Daisy-Care July 2016 Review

Happy Saturday! Meadow's here with a review of her July 2016 Daisy-Care Subscription Box. Once again, Daisy-Care did a great job picking appropriate items for Meadow. This is one of our favorite subscription boxes for dogs. 

Orbee-Tuff Mazee filled with Polkadog Wonder Nuggets. 
Meadow's bandana is from the Inner Sparkle Shoppe.

This month, the toy included in Meadow's box was a Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Mazee (approx. $20.95). Despite the fact that we buy everything else Meadow could possibly want or need, we haven't ever tried any treat puzzles with her. This is a great toy! It's approximately 5 inches in diameter, and is made of a clear rubber outer shell with a hole, and inside, there is a harder plastic maze. The translucent and pliable Orbee-Tuff outer shell combined with the harder inner maze activates several of the dog's senses - they can hear, see and smell the treats while they solve the puzzle. This toy is not meant as a chew toy, and I'm sure Meadow could destroy the rubber outer shell if she were allowed to chew on it. Since there were treats inside, Meadow wasn't interested in destroying the toy - she was focused on getting the treats out. When you place treats inside, they don't simply fall out the hole - they bounce around inside the maze inside. Meadow was fascinated. She first tried to stick her nose in the hole, and then her tongue. Eventually, she figured out that rolling the ball around would produce treats. This was a great pick for Meadow! It can be purchased directly from Planet Dog, or at Amazon.

Meadow also received a Barkworthies Beef Trachea, 6 inch. (approx.  $4.99). I love getting chews in Meadow's boxes, as it's a nice treat for her, and it's a good opportunity to try new products. Meadow's had Barkworthies products in the past, and they're a brand I trust, but we've not had a Barkworthies trachea before. She loves tracheas! They are crunchier than rawhide, but still tough enough that it takes her a little time to eat them, so they keep her busy for a while. Barkworthies tracheas come from grass-fed beef raised in South America  This particular trachea was a little greasy (I try not to think about it as I'm handling chews made of animal parts). I gave her the trachea and she sat down and quietly ate it over the course of about half an hour. Barkworthies products can be purchased at Chewy.com or at Amazon.

Meadow also received a Puppy Scoops Peanut Butter Flavor Doggie Ice Cream Mix by Puppy Cake, 6 oz. (approx. $6.99). Daisy-Care nailed it by sending peanut butter flavored doggie ice cream - two of Meadow's favorite things. This is powdered mix that you add water to, and freeze until solid. Now your dog can enjoy real ice cream for dogs at home! Puppy Scoops are smooth and creamy, just like ice cream, but with a fraction of the fat and calories and formulated for your dog’s digestion. Puppy Scoops are made in the USA. Meadow sampled her ice cream tonight, and she loved it! The ingredients include whole milk (lactose free), peanut, evaporated cane juice, gelatin, salt. Puppy Scoops can be purchased in the Daisy-Care shop, or at Amazon.com. 

She also got a bottle of Bark-B-Q Pork Flavored Petchup Nutritional Condiment, 16 oz. (approx. $7.95). Daisy-Care must have read my mind - Meadow's been extraordinarily picky about her kibble lately. She will eat her kibble for a few days, then turn her nose up, and won't touch it. Then we try a different kind - she eats it for a few days, then decides she doesn't like it anymore. And around we go. The day we got Meadow's July Daisy-Care box, she was turning her nose up at her kibble at supper time. I gave it a shot, and put some of this Bark-B-Q sauce on her kibble, and wouldn't you know it, she actually ate some. I think this product will come in very handy. She definitely likes the flavor on it's own. This Bark-B-Q sauce also contains lots of vitamins and minerals. The ingredients include water, pork broth, dried sweet potato, sunflower oil, dried tomato, dried yeast, xanthan gum, citric acid (preservative), apple cider vinegar, natural smoke flavor, potassium sorbate, glucosamine hydrochloride (from shellfish) tricalcium phosphate, fish oil (source of omega 3 fatty acids), magnesium oxide, ascorbic acid, inulin, sodium selenite, manganese citrate, maltodextrine, alph-tocopherol acetate, inositol, niacinamide, Vitamin A palmitate, Vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, zinc oxide, riboflavin, potassium citrate, cholecalciferol and folic acid. This Bark-B-Q sauce and other condiments from the Petchup line can be purchased at the Daisy-Care shop or at Amazon.com.

