SociaBulls: Chicago Lakefront

Sunday's SociaBulls walk led us to the Chicago Lakefront trail with the perfect weather for a crisp fall walk, all done Chicago-style with beautiful lakefront scenery, skyline views, an adjacent Halloween-themed run, and, of course, pooches in costume.

We learn something new on each walk, and this time we've realized how the pooches are becoming so much more familiarized with the walks and the rhythm. They are much less excited in the beginning, perhaps due to some familiar faces, and even new pooches are now seemlessly integrated.

Even the water breaks are much more relaxed with people and their pooches hanging out in the leaves.

This walk even led us by Chicago's dog beach, and despite being able to see other pooches running on the beach below the group remained fairly calm.

 The highlight: we had written before about Maize and how her mom has been working for several years on her severe leash reactivity and how she always felt so limited. It has always been easier for Maize to lead the pack, and she slowly worked up to walking in a 'Trifecta' with other dogs next to her. Her mom had always hoped there would be a time when Maize was comfortable being more in the middle of the pack. And we were so, so proud to see this was the time! That's Maize below, walking next to Maple, in the middle of the pack! We couldn't be prouder.

We were also so excited to have special guest Emily from Our Waldo Bungie who was in town all the way from Kansas City and even woke up early on a weekend just to come join us and see how the group works. It was so great meeting you Emily!

PS. If you are interested in supporting foster dog SuperLevi in getting the surgery he needs to save his (super)vision, we have listed some of the FAQs on the donations here. We are selling a T-shirt and dog bandana for an upcoming virtual/live in Chicago walk. We are also raffling off some amazing things to help with dogwalks: Ruffwear Coat, GoPro Camera, Ruffwear Dog Backpack, Custom-made sweaters and collars from Sirius Republic and Silly Buddy.
Watch for updates on our Two Pitties Facebook page.

FAQ's About SuperLevi's Fundraiser

All donations can be made through Levi's Rescue site New Leash on Life here: https://newleash.ipower.com/chicago/donationform.asp
In the comments note "For Levi"

Thanks everyone for all your support helping raise money for the surgery to help foster dog SuperLevi save his vision. We have a couple of options for the fundraiser, and here are some ways to help:

1) Participate in SuperLevi's walk to find his X-Ray vision (Even if You're not in Chicago!)

 You can purchase a T-shirt to participate in the walk. Each T-shirt comes with 1 SuperLevi logo dog bandana.
Proceeds go to Levi's surgery fund, and you get a snazzy, commemorative shirt and bandana!
We featured the shirts in the post here.
You can purchase the shirt by making the donation here.https://newleash.ipower.com/chicago/donationform.asp
If you purchase 2 shirts, you will also be entered in the raffle (see raffle below)
Shirts will be available until sold out. Please purchase shirts by Thursday, November 3 to be shipped in time.

Outside the Chicago Area:
-One T-shirt and bandana is $33 including shipping. Extra dog bandanas are $15
-Purchase a shirt by clicking here.
-When purchasing on the site, include For Levi and your T-shirt size in the comments section
-We will be having our walk on Saturday, November 12. We would love to see everyone across the country walking on that day and sharing on our Facebook page. We will also be having a follow-up blog post showing all the walkers.

Inside the Chicago Area
-One T-shirt and bandana is $30. This gets you "entry" to Levi's big walk with some special fun features.
-Purchase a shirt by clicking here.
-When purchasing on the site, include For Levi and your T-shirt size in the comments section
-Our walk will be Saturday, November 12 @ 9:00 am. Dogs and people welcome. Specific info will be announced in a dedicated post on Friday. We will be walking in the city in a location with free/cheap parking (more details in Friday's post).
-Shirts can either be picked up at a New Leash adoption event (schedule here), or the morning of the event.

2) Participate in a Raffle

 The pooches are raffling off some of their favorite items. See a complete list of brand new raffle prizes that we wrote about here.  (Dog Backpack, GoPro Camera, Dog Sweater, Ruffwear Coat)
You can purchase raffle tickets until Friday, November 11.
-Each $20 donation will count as one raffle ticket.
-Or, if you buy 2 T-shirts you will get one raffle ticket .
-You can make donations on the New Leash donation page to get a raffle ticket or T-shirt.Please indicate in the comments which “Specialized Prize” you would like to put your ticket in. (Dog Backpack, GoPro Camera, Coat or Sweater) or T-shirt size.
-If you donated previously and would like to add the raffle ticket, please email kelseynlol@gmail.com and indicate the prize you would like to win.
-All tickets will automatically be entered into both collar drawings in addition to your “Specialized Prize”. If you buy multiple tickets, you will be entered multiple times to increase your chances of winning.
-Collar prizes are chosen at random. Unfortunately, you cannot select which of the prizes within the collar category you would prefer.
-The raffle will be open until November 12.
-Winners will be chosen at random through an online random number generator that NLOL will coordinate.
-When winners are notified, we will coordinate the information and shipment of your prize.
You can purchase raffle tickets and T-shirts on the NLOL site by clicking here.

