How to touch: Hand targeting with your dog -- a Trick or Treat Giveaway Blog Hop

Halloween is coming up fast! Who is ready to trick or treat?

We've joined up with Kol's Notes, Beagles and Bargains and more of your favorite pet bloggers for this year's Trick or Treat Giveaway Blog Hop!

We've got a great trick to show you -- and after you see our trick, you'll have a chance to enter to win prizes -- including a $300 PetSmart gift card!

DISCLOSURE: The Trick or Treat Giveaway Hop is sponsored by CleverPet, The Honest Kitchen, Planet Dog, and Health Extension. The opinions and ideas in this post are my own and are uninfluenced by any other person or business. The individual sponsors are responsible for their giveaway prizes including shipping.

4 Halloween goodies dogs should be scared of (but aren't!)

It's Halloween, which means there will likely be copious amounts of junk food coming into your home over the next few days (because even if you don't have kids I bet at least a third of you will raid the candy aisle during the Halloween clearance sales, amirite?)

But there are some goodies out there that can be a nightmare for you and your dog if he or she breaks into them.

So lets spread the word and remind our friends and family what NOT to leave out this week -- or all year long. This is with the help of PetMD.com.

Apopka's Club Lake Plantation full of dog-friendly fall fun

Looking for some fall fun with your pet. This feature I wrote for Barkpost has some great fall/Halloween activities you can do with your dog. 25 of them, in fact.

• 25 Fantastic Fall Events Around the Country for You and Your Dog

And for us Central Floridians, this great month-long festival is going on right now!

How to make an easy skirt for your dog this Halloween

I'm not big on costumes, but there is something amusing about a dog in a puffy skirt (like a tutu).

So when I had to come up with a Tinker Bell, I knew I needed a skirt. But I couldn't find one in the stores, and I didn't want to buy one online.

Turns out making a skirt is pretty easy!

Get your dog ready for Halloween! Jones Natural Chews Boo Bucket giveaway

Jones Natural Chews is a proud sponsor of Life With Beagle and Lulu's Favorite Things, our annual fundraising campaign for Harbor House of Central Florida. Although we received compensation for the post, my opinions are my own -- and so are Lulu's. 

It's in the air: a slight (very slight, this is Florida) chill, leaves are changing (a little, kind of, on some trees), that sudden desire for warm drinks and pumpkin bread. And everything is feeling just a bit spookier outside.

We want to help your pup get into the spooky mood too.

Here's the World War I Flying Ace: 5 facts on Snoopy's iconic fantasy

When I wanted to dress Lulu up as Snoopy, only one costume came to mind.

Snoopy is one of the most famous dogs in the world. But while PetSmart does sell Peanuts Halloween toys, no one seems to sell costumes for pets. Lulu is actually wearing the hat from my Build-A-Bear Workshop Snoopy doll and a red scarf I found at Macy's!

I even went so far as to suggest a "World War I flying ace" costume to one of the big costume makers at Global Pet Expo earlier this year. Hopefully they will come up with something.

But I digress. The World War I Flying Ace in my opinion, is Snoopy's best fantasy (and way better than silly Joe Cool). Here's a little about the World War I Flying Ace.

What is a flying ace?
The term flying ace did begin in World War I.  In the beginning the French and Americans considered a pilot an ace if they got five victories in the air. The number has varied over the years.

Who is the most successful World War I flying ace?
Sadly, not Snoopy, but his nemesis: Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen, aka The Red Baron.

Courtesy National World War I Museum.

How did Snoopy become a World War I flying ace?
According to "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: The Making of a Television Classic," by Lee Mendelson, Snoopy's status as a World War I flying ace was inspired by Charles Schulz's son Monte. Monte was a World War I enthusiast and a model plane builder. According to the book, he suggested his father make Snoopy a fighter pilot.

According to the Intrepid Museum in New York City, Schulz said this: "Like Snoopy, most people turn to fantasy for fun and refuge. I have always believed that his flights of fancy are what help him survive, and we must admit that a dog’s life is not an easy life."

Snoopy's first appearance as the World War I flying ace was in a comic strip.
His first appearance was in Oct. 10, 1965.

Courtesy: Peanuts.wikia.com

Snoopy's World War I flying ace fantasy has made it into museums all over the country.

There was a special exihibit at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, MO. You can still see pictures of the exhibit online.

Snoopy has also been featured at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City. In 2009 Snoopy as the World War I Flying Ace featured prints. But even cooler, the Intrepid showcased some of the Snoopy artwork that crew members would draw on the walls of the Intrepid, called "sailor art."

Snoopy is also immortalized in the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. You can find, for instance, an album of the Snoopy vs. the Red Baron song by The Royal Guardsman. At the Air and Space Museum there is an exhibit on World War I air combat, called Legend, Memory and the Great War in the Air. They talk about the Red Baron there.

Want more about Snoopy? Check out my 5 ways to tell Snoopy is a beagle article from last year.

