9th Annual Pet Blogger Challenge

Ever year Amy Burkert of the Go Pet Friendly blog hosts the Annual Pet Blogger Challenge.  It's a Blog hop, where all kinds of pet blogs link together, to help people discover more about the blogs they already read, or to discover completely new blogs.  We missed the last couple years, but we are excited to once again join the Annual Pet Blogger Challenge!  So let's get started -


1. For those who may be visiting your blog for the first time, how long have you been blogging and what is your main topic?

We have been blogging for 7 years this coming May.  Our blog is about collies, but also includes product reviews, book reviews and dog treat recipes.  (plus, a little of this and that!)

2. What was your proudest blogging moment of 2018?

I think my proudest moment of 2018 was when I continued our new "Versatile Collies" series.  I'm very excited to showcase this amazing breed, and grateful to our friends who wrote these posts.

3. What was the biggest blogging challenge you faced in 2018, and how did/will you tackle it?

My biggest challenge, which has been a challenge throughout all the years we have been blogging, is carving out time each week to create new posts.  I have been working 60 hour work weeks for years, and competing at dog shows with my collies on weekends, so free time is hard to come by.

4. Which of your 2018 blog posts was your favorite and why? (Please include a link.)

I think one of my favorites was the post that I wrote about one our collies from our 2016 litter, Doing What He Loves.  It shows how collies are more than capable of performing the tasks they were originally bred for, and how much they love it!

5. Which of your 2018 posts was most popular with your audience? Why do you think it does so well?

I shared an older post, that has always been popular, and that was the most viewed post in 2018.  I think people are naturally curious about all the different coat colors the collies come in, so when they search online, my post pops up.  A Coat Of a Different Color  But my next popular post would have to be Herding With Your collie, which was written by Michael Vorkapich, of the Agile Dog Blog.

6. Did you implemented a new series, feature, or practice on your blog in 2018 that you’re enjoying?

I started the Versatile Collie series in June of 2017, and then restarted it in 2018.  I really love this series, and I am in the process of choosing the next post.

7. As the social media landscape changes, how are you promoting your blog posts and connecting with new readers?

I do not promote my blog enough, but I do utilize Twitter and Instagram, and I'm starting to use Pinterest as well.

8. Looking forward to 2019, if you accomplish only one thing through your blog, what do you hope it is?

I want to go back to making my posts a little more personal, so our readers get to know our collies better and learn more about the breed.

9. What steps are you planning to take to ensure you reach your goal?

I'm looking for more guest bloggers, and creating a list of interesting topics to share.  Plus, we hope to have some very exciting news to share in about a week or so!

10. Where I could use some help …

I would love suggestions for topics our readers would like covered.

Simple is Best

Thanks to our new friends at Treat Simple, we have another new dog treat to review!  This company shares my belief that dog food and treats should be only made with quality ingredients.  When I read the product labels for some of the popular dog treats I have to cringe at the ingredient lists.  Treat Simple believes that dogs are family, and they deserve high quality dog treats made with human grade ingredients, and all their products are made right in the USA!

When I look at my collies' sweet faces, I want to spoil them with treats they will love, while keeping them healthy with nutritious snacks.  Which is why I get so happy when I read the ingredient list for Treat Simple's Peanut Butter and Banana treats.   With just 5 simple ingredients, I don't have to worry about what my collies are eating.

Ingredients: Oat flour, peanut butter, banana, honey, organic virgin coconut oil

I also liked how small these treats are, they are perfect for small dogs, and for larger dogs who are trying to stay fit!  And their small size makes them an ideal reward for training.

• Always Baked in the USA
• 100% Natural
• Only 5 Calories Per Treat
• No Added Salt, Sugar, Preservatives
• Corn free, Soy Free, Wheat Free, GMO Free

So if you are looking for a healthy dog treat, with human grade, limited ingredients, then we highly recommend checking out Treat Simple.  You can order the Peanut Butter & Banana treats by clicking right here.

Top 10 reasons why dogs make your life better

My dogs make my life better.  They give me love and happiness, and I can't imagine not sharing my life with them.  So I thought I would share my top 10 reasons why dogs make my life better.

1) Dogs can lift your spirits, even when you are feeling depressed.  Studies have been done that show spending time with your dog increases your brain’s levels of dopamine and serotonin.  Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin, and Endorphins are the quartet responsible for your happiness.  Many situations can trigger these neurotransmitters, but spending time with your dog is one of the easiest ways to increase your levels!

2) You never have to be alone when you have a dog, ever.  My dogs follow me everywhere, even into the bathroom.  And on the rare occasions that I leave a room without them noticing, it's not long before they are right behind me.  Dogs are amazing companions, and a great way to keep people from feeling lonely.

3) When you share your life with a dog, you know you are missed every time you leave.  Even if you are gone for 10 minutes, your dog is always happy to see you when you return.  Are there any humans in  your life that miss you that much?

