Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair? Gotta be a Bissell Pet Hair Eraser: REVIEW

How do you get the dog hair off your furniture?

I've got this red, microfiber couch, that Lulu and especially Jasmine love to sit on -- especially on the top of the couch.

Jasmine on the couch, like a furry vulture.

But that means a lot of pet hair... on the cushions, between the cushions, under the cushions.

Normally I use a lint roller to get the fur off -- but I end up needing a dozen lint sheets to do the couch justice.

But this new Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Lift-Off vacuum is a powerful time -- and couch -- saver.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free vacuum from Bissell to do the review. I received no other compensation, and all opinions are my own.

How to keep your dog's teeth clean -- Merrick Fresh Kisses review

Nothing like doggy breath, huh? Hot and sometimes -- especially depending on what you feed them -- quite stinky.

But just like humans, stinky dog breath could be a sign of tooth decay. And just like humans, tooth decay in a dog can lead to all sorts of health problems.

That's why we've got to keep those teeth clean, right? And to do that, we'll show you how to brush a dog's teeth in a few easy steps, plus -- use a good dental treat. We recommend Merrick's new Fresh Kisses™ dental treats.

DISCLOSURE: This post and giveaway is sponsored by Merrick Pet Care. The opinions and ideas in this post are my own and are uninfluenced by any other person or business.

GoDog toys are for tough chewers GIVEAWAY: Countdown to Christmas 2018

Happy New Year!

In December, I hosted a giveaway called Lulu's Countdown to Christmas.

I had promised giveaways from big companies.

I didn't deliver all those giveaways, and for that, I am sorry.

December 2017 ended up being the last month of my cat, Galadriel's life, and I became pre-occupied with her care. I tried to keep up with these posts but did a poor job of it. Serves me right for biting off more than I can chew!

But I owe you (and the companies I worked with) a couple more of these giveaways! So lets just start the countdown to Christmas in 2018, shall we?

Our first giveaway is a great product from one of our longtime supporters. We'll know you'll love it because Lulu and Jasmine do!

DISCLOSURE: All prizes and review samples in Lulu's Countdown to Christmas Giveaway were provided for free, but no other compensation was provided. All opinions are my own.

Help your dog handle a new school year: Jones Natural Chews review + giveaway

UPDATE: Just to make it clear, to be qualified to enter, you MUST leave a comment in the comment section at the end of the blog AND enter the Rafflecopter widget by confirming that you left a comment. I see some people have entered the Rafflecopter widget by saying they left a comment... but didn't leave a comment. Please do so.

It's tough to imagine the summer is almost over and children are going back to school.

That means a rush of shopping, getting kids back to a bed routine, maybe a doctor visit or two, maybe even one last trip somewhere fun. 

But dogs are creatures of habit. And after a relaxing summer with their best friends, the new school year up-ends their peaceful existence. So lets help them adjust!

And one way is to use long-lasting chews that they can keep busy and relieve stress with. That's why we're partnering with Jones Natural Chews to help.

We're giving 2 people a set of great Jones Natural Chews center bones to get you started.

DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored by Jones Natural Chews. But all of the opinions and information are our own.

5 great reasons your dog needs water plus PetSafe fountain review

DISCLOSURE: This post includes a review of the PetSafe® Brand Drinkwell® Outdoor Pet Dog Fountain. PetSafe provided a fountain to review, and one to giveaway, but no other compensation. Any opinions in this post are my own.

July is Pet Hydration Month. Can you guess why?

You know your dog needs clean water daily. But do you know how much? And do you know the signs if your dog is dehydrated?

Here are 5 reasons your dog needs to have clean drinking water all day long, and especially in the summer.

Barkbox and Sherlock Homes: Unboxing video

Who has a Barkbox account?

We signed up in December, and we especially love this month's theme. So much so that we are going to unbox it for you right now.

