D.I.Y Doggy Ball Pit Summer Fun- #NudgeThemBack

This post is sponsored by Nudges® Dog Treats and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated to help create awareness about Nudges Wholesome Dog Treats available at Walmart® but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. Nudges® Dog Treats is not responsible for the content of this article.

Momma Told Me: Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge.

About 2 weeks ago I flew across country for 10 days to help with an ongoing family emergency. I normally look forward to a chance to return to my father's hometown, on the East Coast, but this visit was especially draining emotionally and physically. Every night, at 2 or 3 in the morning when I'd finally curl up on a blow up mattress, or even just a wooden rocking chair, I'd wonder what my pets were doing. I'd miss fighting Truffles, the cat, for foot space, or the way Nora, the dog, would always spin in circles whenever I picked up my keys to head for the door. While a part of me felt guilty for leaving them home, and behind, I mostly longed simply to see them again.

One particularly exhausting night I found myself unable to sleep, my mind kept up by the slew of events in the recent days past. In an effort to distract myself I tried to remember some of the absolute best memories of my childhood. After all, I was surrounded by generations of photos, family keepsakes, and memories. Somehow my mind was taken back to an ordinary fast food chain, and a ball pit that seemed as massive as the ocean itself. Every visit Momma would let me run in, after eating my nuggets, and I would jump from the snake-like slide until I was sinking in a rainbow of color. Although I couldn't see anything but the muddy cracks of light beneath the layers of shiny colored plastic, I would find an instant peace and contentment.

When I arrived back in California I couldn't quite get the warm memory of fast food and ball pits off my mind- And I was more than overdue for some spoiling of the fur-children. So I planned a special activity with both the cat and dog (separate, of course) and headed to Walmart to get the canine version of my childhood nuggets, Nudges®. Ever since Nora was a puppy the Nudges® brand of Made In The U.S.A. dog treats have been a staple for bonding and rewards. The brand itself actually caught one of our tweets to them back when Nora was just 11 months old, and still re-shares it to this day! I have to say I do love a brand that engages with their customers on such a personal level!

But back to the treats-  Nudges® dog treats are 100% real treats made with chicken, duck, pork, or beef, and never contain any artificial fillers or flavors. They are sold in several tongue wagging varieties including newer grill inspired Nudges® Grillers and Sizzlers or the classic Nudges® Jerky strips Nora was raised on. All of their varieties are easy to tear, making them great for reward based training, or simply portioning for small breed dogs (such as Nora). The Nudges® Jerky treats are actually quite big for Nora, and we can often get more than one serving out of a single piece! That means a single value sized bag of Nudges® from Walmart goes a long way in our home- good thing we have lots of canine friends!

But back to my hair-brained idea to share one of my childhood joys with the dog- I picked up an affordable kiddie pool while stocking up on Nudges® at Walmart. (Click here to find them at a store near you!) This time of the year you can get a toddler sized one pretty cheap, or a more durable, larger, plastic wading pool for around $15. Scoring the crush-proof plastic balls is a different story, but well worth the investment. You can even have them shipped to your home directly online for fairly cheap, since they weigh next to nothing.

Of course I made the mistake of pulling out the candy Nudges® in front of the child dog before play time had commenced, so Nora was unwilling to show ANY interest in my awesome ball pit until AFTER she was properly rewarded. Silly dog, you get treats for doing good things, not as a precursor to the promise of good behavior! In any case, she ran into my lap, where I snapped the above selfie old-school style with my DSLR, and I immediately gave into the begging. I allowed her 1 Nudges® chicken Jerky Cuts, and 1 Nudges® Grillers steak treat. I expect that's about equal to 2 hot fudge sundaes, but seeing as these are wholesome dog treats, not processed sugar, I let it slide.

When she was done Nora promptly ran over to her father to thank him. Typical.

Seeing as somebody needed to take advantage of the gorgeous day, I forced them both up, and told Jay to start running. Nora loves to run. In seconds she was off like a flash of lightening, back and forth, making the silliest sounds a dog ever made. (Hey, she thinks she's tough.) It was only a matter of time before the dog, or Jay, went crashing through the ball pit. Thankfully, this time, it was the dog.

This time Nora discovered the super awesome ball pit on her own, making it instantly 10X more awesome. I will have to capture this dog on video one day  prancing back and forth as balls fly here and there. It truly does capture some of the magic of my own childhood memories. It's also wildly fun to try and keep up with the balls being knocked out- if your dog's really athletic, they might even try to intercept them as you toss them back in. All I know is it has to be one heck of a great aerobic workout for our tiny dog to wade back and forth through that rainbow of balls.

Nora's much more than a dog. Like so many pets across the country, she is considered family, and I am constantly looking for new ways to engage and interact with her. A Summertime Ball Pit is just one of the fun activities we will keep on rotation this season. As far as treats? We've tried a lot of different ones through the past few years, but we always have Nudges® wholesome dog treats on hand not only because Nora loves them, but because they're a quality treat made right here in the U.S.A. Grab a limited time coupon for Nudges® here. Celebrate the joy dogs bring to our lives and join the Nudges Dog Treats Facebook Community. Now, tell me, what's one childhood guilty pleasure you with you could share with your pet or child?

 What Daughter Says: Your pets nudge you to better days, why not nudge them back?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Nudges® Dog Treats. The opinions and text are all mine.