BarkBox Review June 2016

Meadow got her new BarkBox about a week ago, and it might just be our favorite one yet! Where BarkBox truly shines is adorable, exclusive toys and products fitting an adorable monthly theme. This month, the theme was "The Grrrreat Outdoors," and the items were all camping/outdoors themed.

For our tough-chewer little pittie girl, realistically, the plush toys she gets in her BarkBox are not super durable. She sometimes destroys stuffies, and sometimes doesn't. The toys this month (and in previous months) are not necessarily made for stuffie-killers, but on the balance - for me anyway - the cuteness of the toys outweighs the fact that Meadow will almost certainly destroy them at some point in time. Destroyed stuffies are just a fact of life in our home. I will say, though, that after about a week of pretty heavy play-time, Meadow hasn't wrecked any of her toys yet, despite my doubts about their durability. Usually, Meadow will like one or two of the toys in each box, and ignore the others, but this month, she really liked all the toys!

Bungee Buddy Bear

Meadow's first toy was the Bungee Buddy Bear by R2P Pet Ltd. (approx. $16.00). The bear's body is about 12 inches long, and the head is attached by a stretchy-bungee "neck." The toy is about 22 inches long in total. Both the body and the head have separate squeakers, and the body has a crinkle bottle. Meadow really likes this one! She loves anything plush that squeaks - particularly if it has multiple squeakers. She hasn't attempted to rip it apart yet, although I suspect that if she were to set to work on ripping it apart, it would last about two seconds. The ears, limbs, and then the head would get ripped right off. With a smaller, less-strong dog, you might be able to play tug with this toy, but even a moderate tug from Meadow would rip the head right off this bear. That said, she's been pretty gentle with this stuffy so far, so it's a winner! Weirdly, our cat Blueberry has also taken a shine to this bear. He sometimes humps stuffed animals (despite having been neutered years ago), and this bear is apparently his new "special friend." 

Swiss Arrffy Knife

Next, Meadow got an exclusive Swiss Arrffy Knife by Bark & Co. (approx. $14.00). This toy isadorable and spot on for the theme! Meadow loves it! It has a full body squeaker, which seem to be her favorite kind of squeaky toys, and no stuffing. The outer covering is canvas, and the utensils are also made of reinforced canvas. The body of the knife is approximately 7 inches long. I thought for certain that Meadow would make short work of this toy, as she has done with similar solid squeaker toys in the past, but so far, she hasn't wrecked it. I also thought that the tools, which are reinforced canvas, would be ripped off within a few minutes of playing, but so far, this toy is entirely in one piece.

Pawty Training Roll - Don't worry Mom! I've got the TP!

As her Extra Toy Club toy, Meadow received an exclusive Pawty Training Roll by Bark & Co. (approx. $12.00). This toy is HILARIOUS! Seeing Meadow carrying around and playing with a toy roll of toilet paper is awesome! The "paper" is nylon stuffed with crinkle paper, and backed with Velcro, so that it rolls and unrolls. The center toilet paper "roll" is made of hard rubber, and it's hollow through the center. Meadow has tried fairly hard to rip the "paper" off the roll, and has yet to wreck the paper part of the toy. I'm really pleased to see another Velcro toy this month. The Velcro wrap lets Meadow have the thrill of "tearing" apart a toy without wrecking it. She did settle in to gnaw on the rubber core and got some chunks ripped off, but the toy is still more or less intact. This is my favorite toy this month! How ridiculously silly and funny is a toilet paper roll dog toy?!?

Sawmill Creek Smokehouse Pig's Ear

For the edible goodies, first, Meadow got a Half Pig Ear from Sawmill Creek Smokehouse (approx. $3.00). These pigs ears are made in the USA. Meadow hasn't tried this ear yet, but she's had pigs ears in the past and she loves them! If I were buying pig's ears myself, I'd go with a larger full ear, rather than a half ear, as a half ear is probably a little small for a dog of Meadow's size. Sawmill Creek Smokehouse dog chews can also be found on Amazon.
 