Why I am still feeding my dogs Merrick even after the Purina deal

Full disclosure: I've received some free food and treats from Merrick in the past. However, I am not receiving anything from Merrick right now, and I have never received monetary compensation.

A few months ago, I wrote about Purina acquiring Merrick Pet Care. I wrote how angry people are about the move, mostly because they don't like Purina and they saw Merrick as selling out.

Well, it's been about 6 months since then. And guess what? I'm still feeding Merrick. Why? Because it works.

The Peanuts Movie: 5 things about Charlie Brown's new movie

Disclaimer: Tickets to "The Peanuts Movie" screening were provided by Twentieth Century Fox. All thoughts are my own.

“All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. For after all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog.”  -- Charles Schulz

This well-known quote from "Peanuts'" creator pretty much sums up Charlie Brown's newest film outing.

"The Peanuts Movie" is an homage to everything most of us remember about the Charlie Brown series we know and love.

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.

Get your dog's breath #TropiCleanfresh! Breath Drops giveaway

This post is sponsored by TropiClean and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about TropiClean Fresh Breath Drops, but Life With Beagle only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. TropiClean is not responsible for the content of this article. 

A couple of weeks ago we told you what we use around here to keep Lulu's and Jasmine's teeth clean and healthy, and their breath fresh. We've been trying Tropiclean®'s Fresh Breath Drops™, which is like the company's water additive. We've been using the water additive for about a year now and we are liking the drops so far.

After all, a dog who loves her treats needs to keep her teeth clean and breath fresh.

Now here's your chance to win some of TropiClean's drops!

REVIEW: Get cool pups with Portacool

DISCLAIMER: Portacool provided the unit to be reviewed.

The calendar may say August. But summer doesn't end just because the kids may be getting ready to go back to school. And the heat doesn't end in the South just because he calendar changes. Keeping cool is still important, especially for your pet.

Portacool makes portable cooling units. Yup, you heard right! This big black box is like a giant air conditioner on wheels, (except it's not, it's an evaporative cooling unit. Not the same) and it can keep you and your pets quite cool outside. 

Chicken's the treat for summer: Spot Farms Review and Giveaway

This post is sponsored by Spot Farms, however we here at Life With Beagle share information we only feel is relevant to our readers. Spot Farms is not responsible for the content of this article. 

First off, we want to congratulate Donna Kozar, winner of  Jones Natural Chews Giveaway! You'll be contacted shortly with info to retrieve your prize!

It's summer time and your dogs are eyeing your grilled chicken.

So what about getting your dog some chicken of their own?

Product Review: PetSafe Drinkwell water fountain and my scaredy cat

Can you teach an old cat new tricks?

PetSafe sent me this Avalon water fountain for my pets. Lulu is a scaredy dog when it comes to water, and cats should have lots of fresh water to avoid urinary issues, so I put it on Galadriel's bathroom counter.

The fountain is stoneware. It doesn't seem fragile enough to break though. It was pretty easy to assemble too -- the instructions were easy to follow, and the fountain came together quickly.

I plugged it in, and at first I thought the rush of the water through the pump was really loud. The first night it sounded like I'd left a faucet on all night. Now it doesn't bother me at all.

The cat, on the other hand, is very confused. She sniffs it, she looks at it, but so far I don't think she drinks from it when it's on. Sometimes I think I hear her drinking from it, but she won't do it in front of me.

I guess I should have expected this. Sure she likes to sit in the sink, but she has never been big into water either. She's a cat, so that's not shocking.

But she won't drink from it.

She walks up, sniffs it, then backs away. And is not drinking.

Fortunately, I can shut the fountain off. So the fountain is off in spurts to get the cat used to it. But I do put the fountain back on from time to time to filter the water. That is, after all, what it's for, right?

