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When you have a dog, you are going to have treats in your house. They are great to use for training or to give just because. What many people don’t take into consideration is the amount of calories that may just be getting handed out randomly to their dog. With medium to large dog biscuits having 40 to a 115 calories each (Pet Obesity Prevention has put together a list of calories in different available treats- Pet Weight and Treats) those calories add up quickly.
 I admit I am anal when it comes to keeping my dogs at a good weight. Having spent 9 years working in vet hospitals, I’ve seen the effect of obesity on pets and figure that is one area of their health I can control. I do a lot of training and use food as a reward so I am always looking for healthy, low-calorie treats to use.
Charlee Bear Dog Treats are treats I’ve used for years. All my dogs’ have loved them. And they are a favorite of mine for several reasons.
- They are low calorie. They only have 3 calories per treat. Compare that to a small Milkbone which has 20 calories or a Snausage which has 25 calories (according to Pet Weight and Treats). My smaller dogs who run around 20 lbs need about 400 calories a day while my larger one who is about 40lbs needs about 600 calories a day. They get about that much just from their food (Food and Calories) so anymore than that and they start putting on the pounds. This makes low calorie important to me.
- They are small. The picture above shows a few of the Charlee Bear’s with a dime. Small means I can give my dog several of them without the calories adding up. My dogs don’t really care about the size (they seem to eat everything at the same speed no matter the size- fast). They just love getting treats and love getting more of them.
- They use simple ingredients which are sourced in the US. My dogs love the flavors (we haven’t tried the Turkey Liver & Cranberries yet).
LIVER: Wheat Flour, Liver (poultry liver preserved naturally with vitamin E), Salt (1 tablespoon per 100 pounds), Garlic Powder
CHEESE & EGG: Wheat Flour, Cheese & Egg (preserved naturally with vitamin E), Salt (2 tablespoons per 100 pounds), Brewers Yeast, Garlic Powder
TURKEY LIVER & CRANBERRIES: Wheat flour, Turkey Liver, Cranberries, (preserved naturally with vitamin E), Salt (1 tablespoon per 100 pounds), Garlic Powder
- They are readily available. I can find these in almost any pet store in my area. Plus they are available online.
- They don’t taste gross when you them put in your mouth. Okay, this reason may sound a little weird unless you have trained dogs for obedience. There are some dog trainers who keep food in their mouth to spit to their dog to help teach them to look at the trainer’s face. A lot of people will make liver to use. I like liver, but not enough to keep it in my mouth so I tried the Charlee Bears and they work fine for me. Plus, I can spit them. Spitting is not a talent I perfected as a child, but these I can get a decent distance. hey, some people actually try all their dogs treats before giving them to their dogs to make sure they are good. I don’t do that (after all my dogs have exotic taste for things like cat poop) so I figure that puts me slightly lower on the weirdo scale.
Charlee Bear Dog Treats are a staple on my list of goodies I give my dogs and one I highly recommend.
You can find Charlee Bear Dog Treats at many local pet stores as well as online at retailers like-
Amazon*
Entirely Pets*
Clickertraining.com*
 Thank you everyone who entered the Accuwalker Giveaway and thank you Too Cool Pets for sponsoring the Giveaway! I used Random.org to determine the winner from all the comments that were left and the winner is comment number 29 -Gianna! I will be contacting her by email so she can receive her Accuwalker. [I apologize, but the comments were lost after my site was hacked. ]
If you are interested in The Accuwalker, you can purchase it directly from Too Cool Pets for just $19.95 plus shipping and handling. Your dog will love you for it.
Sometimes we just want something different, something to make our dogs stand out from the crowd, something that shows their personality. I was recently contacted by Padi from Sam’s Wardrobe and given the opportunity to try one of their collars. They even let me pick the design I want and when you see the choices, that wasn’t easy. I decided Mellie, my Springer Spaniel, would be the lucky one to test the collar. She came here 2 years ago and was still wearing the red leather collar she came with. Definitely time for a change. After looking through the designs they offer, I decided on the “Shari”. I really loved the bold collars and thought they would be perfect for a liver and white Springer.
 When the collar arrived I looked it over and was happy at how sturdy it was. I remember buying a “fancy” designer collar once for one of my dogs and it was just made out of cotton material. It didn’t last 2 weeks; it broke when my dogs were playing. Sam’s Wardrobe collars are made using nylon webbing as a base so it’s not going to break with my dogs’ play. They also have the plastic quick clip making it easy to put on and take off. After years of working in a veterinary hospital/ boarding facility, the quick clip collars are my favorite.