Pupstream Snacks

Meadow also received a package of Pupstream Snacks by Honest Love, 5.5 oz. (approx. $6.00). These soft bone-shaped treats are made in the USA and contain salmon, chickpea flour, glycerin, ground potato, tapioca starch, ground flax seed, sugar, apple, phosphoric acid, salt, xanthan gum, sorbic acid (to preserve freshness), natural smoke flavor, and mixed tocopherols (a natural source of Vitamin E to preserve freshness. There's a lot of carby, starchy, and sugary ingredients in these bone-shaped treats, but I imagine they taste pretty good to a dog. Meadow loves these - they are high value for her. We've been breaking them into smaller pieces to use for training.

Ducky Charms Trail Mix

Last but not least, Meadow also received a package of Ducky Charms Trail Mix by Bark & Co., 4 oz. (approx. $8.00). This "trail mix" is made in the USA, and contains bone-shaped crunchy biscuits, baked banana chips, and chewy dried apple slices. The biscuits contain duck, blueberries, and kale. The ingredients in these are pretty simple - oat flour, duck, blueberry, kale, apple, banana, coconut oil, and honey. Meadow likes these treats - even the dried banana and apple chips.

About BarkBox

Meadow has a subscription to the Big & Bold Box (50+ pound) BarkBox with the add-on premium monthly toy. She weighs in at around 60 pounds, and is a medium-to-heavy chewer. She destroys some stuffies and treats others like babies. A one month subscription - or basically - a single box - costs $29.00. You can also sign up for a six-month ($24/box), or twelve-month subscription ($20/box). Having studied the options available for dog subscription boxes, we dove right in with a 12-month subscription for Meadow. You can also add an extra premium toy for $9 a month. If there are toys and treats that your dog really loves, you can order more through the BarkShop.

To get a FREE box added to your subscription, use Meadow's BarkBox link, and Meadow will also get a FREE box. OR, to get a FREE "mystery gift" added to your first BarkShop order, use Meadow's BarkShop link or use Coupon Code NPGJHA23. 

BarkBox Review May 2016

Hello! Meadow got her May BarkBox yesterday, and it's a winner! The theme this month is Country Fair. The toys and treats this month are spot on for the theme. Since Meadow's birthday is this month, I got an email a couple weeks ago from BarkBox asking if we wanted to add a Birthday Hat toy to her box this month. Another toy?? Of course!! So Meadow got an extra toy in her box along with her themed-items.

Before we get to the items in the box, a couple pictures of Meadow opening her Barkbox:

First up, we have the Bark & Co. Polka Dot Party Hat ($10), which was an add-on because it is Meadow's birthday this month. I received an email a couple weeks ago which gave the option of adding this toy to her May BarkBox for an extra $10. Of course I added the toy! The more toys the better! The Polka Dot Party Hat is available in the BarkShop. The large hat is about 9 inches tall. It is basically a hard plastic triangle covered with fabric. Because the whole thing is one big squeaker, no matter where Meadow bit it, it squeaked. She LOVED this toy! It was the first toy she picked out of the box. She even brought it with her in the car when we went on a quick errand to the gas station.  Unfortunately, this toy wasn't super durable, and Meadow seemed to be in a toy-destroyer-mood when we opened the box. It survived for about 20 minutes of almost non-stop squeaking before she bit through the plastic, and killed the squeaker. Then, she found a seam in the covering, and it was over before long. A few photos of Meadow enjoying this toy:

And here's what it looked like after she ripped open the cover:

Notice Meadow jumping up in the background to grab her toy as I'm taking a picture.

 

After she tore open the cover, we took the plastic out and let her play with the empty "hat" cover.