3) Donate

 Levi is part of an all-volunteer rescue that relies solely on donations. Any amount would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be made by clicking here.

4) Share, Share, Share!

 We do understand how tough the times are for everyone. So even sharing Levi's story on Facebook or blogs would be so, so helpful.
Thanks again everyone for all your support!

Using Some of Our Favorite Things to Help Levi Find his X-Ray Vision

 All week we've been posting about some of our favorite things in preparation for another way to help foster dog SuperLevi afford the surgery to find his X-ray vision.
We are always astounded by how many people selflessly donate, so we also wanted to think of ways to give back.
1) One way is getting a T-shirt and dog bandana with donation (see this post here)
2) Another way is being entered into the raffle with donation (read the logistics portion below)
3) If you purchase 2 T-shirts, you will also get 1 raffle ticket! (indicate your specialized prize and T-shirt sizes in the comment box)

 “Specialized Prizes”
We were lucky enough to get some large ticket donations for the raffle. To increase the odds of everyone winning the prize they really want, each raffle ticket will be entered into 1 of the ‘specialized prizes’ drawings of choice, and both of the collar drawings.Since you can choose which special prize you would like to win, there are less people competing for each prize and the chances of winning are greater!
Specialized Prizes include: 

1) Brand New in the Box GoPro HD Hero 960 Helmet Camera

The GoPro works as a camera AND a video camera taking pictures from your pooch's eyeview. We've been using it to videotape Mr. B in this skateboarding video and his perspective from this SociaBulls walk. It is set up to take photos every 2,5,10,30 or 60 seconds, and would be a great way to 'spy' on your pooch and see what they are doing and seeing while they are home every day. Donated by Miss M & Mr. B


2) Brand New Ruffwear Approach Pack

A brand new Ruffwear Approach pack as modeled by Miss M. We love how this backpack not only helps us carry dog groceries and farmer’s market finds, but it can also be an amazing training tool, and a way to  tire your dog out on even the shortest walks. The winner of this drawing will indicate the specific size needed. Donated by anonymous NLOL donor

3) Brand New Ruffwear K-9 Overcoat

These are our go-to everyday coats for the winter that can accomodate our pooches' muscular chests while doubling as rain gear. They have an inner-fleece lining to keep the pooches warm, even through our crazy Chicago weather. Plus, they are so durable, Miss M has had hers for 5 years! Winner will indicate size needed. Donated by anonymous NLOL donor


4) Custom Knit Dog Sweater

We know how easily our dogs get cold during the winter, but with their big chests it's often so hard to find sweaters that will fit around them but not be too long. We love these custom knit sweaters which are made to fit perfectly with the measurements of our dogs, and the opportunity to choose our own colors and patterns. We especially love the large rugby stripes! These sweaters are modeled by foster dog Ginger and Chick. Donated by Our Waldo Bungie.


Each ticket will be entered into your prize of choice above, as well as being eligible for each of the collar prizes below:

Sirius Republic Collar

The winner will receive a collar of choice from Sirius Republic. We are especially addicted to the martingale collars which the pooches have coordinated for the seasons. Plus, we love that Sirius offers embroidery which can be personalized with the pooches' names, Adopt Me collars to advertise a single dog's eligible status, and she even makes amazing embroidery like this beyond amazing embroidered Super Levi collar.

The winner will receive a standard collar, or Adopt Me collar of choice.

Silly Buddy Bow Tie

A dog friend once commented there are so few dog accessories for male dogs, but then we discovered the fun of Silly Buddy. These bowties make even ordinary days extraordinary when your pooch looks extra dapper. Not wanting to be left out, the bow ties can be turned around to become 'bows' for the girl dogs, as modeled by Miss M.

 The winner will get their choice of standard or bow tie collar.

