Treat Tuesday: Three Dog Bakery Soft Meaty Treats

These Three Dog Bakery bacon and cheese biscuits are a little walk down memory lane for me. Once upon a time, about fifteen years ago, I used to take my cocker spaniel Oakley to a Three Dog Bakery store on State Street in Santa Barbara. It was the sort of fun small business that knew me and my dog by name, and they had all sorts of adorable goodies. The store eventually closed, and at the time I was unaware that there was more than one Three Dog Bakery.

As it turns out Three Dog Bakery is alive and well and growing. They have a huge variety of packaged treats and goodies, so I don't even need to have a bakery nearby to get them!

Good For: High value training treats when broken up. Picky dogs. Chihuahuas that don't like to crunch up big cookies. Not being horrendously smelly.

Not Good For: Keeping things clean, the cheese dust falls off them like Cheetos.

How Much We Like Them: Ranger and Ru both thought these were awesome!

Product Review: Bella Bean Collar

This Bohemian Paisley collar by Bella Bean Couture is probably ten years old. Can we say durable? It hasn't been on a dog that whole time, but I've definitely seen some stuff that looked pretty aged even in the store. This collar looks brand new! Made from soft cotton web, it has a pretty ribbon overlay. Bella Bean has collars and leashes in an ever-expanding array of prints and colors, made to fit dogs of all sizes.

Photo by Erin Koski

Bella Bean Couture was inspired by a boxer named Bella Bean. We all know how fantastic collars look on short-haired muscley dogs. The creator's second dog, a Frenchie, inspired his own product line. Finnegan's No. 3 Standard Goods have a very different aesthetic to them.

Is this just another ribbon overlay collar? Not entirely. This one is a cotton web material, not nylon. Bella Bean offers both, but their natural fiber collars are the ones that really caught my eye. They also sell one-of-a-kind dog beds made from vintage wool blankets.

My favorite Bella Bean creation is actually their collar patches. Remember earning merit badges in scouts? (I was a third-generation Girl Scout!) These dog patches celebrate your dog's special interest in squirrels, sticks, fire hydrants, or whatever you decide they stand for. Sisci caught a squirrel for me recently, I think she totally needs a squirrel patch.

Pros: Soft, strong, unique, and beautiful. Made in the USA from domestic components.

Cons: The website's sizing information is given in pounds rather than inches, so if you have a really big heavy dog with a super skinny neck you may end up with a collar that's too big.

Bottom Line: I found this collar at a thrift store, and when I met the owner of Bella Bean Couture at SuperZoo I was surprised to learn that they had not made this print in the last decade. The company has been around for 13 years now, so they are obviously doing something right!

Goodbye Brisbane

I had to say goodbye to Brisbane yesterday. The cancer had gotten extremely aggressive, and the bad days were starting outnumber the good days. I knew we were near the end when he stopped eating a couple of weeks ago. Briz was always an incredibly food motivated dog, and his entire life I've said that if he ever refuses to eat it will be a medical emergency.

On Saturday we had lots of cuddle time. He ate more than he had in the last week. I took him to our favorite dog beach and we played Chuckit. He was happy to play in the water, happy to chase the ball, happy to be with me. It was the best day he had had in weeks. I could have canceled the appointment and waited for another bad day, but I wanted to end our time together on a high note.

Even though he still got excited for things, I knew that when it was time to settle down he had a lot of trouble resting comfortably. That's the way he always was. No matter how injured, no matter how miserable, he was ready to push it all aside to have a good time. Whether he was lure coursing, herding sheep, or chasing tennis balls, he just wouldn't quit.

Brisbane was probably the greatest dog I will ever own. He made me the person I am today. He was the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and now I have to figure out what life looks like without him.