New Digs

Well, sort of…

We gave the blog a new look and when I say “we,” I mean A-Dog. She’s still tweaking it a bit, but it’ll do for an introduction today.

Speaking (or writing) about introductions, I have a couple to make:

Tomorrow, we will have a guest blog author. Her name is Sasha and you should remember her as Troy’s human from this post. I’ll do a more formal intro tomorrow, so be sure to stop by to read and wonder at her great photography.

I wanted to share our new Moving Announcements because they are doggie-centric. They are available in our Etsy shop and will be in our regular store soon.







Sweet, eh?
Just like me.

Handmade Dog Bowls

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Greetings!

We dogs look forlornly into our empty food bowls quite a bit.
And when we drink out of our water bowls, we can see the bottom of the bowl.
How cool is that?

So, why not give us a couple bowls made with love by someone’s hands? When we’re done eating, maybe instead of thinking, “There no more food?”, we’ll be distracted by the attractive design.

GO GO Gadget Bag

A-Dog needs some help and I’m just the dog to do it. She probably wouldn’t let on about this, but when we go for a walk in the woods, she wears a (gasp!) fanny pack. I know she only does it when it’s too warm for jackets with pockets and when we’ll be hidden under the cover of trees. But has she no pride? Or, at the very least, where is her style?

So, here’s my solution. Remember Sophie? That beautiful Weimaraner lives with her human, Linda, who is a crafter extraordinaire. She makes this bag:


Simply perfect for what we need and smartly styled. Just the right size to fit the items carried by the hideous fanny pack: cell phone, keys, leash, bug spray. And I’m not waiting for a birthday or special occasion either. This bag is so affordable, I’m saving A-Dog’s face by getting one tout suite. (That means right away in Dog.)

If you’d like to check them out, visit a la mode stuff’s shop here.

Dog Art

Yup, I’m curating today. It’s amazing how many great paintings are available on Etsy. And when the subject is *Dog*, I can almost smell the acrylics.

Below are some of my favorites. I’m not a big fan of trying to explain why I like a piece. I look and I know. Enjoy the ones that you *know*

Dogs Without Blogs – Annie

There are certain dog names that I love: Beans; Jack; Rocket; Nietzsche. One of my favorites is Annie. When the name is paired with a sweet little creation like the one pictured below, it proves that there is magic in dogs. Let’s meet Annie and her human, Shannon.

Dog Questions
What is your name?
Annie

What breed of dog are you?
Jack Russell/Dachshund mix

How old are you?
about 2

What nicknames do the humans call you?
Annie Bananie, Baby Cakes, Little Orphan Annie

Do you like any of your nicknames?
I don’t like it when they call me Little Orphan Annie. I have a home and family now!

What is your favorite walk/hike?
thru the neighborhood with my best friend, Rubie, a shih tsu

What is your go to toy?
stuffed giraffe that is no longer stuffed

What is the most fashionable thing you wear?
my fleece coat

If you’re a reader, what is your favorite book?
any cookbook

What is the oddest thing you’ve ever done?
i jumped on the kitchen table (my family thinks I’m part cat)

What is the treat you will do anything for?
Stella & Chewy’s freeze dried duck

What is your greatest skill?
charming my family into getting anything I want :D

What is your favorite human food?
baby carrots

If you could be granted 3 wishes, what would they be?
I could eat all I wanted all day, I could sleep on my mom’s pillow and get my tummy rubbed

What do you love most about your human?
she takes good care of me, and gives me too many treats

Human Questions
What is your dog’s name?
Annie

What breed of dog do you have?
Jack Russell/Dachshund mix

How old is your dog?
we think she’s 2

What nicknames do you call your dog?
Annie Bananie, Baby Cakes

What is the best thing you’ve taught your dog?
potty training!!!!

How does your dog make you laugh?
when she chases the kids around the living room at full speed

What is your favorite walk/hike to take?
thru the neighborhood with my best friend, Anna and her dog, Rubie

What is the best toy you’ve given your dog?
well, she’s taken any stuffed animal she can get her teeth into

Has your dog ever destroyed anything in your home?
too many to count. the living room carpet is the biggest thing.

What do you love most about your dog?
she follows me everywhere and keeps me company all day.

Thanks Annie and Shannon for participating!

If you want to see more like the Modern Jack Russell Card above,
please visit the Annie & Page shop on Etsy here.

And, if you “like” their page on Facebook,
I think you may get a Mom’s Day discount on a custom dog portrait.
Check it out here.

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Have you signed up for the “Dogs Without Blogs” feature yet?

Whether you’re human or canine, I love to brag about dogs.

Visit our Facebook page to sign up here!

Would love to hear from you…

Sugar Plum Collars Giveaway

Welcome to my first giveaway! I’ve been a fan of Sugar Plum Collars since mentioning them in September here. I’ve had my eye on the For the Love of Argyle collar ever since and I finally bought it! I’m so excited about my new collar from Sugar Plum Collars that I thought I’d like to give one away.



Christine makes all the collars in her Etsy shop to order. The Montgomery collar above was made for a larger dog like me. It measures 20-inches and has a 1-inch buckle. Make sure that your dog’s neck is about 18 inches around and this collar will fit perfectly!

Here’s how to enter:
Go to Sugar Plum Collars’ Etsy shop and comment below on which is your favorite collar. Easy!

