I know a bunch of you out there are just as dog-obsessed as I am and this is just one of the many reasons I think you guys are the jam. Dogs are the BEST and I never could have imagined just how much joy and laughter Sadie would bring into my life everyday when Ryan and I first picked up our timid little puppy. (Timid? Oh how times have changed.)
When BarkBox reached out to me to see if my crazy dog would want to try out one of their boxes, I thought it would be a neat way to indulge Sadie a bit with some new treats and toys. Sadie is the kind of dog that basically pees herself over a brand new stick, so I could only imagine how thrilled she would be if she got a package in the mail filled with new treats and toys just for her.
So what is BarkBox?
BarkBox is a monthly box filled with treats, toys and goodies for your dog that is delivered right to your door. Each box contains four to six full-size products, with goodies ranging from creative toys and gadgets to all-natural, healthy treats and more.
Any edible products found in a BarkBox do not include formaldehyde and are made with minimal processing, no glycerin whenever possible, organic ingredients whenever possible and are gluten, soy, corn and filler-free whenever possible. Subscribers can also opt for an allergy-friendly BarkBox for dogs that may be sensitive to beef, chicken, turkey, gluten, wheat, soy and corn. (Users will just need to email support@barkbox.com once they’ve purchased their subscription to get added to the allergy box list.)
The toys and treats are almost always sourced from small local vendors that are not easily found in major pet stores and plans tailored to your dog’s size start as low as $18/month.
Sadie’s first BarkBox included the following goodies:
- Barkworthies Junior Bully Sticks
- Harry Barket Tug n’ Toss Toy
- Complete Natural Nutrition Cheese Please Snacks
- Baker’s Best Salmon Maple Glaze Treats
Her favorite treat was definitely the Cheese Please snacks!
She gave me the pitiful puppy eyes the minute she caught a whiff after I opened the bag!
The sole ingredient in the treat is cheese, so I knew Sadie would flip for the cheesy little discs when I opened the package. (She’s a cheese lover just like her mama.)
She also had a blast playing with the Tug n’ Toss toy and threw it all around our apartment trying to entice us into a game of tug of war. (It totally worked because we are suckers.)
The treat I wasn’t sure Sadie would like in the box was the Baker’s Best salmon maple teats because at first glance they looked like biscuits. Sadie doesn’t like biscuits and typically gravitates toward meat and cheese-based treats, so I didn’t think the salmon treats would go over well, but she flipped for them!!
She couldn’t get enough!
Now it’s time for a giveaway!
One PBF reader will win a free six-month subscription to BarkBox!
To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment below answering one (or both) of the following questions:
- What was the first trick you taught your dog?
- What is one trick your dog could never quite master?
I will randomly select a giveaway winner on Friday morning. Please note that this giveaway is open to readers in the US and Canada only. You must have a US or Canada shipping address to receive a BarkBox. If you would like to try BarkBox for your pup, BarkBox is also offering 10 percent off to all PBF readers if you click this link. (The coupon will automatically apply at checkout.)
Good luck!!!
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Disclaimer: While this post is sponsored by BarkBox, the links included within the post are not affiliate links and I am not earning commission or credit from any boxes purchased.
Kendall says
The first dog we were able to teach our dog Tobey was to play dead when we would point finger guns at him and say “bang bang”. I wish we could teach him how to high five!
Julie @ Homegrown State of Mind says
I first taught Lily the basics – sit, down, stay, come, etc. She caught on pretty quick. I taught her to sit in 30 minutes. I tried to teach her to rollover, too. But she didn’t catch on to that one as easily. I think she knows what I’m saying, and what she is supposed to do, but she just doesn’t like it. Lol. Great giveaway! Lily would love to get the Barkbox! 🙂
Tammy says
I have an 11 year boxer. Her was trick was learning to shake and giving high fives. Bless her heart, she never got play dead. Even if she lays down on the floor her nubbin (that’s her little tale) wiggles and she can’t stop being excited. It’s actually very cute and she always earns her treat for trying. 🙂
Jackie says
Poor sparky can’t roll over! Haha!
Jen says
I have 3 dogs cause I am an adoption coordinator with a rescue and can’t help myself! None of my dogs are nearly as trained as they should be. The first trick I taught Miley was just the standard “sit,” which she is still good at … but one thing I really need to work on still is getting her not to jump on people who come over. She just gets sooooooooo excited!
Adriana L says
The first trick we taught our Cavachon was how to sit. The one I never quite mastered? Getting him to stop barking!
