{"id":8714,"date":"2017-01-29T11:36:07","date_gmt":"2017-01-29T18:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=8714"},"modified":"2019-11-13T12:04:10","modified_gmt":"2019-11-13T19:04:10","slug":"lupes-pupjoy-experience-12-6-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=8714","title":{"rendered":"Lupe’s PupJoy Experience (12-6-16)"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the day after Thanksgiving, Erik told SPHP that a\u00a0gift\u00a0from Erik & Ana would be arriving soon in the form of an email.\u00a0 Erik & Ana know how crazy SPHP is about Lupe, so they had chosen wisely.\u00a0 When the email turned up a couple of days later it said “Congratulations!!\u00a0 You’ve Received a Gift Subscription to PupJoy!”<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

When SPHP told Lupe about the email, she\u00a0quickly agreed it\u00a0sounded promising, despite the fact that, neither SPHP nor Lupe had the faintest idea what it really meant.<\/p>\n

The email contained\u00a0a link to claim the gift subscription, which took SPHP to a screen where basic information about Lupe had to be entered to proceed (size, age, sex – that sort of thing).\u00a0 That was easy enough, but next came a few options about various subscriptions – how many boxes did Lupe want, how often, etc?<\/p>\n

All SPHP wanted to do was claim\u00a0Lupe’s free gift, not sign up for an ongoing subscription, so SPHP used\u00a0PupJoy’s online chat feature and wound up speaking with a very pleasant fellow by the name of Dustin.\u00a0 Dustin explained that Lupe’s free gift subscription was for a single shipment of one box.\u00a0 The box would contain items chosen by PupJoy for Lupe based on the initial\u00a0information SPHP had provided about her.\u00a0 Only a few clicks later, Lupe’s PupJoy box was on order.<\/p>\n

SPHP told Lupe that her PupJoy box was on its way!\u00a0 Every morning after that, SPHP made a big deal about letting Lupe out on the front step to see if her PupJoy box was here yet.\u00a0 Lupe enjoyed this routine, but seemed a little puzzled by it, since\u00a0even using her\u00a0amazingly keen\u00a0Carolina Dog sensory powers,\u00a0she\u00a0didn’t notice a single thing different about the front step than before.<\/p>\n

Nothing changed until\u00a0the morning of December 6th.\u00a0 When Lupe went out to inspect the front step, there it was!\u00a0 Lupe’s PupJoy box had arrived!\u00a0 Even though what\u00a0might be in the PupJoy box\u00a0was still a total mystery, Lupe already seemed happy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
On the morning of December 6th, 2016, when Lupe went out to check on the front step – there it was! Lupe’s first PupJoy box had arrived! She already seemed happy about it, although what might be inside remained a complete mystery.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Both Lupe and SPHP were curious.\u00a0 What was in this PupJoy box?<\/p>\n

When you’re about to open a treasure chest, you don’t do it in front of the whole world.\u00a0 SPHP took the box in the house.\u00a0 Moments later, it was open.\u00a0 Inside were 4 items –\u00a02 dog toys and 2 bags of treats.\u00a0 Before trying any of it out, Lupe agreed to pose briefly on the back step with all her newly acquired PupJoy loot.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe on the back step with all her new PupJoy loot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All of Lupe’s new possessions looked like high quality items.\u00a0 SPHP was hopeful Lupe would like them.\u00a0 Maybe Lupe would like to try the dog treats first?\u00a0 SPHP opened the 8 oz. green bag of Down Dog Snacks – Peas, Love & Carrots flavor.\u00a0 The package said they were made of All-Natural, Real, Simple Ingredients.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe received an 8 oz. bag of Down Dog Snacks – Peas, Love & Carrots flavor in her PupJoy box.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
According to the back of the Down Dog Snacks package, these Peas, Love & Carrots flavor treats had received the paw of approval by Rumi, the Chief Tasting Officer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Down Dog Treats were shaped like hearts, about the size of a half dollar.\u00a0 When SPHP gave one to Lupe, she took it in her mouth, held it for a second or two, then dropped it on the ground.\u00a0 SPHP gave it back to her several times.\u00a0 Each time she did the same thing, except faster than before.\u00a0 Lupe didn’t want one.<\/p>\n

