The Joy of a Great Movie: Pixel Introduces "Max the Movie" - Best Friend. Hero. Marine.

There is nothing quite like a good story about a true hero overcoming adversity through the power of love, friendship and determination. If that story has a dog as the main character? Well, I'm hooked! Max the Movie is a very special movie coming out on June 26th that tells a story quite unlike any other dog story you've seen. It's incredibly moving, adventurous and gripping, and beautifully portrayed. Let me tell you more about it...

Max the Movie follows the journey of Max, a precision-trained military working dog (MWD), who serves on the frontlines in Afghanistan alongside his handler, U.S. Marine Kyle Wincott. They have a very special bond. But when things go terribly wrong on maneuvers, Kyle is mortally wounded and Max, traumatized by the loss of his best friend, is unable to remain in service.

            Over 3,000 Dogs have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Max was so bonded to Kyle, that he won't work with anyone else. Traumatized by the loss of his best friend and suffering from PTSD, Max is unable to remain in service.
I can only imagine how horrible it must have been for Max to suddenly be alone without his beloved human by his side anymore. Military working dogs and their handlers literally spend every waking and sleeping moment together in Afghanistan.

Shipped stateside, the only human he seems willing to connect with is Kyle’s teenage brother, Justin, so Max is adopted by Kyle’s family, essentially saving his life. But Justin has issues of his own, such as living up to his father’s expectations for him; he isn't interested in taking responsibility for his brother’s troubled dog. However, Max may be Justin’s only chance to discover what really happened to his brother that day on the front, and with the help of a tough-talking young teen named Carmen, who has a special way with dogs, Justin begins to appreciate his canine companion. There are so many incredible scenes in this movie that will make you smile, make you cry and warm your heart like nothing else. This is a chance to really understand what it's like for our brave military working dogs, their brave military soldier handlers and their families.
Watch the official movie preview for Max the Movie to see the exciting adventure that awaits you...

26 Dogs and 25 Handlers have given their lives 

in service to our country since 2003. 

Justin’s growing trust in Max helps the four-legged veteran revert back to his heroic self, and as the pair race against time to unravel the mystery, they find more excitement—and danger—than they bargained for. But they each might also find an unlikely new best friend…in each other.  “Max” stars Josh Wiggins (“Hellion”) as Justin Wincott, Lauren Graham (“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” TV’s “Parenthood”) as his mom, Pamela, and Oscar nominee Thomas Haden Church (“Sideways”) as his dad, Ray.
Yakin directed the film from a screenplay he wrote with Sheldon Lettich (“Legionnaire”). Karen Rosenfelt (“Marley & Me,” the “Twilight” series) and Ken Blancato (“The Book Thief”) served as producers, with Ben Ormand and Yakin executive producing.
Yakin’s behind-the-scenes creative team included director of photography Stefan Czapsky (“Safe”), production designer Kalina Ivanov (“The Vow,” “Little Miss Sunshine”), editor Bill Pankow (“The Untouchables,” “Let’s Be Cops”) and costume designer Ellen Lutter (“Grown Ups,” “50 First Dates). The music is by Trevor Rabin (“Grudge Match,” “Remember the Titans”).
This is a wonderful featurette about the movie and how they made it, and how important the soldier dogs are in the military. Dogs just like Max are heroes and they do heroic things for our military every day! You've got to see this!

Warner Bros. Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures present, a Sunswept Entertainment production, a Boaz Yakin movie, “Max.” The film opens nationwide on June 26, 2015, and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
PARENTS: “Max” has been RATED PG by the MPAA for action violence, peril, brief language and some thematic elements.

I can't wait to see this movie friends. It has special significance to me because my doggie sister Dixie Mae is a PTSD service dog to my Grammy who is a veteran. My Grampy is a retired veteran too, so we are very proud of our military, and understand the effects that PTSD can have on people and animals. Dixie Mae also suffers from PTSD of her own from being shot and abused as a mill dog, so we help her through those difficult times as well. That's what you do for family, just like in this movie.
Here is the official music video of the movie's song "Forever Young" by Blake Shelton. It is SO beautiful and will definitely make you cry. So grab some tissues, hug your dog and watch this moving #MaxtheMovie video:

Is your pet your hero? Share your photos and stories using the hashtags #HeroPet and #MaxMovie on social for a chance to be featured on the official MAX pages!
Follow MAX on Facebook at #/MaxMovie and on Instagram @MaxMovie. #MaxMovie
http://max-themovie.com
#/MaxMovie
https://www.instagram.com/MaxMovie

Don't miss an opportunity to see this amazing movie friends!

It will warm your heart and be a joy for the entire family.

