Hi guys! I want to take a look back at all my blog posts. This has been such a fun and unique process to do this semester. I’ve been so happy to write about something I’m so interested in, while also having the ability to reach out to others and help them, as well.

Side note: my dog has also enjoyed this process 🙂

Overall, I think my blog posts could be improved by containing more broad information. I focused a lot on the areas here in San Marcos, Texas. I want to reach a wider audience, so I think if I focus more on national, broad topics, I’ll be able to do that!

My content was only posted on Twitter, which is an app that I don’t use often. If I were to post on Facebook or Instagram, I would’ve gotten a lot more views, and could’ve had more interactions and suggestions from others!

This semester-long project has gotten me to go out and review different things. I reviewed dog parks, frisbees, and pet-friendly restaurants around San Marcos. These were my favorite experiences because I got to go out and be active with my school assignment. It was also great to be able to compare all of these things for others to just read my post and trust my judgment.

This experience could benefit me in the future because it taught me a lot about creativity. I think the best assignments always involve creativity because in future careers it’s one of the most pivotal qualities to have. Whether that be in an entrepreneurial endeavor, company work, design, or basically any job, it is an essential characteristic.

My most popular week was the last week of February. This was the week that my first two blogs were posted. My highest amount was 41 views on my Dog Park review blog. I think it got a lot of views because it reached out to San Marcos and New Braunfels. These are two cities that are dog packed and full of active people.

When I looked at my Stats data, the most surprising thing to me was that there were a few people from China that read my blog. That really amazed me to see that someone from across the world was reading my material!

Overall, this project has been such a blast and I really enjoyed creating my own blog and helping people with how to be a great dog parent 🙂

Wearing out my dog is the daily goal. Dogs NEED exercise, especially if you’re not home all day to play with them and keep them company.

College students everywhere deal with this problem. Going from school to work and then hanging out with your friends, you need some time to play with your dog and get them tired to keep them healthy and happy.

Frisbees are the perfect product.

But, you need to make sure your frisbee is the BEST one. I’ve gone through many, many frisbees and wanted to share my knowledge and review a few of them for y’all!

NERF

Nerf is a great company, however, their dog frisbees are not. This frisbee lasted me about 3 days. The quality of the frisbee is almost a foam, which gets torn up so easily. Definitely don’t recommend.

Sport

This was a very cheap frisbee. As you can tell from this photo, it wasn’t the best quality. From when I bought this, to when I took this picture, I had thrown it probably 4 times. So in four throws, this frisbee broke into many pieces. A bummer 😦

Wham-O

I had never heard of this company before but I found these frisbees at FiveBelow and wanted to try it out because it was so cheap. These lasted me a VERY long time. I would definitely recommend this frisbee. The only downside is that after a while, my dog started to chew on it, and it left very sharp parts of the plastic, which started to cut his mouth. So the only tip id say is that you shouldn’t let your dog chew on it too much.

Chuckit!

This company has always been a great dog toy company and they remain that way with their frisbees. My dog loves this frisbee and it seems to be holding up in great shape! 10/10!

Making sure your dog is healthy and active is key to being a great dog owner! Playing with tennis balls and frisbees is almost essential 🙂 Hope y’all go out and buy a quality frisbee from a quality brand!

Being a college student with a dog can be so difficult, especially financially. Finding the best deals online can be super helpful!!!

I wanted to talk about some of my favorite purchases I’ve gotten recently from Amazon. They’re all products that I’ve found to be useful and reasonably priced.

1. Lumoleaf’s No-spill water bowl

This bowl is a LIFE SAVOR for me. If your dog is anything like mine, drinking water can be a mess. Especially as a college student, it is not fun to have your small apartment be messy and have wet floors. This bowl has a floating device that only allows your dog to access the water on the very top of the bowl, not allowing any to be spilt or drooled on the floor.

2. Youngever’s 6-Pack Dog Rope Toys

This is one of the many toy packs that I’ve found on amazon. A single rope toy from the store can vary around 5-10 dollars. This pack has 6 toys and is ONLY $15. My dog loves these and they’ve all stayed in-tact. It’s very difficult to find quality toys that don’t tear apart or get chewed through. These are great and very cheap!

3. Furhaven’s Dog bed

Having a bed for my dog has been amazing. Like most dogs, my dog likes to be under my bed to feel protected when I’m gone at school or work. This dog bed is very thin, but comfortable, and can fit under beds or desks. Its orthopedic foam and gel keeps my dog cool and comfy. It also is only $30, compared to the other brands which can range from 50-100 dollars. Very affordable and worth it. 🙂

4. Greenie’s Natural Dog Dental Treats

I have never bought any treats to make my dogs breath smell better because I’ve always thought they were a scam. But I was so wrong! Greenie’s treats have been truly amazing for my dog. In the past week that I’ve used them, his breath has no bad odor whatsoever. I thought that was impossible!! Definitely recommend these!

5. Gamma2’s Vault Storage Container

Living in a small space as a college student means finding containers for everything!!! This vault-looking container is perfect for dog food. It comes in a few different sizes, but the medium sized is perfect for any big dog because it can fit an entire large bag of dog food in it. I put this container in the corner of my closet and it is oder-free, small, and cute!

Hopefully these products can help you with your pups! Happy online shopping 🙂

Hi everyone!

Today I want to review a blog website called For the Love of Paws. I came across this website a few days ago and I’ve been so impressed and inspired by the blogger’s posts.