PROS:

• Keeps the water circulating so that it's fresh. (Most) Pets prefer the fresher water to water sitting in a bowl all the time.
• It's fountain is quite soothing, once you get used to it. 
• You can unplug the fountain, so your pet can get used to drinking from it.
• The replacement filters are relatively inexpensive.
• PetSafe sells a wide range of fountains -- from pretty ceramic ones to stainless steel and even plastic fountains.
• The fountain holds 70 ounces of water. 

CONS:

• The filters only last two to four weeks, depending on how often you use it.
• You need to place it somewhere it can be plugged in. The cord is longish, but it may require rearranging things.
• Everything is 
• If your pet is not used to it, it may take a while to get them to drink from the fountain.

You can find the PetSafe water fountains and filters at most major pet stores, at Amazon and at PetSafe's website. 

HOWEVER -- if you wait until Saturday, you can win one! I'll be giving away a fountain Saturday on Life With Beagle.com. So stay tuned!

DISCLAIMER: I received the fountain from PetSafe for free, but opinions are my own.

REVIEW and Coupon: Scrufftag QR collars from dogIDs.com

QR code tags are all the rage right now for pets. Each tag comes with a QR square, which can be scanned with a red laser app on any smartphone. It's linked to a directory, like PetHub, which stores contact information.

The QR codes range from simple to crazy -- there are even Disney and Star Wars QR code tags.

But I already have a tag for Lulu with my phone number on it.

So it seemed silly to me to get another tag. She is also microchipped, so how much more does protection does she need?

Well, 10 million dogs are lost every year, according to microchip company HomeAgain.com .

And beagles have bad habits of following their noses until they are far from home. Lulu has run off on me a couple times, and from a friend once.

Still, the idea of another tag seemed silly because if one tag gets ripped off, why not another?

But I love the idea of a QR tag COLLAR.

I got mine from dogIDs.com, a dog gear website that specializes in personalized products.

The heavy-duty collar is woven very well. Lulu has had it for a few weeks, and it still looks like it did when I first pulled it out of the box. Lulu is usually very good at beating up her collars and harnesses. So I'm happy to see no fraying with this.

The nameplate is white and very clear, so it's very easy for any QR laser to read the QR code. It also lays well across Lulu's neck, so it is easy to scan. The plastic also has not worn, or scuffed. And the collar around the nameplate is dirty, so that's pretty impressive to me.

And when you do, this pops up:

It pulls up my contact info, and any important info about Lulu.

And, I got an email as soon as this profile is viewed, letting me know people have looked at Lulu's profile.

And by the way, all this is free from PetHub.com.

How effective is the tag? PetHub.com has cataloged success stories of found dogs thanks to PetHub on their website.

Pros:

• Gives your pet another form of identification. (Should never replace a microchip though)
• The collar is sturdy, as is the buckle and nameplate
• Comes in lots of colors and styles

Cons:

• Collars come off just as easily as a tag can. 
• Not everyone knows how to work a QR laser.
• They are a little pricey -- $29.00.

 If you are interested in buying a collar, I have a coupon code for you from dogIDs.com

Code:  beaglelife15

Deal:  15% Off Any Style QR Code Dog Collar, including the new reflective collar.

Expires:  September 1, 2013

DISCLAIMER:  I received my collar for free from dogIDs.com to review.

Dog food bowl -- personalized! DogIds.com product review

Every once in a while I think we all like our pets to have something an little fancy. But we also want it to be functional, right?

So when DogIds.com asked me to pick some personalized pet products to review, I jumped at the chance to review the "Not So Fast" dog bowl.

DogIds.com uses laser engraving to personalize the pet items. I will say that the engraving itself is pretty good. Lulu and I are generally rough on things, and we've had this bowl at least a month and a half and that engraving still looks new. And it's a sturdy stainless steel bowl. It also can fit into an elevated bowl stand if you want that. A stand can also aid digestion.

You get to choose up to 12 characters to engrave on the item, in the font of your choice (I chose Lucida, it's my favorite).

But... is a "Not So Fast" bowl worth the money? It is if your pet is a gobbler. Eating too fast can lead to digestion problems.