4) On cold, Winter nights, dogs make excellent bed warmers!

5) Having a dog can help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.  There are studies that show petting your dog will help to lower blood pressure, which lowers your risk for a myriad of different cardiac illnesses.

6) You never need to sweep up the food or crumbs you drop.  Your dog will always be there for clean up duty!

7) Your dog will never, ever look down on you for wearing old, comfortable sweats or pajamas.  They just want to be by your side, no matter how you look or what you wear!  They will even join you when you spend a rainy day binge watching Netflix!

8) Having a dog encourages us to lead a healthier lifestyle, by getting out and taking them for walks and hikes.  They also help you socialize and explore the world around you.

9) They teach us to enjoy every moment, and to find pleasure in even the simplest of things.

10) Dogs are the best because they love you unconditionally.  Even when you make a mistake, they love you anyway without judgement or resentment.

What would be in your top 10 list of reasons your dog makes your life better?

Wallflowers for the Collieflowers!

It's been a while since we last posted, and my only excuse is that I was sick with the flu for the holidays.  I spent most of my time snuggling with my collies and sleeping!  I am finally recovered, but I missed out on all the holiday fun!  We hope all our friends had a happy and joyous holiday season.

We wanted to continue telling you about the products made by our new friends at Treat Simple.com.  At TreatSimple "they believe in simple, honest ingredients that are proudly baked in the USA with the finest human grade ingredients. Their Mission is to provide a quality, naturally tasty treat your dog will love."  I think that statement says it all!  I can't tell you how excited I was to discover a company that shared my desire to feed only healthy, delicious treats to our dogs!  The next one of Treat Simple's dog treats that we wanted to talk about are their Waggin Wallflowers dog treats.

So we took these treats with us to the Nursing Home, as the collies deserve a reward for all they do.  But what did they think of the Waggin Wallflowers treats?  They loved them!  In fact, I was hoping to get more pictures for this review, but these treats were so yummy that a certain naughty smooth (who shall remain nameless) stole the rest of them and ate them all!  I guess there really couldn't be a bigger endorsement than that...

Ingredients: peanut butter, oat flour, glycerin, rolled oats, molasses, tapioca, flax seed, coconut oil, peanuts, apples, mixed tocopherols (a source of vitamin E).

If you want to order these, or any of the other Treat Simple products, you can find them by clicking here!  Ryder says, "Trust me, your pup will love these treats!  I just wish my sister hadn't finished off the bag!"

Did anyone notice a new face in this post?  We didn't get a new rough collie, but you may have seen him in previous posts.  The collie on the right is Finn, our Sophie and Maizie's brother.  He is now a Therapy Dog too, and his mom brings him on Therapy Dog visits with us, so you will see more of this pretty boy in future posts.  You can find our previous Treat Simple review by clicking here!

Blogville Christmas Gift Exchange - part 2

Sophie and Winter also pawticipated in the gift exchange, and they were matched with Millie and Walter of the Bird Brains and Dog Tales blog.  This was another blog we had not read before, and I was so happy to meet them!  Millie and Walter are so pawsome, and they do a lot of reviews just like the collies.  Their mom makes embroidered scarves and toys, and even has her own Etsy shop.  If you haven't met them, please stop by their blog and say hello! 

They were being so patient with me, waiting for me to take pictures before they opened their presents!

Such curious collies!

Have I mentioned that I am a Game of Thrones fan? 

Both Winter and Sophie each got a new scarf, each perfect for their personalities.  Winter is a sweet, funny girl...but she thinks she is also very brave.  And Sophie is gentle and sensitive, and one of our newest Therapy Dogs.

They also got a package of dog cookies...

And they also got a personalized stuffed bones!  Winter and Sophie love their presents, we can't thank you enough!  We hope Millie and Walter and all their family members had a wonderful holiday!

If anyone wants to check out Millie and Walter's (and their Mom's) Etsy shop, you can find it at Cindy's Thread Craft!  We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Blogville Christmas Gift Exchange - part 1

Merry Christmas!  Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, I have been really sick for the past few days, but we still managed to have a fun holiday.  My family gave me two new cameras, to watch the collies when I am not at home.  One is a Furbo, which will allow me to talk to them and give them treats when I am at work.  We also participated in the the Blogville gift exchange, and we were paired with two other bloggers, as we have a pack of collies and none of the other bloggers with multiple dogs signed up this year.  But it turned out to be a great thing, as we met two new (to us) bloggers, and we love making new friends!

So our first box of presents was sent to us from the Kinley Westie Blog!  They had Ryder, Kori and Scarlett, and we had their three beautiful Westies for the exchange.  If you haven't read this blog, you should definitely stop by and say hello.  The blog is about three adorable Westies - Kinley, Brinley and Finley, and they are very fashion conscious and always wearing new outfits.

