Gorgeous weather in Central New York is hard to come by, so we want to be outside whenever the weather cooperates. My favorite place to be is by the pond. Theo is keenly interested in our goldfish, frogs, and tadpoles, but the admiration isn’t mutual.

JW Twist-In Treats sponsored this post, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.  This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through a link, I’ll earn a small fee. Thanks for your support!

While I can always distract my dogs momentarily with a treat, they generally gulp the snacks down in no time.

So, when I received a Twist-In Treat from Petmate, I was curious if it might distract Theo from the pond. It worked!

You put a specially shaped treat in the toy, and twist it to create a treat toy that lasts a long time! To increase the difficulty, you simply turn the treat further into the toy. The treats come in two flavors:  chicken and bacon. The durable rubber is soft enough that it is easy to grip and won’t hurt a dog’s mouth.

Much to my surprise, the  Twist-In Treat toy kept Theo busy until the mosquitoes drove us inside. I wondered how long he would keep at it, so I let him have it indoors too. Surprisingly, he never lost interest in it, even while I watched several shows on Netflix. It took Theo at least four hours to finish the treat. After he finished the treat, Theo kept the toy nearby. I guess he was hoping for a refill!

The next time I need to keep Theo entertained, I’ll hand him the Twist-In Treat dog toy. But, I need to get two more for Sophie and Nelly because there is no way Theo will share this great interactive toy.

I think this is the perfect solution for when I have important phone calls, blogging deadlines, making dinner, and even when I want to take a nice long relaxing bath!

Follow Petmate Products on Instagram.

If you want to make treat time last longer for your dog, check out the toy!

The post How To Keep a Dog Busy, With A Twist appeared first on Daily Dog Tag.

Recently someone asked me about my favorite social media platform.  Although it isn’t technically a social media platform, (it is more of a search engine), Pinterest is my most reliable channel.  I joined Pinterest early on and had quite a few followers, but then I just plateaued.  No matter what I did, I just couldn’t seem to grow my audience.  After reading about Tailwind on so many blogs, I decided it was time to give it a try.

It has been a game-changer for me.  Now, I’m not in the big leagues when it comes to blogging or Pinterest, but I’ve seen a lot of growth since I started using Tailwind.

It offers a lot of great features. There are some I don’t use as often as I should, but the ones I do use, I love!

Scheduling

First, it lets me schedule my pins ahead of time.   So instead of trying to remember to pin every day, Tailwind automates my pins. About once a week or so, I sit down and schedule some pins.  I generally use my blog as a starting point and add in some pins from my Tailwind. It easy to schedule pins directly from Pinterest, which is great! I have the Plus plan version for Pinterest, which lets me share to my Tribes easily and it also has a smart loop feature.   The SmartLoop is exactly what it sounds like.  You choose the pins you want to be repinned on the boards you want.  The repinning is done automatically based on your preferences.  Right now I have two Smartloops.  One is for holidays, which is scheduled to run from now until January 6th.  I’ve gone through my old holiday content and added some pins to that Smartloop.  I also have an evergreen one, which will loop all year.

Tailwind has a smart schedule that figures out the best time for each user to pin. I choose how many times a day I want to add to my Pinterest boards, and Tailwind does the rest.   I’m a night owl, but some of my followers are early birds. Tailwind lets me sleep in, but still shares my content when my audience is on Pinterest.

Insights

Tailwind also offers insights to help you figure out what pins/boards/hashtags are working the best for you. I was a little surprised that  Engaging Tails is my second most popular board regarding repins,  and I’m glad to know that.  I’ve started working on a project to help increase my affiliate sales based on that information.  My blog board Featured on Daily Dog Tag is my most popular.

Since I’ve started using Tailwind for Pinterest, I’ve seen a steady increase in followers.  Lately, I’ve been averaging about 95 new followers per week. I now have over 862,600 monthly views on my Pinterest account, which means more traffic is going to my blog.

In addition to Pinterest, there is another separate app to help with Instagram.

Hopefully, the following images you see are familiar to you!  They are from my Instagram account.  Instagram is the social media that I love the most, but I feel like I haven’t mastered it at all.

I’m fairly inconsistent when it comes to social media.   Hopefully, that is about to change.  I just started using the free version of Tailwind for Instagram. Like Tailwind for Pinterest, it has a smart schedule to help me post at the optimal time, based on my viewers.

Hashtags

I often struggle with choosing my hashtags, so I’m super excited that Tailwind for Instagram has a new hashtag finder tool.