A spooky giveaway: Jones Natural Chews Boo Bucket *SPONSORED*

Jones Natural Chews is one of the sponsors of the Lulu's Favorite Things Campaign, which raises money for Harbor House of Central Florida's Paws for Peace Kennel.

Please consider donating to their newest campaign, the Purple Purse Challenge. If you donate, they have a chance to win thousands of dollars from the Allstate Foundation, to help domestic abuse survivors re-establish their lives.
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It's starting to feel like fall for some of you. Some of you are even getting snow.

Not here in Florida. Saturday has a high of 91 degrees.

"I choose the pool life." -- Lulu

Not to say it doesn't have its benefits, but it's time for pretty leaves, apples, pumpkins, jackets, cinnamon, mulled cider and Halloween!

Time to get the dogs interested too. And here's a chance to get you excited for Halloween too!

If you follow Life With Beagle, you've read our Jones Natural Chews reviews before. This is one of their newest and neatest treats.

The bucket has nine items in it and is reuseable: a Windee, 2 Lambly Links, 2 Woofers, a beef Knee Cap, a beef hoof, an "other pig ear" (a piece of pig chin) and a bacon roll.

They are all great treats if you are looking for a special treat that keeps the dogs busy for a while.

In case you didn't know, I love Jones Natural Chews. Their products are made in the USA, all natural (they rarely use anything other than the basic meat product) and are a family-owned company. Their products are not too expensive either.

And, of course, the dogs love them.

Jasmine tried her first beef trachea. It's tough for Lulu to work on, but Jasmine was able to get in there and break it open.

Lulu chose the bacon roll from the bucket, which is a favorite of hers.

Just don't try to take it from her.

Now for your chance to win!

This giveaway is for one Jones Natural Chews Bow Wow Boo Bucket, mailed to your home in time for Halloween! Enter the Rafflecopter now through Oct. 1 for chances to win. There's only one mandatory entry -- you have to leave a comment on the blog below.

The fine print:

This post is sponsored by Jones Natural Chews. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Jones Natural Chews, but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. JNC is not responsible for the content of this article.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lulu the beagle shows her Disney Side at the Magic Kingdom

If your dog had a Disney Side, what would it be?
 

Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida hosted a Disney Side Dog's Day at the Magic Kingdom. For the first-time ever, non-service dogs would be able to go to the Magic Kingdom. But you had to submit a photo of your dog, costumed, showing her Disney Side.

As a Disney nerd, I knew I had to get Lulu in. But we didn't have much time to construct a costume for her, so the above picture is what I sent in: me as Peter Pan, Lulu as Tinkerbell.

Lulu and 100 other dogs got selected! (101, get it?)

I got a green Thundershirt for Lulu to wear, since I knew she'd be needing one anyway, and we got up bright and early for a couple of hours at the Magic Kingdom.

We walked the "green carpet" to Cinderella's Castle.

We got to meet some characters. Goofy, Pluto, Bolt, Stitch, Dug and Cruella were out. Lulu's met Pluto before and by this point the overstimulation was getting to her, so we skipped Pluto and Goofy. No Mickey though.

Then we went on a doggy parade to see some of the park. The parade took us into Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square and some of Fantasyland before letting us out through Cinderella's Castle and back on to Main Street.

I got to take a photo with her in front of the Haunted Mansion Pet Cemetery!

Casey's Corner wasn't open, so we couldn't share a hot dog.

We all got treat bags to take home, and some other goodies too.

Want to see more from Disney Side Dog's Day at Magic Kingdom? Check out the video from the Disney Parks Blog, plus, coming in October there will be a special on Animal Planet!

Happy Halloween! Giveaway winners and safety tips

Happy Halloween everyone!

First, the winners of the Go Dog Zombiez giveaway:

• Doris Humber
• Stefani Joi Heller
• Lori Anderson-Watkins

Congratulations! I'll be emailing you guys soon!

Now, as you guys know, I had Lulu dressed up this weekend in Halloween pictures:

But tonight Lulu will only be wearing her Thundershirt.

Lulu barks every time strange people come to the door, and that will especially be true on Halloween.

So here are some tips to keep your pet safe this spooky holiday, courtesy of ASPCA! Click the infographic to make it bigger.

Need a Halloween costume for your pet? Check out Pet360

Were you satisfied with the Halloween costumes in the stores this year? I wasn't.

Last year Lulu was an astronaut.

I got that costume at Target.

But when I looked for something similarly interesting at Target and at Petco, I was sorely disappointed. I had the same problem at Party City. PetSmart also left me cold.

So I kind of created two costumes for Lulu with some jerry-rigging.

Here's the World War I Flying Ace in the most sincere pumpkin patch Mom could find.

Lulu as Snoopy! She's wearing a red scarf I found on sale at Macy's and a pilot's cap from my Snoopy doll from Build-a-Bear Workshop. The cap doesn't fit great, but it was only for the picture. And the costume was relatively inexpensive.