Next, we have the cutest toy in the box - Bark & Co. Slobbery Sunflowers ($12). After last month's BarkBox contained a Velcro toy, I'm excited to see another one this month! The Bark & Co. Slobbery Sunflowers toy is available in the BarkShop. This is basically five toys in one. There are four separate sunflowers - each of which has a squeaker in the flower. The bow has a Velcro closure that can be pulled off by puppy - or the flowers can just be yanked out of the bunch - like Meadow does. These flowers are incredibly cute, but I will say, if Meadow was left to work on these toys without close supervision, she would almost certainly destroy them in about 10 minutes. In fact, when I gave her the bouquet, the first thing she did was rip the "bow" piece out of the bow.  They're definitely not going to hold up to any amount of heavy chewing. We will use this as a reward toy for "calm" and "gentle" playtime - I don't want to see this toy wrecked right away - it's just too darn cute! Meadow was so excited to play with this toy, we played some focus and attention games with the flowers with her, and of course - we got pictures ~

Meadow also got a Think! Dog Dingo the Scarecrow Toy ($12). This toy is a Bark & Co. exclusive, and it's available in the BarkShop. This guy is adorable. He's about 9 inches tall, and he has a squeaker in his body. The cool part is that the scarecrow's arm and leg are one piece of rope that "slides" through the body. Meadow can pull on the limbs without necessarily ripping them off. For a smaller dog, this might make an OK tug toy. For Meadow, this toy wouldn't be strong enough to play tug. She's a 55 lb. pit bull puppy - she's STRONG! Meadow definitely liked this toy - there's lots to pick at and pull on, but she set to gnawing on his hat, so this toy got put away to be a "special" "calm" toy. And of course, a few pictures of Meadow play-testing this adorable scarecrow ~

Meadow's Extra Toy Club bonus toy this month was the Bark & Co. Gus the State Fair Goldfish ($9). Gus is available in the BarkShop. This toy is really cool! There's a small plush goldfish inside the hard rubber ball. According to the card that came with the toy, it floats, and it should hold up to heavy chewers. We haven't tested it's float-ability yet, but this toy will get packed to go with us to the lake. I didn't realize that it squeaked until I gave it to Meadow and she started chomping on it. It bounces - but it's kind of a wimpy bounce. I'll be curious to see if the seam between the two halves of the ball splits over time. Meadow hasn't shown a ton of interest in this one yet, but I suspect she will over the coming days.

And now for the edible goodies -- First, the very first item Meadow grabbed out of the box was the Butcher's Block LLC Trachea Chew ($3).  This item is also available in the BarkShop. It's noted as 8 inches long on the website, but I didn't measure it before I gave it to Meadow, so I'm not exactly sure how large it was. What I can say is that the Butcher's Block Trachea Chew is definitely on our "purchase again" list. I'm slightly creeped out by "animal part" chews, but I know Meadow loves them, so I try not to think about it too much as I'm handling these things. The trachea was slightly greasy taking it out of the package, but didn't have an overpowering smell like bully sticks or other "animal part" chews. Meadow chowed down on it - clearly loving it - and it took about 30 minutes for her to finish. The trachea was crunchy, and didn't break off into sharp or hard pieces. It was a little crumbly, so it could make a little bit of a mess - not a big deal in my book. These tracheas are from Nebraska-raised beef - no foreign beef here! There's also a variety of Butcher's Block brand chews available on Amazon. 

 
Next, we had a package of Craft Dog Treatery Donut Bites, 5.5 oz. ($8). These treats are available in the BarkShop. I can't seem to locate a website for Craft Dog Treatery, although according to the packaging, these are distributed by Mountain Country Foods in Oklahoma. The ingredients are lamb, chickpea flour, vegetable glycerin, ground peas, ground flaxseed, tapioca starch, sugar, sweet potato, cheddar cheese, salt, oil blend of sunflower and coconut oils (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), tumeric, phosphoric acid, lecithin, sorbic acid (to preserve freshness), xanthan gum, and natural caramel color. These soft treats are about the size of a penny, and are a good size for high-value training rewards. Meadow thinks these are delicious!