Drool-worthy! Meadow's bandana is from
 the Inner Sparkle Shoppe.

Meadow also received a package of Bow-Wow Snicker Doodles from Paws Bakery, 8 oz. (approx. $6.99). These cookies are adorable! They look and smell just like snickerdoodles for humans. They are made in the USA from ingredients sourced in the USA. I was extremely tempted to taste one of these soft cookies myself. Needless to say, Little Miss Cookie Monster herself loved these! These cookies have 60 calories each, so they should definitely be fed in moderation! These are special cookies that Meadow will get at bedtime or when she's crated. The ingredients include wheat flour, honey, vegetable fat, egg, potassium bitartrate ("cream of tartar"), cinnamon, baking soda, and vanilla. Just add sugar, and these could be human cookies! They can be purchased directly from Paws Bakery. 

Patience practice. Meadow's bandana is fromthe Inner Sparkle Shoppe.

Last but not least, Meadow received a package of Polkadog Wonder Nuggets, 8 oz. (approx. $12.99). These training-size treats are soft and crumbly and stinky. These treats are made in the USA from ingredients sourced in the at the Polkadog bakery in Boston. Polkadog makes and packages all their treats in their shop in Boston in small batches. These treats contain only rolled oats, vegetable glycerin, barley flour, apples, and beef liver. Meadow thought these were delicious! They're the perfect size for training treats, but they do tend to crumble, so they may not hold up in a treat bag during vigorous exercise. They worked well inside Meadow's new Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Maze. These treats can be purchased directly from Polkadog or at Amazon. 

Overall Impressions

This is Meadow's fourth box from Daisy-Care, and I continue to be impressed with the selection of items that are perfect for Meadow. Other pet subscription boxes might have cute themes, but what really makes Daisy-Care stand out is the thoughtful selection of items suited for your pet. This month I calculated the value of the items to be over $60.00 - which is well over the cost of the box. In terms of quality and thoughtful selection of items, Daisy-Care is at the top of the field when it comes to pet subscription boxes. 

About Daisy-Care

Daisy-Care is a subscription service that delivers package of treats and toys for your dog each month. There are number of different subscription package options ~

The Everyday Subscription package is a surprise package of toys and/or treats for your dog. You can purchase a "Treats Only" Everyday Care Package Subscription which includes several made-in-the-USA goodies for your pooch, and this subscription is available as a 1-Month Subscription ($37.95), a 3-Month Subscription ($110.85 or $36.95/box), 6-Month Subscription ($215.70 or $35.95/box), or 12-Month Subscription ($419.40 or $34.95/box). You can also subscribe to a Toy and Treat Everyday Care Package, which includes a combination of toys and treats. The packages are available as a 1-Month Subscription ($47.95), a 3-Month Subscription ($140.85 or $46.95/box), a 6-Month Subscription ($275.70 or $45.95/box), or a 12-Month Subscription ($539.40 or $44.95/box).

Daisy-Care also has an Annual Holiday Care Package Subscription that includes twelve (12) packages with Holiday-themed items. The cost for the annual Holiday Care Package Subscription is $239.88 or $19.99/box. Daisy-Care also has special occasion packages, and you can also create your own custom care package by purchasing items from Daisy-Care's shop.

Orijen Alberta Bison Treats from Chewy.com Review

Happy Caturday everyone! Meadow and her Kitties recently became Chewy.com Influencers,
and we received our first item to review - Orijen Alberta Bison Treats, 2 oz. (approx. $9.49). 

Disclaimer ~ we received this item for free as part of the Chewy.com Influencer program in exchange for our honest opinion. 

We have had Orijen treats in the past ~ we love the fact that they are 100% protein and sourced from meat raised in Canada and the USA. Their line of 100% protein treats are great for both dogs and cats! Our diabetic cat Eddie can even have these 100% protein treats!

