No, Tanner does not have his own Twitter handle. He's Twitter challenged! @5MinutesforFido is run by me. That's important because you and I know that Papillons are the smartest dogs on the planet, right? Yup! Occasionally I let Tanner play on Twitter, but only under close supervision. He's wreckless, ya know?!
• Back to work. If you see any spammers, feel free to send the host a DM to alert them. DM stands for Direct Message, and it's kinda like a private note passed under the desk. No one else sees it except the host. 

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Spammers! Go Away!

Oh dear, speaking of spammers, I see some now. Let me go put up some blocks to keep these folks out and we'll have to continue class later. Have you read up on #PetBrandChat? That would be good homework. Here's your assignments:

1. Read more about #PetBrandChat here and here.
2. Visit Rallyin.com to check out our guest and write down your questions. Oh, I know. You don't have opposable thumbs, so you think you can't write. Just ask Siri to make a list. You've got resources!
3. Speaking of Siri, she can also remind you when the chat is about the start so that you don't miss it. It starts at 1 PM ET, 12 PM Central, 11 AM Mountain and 10 AM Pacific.

Good luck, bro. Now go take a nap before you fall asleep on my laptop. See ya there!

5 Minutes for Natural Balance

by Oliver

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Tanner and I Pose with Our Friend, Missy

Let the games begin. With All Things Dog Blog becoming an NB Insider, a few things are changing around here. I've got to whip Tanner into shape and get him ready for some new challenges. Here's a sneak peek at what you'll be seeing that's different:

• Ooops! I may have made my announcement before Mom made hers. My bad! You don't mind though, right?
• I'll get the tough news out of the way first. Tanner, my Fetch-crazed, Golden Retriever housemate, already has his nose in a twist because he's got to get behind Tillman the Skateboarding Bulldog and Norman the Scooterdog, to name just a couple of the NB all-stars. I think Tanner fancies himself a Fetch star, so watch for some additional photos as he struggles to prove his worth around here.
• Meanwhile I'll still be pulling much of the load as the Chief Editor of this rag, and that's good news. Tanner's grammar tends to lean toward athlete-speak and we see far too many F-words (F-E-T-C-H and  Food for starters) and significant overuse of dog park and swimming topics, IMHO. Thankfully I'm in charge! 
• Mom will be handing out writing assignments that cover all manner of Natural Balance information including their organic food (my new chow!). I'm eager to share our opinions, photos and ideas on why Organic is a good thing.  We're not fans of eating fertilizer, antibiotics or hormones.
• Tanner and I will be filling you in on all the flavors and types of treats available from Natural Balance, including the whole line of Tillman Treats. Who knew? I'm pretty sure I hear a plea for "Tanner Treats" coming from the pool deck right now. Ugg!
• Our resident cat, Patches, will be making an appearance to share her experience with Natural Balance. The helpful folks at NB gave mom some nutritional advice for her, given she's a serious senior citizen--15 years old. At that age, she's gotten to be very opinionated, so watch your nose. She has claws! 
• With the 2nd season of Who Let the Dogs Out airing now, we're excited to share some clips and enjoy a good laugh. I'll be laughing at Tanner when he tries to master the skateboard that's in our garage. Stay tuned....vet visits happen at unexpected times.
• On that note, Tanner tells me he plans to challenge Tillman to a Fetch contest. Hmmm... Should I send a memo to Tillman to give him a heads up? I mean, really. Tanner is faster than lightening and way taller than Tillman. Tillman won't have a prayer. Ideas?
• And then there's Fetch in the swimming pool. Oh dear! Can Tillman even swim? I guess we'll find out. I'll keep you posted on those events, IF they come to pass.
• Natural Balance has some great charity efforts and causes they support, so I, for one, am excited to share some of those stories with you also. 

Mom promises to share links to my posts so you'll be able to find them easily if you read All Things Dog Blog. If you're simply a fan and want to be sure you don't miss a single word I have to bark, please subscribe in the box you'll find in the sidebar. Just be sure to visit your email inbox immediately to activate your new subscription. I'm not terribly good at checking up on all these little details. 

Thanks for stopping in and be sure to leave a comment. I love to hear from my fans. You can also give me a paw up by Tweeting this message, right from my blog. Just hit RT and you'll have been a great fur-riend. Thanks!

#NBInsiders named recently include @allthingsdog. My mom is so excited to share the news. Tanner has other plans: Watch 4 more!
— Tanner & Oliver (@5MinutesforFido) March 24, 2013

Mom says I have to put a disclaimer down here: All Things Dog Blog is an  NB Insider. In this capacity, mom will attend industry events on behalf of Natural Balance, and share news with you about the Natural Balance family of products, their mascots, charities and causes. She says that may include my comments, so I have to be legally clear on this, according to the FTC. (Yup; I have no clue what any of that means.)

Dog Duo Announces Kumfy Tailz Winner

by Tanner

Oliver is stunned and confused by the Random.org selection of our first entrant as the winner of our Kumfy Tailz giveaway, so I've stepped in to take over. Sometimes you just need a big guy to manage a big job. Even when I put him in charge of a small task like running a giveaway, he seems to cower at times, so it's certainly a good thing he has me to back him up. Okay, I guess that's what big brothers are for.

courtesy AllThingsDogBlog.com
An Important Announcement from Tanner

I've posted a screenshot of the Random.org drawing so you can see how it looks when we bloggers, even the furry ones, use this tool to select our winners. Pretty neat, huh? We just fill in the number of entrants in the "Max" box and hit the "Generate" button and viola', whatever that means.

Our winner, "Evie", will receive a Kumfy Tailz harness for her dog, and one to donate to her favorite Petfinder rescue. We'll either send it to her for hand delivery, ship it to her rescue for her, or donate it to a local rescue on her behalf. We do aim to make things easy for our winners. Besides, half of our furry family has come from this Petfinder rescue near us, so we love to visit :)

Mom is busy announcing her winner over at All Things Dog Blog, along with Dogtipper.com, in their joint giveaway for Event Barkers. Be sure to go check their sites out  to see who their winning name is.

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Oliver Chills in Kumfy Tailz

If you didn't win and you're looking to acquire a Kumfy Tailz harness for cooling or warming your dog in extreme weather, you need only visit their website to place your order. You an also learn more or ask questions by following them on Twitter or "Liking" them on Facebook. Be sure to tell them that Tanner and Oliver sent you!


Event Barkers is continuing their efforts to aid Petfinder shelters by facilitating this Kumfy Koatz giveaway and donation option for our readers and other pet bloggers. As with Super Dog Sunday™, we have donated our time and not taken a fee for this service to our beloved shelters.
The Comfy Pax gel pack pouch should be heated according to website instructions for safety and the longest life of the pouch. Sizing may be found at this same page; for best results we recommend that you take accurate measurements using a soft tape measure. A limited number of harnesses have been provided to us; we cannot make replacements for poorly-fitted harnesses.