Holiday Gift Guide for Your Furry Friends

ShopwithBella.com has over 50 million products for the holidays. You can get the full gift guide here at the Holiday Gift Guide.

I wanted to make sure you had a Holiday Gift Guide for your Furry Family too. Because we know you have us on your list...at least twice if not 10x. I like to employ the Grant Cardone 10x Rule for holiday gift giving to your furry family. It's a good strategy.

So here's my gift ideas for your pups! Happy shopping! Lots of licks in your future. Promise!

Click any of the images to go directly to the awesomeness in each category. 

You can shop by price or by gift category. So if you want to shop for gifts under $5, gifts under $10, gifts under $20, gifts under $30 or even fancy gifts under $40, I got you!

Gift categories are also awesome. We got interactive, plus, floating, squeaker (YES!), treats toys, wellness stuff and treats.

HAPPY SHOPPING! 

Kong Wild Knots Bear with Squeaker - 

Different colors, fun and squeaky. Also it has ropes on the inside so the chewing is super fun even after the squeaker is gone.

Entirely Pets has it for the cheapest price and also comes with cash back.

Air Kong Dog Squeaker Tennis Ball -

It's durable and has a hidden squeaker (so it's in 2 categories!). It's a tennis ball with great bounce and bite. I can't rip it open but I can puncture it, which doesn't hurt its bounce at all. I can get the squeaker broke eventually so I recommend you stock up. 

Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Cosmos Ball -

A toy that your dog will absolutely love and that is ideal for games of fetch or supervised individual play. Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Cosmos Ball is durable and bouncy and it floats!

Romp N Chomp Roller Treat Toy -
It works with Nylabone dog treats and is made for moderate chewers. It cleans your dog's teeth and stimulates his gums. The chew part is refillable with treat refills even better - Peanut Butter!

The Romp 'n Chomp treat toy comes with a treat and comes in 3 sizes - small/older dogs, ACD like me size, bigguns.

Multipet Swingin Sleevins Plush -

It's the gigantic stuffed squeak toy of your dog's dreams! This lanky toy features a fun animal design with a long lanky body that makes it the perfect toy to toss around for playful pups. It's 30-inch-long and this is the frog but there's also a pig, duck, and cow.

Multipet Loofah Squeaker Mat Dog Toy -

OMG so many squeakers! 22" and a Bakers Dozen of Squeakers. The body of each dog features isolated squares that each squeak when compressed to ensure that the toy is uniquely interactive. These toys are available in assorted colors

Otis and Claude Bumble Ball -
This is a patented interactive motorized dog toy.What a mouthful! It jumps and shakes and wiggles, and bumbles and more. It's specifically reinforced for pets. Your pets will go "crazy" trying to catch the "Bumpy Ball". Entertain your pets for hours. But not good for aggressive dogs or really skittish ones.

Boodah Turbo Disc -

Dogs love frisbees, and some might argue that this thing is a dog-designed frisbee. The Booda Turbo Disc provides a dog owner the perfect flying toy that comes with bright colors, an easy flying design, and an easy to clean material. Your pup can pick it up without having to flip it over. It flies really far.

Kong Safe Stix Floating Fetch Toy -

I hate the water but I love my Safe Stix. It floats, it bounces, it fetches. It also freaks out the neighbors. It comes in 3 colors and 3 sizes and I think you should just get one of every size and color to be on the safe side.

Canine Chuck It Ultra Sling with Dart - 

It dives, it floats, it banks it glides. So many fun for a pool and water loving dog! It's portable, safe and rugged. It's basically darts for dogs. Darts. For. Dogs! It's erratic in movement so your pup will never know where it's gonna go. It's safe for you and her. She'll love it. Really. Get it!. And some extra darts while you're at it.

GUMBY! Plush Toy -

It has a squeaker and it's Gumby. If you have to ask, then just move on or check out Gumby on Youtube. Cause he's awesome. I would totally chew that.

Squirrel! Plush Toy -

Squirrel! If you don't get it, then just move on. Another reference of an awesome movie...this one featuring Dug an awesome dog that was recently brought to life in this video. I can't help your dog talk but this will help him play like Dug!

Get Naked Super Antioxidant Treats -

Get Naked Super Antioxidant Dental Chew Sticks are ssuperfoods for your discerning dogs that care about organic and vegan and other fancy stuff. These have vitamin C, vitamin E, cranberries, blueberries (pomace), pomegranate and decaf green tea extract. 

Plaque and tartar buildup are a thing of the past. Plus they're all natural and gluten-free.