Orijen is a Canadian company that makes biologically appropriate food and treats for dogs and cats. All of Orijen's products are made from locally sourced ingredients, including free range poultry, whole nest-laid eggs, whole wild-caught fish, and ranch-raised meats.

These Alberta Bison treats are 100% protein - made only from freeze-dried bison, bison liver, and bison tripe. The bison meat is sourced from bison that are raised free-range on Alberta's Rolling Foothill Farms.  The treats themselves are a good size for training treats. They are not super dense or hard, but they are firm enough that they don't crumble or turn to dust in a training treat bag. They are crunchy but soft enough for Eddie, our diabetic cat, who has had several teeth removed, to eat, and enjoy! There's about 45 treats in the bag, and each treat is 7 calories. For dogs or cats with sensitivities to grains, poultry, fish or other ingredients, these are a great choice! Bison is also a "novel protein" for most pets, meaning that they probably have not eaten that protein in the past which can be an option for dogs or cats with digestive problems.

Eddie trying Orijen Alberta Bison Treats

Orijen is a brand I trust! While there's lots of options for healthy treats out there for dogs, one of the reasons I love Orijen is their variety of 100% protein treats that are healthy, and sourced in North America - that our cats can enjoy, too! Both Meadow and Eddie sampled these treats, and both of them enjoyed them! Orijen Alberta Bison Treats can be purchased at Chewy.com. The only downside to Orijen is that they are a little spendy as far as pet treats go. But, I'm happy to splurge on an item like this, knowing that I'm getting a very healthy, high quality product that my pets will love.

Meadow patiently waiting for "OK" to try her Orijen Alberta Bison Treats. Her beautiful bandana is from Hoot & Co. Click here to get 10% off your first order from Hoot & Co. 

Chewy.com is a great place to purchase pet products online. They have a huge selection of high quality foods, treats, and other pet products, including Orijen brand products. To learn how to become a Chewy.com  influencer, email svillegas(@)chewy.com for more information.

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. 

Daisy-Care June 2016 Review

Meadow's back today with a new Daisy-Care review! This is her third box from Daisy-Care, and once again, Daisy-Care knocked it out of the park in terms of choosing appropriate treats and toys for our special girl. I highly recommend Daisy-Care as a subscription dog box. 

As for the toy this month, Meadow's box contained a Planet-Dog Orbee-Tuff Orbee Ball (approx. $16.95).  This is the large size, which is 4 inches in diameter. Meadow has had a medium Orbee ball in the past, and it has held up well! She did manage to pick off some of the textured map, but it's otherwise in great shape. The ball has a hole on either end - one of which large enough for kibble or small treats, so you could put treats in this ball. It bounces, it floats, and it has a minty flavor - the ball actually smells like mint. This is a great pick for Meadow, as it's large enough she can't destroy it, and Orbee balls are tough! Planet-Dog Orbee Balls are widely available. Online, Orbee balls available directly from Planet-Dog, through Daisy-Care's Online Shop, or via Amazon.

I'm pretty sure Daisy-Care is somehow reading my mind. As for treats, pretty much everything Meadow received in her box this month were items that I've looked at purchasing to try, or they are such a great pick for Meadow, I feel like the owner of Daisy-Care knows her! 

Meadow received a container of Dog-For-Dog Peanut Butter, 16 oz. (approx. $9.99). I'm really excited to have received Dog-For-Dog products! I've looked at purchasing this online for Meadow before, but now we can sample it first, thanks to Daisy-Care! Meadow is crated two days a week during the workday, and she gets a Kong full of peanut butter and treats, which keeps her busy and content. She LOVES peanut butter, so this Dog-For-Dog Peanut Butter will definitely get used. I LOVE Dog-For-Dog's mission - for every American-made, wholesome pet product purchased, food is donated to an animal shelter. I'm happy to support a company that helps shelter pets. This peanut butter is made just for dogs. It contains only peanuts, golden flaxseed, and vegetable oil - no added sugar or salt like most human peanut butter. It can be purchased directly on the Dog-For-Dog website, via Daisy-Care's online shop, or through Amazon.

