Happy (almost) New Years!! *and 2011 goals!*

I hope all my furry awesome followers have a very Happy New Year!

2010 was a GREAT year for me, to start off with...

1. I was BORN this year :)

2. I met my raiser this year

3. Our blog participated in the FIRST ever Global Animal Blogging Event that Twinkie set up!
3. I started training to become a guide dog this year, and... I met all of YOU guys!

Hope all of you had a furry cool 2010 like I did!

Now for my 2011 goals:

What, dogs have goals?

Yep! My raiser let Toby (her last guide dog puppy) come up with some goals he'd like to reach before heading back down to the guide dog school. So I decided I want to come up with some "goals" too.

I'd like to "reach" them before I head to the school for future training (date unknown; but will be after May 2011).

Rudy's 2011 Goals:

1. Have over 300 followers on my blog (current: 233 followers)

2. Get more comments on my blog posts (normal around 5/12 per post - would like 15/20 per post)

3. Continue posting often

4. Do very well with training and obey my furry cool raiser

5. Hold more giveaways on my blog for YOU guys!

(Updates on my goals will be posted later on in 2011)

Fur now I hope ALL OF YOU enjoy New Year's Eve and have a very Happy New Years!

Many updates coming in 2011 :)

Furry last 2010 kisses,

Rudy

The dog with a blog

My 2010 cuteness...

Wordless Wednesday

New house member? Visitor for a week? Close Friend? House cleaner? Or...?

Take a guess - real answer tomorrow :)

Rudy

The dog with a blog

Hands Free Waist Leash - WINNER!

The Hands Free Waist Leash Giveaway ended last night - and my raiser used random.org to pick a winner (she thinks it takes WAY to long to let me pick a winner...).

The winning number is...

#3!

My furry cool raiser went to the giveaway post and comment #3 is...

Oskar said...
We are followers of your blog!
December 20, 2010 4:49 PM

Furry congrats to Oskar for winning the Hands Free Waist Leash!
My raiser will be emailing you shortly.

Furry thanks to Lucky Paws for letting us do a REVIEW & GIVEAWAY!

We hope Oskar enjoys the leash as much as we do :)

Christmas post coming later today,

Rudy

The dog with a blog

My Furry First - WHITE Christmas! *(and GIVEAWAY ends tonight)*

Hey furry friends!
Not only was Saturday my FIRST Christmas - it also ended up being... my very first WHITE Christmas!!
It started snowing white goodness Christmas night - and the following day EVERYTHING was furry cool white :)
I wouldn't eat any of it off the ground, but once my raiser made a ball of snow in her hand and told me "okay"- I gobbled it right up and it was furry good!! (Since I'm being trained to be a guide dog - we aren't allowed to be eating things off the ground - and my raiser was quite happy that she didn't even have to remind me about that - I just ignored it!)
Liberty just so happened to be outside EVERY time my raiser took me out to play; so the pictures below have Liberty in like EVERY picture!
She really enjoys the snow - and wishes I could be turned off leash to play - but as rules say: I've got to stay on leash!
I'm planning on posting Christmas pictures tomorrow - and a really cool post for Wednesday.
But fur now; enjoy the white pictures AND video below - Liberty is the huge dog in the pictures/video with me (The family's 2yr old female English Mastiff).
Hope everyone had a furry good Christmas,

BTW - the furry cool hands free waist leash giveaway I'm doing ends TONIGHT so make sure to head over and enter - it's very easy!

Rudy
The dog with a blog

(Movie of Liberty & Rudy jumping around in the snow - Rudy's still on leash; which makes it very hard for him to play)

MERRY CHRISTMAS FURRY FRIENDS!

Hey furry fellows...
I hope all of my furry friends are having a very Merry Christmas!
I know I did :)
I'll be updating soon with all the goodies I got - but I just wanted to drop by and say
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I did attach a couple pictures taken this Christmas morning... I'm off to go chew on some toys,
Furry Christmas kisses!



Rudy
The dog with a blog

My stocking goodies...



I don't get why I have to watch OTHER PEOPLE open gifts?!?

Toby Who?? (New UPDATE!)

