Happy Barkday to Tanner....

by Oliver

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Birthday Party Rainouts

All joshing aside, I have to admit that I'm kind of fond of my housemate and best bud, Tanner. This past week he had a birthday. Mom and I planned a party, meeting a group of our friends at one of our favorite play spots, and of course the worse did happen. We got rained out.

Just as we arrived, the thunderheads opened up and darkness descended. I can hardly believe that mom was able to snap these pics in the back end of her Prius. You can certainly see that it was dark.

So much for birthday parties. The good news? See the cupcakes we had? Tanner and I ate

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Tailgate Birthday Parties Still Fun

them all. Yup! Well, in truth, one fell out of the car into the dirt, but I got 2 and Tanner got the rest. They were awesome. Mom topped them with a piece of our Natural Balance Organic kibble to make sure we understood they were food. Who did she think we were? I have a nose that has been certified at the top of the class. Really! More about that soon.

So now that Tanner is 7, any tips on how I should be treating him? Do I have to curtsy or call him "Sir"? I don't see that happening. I hear that dogs are sometimes considered seniors at 7; sounds awfully early to me. And frankly, when I see Tanner take off after the ball at the dog park, there's no sign of an aging dog there. Let's hope it remains that way for many happy years to come. Happy Birthday Tanner. You're my main man.

Watch for upcoming posts at All Things Dog Blog, when mom returns from her tour of Natural Balance. We can't wait to hear all about what she learned.

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

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.

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.)