Cloud Star Buddy Biscuits in Peanut Butter Flavor -

I have a sensitive stomach and allergies and really love these. They don't hurt my stomach or anything. So no trouble for dogs with allergies. They have no salt, sugar, corn, preservatives, artificial colors, artificial flavors, or byproducts. They are really the best dog treats ever! That's cause they are really yummy and all natural treats made from only healthy and wholesome ingredients.

Complete Natural Nutrition Real Food Toppers Pure Chicken Breast - 
Great for your finicky, overweight, diabetic, allergic, pets. If they're on an ‘elimination’ or a ‘restricted’ diet i.e. low carb, low sodium, low calorie, no wheat or raw. 

Great to mask medication and to be fed pre and post surgery. 

Pet Health OPC Formula for Dogs and Cats-
It's an antioxidant and helps with joint pain and also allergies. It's also great for dealing with all the yucky stuff in your dog food. It will help protect against stuff that takes us way too young. It's made of pycnogenol and it rocks. Plus it's beef flavored.

A Pet Medium's Journey - Kupa the Cat

Kupa is a Maine Coon Cat who lives in the Hudson Valley. He is a love and enjoys people, the outdoors and being pet. His Hu-mom, Yvette, was concerned about his health so we did a little check in session with him.

Here's what happened:

Me: "Hello Kupa"
Ku: SILENCE

Me:            "Hello Kupa's body" (trying something else)
Ku's body: "Hello" (a very purry hello indeed)
Me:            "I love you."
Ku:             "I love you too."

Ok so Kupa wasn't talking. He didn't want to be part of this inquiry. But his body was willing so I decided we would go there instead.

Kupa is having some pain. I asked his body where and heard, "Liver and onions." I asked for his body to show me where and a dull ache started in my right lower abdomen and side. Yvette and I wondered if he was having issues with his liver. After our session, she researched issues with the liver for cats and found his symptoms consistent with liver issues.

I asked Kupa's body about food. Bottom line - he loves junk food but his body does not. He loves cheese (swiss, cheddar and brie but NOT Boursin or American) but his body definitely does not.

Raw chicken was a yes. Cooked chicken was a no.

This was my first time communicating with an animal, so frankly, I was surprised I got anything at all. Yvette shared that my communication with him felt right. And she went to slice him up some chicken.

Feel better Kupa!

Treat Puzzle Review - Dog Treat Maze by Nina Ottosson

This is a review of the Dog Treat Maze by Nina Ottosson. I would recommend this toy and am offering you a way to purchase it through an affiliate link. This will provide a small income to me and Bella to help us further our cause for happy active dogs everywhere. You are not required to purchase it from us. If you decide to do so, know that we very much appreciate it. 🐶

Bella's Review:

If you love to eat - and who doesn't...SRSLY. - then you wanna try a meal in this baby. It is round and has colors and it spins. Most of all it has food and treats in it. So you wanna spend some time with it because when you first get it you are gonna think you just have to bite it to get to the yummy smells inside. And then you will learn techniques like SPIN, BOUNCE, SLAM, PIROUETTE, THROW and maybe even make up some of your own. Make sure they put food and treats and not just food because that makes it better. And better is always better. Get this one. You won't regret it. Unless it's empty. And with emptiness comes regret. I read that somewhere once. I don't remember where. Seems to fit here though, no? I hear this one is size large. If it came in an extra large I would want that because I bet you could fit more treats in it.

Just the Facts: 

The Dog Treat Maze by Nina Ottosson is a spherical maze that is shaped like a dome on both the top and bottom. This gives it a wobble that is fun to watch. It also allows your dog to get their paw or nose under it to wobble it, tumble it and turn it end over end. It spins nicely on hardwood floors. They can use the openings to grab it with their teeth for throwing and dropping. The maze inside on the top and bottom are 90 degrees off center of each other so the top and bottom mazes don't react the same way. This makes filling easier and play longer and more engaging. There is no way to take it apart for cleaning, so only dry treats/food are recommended. There is no way to increase or decrease difficulty of this treat puzzle. Treat/food filling can be done on the top and bottom of the maze and each section is separate so treats do not co-mingle between sides.

Trista's 2 Cents:

We have had this treat puzzle since the beginning - so over a year. It was the first toy of its kind that we got Bella and our first experience with a treat puzzle. It was under the tree for Bella's first Christmas. We pre-filled with some training treats and wrapped it with paper and bows. I remember she opened the package - wrapping paper and all! - and then proceeded to try to open the puzzle. Oops. Didn't think that one through! This puzzle definitely took some training for her to get the hang of it. So worth it!