Doggie Care Package

 

Two winners will receive doggie care packages including jars of homemade dog biscuits complete with ribbon, recipe and and bone cookie-cutters. The biscuits are pumpkin-peanutbutter and cheddar-flavored and donated by cooking guru Trissi.

Logistics:
We really want to thank everyone who has donated to help Levi, and we are still amazed by everyone's generosity. Below are some of the technicalities. We want to make this a fair and positive experience for everyone, but if there is something we happen to have overlooked, please do let us know.
-Each $20 donation will count as one raffle ticket.
-Or, if you buy 2 T-shirts you will get one raffle ticket .
-You can make donations on the New Leash donation page to get a raffle ticket or T-shirt.Please indicate in the comments which “Specialized Prize” you would like to put your ticket in. (Dog Backpack, GoPro Camera, Coat or Sweater) or T-shirt size.
-If you donated previously and would like to add the raffle ticket, please email kelseynlol@gmail.com and indicate the prize you would like to win.
-All tickets will automatically be entered into both collar drawings in addition to your “Specialized Prize”. If you buy multiple tickets, you will be entered multiple times to increase your chances of winning.
-Collar prizes are chosen at random. Unfortunately, you cannot select which of the prizes within the collar category you would prefer.
-The raffle will be open until November 12.
-Winners will be chosen at random through an online random number generator that NLOL will coordinate.
-When winners are notified, we will coordinate the information and shipment of your prize.
You can purchase raffle tickets and T-shirts on the NLOL site by clicking here.
Again, we want to thank everyone for your amazing support and generosity. We are still humbled seeing the amount of people who have come together to support Levi to give him a chance for a future happy life.
Please continue to check our Facebook Page for updates.

Other Ways to Help:
1) Please, please spread the word and share on your Facebook page or blog.
2) Plus, we are also selling these Flying SuperLevi T-shirts and dog bandanas as we walk together, virtually and in person, to support Levi in finding his X-ray vision. You can find information on how to participate and buy the shirts is here.
Thank you again for all your support and for sharing Levi's story!

We Need Your Help: Help SuperLevi Find his Super X-Ray Vision

We always joke that our fosterdog, little SuperLevi ,was raised by Superheros. And while he is always trying to help us if he thinks we're in distress, and charm the seemingly eternally grumpy Miss M, we realized that little SuperLevi actually needs our help.
Quite by chance we discovered that Levi has a congenital eye condition that will effect his vision in the near future. He is not in any pain, and he does not have any vision loss at this time, but left untreated he will lose vision in the future. We were so devastated to hear this, especially as he is so young.
But the good news is, there is a corrective surgery that will make him as good as new. The bad part: this surgery will cost about $2,700 (at discount!).
But, we know SuperLevi is really depending on us to help find his Super X-Ray Vision. And we have some ideas...

 One of Levi's favorite Superhero things to do is go for group walks. And since he's such a great walker, we thought we would have a mini Superhero-themed walk to "Help SuperLevi find his X-Ray Vision". And since we know everyone does the walk just for the T-shirt anyway, we made our own limited edition SuperLevi T-shirts and dog bandannas, based on these photos:

Want to support Levi in his search for his X-Ray vision?
Interested in getting a unique, limited-edition shirt, and snazzy bandana, that will help support Levi?
If you purchase 2 T-shirts, you will get one raffle ticket!

Here is how you can help:
 If You Live Outside the Chicago Area:
We would love to see you walking with your pooch in your own area in Levi's honor. Just like on New Year's Eve where they check in to all areas of the country, it would be great to see photos of people from all over posting photos on Facebook wearing the T-shirts and bandannas on the day of the local walk and walking in his honor.
If you would be interested in buying a shirt: you can make a tax-deductible donation on the New Leash site.
-1 Shirt & 1 Bandanna is $33, including shipping within the US.
-Extra Bandannas are $15 each.
-You can purchase them by making a donation clicking here.https://newleash.ipower.com/chicago/donationform.asp
-In the 'description box' make sure to include your preferred T-shirt size.
-Please order by Thursday, November 3 to make sure you receive your items in time. We have a limited quantity, and shirts will be available as long as quantities last.

If You Live in the Chicago Area:
We will be having a fun renegade,Superhero-themed walk for Levi the weekend of November 12. We would love to have you join Levi, Miss M, and Mr. B to walk to find Levi's X-Ray vision.
Check for complete details in a future post, but to 'reserve your spot' and order your T-shirt and bandanna:
--1 Shirt & 1 Bandanna is $30, extra Bandannas are $15 each.
-You can purchase by making a donation clicking here.
-In the 'description box' make sure to include your preferred T-shirt size.
-Please order early. Shirts will be available as long as quantities last.
--You can pick up your shirt at the walk, or by arranging to pick it up at a NLOL adoption event.