Meadow also received a package of Dog-For-Dog Dogstreat Peanut Butter Minis, 16 oz. (approx. $7.98). These soft treats are a perfect size for training treats. We are going through training treats by the truck load right now - we are working on manners and focus with our "energetic" puppy, which involves millions of treats. In fact, we used these treats this past weekend sitting at the dog park with Meadow practicing behaving calmly when greeting new people or dogs. Meadow is extremely social and loves all other dogs and humans, but she is a little - ahem - overenthusiastic in her greetings. Meadow of course loves these treat since they are peanut butter flavored. They contain oat flour, peanut butter, glycerin, barley flour, tapioca syrup, salt, duck oil, soy lecithin, glucono-delta-lactone, malt extract, cultured dextrose, mixed tocopherols (natural preservative), citric acid (natural preservative), and rosemary extract. There are some carby and sugary ingredients (flour, tapioca syrup, malt extract, etc.), but for a puppy with zero attention span when she's excited, these are tasty enough to help her keep her focused. These treats are available directly from Dog-For-Dog, through Daisy-Care's online shop, or via Amazon.

Next we have a package of Polkadog Cod Skins, 2.5 oz. (approx. $10.99). I had seen these before and almost gotten them for Meadow to try. Again, thanks to Daisy-Care, we get a chance to try a new brand! Polkadog produces a variety of treats, including dehydrated single protein ingredient treats like these cod skins. The cod is sourced in Alaska and hand-rolled and dehydrated at the Polkadog bakery in South Boston. Yep, each of these "sticks" is a rolled fish (cod) skin. They stink like dehydrated fish as one would expect. That didn't stop Meadow from LOVING these! She made lots of yummy faces and drool while sampling one. These will be a good snack for when it's time to settle down. These are available directly from the Polkadog Bakery, from the Daisy-Care online shop, or via Amazon. 


There was also a package of Barking Bus Animal Shaped Dog Treats by Exclusively Pet, 1.5 oz. (approx. $2.61). How cute is the packaging on these cookies? They look just like animal crackers! They're a little big for training treats, but they can be broken into smaller pieces. Even though they look exactly like human animal crackers, I wouldn't recommend tasting them - they smell like garlic, but Meadow thought they were fantastic. The ingredients include wheat flour, sugar, vegetable fat, corn syrup, salt, natural vanilla flavor, cornstarch, sodium bicarbonate, lecithin, and garlic powder. They are 7.5 calories per treat, which is relatively low calorie. They don't have the most super healthy ingredients, but in moderation, these are a fun treat. These can be purchased online from the manufacturer Exclusively Pet, from the Daisy-Care online shop, or via Amazon.

Meadow's Patriotic Bandana is from Cavies in Cozies.

Last but not least, Meadow received an Exclusively Dog Cheesy Bacon Flavor Cookie by Exclusively Pet, 3 oz. (approx. $5.99). This bone-shaped cookie is made in the USA with rye flour, rice flour, cheddar cheese, canola oil, flaxseed, rolled oats, natural bacon flavor. This cookie is huge! It contains 395 calories per treat according to the packaging, so you should feed it in pieces. We let Meadow eat half of it for a special snack after her dinner, and saved the other half to be given in small pieces later. This cookie is easily broken into smaller pieces. This cookie was a hit of course. Meadow made lots of happy nom-nom drooly faces while eating it. These cookies are high calorie, and should be limited to special treats. These cookies come in several different flavors, and are available to be purchased online from the manufacturer Exclusively Pet, or via Amazon.

Overall Impressions

This is Meadow's third box from Daisy-Care, and I continued to be impressed with the selection of items that are perfect for Meadow. Other pet subscription boxes might have cute themes, but what really makes Daisy-Care stand out is the thoughtful selection of items suited for your pet. This month I calculated the value of the items to be nearly $55.00 - which is over the cost of the box. I'm also really pleased that we had the opportunity to try some new brands, including Dog-For-Dog, and Polkadog. In terms of quality and thoughtful selection of items, Daisy-Care is at the top of the field when it comes to pet subscription boxes. 

