It’s time for your Friday links!
Wait, it’s Monday? I missed Friday again?
Oh, well… to the links! Continue reading
Beware the cone o’ shame…
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Tag Archives: peggy’s pet place
Why should you step out from behind that camera? Here’s why.
If you scour my blog, you might find one photo of me. That’s pretty much it.
I was having a conversation with a few blogging friends the other day, and it turns out that I’m not alone on that front.
As bloggers – particularly pet bloggers – we spend a lot of time behind the camera, but not that much in front of it. We post countless photos of our furballs and share all sorts of personal stories, but – for some of us, at least – it’s pretty rare that our faces grace the hallowed HTML of our own blogs.
Flipping off cancer… the canine way
I’ll admit… when I first saw that there was a blog hop entitled “Give Cancer the Paw,” I thought we were basically flipping it off. You know, a canine twist on giving something (or someone) the finger.
Yeah, I’m classy like that.
For my more sheltered and innocent readers (do I have any of those?), by that I mean:
Giving the finger, verb: (1) Flipping off someone or something (“flipping the bird“); (2) Expressing displeasure using an agreed upon hand signal involving the middle finger; (3) Evaluating a fellow motorist’s driving ability; (4) practicing hand calisthenics while also sending a message;
or
noun: (1) Beloved gesture of irritated motorists everywhere; (2) Reliable pose for rebellious former child stars trying to be edgy.
I mean, it kind of fits. People are always standing up to cancer or walking for a cure. Why not flip it off too? I can think of plenty of instances where I’d like to tell cancer to shove it where the sun don’t shine. Whenever it takes away someone you love (be it person or pet), it sucks. It sucks bully sticks.
November is National Pet Cancer Awareness Month – it’s a good time to educate yourself about canine cancer and this blog hop is a great way to start. The Give Cancer the Paw Blog Hop is hosted by Peggy’s Pet Place and Pooch Smooches. Visit those blogs for more information about canine cancer, and be sure to check out the other blogs participating in today’s hop. They’re full of information about prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and more – including personal stories and support.
#K9Kamp: The little engine that did
This… this was a month. A busy one.
You may recall that October’s K9 Kamp challenge was to do more – specifically, to get active with your dog for an extra 30 minutes a few times per week. You may also recall that I found this challenge a bit daunting, given how busy my month was shaping up to be.
So, how did it go? Well, I did not meet my own personal fitness goals, given that I haven’t seen the inside of my gym since September. (Here’s hoping that November will be better.) I ate pretty poorly this month. I had no motivation. I got off to a really slow start with K9 Kamp, having a lot of trouble squeezing in those extra minutes. I wasn’t sure how I would explain it all to you here on the blog.
via giphy.com
(That GIF, by the way, is from the show Being Erica. If you have not seen it, you are totally missing out. Thank you, Canada. I was lucky that a friend turned me on to this show so that I could catch it when it aired on SOAPnet, but I believe you can still buy or download it. Anyone else a fan?)
Anyway, it turns out that doing more with the dogs is easier than getting myself to the gym. It’s also easier than resisting a delicious cookie. Thank goodness!
Once I realized that I didn’t have to do all of those minutes at once (thanks, Kol’s Notes!), the challenge seemed more achievable. A game of tug here, a game of fetch (or my dogs’ version of it, which is not really fetch at all) there, and the minutes added up before I knew it. So, I guess the lesson from this round of K9 Kamp is that even when you’re busy, it can be done!
With that, another session of K9 Kamp has come to a close. Would I do it again?
via giphy.com
The llama has spoken. I’ll see you next time, fellow Kampers. How did you get active with your dog this month?
I’ve got 99 problems, but #K9Kamp ain’t one
You have no idea how much I’m dying to change that “ain’t” to an “isn’t” – I’m feeling twitchy about it. Really twitchy. Anyway…
So, as you may have noticed, posts have slowed a bit around these parts. September and October have teamed up to kick my ass, but not in a useful, personal trainer way. Instead, they’ve just conspired to keep me from relaxing and having any free time to recharge and work on the blog. (Don’t get me wrong – some of the busy is fun or fun-adjacent. Some of it, however, is the opposite of that.)
In addition to September and October refusing to pack in a few more days so I can get things done, other forces have conspired to keep me from my gym, which is currently closed for the foreseeable future. I was finally in a routine, too. Le sigh. So, I’m basically a hot mess right now on all fronts.