Lulu's next costume was a bit more expensive, but far more fun if you like a certain Doctor.

I'm a beagle now. Beagles are cool!

Doctor AROOOOOOOO! Lulu's in a sportcoat I found on sale at Macy's (but not nearly as cheap as the scarf was. Not by a long shot. By the way, Lulu is a Boys size 5, if you're curious). The bowtie I got at Party City, which has a slew of accessories separated by color at reasonable prices.

And, finally, my sonic screwdriver pen in her pocket. Because what's the Doctor without the sonic!

Now -- if you don't have time to get creative with costumes, and you need one NOW, head to Pet360.com.

Pet360 has a Halloween Costume Shop with some fun costumes. Here's some of my favorites:

Monster Doggies!! In pink or blue.

Dorothy (Toto not included)

Frankenpup!

Now, clearly its a little late to buy a costume for your dog for this year, but you can always get one for NEXT year. Plus, now it's time for holiday shopping, and Pet 360 has everything you need!

DISCLAIMER: This post is sponsored by Pet360. I am being compensated for spreading the word about Pet360.com, but this blog only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers

Halloween flash GIVEAWAY: Win a zombie for your dog to chew on

I find this to be ironic.

You see, it's common knowledge that zombies die when you decapitate them. But it is damn-near impossible to decapitate a Go Dog Zombiez toy!

Go Dog, by Quaker Pet Group, is a line of durable doggy toys. Some crinkle, some squeak, some do both. They come in various sizes, and they are pretty tough toys.

And in a moment, I'll tell you how to win one!

Lulu's been trying to rip the squeaker out of this Go Dog platypus for a couple months now, with no luck.

But these Zombiez don't look like anything from "The Walking Dead." They are actually kinda cute, in an undead way.

Quaker says it uses what it calls "Chew Guard Technology." The toys have a liner in the plush toys that guard against ripping the toys up. They are also all made with double stitched seams, so they don't open easily.

I won't say the toys are indestructible. A friend of mine at Pet Age magazine said her dog was able to destroy a Go Dog.

But I gave my Zombiez (named Frostbite Fred, btw) to not only Lulu....

But also to Buster, my parents' black lab/dachshund mix. This dog destroys EVERYTHING. And his sibling Jasmine, a beagle mix helps.

So far so good for ol' Frostbite Fred.

There are seven different Zombiez -- four plush and three flat crinkly ones (they're called crawlers). They come in two sizes -- small and large. While the small have squeakers, the large ones have what they call "grunters."

The squeakers also "float" through the toy, so it takes dogs longer to rip them out. Which they shouldn't be able to do with a Go Dog anyway.

So...

Go Dog Zombiez Pros:

• Durable
• Floating squeaker makes dogs work extra to get that noisy thing
• Comes in two sizes for big and small dogs

Go Dog Zombiez Cons: 

• Not easy to find. I got mine at Petco, and they are available through Amazon. But not at PetSmart, and not at Petco online. Quaker does also sell them to boutique stores
• Durable but not indestructible
• The Zombiez toys are kind of awkward for the dogs to grab. I noticed while playing that the dogs avoided the head of the toy because it was so big. They size of the head versus the "neck" may make it easy for dogs to rip it off, but again I have not had that problem.

NOW -- TIME FOR THE GIVEAWAY!

Quaker is giving away three Zombiez toys -- so three chances to win!

We will be using Rafflecopter to count the entries and choose the winner. The contest ends on Halloween!

Mandatory entry: In the comments section, Tell us how you include your dog in Halloween festivities! It could be a costume, or a spooky bandana, or just joining in on Trick-or-Treating or other activities. Or maybe your dog doesn't do Halloween -- tell us that too.

GOOD LUCK!

Official Rules:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Must be 18 year or older to enter. Contest is open to US residents only. You must leave a comment at the end of the post to be entered to win.  Contest opens Wednesday, Oct. 16, and ends Thursday, Oct. 31. Three people will each win a Go Dog Zombiez toy, which they will receive from Quaker Pet Group. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Happy Halloween

Oh God -- not this thing again! I don't wanna be an astronaut, Mom!

PS: I am still trying to raise money for the Paws for Peace walk, helping Harbor House of Central Florida, domestic violence victims and their pets. The walk is this Saturday.

If you can donate money, please help. If you can spread the word to your followers, I'd appreciate that too.

Frankenweenie comes out next month -- Turn your pet into a monster!

Disney's "Frankenweenie" came out in theaters October 5, 2012. The Tim Burton movie is based off Burton's own short film.

To promote the movie, Disney's "Frankenweenie" website gave viewers the chance to "Frankenweenie-fy" their pets.

I admit I was a little taken back by the idea. Knowing the plot of the movie, the concept kind of bothers me. The movie is about a boy who loses his pet dog, then brings him back to life. However, I have to admit, this was fun.

Take away the background, add items like crazy eyes, horns, even wings, then choose a new background.

And, here is Lulustein!!!