About Daisy-Care

Daisy-Care is a subscription service that delivers package of treats and toys for your dog each month. There are number of different subscription package options ~

The Everyday Subscription package is a surprise package of toys and/or treats for your dog. You can purchase a "Treats Only" Everyday Care Package Subscription which includes several made-in-the-USA goodies for your pooch, and this subscription is available as a 1-Month Subscription ($37.95), a 3-Month Subscription ($110.85 or $36.95/box), 6-Month Subscription ($215.70 or $35.95/box), or 12-Month Subscription ($419.40 or $34.95/box). You can also subscribe to a Toy and Treat Everyday Care Package, which includes a combination of toys and treats. The packages are available as a 1-Month Subscription ($47.95), a 3-Month Subscription ($140.85 or $46.95/box), a 6-Month Subscription ($275.70 or $45.95/box), or a 12-Month Subscription ($539.40 or $44.95/box).

Daisy-Care also has an Annual Holiday Care Package Subscription that includes twelve (12) packages with Holiday-themed items. The cost for the annual Holiday Care Package Subscription is $239.88 or $19.99/box. Daisy-Care also has special occasion packages, and you can also create your own custom care package by purchasing items from Daisy-Care's shop.

Oh nom nom nom nom!

Sojos Peanut Butter Honey Treats Review

Meadow pretty much loves all things peanut butter, so I expected these new Sojos Peanut Butter Honey treats to be a hit. 

Sojos is a small company located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that specializes in crafting wholesome dog and cat food and treats, including raw diets. They have a variety of different product lines, including raw dog and cat food, and dog and cat treats. Since I know Meadow loves peanut butter (and also honey), I thought the Sojos Peanut Butter Honey Flavor Treats, 10 oz. (approx. $6.99) seemed like a pretty sure bet.  These treats are wheat and corn free, and contain no preservatives. The ingredients include only rye flour, oat bran, peanuts, peanut butter, honey, canola oil. and eggs. Each treat contains 14.35 calories, according to the package.

These hard treats smell mildly like peanut butter and honey. I admit it. I tasted one - just add sugar to the ingredient list and you have peanut butter bars! It tasted vaguely like a hard, unsweetened peanut butter biscuit. These treats are a little big for training treats, although they do easily break in half. Meadow thinks they are yummy! She gets these treats after each meal, and after she potties outside. With the limited ingredient list, and the fact that these treats are made right here in Minnesota, I'm interested in trying other treats from Sojos for both Meadow and her kitties.

Daisy-Care May 2016 Review

Today Meadow is back with a review of her second Daisy-Care subscription box! We got this box a few days ago before we traveled over the Memorial Day Weekend, and she has been sniffing it, and licking it since we got it. Meadow definitely thinks that all boxes and packages that arrive at our house are for her...and, honestly...most of them are for her and/or her kitties!

When I saw her Daisy-Care box had shipped, I was excited knowing how many high quality packages of treats we got last time. A high-energy pit bull puppy means we go through A LOT of treats around here, so I was hoping this box would be a treasure trove of treats again, and we were not disappointed!

Before we get to the contents, a couple obligatory pictures of Meadow opening her box in the backyard ~

And on to the goodies!

The toy included in Meadow's box this month is Nuts the Squirrel from Fluff & Tuff, (approx. $19.95). This was the first thing she pulled out of the Daisy-Care box. This fluffy squirrel contains a squeaker heart. It's a good size for Meadow at about 15 inches or so from head to tail. The hang tag indicates that it contains an inner mesh liner, with double stitched concealed seams, and embroidered eyes. These features should help make it more durable. If Meadow's in a destructive mood, she tends to go for the seams of a toy, so the concealed seams should help this toy hold up. A plush with a squeaker is virtually guaranteed to be a hit in Meadow's house. Meadow loves this guy! She has been carrying it around, squeaking it, tossing it in the air, playing fetch with it, and using it as a battering ram. The only potential weak spot seems to be the tail, but even that seems to be sewn in fairly well. Once again, Daisy-Care did a great job picking an appropriate toy for Meadow. Assuming Nuts the Squirrel holds up for a while, we will definitely check out other toys from this brand. Nuts the Squirrel is available for purchase in the Daisy-Care shop, or on Amazon. 

