I just saw this on one of our friends Facebook pages and really wanted to share it. Enjoy!
The Bubbly Bowl
Coco came in to support the Minnesota Boxer Rescue!
Yesterday was the Bubbly Bowl at Bubbly Paws Dog Wash and what a great turnout! So many happy dogs and so many happy owners!! All the dogs that came received a digital trading card from Modern Life Photo. Owners got to decide which local pet rescue would receive a $5 donation from their bath and the rescue that received the most donations would receive a Bubbly Paws gift package with gift cards for self-service baths and other goodies! The winning rescue was Retrieve A Golden Of Minnesota (RAGOM). The other rescues that the Bubbly Bowl benefited were The Pet Project, Pet Haven, Greyhound Pets Of America- MN, and The Minnesota Boxer Rescue. What a great time and I promise we will keep doing events like these that give back to the pet community!
Have a good weekend!
Every Gift Has a Story
When Keith and I first discussed having me write for the Pampered Pooch Playground blog, he shared, “Every product we sell has a story.” I always enjoy a good story, so that made me curious. A couple weeks ago, I met Keith at Bubbly Paws to learn more.
One thing I enjoy most about talking to Keith is his passion for dogs and his customers. He believes in promoting local and regional products, and in giving his customers unique options. Many of the products he offers actually came about in a sort of random way. For example, both Bubbly Paws and Pampered Pooch Playground use shampoo and conditioner from Top Line Canine Care. Originally created by owner Todd Pearsall for horses, the products were formulated to soothe and revitalize. Todd is a local guy who brought his dog to day care at Pampered Pooch Playground. After a while, he asked Keith if he would try his Top Line Equine Care products. Keith liked the shampoo and conditioner so much, both Pampered Pooch Playground and Bubbly Paws were the first to offer the line for dogs and to use them for dog washing. The conditioner is a personal favorite of mine–it smells great and leaves Leo’s Goldendoodle hair very soft. I especially like that the smell lasts about a week after Leo gets washed. Now that’s good stuff!
Bubbly Paws also offers Treat Smart™ dog snacks by Lincoln Bark. This company is owned by a couple out of Chicago, Illinois. Their snacks are made by hand and baked in small batches for freshness. 
They contain no wheat, soy, corn, preservatives, additives, artificial colors, or flavors. But they are packed with nutrition. As their website says, they “are loaded with protein, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, phytonutrients, all 9 amino acids, age-defying antioxidants, are gluten free and contain more calcium per ounce than milk.” Keith met the owners at a dog show, was impressed by the quality of the chewy nuggets, and brought them to Bubbly Paw so our dogs could enjoy them, too. Because they are chewy, they make great treats for training. Since the treats contain human-grade ingredients, Keith has even sampled Treat Smart nuggets himself. He says they taste pretty good!
Bubbly Paws also offers a variety of collars, leashes, and sweaters for your dog. During our visit, we decided to dress up Leo in his first sweater, just for fun. I’m a fan of argyle (much to my husband’s dismay), so when I saw the green argyle, he had to try it!
Then we added a collar with argyle and skulls plus a leash. You can just see a little of the collar above the sweater. Very stylish! Go to Bubbly Paws and have fun trying different things on your dog. The people who work there are nice and will help you with ideas. All you have to do is ask.
I saw a random fact quoted recently in an article, about 3% of pet owners will give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets. Will you be one of them?
I Just Want Treats!
Yesterday, Trycia and I were invited to celebrate our friend Amber’s (from Modern Life Photo) birthday. Amber gives back to lots of pet rescues, and did not want any presents, just treats to give to rescue dogs. I thought that it was a pretty cool idea!! So Trycia and I were out shopping at Target, and grabbed some treats with a Bernese Mountain Dog on the front. If I would have remembered while I was at the dog wash, I would have grabbed some treated that we sell. Amber is one of Roxy’s favorite people and will always whine when she sees Amber. It was a really fun night and I am so glad we went.
Have a good night.
Keith
Yea! Snow!