Well, that was disappointing.\u00a0 Maybe she would like some of Grandma Lucy’s Organic Baked Dog Treats – Pumpkin Recipe?\u00a0 Lupe had a big 14 oz. bag of those.\u00a0 Pumpkin seemed like an odd flavor for dogs, but who knew?\u00a0 Sometimes Lupe likes things one wouldn’t expect.\u00a0 SPHP opened the bag.\u00a0 The treats were small and shaped like little teddy bears.\u00a0 Lupe could have several of them, if she liked them.\u00a0 They did smell like pumpkin.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The biggest bag of treats Lupe received in her PupJoy box was a 14 oz. bag of Grandma Lucy’s Organic Oven Baked Dog Treats – Pumpkin Recipe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The Grandma Lucy’s pumpkin recipe treats were small and shaped like little teddy bears as shown on the back side of the package. If Lupe liked them, she could have several at a time.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unfortunately, the Grandma Lucy’s Pumpkin Recipe treats suffered the same fate as the Down Dog Snacks.\u00a0 Into the mouth, then dropped almost immediately on the ground.\u00a0 Lupe simply didn’t want them.\u00a0 She didn’t have the slightest interest.<\/p>\n

Normally, when Lupe gets dog treats, she practically inhales them.\u00a0 One wonders if\u00a0she can even taste them?\u00a0 Half a second and the treats\u00a0are gone,\u00a0with Lupe begging\u00a0for more.\u00a0 Not with the PupJoy treats, though.\u00a0 She didn’t want a thing to do with either of\u00a0them.<\/p>\n

Well, it was too bad.\u00a0 Although Lupe sometimes likes to share oatmeal, squash, sweet potatoes and a few\u00a0things like\u00a0that with\u00a0SPHP, Lupe wasn’t used to organic vegetable treats.\u00a0 Peas, carrots, and pumpkin aren’t on the usual\u00a0Lupe menu.\u00a0 All the treats she gets regularly are meat flavored or animal-based\u00a0– chicken, beef, pork, bacon, cheese.\u00a0 Maybe Lupe would eventually get used to these PupJoy treats, if SPHP kept giving them to her over a few days?\u00a0 If not, SPHP could try giving them away to a more appreciative neighbor’s dog.<\/p>\n

What about the PupJoy toys?\u00a0 The American Dog brand carrot was bright and colorful, but seemed like a strange thing for a dog to play with.\u00a0 It did have a squeaker inside.\u00a0 Besides making the squeaker squeak, though, what would Lupe do with it?\u00a0 Not a darn thing\u00a0was the immediate response.\u00a0 When SPHP offered her the American Dog carrot, Lupe sniffed it with almost total disinterest before walking away.\u00a0 Hmm, so far, PupJoy was 0 for 3.\u00a0 Not good.<\/p>\n

However, SPHP hoped the best had been saved for last.\u00a0 The last toy was the Tuffy Ultflyer by MyDogToy.com.\u00a0 It was like a Frisbee, but made of cloth.\u00a0 Like the American Dog carrot, it also had a squeaker sewn inside.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The last item from Lupe’s PupJoy box that she got to try was a Tuffy Ultflyer by MyDogToy.com. It was like a Frisbee made of fabric instead of plastic.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The Tuffy Ultflyer was the last great hope from Lupe’s PupJoy box. A flying disc made of cloth did seem like a good idea to SPHP. Surely, Lupe would like this toy?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Lupe was very young, she used to play with a hard plastic Frisbee.\u00a0 She liked the Frisbee, but the hard plastic often resulted in mouth injuries that bled.\u00a0 For that reason, Lupe’s early days playing with a Frisbee were confined to only a few months.\u00a0 After a while, the mouth injuries didn’t seem worth it, even though Lupe completely\u00a0ignored them and appeared to be having lots of\u00a0fun.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
When Lupe was a still growing Carolina Dog, she used to play with Frisbees, but the hard plastic often caused minor wounds that made her mouth bleed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe’s cousin Dusty has a soft pliable plastic flying disc like a Frisbee, but Lupe never plays with it.\u00a0\u00a0Lupe prefers to play defense, trying to herd Dusty when Dusty tries to catch it.\u00a0\u00a0Even the\u00a0soft pliable plastic flying disc occasionally makes Dusty’s mouth bleed.\u00a0 The worst part of it, though, is that both Dusty and Lupe will chew pieces off of it when no one is watching.<\/p>\n