I replaced Mellie’s old collar and the collar testing began. Thanks to Pennsylvania weather, she has worn it out in the rain and the snow and it still looks great. I even ran it under the faucet because I wanted to make sure the colors didn’t run. Not a problem, the color stayed. I hooked the leash on and we went for a short walk. It’s as strong as any other collar I’ve used.
So if you are looking for a new collar and more of a choice than just the single color collars available, I can recommend Sam’s Wardrobe.
You can view the design choices and places to buy on Sam’s Wardrobe’s website.
I was contacted by one of the developer’s for The Accuwalker and asked if I would be interested in reviewing their product. After visiting their website and reading about it, I thought the Accuwalker was an intriguing idea. It records when and how long your dog was walked making it a great product for busy families or those who use a dogwalker.
 I was sent an Accuwalker to try. The packaging was nice and I was glad to see easy to open. I inserted the 2 AA batteries it requires and opened up the Owner’s Manual that comes with it. Setting up the time and date was no problem, it reminded me of setting a digital watch. Once that was done I moved on to playing with the message feature. I followed the instructions and recorded a quick message . I did have some issues when I tried to play back the message. The instructions said to press the Play button, but nothing happened. After thinking I didn’t record right and playing with it a few minutes, I found you had to press and hold the Play button. Other than that The Accuwalker worked fine!
The Accuwalker comes with 2 options for mounting- wall mounting tape (for leashes under 2lbs) or with hardware. I went with the tape option and quickly mounted in near my side entrance and hung a leash on it.
 The Accuwalker works by a micro switch that detects when the leash is removed, records that time and starts a timer. When you place the leash back on the hanger, the timer stops. This information is kept stored in The Accuwalker for 40 walks and can be reviewed by just pressing the Review button. This will enable you tell when your dog was walked and how long he was walked each time. The screen lights up when the leash is removed, when the leash is replaced and by just pressing the light button making the information easy to view.
The Message feature is nice, it allows you to leave about 15 seconds of instructions or other information that the person walking the dog might need. Once a message is recorded A Speaker icon appears on the screen to alert the user that a message was left. This icon disappears once the message is played. I think this is the only thing I would change if I could. With all the numbers that already appear on the screen, my eyes missed the Speaker icon. I would find a light, maybe a flashing light, near the button panel more eye-catching.
Everything about The Accuwalker worked just fine. I think it would be a great help to those who want to make sure Fido gets the attention and exercise he needs. It seems with life being so hectic, sometimes walking the dog gets pushed down the list of things that need to be done. With pet obesity on the rise, not getting enough exercise can impact your dog’s health. While I don’t use a dogwalker or a household where everyone is off in different directions, I will admit to being a bit lazy when it comes to taking the dogs out for a walk. Using The Accuwalker gave me the chance to set the amount of time I wanted to make sure the dogs got walked each week and a way to be accountable and keep track of our walks. My dogs appreciate it. I’m sure yours will also.
You can purchase The Accuwalker directly from Too Cool Pets.
Thank you the Accuwalker Giveaway has ended.
The makers of The Accuwalker would like to send one to a lucky reader. If you would like a chance to win The Accuwalker, just leave a comment below on how you think it would make your life easier. The winner will be chosen randomly from all the comments left by 6pm EST Monday, December 28th. They will be contacted by email in order to get their contact information to forward onto Too Cool Pets. Sorry, giveaway is only open to those in the US.
 In this economy, we are all looking for ways to save some money even the money we spend on our pets. It’s hard because you want to give the best care possible. Just like for people products, there are coupons, rebates and freebies available that can be a big help to your pet budget, but finding them can be tough. You can subscribe to different manufacturer email lists, but finding them time to go through them is difficult.
My Pet Savings is a website run by Kristy that tracks all those offers so you can find them in one convenient place, offers like the $5 coupon on Blue Buffalo dog food or the free sample of Hill’s Science Diet dog treats. You can easily search by Freebies, Coupons, Online Deals, Dog Food, Cat Food and Store Deals to find ways to save money. Most of the offers are for dogs and cats (the most popular pets), but there is a listing for a fish food coupon so it’s worth keeping an eye on. I try to feed high quality pet foods and coupons and offers for these foods can be hard to find so I’ve subscribed to My Pet Savings to take advantage of the offers that get posted. If you’d like to subscribe, just visit My Pet Savings so you can get started saving today!