The next item Meadow pulled out of the box was the Etta Says! Mega Yumm Elk Chew, 10 in. (approx. $8.99 - on sale on at Chewy.com for $5.99!) This 10-inch chew is roughly 1 1/2 inches in diameter and is free of artificial coloring, fillers, or preservatives. In fact, the only ingredients are rawhide, elk, natural caramel color, and salt. I'm not going to lie - this thing is stinky. Smells about like a bully stick. No wonder Meadow grabbed it out of the box right away. Meadow takes her chewing seriously, so this chew will be more of a treat for her. She set to work on this one and had half of it eaten in about 15 minutes. We saved the other half for later. We haven't tried any Etta Says! products before, but this was a win, and we are interested in trying some of their other products. There are a variety of Etta Says! products also available at Amazon. 

And on to the treats!

First, we have a package of The Real Meat Company Real Meat Bitz Chicken & Venison Jerky Treats, 4 oz. (approx. $6.95). These treats are 95% chicken and venison, and they are made in the USA. According to the The Real Meat Company's website, all of their products are made of meat sourced in the USA, Australia, or New Zealand. The ingredients are limited to chicken, venison, dried chicory root, vegetable glycerin, sea salt, and mixed tocopherols. The meat comes from free range, farm-raised chicken and venison, and contains no added hormones and no antibiotics. The treats contain no fillers, no preservatives, and no coloring. They look and smell like small jerky bits. They are a great size for training treats! Given the size and density of the treats, there are a LOT in this 4 oz. package. Meadow loves jerky, and these treats are no exception. I like the size of these jerky treats since we always need training size treats to reward good puppy behavior. I also really like that these jerky treats are about as natural as it gets - no hormones or antibiotics in the meat, and no preservatives. I've not seen this brand before, and I'm glad Daisy-Care introduced us to this company! The Real Meat Company offers both dog and cat food and and treats. We are always on the hunt for  cat treats that accommodate Eddie's dietary needs, and it looks like The Real Meat Company's cat treats would be diabetic-friendly! The Real Meat Company Real Meat Bitz Chicken & Venison Jerky Treats, 4 oz. can be purchased at Daisy-Care's shop, or at Amazon, or Chewy.com.

We also received a package of Cloud Star Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Buddy Biscuits, 5 oz., (approx. $6.85). PEANUT BUTTER! Peanut Butter is pretty much Meadow's favorite thing, so these treats are a win. I'm sure they will be going on her list of treats to have in stock at all times. These Buddy Biscuits are made in the USA, and the ingredients are chickpea flour, potato flour, peanut butter, tapioca starch, maple syrup, vegetable glycerin, gelatin, natural flavor, salt, phosphoric acid, sorbic acid (as preservatives), citric acid, mixed tocopherols (as preservative), and rosemary extract. These treats are shaped like adorable little gingerbread men, and they are soft. They do smell like peanut butter. According to the package, they are 10 calories per treat, which is pretty good for a moist treat! They would even work for a training treat. Meadow loves these so much, they are a good high-value treat for her. If you have a peanut-butter-loving pooch, these treats are pretty much a guaranteed win. The Cloud Star Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Buddy Biscuits can be purchased in the Daisy-Care shop, or at Amazon, Chewy.com, or Petco.com.

We also received a package of Dr. McGrath's Hale & Hearty Pear & Sweet Potato Treats, 4 oz. (approx. $8.95). These treats are 100% dried pear and sweet potato. They smell delicious! I will freely admit I tasted one of the dried pears, and as expected, it tasted like an unsweetened dried pear. Meadow has a sweet tooth, so I'm hopeful that these super-healthy treats will satisfy her sweet tooth in a healthy way. The packaging of these treats is adorable. For example, on the side of the box it says "Remember these are treats. They should be fed sparingly. We don't want to turn your pup into a Fatty McFat-Fat...." They also provide serving suggestions based on the size of your dog...."Watch Under Your Feet!," "Smallish," "Perfectly Average," "Getting Up There," and "Frequently Mistaken for a Pony." Hahahaha! I made the mistake of letting Meadow sample these not long after she had eaten her supper, so she wasn't particularly hungry. She turned her nose up at them, unfortunately. Later on in the evening though, when she was asking for a treat, she did eat some of these. So I'll call that a win! This is another brand I've not seen before, so I'm pleased that Daisy-Care is again introducing smaller brands and companies. These Dr. McGrath's Pear & Sweet Potato Treats can be purchased at Daisy Care's Shop.