This blog is written by a woman with two dogs. She writes on so many topics to help other dog parents.

On first glance of her blog website, you will notice how adorable it truly is. The colors, pictures, and font really reeled me in.

The biggest inspiration from this blog is the variety of posts. From this screenshot, you can see the categories of her posts. It contains food information, personal adventures, exercise tips, diet plans, and more.

Not only is it very organized for me to find what I want to read on, but it’s also amazing that she branches out on so many different topics.

In the future for my blog, I will definitely use her method and branch out to many other tips and tricks on food and exercise tips for all dogs.

Another great thing about For the Love of Paws is that it’s relatable for any reader who is a dog owner. No matter how big or small, crazy or lazy your dog may be, this blog will have an article to read!

Everyone should give it a read!!!—-> For the Love of Paws

If you’re a dog owner in college, it can be a huge challenge. The biggest challenged I’ve faced is the battle between going out with friends, or staying in to take care of my dog.

After hours of leaving my dog at home, all I want to do is play with him. However, the 21 year old in me wants to hang out with my friends. Well sometimes, I can do both!

Thankfully, San Marcos has a whole bunch of restaurants that allow dogs! I’ve taken my dog to a few of these and wanted to review which ones are best.

In this experiment, I visited Louie’s Oyster Bar and Beer Garden, Sean Patrick’s Pub, and The Saltlick.

First, I went to Louie’s Oyster Bar. This is one of my favorite spots in San Marcos. The nightlife is great, and they allow animals. It’s very enjoyable to bring a dog there because of the atmosphere. There is no stress about how the dog acts or behaves, because everyone that goes there or works there is so nice to both me and my dog.

While the Salt Lick isn’t in San Marcos, it’s one of my favorite places to bring my dog. This restaurant is huge and has a lot of grass for your dog to go potty. The workers there are also very kind when you bring a dog in, and the food is amazing.

Lastly, I went to Sean Patrick’s Pub on the San Marcos Square. While this bar & grill was dog friendly, I probably won’t bring my dog there again. They only allowed pets on the patio, which is a very small area. If you have a smaller dog it could be an okay experience, but I would suggest going with a big dog.

While there are many more pet friendly restaurants in San Marcos to explore, I wanted to point out these three.

Being able to hang out with friends and bring your pup is such a great time! Hope everyone enjoys it here in San Marcos, Texas!

If you’re looking for a way to be active with your dog, hiking is the best activity for you! Hiking is not only a great workout, but it can be so beautiful and peaceful, especially in the Hill Country of Texas.

For this blog, I wanted to review a few of my favorite hiking trails for any reader that lives in this area.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve hiked the Purgatory Creek, Ringtail Ridge Greenspace, and the Canyon Lake Gorge. All of these trails were filled with beautiful greenery and were so fun to hike. They were also all perfect for my dog to go on as well. Many trails can be difficult or even impossible for dogs, however, I had no problems with any of these three locations.

The first trail I want to review is the Ringtail Ridge Greenspace. This trail is my favorite out of all three. It is very private, which is a great characteristic for running with a dog. While the trails don’t go longer than a couple miles, I think it’s the perfect length for me and my pup. Ya’ll should definitely try it out!

The second trail is called Purgatory Creek Natural Area. This is one of the more popular hiking spots around town. The nicest aspect of this trail is that it’s a huge piece of land! There are so many different options of which trails to go on, and they are miles and miles long. If you’re looking for a long hike, these trails are perfect for you!

Lastly, I wanted to try out a trail that had a pretty view. I went all the way to Canyon Lake to try out the Canyon Lake Gorge hiking trail. While it was a bit of a drive, it was completely worth it. The water is so blue and beautiful, which makes the trail that much more enjoyable.

Overall, hiking is a great activity no matter where. In college, it can be hard to find an activity that is enjoyable for both you and your dog. Because of school, work, homework, and the many challenges that a student has, finding an activity to tire your dog out can be a challenge.

Hopefully these hiking trails can help you or encourage you to go out and hike with your dog!

Happy hiking 🙂

Hi everyone!

My name is Abi and I’m a student at Texas State University. I love the outdoors, watching Netflix, going out with friends, and I especially love dogs.

I’ve grown up having a dog for as long as I can remember. When I was just a baby, I fell in love with my a huge Labrador Retriever that was the most sweet and loving dog.

So, when I became a freshman in college, it was my first real opportunity to have my OWN dog. And thats exactly what I did!

For anyone who knows, having a dog in college is extremely tough. To juggle hours of school, work, sleep, and maintaining a social life, all while having a dog to care for is very rough (pun intended).

That’s why I wanted to create a blog that could reach out to any college students and help them be able to give their dog the best attention and care while also maintaining the lifestyle and busyness of a college student!

Life with a dog can be MESSY (or muddy, as seen in the picture). So, I hope my posts can clean it up a little 🙂

In this blog I plan to give:

• Tips to buying the cheapest and best dog supplies
• Great places in the San Marcos/Austin area to take your dog
• Reviews for online dog markets
• The best spots for an outdoor/river loving dog
• Tricks to teaching your dog how to handle being alone

& much more!

The people I most want to reach out to are any college students who care for a dog. I believe that my input could help give people ideas on how to keep a dog physically active and healthy, all while saving money and keeping your life as stress-free as possible.

While I will mostly highlight places and restaurants that are in the San Marcos and Austin area, any dog owner could read my posts and hopefully gain new insight or new websites that they can use!

Feel free to follow along with my posts and reach out! 🙂