What’s in the box? Product review of barkbeats*

Subscription boxes...

The novelty of receiving a monthly delivery of curated goods seems to have taken off in a big way, particularly during the last year or so. From coffee to cats, there’s a subscription box service for everyone. (Talking of coffee, I can’t recommend Pact coffee enough – a truly great subscription service for those of us who are ‘coffee snobs’).

I’ve reviewed subscription boxes in the past (see here and here), and have received subscription boxes that I’ve chosen not to review.  However, one of the newest ‘kids on the block’ (or should that be ‘puppies in the park’) is barkbeats.  They kindly sent me a box to review for Christmas, but university and work pressures got in the way.  Then, on Wednesday this week, I received another package – it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke (phew!) – but an early Easter present - a barkbeats box.

First impressions:

Having worked in marketing for most of my adult life, I can’t help but look at the packaging – after all, first impressions count (whether we like to think so, or not).  I like the barkbeats packaging – a sturdy cardboard box, with clean branding a ‘bb’ on the lid and ‘barkbeats’ on the side, indicating that an array of doggie delights await the recipient.  It is understated, yet made me want to rip open the box to find out what it contained.

On opening the box, you’re greeted by the cheerful red and white barkbeats packaging, fastened by the bb seal.  Peel off the seal and you find a little treasure trove of carefully wrapped and hand-picked items.

So, what’s in the box?

Boxes typically contain between 5-6 items (toys, treats and grooming products) and are tailored to the size/age of your dog.  Our Easter surprise box had a lovely range of goodies, including:

Barks & Sparks – Brownie

A shrink-wrapped liver ‘chocolate’ brownie (don’t worry – there’s no chocolate in it, just carob).

The ingredients were clearly marked (chicken liver, carob, olive oil, wheat flour, yogurt and natural food colour), and judging by the sniffs from Ava and Jasper, the contents will be ‘pawsome’ (I’m saving it for an Easter Sunday treat for them).

Dog Bakery HOV-HOV

The next gourmet treat was some beef dog cookies from Dog Bakery HOV-HOV.  The cookies are bone and dog-shaped crunchy treats, and definitely received the Ava ‘seal of approval’ (see photos).

Ingredients were clearly listed – whole wheat flour, beef, cheese, eggs, garlic, olive oil and carrots – and the packaging meant you could easily see the cookies.

Ava manages a 'leave it' for a few seconds....

Trixie Roller Pop – Trainer Snack

I tend to stick with using small pieces of chopped meat/chicken/cheese/sausage and liver cake (see here for my great liver cake recipe) when I’m training with Ava and Jasper, however there are times when having a stinky cheese/meat hand is a less than appealing prospect!  There are a few products on the market that aim to reduce the need for having sticky/stinky hands and the roller pop is one of them.

The flavour in the box was salmon – and it certainly seemed to be a hit with Ava (see photo).

I did wonder what the ingredients were and the composition is listed as: salmon (12.2%), glucose, chicken (hydrolysed poultry protein), isomalt, maltodextrin, brewer’s yeast powder.

I’m always keen to know what I’m feeding my hounds and as I’d not heard of Isomalt, I looked up what it is, and discovered that it is a sugar substitute made from beets and that is approved for human consumption in most countries. It has also been shown to extend the shelf-life of certain products, which has led to its widespread use as a preservative and has only a very minor impact on blood sugar levels (source: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-isomalt.htm).  Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide that is used as a food additive often used in processed foods as a thickener or a filler since it's fairly inexpensive.

So, whilst the ingredients don’t overly worry me, it’s not something that I would use on a regular basis – but it is definitely something that I would keep in my ‘training tool-kit’ for both my and clients’ dogs.

Busy Buddy Waggle

I love using food puzzle games with my dogs – most of Ava’s meals are dispensed through a variety of food puzzles and food dispensing games.  The Busy Buddy range of toys is well known, with probably the Waggle and Tug a Jug the best known, and they are useful toys for keeping paws and jaws active in the right way, but (and it’s a big but) they’re made by PetSafe.

What’s wrong with that you might say?  In my case, it’s all to do with ethics – Petsafe do make some great products but they also make and promote the use of electric shock collars, electric containment fences and anti-bark (spray, pulse, shock) collars (see: http://intl.petsafe.net/en-gb) .  I try not to buy Petsafe products due to this – but that is my personal choice.

ArquiFresh wipes

The final part of the package was the Arquifresh wipes – a travel sized pack of hygienic wipes for cleaning ears, around eyes/face etc.  The wipes are PH neutral and were nice and moist, but they do have a strong scent that even a human nose can detect.

Overall verdict of a barkbeats box?

A Pawsome 4½ paws out of 5!

I’d certainly give the barkbeats box 4½ paws!  Ava and Jasper loved the contents – the box would have received a full 5 paws but due to Petsafe, I couldn’t give it a full 5 paws.

The box provides great value for money and on the plus side, the squeaky Kyjen reindeer (from the Christmas box) is still in on piece!  A small miracle given Ava’s squeaker seeker & destroyer ways.
I’d certainly consider a barkbeats box as a gift or as a regular treat for the hounds.

Want to try a barkbeats box for your dog? Get £5 off your first order...

Thanks to the guys and gals at barkbeats you can enjoy your first box for the reduced price of £9.90* (*instead of £14.90).

Simply enter the special code:  DIARYCC5 when you place your first order to get £5 off.

Visit: www.barkbeats.co.uk to find out more.