Last, but not least, Meadow received a package of Bubba Rose Biscuit Company Special Reserve Venison Osso Buco, 5.5 oz. (approx. $14.99). Meadow got a package of Bubba Rose Biscuit Company treats in her last Daisy-Care subscription box as well which were a huge hit, so I'm thrilled to see another item from Bubba Rose. Once again, the packaging is adorable. There are 9 bone-shaped treats in the package, and each is about 4 inches long. Every single cookie was intact in the package. They are imprinted with the Bubba Rose logo. These artisan treats contain organic oat flour, organic brown rice flour, venison, tomato paste, carrot, celery, eggs, rosemary, and garlic. Given the size of these cookies, they will be a special treat for Meadow. She loves these cookies and slowly savored the cookie when she sampled one. You can see she's trying out her product-modeling talents! Once again, I'm extremely happy to receive artisan treats in Meadow's Daisy-Care subscription box. These Venison Osso Buco treats can be purchased directly from Bubba Rose Biscuit Company.

Overall impressions: I calculated the value of the items in this box to be over $65 - well over the cost of the monthly cost of a Daisy-Care subscription box. After our second box, I'm really impressed. Daisy-Care clearly cares about quality - both in terms of the toys and the treats. There are lots of options for pet subscription boxes on the market, but Daisy-Care really seems to be at the top of the pack in terms of quality. For someone looking for a pet subscription box that is a good option for a pit bull, I recommend Daisy-Care. The toys have been spot on in terms of size-appropriateness and durability, and the quality of the treats has been second to none.

About Daisy-Care

Daisy-Care is a subscription service that delivers package of treats and toys for your dog each month. There are number of different subscription package options ~

The Everyday Subscription package is a surprise package of toys and/or treats for your dog. You can purchase a "Treats Only" Everyday Care Package Subscription which includes several made-in-the-USA goodies for your pooch, and this subscription is available as a 1-Month Subscription ($37.95), a 3-Month Subscription ($110.85 or $36.95/box), 6-Month Subscription ($215.70 or $35.95/box), or 12-Month Subscription ($419.40 or $34.95/box). You can also subscribe to a Toy and Treat Everyday Care Package, which includes a combination of toys and treats. The packages are available as a 1-Month Subscription ($47.95), a 3-Month Subscription ($140.85 or $46.95/box), a 6-Month Subscription ($275.70 or $45.95/box), or a 12-Month Subscription ($539.40 or $44.95/box).

Daisy-Care also has an Annual Holiday Care Package Subscription that includes twelve (12) packages with Holiday-themed items. The cost for the annual Holiday Care Package Subscription is $239.88 or $19.99/box. Daisy-Care also has special occasion packages, including a "Puppy Love Pail," and a "Puppuccino Care Package." You can also create your own custom care package by purchasing items from Daisy-Care's shop.
 
We got this box on the 29th, so I'm going to call this one the May 2016 box, and I'm going to re-name Meadow's review of her first box "Daisy-Care April 2016 Review" as I think that may have been April's box, but we got it later in the month because of when we subscribed.

Barkworthies Large Stuffed Shin Bone Review

Meadow is a heavy chewer, and we're always on the look-out for appropriate chews that will hold up to her powerful chewing, and that are safe. We've tried Barkworthies products in the past, and we've been pleased. Meadow has also had a large hollow bone in the past that she enjoyed. For today's review, Meadow tried out the Barkworthies Large Stuffed Shin Bone (approx. $10.59).

The Barkworthies Stuffed Shin Bone is about 6 inches long on average, and has a filling of all natural ingredients including brown rice and bully stick pieces. Barkworthies Shin Bones are made in Brazil. In theory, once the stuffing is gone, you can re-fill the shin bone with peanut butter, or another treat. Meadow has had a hollow bone in the past that we stuffed with peanut butter, so this Barkworthies Stuffed Shin Bone seemed like a nice alternative to a Kong.

