Ho, Ho, Ho! It's Kyjen's Toy (And Other Useful Stuff) Give-A-Way!

Well here we are again, folks, with yet another fabulous giveaway, this time from our friends at Kyjen, whose tag line is: "We Make Unique, Innovative Dog Products". And boy do they ever, as you will soon see!
Kyjen was founded in 1992 by Kyle and Jennifer Hanson (Ky + Jen = clever!). Their mission is simply to "create the best pet products in the world", and over these nearly 20 years, they've become known as the top innovator in the industry.
Based in the Colorado foothills, Kyjen employees use the outdoors to hike, play and entertain their dogs-all the while doing the in-depth research and development necessary to make superior products.

Every day is "Bring your pet to work day" at Kyjen!

So Parental Unit met Kyjen representatives at, where else, but the Blogpaws West conference in Denver, and they were kind enough to send us a variety of products in exchange for doing this review. We received no other compensation, and the reviews are our own.

Check out our gifts below. Clockwise from L-R:  Paw Hide Dog Puzzle Toy, Treat 'N Training Bag, Excursion Dog Backpack, Sydney the Squirrel Square Squeaker Mat, and a Port-A-Bowl. Whew!

Now here's how we'll do this: We'll review these products individually (except the treat and training bag, because that's not part of the official give-a-way), and there will be three different prizes awarded to three different winners: One Paw Hide Puzzle Toy to one winner, One Squeaker Mat toy to another winner, and one Excursion Backpack and one Port-A-Bowl to a third winner. We will choose the winners randomly as always, but this time you must specify which of the three items you'd prefer to win. Please make sure to read the entry requirements at the end of the post.


And away we go.....


First up: The Paw Hide Dog Puzzle Toy.

This is part of Kyjen's line of "enrichment toys" and is one of three new puzzle games that according to Kyjen, "occupies and challenges dogs' cognitive skills." 

Well, I don't know what "cognitive" means, but I'll tell you what: I loved trying to get the treat out of this puzzle!

Parental Unit was smart enough to pay attention to the directions and started me off with treats hidden under just one of the paw prints (super clever design, huh?)

   So here I am seeing what this thing is all about-yep that's the one hiding the treat!

Hmmm. How do I get to that dang treat???

  Wait a minute...maybe if I hold my paw up at the same time I bite down...

                                   Oh, here I go!

 Whoops! Here I'm taking off to play with the yellow cap, when I was supposed to grab the treat-duh!

O.K. Got it now!

Speaking for Parental Unit here (don't I always), she's a big fan of enrichment toys for companion animals (as well as zoo animals for whom such products were first developed). Why you ask? Because she learned the hard way that dogs and cats need both physical and mental stimulation every day or they will "act out" and get that "stimulation" in ways that are unacceptable to the average household (to prove my point, see my personal list of things that I've destroyed since I was adopted on blog sidebar). It really just makes sense. According to Kyjen's website: "As descendants of wolves, most dogs instinctively enjoy the challenge of hunting and seeking out the hidden food in these puzzle toys." And as an added bonus, each of the three sturdy plastic puzzles is dishwasher safe!
By the way, we recommend that you Parental Units supervise your dog during this type of play.

On to Sydney the Squirrel!

As you can imagine, I love having my very own squirrel to kill (I mean play with) and each of these Square Squeaker Mats, as they're called, has 16 separate squeakers! 

                                Here I go...!

                Got Sydney right on a squeaker!

          He even has a good size tail to play tug 'o war with!

Let's face it, it's furry, has tons of squeakers, and looks like a squirrel-what's not to love?

And they have several different animal mats: Harpo the Hedgehog,  Shelby the Sheep,  Podge the Pig, Monty the Mallard, and a Duck, inexplicably with no first name-may I suggest "Dennis"?  According to the Kyjen catalog,  Harpo, Sydney and Shelby come in two different sizes: small and large, and the duck pig and mallard come in one medium size. Take you pick or buy one of each why don't ya!

Now let's take a look at Kyjen's "Outward Hound" extensive line of products.
Whatdaya expect-they're based in Colorado and in case you didn't know, Colorado has the thinnest, fittest human population in the entire country! Something tells me their dogs are just as fit:-)

Anyway, take a gander at this fabulous backpack. They have several different varieties, but I received the Excursion Dog Backpack-sounds like I'll be going on many wonderfully long hikes!

The above photo is the plaid version but my colors are called "clay and java". This particular backpack  comes in three different sizes with three easily adjustable, padded straps, so the fit will be perfect and comfortable for any size pooch!  See those large zippered pockets on both sides? It even has a "pick up" bag dispenser, a D-Ring for leash hookup, and reflective strips for night safety.

            Ain't I a great model? When are we leavin'?

   And take a look at the underside: breathable mesh for cool, dry comfort on those long hikes!

You know, according to many dog trainers and behaviorists, giving a dog a job to do (like carrying his/her own food and water via a backpack on a walk, hike, or camping trip) helps to fulfill a dog's natural instincts. As we know, many dogs are bred to actually work, and in today's modern society, they in fact, do very little work (Hehehe). Additionally, carrying an appropriate amount of extra weight on a walk (via a well-fitting backpack) also helps to burn off extra calories and energy, so your doggie returns home in a calm, relaxed, well-exercised state.

Last but not least, here's a traveling, collapsible bowl to take along on your hike or even just a short walk in warm weather-we need to keep hydrated you know! And it's fine for kibble as well. Kyjen has a few different travel bowl designs, but this one's called "Port-A-Bowl" and comes in two different sizes. This one's the smaller of the two, holds 48 ounces, and comes in several different colors and patterns.

 Here I am having a nosh from my new bowl, albeit indoors. Does that make me an Inward Hound?

Finally, we'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention the Designer Treat and Ball Bag, although it's not part of the giveaway. It just the right size to hold a small ball and treats, appears to be made of the same sturdy material as the portable bowl, and clips onto a Parental Unit's belt. Check it out below.

For a full description of all of Kyjen's fabulous products, click here: www.kyjen.com

So we've finally arrived at the moment you've all been waiting for...entering this amazing giveaway!

Here's what we're asking you to do:
1. Comment on this post and indicate which of the three prizes you'd like to win. Also please indicate whether you'd be happy with any of the three.
2. Become an official Follower of this blog if you aren't already.
3. And this time, we're adding one more requirement: Please also follow us on my Facebook Fan Page and on Twitter. It takes but a minute, and you can access both via the icons right near the top of the sidebar-thanks!

You have until tomorrow evening, Thursday December 23rd at 8:00 pm EST, to enter. We will announce the three lucky winners tomorrow night.
Good luck one and all-we so very much appreciate your support!

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