And, last but definitely not least, Meadow got a package of Think!Dog Nana's Natural Chicken & Sweet Potato Natural Jerky, 3.25 oz. ($8). These Jerky treats are a Bark & Co. exclusive available in the BarkShop. These semi-soft compressed "jerky" sticks are about 4 inches long, and there are 6 pieces of jerky in the 3.25 oz. package. These treats are made in the USA with USA-sourced ingredients. The ingredients include chicken, sweet potato, rice flour, hearts of palm extract, potassium sorbate, and vinegar. Meadow gives these yummy treats four paws up!

About BarkBox

Meadow has a one-year subscription to the Big & Bold Box (50+ pound) BarkBox with the add-on premium monthly toy. She weighs in at around 55 pounds, and is a medium-to-heavy chewer. She destroys some stuffies and treats others like babies. A one month subscription - or basically - a single box - costs $29.00. You can also sign up for a six-month ($24/box), or twelve-month subscription ($20/box). Having studied the options available for dog subscription boxes, we dove right in with a 12-month subscription for Meadow. You can also add an extra premium toy for $9 a month. If there are toys and treats that your dog really loves, you can order more through the BarkShop.

To get a FREE box added to your subscription, use Meadow's BarkBox link, and Meadow will also get a FREE box. OR, to get a FREE "mystery gift" added to your first BarkShop order, use Meadow's BarkShop link.

Who says you can't have fun with a destroyed BarkBox toy?

BarkBox Review April 2016

Greetings from Meadow and her Kitties!

Meadow got her first BarkBox today! The theme for April is Take Me Out to the Ballgame. I've been excited for days. I definitely had as much fun as Meadow did opening the surprise. This is our first subscription box, and not coincidentally, our first review.

Meadow has a one-year subscription to the Big & Bold Box (50+ pound) BarkBox with the add-on premium monthly toy. She weighs in at around 55 pounds, and is a medium-to-heavy chewer. She destroys some stuffies and treats others like babies. A one month subscription - or basically - a single box - costs $29.00. You can also sign up for a six-month ($24/box), or twelve-month subscription ($20/box). Having studied the options available for dog subscription boxes, we dove right in with a 12-month subscription for Meadow. You can also add an extra premium toy for $9 a month. If there are toys and treats that your dog really loves, you can order more through the BarkShop.

Before we show off what Meadow got, some happy, dancing puppy spam:

 

And Meadow checking out the contents of the box:

Here's what she got -

First, the toys:

Buns of Anarchy by P.L.A.Y. ($18) - This toy is a BarkShop exclusive. This was the first toy Meadow grabbed out of the box as soon as it was opened. She occasionally gets cheeseburgers as a special treat, so having a cheeseburger toy is perfect. This toy is so cute, and appears to be quite high quality. Meadow has not even damaged it yet. She definitely was blown away when I pulled the Velcro bun off the top. I suspect that some dogs that like to rip apart their toys might get some extra thrill by pulling apart the Velcro pieces without ruining the toy. It also has a squeaker, so of course it's a hit. Meadow has a couple "puzzle" toys that she loves, and I think this toy will be mentally stimulating for her, too. The labeling in the box noted the Pooeyville Slugger below as her "premium toy," but I think this is the best toy in the box.

And a couple of our own pictures of the Buns of Anarchy.

And a couple pictures of Meadow modeling the Buns of Anarchy ~

Next up, we had the Yogi Barka Mitt by Loopies ($16) This is also available in the BarkShop.  It's sueded leather, with a squeaker inside. Meadow LOVED this toy! It was hands-down her favorite toy. There was some stuffing inside, and it appears to have a second of layer in fabric inside to make it more durable. She tossed it around, and gave it the death shake, and asked to play tug with it. But, then she found a seam, and started to pull the stuffing out. I pulled the rest of the stuffing out, but the squeaker is sealed in additional material inside. So, now it's flat, but the squeaker still works, and Meadow still loves it.