Lindsey Richardson says
The first trick i taught my dog, that is more than just sit, is to shake. I remember like it was yesterday. Such a proud mother moment!
Chris says
The one trick i could not get my dog to master is to rollover. I could sit there for days and he would just sit, stare and demand the treat in my hand. We’re still working on it…one day!
Lindsey says
The first trick i taught my dog, not counting sitting, was getting him to shake. I remember like it was yesterday. Such a proud mama moment. 🙂
Megan S. says
The first trick I taught my corgi, Echo, was to say ‘please’ with the cutest little kisses. One thing I doubt she will ever master is ‘stay’ paired with ‘quiet’. If I leave the room she moans, barks, and scratches at the door until I allow her to come with me. She is such a velcro dog 🙂
Tracy says
Our sweet cock-a-poo rolls over like a champ but isn’t very good at “stay”!
Katie says
“wait”! was the first we taught our vizsla since she wants to be by your side every minute of the day! You know how that goes 😉
Julie says
Haha yessss! For sure!!
May says
Chief’s first trick was sit and paw. Whenever we have food, he will sit and put his paw up asking for food.
Jessie says
Harvey, our Welsh Corgi, first learned how to shake. Now anytime the treat jar is opened, he waves his paw around lol? Too cute!
kelly says
•What was the first trick you taught your dog? i first taught my black lab suzy how to shake hands and high five.. and she can also sit .. very impressive
•What is one trick your dog could never quite master? she is still not a great walker.. not sure if thats a trick but when i see other dogs walking so good i’m super impressed! lol
Kara says
The first trick we taught our Vizsla Kairo was “Wait.” If he’s sitting or laying down, and we tell him to “wait,” then put a treat in front of him, he will leave it alone until we say, “ok free.”
This is more of a command than a trick, but Kairo has never quite mastered “heel.”
Colleen says
The first thing we had to teach Boutros was ‘off’, as in, no jumping, because he’s the best jumper in the world! He can clear a seven foot fence without a running start. It’s equal parts frustrating and impressive.
Kate says
My Westie Holly is a toy/treat magnet too!! She loves her “cookies” that we give her (we try to choose all-natural treats too) and she is definitely the tennis ball queen… We have a huge basket just dedicated to tennis balls in our living room! BarkBox would be fun to try new treats and toys to keep our little dog happy 🙂
Tricia Z says
The first trick that I taught Jessie was to sit. The one I can never get her to do is roll over. I really don’t know why because she is so smart and such a fast learner, but I can’t!
Lisa says
First trick our dog, Andie, learned was handshake and Kiss. She hasnt gotten the roll over yet. She has been a blessing to our entire family. My daughter found her abadoned in a Wendys parking lot when she was about five weeks old. She was not the cuties puppy but has turned out to be beautiful & smart
Lilly says
My pup first learned to sit. He’s still a pretty young pup so he doesn’t do much else…. yet!
Kerri says
The first trick I taught my dog was shake – he gives a good hand/paw shake!
Jana Roberts says
We rescued a beautiful and lively 4 month old, red and white Australian Cattle dog mix in February. Piper didn’t know any commands, but in a matter of a day, this brainiac learned “sit” and “high-five.” At 8 months old, she still hasn’t quite learned the word “down” at dinnertime. (Or chooses to ignore!)
Lindsey says
I have a 6 month old chocolate lab named Wyatt. When Wyatt was about 3 months old we started getting him to “sit”, “lay down”, etc. but now we have upgraded to more complex tricks like handshakes and high fives! Treats are always given when he is successful. Right now we are working on getting him to roll over but we’re struggling a bit because he doesn’t like lying on his back.. unless its nap time!
Samantha says
I have a 5 year old miniature schnauzer named Izzy. Her first trick was sit when she was around 3 months, but she never quite got down how to roll herself in a blanket on command. Now, she just grabs the blanket and rolls with it in her mouth.
Gabrielle says
Our dog Bow is a rescue – but she has lab in her – making her VERY food motivated. Because of this she can become a little over excited when food is involved.. “Mat” – which (should) send her running to her dog bed often becomes her running to anything soft and fuzzy on the ground which she can manage to sit on.
Laura L says
My black lab Riley has never quite been able to master rollover. She knows we are going to ask her to do it and then she will get a treat, and she gets so excited she *tries* to roll over but ends up just spinning in circles like a goofball
Lindsey says
The first trick my dog learned was shake. He’s such a gentleman 🙂 He doesn’t like to roll over because of his compact little corgi body, but we shall continue to work on it!