You can also get one extra entry for each of the following:

Sign up for the RiverDog Prints Newsletter here
Become a fan of RiverDog Prints Facebook Page here
Tweet or retweet (I’m @ScouttheDog) about the giveaway on Twitter

The giveaway will run until next Wednesday at noon. Good luck!

Doggie Treats – Natural and Organic, like me!

It’s been said that dogs will eat anything, and yes, it’s true. But we do have good taste and like to be healthy, whether we can tell you that or not. I’m a big fan of handmade and it doesn’t get much better than homemade doggie treats. Here is some of the yummy goodness I found on Etsy.

Look at these Outrageous Oats PupCakes Tiny Cupcakes! They are all-natural, organic, vegetarian, Oatmeal Pumpkin Dog Treats made by Elizabeth of Shorty’s Gourmet Treats. From her profile, Elizabeth writes “I live in California with my two boys, Pokey (a long haired German Shepherd) and Sunny (a golden/lab mix). They are the inspiration for all my products and I feel the need to bake with love lots of gourmet, healthy and organic handmade treats for them and for your best friend.” There are cookies and treats and even gift baskets for your doggie’s pleasure.

Next up is the Green Dog Cookie Co. where they “believe that very good dogs deserve very good cookies! All of our cookies are homemade with certified organic ingredients. They are free from all preservatives, chemicals, sugar, salt and fillers.” Maggie’s Beefy Hearts (pictured above) would be my pick from their shop, but they also have many other choices, as well as monthly subscriptions to purchase.

In trying to cover a variety of flavors, my next pick is Chicken Puffs from Poocheze. These treats come with a handmade and reusable treat bag. Once you have your bag, you can refill it with all kinds of treats from Poocheze. Maybe a Pinwheel Peanut Butter Surprise? Have my eye on those too! Made with all natural ingredients, treats are “baked when ordered to ensure freshness for your beloved Pooch.”

That’s my round-up of tasty and natural treats for your dog. I hope that you check out each shop by clicking on the photos above. And give your doggie a treat right now – she always appreciate it!

Sugar Plum Collars

There are very few fashions I actually wear. I’m too large for T-shirts (they make me hot, even in winter.) Shoes-on-the-Floor tries to put hats on my head and eyeglasses on my face, but he’s just being a goofball. Fashion that I enjoy wearing is my collar. And I have found a lovely little shop on Etsy that makes sweet handmade collars.



Sugar Plum Collars are handmade, fashionable collars for your dog. The shop has a great selection of collars in all kinds of colors and patterns. Matching leashes can be made, as well. Tags are available too and soon they will be carrying cat collars for our furry friends.


This is my personal favorite. I’m hoping to win it in the contest Sugar Plum Collars runs on Facebook each month. If you’d like to enter, you just need to become a fan and post a picture of your dog on their wall here.

If you haven’t already, visit Sugar Plum Collars’ shop here.

Handmade Dog Toys

I’ve been writing about behavior for awhile now and thought I should widen the scope of my blog. Dogs grow too, you know. So, for my first non-behavior post, I thought I would show you some great handmade dog toys that I found while cruising around Etsy (a girl’s gotta shop, no?)

First up is the Hoochy Poochy Humpty. I think I will just put the shop description here:

“hoochy poochy Humpty… dog toy…
its like an underground escort service
for your little bitch… I mean, DIVA…
it’s a boyfriend for your girlfriend..
or a girlfriend for your girlfriend..
who has the patience for the real thing!

Let her use her imagination of who it could be…
Her…Far Far away Tropical Island Lover Boy,
Super Dog the Super Hero,
Rock Star Bad Boy,
The EX-boyfriend…voodoo dog,
Or her Baby Girl..the girly girl kisser…”

Need I write more? You can go directly to the Etsy shop listing by clicking on the photo.

Next up is the Tumble, which looks like a blast.

The ball is made from 100% reclaimed fabrics and thread and stuffed tightly with reclaimed fabric strips. How cool is that?

Check out the ball and other fabric toys in eleanorandmilo’s shop by clicking the photo.



A dog toy with personality… here is Otto the Owl from Lyonesque. The Lyonesque shop at Etsy specializes in using reused and repurposed materials to create handmade gifts.

Otto is one of the Great Beagle Migration series dog toys. A portion of the proceeds from each GBM dog toy sale will go to benefit the Kentucky Humane Society.

This durable toy comes in different colors and has been Beagle-approved and tested. That’s good enough for me! You can go directly to the Etsy shop listing by clicking on the photo.



The Fleece Tugs from RescueMeTugz come in such pretty colors… (remember, I’m a girl.)

“If you haven’t had the pleasure of using a fleece tug, they are a softer more gentle version of the traditional rope tug toy you see in many pet stores.” Doesn’t that sound enticing? I am drooling just a litlle bit thinking about it.

Rescue Me Tugz are machine washable (A-Dog will love that!) and all proceeds go directly to Great Dane Rescue groups. Check out the many other offerings at their Etsy shop by clicking the photo of the tugz.



And last, what a great way to re-use a pair of jeans! The Squeaky Jean Pocket Toy is a durable, re-purposed solution for puppy play from Kim’s Critter Designs.

A Member of Etsy for Animals (EFA): Artists Helping Animals, there is a great selection of toys, beds and accessories at Kim’s shop. Ten percent of sales go to a selected monthly charity.

Click the photo to check out the Jean Pocket.


That’s my round-up of doggie toys for now. I hope you dug branching out with me and the dog blog. Any comments or Woofs are always appreciated!