Oh yeah - Toby is the pup my raiser had before me!
You guys remember the post my raiser did - announcing that Toby was being adopted out due to severe allergies? (post back in Nov.)
That was over a month ago that she heard the news - and she's been "dying" to know who Toby ended up with; and what state he'd be living in.
Yesterday she finally decided to contact her Area coordinator - hoping to get some info about Toby's new family. Sadly she got an email back saying that the lady at the school who deals with the adoption program - would be out of the office 'til next Monday. (Go figure!)
But much to her surprise - my raiser found an email from the Area Coordinator waiting in her inbox this morning.
Just is case something falls through; my raiser will give you the cool news next week (after she has contact with his new owner) - but here's a hint...
Toby may be working after all!
Here is a piece of the email my raiser received:"which means he'll be doing very important work!"
(No - he's not being put back in the guide dog school - he still is being adopted out - just not to who I expected!)
News to come next week, sorry to make you all wait - but just in case this falls through; my raiser doesn't want to get to many hopes up :)
If you feel like guessing what Toby will be doing - go right ahead - and feel free to leave it in a comment... BUT my raiser will not be answering questions on what he'll be doing... you just have to wait & see :)

(pictured below is of Toby - taken before he headed to the guide dog school in April 2010 for IFT)

Furry cool kisses!

Rudy
The dog with a blog

Wordless Wednesday

Rudy
The dog with a blog

My First Christmas Party!

That's right - this is my very FIRST Christmas party that I've attended!

My raiser had many that she planned on attending - but most of them decided a Christmas party is better in January. So I've got many to attend NEXT month. I don't get why they call it a Christmas party... if it's after Christmas!?

Oh well! This Christmas party was quite fun; with lots, lots AND lots of food - but I wasn't allowed ANY at all to taste :(

I was a very good boy, and stayed in a down-stay while everyone ate - my raiser sat with a group of girls - who all decided to eat on the ground... which made my "leave it" very hard. But I was good - and didn't touch the food once!

After they took forever to eat - the girls opened each other's gifts; and handed out their homemade Christmas cards. then heading outside... to play flashlight tag! I was furry good at keeping my raiser running - I don't know if I ever stopped running...

Soon we got tired of playing and we headed to my raiser's friend's room to hang out for hours on end.

They turned on some awesome dance music... and danced to it - all while I was in a down-stay watching them dance. I wasn't allowed to join in on the fun at all :(

I was a good boy though; and didn't break the stay - even when they stepped on me a couple times...

My raiser is soo very proud at how well I did; and she even took my coat off later on in the night - and I stayed calm just for her!

My raiser looks forward to taking me to other Christmas parties (after Christmas) they are great exposures for me - and she's so happy I obeyed!

Below are some pictures of my awesome down-stay beside food (she didn't take any later on in the night - but may get some off her friend's camera).

Enjoy! (notice I'm wearing "my" Christmas collar in the pictures below- it is the same one Frankie & Toby both wore)

P.S - if you haven't already; don't forget to enter my giveaway that just started yesterday - it's for a hands free waist leash! One of my lucky readers that comment on the giveaway post - will win their very own leash :)

Furry Tuesday kisses!

Rudy

The dog with a blog

Lucky Paws Hands Free Waist Leash; Review AND Giveaway!

You read the title furry right - this post is a review AND giveaway for a Lucky Paws Hands Free Waist Leash!
One of my lucky readers will win a Hands Free Waist Leash from Lucky Paws shop.
But first... a furry cool review of this awesome leash/shop...
My raiser received the leash in the mail a couple days ago - but was waiting to do the post; 'til after our Holiday Contest had ended (due to being quite busy with picking winners). Now that the contest is over... it's time for a leash review AND GIVEAWAY.


My first impression:
It smells AMAZING! Though I guess you guys don't care for that kind of review... :)


My raiser was eager to do this; as she thought it would be a great leash for us to review. As my raiser does lots of walking/running - and takes me with her sometimes... (I'm only allowed 2 miles with her though - she does the rest without me).
She loves how you can use it around your waist WITHOUT hands - OR turn it into a regular dog leash in seconds; that's 2 in 1! End up changing your mind about using the leash around your waist? No worries - as it works PERFECTLY as a regular leash (my raiser & I tested it out both ways - she says it's quite comfy/soft with your hands too!)
And it comes in many furry cool colors.
(Our pictures/videos with the leash we reviewed are on the bottom of this post)

Of course this isn't something I'd be allowed to use in town while working; but my raiser will be using this for our "daily" walks/runs. And may use it as a regular leash around town too.
A few words from my raiser:
Hey furry followers!
Hope you don't mind us throwing in some reviews/giveaways on this blog - as it's not really part of Rudy's guide dog training. BUT we get to try some cool things AND sometimes so do you!
This time we are doing a review AND giveaway as Lucky Paws has kindly offered one of our readers their very own leash!
I've had great contact with the lady - responds quite quickly. This lady is not only a dog leash/collar seller - she is also a certified dog trainer. feel free to read about her; she's an awesome person to get to know!
I have taken Rudy outside; and used this leash as a regular dog leash - and with it around my waist. It is a very nice/comfy leash to use in your hands - but it also works wonderful around your waist. I will be working Rudy some over the next couple weeks - for pulling purposes while on this leash - but he is doing quite well; and slowly understanding the point of walking calmly on leash! I do hope this leash will help him learn that any type of leash or walk we are on - doesn't mean you have to pull!
If you are interested in learning more about her products - go ahead and stop by - She sells items on her website and on Etsy).
I'd like to thank Heather & Lucky Paws for letting us review this leash - I'm very happy with it; great quality too! Read rules below - if you'd like to enter the giveaway
Back to Rudy:

Furry thanks raiser!