The stuffing is not soft or mushy - it's hard. Meadow LOVED this chew and set to work on it immediately. She will keep herself busy chewing on an appropriate chew for over an hour sometimes. After about half an hour, while Meadow happily chomping away, I noticed that she had managed to break off some bone chips from the edges, trying to get at the stuffing. I took it away at that point, and haven't given it back to her. While the chips she was able to break off weren't huge, I've yet to decide whether or not I'll let her chew on this any more out of concern that she can break off bigger, sharp bone chunks. I'd rather err on the side of caution.

While Meadow absolutely loved this Barkworthies Stuffed Shin Bone, I think this size might not be quite strong enough for her heavy chewing. I'd recommend this bone for a smaller dog or less aggressive chewer.

Do you let your dog chew on bones? How do you decide when you will take them away?

Zoe Grilled Cheese & Bacon Tender Chunks Review

TGIF! I had the day off work today, and Meadow was at daycare, so I got a little shopping done for Meadow's first birthday this Sunday. Watch for pictures of her birthday party!

In the meantime, Meadow sampled a new treat we discovered at our local PetCo. These are the Zoe Grilled Cheese & Bacon Tender Chunks, 5.3 oz. (approx. $5.79). I can't seem to find them on PetCo.com, but they are available on Amazon, and may be available in-store at your local PetCo.

The Zoe Tender Chunks treat line is 100% natural, and made and sourced in Canada. They contain no corn, wheat or soy. There's a couple different varieties, including Bistro Beef & Gravy, Chicken Parmesan, Turkey & Beets, and Grilled Cheese & Bacon. We chose Grilled Cheese and Bacon to try, because GRILLED CHEESE AND BACON. That sounds delicious! According to the package, the ingredients in the Zoe Grilled Cheese and Bacon Tender Chunks include barley flour, pork, brewers yeas, molasses, whey powder, vegetable glycerin, cheddar cheese, bacon flavor, vegetable lecithin, and citric acid. Each treat is 18 calories. The package suggests feeding 1 to 2 per day.

The Zoe Grilled Cheese and Bacon Tender Chunk treats are soft and kind of crumbly. They smell meaty, but not really like grilled cheese and/or bacon. They do smell really salty. When Meadow sampled one, she initially dropped the treat out of her mouth, followed by a dollop of drool. For a second, I thought she spit it out because she didn't like it, but then she happily gobbled it up. I suspect these treats might be "rich." They're a little big for training treats, and at 18 calories each, your doggie should probably indulge in these treats somewhat sparingly. Meadow's dad took her to the vet the other day, and he brought a handful of these treats with him to help keep Meadow focused and relatively quiet while they sat in the lobby waiting for her appointment, rather than going bonkers about meeting all the other dogs and their humans waiting, and going in and out. She did great! Despite all the distractions in the lobby, she happily balanced these treats on her nose and showed off.

Plato Thinkers Duck Sticks Review

Meadow got an individually-wrapped Plato Thinkers Duck Stick in her April BarkBox, and she liked it so much, we decided to purchase a full package, which Meadow will review today.

Plato Thinkers Duck Sticks Dog Treats, 10 oz. (approx. $17) are meat treat sticks for dogs that are made of 90% duck. They also contain DHA which is known to support brain function. They are basically like a meat-stick for humans - they remind me of a Slim-Jim, although they do not smell appetizing...to me anyway. Meadow would beg to differ! She loves them! The 10 oz. package we purchased contains 11 sticks. We hold on to one end of a stick and let Meadow bite chunks off the end rather than giving her the whole thing at once. For dogs that scarf treats, you might want to break off pieces to give them, or hold on to it to let them bite chunks off. They're satisfying and filling enough that these are a good treat before nap-time.

The ingredients are duck, brown rice, salt, zinc propionate, fat product (source of DHA), mixed tocopherols (a preservative), citric acid, rosemary extract, vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2phosphate (a source of vitamin C), vegetable glycerin, and collagen casing.

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?