Positive Reinforcement at BlogPaws

I have so many stories and pictures to share from BlogPaws, which was fun, educational, exhausting and amazing all at once. My trip was generously sponsored by Open Farm, and Boca and I even got to meet our wonderful contact, Amy, in Phoenix. For this week's Positive Pet Training Blog Hop, I wanted to illuminate how positive reinforcement helped make Boca's first big event in a strange, chaotic place a success.

Sparkly Girls

 

Boca and I are home from our southwestern road trip to BlogPaws! It was an incredible experience and I could not be more proud of my little potcake. This picture was taken before the red carpet event on the last evening - it was so fun to share some sparkle with Boca. Much more to come!

Packing for A Summer Road Trip with My Dog

One year ago I posted on Facebook that I "really really want to take Boca to BlogPaws next year." Talk about manifesting my reality! Here it is just one sleep away from #bocasbigadventure, where we'll visit some old friends, make new ones, and learn more about this wonderful medium that has truly changed my life. Our trip is being generously sponsored by Open Farm - a perfect partnership since they are the first certified humane kibble and we share a concern for animal welfare. This is my first road trip with Boca, and the longest I've been on the road with a dog! I wanted to share my packing tips as we venture through the southwest during an extreme heatwave.

From Point A to Point B with Open Farm Ingredient Traceabilty + Giveaway

One week from today, Boca and I will embark on our 1700 mile road trip to BlogPaws. Our trip is being generously sponsored by Open Farm, a pet food I can proudly promote due to their dedication to humane farming practices and sustainable fishing standards. They recently added one more layer to my confidence with an ingredient traceability function on their website, which makes following the path of the food's ingredients to The Ginger Sisters' bowls as simple as mapping my route to BlogPaws. 

Cool Treats, a Fashion Show and a Potcake Playdate

It's hard to believe that Boca and I will be leaving for BlogPaws - a three-day pet blogging conference in Phoenix, AZ - exactly three weeks from today. Our trip is being generously sponsored by Open Farm, the first Certified Humane kibble. I've been reading several books about pets, ethics and animal welfare recently, and I'm glad there is a pet food option that has these things in mind.

Boca Goes Shopping to Benefit Animal Welfare

With BlogPaws fast approaching, I've been taking Boca on as many outings as possible to prepare for our road trip next month. We'll be driving over 1500 miles through the southwest, and our trip to the conference is being generously sponsored by Open Farm. Many of my choices in life are made with animal welfare in mind, and what I feed my dogs is no exception. Open Farm is the first Certified Humane dry dog food on the market, which means the standards of care for the animals are much higher than a typical factory farm. As someone who tried to reduce the number of animal products in my own life through a mainly vegetarian diet, these standards are important to me. 

Announcing My First Road Trip with Boca

I'm thrilled to announce that in a sponsored partnership with Open Farm, Boca and I will be traveling to Phoenix, AZ in June for the 2016 BlogPaws Conference! There are so many reasons I'm excited about this. Firstly, I can't think of a pet food brand I'm more proud to promote; Open Farm is committed not only to the health and well-being of dogs and cats with transparent sourcing and high-quality ingredients, but as the first Certified Humane kibble, they are concerned with the treatment of farm animals. As a lifelong animal advocate and mostly-vegetarian, these factors are closely in line with my own values. The Ginger Sisters love the food and I regularly include it in their rotation diet. Boca wants me to be sure I remember to pack some! 

Eyeball Update and Outings with Boca

March 19th marked the one-year anniversary of Boca's conjunctival graft surgery on her right eye, an experience I'm very glad to have behind us. Poor Boca had to wear the Cone of Woe for a total of ten weeks, and it was an extremely stressful time as she stumped a number of professionals with her non-conventional response to treatment and to this day we still have no clear diagnosis. We were also navigating our first major pet insurance claim, a story which thankfully had a happy ending. It was difficult to know what the right thing to do was at the time, with advice from every angle, but we absolutely made the best choice for Boca in order for her to retain her eye and vision.