I actually timed Lulu with this bowl, and a regular pet bowl.

The not-so-fast bowl has 2.5 quart volume, according to DogIds.com, so while it seems like a big bowl, it fills up fast.

I put in 2 cups of kibble -- Lulu's daily serving.

And timed Lulu eating.

She finished the bowl in 4 minutes, 48 seconds. (I should have taken a picture of the finished time on the stop watch, I didn't)

A few days later I filled a regular bowl with Lulu's 2 cups of kibble, and set the bowl down.

And she finished in 3 minutes, 35 seconds, and that was with me dropping something in the sink on accident and interrupting her (she gave me a dirty look).

Does a minute make a difference? Trust me, Lulu is burping like crazy over here, so it does.

The Not So Fast bowl is $19 with the engraving, which is pretty comparable to non-engraved stainless steel dog bowls on Amazon or Petco.

So:

Pros:

• Slows Lulu's speed eating
• Stainless steel
• Deep laser engraving
• Reasonably priced

Cons:

• The bowls only come in one size. If you have a pomeranian, you may not want so big a bowl. Or it may not matter to you.
• Takes a little longer to get, since it has to be engraved. So you could wait a couple weeks to get your bowl. 

Not looking for a new dog bowl? DogIDs.com has collars, leashes, beds, and even a doggy backpack that can all be personalized. They also have a selection of non-personalized items, from toys to gates.

• Have you ever done any personalized items for your pets? 

Full discloser: I recieved the Not So Fast bowl for free from DogIds.com.

FURminator deshedding tool -- REVIEW, plus Amazon sale

Believe it or not, Lulu sheds.

We are not talking Chow shedding, or even Labrador Retriever shedding, but she does shed and it gets everywhere. Little white and black hairs (I've yet to find brown hairs).

My trainer says FURminator makes the best grooming products on the market. So we put it to the test.

 This is the FURminator short hair shedding tool for a medium sized dog. How you can tell -- the orange represents the size, the blue, the short hair.

The comb part is stainless steel, made up of dozens of tiny, close-set teeth. The blue part helps you get the hair off the brush. It connects to the blue button on the back, which pushes the blue piece, and the hair off.

 A downward stroke gets the fur off the dog. You aren't going to brush like you would with a regular slicker though. You should use this like you would a rake. You should be picking up hair that is going to be shedded, especially that undercoat.

When you are ready, push the blue button. The fur comes off in easy to clean-up clumps (this looks like a caterpillar, huh?).

This part I particularly like. I remember brushing my brother's chow, and the fur would come off and fly everywhere. This is much better.

So:
Pro

• Solid tool, well-built. I've been kicking it around in the house the last couple of weeks and it's very sturdy.
• Easy clean-up. I love this part. The fur makes such neat clumps, so easy to pick up and throw away.
• Makes Lulu's fur shinier and softer. It is definitely worth keeping her groomed.
• More important: Lulu likes it! She loves it when I pull the brush out, she loves the feel of the brush, it doesn't seem to bother her at all.

Con

• The price. This particular tool retails for about $55. Ouch. Very expensive.
• Made in China. If that's important to you, you should know that. 

This week, Amazon and their sellers are selling FURminators for much, much cheaper. For instance, this tool for medium, short-haired dogs is only $21. Find the whole search list on AMAZON here.

DISCLAIMER: I received a deshedding tool from FURminator to review.

Countdown to Global Pet Expo -- Orbee-Tuff Mazee Treat Ball

We are counting down to the Global Pet Expo!

This is an older review, but it still holds.

Lulu loves her treats, as we've clearly seen here.

But I don't want to just give her treats. And when I'm working, I also want her to keep occupied.

I looked at all kinds of treatballs, but Lulu's had a few before and never did much with them. Then I found the Orbee-Tuff Mazee from Planet Dog. I mentioned this in my Holiday Gift Guide.

