America's Got Talent Audition- Jasmine's Dog Tricks

Today is a big day!!   Jasmine and I are auditioning for America's Got Talent!!  And I have signed a non-disclosure contract saying I can't talk about our audition or anything related to the show.  So I won't be able to tell you how it goes.  You'll just have to wait and watch Season 11 on TV to find out the answer!

I will tell you I'm pretty excited and nervous about it. I'm not in any way expecting to win it. I get so nervous on live TV, we'll probably end up on the blooper reel. But so what?? We can say we tried out for AGT. How many other people can say that? It'll be a cool experience. No matter how it ends. 

And afterwards, I get to hang out with some of my other trick dog friends (and their people) wink emoticon (And that I will post pics of.) And I'm excited about that too.  It's nice to have friends around to give you moral support!

Dogs are the Ultimate Trick-or-Treaters!

It's my favorite time of year!   I always dress up for Halloween.  And so do my dogs!  Kids get so excited when they come to the door trick-or-treating and see Jaz dressed up!   Do you celebrate Halloween with your dogs?  Are they going to dress up this year?  What are they going to be?  

I have WAY TOO MANY dog Halloween costumes, and I was trying to think of a way to use them all.  And I came up with the idea of making a doggy Halloween video!   

It was actually pretty challenging considering that Jasmine is really the only well-trained dog in the bunch!  The rest of her friends can mostly just sit!  (and sometimes not sit and stay!!)   So we ended up with a lot of blooper footage!!  (Which I showed at the end of the movie!)

Here's a screenshot from Dogs Go Trick or Treating:

So, even though this took forever to make... it was totally worth it!   Enjoy!!



Just so you know- I didn't really let Jasmine eat the whole box of Milkbone treats at the end!!  But she did get quite a few!!  :D   #TreatsForAll 

Woe is Chewy.  He had to actually take a bath.  Can a dog look any more pathetic???

Both dogs had to take a bath actually.  It's bath day.  Neither one likes it.  But Jasmine will do anything for a treat.  (as you know from her dog trick resume!)  So one of her "tricks" is to jump into the bathtub.  (and get rewarded with a treat.   Chewy doesn't care about treats.  I've finally trained him to get in the bathtub on his own.  (with the use of squeaky toys as a reward).  But he's going to look as pathetic as possible while doing it.

Got Dirty Car Seats?

If you have dogs, more than likely the backseat of your car has seen a lot of use.  Jaz doesn't shed, but she likes to play and get her paws dirty.  Chewy is constantly leaving hair everywhere!    Sometimes, it seems like it's impossible to keep my car clean.  

One time after I just washed and vacuumed out my car, I took my dogs with me to my friend's house.  But this time, I wouldn't let them run around with their dog in the yard.  Why?  Because it had rained recently, and I wasn't about to put muddy dogs in my clean car! 

So...fast-forward two months.  Kurgo contacts me and asks if I would like to do a product review on their car seat covers.  I was thrilled!!  Oh yeah!  I already had a Kurgo dog harness, which I absolutely LOVE.  So I was pretty confident their car seat covers would live up to my expectations!   And no surprise there... they do!  

They have bench seat and bucket seat covers, each with different neutral color options.

So, I tried to get Chewy to model for the photo shoot.  He doesn't know how to smile when I have a camera pointed at him.  He just stares at me!  I even had a treat in my hand!

Jaz on the other hand is ALWAYS willing to model for a treat!

The Kurgo Car Seat Covers were super easy to install.  Some loops went over the headrests, and a bungee cord under the seat.  There was an optional buckle that went behind it was well.  It took me literally 2 minutes to install.  Easy and simple.