Enter K9 Kamp.
This month’s challenge? Do more.
Um…
I’ll admit – my first instinct upon learning this month’s challenge was to turn off my laptop, put it in a box, put that box in the closet, secure that closet with a padlock, and swallow the key. (My second instinct was to return the padlock and key and purchase a combination lock instead. Why swallow a key – a key, people – when I could just tear up the paper with the combination?) The idea of somehow doing “more” this month seemed… daunting. (Heck, even this post is late.)
However, my crippling Internet addiction weighed against placing my laptop in quarantine, so here I am. Also, considering the gym embargo, I most certainly do need to be doing more. This month, K9 Kamp is encouraging its campers (kampers?) to get active with your dog, 30 to 40 minutes extra, three to four times per week. The theme is fitness fun and games. Bella was excited when tug appeared on that list, so I guess I have no choice but to go for it. I’m working on a plan to get moving…
Will you be joining us at Kamp? Head on over to Kol’s Notes and Peggy’s Pet Place to find out more about this session and to find out how you can win some great prizes, including some fabulous handmade jewelry from For Love of a Dog.
Barking about books: The Dieting with My Dog Guide to Weight Loss and Maintenance
Click to order!
Today, I have a special treat for you. My friend Peggy Frezon, the author of Dieting with My Dog, is back with a new book. Today, this blog is the next stop on her virtual book tour. Welcome to the Fun & Furry, Fit & Healthy Blog Tour!
I had the chance to ask Peggy a few questions about her new book. While composing the questions, I was engaged in a bout of stress eating (unrelated to that activity). I guess that’s somewhat appropriate. (Seriously folks… if stress eating is ever made into an Olympic event, I will win all the medals. In both the singles and team events. Sad but true.)
Perhaps Peggy – along with her dogs Kelly and Ike – can help me put down the cookies and pick up a leash or a dog toy instead!
Anyway… to the interview! Continue reading
#K9Kamp: Turn that frown upside down by not sitting around
Today is the last day of this session of K9 Kamp. It’s been fun, so I thought I’d send it off with an appropriate farewell. That’s right, today’s links are fit to be read…
- Up first, your punny pet names: Richard Simbones and Dane Fonda. (Alternatives for that last one: Jane Fawnda or Mane Fonda.)
- We did a lot of walking this time around. For the next session of K9 Kamp, I hope to step it up a bit. I’ll be taking a cue from some of my fellow Kampers, who came up with great ways to stay fit. Among them? Hiking, skateboarding, weightlifting, superhero training, kayaking, and geocaching.
- It’s not just about working out though. Being healthy involves eating right too, which would be much easier if I had a chef like this one helping me out.
- I’m feeling nostalgic for Kamp already. Can’t we have a few more days of campfire songs and s’mores (in appropriately-sized portions, of course)? Time to pull out the photos and reminisce.
- Even though Kamp is over for now, there will still be mini-challenges each month courtesy of our newest coach. I can’t wait (and I know my squishy core can still use some more work).
- I’d still like to put in a formal request that Koly engage in some (videotaped) Prancercise, with or without a John Mayer soundtrack. (Pretty please? I’ll even try to see if I can figure out how Tavish can do the Flo in return.)
- On a tangentially related note, today happens to be Take Your Dog to Work Day. I wonder if you could bring your dog to the office gym. (Probably not.)
Finally, I leave you with today’s video. I’m kind of in love with it – it makes me want to finally learn how to edit a decent video and come up with something amazing for the next session of K9 Kamp.
Even though this session of Kamp has come to an end, you can still enter to win an awesome grand prize package until Tuesday, June 25. Go check it out!
Finally, here’s what we were up to on the blog this week:
- I’m addicted to dog photos
- #K9Kamp: What’s your dog’s walking style?
- Treat yo’ self like a dog today
- Caption this dog: In the blink of an eye
- 20 posts you should read right now (instead of doing that whole job thing)
Will you be working out with your dog this weekend?
#K9Kamp returns: No more summer sausage!
It’s that time again… K9 Kamp is here! This year marks my third time as a featured blogger for K9 Kamp, but this year I have the chance to change things up a little bit. I’ll get to that in a moment… Continue reading
Fourteen furry reasons to smile
As usual, my monthly roundup is just a little bit late. (You also may have noticed that No Frown Friday was missing yesterday – I’ve been having some technical difficulties, so you’ll get that soon as well. I promise.)