My first piece of advice is be prepared to train your dog to use this treat puzzle. It's a maze so they have to move the puzzle around to get the treats out. I highly recommend using a positive reinforcement tool to do this. We used the clicker to enforce the actions that would get the treats - pawing, pushing, spinning, tumbling end over end. And we discouraged her when she began to bite it in frustration. The time you spend training should go quickly if your dog is fairly smart. We did get some damage at first (I blame my lack of preparation with training needed) but the treat puzzle has held up..and all that damage (see right) is from the early days. This is one of the pricier treat puzzles we have purchased - at around $15 to $20 - so we have stuck with the original since it still works perfectly fine. 

This treat maze has also stood up to Bella's tendency to get bored with her toys. There is no figuring out a trick to empty the contents .. and repetition of the same movement over and over will not get the results she is looking for. Varied movement is required and therefore this is a long-term treat puzzle that your dog will enjoy for years to come. Our experience is that it will stand up to the abuse it gets while treat-seeking, as long as your dog is not left to gnaw on it. For that reason, I recommend supervised play. By that I mean - not alone. This is definitely in my arsenal of things for Bella to do when I need to get work done.

Here's a funny thing that happened last night - We were sitting on the couch for some late-night wind-down TV. Bella jumped onto the couch arm so she could reach her treat box that lives on the top of her crate. She took almost a minute picking something out. And then - voila! The toy she chose was the Nina Ottosson Dog Treat Maze! It was empty but she kept picking it up with her teeth and dropping it until we filled it up. I like that she chooses it when she wants to find something to do by herself. It's so much better than a fairly new habit she has started - Finding and then destroying boxes of tissues...not just the boxes but also the tissues! :-/

We are happy with this toy and would recommend it, and purchase it again.

Here are some additional helpful details:

• It comes in 2 sizes - small and large
• Use small training treats and small food pellets that do not crumble easily. The food will need to fit into a fairly small opening and will get knocked around quite a bit before escaping from one of the openings
• For longer play, fill both the top and bottom mazes with treats
• When filling the holes, here's what I do for maximum treat capacity (and maximum play time) - first fill one side, then on that same side tip the maze toward a NON opening side, flip the maze and repeat
• Mix treats and food so there is a lower calorie/fat content and still the interesting smell of treats
• As you get used to how long your dog will want to play, you may end up with treats and food leftovers on the floor - Bella empties it but doesn't always finish the contents at the initial sitting
• This is a great way to feed your dog if you have a fast eater

Prepare Your Pup for Winter - From a Clothes Averse Heeler Mix

By Bella Victoria and Trista Polo
 
Bella Says - 
I am a beast outdoors. I can jump high. I can run fast. I can carry a big stick. I'll knock you over if I think it will extend our play session. It never does.

The other day we went outside in the early morning, my human and I, and there was icy crunchies on the ground where the leaves had been the day before. My friend Sparky's humans say they will be moving the white fluffies soon with big trucks. The air is crisp and the birds are quiet so I believe them.

That means snow ball fights! Snow angels! Snow races! I love these things. It's like playing outside - but at another level.

My humans want me to be warm even if it means I have to be uncomfortable. I get it - some of my furry friends like to dress for the occasion. I think clothes are for sissies. And probably cats and bunnies. But NOT Cattle Dogs! You can't wear a coat and booties when you are herding cattle. And they would MOO at you if you did.

Because my short fur has an undercoat, I can be outside in above-freezing weather. But if it's too cold I have to wear a coat. Some advice for my fellow puppy pals that hate wearing clothes...make sure they know you hate it.

My humans got me a coat with legs and a hood and other unnecessary baggage and I iced 'em for as long as I could remember I was mad. And I'm smart so it was a while. I didn't rip it off or anything. I'm not an animal! But I sat on the couch as high up on the pillows as I could pile 'em and turned my back to my humans. I wouldn't speak to them for a long time, even after they took the monstrosity off of me.

They still make me wear some stuff. I still hate it. They say it's so I stay warm and healthy. I say I am a beast and I can take it. They make me anyway. Sometimes it sucks not being Alpha.

If you feel like me tell your humans you WON'T wear hoods, legs or arms. You won't wear booties or shoes or balloons on your paws.

Here's what you tell them you want. Tell 'em to read below...my Human has the deets.

- Bella out.