I have lived in Minneapolis for almost 10 years, and this winter is by far my favorite! It actually makes me LOVE minnesota winter 
I think back 1 year ago when we were in the process of building Bubbly Paws and I was helping the construction guys bring stuff in and how cold your hands would get even if you had gloves on! Even Roxy would get cold when it was -30 outside. Now, fast forward to this winter.. PERFECT! Today when it started snowing we took Roxy to the dog park. She loved running in the fresh dusting of snow. When we left, she found a stick that she wanted to carry all the way back to the car. When we got to the car, she would not get in because she wanted to chew it. OK, so there ya go.. This whole blog post had very little to do with the dog wash, but heck, it was entertaining…. I hope!
We have something really cool we have been working on, and if all goes well, we will let everyone know what it is on Monday
Have a good night!
Keith
New Years
Roxy and Max got to hang out while we were working.
What a year! It has been so much fun for Trycia and myself to watch Bubbly Paws Dog Wash take off and become what it is today! Over the last 8 months since we opened, we have met some really great customers!
Today, the dog wash was closed, but that does not mean that we were not there. Sometimes it is easier to do projects when we are closed… So Trycia and I spent a few hours there today cleaning and updating a few things. We want to keep this place looking like it is brand new, and do everything we can to make it happen. This weekend we were also dog-sitting Max, who is the Bubbly Paws poster dog. We brought him and Roxy to help with some projects (the mostly ate bones).
Hope everyone had a great new years and we look forward to serving you in 2012. We can’t thank everyone enough!!
Keith
KARE 11
KARE 11 News did a story about businesses that are slow, because of the warm weather… The stopped in to see how things were going at Bubbly Paws Dog Wash.
Winter Workouts
Winter is officially here, and although there isn’t the usual snow on the ground, it’s cold outside. Last week, the Climate Prediction Center released an updated winter outlook for December, January, and February, predicting below average temperatures and a good chance of a wetter than average snow season for Minnesota. So, that means the days are short, the cold is here for a while, and the snow is coming—-perhaps with a vengeance.
The hibernation that comes with winter can make us feel cooped up with cabin fever. For our canine friends, we must make the extra effort to help them expend their energy so they can be well-behaved. Below are a few ideas that may help.
- Make the most out of each walk.In order to help Leo burn more energy while
Leo in his weight vest.
on our shorter winter walks, he wears a vest with two side pockets—a weight vest of sorts. In each pocket, I add bean-bag weights in half-pound increments, up to ten percent of his body weight. For Leo, that’s a total of three pounds. This helps him burn extra energy, even though our walks are shorter. (Leo’s vet confirmed that this was safe. The key is to make sure the vest fits properly so there is no rubbing or slipping.)
- Let ’em play! A day of play each week at doggy day care, like Pampered Pooch Playground, can leave your dog tired and well-behaved for an extra day. This also helps take some of the pressure off of you to be the only source of physical and mental exercise.
- Mental workouts are just as important as physical workouts. Training classes, such as agility training at The Canine Coach, are a great way to socialize, exercise, and challenge your dog.
- Socialize with your dog at Dog Days at the Dome. The Metrodome is open for doggy fun and socializing from 5 p.m.–9 p.m. on Thursday, January 12, Tuesday, January 31, Thursday, February 9, and Tuesday, February 28. It’s just $5 per dog (with up to two people), and free parking is available.
- Go to a dog park—indoors! Have you heard about Ruff House, the Canine Social Club in Edina? There are five membership options to fit your schedule. The most flexible options include access 24/7.
What do you do to help manage your dog’s energy during winter? We’d love to hear from you.
*** Blog post by Birgitta who is a Pampered Pooch Playground customer. Read more about her by clicking here. ***
A fun dog wash reunion
A big Bubbly Paws Dog Wash “Thank You” to everyone that stopped out this morning to meet Staci Matthews and her dog Humphrey. Staci is from the Moon and Staci show on KS95. What many of you might not know, is that I produced their show for 4 years and Staci is a good friend of mine and was a large part of our wedding. Humphrey also comes to our doggy daycare and is such a sweet little man. So while Staci did her appearance at the dog wash, Teresa from the KS95 promotions staff and I chatted about the old days. It was great to see so many people stopping out to meet humphrey! He is such a sweet puppy, and he even got a great new sweater today!
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Keith
Roxy gets FURminated
We love to use the FURminator on Roxy as it really helps with her shedding….. Did you know it works wonders on short haired dogs as well? The FURminator brush, shampoo and conditioner are available as an upgrade to any of our grooming or bath packages.
