Article Content:
by Carrie Boyko, CEB

This 12 dogs of Christmas graphic was produced by Pet365 - a UK stockist of brands like Hurtta and Hamish McBeth
These graphics from Pet365 are always fun to share. The humor and timeliness of this one made it a perfect hit for today, while everyone is busily preparing for their family holiday celebrations. Don’t forget to include your pups!

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Article Content:
by Carrie Boyko, CEB

The countdown is on to the New Year. It’s hard to believe 2012 is just around the corner. 

After Tanner took his Christmas swim and had a nice fetch game, our family enjoyed our annual Bowling Tournament. It’s one of those silly things we do every year just for bonding time. We always have fun cheering one another on while at the same time teasing and joking at one another’s expense. My kids particularly get a kick out of making fun of my bowling “form” and, of course, my nickname. We’ll leave it at that.

How does your family spend holidays? Do you have a special way of bonding that is unique? Now that we’re back at home, the dogs have curled up with us and we’ll all watch a movie and wind down. Tell me about your bonding time during the holidays. And while you’re here, be sure to check out some of the other posts below.

Happy holidays!

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Article Content:
by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© Carrie Boyko
7 Grande Greenie Gifts
It’s vaca time again for the All Things Dog Blog gang, and that can only mean one thing–giveaways galore! This prize is another one of those fun and games with various sizes, but the number of prizes is itemized on the Rafflecopter with quantities included. All items are NOT pictured in the photo. 

NOTE: Please indicate in your mandatory comment the weight and age of your dog. I will do the drawings by appropriate size and age to assure that all products go to a Fido that can use them.  

Entries will close at midnight on Thursday, January 12, 2012. Winners will be announced Friday evening, January 13, 2012. Enjoy the giveaway!

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<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.

The Greenies in this giveaway were provided to me as a promotional item by the PR firm on behalf of Greenies. I was not required to give them away, nor was I paid to provide this giveaway.

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Article Content:
by Mark Nunez, DVM

© courtesy Mateuszz via Flickr.com
Natural Bones Have Multiple Dangers

Hello Dr. Mark: My husband hunts deer. He brought home some deer bones for Rex, our Jack Russell mix. I suggested he cook them to kill parasites or germs but he wanted to feed them raw. What do you recommend regarding raw vs. cooked bones? I wanted to cook them on the grill.
Wendy
—————————————————————-Hello Wendy,

You are correct, cooking them would kill harmful bacteria; however, the risk of stomach and intestinal problems would still remain.  Many people feel that dogs need bones in their diet, but this is simply not true.  If they are eating a high quality diet (home cooked OR commercially purchased) they will be getting all of the appropriate vitamins and mineral they need.  In addition, there are MANY safe alternatives for keeping their teeth clean and their gums healthy.  

While cooking the bones helps to decrease the risk for bacterial contamination, it makes them more brittle and more likely to splinter.  These splinters can lodge anywhere in the mouth, esophagus, stomach, or intestines.  I have also seen bones cause intestinal obstructions, with or without intestinal perforation.  The bottom line is the risk does not out weigh the benefit when it comes to bones.  I recommend finding safer alternatives for oral health and for dogs that just love to chew on things.  Thanks for the question!
Dr. Mark

© courtesy m.n.
Dr. Nunez
Dr. Nunez is a practicing veterinarian while also assisting patients through The Balanced Canine blog and his own online veterinary pharmacy. Have a question for Dr. Mark? Send it to AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. You can also follow Mark on Twitter.

Want to read more from Dr. Mark? Try these, or visit his archives:

Dr. Mark’s virtual advice is not a substitute for an actual examination with a veterinarian.

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Article Content:
by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© Carrie Boyko
Every Boy Needs Santa  PJ’s
On chilly nights I sometimes put a fleece top on Oliver, since we rarely use our heat here in Florida. This year, Oliver received some adorable pajamas from our friends at Petco. They fit him so nicely, and even have arms and legs to hold in body heat, yet they are light enough for our temperate winters. I think he’s already decided they are his new fave. What do you think? 