Just like their other products, I was very satisfied with the quality and durability of the fabric.  (Especially since this has to outlast Chewy!)  They have extended width versions as well if you need that for your vehicle.  They all come with a LIFETIME warranty.  :)

Here's a link to all the Kurgo Car Seat Covers:   http://www.kurgo.com/car-seat-covers

P.S  You don't have to prove you own a pet to get a Kurgo Car Seat Cover.  They would come in handy for anyone!  ;)

If you follow Jasmine's blog, you know that I occasionally do product reviews for companies.  I will only work with companies that I feel would have quality products.  I only review products that I will personally use or give my dogs.  I don't receive any compensation, so this is just my honest feedback about what I think.

And this is what I really do think of Kurgo's products!  :)

Remember when Jasmine was featured on 

Yanked! Pet skills?  

Well, they used some of her video footage 

in their promo video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvyrSN-Gwxw

You'll also see our friends- Jesse, the Jack Russell Terrier  and Hero, the Border Collie!

I wonder if I should change Jasmine's 

Facebook page to:  Jasmine, the Havanese.  

It just doesn't sound as cool!  

So, I guess we'll just leave it as 

My Favorite Pup Jasmine.  

Because that's what she is to me.  :)

Patriotic Pet GiftBox!

It's our favorite time!! 

 Guess what the delivery guy left on our doorstep??  Our Pet GiftBox!!   Jaz is sooo excited!  

As you can see from the picture, Chewy is stoic, but excited on the inside.  ;)   

They're going to share the Pet Gift Box!  

(This works out well, because Jasmine mainly loves the treats, and Chewy mainly loves the toys.)  Jaz knows she can't get into the box until I say it's okay, but she's definitely eager!  She loves these things!  (The squeaky noise in the background is Chewy- who snuck a toy already.)  At least one of my dogs is well behaved.  ;)

We've received several Pet Gift Boxes.  But I'd have to say this one was my favorite.

It had a patriotic theme.  With 4th of July coming up, I thought it was very fitting.   There was a box of "pawtriotic" dog treats (Made in the USA).  Also a package of Bill-Jac soft dog treats, which when purchased help provide assistance dogs to disabled veterans.

   There were also patriotic toys- a US Army Bear Recruit dog toy, and a toy Walkie-Talkie.  (which Jasmine promptly shook very ferociously.)   ;)    I had to take a video of it, because every picture was blurry!

  

And my favorite- a new paw magnet for my car!  I had one for years, but recently noticed it was gone!  So either it fell off at the car wash or someone took it.  But either way, it was time for a new one!  And so I was very happy when one showed up in my Pet Gift Box!  I like that this one shows the American Flag AND a paw print.  It's on my car right now.  :)

People ask me why Chewy doesn't get to be in very many pictures.  Well, it's because Chewy is not very good at posing for pictures.  He rarely holds still!  

But Jasmine will always pose for pics, as long as I have a treat!  

Jasmine plays with the toys for a little while, shaking them, and tossing them around the room.  Then bequeaths them to Chewy to slobber on.  After that, they are all his!  She'd rather have the treats!
  So with this Pet Gift Box, everybody wins.  ;) 

If you're interested in getting one for your cat or pup, here's how:  https://petgiftbox.com/  You can also select what size dog you have, and what gender.  (I obviously get a box designed for a female little dog!)
It's cute- they even wrote Jasmine's name on the front of the box.   Since Princess Jasmine always assumes that everyone who rings the doorbell is there to see her, it's nice that once a month when her Pet Gift Box gets delivered, it's actually true.  ;) 

FINE PRINT:  I say this every time, but I'll say it again...  I'm very picky about who I do product reviews for.  It was to be a product that I will actually let my dog have, use, wear, or eat.  I do not receive any compensation for doing product reviews.  Companies send us their products, and I let Jaz and/or Chewy try it.  And this is my honest opinion of the items we receive.  

What's a Kurgo??

Over the past few years, Jaz and I have been asked to review a lot of products.  Dog food, toys, clothes, treats, etc.  And a lot of them are good.  But this is honestly the first thing I've reviewed that has been great!