A cloth Frisbee made of really tough material seemed like a good idea to SPHP, but it had been years since Lupe had chased a flying disc.\u00a0 Would she like it?<\/p>\n

Yes, she did!\u00a0 Lupe did like the Tuffy Ultflyer.\u00a0 Her new\u00a0flying disc was an instant\u00a0hit!<\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP weren’t in very good\u00a0flying disc form\u00a0at the beginning.\u00a0 SPHP found the disc rather stiff and hard to throw accurately.\u00a0 Lupe’s favorite toys have been balls.\u00a0 She is used to letting them bounce once before snatching them out of the air.\u00a0 Lupe\u00a0kept making the mistake of letting the flying disc hit the ground before trying to grab it.\u00a0 The flying disc didn’t bounce at all, although once in a while it landed rolling on edge.<\/p>\n

The flying disc\u00a0almost always died right where\u00a0it first hit the ground.\u00a0 Still,\u00a0Lupe did have fun\u00a0chasing it.\u00a0 In hot pursuit, Lupe\u00a0kept coming\u00a0to screeching stops, before scrambling back to\u00a0grab it.\u00a0 She then thought it was fun to try to make\u00a0the flying disc\u00a0squeak.\u00a0 The squeaker wasn’t very loud, but those big soft Dingo ears could hear\u00a0the squeaker\u00a0well enough.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe was very happy with her new Tuffy Ultflyer flying disc. It was the only one of the four items in the PupJoy box she showed any interest in on the day she received it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Come on, let’s play!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe wanted to go practice with the flying disc many times that afternoon.\u00a0 She kept bringing it to SPHP, who obliged her with a few more tosses each session.\u00a0 Gradually SPHP was getting the hang of throwing the flying disc.\u00a0 It took a while for Lupe to realize she could catch\u00a0her new\u00a0flying disc\u00a0in the air without letting it bounce.\u00a0 She had even more fun streaking after it then!<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mind flinging this flying disc for me a few more times, SPHP?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
At least the flying disc was a success!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite SPHP\u00a0offering the Down Dog Snacks and Grandma Lucy’s Dog Treats to Lupe several more times that first day, Lupe’s opinion of them hadn’t changed.\u00a0 She didn’t eat a single one of either kind.\u00a0 Neither did she show any interest in the American Dog fabric carrot.\u00a0 1 out of 4 isn’t very good, but at least Lupe did get some real enjoyment out of her Tuffy Ultflyer.\u00a0 PupJoy hadn’t struck out\u00a0completely.<\/p>\n

The next morning, there was another email from PupJoy.\u00a0 This one requested feedback from Lupe.\u00a0 Ouch!\u00a0 It wasn’t going to be too pretty.\u00a0 SPHP felt sort of bad filling out the response questionnaire, but the truth was the truth.\u00a0 Besides, the opinions were really Lupe’s, and Carolina Dogs are always honest about their feelings.\u00a0 Still it seemed a shame, when\u00a0all the PupJoy products were high quality, and Dustin had been so nice to deal with.<\/p>\n

On a\u00a0scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best, SPHP gave PupJoy a ranking of\u00a0only 2.\u00a0 SPHP wrote a detailed explanation of what Lupe thought of each product to explain the low ranking, then hit\u00a0the send button.\u00a0 Nothing happened.\u00a0 The feedback didn’t go through.\u00a0 Maybe there was a\u00a0limit to the\u00a0number of characters\u00a0or time taken for the response?\u00a0 Technology –\u00a0who knew?<\/p>\n

No matter, PupJoy would have been disappointed in Lupe’s opinion anyway.\u00a0 Although, if PupJoy was really interested in making their services better, it’s patterns of negative responses that are most apt to alert them to potential problems in need of solutions.\u00a0 However, Lupe’s opinion was only a single data point.\u00a0 SPHP wasn’t going to try to rewrite and resend all that again.<\/p>\n