Trista Says -

For dogs that really hate wearing coats and clothes and other accoutrements, here's what we found works best:

• No sleeves. Legs should be uncovered and free of restriction. 
• No shoes or booties of any kind. Better to use a Pad Balm and follow these instructions for paw prep and protection
• No hoods or other head/ear covers
• Keep the outside play sessions short and highly active so they still get good activity but aren't exposed to the elements for too long
• Have the heat in your house up high enough that they can warm up when they get inside - if you can, put on a fire... =)
• Be prepared with lots of indoor activities you can do so the outside stuff can be limited to relieving themselves and traveling
• Some dogs love dressing up but if your dog does not, listen and respect their wishes

Here are some great winter prep items you may want to stock up on, keeping temperament and preference in mind:

You can spend anywhere from $10 to $80 and up for your dog's winter wear. There are plenty of budget-conscious choices that will keep your pup warm and healthy for the winter.

How do you keep your furry puppies warm in the winter?

This post contains affiliate links. 🐶

Tribute to Polo Sisters - Brandy and Audrey RIP June 2013

This is the Bella blog - so it would stand to reason that the posts are about Bella and her lifestyle.



But I want to pay tribute to 2 dogs that impacted my life - and heart - forever.

Brandy and Audrey were sisters from another Mister but sisters for life. In fact, Audrey was a rescue brought to our family so that Brandy didn't have to be alone. Brandy picked Audrey out at a shelter one weekend and they were inseparable ever since.

They lived to 17 .. for years we were told that this golden retriever and shephard mix were years beyond their life expectancy.

They had Pet Health OPC with Glucosamine from the time they were years old and I only wish I knew about it earlier. I watched a video that said inflammation can cause life expectancy to drastically decrease and a reduction in inflammation can drastically increase it. I bought the Pet Health OPC with Glucosamine the next day.

I'm so happy for the time we had with them and even though it wasn't nearly enough I know it was longer thanks to this product. I owe it my life with them.

Thank you Pet Health OPC with Glucosamine!! Their lives were not long enough but we had more time than we could have asked for. xo

This post contains affiliate links. 🐶

3 Steps to Get Puppy Paws Prepped for Winter

We live in the Hudson Valley part of New York and the winters have been pretty brutal the last few years. Last year it was particularly cold. It was New York's 17th coldest winter since 1895, according to weather.com.

Bella LOVES playing in the snow. Check out this video for some fun snow romping! Unfortunately, her paws did not. After just a few minutes outside on the snowy ground, Bella would be hopping around trying to keep at least 2 paws off the ground at all times.

Of course, this NEVER kept her from enjoying herself. But it made it much less enjoyable for us.

So here are some things we will be doing this year, to reduce her discomfort and still respect her no-clothing preferences.

1. First we will make sure her paws are trimmed of all excess fur. For Bella, this is probably not going to be an issue because she is a short haired dog. But I remember how feathery our Golden Retriever's paws would get if we didn't keep them trimmed.

2. Second, we will make sure to add Pad & Paw Balm to Bella's feet before she goes outside. It will create a protective barrier for her paws so she will have less discomfort and will have the added benefit of keeping them moisturized and supple even in the dry months of winter.

3. Finally, we'll be proactive when she comes in to wipe her paws with a warm washcloth. This will warm her up slowly and melt any ice or snow that has attached itself into the crevices of her paws.

These steps will make sure Bella's paws have as much fun in the coming snowy wonderland as she does!

What other tips can you recommend for winter paw protection?

This post contains affiliate links. 🐶

Dog Boarding and Day Care facilities that go the extra mile

Dog Boarding and Day Care facilities that go the extra mile love Pet Health Pad and Paw Balm.

Here's one owner, Gail O. -

"We have concrete kennel runs with a rough finish so it is not slippy. Dogs that are not used to it can get sore paws. This has been a great help. Also had a puppy that got sore pads when he went out in the snow/ice for the first time. Paw Balm healed it right up. Next day he was MUCH better."

We want to help local Boarding and Day Care facilities provide this extra layer of care - but at a small price.

Contact Trista - Head Human at AccordingToBella.com
914-456-5803

This post contains affiliate links. 🐶

Thanks for Helping with my Rescue Pit's Mange!

We have loved Pet Health Opc Formula with Glucosamine for Dogs and Cats for a while but we love even more hearing how it helps our furry family members!
Here's a great testimonial from Joe Borelli with 2 rescue pit bulls:
 

He says “Our boy pit had a really bad case of mange. He was on some full strength de-worming medicine...You could see his skin all over his body and he was bald in several areas. Within a few months of being on Pet Health Opc Formula with Glucosamine for Dogs and Cats (and being nursed back to health in a loving environment) we were able to get him off the medicine. Now he shows off his pretty amazing brindle coat and he has regrown most of his fur back. Plus, it helps both dogs with their itchy skin. So we continue with daily use.”