*Disclosure: I was provided with two free promotional barkbeat boxes to review .  I have not been paid for my views and all views expressed are my own.

10 tips for being a good dog parent

In memory of Stevie (2 July 2002 - 24 July 2014)

This year I have been acutely aware of both the joy and sorrow that being a 'dog parent' can bring.  In February, we lost Mina - the hound that started my love affair with dogs and the hound responsible for my change in career.  In June, and completely unexpectedly, we welcomed a young greyhound puppy - Ava - into our home. 6½ weeks later, we said our final goodbyes to Stevie - our beautiful blue greyhound.

Losing two hounds within 6 months of each other has been hard.  It was particularly bittersweet to see Ava bloom whilst Stevie seemed to deteriorate before our eyes - a stark reminder of the relative brevity of our dogs' time with us.

This got me thinking - what if our dogs could tell us how to be a good 'dog parent'? Wouldn't life be simpler then?



So, as a tribute to Stevie this is what I think he would have said about what it takes to be a good dog parent...

Stevie's top 10 tips on being a good 'dog parent'

1.  Allow me to be a dog
I like to stop and sniff the 'pee mail', I might like to dig or chase things, I might like cuddles (or I might not) - provide me with a suitable outlet to do the things that dogs do and don't make me do things I don't like (not all dogs like cuddles).

Remember, I am not trying to dominate you or become a 'pack leader' - I'm just a dog (for heaven's sake, I sniff butts to say 'hello' - definitely not a sign that I want to dominate you and take over the world)!

2.  Remember, you're my 'dog parent'
I form strong social bonds with my 'parents' and will look to you for guidance.  I expect you to keep me safe and away from harm, provide me with a comfortable bed, nice food and physical and mental stimulation and look after me if I'm ill.  In return, you'll receive my love and the chance to see me develop into a well-mannered family pet.

3.  Don't punish me
If I do something 'wrong' - don't punish me.  I may not know your rules and I certainly don't know what's right & what's wrong.  Rather than punish me, think about what you'd like me to do instead and teach me how to do it.  If I jump up at visitors, teach me that sitting every time someone comes to the house, is more rewarding than jumping up. If  I shred the post, install an external mailbox (I used to love to shred post and then my humans installed an external mail box...spoilsports!) and give me other stuff to shred or things to occupy me like a stuffed Kong.

If you punish me, you'll only make me afraid of you and less likely to want to do things with you as you will become scary and unpredictable in my eyes.

4.  A dog's life is short
Our time with you humans is short. Don't hang onto or dwell upon past regrets, live in the now and fill life with positives. Stop to smell the flowers/coffee, read the newspaper (I'm told this is the human equivalent of checking pee-mail). Appreciate life as it happens and treasure your moments with your four-legged companion.


5.  When I'm young

Be patient and kind.  I will have boundless energy and I'll be exploring the world I've arrived in.

Guide me, teach me and show me how you want me to live with you.  Don't keep saying 'no!'  I don't really know what it means (I know some dogs who think their name is no) and just think you like giving me attention.

Find a good puppy class to take me to. Make sure you socialise and habituate me to all the things I'm likely to encounter in life - pair them all with the good stuff (food) and I'll learn that all these new things I encounter, aren't scary at all.

Provide me with safe outlets for my puppy exuberance... I will grow out of it, with your guidance.

6.  Do things with me.
Find out what my breed (or mix of breeds) was originally bred for. Us sighthounds love to chase fast moving objects - you can make things fun for both of us by playing with furry toys.  Play scent games - did I tell you that my nose is amazing and can sniff out things you couldn't imagine? 

Find a good trainer (like my humum) who only uses reward based, force-free training methods.  Join their class - you and me will learn new things together.  Oh, and don't be stingy with the food reinforcers - think of them as my pay for a 'job well done.'

 

Don't think I'm untrainable or stubborn: I can't read and I don't know those words - they simply don't exist in my vocabulary. All dogs are trainable - after all, I learned to live with several cats and I spent most of my early life chasing furry things around a race-track!  I also learned how to sit, would recall and loved scentwork - all things that (books say) greyhounds can't do!

7.  If I'm afraid
Don't let me suffer alone.  My fears may not seem rational to you but contrary to popular belief, reassuring me won't make me more fearful. I hated fireworks and loud noises but they became more bearable when my humum was there.  She provided me with a nice den, calming music and more - she helped make it less scary.

8.  Be patient
It's true, patience is a virtue. If I don't 'get something' first time, I'm not being obstinate  - take the time to teach me.  Just like humans, not all dogs learn at the same rate and we can have 'off' days too.

9.  When I'm old
I'll need more of your patience, love and care.  I may bump into things, toilet in the house, start barking at things that aren't there, stop and stare into space or simply want to sleep more - I'm not being difficult and I may not know that I'm doing all these things.  

Keep a watchful eye on my health and behaviour - if you're worried, take me to the vet.  There are lots of things that can help elderly dogs from nutrition supplements through to exercise like hydrotherapy.

10.  Know when it's time to say goodbye

Let me go with dignity and love.

If you can, be with me at the end and hold my paw or cradle me until I have breathed my last.  Know that I loved you, as you loved me and that, despite your breaking heart, you are doing the ultimate act of love.

And finally...

If your heart can stand it, open it again and allow another dog into your life.  A heart like yours deserves to be filled with the love of many dogs.  Provide them with the love and care you have shown me and when the time comes, we'll all meet again one day over rainbow bridge.