 Ricochet playing with his Raccoon Skinneeez When it comes to buying dog toys, I tend to watch my wallet. While I am sure my dogs get much joy from ripping apart a $12 toy a half hour after I give it to them, I am left feeling like I should have just put the money right into the trash. Because of this I tend to buy toys from the dollar stores that they can happily destroy for much less.
But I still stay on the lookout for toys that are less destructible. I saw the Skinneez Stuffing Free Dog Toys * while shopping in a dog catalog outlet store. It had 2 things I thought might increase its longevity- it had no stuffing that they would enjoy pulling out and trailing through the house and it didn’t really have any small parts that they would pick at until they pulled it off. The only thing that made me reconsider putting it into my basic was the material felt a little thin to me. So I decided to ask the cashier’s opinion before she checked me out. Maybe I should have worded it different and not ask how indestructible it was, because the answer she gave me was “every toy can be destroyed”. Ah, duh, not helpful and it doesn’t provide much information to me.
Luckily, I decided to buy the product anyway because this has actually become one of mine and my dogs’ favorite toys. Yes, they kill the 2 squeakers it contains in no time, but other than that the toy has stayed intact. Over a year later, they still play with the Raccoon originally bought along with a Fox I bought them.
Good points-
- No stuffing so nothing to clean up if your dog is one that likes pulling the stuffing out.
- They do have ears and feet which may entice some dogs who are really intent on chewing, but they don’t have the boggly eyes or felt doodads sticking off them that some toys have.
- Even though the material doesn’t seem sturdy, it holds up to my dogs rough play including playing tug with me and each other. It might not be as sturdy for bigger dogs.
- There is a mini-size for the little guys to enjoy. The large is about 24 inches long and the mini about 13 inches.
- They can be washed with no problems.
Bad points-
- The only issue I had was with my dogs killing the 2 squeakers. Fortunately, they still enjoy playing with the it.
So the Skinneez Stuffing Free Dog Toy* is a toy I would recommend, but as with any toy watch your dog while they play with it and inspect it often to insure it is still safe to play with.
Amazon*
Several months ago, I had someone contact me who was thinking about getting the Biddy Cat Litter Box, but was looking for more information before she purchased one. Mostly she was interested in knowing if I still liked it after having used it for almost a year. Because the information may help others decide, I thought I would update on my opinion of the Biddy Cat Litter Box.
I still love it. While it has gotten a little scratched up (none of my cats are declawed), it ’s still easy to clean. Sometimes litter does get out, sometimes I think my cats are looking for buried treasure they dig so much, but it is no where near as much as I had with even my covered boxes.
Most importantly, it’s my cats’ favorite box. They use it more than any other box in the house. In fact, Woody, my big giant Ragdoll, was extremely ill a few weeks ago. He had been hospitalized for almost a week and I brought him home and set him up in a cage for a few days with a regular sized box. After a few days, he decided he would rather wait until I carried him in to use the Biddy Cat Litter Box than try to fit himself into the regular sized box.
So I still definitely recommend the Biddy Cat Litter Box.
Most people don’t give buying a litter box a second thought. I am not like most people. I have been trying to find the “perfect” litter box for years. Not just a box that looks good (after all litter boxes just don’t usually give that nice decorative touch to your house), but also one my cats would like. Having had cats with litter box issues, it has become personal.
 We’ve used regular open litter boxes, the litter gets all over. We’ve used covered litter boxes, but I can’t help comparing them to having to use a Port-A-Pottie (I have to be on the verge of desperation). I have looked at the automatic litter boxes, but haven’t heard good reviews from friends, and the thought of 6 cats using it, the thing would be going constantly. I went to plastic storage totes and have been happy with them except for one thing- my 14 year old cat. Tyke has arthritis so getting in and out of one was painful for him. So our current set of has been several of the storage totes upstairs, 1 small box in the living room and 2 regular open boxes in the first floor bathroom (Tyke spends most of his time on the first floor).
At the beginning of January, I was contacted by the Biddy Cat Company and asked if I would be interested in trying their litter box, the Biddy Cat Easy-Scoop Litter Box, and reviewing it. Before contacting them, I went to their website and read through the product information. Hmmm, looking at the pictures it was huge. Hopeful that this box might be the “one”, I replied that I would be happy to try it.