Other Ways to Help:
1) Please, please spread the word and share on your Facebook page or blog.
2) Any type of donation would be greatly appreciated. Levi's rescue is an all-volunteer rescue so all donations go directly to the pooches. New Leash on Life also seeks to help the under-represented pooches and has been so successful finding many homes for senior dogs, bonded pairs, deaf dogs, and many pit bulls (including Miss M!). They function solely on donations and are dedicated to giving dogs the medical care they need as they search for their future families.
3) Check our blog tomorrow as the pooches host a raffle including brand new versions of their favorite things.

Again, thank you in advance for your support. Special thanks to Frances Almeda for creating our amazing T-shirts and bandannas, Aleksandra for the creative ideas, Claudia for jump starting everything, Kelsey for being so inventive and organized, and all the great people at New Leash on Life and SociaBulls for helping pull things together.
Please make sure to check our Facebook page for updates!

Some of Our Favorite Things: Sophisticated Dog Gear

 I never thought I would turn into someone who would dress up my 75 lb dog, but I think with pitbulls it becomes a necessity whether you want to or not. With their short fur pitties don't do well in the cold; I found this out our first winter when Miss M became a quivering mess and I had to literally wrestle her to get her 75 lb body out the door. So here are a couple of our favorite essentials for keeping our pooches warm, happy, and stylish:

Ruffwear  K-9 Overcoat

Our pooches wear these basically all winter, especially in Chicago where we have the occasional Blizzaster. We like the Ruffwear brand because they fit to accommodate our pooches muscular chests, they double as a raincoat, and they're sleek for everyday wear. Plus they hold up well; Miss M has had hers for 5 years!

Cute Sweaters

 We bought our pooches' sweaters a couple of years ago, because they would get cold even when they were inside. Plus, we had to make them look a bit more approachable when we debuted them to E's family for their very first Thanksgiving. The pre-made sweaters tend to be a bit long for our pooches, and we actually have to pin the bottoms, and we are especially craving these adorable custom-sewn sweaters. I know Mr. B would look quite dashing in a rugby stripe.

Great Collars

I actually had a really hard time finding a collar I liked for Miss M, but now I think I've discovered a couple of great collar-makers and I'm quite addicted. When I discovered Sirius Republic makes matching leashes for their martingales, we were quick to deck out the pooches in matching gear. Mr. B especially loves how he matches E:

Then we discovered Silly Buddy with their most adorable bowtie collars. We love how they can make the everyday extraordinary; people really do doubletake watching our pooches walk down the street. Plus they are a great alternative to costumes.

These are some of our favorite picks. How else does everyone dress a sophisticated pup?

Some of Our Favorite Things: Backpack Training and Dog Video Camera

 To lead up to a big announcement later in the week, the pooches wanted to talk about some of their favorite things. The two things we get asked about the most are Mr. B's backpack and camera.
I had never even known that someone would make something like a backpack for dogs, but as crazy as it sounds, it has many purposes.
Backpack Workout & Training:

This was the main reason we bought the backpack in the first place. When we first adopted Mr. B he was crazy "Bulldozer Mr. B". The sights and sounds of the city where so exciting, instead of going for a run, Mr. B would go for a gallop. But once that backpack was on, his entire attitude changed. He had a job. He was focused. And our walks changed.
The backpack is also great because if we add extra weight it gives him a better workout. We don't have to walk as far, and we still get a happy, calm dog at home.

Running City Errands:

 The backpack also lets us incorporate our pooches in our daily life as we run our errands. For some reason it seems almost painful to walk a few blocks to the bakery, but with Mr. B at our side grabbing our groceries has become fun. We even wrote about how we have begun eating local as the pooches are able to carry their own dog groceries, goods from the Farmer's Markets, butcher, baker and wine store.
Note: We never leave our dogs unattended outside and either run errands as a family, or I call ahead and the owners are happy to bring things outside to us.

Making our Pooches Approachable:

 We love taking our pooches around the city, and it's extra rewarding when people ask to meet our dogs and gain a new perspective on pitbulls. The backpack makes our dogs that much more approachable. Our SociaBull pooch friend Lola has started wearing the backpack and her mom noticed how they meet so many more people as a backpack-toting pooch.


