Being A Social Doggie Is So Tiring!

In the old days, long before Tabaatha or my time, doggies met other doggies and were social by going on walks with their owners. They'd meet friends, do their business and come home and sleep and get treats. A true dog's life. More recently, we've seen the advent of doggie parks and doggie day care where you leave your neighborhood and make play dates. You meet a whole new world of friends. You have a blast but then go home, take a nap and get some treats. But now, it's all changed. Being social has taken on a whole new meaning. Being social means being wired!

If you are a doggie with any ambition, then you need to be wired. You need to have your own email account, web site, blog, Facebook account, MySpace, be on DoggySpace, DoggieWeb and if you're looking for a job...join Linkedin. Plus, I know I'm missing the zillion more social networks that are popping up daily. In fact, doggies barely have time to take their walk through the neighborhood. You can't be gone too long because you have friends to confirm, journals to post, meetings on Facebook. Every minute of every day is filled - except for treat time - and it's exhausting.

Since both Tabaatha and I are working dogs, we have the need to be wired. We have this blog, a web site, emails, Facebook account and we're on DoggySpace and DoggyWeb. Plus we have our other actual jobs. I'm a Spokesdog and she's a Top Model. The bottom line...we aren't doing any of it well. It's tough to keep up with everything and every doggie. With all these sites we have about 1500 friends. Try barkin to them all the time.

The other problem is finding time to do our actual work. We haven't let everyone know about our new expanded organic line or our new organic tank tops. We're too busy confirming and requesting friends.

What's the answer. We have no idea. Wait...let me go post that question on Facebook and see what everyone says. All we know that the saying "it's a dog life" doesn't mean the same thing anymore. It means we have more friends than we could ever have imagined, we're everywhere and mom is wondering how this got so out of hand!

We promise to keep up with things a little better as we learn more or better yet, maybe get ourselves a full time personal secretary!

We're Supporting DoggySpace Rescue Groups

Tabaatha and I are members of the most wonderful doggy community there is - Doggyspace.com. We have gotten the best friends in the whole world through DoggySpace. We have also met some awesome doggies and humans who tirelessly work to help rescue dogs and dogs who are in kill shelters find loving furever homes. While we can't help everyone, we are helping two of the DoggySpace Rescue groups supported by our friends. They are the Miniature Pinscher Rescue supported by The Min Pin Gang - Mouse, Scooter, Teenie, Rabit and their Mom. The other Rescue Group is Lizard Wizard Animal Palace run by Brandon, Wishbone & Puppy's Mom. I hope you click on each of their names so you can go and read their stories. They are working so hard to make a difference.

We felt the least Read My Paws could do is give $5 from every shirt purchased to these two great Rescue Groups. In particular, our "Recycle. Adopt a Dog" 100% organic shirts for humans and doggies says its all. Adopting a dog is the best form of recycling. So, now you can go green AND support a great cause. And remember, all our shirts are made in the USA.

Thanks for your help.
Love, Baarney

I Made the Finals. Please Vote For Me!

Can you believe it? I made the finals of the USA Today Marley & Me Photo contest. I'm one of 20 doggies who made the finals out of over 700 doggies who submitted photos. I'm so excited. But, I want to go higher. I want to be one of the top doggies. I can't do it without you voting for me.

Please, please vote. All you need to do is click here. Then, when you see the picture of me helping to decorate the Christmas tree, scroll down below it and click on the "Recommended" button. That's it. That's all you have to do to vote for me. Here's a little trick but don't tell anyone...you can only vote once...per day. Go back tomorrow and you can add another vote.

If I'm one of the top doggies, I get my picture in the December 22nd USA Today print edition. That would be so cool. I know I don't look much like a Marley dog, but lambs have rights too!

Thanks again for helping me out. If I make it, I will sign pawtographs.

Lots of love,
Baarney

Help...Please Vote For Me!

Hi everyone,

With the movie Marley & Me coming out in December, USA Today is having a contest and the cutest dogs...really the doggies who get enough people to vote for them...will be featured in the December 22nd print edition. So, my mommy sent in 2 pictures of me. The one of me decorating the tree and me in my raincoat.

I need your help. I'm doing pretty good for votes BUT there is a doggy, from a New York hotel, who is beating me. She is very cute and under other circumstances I'd probably have a huge crush on her. But she can't beat me.

Please, please help my by voting for me. It's easy, and you don't have to sign up. Just click on the name of the picture below and it will take you directly to USA Today. Scroll down below my picture and click on "Recommended." That's it. Please vote fo both photos. Here they are:

Baarney in raincoat picture

Baarney decorating the tree picture

Please tell as many people as you can about this. I appreciate your help.