Interested in owning your very own Hands Free Waist Leash?

The rules are VERY simple and quite easy :)
All you have to do to be entered in this giveaway is... Leave a comment on THIS post - yep, just comment on THIS post and your entered!
For more entries: (leave SEPARATE COMMENTS for each entry you do - feel free to do any or all below!)
1. Follow our blog (current or new follower - either is fine)
2. Go to Lucky Paws Website and tell me something new you've learned from viewing it
3. Go to Lucky Paws Etsy Shop and tell me one thing you'd love to own!
4. What's your favorite feature that the Hands Free Waist Leash has?
If you use all that's listed above - plus the first comment... you should have FIVE entries into this giveaway! (please note - all entries need to be in SEPARATE comments - otherwise it won't count).
This giveaway will last for ONE week.
Starts today: 12-20-2010
Ends: 12-27-2010
The winner will be announced on my blog - and contacted via email (please either have your email available in your profile; or leave it in a comment).
Furry thanks for reading AND entering - good luck!
Enjoy the pictures/videos below!

Rudy
The dog with a blog




(Movie of me using it as a regular leash - I'm walking Rudy off road in the grass - sorry it's kind of shaky!)

(Movie of Rudy and I walking; with the leash around my waist - we are on the road walking)

(Movie of Rudy and I walking; leash still around my waist - but we are now off road in the grass)

**WINNERS - WINNERS**

Hey furry friends!
My raiser is FINALLY helping me with the WINNER post. Yep, my Holiday Contest/Giveaway is now over - and the finalists (posted earlier today) were picked this morning:
Top 5 for the Dog Lovers Pack Giveaway:

1. Corbin

2. Mango

3. Busy Buttons
4. Michaela & Rascal

5. Oscar the Terrier

Top 3 for the Humans Only Giveaway:

1. Sugar the Golden Retriever
2. Samantha
3. Kari
My raiser had a furry cool friend pick the winning poems - she did not know who wrote the poems - or what blog they had - all she did was choose her favorite ones :)
Congratulations goes toooo:

Humans Only Giveaway WINNER:
Sugar the Golden Retriever

Dog Lovers Pack WINNER...S:
Corbin ...... AND Oscar the Terrier
**WAIT** That's TWO winners... Oops! The friend couldn't pick just one - so she picked her favorite 2 poems; and my raiser was going to do a drawing for the winner.

She thought it would be a furry cool idea to put the 2 winners names on the bottom of 2 dog toys - and whichever I picked... would be the furry cool winner.
As you can see below... It didn't work out (I can't pick just one!)

(Movie of 2 toys; Rudy goes and picks up one... then the other - he walks away carrying BOTH toys!)


We gave up that idea... and went on to wrapping the names around 2 dog treats:

(Movie of 2 treats with winners names around them - Rudy does pick one of them)
and...

The winner is........... Corbin!

Congratulations to both Sugar & Corbin for winning my Holiday Contest/Giveaway!

My raiser will be (trying) to email the WINNERS shortly - but if you see this post, feel free to send us an email! (guidedogawareness AT yahoo DOT com)

FURRY CONGRATS & MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Rudy

The dog with a blog

Congratulations to the finalists for my Holiday Contest!

That's right - my raiser has picked the finalists for MY Holiday Contest/Giveaway - that ended Yesterday (December 15th 2010).
It was suppose to be the top 3 for each giveaway (Dog Lovers pack & Humans Only giveaway)
BUT she couldn't just pick three for the dog lovers one... and ended up picking FIVE (it was eight - but I made her weed it down more!).
If you're name isn't below - that doesn't mean your poem wasn't furry cool; as I liked many of the ones that my raiser didn't pick.
My raiser said it was furry hard just picking five (and 3) fav poems - so she'd like to give a shout out to ALL who entered:

To anybody that entered our Holiday contest/giveaway - THANK YOU - your poem was furry fun to read - and I wished I could have picked ALL OF YOU to win! Luckily I had a friend pick the winning poems - as I couldn't pick just 1 of my furry followers - thanks again for entering!

