BarkBox - May Box (Rowan's first!)

This is Rowan.

Ro is my best friend. We adopted him from a rescue when he was barely more than a little puppy two years ago, and he's been spoiled rotten ever since. He had been bred with the intent of training him to dog fight, but he apparently wasn't aggressive enough for the scumbags, as they dropped him off in a box on the vet's steps with a note that said "I'm a p*$$y, not a fighter".  He was just a baby. He had a fractured paw, and a sweet disposition. His paw will always be a little crooked now, but his disposition is still just as sweet!

I had been seeing BarkBox mentioned here and there and I thought about how much Ro would enjoy something like that - every time I get something in the mail, he gets excited and has to stick his nose in it..so when they had a good deal going on recently, I signed him up for a 3 month sub!

BarkBox is a monthly subscription service based in New York, very similar to Birchbox in concept...except it's for dogs!  They're a great company. It's run by dog owners and lovers and they have rescue dogs of their own! The price per month is $25 for a single month, and it gets cheaper if you buy a longer subscription.

Every month, they send a box with 4-8 carefully hand selected items for your dog. They include a variety of items, from toys to treats to bones/chews to pet care items - great if you have a dog like mine who gets bored easily!  They ask the size of your dog (small, medium, or large), so they can send appropriate items.

Best of all, they donate 10% of their proceed to dogs in need. This is something I feel very passionate about, so I am definitely excited to contribute.

Rowan got his first BarkBox today, and we are really happy with what we received!

We were excited to see this when we checked the mail.  It's a nice big box!

Opening it up, this is what we saw! Like other programs, they have a card with a little introduction note to the box's contents on one side, and a list of the contents on the other. The items are well cushioned with the paper fill. We saw a total of six items! 

This first item will NOT be loved by Rowan (he hates baths), but will definitely be loved by me! It is an all-natural conditioning shampoo from Cain & Able. This is a peppermint and tea tree formula, and it will be GREAT for Rowan. He gets itchy skin easily and he's very sensitive to fleas and bug bites. This not only has peppermint and tea tree oils, but citronella as well, so it will soothe the skin and help repel bugs. Awesome! The only ingredients are the 3 essential oils and a coconut shampoo base. Note that this does contain essential oils, so it is NOT safe for cats. Dogs only, please! I love the little note that states it was tested on humans first!

We're going to have a nice bath with this tonight and see how it does on Ro's itchy skin. Don't tell him I said that, though.

This is Ro's favorite item, by far. In fact, you'll see at the end that I was unable to get a good picture of him checking out his box, because he kept stealing this out of it and running away with it! This is a spiral bully stick from BestBullySticks. These are awesome. They are odor free and sourced from free-range grass fed cattle. They're a great alternative to unhealthy things like rawhide, and they'll help keep your dog's teeth and gums healthy.  No chemicals are used on these, unlike many dog chews you can buy. Rowan is over chewing on his as we speak!

I was excited to get these treats from Charlie Chews - Ro loves treats, and these are venison flavor, which he loves. They are 100% organic and contain no preservatives. I was really impressed by the ingredients - nothing in them but rolled oats, wheat flour, venison, carrots, parsley, bacon, water, and love. I offered him one and he gulped it down. 

This is a really cool product that I will get a lot of use out of! It's a Gulpy pet water dispenser. The pink you see is a little dish - you fill the bottle, and when it is closed like this, it is leakproof. When you lift the bottle out of the pink tray and squeeze, the pink tray fills with water. So much easier and more convenient than dragging around a separate bowl! This will be used often, as we love to take Rowan to the park and out to visit some of his dog friends at my dad's house.

Here it is opened up. Super convenient.

This is a yellow BarkBox plastic/rubber collar, and everyone gets one on their first box. It's similar in texture to those awareness bracelets everyone wears. While it's not functional as a "regular" collar, as you can't attach a leash to it and it is stretchy, it's a cute bright color and a fun touch.

This is something fun for both myself and Rowan - a Sqwuggie squeak and tug toy by Katie's Bumpers. This is a great toy for a strong dog! It is made of fire hose material, so it's super strong. It is meant for tug and fetch, and it floats! It feels good and sturdy, and it has a squeaker in there, which ensures that Rowan will have fun with it. I love that this is machine washable.

We are definitely impressed with our first BarkBox! Everything in it is awesome and useful, and it's a good mix of everything. These are all new brands to me, as well, so I consider it a big success when it comes to introducing me to new products. 

My first attempt to get Ro to pose with his box. Yeah, he just grabbed his bully stick and ran.

Mmm, bully stick!

And how annoyed he got after I took the bully stick OUT of the box for a minute so he'd sit still. HA. He does not enjoy having his picture taken. 

This is a great service with a worthy cause, and if you have a dog, I can't recommend it enough! If you are interested in trying it out, the coupon code "MITAC032" will get you $5 off!