And that’s how things stayed until the evening of that second day.\u00a0 Sometime after dark, an unexpected visitor showed up at the door of SPHP’s office.\u00a0 By golly, if it wasn’t Bugs Dingo!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Aww, what’s up, SPHP?<\/em> An unexpected visitor showed up at the door of SPHP’s office on the evening of the 2nd day. Bugs Dingo was here and ready for some wild American Dog squeaker carrot action!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bugs Dingo was looking bright-eyed, curly tailed, and cute as a button.\u00a0 A carrot still seemed like a crazy dog toy, but Bugs Dingo had a different opinion.\u00a0 She was ready for some wild American Dog squeaker carrot action!<\/p>\n

The game was Keep Away.\u00a0 Up and down the stairs.\u00a0 From the living room through the hall to the bedroom and back.\u00a0 Over and over again.\u00a0 Bugs Dingo was lightning fast and elusive despite the confined quarters.\u00a0 However, when SPHP did manage to corner Bugs and make a grab for the carrot,\u00a0it was made of such slick material that Bugs Dingo had a hard time managing to hang on to it.<\/p>\n

Keep Away evolved into Tug-O-War.\u00a0 It took Bugs a while to learn how to maintain a good grip on the fat end of the carrot.\u00a0 When SPHP got sole possession, the carrot was flung to the far side of the room, or up or down the stairs.\u00a0 Bugs Dingo dashed after it every time, bringing it back to SPHP instantly, for more carrot fun.<\/p>\n

The games went on to the extent of SPHP’s endurance.\u00a0 Bugs Dingo didn’t want to let that carrot get put away.\u00a0 She wanted to make it squeak, and like any rodent, she wanted to gnaw on it.\u00a0 Bugs Dingo took it to bed with her that evening.\u00a0 She wanted that American Dog carrot, and not her usual rawhide stick.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Bugs Dingo took her American Dog carrot to bed with her on the 2nd evening after it arrived in the PupJoy box. She wanted it instead of her usual rawhide stick. SPHP had to watch her so she didn’t chew it to pieces, though.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The American Dog carrot wasn’t the only thing Lupe changed her mind about.\u00a0 After a couple of days of offering the Down Dog Snacks and Grandma Lucy’s Oven Baked Dog Treats to Lupe multiple times a day, only to be turned down each time, SPHP started just leaving a few treats scattered around on the floor.<\/p>\n

At first, nothing happened.\u00a0 On the floor they remained.\u00a0 SPHP was about to conclude that those healthy treats really were going to have to be given away.\u00a0 However, Lupe had been pondering something.\u00a0 Since she was now part rabbit, as Bugs Dingo, maybe she\u00a0didn’t have to be a total meat-eating predator?\u00a0 Maybe some veggies were OK?<\/p>\n

After laying on the floor for a couple of days, one morning\u00a0SPHP woke up to find the treats\u00a0had all disappeared.\u00a0 SPHP tossed a few more on the floor.\u00a0 Those disappeared, too.\u00a0 Not right away, but eventually.\u00a0 Gradually, Lupe was warming up to healthy veggie treats.\u00a0 Grandma Lucy’s Pumpkin Recipe was her early favorite, but soon she was just as ready to accept the Down Dog Snacks Peas, Love & Carrots treats.<\/p>\n

Over the course of a week, a new PupJoy routine emerged.\u00a0 With snow on the ground, balls didn’t bounce.\u00a0 During the day, Lupe preferred chasing her new Tuffy Ultflyer.\u00a0 In addition to becoming quite good at catching it in mid-air, she enjoyed making it squeak.\u00a0 She really liked latching onto it with her jaws, and being slung around by SPHP\u00a0whirling in a circle with all 4 paws off the ground.\u00a0 Whee!<\/p>\n