See below for the finalists:

Top 5 for the Dog Lovers Pack Giveaway:
1. Corbin
2. Mango
3. Busy Buttons
4. Michaela & Rascal
5. Oscar the Terrier

Top 3 for the Humans Only Giveaway:
1. Sugar the Golden Retriever
2. Samantha
3. Kari

My raiser is having 1 friend pick the winner for the Dog Lovers pack giveaway AND another friend pick the winner for the Humans Only giveaway.
She has already talked to one of her friends - and the winner has been chosen for the Dog Lovers Pack (will be announced later today on this blog). The Humans Only Giveaway winner will be picked in the next couple hours - my raiser's other friend is busy at the moment; but will pick the winning poem shortly.
Congrats to the finalists - and be on the look out for the 2 WINNERS of my Holiday Contest/Giveaway.
Furry thanks for entering; if my raiser has time - she does hope to post the finalists poems in another blog post - as not everybody left the poem in a comment; many have been emailed to her - and we know you guys would love to read them!
My raiser is done (for now!) with cooking her homemade dog cookies -I'm giving all 4 paws up to my raiser's cookies :)
Once both giveaway winners are picked (and we have their addresses!) - we hope to get the packages out in the mail tomorrow or so.
Rudy
The dog with a blog

***Holiday Contest/Giveaway ends TONIGHT!!***

Furry friends, my furry cool Holiday Contest/Giveaway ends TONIGHT (Wednesday, December 15th 2010).

Please, if you haven't already - head over and enter - it's very simple/easy. Just write a short (or long!) poem (dog/holiday themed) - and either email it over to us; or leave it in a comment on the contest post.

There will be TWO prizes:

1. Dog lovers pack (Complete with many squeaker toys, dog treats & homemade treats!)

2. Humans Only (Complete with a furry awesome - cute cooking apron AND 3 "bars" of her homemade goat milk soap! - which is DOGGY themed!)

Email us with any questions (guidedogawareness AT yahoo DOT com),

Winners will (hopefully!) be announced on my blog TOMORROW evening. My raiser will pick 3 of her fav poems for EACH prize pack - then have a friend pick the TWO top winners.

Happy entering!

BTW - pictured below is of some DOG treats my raiser is cooking - which will be included in BOTH prize packs - for your furry friend!

Rudy

The dog with a blog

Laineys Pawtique & Bakery - Review

Hey furry friends!
My awesome raiser has been busy setting up reviews (and GIVEAWAYS) with some dog type items (treats/collars/leashes - such) to do on our blog. After my awesome Holiday Contest/Giveaway ends; we'll be doing some fun little giveaways!
Laineys Pawtique & Bakery was the first shop my raiser was talking with. This place happens to be a bakery that makes... DOG TREATS!
We received a packaged from them in the mail yesterday; and much to my raiser's surprise - the very cute Stuffed Doggie Bag was pulled from the box. We were only expecting a couple treats to sample; not a whole gift!

My raiser let me try one of the treats this morning (movie below); and I surprised her- buy not gobbling the treat down in zero seconds - instead I made it last for a WHOLE 2 seconds :)

My raiser is in love with the item we received - and if I wasn't reviewing it; she would have saved it for my Christmas stocking!

Laineys Pawtique & Bakery would be the perfect place to buy some furry cool gifts for Christmas - or a special treat for any day!
They have a large selection of treats for sale (that are very tasty...) and with the item we received; our baggy of dog treats had a large variety of dog treats in it! Each one is somewhat different - some are soft - and some are nice and crunchy!

Make sure to stop by Laineys Pawtique & Bakery to view her tasty items; or go order one of her Stuffed Doggie bags - to receive the same item I reviewed! (I know you want to be just like me...)

Some quick words from my raiser:

Hey guys!

I think this is Rudy's favorite review item - as he gets to TASTE the treats for the review :) He did an excellent job with this review; and I know he give her store 4 paws up!

I've had great contact with the owner; and she is very nice! I was just expecting to receive some dog treats to review - not a whole gift! This stuffed doggie bag was soo cute; and Rudy loved it - her treats are very adorable; and are great for a special treat for Rudy. They are all "1 of a kind" treats - and she does have many different styles in there. Thanks so much to Laineys Pawtique & Bakery, for letting us review the Stuffed Doggie bag, your shop & products are amazing!

Back to Rudy:

I hope all my furry friends enjoy the furry cool pictures AND movies below;

Thank you so much Laineys Pawtique & Bakery; for letting me review one of your items; this is the BEST review I've every done :)

Furry Thanks for reading!

BTW - if you haven't already entered my Holiday Contest/Giveaway make sure to do so soon - as it ends TOMORROW night!

Rudy

The dog with a blog

(Movie of Rudy "meeting" & sniffing the stuffed doggie & treats)

(Movie of me giving Rudy a cute little doggy treat)

Christmas Buz!

Hey furry friends!