Tailwind’s hashtag finder is pretty great! It offers suggestions for hashtags that are niche, super-popular (competitive), as well as those that are similar but easier to rank for.  It also lets me save some of my favorite hashtags and add them quickly.  I almost always use #dailydogtag and #dogsarefamily!

Publishing

The best part of all is once I upload my posts, Tailwind schedules them for optimal times.  If you have a business account on Instagram, Tailwind can publish it automatically for you.  

Another cool feature that it offers is a grid look so you can preview how your photos will look next to each other.  For those of us who are trying to build a brand or a business, it should improve the aesthetic of our feeds!

Tailwind for Instagram also offers insights to help users determine which posts are resonating with their audiences.

Free Trial

If you’d like to try Tailwind, please use my affiliate link for a free trialTailwind for Instagram.  It is important to note that Instagram and Pinterest apps are two distinct entities.  (In other words, if you want both, you have to pay for both.)  For Pinterest, you’ll get 100 free pins to use at your convenience.   The Tailwind Instagram app gives you 30 free posts (not 30 days!)

If you have any questions about Tailwind, ask below. And I’ll do my best to answer them!

The post Tailwind for Pinterest and Instagram appeared first on Daily Dog Tag.

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Vita Bone® Artisan Inspired® Dog Treats. At Daily Dog Tag, we only work with brands that we know and trust. All photos by Alice G Patterson Photography.    

The sound of the ocean is one of the most soothing sounds in the world to me.

One of the things I savor the most is the smell of the salt air. The sense of smell is so powerful and can flood our memories instantly.

I can only imagine what it is like for dogs with their highly sensitive noses.

We visited Mother’s Beach, which is open to dogs before 9 am and after 5 pm during the summer and all day from Labor Day to Memorial Day. (Check before visiting to be sure.)

Although neither of Alice’s dogs enjoys swimming, they seemed quite happy to take in the sights, sounds, and smells. They were quite thirsty at the end of our walks and up for a treat!

Vita Bone® Artisan Inspired® Dog Treats are one of Franny’s favorite treats! I’m not sure if is the aroma or the taste, but she always comes running for them. That can’t be said for every treat I’ve given her. While we were photographing these images, Franny started to drool uncharacteristically.

Vita Bone Biscuits smell really good and remind me of Sunday breakfasts of my youth:  blueberry pancakes, maple syrup, and a side of bacon.   Sourced and made in the United States, Artisan Inspired Vita Bone Biscuits never have corn, soy, by-products, or artificial flavors.

In addition to going to the beach, we visited the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge, which is quite beautiful. It starts as a walk in the woods, but it has some great views of the marshes.

(Dogs need to be on a leash, Alice removed Franny’s in photoshop.)

Like most tourist towns, there are plenty of cute shops in the Kennebunk area. We were particularly delighted to discover Scalawags! It is one of the cutest boutiques I’ve ever seen. (It is also pet-friendly.)

Several restaurants in town offer a dog-friendly patio area, but we mostly ate in. Since we had a lovely rental home, we felt comfortable leaving the girls there when we went out. We treated ourselves to some delicious Ben & Jerry’s non-dairy ice cream in town. Of course, we gave Darla and Franny some treats too!

Follow Alice G Patterson Photography on Instagram.

Find a dog-friendly photographer near you.

You can purchase Vita Bone Dog Biscuits at a store near you.

About Alice G Patterson Photography:  Based in Syracuse, New York, Alice specializes in meeting the photography needs of creative women entrepreneurs and dog portraits. She is available for travel.

The post Dog Friendly Kennebunk, Maine appeared first on Daily Dog Tag.

You wouldn’t necessarily know I’m a crazy dog lady by looking casually at photos of my house, but there are treat jars all over.  I believe in positive reward training, so I’m always looking for healthy dog treats, like Supreme Source®.  Many years ago, when my kids were small, I thought a plastic jar with paw prints all over it was cute.  But as I’ve grown older, my decorating ideas have changed. My favorite crafty project is creating treat jars. 

Because training my dogs is “a work in progress,” I need to have the treats easily accessible, but having them out isn’t my favorite look.  Theo and Sophie are tall enough to counter surf if left alone long enough.  Neither of them can be trusted with a bag of treats.  

I bought this green crock on sale, but it didn’t have a lid.  I knew I wanted it for dog treats, so I brainstormed a little and developed a plan.

Supplies

Wood Disc (you can purchase pre-cut ones in craft stores or cut your own)

Cork

Box cutter or Exacto knife

Cutting Mat

Glue

Optional:

Drawer pull/knob (and drill)

Paint or stain

Directions

Cut or buy wood to fit.  

Sand if needed.