When it arrived, I was more than impressed. It was HUGE. It actually took the place of the 2 regular litter boxes in my first floor bathroom. It is also a great size for my Ragdoll, Woody. Woody is a really big cat, he towers over my other felines and this box is ideal for him.
The sides of the box were high, great for keeping the litter from being thrown over the sides by my more exuberant diggers. But they weren’t too high to be a problem for Tyke’s arthritis. he has no problem getting in and out of this box.
The box is made of very high quality material. The plastic is smooth and thick. I have had boxes become stained really quickly and after almost 2 months of use, haven’t had it happen with the Biddy Cat Easy-Scoop Litter Box .
The box design is great. It was designed to not have those corners that collect the litter in them. The way this box is designed, you can scoop along the entire bottom of the box from one side to the other. Even my mother who sometimes pitches in for litter box duties commented on how easy it was to scoop.
I was also impressed with how the company keeps in touch with their  customers. They were concerned about the box tipping when used with some lighter weight litters and contacted their customers asking for input. They do recommend using about a 2-3 inch depth of clumping litter for best results. I use regular clay litter (when you have a cat with litter box issues, you use what he wants to use) and have had no problems.
This is a product I have no problem recommending to others. In fact, I really need to measure the space upstairs and see if the Biddy Cat Easy-Scoop Litter Box will fit so I can get a second one.
For more information on the Biddy Cat Easy-Scoop Litter Box and to order a box yourself, please visit the Biddy Cat Company.
 I bought the Petstages Cheese Chase Cat Toy 2 years ago when I added Bitsa to my household. I was really surprised at what a hit it was not just with Bitsa but with all my cats. The Cheese Chase * is an interactive cat toy made of plastic. In the very center is a stuffed mouse mounted on a flexible pole that springs back and forth when swatted at. On the very outside is a track that goes around the circumference of the toy. It contains a plastic ball for the cat to swat and chase. In the center of the circle is another ball for the cat to try and get through the 3 halls in the cover.
My cats thought swatting at that ball on the outer track was the most fun. They would lay there and swat it back and forth for 5-10 minutes (a long time in the cat world). It was funny to see 12 year old Tyke acting like a kitten over this toy. Interesting enough, they paid no attention to the ball in the center or the mouse. The outside ball was the only thing they played with.
After a few months, they lost interest in the Cheese Chase. Bitsa grew and had  more fun exploring the house or playing chase with Pyro. Adding Charm to our household has created renewed interest in the Cheese Chase. I moved it to the center of the living room and the older cats were more than happy to show Charm how it worked. She picked it up quickly and has a blast playing with it. Not only does she play with the outside ball, but she also plays with the inside ball and occasionally wrestles the mouse.
Overall, the Petstages Cheese Chase Cat Toy has been a winner in our house. Not only do the cats find it entertaining, but it is well made and easy to clean. Not something I have had an easy time finding in the cat toys that are available.
Amazon*
 If you ask a dog owner what a Kong * is, most likely they will reply that it is a toy for dogs, not an over-sized Gorilla who wreaks havoc on Manhattan. The Kong has become one of the most well known dog toy and for good reason. Made of hard rubber, it is very durable. They even make a line for aggressive chewers (note: this does not mean it is indestructible. As with any toy it should be inspected regularly for any damage and discarded when no longer safe).
The Kong is also a great interactive toy for dogs. The center is hollow, making a great place to put food and treats for your dog to work on getting out. Most people know to insert biscuits, but many dogs quickly learn how to get them out in the shortest amount of time. I like to take my dogs’ dry food and soak it in water. Sometimes I mix in other foods (the picture at the top has macaroni &  cheese mixed in). Once it is soft, I stuff it in the Kong and freeze. I will also layer kibble and cheese and microwave for a few seconds to melt the cheese (let this cool before offering it to your dog). This keeps my dogs occupied for a little bit. You can find more great recipes to try at Kong Company . Just click on Tips and Advice for the recipe page.
This is one toy I recommend for every dog owner. It’s durability is great for the dog that likes to chew. Its erratic bouncing, keeps the dog who loves to fetch moving and its stuffability provides that mental stimulation that many dogs need.
Amazon*
Only Natural Pet Store*
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