I can't say enough good things about our new Kurgo dog harness!  It's a regular harness (for dog walks), but also is a car restraint harness.  (Seat belt for dogs.)  Now I've had a doggy seat belt before, and it was very complicated, and eventually I just quit using it.   But this Kurgo harness is so easy!!  First of all- it's a body harness, which you can use for just regular walks.  Then when it's time to go in the car, you just attach a loop to a seat belt, and clip the carabiner to the harness.  Voila.  Done.

And this Tru-Fit Dog Harness is sturdy.   It was crash safety tested at the University of Michigan, at an accredited National Highway and Transportation Administration Lab, using Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.    Long story short- it's worth it!

I seriously love it.  Jaz has been on a ton of car trips with all our travels.  I wish I had this a long time ago.  (Especially since it can double as a body harness and a seat belt!)   I need to get one for Chewy.  He usually rides in the back of my SUV.  But sometimes he'll jump the seats to get closer to us.  He needs a Kurgo dog harness badly!

Kurgo is made of high quality materials, and it's easy to use.    What's not to love?  It comes in two colors- red or black.

I was mentioning it on Jasmine's Facebook page, and some friends wanted to know specifically what it looks like, and how it attaches in the car.  So here's some pics:

    

See how the carabiner attaches to her harness?   Then the loop goes around the seatbelt.   Simple.

This keeps them safe and secure when traveling.  It also keeps YOU safe on the road!

If you want to get in touch with Kurgo, here's their information:

Website:  http://www.kurgo.com/harnesses/tru-fit-enhanced-strength-harness-3055-series/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KurgoProducts
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Kurgo

I'm a believer.  Now I just need to get one for Chewy, and we'll be set!   


FINE PRINT:  I say this every time, but I'll say it again...
I'm very picky about who I will do reviews for.  It has to be a product that I will actually let my dog have, use, or eat.  I do not receive any compensation for doing product reviews.  Companies will send us their product to review.  I let Jaz and/or Chewy try it.  And this is my honest opinion of the items we received.  

Help My Dog Meet The Muppets!

CONFESSION TIME:  I have been a lifelong fan of the Muppets.   My favorite is Kermit, because I can relate to him the most.

I am also a fan of Lindsey Sterling.  She found success through YouTube, so she's an inspiration to me!  (She's also from Arizona like me.)  And I knew about her before she got famous, so I kind of like that.  

I have never been jealous of her success....  Until now... ;)

1) I love Lindsey Sterling's music.

2) I LOVE Josh Groban's voice.  I've been to one of his concerts.  He's amazing.

3) WHAT????  She got to perform with BOTH Josh Groban AND the Muppets??!?!   That's like my dream come true!!!   I have seriously LOVED the muppets for my whole life.  I can't believe that really happened for her!!

Now, I know I'll never perform with Josh Groban, seeing as how I have absolutely NO musical talent what-so-ever.  In fact, it reminds me of this muppets video clip:

I know "I don't got rhythm"...  but I do know that I've got an awesome dog that does some pretty cool tricks!

I started thinking about it...wondering if there was a way to make this a reality...

I know the Muppet Show is coming back this fall on ABC.  And I'm not sure if they're going to have shows with a lot of human interactions.  (Like they did on the the original Muppet Show.)  

But if they do... wouldn't be awesome if Jasmine and Rowlf the Dog could do a skit together??   Since Jasmine knows a bunch of "human-like" dog tricks- such as pushing a shopping cart, getting the mail from the mailbox, getting a drink from the fridge, etc.

Maybe she could teach Rowlf to "act like a dog!"   

Skit idea:  Perhaps Kermit could tell Rowlf he needs to reconnect with his roots- and find out what being a dog is really all about.  Then he could meet Jasmine, watch her do her human-like tricks, and in the end he'll realize he's just fine the way he is!  Because there are other dogs out there that act like humans.  (and Kermit can say "Sheesh!" just like he did in the old Muppet show!) 

