Wow! Where did the summer go? I can hardly believe September is right around the corner. With Fall looming over us, I was happy to see our August Bowzer Box was still packed full of Summer goodies!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Bowzer Box, it is a monthly subscription box of goodies for your pup! They are based in Waterloo, Ontario and are proudly Canadian! You can view our previous Bowzer Box reviews for more details on how to sign up and how the process works.
This month’s box was probably one of my favourites. It came packed full of awesome, useful products.
If you have a dog who loves to retrieve then you either already own a Chuckit! launcher or will want to buy one after this post! These handy tennis balls fit into a long-handled launcher which allows you to propel the ball to a further distance than traditional throwing, and (the best part) it allows you to pick up the retrieved slobber, mud and grit-covered ball without laying a finger on it! The Bowzer Box we received contained two small tennis balls which retail for about $10 for the pair. While we ordered a “small sized” box, many of Bachaesh’s toys are regular size. These small balls will not fit in our launcher but they are still a better fit for Bachaesh’s jaw size.
I’ve been seeing these in a lot of pet stores lately. I was always apprehensive about them because of how “unnatural” they look. Now, with having a new puppy in the family who is quite the chewer, I’ve done more research and have found them to be more than I expected. While not exactly “healthy” they’re not “unhealthy” either. Let me explain. Whimzees, which are made in Holland, have “no artificial ingredients, colors, flavours, preservatives, GMOs, gluten, or meat.” They’re also apparently low in sugars and calories, but high in fibre. Their six main ingredients are potato starch, glycerin, powdered cellulose, lecithin, malt extract and yeast. Whimzees’ website goes into more detail about the specific properties of each ingredient. The small alligators retail for $1.50 each.
I’m of the opinion that while I wouldn’t want Bachaesh’s diet to consist heavily of these, I can see the appeal for a gnawing puppy. Case and point: Pepper, my Mom’s 15-week-old Labrador Retriever, will chew anything she can get a hold of (including, but not limited to: mason jars, arm rests and her water bowl). While we promptly substitute these items with more appropriate chew toys or treats, she manages to consume rawhide and other treats rather quickly. As a result, we have found that the large sized Whimzees are quite durable and last a considerably longer amount of time than alternative treats, save for antlers which last forever! So, if you’re looking for a low-cal treat to keep your doggy occupied for quite a while then Whimzees may be for you. They can be purchased at Pet Valu stores.
This cute little “Blue Gator” from Go Dog is a squeaking plush toy with “Chew Guard” technology. Basically what this means is that, while not indestructible, these toys will stand up to rough play better than traditional plush toys because of their extra layer of mesh fabric. This particular style comes in 3 colours (brown, blue and pink) and two sizes. This size retails for about $10.
We received this full sized bag of Slobbers’ Coconut Bananza certified-organic dog treats. I will be honest and say I was genuinely – but pleasantly – surprised that Bachaesh liked these. These treats are healthy and meat free…two things not high on Bachaesh’s wish list for goodies. That being said, not only do these smell delicious, but they’re a healthy snack. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the ingredients: Organic bananas, organic buckwheat flour, organic coconut, organic coconut flour, organic palm shortening, baking soda (aluminum-free), mixed tocopherols (A Natural Preservative). The best part is that this family run business is from the Niagara region in Ontario. Yay, Canadians!
The other full-sized bag of treats we received in this Bowzer Box was Exclusively Dog’s Fillet Stix in Honey Hickory. These Fillet Stix are Whitefish based but are not fishy smelling! They’re a chewy, somewhat moist treat. Made in the USA, these treats are wheat, corn and soy free. They are not organic though, and they do have one or two unfamiliar ingredients. Regardless, Bachaesh thought they were pretty tasty.
Zuke’s is becoming quite a well-known brand for pet treats. These Peanut Butter flavoured Hip Action treats are a tasty, moist morsel packed with the nutrients your dog supposedly needs to help with hip and joint problems, such as glucosamine. We received a sample size with 3 treats, which Bachaesh gladly consumed. A full sized bag of these treats retails for $8.99 and can be purchased at most neighbourhood pet stores.
Finally we were given a business card from Sniffr– an app that I can only describe as Tinder for dog-lovers. Tinder is a dating site where you meet prospective matches by deciding if they’re “hot or not”. Sniffr is a free app that is supposedly to help your dog meet new doggy friends. I think this is the only “product” I didn’t care for in the box. While it’s free, I don’t particularly like the idea. When you log in to the app you’re greeted by a page of thumbnail photos of dogs–each one of those is a profile. When you click on one of the photos you’re shown the dog’s name, breed, sex, age, owner and the possibility of the owner’s marital status( if they’ve enabled that feature). From this point, you can search for certain characteristics such as breed, location, owner profile or simply by whoever is online. You can also chat with online members. I can’t shake the odd feeling of messaging a total stranger saying “Your dog is cute. Wanna meet up sometime?” I prefer meeting dogs (and their people) the old fashioned way. Are you a Sniffr user?? Let me know what you think of the app!
I’ve estimated the contents of our box to retail for $40. A single month-to-month Bowzer Box is $29 plus shipping. I’m very happy with the contents of this month’s box.
We hope you enjoyed seeing the awesome products in this month’s box. Check back later for our reviews of Bark of Boston’s organic treats and Scoggies- the scarf for doggies!
Emily & Bachaesh
Give a Dog a Bone 