Anyway, I hope you don’t mind too much. Enjoy this roundup of posts from November that put a big smile on my face:
- Dear Fourteen Year Old Me from Rescued Insanity – A beautiful post.
- Like Herding Cats from Tales and Tails – Behind the scenes of a canine photo shoot, humor awaits.
- Felix, I Swear the Camera Won’t Steal Your Soul from Kol’s Notes – Speaking of amusing photo shoots…
- Brooks Says, Adopt a Senior Dog from Peggy’s Pet Place – Can’t argue with that. (In case you’re not yet convinced, read this post from Something Wagging.)
- A Couple of Blondes Take a Thanksgiving Walk from Yikes! Loy Turns 60 – I know that sounds like the opening line to the joke, but this story had me smiling from ear to ear.
- Why I’ll Never Own a Dog Again from Something Wagging This Way Comes – You know I love thinking about words. How do you describe your relationship with your dog? (This post in response from Rescued Insanity is pretty interesting too.)
- 295/365: Babushka? from Life with LuLu & Wally Too! – Honestly, this one just cracked me up.
- Monday Mischief: Christmas List Mischief from My Brown Newfies – Being a reindeer for a day is a totally reasonable request, right?
- Live: Turkeys on Ice! More Fun Than in Your Freezer from This One Wild Life – I would like to request a TV channel devoted to the happenings in Kim’s yard.
- Six Tips for Photographing Dogs With Any Camera from kate with a camera – Several great tips here… check ’em out!
- Dogton Abbey Blog, Things Are Getting Crabby Down At The Abbey Episode 4! from Molly the Wally – Pamela from Something Wagging turned me on to this one. Go read the whole series!
- A Wienerholic Family Christmas from My Life with Wieners – This post makes traveling with Bella sound tame.
- Friday Funny! Video: Dog loves automatic ball throwing machine from Dakota’s Den – Tavish totally needs one of these.
- If You Give a Nutty Pet Blogger Some Cheap Holiday-Themed Accessories from Target from Chronicles of Cardigan – Hilarious as always.
That’s all, folks! Stay tuned for December – I’ll try to get that one to you before February. No promises, though.
Revisiting the dog days of summer
Well, it’s November, so I’m only three months behind with August’s monthly roundup. Here are sixteen sensational posts I enjoyed during the dog days of summer…
- Peas in a Pod from Poochie Project – I love seeing two pups snuggled up together. (One of these days, Bella and Tavish!)
- Guarding the Toys from Peggy’s Pet Place – Kelly and Bella have a lot in common.
- 3 Ways I’d Really Change Dog Adoptions from Something Wagging This Way Comes – Yet another thought-provoking post from this fantastic blog. It really had me pondering the role of good communication in improving the process.
- Why I’ve decided it’s nice to have a sister from Roxy the Traveling Dog – I hope that one day Bella will pen a similar post about having a brother.
- Favorite Video Friday – Lost Pet Reunions from No Dog About It – Not going to lie, it’s totally raining on my face right now.
- Keeping a New Year’s Resolution: Volunteer Leslie Forte from City Dogs Rescue – Can’t go wrong with the tale of an inspiring volunteer.
- Happy Birthday, Ty! from Take Paws – I love Ty’s life lessons.
- I am Genetically Altered – Given that the title of this blog was inspired because of my response to the “when are you having kids” question, I absolutely adored this post. I’m much more likely to turn into mush at the sight of a puppy than a baby. How about you?
- If Dogs Spoke English from Something Wagging This Way Comes – It’s a good question. What do you wish you could tell your dog?
- How did YOU Name Your Dog? from Dakota’s Den – You guys were full of good questions that month, huh?
- What Would Your Name Be If Your Dog Had Chosen It? from My Brown Newfies – See what I mean? So many good questions!
- I wish I could be more like my dog from The Daily Dog Blog – Me too, my friend.
- I Kept Him Because His Breath Burns My Nostrils, and a Few Other Counterintuitive Reasons from Chronicles of Cardigan – Foster failure!
- Pancake Catching Fail from Pooch Smooches – The title says it all.
- Cat Immersion Project Eases Teen’s Loneliness from Bunny’s Blog – It’ll rain on your face again, but it’s worth it.
- If Dogs Talked About Us from Something Wagging This Way Comes – I do wonder sometimes…
I’ll try not to be so delinquent with future link roundups. Enjoy!