Love, Baarney

It's Time to Introduce the Princess...Tabaatha

After much bugging, I've decided to let my little sister Tabaatha say a few words. She is the "princess" of the household. In other words, she thinks she's in charge of everything. Here you go.

Hi everyone, I am Tabaatha and yes I am the princess. I really am the sweetest little girl but make no mistake, the world is mine. I am 1.5 years old. I am also the top model for my mommy's company Read My Paws. You can see by my picture that I take a good shot. At an early age, I learned to pose for the camera. Take out the camera and I will pose and of course look good. I don't need airbrushing.

Despite what he says about me, I love Baarney so much. I follow my big brother everywhere. I want to be with him every minute of every day.

I also like to work with mommy, daddy and Baarney to help all doggies get rescued and find a new home. Therefore, I will be making quite a few appearances this holiday season where everyone will get to meet me, and of course Baarney, and help raise money. Below is my personal appearance schedule. We will update you with more info as it gets closer.

Tabaatha's Personal Appearance Schedule:

• Friday, December 12 - 5pm to 8pm: Jingle Tails in downtown New Port Richey, Florida. Supports doggies and their families in need this holiday

• Saturday, December 13 - 12 noon - Downtown Disney getting my picture with Santa Claus - this isn't a fundraiser but if you come to Downtown Disney you can see me, Baarney and Baarney's two sisters Molly and Zoe. You won't miss us. We look like a flock.

• Saturday, December 20 - 11am - 2pm: Pictures with Santa to support the SPCA Suncoast at Doggie Cakes - the best doggie bakery and shop in the whole wide world.

I really hope I get to meet lots of friends. Please come out and help support doggies in need.

I'll Be on TV Tomorrow - The Second Time This Week

It has been a very exciting week for me thanks to my new good friend Cyndi Edwards, one of the hosts of Daytime which airs in the Tampa market Monday - Friday at 10:00 am on Channel 8. It also airs in a bunch of other cities around the country. Here's the schedule.

Any way, when I'm working at mommy's office she has the TV on in the background. I got to watch Cyndi and Daytime and found out she has two really cute Golden Doodles called Freebee and Nigel. So, just a few weeks ago, I wrote Cyndia a letter and sent her one of our Read My Paws "Recycle. Adopt a Dog" human shirts. As the Spokesdog, it is important for me to do these things. I had hoped to hear something but I never expected to get an email from Cyndi on the same day she got the shirt. She told me that I wrote a really good letter and that she liked the shirt. She said she would see if she could mention our shirts on the air. Well Cyndi was true to her word. On Wednesday, December 3, in the opening of the show she held up our shirt and talked about it and even put a link to the Read My Paws web site on the Daytime web site. Woof, woof...I was so excited I couldn't believe it. I emailed Cyndi a thank you and told her how much I appreciated her help and how great she was. I also included the picture above of me helping decorate the tree for mom and dad. I thought she'd like to see what a helpful doggie I am. Well once again Cyndi went above and beyond and emailed me that she is showing my picture on the TV show tomorrow. Can you believe that! So tomorrow, December 5, you can see me on Daytime again. Cyndi Edwards is the best. I know Santa is going to come see her this year.

Dad and I call on doggie stores together so we are going to stop at the Daytime offices next week, hopefully right after the show and drop off presents for Freebee and Nigel. Maybe we'll even be lucky enough to see Cyndi. Cyndi if you read this..."I am much cuter in person than my pictures. You really should see me up close!"

Love, Baarney

Christmas Gifts That Give Back to the SPCA

Read My Paws is supporting the SPCA Suncoast this holiday season. We're giving $5 from every shirt to the SPCA Suncoast. They are a great place and really try to help out poor doggies and kitties who need homes. So, here's your chance to give really cool Read My Paws stuff for all the doggies and humans on your Christmas list and give back at the same time. The SPCA is totally funded by donations so we have to help. We need all the doggies and kitties to get a good home like Tabaatha and I have. That would be the bestest gift of all.

To help the SPCA, just go to the SPCA blue button the left side of the Read My Paws web site. Click on it and you 'll see all our shirts. The Recycle. Adopt a Dog shirts for doggies and humans make the coolest holiday gifts. You'll be dressed in 100% organic cotton. It is so cool to be eco-chic!

Please, please help us raise money for the SPCA.

Thanks and lots of love, Baarney