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Article Content:
by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© Carrie Boyko
Book Giveaways Continue….
Is more reading time on your To Do list for 2012? Maybe I can help. Today’s giveaway announcement includes 4 books for adults that are dog-themed.

Each of these 4 books will be given away to a different winner; each will delight. Dorothy Hearst’s 2 books, Secrets of the Wolves (this giveaway is hardcover; others are all paperback) and Promise of the Wolves, are among her first novels, after years of studying the Wolves of Yellowstone and interviewing international experts.

Dog On It is a Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn. I can vouch for this series, as I am currently reading another of these terrific books and loving it. I can’t wait to read the whole series!

Follow My Lead by Carol Quinn includes a subtitle, “What Training My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Love, and Happiness. Part memoir, this book is perfect for every pet lover.

Enter below to win any one of the four. If you prefer to make your selection and order the book from Amazon, click the link at each title to locate it easily. 

If you choose to enter to win, you may enter through Thursday, January 12, 2012. Winners of the 4 prizes will be announced late on Friday, January 13, 2012.

If the Rafflecopter entry form does not appear beneath my name, simply click the title above to refresh. The form should then show up just below. Good luck!

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Full disclosure:  The four books in this giveaway are all conference samples. There is no purchase necessary to enter and this giveaway is offered simply to clear my shelves. Enjoy your good fortune!

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Article Content:
by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© Carrie Boyko
Just for Pups
 in Cold Weather Climates

© courtesy Amazon.com
Oliver has a special surprise for one medium-sized Fido. Four booties (2 back and 2 front) are teamed up with a sample from Canine Earth: Wash and Wag Oatmeal and Aloe Natural Shampoo, and a container of USDA Organic Awesome Apple Paw Balm. So, we’re sending out this call to pups in cooler climates. Take care of your Fido’s feet with this kit, created just for one medium-sized dog.

If you’d simply like to try the Canine Earth products, follow the links above to Amazon for a quick and painless purchase.

Yesterday when the weather turned a bit chilly here in Florida, Oliver snuggled up to this prize for a photo. “No, Oliver, you won’t need booties. Besides, they’re too big for you.” These boots will go to a pup that’s a medium-sized dog and lives in a colder climate. If you’d like to see a photo of Oliver in his cute new jammies, check 5 Minutes for Fido.

If you’d like to enter, please understand that I cannot replace the booties if they do not fit your dog. Perhaps you can donate them, give them to a friend, or take them to a local rescue or shelter. Please enter this giveaway only if you you have a medium-sized dog. My guess is they will fit a dog that is at least 20-25 lbs. and probably up to 30 or 35 lbs. I suppose it will depend on the breed, but that’s my best guess. No guarantees!

This giveaway will run through Thursday, January 5, 2012. I’ll announce the winner later in the afternoon on Friday, January 6, 2012. Best wishes to all you chilly pups. If the Rafflecopter entry form does not appear beneath my name, simply click the title above to refresh and it should show up just below:

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a Rafflecopter giveaway
You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway.
Full disclosure: These products were given to me in conference swag bags. I am under no obligation to give them away or write about them. There is no purchase necessary to win this giveaway. Please consult my Giveaway and Contest Rules for more information.

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Article Content:
by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© Carrie Boyko
Oliver Guards the Coupons
 for our Grain-Free Trial Team

As I continue to read various opinions on dog food ingredients, my thoughts have not changed much since my Spring, 2011 Organix series of review posts. Leaving behind the toxic fertilizers, synthetic preservatives, growth hormones, and other ingredients that are included, yet not labeled, on traditional pet food, I’ll stick with Organic food for our feeding philosophy. Just one newer idea has grabbed my attention and warrants a try–Grain free food.

Depending on which author you’re reading, grains can have a variety of different affects on Fido. It makes complete sense to me that dogs did not evolve by eating grain until after they took up with man as our sidekicks. There does not appear to be much evidence that their bodies have come to need this food source added to their diet. I hope you’ll join me as I explore the Grain Free Organix brand and share our experience with you.