My raiser has been busy the last couple days (and many more to come!), but she's made time to take me shopping with her! Seems as though the stores are TWICE as busy around Christmas time, I get twice the exposure; and twice the fun!

Not only did we do regularly in town "work" and obedience (working on commands "easy", "wait", "right/left", some basic dog commands, being calm and ignoring people), my raiser also worked me around some dog items in a couple stores, trying to see how distracted I was over dog food and such. Of course I wanted to go sniff the things right away, but with a few nice reminders from my furry cool raiser - I ignored all the doggy things - and dog food laying on the floor :)

I also had to ignore the awesome people calling me over to them... (including adults) But I listened to my furry cool raiser - and we were on our way.

I'll be headed out shopping in the next week or so - to find the perfect gift for my raiser (with her sister's help of course!) I would give you some hints on what I'm getting her - but she has to proof read my posts... but I'll make sure to tell you after Christmas though!

Yesterday while out shopping - we stopped to eat at Ruby Tuesday's - I behaved perfectly; and laid "under" the table while my raiser ate.

Then heading off to some other shops; as my raiser needed to find some gifts for her furry awesome friends.

She took FOREVER while shopping - I don't see why she had to try on millions of clothes for herself... when she was shopping for her friends - NOT her.

My raiser did give me lots of praise though; and was very proud of how I did in town (mainly working on ignoring people/food and walking WITHOUT pulling). Evidently I got an A+ on both of those things... !!

Shopping was quite fun; as I did meet some dog loving people - who just loved me :)

My raiser & I have had some response to the Holiday Contest/Giveaway I'm doing, (which ends NEXT week - so hurry and enter if you want to win a really furry good prize!) we've also noticed that some of our blogging pals have been posting it on their blog; I'd like to say thanks to all who have entered and/or posted about the Holiday Contest/Giveaway I'm doing. It's my first ever contest; and I really, REALLY want a good "turn out"! The only way that can happen... is if you HELP by entering and/or passing the contest info along :)

Furry thanks for reading - Have a furry GREAT evening!

Enjoy the shopping pictures below,

Rudy
The dog with a blog

Humans Only Giveaway - UPDATE!

Hey furry friends!
My raiser has decided she WILL include some of her furry awesome GOAT MILK SOAP in the "Humans Only" giveaway - for the Holiday Contest!
She picked 3 furry cool things of her soap... ALL doggy themed! Which she WILL be including in the giveaway. (pictures below - of soap that will be given away).
Like the sound of winning some FREE things? (including a Dog Lovers giveaway - complete with dog toys AND treats!).
Then make sure to check out Holiday Contest, and enter NOW! It ends December 15th 2010 (NEXT WEEK).
Head over and read the rules - it will only take a sec to enter :)
Enjoy the pictures below of the items for the Humans Only Giveaway.
(To all who asked the question "Can I use the Goat Milk Soap on my dog(s)?" My raiser will be looking into that; she knows that it doesn't harm us fellows when we eat the soap... but she doesn't know fur sure about using it on our skin. This soap is great for very sensitive skin on humans - and she's heard of many people using Goat Milk Soap on their dogs - so she does think it can be used on us furry cool guys; but she will make sure BEFORE she sends out the package)

Rudy
The dog with a blog


Humans Only Giveaway Package includes:

1 pack of mini dog bones Goat Milk Soap (Please note this is SOAP - not dog treats)


1 bar of the "Puppy Paw" Goat Milk Soap


1 Playful Puppy w/ bone Goat Milk Soap



1 Cute Cooking Apron

Wordless Wednesday - Can You SEE Me?

Rudy
The dog with a blog

Trendy Hound Tuesday; Collar Review

My furry cool raiser has been talking to Trendy Hounds recently; and decided on reviewing one of their Martingale Collars. My raiser left it up to them for picking the color/pattern - so it would be a complete surprise for us when it came!
With help, I opened the package yesterday... I found a beautiful pale blue collar; with a "puppy print" on it. (Paw prints, the word "Woof", fire hydrants, dog bones, food bowl). It fits me perfectly, and looks amazing on my shiny black fur!
My raiser was eager for "us" to try it out - so we went for a short walk; since I've been using a thin chain collar for a while - she didn't know how easy I would react to a nylon type collar (even though it's a martingale style).
She was quite surprised to find out how easy I handled with the new collar; and she's planning on letting me wear it on our next Christmas shopping trip! (pictures will be taken and posted), I think it will go very well with my Guide Dog uniform!
I few words from my furry fun raiser:

Rudy's really enjoying doing these reviews! I thought it would be a great addition to our blog (pet items only) and Rudy would think everyday is Christmas! He's doing a great job reviewing items, and I know he really enjoys this collar. It fits him very well; and does have some "padding" on the inside. He's not even noticed the difference with this collar compared to a chain or flat nylon I've had on him. He's worn it all day yesterday (besides in the crate) and all day today. I've always been a fan of martingale collars; when our pups are to young to wear a chain collar - we've always gotten one of these. It will be a great thing for Rudy to remember how to work with a nylon type collar. But for me to have the ease of knowing I can handle him. I've had great contact with Trendy Hounds, and not only do they sell collars - they also sell some amazing leashes! One of their collars would be a great Christmas gift to a dog owner, or your furry cute friend! Trendy Hounds also has a Etsy Shop, and sells their martingale collars/leashes there. Even if you aren't looking at buying one now - make sure to at least stop by and view them - they have a huge assortment of patterns/colors, perfect for a male or female pup!
I give this awesome shop a A+ all around, which is including their awesome shop name "Trendy Hounds", that's one of the best "brand" names I've seen!
Back to Rudy:

I'm so glad Trendy Hounds let us review one of their collars, I'm looking forward to working in town with it - and showing off to all my furry friends. My raiser did snap some wonderful pictures (seen below) and also took a very shaky movie (walking a dog while taking a movie...)
Trendy Hounds is a great shop, and would be the perfect place to buy a furry cool Christmas gift for your pup!
Enjoy the pictures of my new collar, don't forget to enter my Holiday Contest/Giveaway! (ends Dec 15 2010)

Rudy
The dog with a blog

(Movie taken by me - while I walk Rudy, he's on leash and wearing his new collar - we walk for a little bit, then I tell him "sit" and "Good boy")

Doggy Time Collar Charm Review (and giveaway coming soon!)

My wonderful Raiser had the chance of doing a review for a awesome Etsy shop: Doggy Time, they sell the cutest dog collar charms for adding a little flare to your furry friend's collar, and they also sell cool looking Dog necklaces.

My raiser was able to review the White & Pink pearls collar charm, which we received in the mail last Saturday.

My raiser loves how "dainty" and small it is, as it won't be a big bulky thing on my collar; but will add a fun touch with my tags and look very cute!

Though I just have a boring brown collar for the charm to go on now, I will be doing a dog collar review soon for another Etsy shop - and this charm will look perfect on it!
A few words from my raiser:
Hey guys!
Rudy's raiser here; I decided to let Rudy write this collar charm review - as this charm IS for a dog -and should be reviewed by one too :) Rudy did an amazing job on reviewing it, but I thought I'd also say a few words.

I've been talking with the owner for a couple weeks, setting up doing a review (and giveaway...) with her store, she is very kind; letting me pick out what I'd like to review - and shipped it free of charge.

I've had great contact with her - she always emails me back. A+ to customer service! (Rudy does give 4 paws up to the whole store though!).

The charm does stay on the collar (even when your 3 dogs are "horse playing" around quite hard), and it doesn't get in the way of leash movement or take away from the dog tag it's self. If you are looking for a Christmas gift for a dog lover (or your own pet!) I'd make sure to look into one of the Dog (pet) Collar Charms or some of the other items she sells. All of her items are very nicely priced; and affordable. Thanks to Doggy Time for letting us do a review on her collar charm & store!
Back to Rudy:

My raiser doesn't even read what I was writing - I was just getting to thank Doggy time too, oh well - I would like to thank Doggy Time for the chance of being able to review one of her very cute collar charms, these are the perfect touch to a dog collar!
Make sure to stop by her place and pick out something you'd love to get - or win... because she has also offered to do a GIVEAWAY through my blog; after my furry awesome Holiday Contest ends (Dec 15 2010 - so make sure to enter before it time runs out!). The winner of the Doggy Time giveaway will win a $10 "gift card" to her store; which can be used on any of her items! So start searching now.
My wonderful raiser did snap some pictures of this awesome collar charm (see below) so you guys can see how good it looks with my collar!

Rudy

The dog with a blog

Come on Furry Fellows!

Furry followers,
I only have ONE entry for the Holiday Giveaway - Contest I started yesterday. If you furry friends don't start entering - my raiser won't let me do another giveaway/contest!
She wants AT LEAST 40 entries; I've got over 200 followers... so you guys better start emailing/commenting her the poem and enter the contest! (Please!)
Go HERE now to enter & see the easy rules!
All you have to do is write a very short poem, centered around dogs/pets & or Holiday themed! You could win the Dog Fun Pack (Complete with LOTS of fun dog toys & homemade/store bought treats!). Or a Humans Only Pack - which includes a very cute cooking apron, and maybe some goat milk soap too! (I'm not sure if it can be used on dogs; but I do know it's NOT harmful if a puppy eats it...)
Please email my raiser with any questions (guidedogawareness AT yahoo DOT com). Since this is our first contest, my raiser said she WON'T be doing another one if this doesn't turn out good.
So please help this be the BEST contest ever, reminders to enter will be posted (almost) everyday, this contest ends on December 25 2010.
My raiser also just opened a HUGE box she got in the mail today, wanna know what's in it??
DOG TOYS FOR THE HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY/CONTEST! (and some of my Christmas gifts...).
My raiser will be snapping some pictures of them soon, but fur now head over to the contest post and ENTER!