Michelle says
Probably sit…he never got much past that..haha! But we still love him!
Sheila C says
Macey and I hope we win!!!! It’s hard being a broke doggy mommy, but I still spoil my little girl and just skip a little on my own groceries haha, I could only afford about half a year worth of Barkbox with Coupons galore but now there are no more generous coupons we can use and Macey has no more boxes until I eventually finish graduate school boohoo… anyway her first trick was SIT from my boyfriend but I taught her SHAKE next and she will shake for any goodies because she thinks that will get her something! =) She’s pretty bad at rollover though so still working on that one.. and stay is on/off because she just loves me too much to stay far away for very long… I did save her when she was a little pup <333
Andrea says
Our rescue pup Bailey knew “sit” right from the beginning. Sometimes she’ll even sit when we don’t tell her to b/c she thinks it will get her food haha So we’ve had to teach her how to wait until we actually say the command before she sits. But that was her first “trick”. We haven’t really tried many tricks with her, but she could probably learn them quickly if we tried. I did attempt to teach her to shake, but it didn’t quite work out! lol Maybe I should give her another shot.
Melanie says
Their names/sit
Down is toughest
Alex M says
I always try to teach my dogs shake! One of my dogs I could ‘shoot’ and she’d fall over. I never was a good teacher in getting a dog to stay though!
Stephanie says
We taught our puppy to sit the first day we got him at 8 weeks!! I was so impressed. My favorite tricks are probably high five & roll over though because people find them so entertaining. One trick we haven’t been able to master is “stand” he always defaults to sitting. My pup would love a Bark Box! He turns one year old in 3 weeks, so early birthday present 🙂
stefanie says
Jimmy has never quite been able to master the “down” command. He is really good at sitting but doesn’t want to stay on the ground!
Christine says
The first trick I really taught my dog was to spin. The only he can’t seem to do is roll over. He chickens out and gets scared while is on his back.
Amanda says
My poor pup, I don’t think I ever taught her any tricks, well , maybe fetch.
Diana says
We have a 3 year golden retriever named Tristan. His first trick was shake. No matter how hard we try, he just won’t cooperate when we try to teach him to have a treat sit on his nose until we say ok and then pop it up and catch it he’s way too excited to wait for the treat!
jean says
We have 3 dogs-Cookie, Waffles, and Truffles. None of them are very good with tricks, but we adore them all.
Julie says
The first trick I taught my dog was “watch”. My husband and I worked with a trainer for many weeks to get our new rescue dog under control so that we could handle him as a pet (a wild 80 lb dog would have been too much for us). Our trainer told us that the foundation for a good training and pet relationship is eye contact, so we wanted to establish that first. And one trick we couldn’t quite master was “back” – the silly dog doesn’t understand that he has a back half, he thinks he only has two legs like we do!
Deirdre says
The first trick we taught him was to pee outside — he had mastered it within 24 hours of us rescuing him from the shelter!
Emily says
Sadie looks like she’s enjoying her new treats.
I adopted Snoopy and while I never actually have taught him anything, I’ve gotten him to sit whenever I’m putting a leash on him. We’re still working on shake.
Courtney says
We taught our dog sit and shake pretty quickly and he’ll easily do his whole repitoire when he knows there’s a treat. He still can’t figure out rolling over, but will happily give his belly for a rub when asked!
Shannon says
First trick was sit. But first impressive trick was opening the fridge and bringing me a bottle of water. Was never successful in getting her to close the fridge door though. So I still had to get up. ….smh… Ha!
Grace says
The first trick my Hank ever learned was to sit. Oddly enough, he now knows out, lie down, go for a ride, bedtime (in the big human bed at night)… But he just can’t quite seem to get the hang of “go to bed” – his crate! Intellectually challenged or just stubborn? Hmmm….
Kirsten says
I first taught my dog Bruce to sit, but he has never mastered the doing tricks without treats.
Leila Yoonessi says
The first trick my shiba dog learned was shake left paw
I can’t get him to say ahhh (open his mouth) but he cAn do many other adorable tricks. We shall keep trying he is defn used to me messing around in his mouth!
Melek says
for both my when you’re old pitbull & 4 year old Doberman Pinscher they learned how to shake before anything. And the one trick my Doberman can give is to roll over. He gets halfway there then he just freaks out.