What I liked best about Mazee was that it was clear. Lulu can easily see the treats in there, and that will entice her to keep playing. Also inside -- a bright green maze that she has to navigate her treats through.

The Mazee has two holes -- the larger one is where you put the treats in. Smaller treats are better. I use mini-peanut butter bites from Pookie's Bakery in Winter Park. They roll around well.

Lulu now goes to town, trying to get the treats out, and I can spend time doing chores or -- working on this blog.

PROS:

•  Made in America
• Clear plastic and nice and squishy. 
• Lulu gets her brain working to get the treats out, so it's not just me giving her treats.
• Lulu loves it, and anything Lulu loves is worth it to me!

CONS:

• The rubber doesn't always clean as well. 
• It doesn't roll as well on the carpet.

I bought my Mazee at Woof Gang Bakery in Winter Park for $18, but you can also buy it at Amazon.com, and on the company website. If you buy it from Amazon right now it's only about $13.

DISCLAIMER: I bought my mazee on my own, without any help from Planet Dog or any other company.

Diary of Lulu in a Thundershirt, Day 5

To read Day 4, click here.

Lulu took the morning walk to the park in the Thundershirt and did ok. She whined and barked a little at one of the neighborhood dogs that was barking at her, but nothing major. Oh, and no luck with passing golf carts yet again.

On the second walk I took Lulu in the opposite direction. We did have a little trouble with another neighborhood dog -- a big dog that often barks at her from the balcony.

 Then we went by that house with the dog Lulu met yesterday to the doggy in the window was the other pet in the household, definitely a boxer. The dog followed her around, but she and Lulu -- for once -- didn't bark at each other.

 

   Oh... and another day of grass rolling. This time though... I got video. Enjoy!

Diary of Lulu in a Thundershirt, Day 4

To read Day 3, go here.

DAY 4

More mixed results in the Thundershirt today, but some progress too.

The day started right out with trouble,  in a small package. We walked out of the apartment, and in the place above us one of my neighbor's yappy dogs started barking violently (won't say what kind of dog, because I don't want to upset breed lovers). Lulu did eventually start barking at it, but it didn't last long because the dog's owner grabbed the dog and shut the window.

Walked Lulu to the park, and she didn't have much to get upset at. She did bark at one of the other neighborhood dogs, Zelda. But it was not her crazy bark -- she was trying to get my neighbor's attention. Zelda is one of Lulu's best friends, and she wanted her to come play, but they couldn't.

On the second walk, just as we got outside, the lady with the yappy dogs upstairs came down to walk her dogs. And her pack has grown now from one dog to three! Oy! They came down yapping all the way at Lulu, and Lulu was happy to oblige. I had to drag her in the opposite direction.

As we walked by, one of the other neighborhood dogs barked like mad, and Lulu barked back. But she only barked a bit, and she came along easily.

But here is a positive moment. As we walked, we came by one of the neighborhood dogs. Normally Lulu would immediately bark at this dog, but this time she just watched it, and then went about her business. Meanwhile the dog watched her!

The only time Lulu barked at the dog was when it barked at her.

Other than that, Lulu did ok. She also barked at some noises outside while in the house, but I never quibble over that. It's kinda what she's paid to do.

Another roll in the grass!

Diary of Lulu in a Thundershirt, Day 3

To read Day 2, go here.
DAY 3

I took Lulu back to the complex dog park. She still had her Thundershirt on from the night before, so that's a good sign.

Another good sign -- Lulu walked right past a passing golf cart. Normally she would bark, so it's a good sign.

She did alright at the dog park too... until she saw another dog walk by.

Then she ran in one direction:

Then the other:

Back and forth, back and forth, barking all the way.

When the dog passed, I tried to take her back to home. But the dog and it's owner makes an appearance. Now Lulu does her usually freak out. She wants to meet this dog, wants to know about the dog, but she can't.

That's not a good sign. She doesn't calm down at all. Until she gets home.