Rudy
The dog with a blog

Holiday Giveaway/Contest! ENTER NOW!

Hey furry following friends!

Please all followers KEEP READING THIS POST, you have a chance to enter to win some cool prizes (furry fun dog toys, treats, and something cool for your humans too)! That's right:

It's time for the HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!!

Though the dog toys my raiser ordered for the giveaway haven't come in the mail yet - my raiser has decided to start this giveaway/contest TODAY on December 1st 2010! Pictures of items in person will be posted upon arrival - pictures below of prizes were taken from the online store.

At first I was going to just do a giveaway (one fur the humans & one fur the dogs), but my raiser gave me a furry fun idea - and I'm now doing a CONTEST instead! (a very easy contest at that!).

Instead of picking the winners at random... my raiser will be picking the 5+ best contest entries - then letting her family pick the 2 grand winners of my contest!

So you have a furry good chance at winning... if you enter the BEST entry in this contest :)

Wanna know what the furry cool prizes are?? ...

Giveaway One: Dog Fun Pack (pictures below)

The Dog Fun Pack will include a leopard squeaker "mat" dog toy (a stuffed toy with SIXTEEN squeakers in it!), a set of 3 puppy face squeaker dog toys, some store bought treats AND homemade dog treats straight from our kitchen (won't be made 'til right before the prize is sent out), and maybe some other surprises along the way!

Giveaway Two: Humans Only

The humans Only prize includes a very cute (pictured below) cooking apron; my raiser does owns one - and would wear it to town if she could! This would be the perfect addition to your kitchen; and you could even cook your furry cute fella a dog treat or two! My raiser also may include some of her homemade Goat Milk Soap (which would be dog themed), but more on that later though.

Ready to see what you furry fellows have to do to get those AWESOME prizes??

Rules by my furry cool Raiser:

1. In order to be entered in 1 or both giveaways all you need to do is write a very short poem that is Christmas/Holiday & DOG (or pet) themed!

**Please note the poem can be AS SHORT or AS LONG as you want! It won't change you chance of winning!**

2. Once you write the poem (long or short) please either post it in a comment on THIS POST or email it to me at guidedogawareness AT yahoo DOT com (please make sure to include your blog address in the email), if you do email me the poem - Rudy would still love for you to leave a comment on this post!

3. If you email the poem to me I'll be sure to email you back to let you know I've received it; some of you may rather choose emailing the poem - unless you don't mind others seeing your poem BEFORE the contest ends

4. If you are considering entering this contest please be sure to do so - the more entries the BETTER! It won't take long at all to write up a fun little poem. I'll even be sure that Rudy posts reminders about this contest repeatedly through the time it's "open"!

**Depending on how many entries I get, decides whether or not Rudy will (or won't) be doing another giveaway/contest!**

5. Please note in the comment you leave on this post (with your poem or without) what prize pack you'd like to win (either or both!). By writing a poem & entering it in this contest you can be entered into BOTH contest prizes - or you can choose to just be entered into one. But please note that in the comment!! (Whether you'd like to be entered in the Dog Lovers Pack, the Humans Only pack, or BOTH)

6. Whether or NOT you enter this contest PLEASE pass this post along; publish the information on your blog & let all your blogging pals know! We want Rudy's first Holiday Giveaway to be a huge hit!

7. Please make sure to email me with ANY questions pertaining to the contest (guidedogawareness AT yahoo DOT com) we want all of you guys to participate!
I know I have OVER 200 followers - so Rudy better get a WHOLE bunch of entries :)

8. Contest starts TODAY (12-1-2010) and will be ending in 2 weeks (12-15-2010)

I'm handing the post back over to Rudy now -

So do you guys understand the rules? Make sure to email my raiser with any questions you may have, I want ALL of my furry friends to participate in this contest, it will only take like a minute to write a poem - so make sure to enter! Post/email me your poem NOW! (please!)

Enjoy the pictures below of some of the items for prizes - they look soo cool!

Rudy

The dog with a blog

Dog Lovers pack includes:

Tasty Treats

3 puppy face dog toys

1 leopard "mat" 16 squeaker dog toy

Humans Only includes:

1 awesome apron

And maybe some Goat Milk Soap too

Working Fun!