We confirmed that Joe rescued his pit, Redenbacher, last December and was using Pet OPC regularly for 4 months to see a full fur replenishment.  What a beauty! His other pit, Maribelle, is pictured below - look at that heart nose!

Pet Health Opc Formula with Glucosamine for Dogs and Cats does this and more. Here's a list of Benefits*:

• Combats free radicals
• Helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels
• Helps maintain healthy circulation
• Helps maintain joint flexibility
• Helps promote cardiovascular health
• Helps support visual health/visual acuity
• Powerful free radical scavenger
• Supports healthy blood vessel dilation
• Supports healthy nitric oxide levels
• Supports healthy blood glucose levels
• Supports healthy platelet activity

Do you have a testimonial about Pet Health OPC? We'd love to hear it! Please comment below =)

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
This post contains affiliate links. 🐶

Watching Your Dog Age Doesn't Have to be Painful for you...or for them

Before Bella stole our hearts over a Facebook news feed post from Crate Escape, we were lucky to have 2 amazing dogs for 17 years. A golden retriever named Brandy and a shepherd mix named Audrey. They were inseparable and the best of friends to us and each other. Brandy, the retriever, had the typical issues of a golden including hip displasia. She also contracted Lyme - the ticks in our yard LOVED her no matter how much diligence we kept with the flea/tick treatments.

We were able to keep the symptoms of both of these issues at bay for most of her life and we believe it was in part because of a wonderful anti-oxident + glucosamine*. Pet Heath OPC-3 for Dogs and Cats was added to Brandy and Audrey's food every day from the time they were about 10 years old and I only wish we had been introduced to it sooner.

We noticed many benefits but the best one was how surprised our Vet always was by how long and high-quality their lives were. It was only in the last 6 months or so that they began to show their age and finally left our home and moved into our hearts.

I would recommend Pet Health OPC-3 for Dogs and Cats to anyone that wants to help their furry family with any of the following:

• Combats free radicals
• Helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels
• Helps maintain healthy circulation
• Helps maintain joint flexibility
• Helps promote cardiovascular health
• Helps support visual health/visual acuity
• Powerful free radical scavenger
• Supports healthy blood vessel dilation
• Supports healthy nitric oxide levels
• Supports healthy blood glucose levels
• Supports healthy platelet activity
  
  
  
  Here are some reviews from ShopAllThat.com
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Can I Get Poison Ivy from My Dog?

All my life I have been extremely allergic to poison ivy plants. It seems to ebb and flow from year to year so it's hard to find patterns in breakouts. But one thing is for certain - it's always more frequent when we have a dog in the house!

Dogs are not usually susceptible to the poison ivy oil toxins from the oil called urushiol.

Unfortunately, they can hold the oils on their fur and bring it in the house. Since it's not realistic to avoid touching your dogs for the summer months when the vines are out of their dormant months, you can take some preventative steps to avoid the rash.

Here are some great tips:

- DON'T DELAY - WASH AWAY
The oils take hold and create a reaction as quickly as 20 minutes after exposure so use SOAP and water to wash your exposed skin after petting/playing with your dog

- WASH BEFORE, NOT JUST AFTER
Did your mother ever tell you to "Wash Your Hands!" as you are coming out of the bathroom? Well I'm sure you can imagine the importance of washing them BEFORE. That goes for touching your face too.

- BATHE AWAY THE OILS TODAY
Regular baths for your dog with water at 70-80 degrees. This is as hot as you should make the water for a dog's skin but is hot enough it will help the oils on the fur soften and wash away. You'll want to use a gentle soap for your dog's skin and fur but don't just use water - it's not enough to remove the oil. Bella loves Pet Health Medicated Shampoo and and Pet Health Hypoallergenic Shampoo because they are sulfate free, phosphate free, alcohol free, preservative free and paraben free. and give her a great coat and skin. For tips on giving your dog a bath - check out this ASPCA Pet Care article.

- LAUNDRY DAY
Make sure you are washing your laundry more often than you may in winter months. This is not the time to use your freezer to freshen your jeans. Towels, sheets, clothing ... even your dog's accessories ... need to be cleaned regularly with a good laundry detergent and the HOT water cycle.

Krista, a blogger for The Great Waterway, spoke to a vet about dogs and poison ivy - the entire article with his answers is here: "Poison Ivy and Your Dog" 

What do you do to prevent poison ivy from spreading from your furry friends? Any natural remedies you can recommend to take care of that awful itch for those times prevention went wrong?