Now for some action shots ~

 

And this is what the Yogi Barka Mitt looks like now ~

Edited: Within minutes after I finished writing this, Meadow had gotten to the squeaker in the Yogi Barka Mitt. We pulled the squeaker out and gave her back the empty glove. She still seems to like it even sans squeaker. Even though Meadow made it her mission to get the stuffing and squeaker out of this toy, it held up to several hours of play/chewing. Pretty good durability!

And last but not least, we have the Pooeyville Slugger, made by Bark & Co ($10-12) available in the BarkShop. This was listed as her "premium" toy in this box. This toy is available in Medium ($10) and Large ($12). This plush toy is the right shape for carrying around, and squeaking. It has two squeakers - one regular squeaker in the bat-end, and a separate "squeaker" in the handle that sounds like a "honk" when you shake the toy. Meadow went nuts for the honking noise, and unfortunately, in giving her bat the death shake, seems to have broken the "honk" squeaker. Here's a photo of the bat after some playtime:

Now, on to the treats:

First, there was a Thinkers Duck Stick by Plato ($3) available at the BarkShop. These are also available on Amazon in multipacks. After pulling out the Buns of Anarchy, this Duck Stick was the first thing Meadow grabbed out of her BarkBox. It reminds me of a beef jerky stick for people. She wanted to eat it RIGHT. NOW. It smells a bit like jerky mixed with feet, but Meadow gobbled it up! I let her eat little pieces at a time. It's soft enough that I don't think I would give the whole thing to a dog to chew on at once. I'd suggest breaking off, or cutting off smaller pieces. Or, you can do what I did, and hold the end of the stick in the package, open up one end, and let your dog take small bites off the open end of the stick. This treat was definitely a win. We will be ordering mores of these for her. The ingredients are: Duck, brown rice, salt, calcium propionate, zinc propionate, mixed tocopherols (a natural preservative), citric acid, rosemary extract, vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2phosphate (a source of vitamin C), ginkgo biloba, guar gum, garlic, and collagen casing. 

Next up, we have a package of Sliders Treats from Bocce's Bakery, 5 oz. ($10), which are available through BarkShop. These are crunchy biscuits, and they are the perfect size for a medium or large dog. Meadow is a puppy (11 mos.), so we go through A LOT of treats rewarding good behavior. She thinks these are delicious! The have only four ingredients: oat flour, beef, cheese & carrots, and they are made in small batches using locally-sourced, natural ingredients. Check out some other treat options at Bocce's Bakery shop, or the variety of Bocce's Bakery treats available at Amazon.

Last, but definitely not least, we have Triple Cheese Baseball Treats by House of Pups, 5.5 oz. ($8). These are currently listed as "sold out" at BarkShop, and I can't seem to find them for sale elsewhere online, but they are distributed by Mountain Country Foods in Oklahoma. The package says "Made in USA." These semi-soft treats shaped like baseballs are a hit! They definitely smell cheesy. We keep them in a drawer in the living room to reward Meadow when she's sitting quietly. She loves them! Her kitties are also very interested in these treats. The ingredients are: ground peas, cheese, vegetable glycerin, tapioca starch, chickpea flour, ground flax seed, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a natural source of vitamin E), salt, phosphoric acid, sorbic acid (to preserve freshness), lecithin, and annatto.

I calculate the total value of this box to be approximately $67 which definitely exceeds the cost of the box. After our first BarkBox, I'm impressed, and can't wait to see the next one! To get a FREE box added to your subscription, use Meadow's BarkBox link, and Meadow will also get a FREE box. OR, to add a free "mystery gift" to your first Barkshop order, use Meadow's BarkShop link.

The box itself is a huge hit with the Meadow's Kitties, including Eddie, who is pictured here.