Hey furry friends!
Sorry I've not been posting everyday - I hope once things calm down I can get back to posting more often!
My Raiser is running behind - but she hopes to get the items she ordered (today!) in the mail soon; for the HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY I'm doing here on this blog in a week or so (it was going to be the first of Dec - but my raiser doesn't have the items yet!).
So stay furry tuned for the awesome giveaway she's doing (she will be doing TWO giveaways - one fur dogs and one fur the humans!).
My Raiser's life calmed down a little bit after Thanksgiving, so she took me out shopping (including PetSmart!), she worked me in the shops (working on not pulling, and obeying commands on the dot). She worked me for a while in PetSmart, as I have a dog distraction... really bad. We worked around some other dogs; then headed over to the cute hamsters for a distraction test; I was really wanting to play, but my raiser made me listen to her (sorry no pictures/videos - she does hope to take some shots next time though!). After I did good she put me in a sit-stay so I could watch them play, those things are soo cute!
Overall I did good; my raiser just wishes I'd calm down around dogs, but I'm still a puppy for goodness sakes! She didn't take ANY pictures shopping today, but when we go out again I'll make sure she takes some good shots of us working.
I will be updating you guys on the 2 giveaways my raiser will be doing (1 for the furry fellows and 1 for the humans) real soon.
Have a furry great evening,

Rudy
The dog with a blog

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving furry friends!

I'd like to wish all my awesome furry friends out there - a very, very
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I'm thankful for my raiser and all my awesome friends!
I spent my day enjoying the... SMELL of Thanksgiving dinner - sadly though, my raiser didn't give me any!
I did get a really huge special treat though - which was very tasty :)
I hope all of your owners gave you some special treat for Thanksgiving, and I hope your owners all had a Happy Thanksgiving too!
The picture below is what I did all day,

Rudy
The dog with a blog

It's Official

I had left a little hope that Toby may be able to make it into the Gifted Canine program, but evidently his allergies are to severe. I just wish they didn't draw it out in a whole 7 months - and now he's just getting adopted out.
Here's the email I received from my AC when we got back from the craft show -
"Hi *******,

We just got a message from SEGD that Toby's going to be put up for adoption…his allergies are too severe for him to be placed as a gifted canine. ******* said to tell you they'll find him a wonderful new home.

I know it's disappointing for you that Toby won't be a guide, but you did a great job raising him.

Thanks for all your hard work!

*****"

This isn't the email I like to see when I get home, I don't get why all my dogs like allergies so much, maybe it's just the Labs. I hope Toby will find a great home, and I'll be letting you guys know when I here anything on when/where he's placed.

What's really sad is - the day before I recvieved this news, I got an email from a raiser in our group who was down at the school dropping off their dog last week, and was allowed to walk an older dog. They just so happened to be given Toby - and even got a picture for me (posted below). Seeing this picture and hearing about him; made me think that he just may make it into the gifted canine program after all. Guess I wasn't right.
The raiser who took the picture for me also has a blog - feel free to stop by, the picture of Toby was also posted on their blog.
I know Toby will still be a great dog, he'll be a awesome pet for some family and we know they will love him.
Updates coming from Rudy later, enjoy the picture!


Rudy's Raiser
The human that has a dog with a blog

A Furry Quick Update

Hey furry friends!
Sorry I've not posted in a little while, my raiser had to leave to go to a craft show (to sell her homemade soap), and furry cute me had to stay home with some of her family :(
(she thinks it would be to busy fur me!).
She will be coming home tomorrow, and when she does let me on the computer I will be posting some furry awesome pictures taken way back when we did a puppy meeting with photographers (she finally has some of the pictures they took!), I can't wait to show you the furry cool pictures - they took some amazing ones of me... and the other doggies!
Have a great blast today, I'm off to be bored and sleep, but I will be furry glad to read the comments my friends leave :)

(btw - I did hear tell that she IS bringing a special something home for me!!)

Rudy
The dog with a blog

Vision Walk

Hey furry friends!
The puppy meeting last week was the Vision Walk, all us pups (and raisers!) met there to walk. It was a furry great exposure and we even saw some real working dogs too!
This was the last meeting for some of our fellow guide dog puppies (Sparkie, Cindy Jay, Bingo, Angel & Elsa). As they are heading down to the school this week for IFT (In For Training). Those were some great dogs in our group and my raiser will miss them! (Sparkie was a dog my raiser has had at our house before and she loves working with him).
I'll miss them too... but hey, we've got new pups in our group!
We did a 2 mile walk, once we finished our AC had us in the shade and we did some obedience.
My raiser said I did quite good with my obedience, and I was furry tried when we got home!
Enjoy the pictures below,

Rudy
The dog with a blog