The collies were very curious about the gifts, and Abby joined them.  Since Abby doesn't really like toys, we didn't have her pawticipate in the gift exchange, so she let her three kids open the presents.  She just likes to be included, and whatever Abby wants, Abby gets, as befitting a sweet, senior.

First, they had to inspect the contents of the box!

And then they opened their gifts.  They loved the new toys, and really loved the cookies.  As cookies are Abby's favorite, she had to try a few too!

There was even a little bag of candy in their for me!  And in the bag was an adorable pair of dog socks, I love them!

Thank you Kinley, Brinley and Finley, we loved the thoughtful gifts and loved getting to know you guys even more!

Fabulous Felines love Tiny Tiger Cat Treats!

This month the kitties also tried Tiny Tiger cat treats from Chewy.com.  I was tempted to wait until Christmas to let them try these, but then our readers wouldn't have time to order some for their kitties!  Tiny Tiger treats are sold exclusively by Chewy.com, you won't them anywhere else.  And the first thing I want to mention, is that I love the name!  Pumpkin is definitely my "Tiny Tiger," don't let her tiny size fool you.

And Goblin, though twice her size, and more of a gentle giant, wanted in on these treats as well.  But then, this boy is ALWAYS hungry!  So he was especially excited to see kitty treats, as he hates waiting for mealtimes for a kitty snack.

I wanted to also mention that these treats are very affordable, and come in a nice size container.  So they should last a good while.

These crunchy little treats come in cute shapes - stars and moons!  While the shape of the treat might not matter much to them, I thought they were adorable.

These treats were so appetizing, I actually got my very first picture of Pumpkin and goblin together! (It's amazing what a kitty treat will accomplish!)  They were waiting so patiently for me to finish taking pictures, I think these Tiny Tiger treats might be the key to teaching them some kitty tricks!

So both Pumpkin and Goblin enjoyed these cat treats, and while I am trying to keep them at a healthy weight, these are small enough that I don't have to worry.  My two purr machines were so thankful for these treats, they just love our friends at Chewy!  We all definitely recommend them, so head over to Chewy.com to order some for your fabulous felines!

We were sent these treats for free, in exchange for our honest review.

Solid Gold Holistic Delights - sure to delight your cat!

So every now and then the collies let the kitties take over the Collie Blog.  And since December is the month of giving, they also agreed to let the kitties do the product reviews for our friends at Chewy.com.  The kitties, Pumpkin and Goblin, are both really sweet to the collies, often curling up to sleep with them.  Goblin, who was only going to be a foster, was raised alone, as an only cat.  He came to live with us, after never living with dogs or other cats, and amazingly he gets along with everyone.  Since they are both so sweet and easygoing, our kitties don't ask for much.  But I think they deserve to be rewarded, and the way to their hearts is definitely through their stomachs!  This month our friends at Chewy.com sent us a box of Solid Gold Holistic Delights.  These Solid Gold Holistic Delights came in a variety pack of cat food pouches.  There was an assortment of creamy bisque with coconut milk. 

Goblin couldn't believe all the different grain-free recipes that were included in the variety pack!  He wasn't sure which one to try first!

The Solid Gold Holistic Delights comes in 6 protein-rich, grain-free recipes - beef, crab, shrimp, chicken, salmon and tuna!

All the varieties come in a delicious bisque made with delicious coconut milk, a great source of highly-digestible calcium.   

Even Pumpkin was impressed, and she also had a difficult time choosing which one to try first!  Let's check out the Key Benefits, while they decide:

• Holistic variety pack includes high-protein recipes in a lip-smacking bisque made with coconut milk.
• Includes real pieces of beef, crab, shrimp, chicken, salmon and tuna for the meat-centered diet cats and kittens need.
• Provides all the essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and taurine your kitty needs for overall health.
• The coconut milk is a great source of easy-to-digest calcium and helps provide much-needed daily hydration.
• Comes in easy-to-open pouches that can be fed on their own or mixed into dry food, and contain no gluten or grains.

It looks like Goblin has made a decision, they decided to try the shrimp first.  Because both Goblin and Pumpkin have sensitive stomachs, we mixed the Solid Gold Holistic Delights with their regular dry cat food.  I was impressed, you could actually see the chunks of shrimp, and the pouches were very easy to open and pour over their food.

But the final test was how did it taste?  Both goblin and Pumpkin agreed, the Solid Gold Holistic Delights Creamy Bisque with Coconut Milk is delicious!  They finished their dinner in record time and were meowing for more!  We highly recommend these cat food pouches, and the kitties think the Solid Gold Holistic Delights  variety pack, sold right on the Chewy.com website, would make a wonderful gift for your kitties this Christmas!  (And with Chewy's super fast shipping, there is time to order some for your best feline friends!)

Since there were so many varieties, you can find the ingredient lists by clicking Here.  We were sent this product for free, in exchange for our honest review.  Thanks Chewy!