Growing up, our dog Rover felt like the center of our family memories. As an adult, I really missed the comfort of having a dog in the house. Last year I finally moved into a building that allows pets, so I decided it would be a great time to adopt a puppy. I fell in love with Ria, a little "Cormatian" (Corgi & Dalmatian mix, who knew?!) the second I laid eyes on her. She was so tiny, and the minute I picked her up I knew I just had to have her! I got her a nice, soft bed and did some research on what kinds of food would best suit her breed. As a new "dog mom" I wanted to give Ria all the best. I was comparing puppy pics with some of my coworkers (yes, she has her own Instagram) and one of my friends had a bunch of pictures of her Shih Tzu with these super cute toys, like smiling plushie dumplings and a chinese food box, that I hadn't ever seen before. I asked where she got them, and she told me about BarkBox, a subscription box that delivers new treats and toys to your door every month.
BarkBox sounded like the perfect way to spoil Ria a little and get her some new toys so that she would feel at home in my apartment. I only live a 5 minute walk from work, so I'm able to sneak home to take her out for a walk, but I wanted her to have some toys that would keep her entertained when I was away. I went online and saw that BarkBox includes 3 toys, 2 bags or organic treats and a durable chew in every box. What really got me hooked was that each month has an adorable theme, like Chewrassic Bark or Knights of the Hound Table. When the first box arrived at my door, the theme was so cute that I think I was more excited to play with the toys than Ria was! It was a "The Good, The Bad, And The Pugly" themed box, and the "Verne The Vulture" squeaky plush and the rope-pull "Dyno-Bite" were her clear favorites.
Ria also went crazy for the bags of pork-based treats. I love that all of the treats are all-natural and made in the U.S. You hear so many horror stories about what's actually in dog's food and kibble, so it's great to trust what you're feeding your dog is safe. I was also impressed how long the "Franks Flank Steak" chew lasted her. Ria was teething and going through a phase where she chewed everything in sight, and once we got the hearty chew she finally had a reason to stay away from my shoes!
Ria is almost 8 months old now, and has loved all but one of the toys she has gotten in her monthly boxes. She didn't respond well to one of the toys from her last box, and the team at BarkBox sent us another one, no questions asked. The treats have been such a huge help for house training her! She's so obsessed with them that it only took a week to teach her to shake hands! Having BarkBox delivered to my apartment every month has been so convenient, and she plays with the toys so much more than she ever did with stuff I bought her from Petco.
She has a little corner in my living room where her bed is, and every night before she goes to sleep, she lines her bed with all of her favorite BarkBox toys. Our monthly box is only $22, and has been worth ten times that because of how much it has helped us bond. I'm taking her home to meet Rover for the first time in a couple of weeks -- he's an old dog, and I'm not sure he'll be able to handle Ria's never-ending energy, so I'm ordering him his own BarkBox to my parents' house to keep the fighting over toys to a minimum!
Limited Time Only: The folks at BarkBox are extending a special offer to our readers! Follow this link to get $5 off your first box!