To determine the diameter of cork seal:  measure the inside diameter of the container approximately 1/4 inch down (or the thickness of the cork). A compass works well for this type of measurement.  Alternatively, you can see if you have a bowl or plate that fits inside at the right depth and trace that. (That method worked for me.)

Cut cork with a  box cutter or Exacto knife.

If adding a handle, drill a hole in the center of wood and cork.

Stain or paint lid (optional.)

Assemble lid.  Since my hands are pretty small, I wanted a knob for easier access, but you can just glue the cork to the wood if you want.

Fill with delicious treats!

I’m picky when it comes to what I feed my dogs, so I was happy to learn about Supreme Source® grain-free dog food and treats.

Their products are grain-free (no corn, soy, or wheat!) which means even Nelly can eat them. Not only are they grain-free, but they are also made without artificial flavors or coloring in small batches in the USA.

My dogs love both the biscuits and the soft treats.  The soft treats only have 3 calories.  Both are easy enough to break into smaller pieces if needed.  

You can learn more about Supreme Source for dogs (and cats!) on their website.

Treat your pet and enter our giveaway of Supreme Source food, treats, and swag items for either a cat or a dog (winner’s preference.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Because every mom deserves a little pampering, be sure to enter the Pampered Pet Moms Sweepstakes at Supreme Source!

The winner will win a $500 Spafinder.com gift card plus a prize pack containing Supreme Source food, treats, and select grooming products from Chewy.com.

Follow Alice G Patterson on Instagram.

About Alice G Patterson Photography:  Based in Syracuse, New York, Alice specializes in editorial photography, dog portraits, and photography for small businesses.  

The post Ceramic Treat Jar With An Easy DIY Lid appeared first on Daily Dog Tag.

Disclosure:  This is post is sponsored by Vita Bone® Artisan Inspired® Dog Treats.   I’m being compensated for sharing my opinion.   However, at Daily Dog Tag, we only review products that we use for ourselves or our dogs.   Photos are by Alice G Patterson Photography. This post also contains affiliate links. If you purchase through an affiliate link, I’ll earn a small fee at no additional cost to you. Your purchase would help keep this blog running!

As you might guess, most of my friends are dog lovers too. This Valentine’s Day, I’m excited to give them blueberry muffins and Vita Bone® Artisan Inspired® Dog Treats for their dogs. The Maple Bacon & Blueberry flavor is a big hit with all the dogs I know!

I always like giving and getting gifts with a personal touch, so I decided to try out the wood-burning kit that I bought a few years ago on a whim.  

Supplies

wood burning tool

precut wood hearts  (also available at craft stores)

practice wood (or extra hearts)

baker’s twine

scissors

pliers (not shown)

sandpaper (not shown)

Directions

Attach the desired tip to the wood-burning tool.

Turn on and allow to heat for about five minutes.

If you are stamping a design, press straight down into wood and rock it slightly to make sure the entire design is burned. Make sure to make some test stamps, especially if this is your first time using a wood burner. 

If you are free handing a design, keep the burner moving to avoid blobs.

Use pliers or let the tool cool before changing tips. You can save time by using one stamp on all the pieces before changing tips if you make multiples.

I wish I would have known a helpful hint:  sand wood before burning for a smoother surface!

I bought tags with predrilled holes. After decorating your tags, put a string through them.

I love the simplicity of glass jars. Fill with blueberry muffins or Vita Bone Dog Treats.

Attach the tag, and spread the love!

Vita Bone Artisan Inspired Dog Treats are gift-worthy! I am pawticular when it comes to the treats I give my dogs. Vita Bone Artisan Inspired dog treats are sourced and made in the USA.   Just as importantly, they don’t contain corn, soy, or artificial flavors. 

They also smell delicious.

Alice’s sweet Franny has been sick and lost her appetite, despite being on an appetite stimulant. However, she came in for her free sample of a Maple Bacon & Blueberry Vita Bone treat and then asked for a few more. I happily complied.

(Franny had surgery yesterday to remove her spleen along with a grapefruit-sized mass and will be home tonight. And yes, she has a jar of Vita Bone treats waiting for her!)

Do you get Valentine’s Day treats for your pet?  

Find a Vita Bone Retailer near you. Before you shop, print a coupon!

Follow Alice G Patterson on Instagram to see more of her work!

Check out Vita Bone on Instagram as well as on Facebook for lots of adorable dogs!

About Alice G Patterson Photography:  Based in Syracuse, New York, Alice specializes in dog photography as well as custom photography for small businesses.

The post Gift Ideas: DIY Valentine’s Day Tags appeared first on Daily Dog Tag.