Many times each day, Lupe brought her flying disc to SPHP to announce that it was time for another flying disc session.\u00a0 When her birthday came on 12-14-16, Lupe started her day off right with her flying disc.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe with her flying disc on her 6th birthday on December 14th, 2016.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the evenings, Bugs Dingo wanted to play with the American Dog carrot.\u00a0 Up and down the stairs, racing back and forth between rooms.\u00a0 Keep Away and Tug-O-War.\u00a0 When SPHP tired out, Lupe still wanted to make that carrot squeak, and still wanted to gnaw on it.\u00a0 Although it’s made of tough material, SPHP had to put the carrot away to keep it from being totally demolished in short order.<\/p>\n

On Christmas Eve, Lupe even took her carrot with her to Grandma’s house.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Lupe took her American Dog carrot with her to Grandma’s house on Christmas Eve for something to do while waiting for Santa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Bugs Dingo at Grandma’s house. Christmas Eve 2016.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At bedtime, Lupe continued hopping up on the bed with SPHP like she usually does.\u00a0 Instead of wanting her usual rawhide stick, though, she had a new idea for a nightly routine.<\/p>\n

Apparently\u00a0Lupe had read the part on the Down Dog Snacks bag about “Feed as a training snack.”\u00a0 It worked!\u00a0 She quickly trained SPHP to feed her more snacks.\u00a0 Lupe stayed next to SPHP on the bed, happily munching and crunching away on Grandma Lucy’s Pumpkin Recipe and Down Dog Snacks Peas, Love & Carrots flavor treats.\u00a0 Every so often, she would bark or growl to signal the need for a fresh supply.<\/p>\n

So where do things stand now, nearly 2 months after Lupe received her PupJoy box?\u00a0 The Tuffy Ultflyer flying disc from MyDogToy.com\u00a0is looking kind of bedraggled, but remains\u00a0basically intact.\u00a0 SPHP\u00a0continues to throw it\u00a0for Lupe many times each day.<\/p>\n

The American Dog carrot has suffered quite a bit of gnawing damage, inflicted during a couple of brief oversights when Bugs Dingo was left alone with it for a few minutes.\u00a0 One of the two green tops is completely gone.\u00a0 The end of the carrot is missing, and half of the stuffing torn out.\u00a0 Bugs Dingo still loves the carrot, though, and still gets to play Keep Away and Tug-O-War with it most evenings.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The American Dog carrot has suffered some gnawing damage from Bugs Dingo, but Lupe still likes to play with it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe still has quite a supply of her usual treats received from Santa and other benefactors at Christmas.\u00a0 However, all of the Grandma Lucy’s Pumpkin Recipe and Down Dog Snacks Peas, Love & Carrots flavor treats were munched and crunched up long ago.\u00a0\u00a0Well before\u00a0they ran out, it was clear Lupe was really enjoying them.<\/p>\n

First impressions aren’t always right.\u00a0 Lupe’s initial 2 out of 5 stars first impression drastically under-rated PupJoy.\u00a0 Lupe wound up enjoying all 4 of the products in her PupJoy box.\u00a0 SPHP thought only the carrot was a little weak for Lupe.\u00a0 Even though it is made of military grade material and designed to be tough, Bugs Dingo had no problem causing significant gnawing damage in only a few minutes when left alone with the American Dog carrot.<\/p>\n

So maybe PupJoy should have been given 3.5 out of 4 stars for the products Lupe received.\u00a0 The 5th star should be saved for evaluating cost, always an important consideration.\u00a0 Of course, Lupe’s first PupJoy box was a gift from Erik & Ana (thank you!)<\/em>, so\u00a0to Lupe, the price was an unbeatable free of charge.<\/p>\n

SPHP did a little checking online and found the following approximate retail costs for the items Lupe got in her first PupJoy box:\u00a0 Down Dog Snacks $10, Grandma Lucy’s Oven Baked Treats $9, American Dog carrot $10, Tuffy Ultimate Flyer $16.70.\u00a0 Total retail value of $45.70.\u00a0 Since the PupJoy website shows a cost for gift boxes ranging from $23 to $44 with free shipping in the USA ($5 in Canada), it appears PupJoy does offer at least\u00a0fair value for money spent, and perhaps a discount.<\/p>\n

What it all boils down to is Lupe’s new PupJoy rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars.\u00a0 Is she hoping there’s more PupJoy in her future?\u00a0 Of course, she is!<\/p>\n

Reasons to try PupJoy<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n