I know this is just me wildly day-dreaming.  But I'm still going to tweet and email ABC/ Disney to see if there is the slightest possibility this could happen.  And if there's anything I've learned from all my years of being a Jim Henson fan, it's to never give up on your dreams. And to work hard to make them a reality.   So... I'm going to try it.  If you, my friends, are willing to help me...  will you please forward this blogpost to:

https://twitter.com/DisneyABCTV

https://twitter.com/TheMuppets

http://abc.go.com/feedback

Or to whoever else you can think of that might help make this dream come true??  Might as well try!!

#TheLoversTheDreamersAndMe 

In case Kermit or Rowlf is reading this... here's how to get in touch with My Favorite Pup Jasmine  :)

    Email:   myfavpupjasmine@aol.com

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyFavoritePupJasmine

    Twitter: http://twitter.com/MyFavPupJasmine

    YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/myfavoritepupjasmine

#FREE Pet Giftbox GIVEAWAY!

It's time for another Pet Giftbox Giveaway!!  :)

 

Every time the doorbell rings, Jasmine thinks it's for her.  This time it actually was!!  We got a Pet Giftbox delivered right to our door!   

Jasmine and Chewy were recruited to do a product review.   This Pet GiftBox was full of goodies!  

  In honor of March Madness, there were basketball themed gifts!  A toy basketball, a toy sneaker, a basketball cookie, and lots of treats!

There were plenty of treats and toys, but Chewy was ONLY interested in the squeaky sneaker!  

Chewy is hard to photograph!  It's blurry because he's busy playing with the new toy!

There were good treats too!

Inside this PetGiftBox was:

• A Plush Basketball 
• Pride Bites Hip Sneaker Toy
• Zuke's Power Bones
• Licks Athlete Supplement
• Fou-Stick Soothe
• Muttz-Rr-Ella Dental Chews
• Hoop Star Biscuit

Jaz and Chewy gave this PetGiftBox two paws up!

They liked the PetGiftBox so much, we wanted to make sure another lucky pup could have a chance to get one!  So we're having a giveaway!  :)     

You have one week to enter!   The winner will be notified by email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you can't wait, you can order one right now!  Here's a secret:  Jasmine's friends get a discount!

If you use the coupon code:  Jasmine, you'll receive 25% off your first box!   Here's their website:  https://petgiftbox.com/

One of the reasons I really like this company is that a portion of all proceeds is given to America's VetDogs.®  (If you haven't heard of them, they are an organization  that serves the needs of veterans with disabilities.)  So that makes me like them.  :)

After you're done entering the contest, check this out!   Here's one of my favorite videos:  Dogs Playing Basketball!

FYI:  I'm picky about who I will do reviews for.  It has to be something I would actually let my dog have, eat, or use.   I don't receive any compensation to do reviews.  Companies send us their product to do reviews, and I let Jaz and Chewy try it. This is our honest opinion of the items we received.

Chewy's strange sleeping habits.

Chewy obviously doesn't understand the concept of a pillow.  :P

Here's our headless horse-dog.

Recovering from surgery

To all my friends:

  Just a brief update- I haven't been updating the blog as much as I previously had.  Life has been a lot busier lately.  For the last several months, I've been hanging out at the doctor's office a lot more!  (Nothing life-threatening.)  But none-the-less, it's been occupying a lot of my time.

 Yesterday, I went in for an out-patient surgery. All went well, and I'm at home recovering now.
When I got home from the hospital, Jaz immediately curled up in my legs, very concerned.  She cuddled with me for a good 5 minutes until hubby went into the kitchen to get me some food.  Then suddenly, Jaz jumped down to follow him into the kitchen.  Jasmine loves me dearly, but food will trump me every time.  ;)

  So- I may not be updating the blog much, but I do try to post on Facebook regularly.   So if you don't see me here, be sure to check out Jasmine's page.    https://www.facebook.com/MyFavoritePupJasmine  And we can stay in touch that way.  (Because I can check that from my phone.)  Hope you are all doing well.  Take care my friends!   I'll be back blogging as soon as I can.  

~ CJ  <3 font="" nbsp="">