I think the one fact that has given rise to my decision to give Grain Free a chance is Tanner’s coat. Because he swims almost every day, I have a regimen of coat care tasks to keep it healthy and shiny. Despite my efforts, it still shows signs of his daily splash in the chlorinated pool. 

I wish I had the option of changing to a different type of water sanitizer, but that aside, food and food supplements, combined with coat conditioning treatments may be my only choices. So we have begun the journey. Watch for more posts as we continue to see the changes in Tanner and Oliver’s energy, output, coat health and more.

Perhaps you’d like to join me in this experiment? Today’s post is supplemented with a 12 bag giveaway of Organix food so you can give Grain-free a try along with me. Just like me, you’ll need to follow the directions for transition found at this link. If you choose to join me, I do ask that you subscribe to follow my series on this change, and return to share your own experiences as well. If you win in the giveaway below, and participate in the Grain-free trial, I’ll make sure another free coupon comes your way to keep you on the straight and narrow path with Organix.

The Rafflecopter entry form should appear just below my name. If you do not see it there, simply click on the title above and it will return below:

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a Rafflecopter giveaway
<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.

Full disclosure: Castor and Pollux provided me with these coupons as a promotional courtesy. There is no purchase required to participate in the giveaway. It is, however, only available to U.S. addresses and is void where prohibited. Please consult our Giveaway and Contest Rules for further clarification.

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Article Content:
by Carrie Boyko, CEB

In just a few days it will be 2012. It seems just yesterday I started this blog with a lofty goal to help dog owners find the resources they need to KEEP their dogs. I had seen far too many families give up Fido when obstacles got in their way. Now with a vet and a trainer here to assist, we are able to offer you product reviews, health information, training tips, free products and inspiration to stay the course.

Offering the opportunity to win free products for your dog is just one additional way that I can help readers whose budgets are stretched in these tight times. I enjoy finding great products to share reviews of and then giving away a few of their products to my readers who enjoy playing the game. 

You may also enjoy joining in the Twitter Parties I have begun to run. This is a fun way to win great prizes, while making new friends online with other Twitter users. Check out our latest, #SuperDogPics, a party to help with Fido photos. We’ll have a professional pet photographer there to offer tips, and as always, there will be plenty of free goodies to win. 

On another note, I’d like to hear from those of you who don’t enjoy the “game”. I know that entering drawings and contests is certainly not for everyone. Some of us don’t have time and others just find no enjoyment in games of chance. So leave me a comment below and tell me what you would like to see here. Do you enjoy Twitter Parties? Obviously I’m not planning to stop giveaways, but other features could be eventually added to All Things Dog Blog. Let me hear your ideas or thoughts.

For bloggers, stopping by to link up, keep in mind that our HELP PAGE is always available to assist with linkups, photo tips, FTC guidelines and Facebook’s rules for giveaways and product reviews. You’ll also find the code for Wordpress.com blogs there as well.

Finally, keep in mind that linkups will continue through Friday at midnight. You may wish to return over the weekend to check out the loot that is available here. Happy New Years to you and yours!

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Article Content:
by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© A. Boyko
It’s Springer Time!
Here we are almost at New Years and it certainly looks like there are a lot of you plotting your resolutions. From cleaner dog teeth, to greener cleanup, to exercising Fido, all of my giveaways that have anything to do with taking better care of our dogs are getting the most attention. Bravo!

I’ve done my drawings for 3 giveaways today and my readers did not fail me. Your enthusiasm shows how much you care about your furry friends. Congratulations to Ashley Clark for winning the Springer biking attachment. Now she’ll be able to get her dog exercise in easier and faster, and have fun too!

© A. Boyko
Oliver Enjoys Biking Too!

For those of you who missed out this time, remember you can order your own Springer online here. As a matter of fact, I highly recommend you do. My boys and I enjoy biking so much that it has definitely become the staple of our exercise routine. Won’t you join us?!!

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