Mr. B's Camera:

At the same time, people are also so curious about Mr. B's camera. We are kind of obsessed with experimenting with all kinds of cameras, so what better camera to add into the mix than one for our pooch?
While he used to have the Dog Eye View Camera, the battery quickly fizzled and since it isn't replaceable, we would have had to buy a whole new camera. So Mr. B upgraded to the GoPro HD Hero 960.
This camera has a waterproof case, so it can go the extreme, and it takes 5 megapixel photos, so these pictures are high definition.We hook the camera up to his collar, and it's set to take photos every 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 seconds, and we always think it's so funny to see things from his view. Like this awkward family photo:

The best part...it is also a video camera! We've had a lot of fun seeing things how Mr. B sees it, especially seeing Mr. B in this skateboarding video and his perspective from this SociaBulls walk.
Plus, the camera is kind of cool to use if you're involved in extreme sports. If your pooch lets you borrow it.
We have seen some of our other dog friends use backpacks, and we'd love to hear how your packs work for you. And does anyone else out there have a dog camera?

Sociabulls: Walking the Boulevards

One of my favorite parts of our SociaBulls dogwalking club is that while our pooches are being socialized through the pack walking, we also get to socialize with one another as we explore all the hidden parks and gems in Chicago. This week we took to 'Walking the Boulevards'.

 The Boulevards are actually an intricate part of Chicago history. Back in 1859, while thinking of ways to beautify the city, they developed the Boulevard System:  mini 'grassy parks' flanked on either side by the road and encircling the city. The Boulevards also connect many of the major parks including Humboldt Park and Jackson Park.

It was actually really nice to having these mini-parks to ourselves; the pooches were able to walk more 'pack-like' without running into other dogs or distractions. Plus, I never realized Chicago was so green!

It was also nice to be so visible since this is Pitbull Awareness Weekend. People were curious to see the pooches all walking so nicely together, especially since we have so many pitbulls and a variety of other types of dogs.

Mr. B made a nice caddy: all decked out with his backpack, to carry his water, and his GoPro camera taking photos and videos from his view.

Next week we're hoping to explore the city's beautiful lakefront. If you are interested in joining our group, please email us, using the envelope icon on our sidebar, and the subject line: SociaBulls.
SociaBulls members, make sure to check the site tonight for the event listing.

Chicago Fall Tourist with Your Dog (and some Winners)

 After receiving a summer-full of some fantastic posts, we learned so many things we could do with our dogs. While we're sad to see the series go, it did inspire us to be creative and continue be a Tourist in Our Own City with the pooches, even though the great weather and summer festivals are over. Here are some ways to be a Tourist with Your Dog in Chicago during the fall:

Appreciate Fall Foliage in Turn-of-the-Century Parks 

 Through our SociaBulls walks we've been exploring more of the urban parks around the city. While they were gorgeous in the summer, we're excited to see how these Victorian-style parks look decked out in fall colors. Plus, it's even better with the company of 20+ of our favorite dog friends.

Take the Dog-Walking Desert Tour 

 We wrote before about the dessert tour we like to take in our neighborhood. We're excited to load up the pooches backpacks, pick up some fresh-baked ciabatta bread for some grilled cheese and tomato soup and finish with some pumpkin pie.

Take Downtown Art Walks

 Tourists flock downtown during the summer making it way too crowded for the pooches. Now we can catch a cab with the pooches and visit some of the city's outdoor art. I don't think the pooches have ever seen a  Picasso statue before.


Have 'Crisp Weather' Impromptu Picnics 

We love having impromptu picnics while on our daily walk, and though the weather is getting cooler, we can still grab a foldable pizza slice from Paula & Monica or a hot chocolate and baguette.
Does anyone else have any fun fall-weather activities you do with your pooches?

And Now for Some Winners....
Miss M and Mr. B wanted to use the Tourist in Your Own City Series to donate to the rescues of choice to the 2 posts with the most comments. The pooches will be donating $75 to Heart of America Humane Society to support dogs like foster dog Ginger in Kansas, City. And they will be donating another $75 to East CAN in Nashville which helps dogs like Charlotte.

 Also, Sirius Republic decided to give away 2 collars, through random drawing, open to everyone who submitted a post. Levi is very proud of his very own Sirius "Adopt Me' collar advertising his single status. We ranked the posts in the order they ran, and we used a random number generator to pick the following winners: Shiva from Nova Scotia, and Sadie, Maggie, and Hurley from Portland. Congrats!