Bistro Bites Are Truly the Perfect Treat!

Although of course i enjoy getting sample products, I am so picky that few of them actually are written about on my blogs. For example, some nice folks sent samples of "Poodle shampoo" recently. But since it did not lather well and did not make the dogs' coats shine, you won't be reading about it here!

But...this week the peanut butter/applesauce variety of the all-natural, healthy Bistro Bites treats arrived and I am thrilled to tell you all about them!

Your Poodle will LOVE these treats, and you will love the company which makes them in such a healthy fashion that they are perfect for small dogs, or larger dogs which need tiny treats to keep their weight down. "So many dogs are suffering from severe obesity because the treats they're eating are simply too big" said Valerie Perlowitz, CEO and founder of Bistro Bites. "I wanted a product that was designed to meet the nutritional needs of small dogs, not just a broken up treat created for a larger dog. By making sure the treats are all-natural and made from wholessome ingredients, we've created right sized treats owners can give their dogs without feeling guilty."

Bistro Bites are gluten-free and do not have any added sugars or salt, reducing the number of potential allergens (which is great news for Poodles!) Free of preservatives and fillers, each treat is high in both protein and fiber in order to create a healthy indulgence for dogs.

As a dog trainer, I am constantly searching for very small treats to use for training. These treats are specifically designed to be perfect for training because in addition to being very small, they are also not crumbly, perfect for your pocket.

Bistro Bites come in two sizes: small, for dogs less than ten pounds, and medium, for dogs between 11 and 20 pounds. However, the medium size is a perfect "tiny bite" training treat for my Standard Poodle and even my sister's Lab that is currently visiting with us. Our elderly Dachie is thrilled that she can have several of the small size treats at a time, instead of just half a cookie like she usually gets (since due to her age and breed, we have to watch her weight closely).

Bistro Bites are currently available for purchase online at www.bistro-bites.com
and at Uptown Pet Bistro and Boutique in Fairfax, Virginia. They are made in the United States and crafted on a made-to-order basis with ingredients sourced from local farms whenever possible. What more could you ask for in a healthy small dog treat?

Bistro Bites come in 5 flavors chicken livers, berries & almonds, peanut butter & carob and sweet potato and vegetable. My vegetarian friends will love knowing that some of the varieties are meat-free--for example, the Bistro Bites samples my dogs are enjoying are the Peanut Butter & Applesauce variety. The ingredients listed are simply applesauce, peanut butter and buckwheat flour. All varieties are grain, oil and gluten-free! They also offer several seasonal flavors, including pumpkin treats in the fall.

If you give them a try, leave a comment or send us a photo of your dog and let us know what they think about Bisto Bites. They smell so good, I am tempted to try them myself!

by guest blogger Melanie Schlaginhaufen, photo of Melanie's miniature Poodle "Nini" is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without permission.

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift?

Most Poodle people just love to take photos of their dogs! I wanted you to know about a unique new way to showcase your favorite photos that I recently discovered, so I am sharing with you an interview with Amy Meissner, co-owner of www.K9Collage.com

Amy, what is the primary product offered by K9 Collage and how is it different from just taking a few photos and putting them together in a frame and calling it a collage?

K9 Collage offers a unique way to display a large amount of pictures in one setting. What we create is called a photo mosaic, and is a collection of photos arranged in a way that when viewed from a distance they resemble an overall picture. It differs from the traditional collage of where you might only have a few photos arranged on a page. Our photo mosiacs look like one photo from a distance, yet as you approach it you see that it is made up of hundreds of photos.

Could you explain to our readers a bit more?

Yes, a photo mosaic focuses on one main picture (the main background image) which is made up of lots of little pictures (the tile photos). The tile photos can be any photos you choose. So as an example, you would pick your main image; the picture you sent me of you and your poodle Lizzie. This is now set as the main background image. Then you would upload anywhere from 36 to 500 tile photos of your choosing. Most customers upload anywhere from 50 to 75 photos.

Do most people send photos of the same dog? I know I used various Poodle photos.

No, the tile photos can be anything, but most likely you would pick photos that go along with your main image in some way. once you have completed uploading all of your tile photos you simply submit your mosaic for processing, and we take over from there.

This seems like a really unique thing to do to preserve the memory of a special pet, or as a special gift for a friend.

Yes, it is a beautiful way to preserve a memory. A photo mosaic makes a unique and personalized statement and can be used in a variety of ways to mark an occasion such as capturing your dog's final Championship points in conformation, an awesome agility run or a day at the beach. Photo mosaics are nice for capturing everyday moments too. They make a great impression and are a fun conversation piece. 

 So will I be able to see all the photos in the finished product? 

Yes, that's the beauty of this, when you look up close you will see all the tile photos you submitted stitched together. When you take a few steps back you will see the one image that you chose as your main background image. As an example I've attached a small area of the mosaic we created for you. This is what you would see when looking at the mosaic up close. Although your mosaic is made up of almost 3,000 tiles it was created using only the 47 unique photos you sent us. They are duplicated in different areas on the main background image in order to fill in the whole picture.

I actually found the process very simple and easy, does everyone feel this way? 

YES! After you register with us, it is as easy as uploading your photos and clicking submit.

What sizes are the finished prints and could you give me an idea about price ranges?

There is NO CHARGE to create a mosaic. After the mosaic has been created you have the option to purchase prints, canvases and other merchandise from our store. prints start at $24.99 for an 8 x 10, however our most popular size is the 16 x 20, which runs $49.99 and is a good size for viewing all the individual tile photos that make up the mosaic. We also offer gift certificates starting at $25.00.

We hope you'll visit us at http://www.k9collage.com/ try it out. Right now we are offering a holiday discount. Enter coupon code HOLIDAY10 to receive 10% off your purchase of prints, canvases and other merchandise.

Thank you so much Amy. I would also like to thank Chris L'Abbe and Rick Miles, both of whom shared some of their beautiful Poodle photography with me for use in this memory mosaic of our sweet Lizzie (Wildgayle's Elizabeth).

Thanks Melanie for this opportunity to share K9 Collage with your readers.

Favorite Poodle products

Yikes!  Amazing is rotating Poodle items automatically for me, but they seem stuck on costumes (and I don't even like Halloween)! However on my Knowing Dogs Amazon store, there are many hand selected Poodle items that you will love!  Maybe not anything as fun as Poodles in canoes, but close!

Thanks to Chris L'Abbe for this photo.  More of Chris' photos can be found on my dog training blog, http://www.knowingdogsblog.com/.