The Joy of Love - Pixel Top 10 Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day with Your Pet

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's Valentine's Day weekend friends. Showering love on your dear ones isn't limited just to humans, just as it isn't limited to only one day. Dogs love spending time with their humans, they love getting gifts, and they love to play and show their love. Remember, pets have feelings too. We spend all day waiting for you to come home when you are gone. We want to spend every waking moment with you. Since Valentine's Day is on a weekend, why not do something extra special with your pet to let them know they are your one and only furry Valentine?
Here are some of my favorite ideas for showing your pets they are special this Valentine's Day...
1. Cook your pet a meal or bake a batch of dog treats.

Let pup watch you prepare it and take part in it. Make it a fun activity you do together. Use safe foods they can lick from the spoon or spatula such as chicken, pumpkin or peanut butter. Then, sit down and actually have a meal together.
Mommy lets me lick the spoon and gives me little bits of chicken as she makes her famous chicken and rice, making it a fun experience we share.  I wrote an article recently on safe foods for dogs that make for a great addition to a special meal or treats! And don't think that baking is just for ladies either. Lots of the best bakers are men.
2. Have a one on one grooming time.

I don't mean take them to the groomers, I mean get a special brush or comb, maybe some scissors if they have a few knots, and have a gentle petting/brushing session with lots of love. Take your time. Make sure there's not stress, let them lay their back or do whatever is comfortable. I know Mommy will start by just petting me and getting me all sleepy and comfy, then she will bring out a soft brush or a "slicker" brush to gently get the knots out. I love it!! It's a HUGE difference for your pet than having to stand on a public grooming table at a groomers with lots of strange dogs and cats (no offense to other animals), and being perhaps rushed along in getting brushed, possibly getting nicked in the process, and not getting the extra care that our beloved humans would give us with a loving petting/brushing fest. Follow it up with a bunch of their favorite treats!
3. Have a long outside play date (if the weather's right).

If it's warm outside, or if you love the snow, take your pet on an extra long play adventure outside. Bring a few of his or her favorite toys (a Kong Wubba is always a great choice!) and focus on you and your pet sharing some fun together.
Given that a lot of us have snow on the ground, but love the snow anyways, you could plan a few outside play times that are shorter so you both don't get frost bite but can enjoy romping together. Your pet will LOVE it!

**NOTE:  If you take your pet out in weather that is even remotely cold, please be sure to bundle them up in warm clothing. Yes, fur covered pets get cold too. Our paws can also get seriously injured by the snow melting salt on the ground, so be sure to wipe our paws after we come inside each time. And have a warm blanket ready for us to get bundled up in once we've had our fun. Our family likes to put a few blankets in the dryer and have them getting warm so that once me and my sisters are back in front playing outside, we have really warm blankets to get wrapped up in. Not to mention the electric throws we have on each couch and chair so that every dog in the house has a warm place to lay.
4. Have a wild inside play date.
If you can't go outside due to weather (it IS winter after all), then have a big giant play fest inside. Clear a big place in the living room or family room, remove anything breakable from possibly being in reach of a fun playful time, pull out ALL the toys from the toybox, and have a ball. ...have 10 balls! Let your pet go a little crazy! Allow yourself to really get into it. Remember that your pet is devoted to you 100% and they love to play with you so let them have extra time being silly with you. It will really make them feel special and loved. Let them wear themselves out! You can always clean up the disaster area of toys later while your happy and sleeping cat or dog is dreaming of all the fun you just had.
5. Have a "Special Delivery Valentine" delivered for your pet.
Pets love getting gifts just like humans do. What a wonderful surprise it would be for your pet to have one of their favorite toys delivered right to their door! You can set it up yourself. I was surprised with this amazing gift of a red wagon filled with my favorite little duckies who ALL wanted to come live here with me. I was elated and it was one of the BEST gifts I've ever received! The "special Valentine delivery" doesn't have to be expensive. You know what your pet loves. It can be something simple and sweet. The point is, when they go to the door, there is a surprise for them there and they get to enjoy it.
**NOTE from Mommy:  These little duckies are less than $2.50 each, and I already had the wagon from a Christmas display. So, for less than $20 I gave Pixel the surprise of a lifetime.

6. Take your pet on a car ride and/or shopping trip just for them.
Whether you just ride around in the car for a while just to drive, or take a car ride to your pet's favorite store, it will be a fun outing for both of you. I love riding in the car with Mommy. Even if she just goes to the pharmacy, I'm ready to jump in the vehicle with her. We sing songs, she talks to me and we just enjoy the time together. If you do go to the store, make sure to let your pet pick out whatever toy they want (within reason of course, heehee). Your pet might even like going to a drive through food place...I hear there's a few places that even have food for dogs! They are in bigger cities, but if you do some research, you just might find a fun new place that you and your pet can go to and enjoy a meal together.
7. Learn or practice a new trick together.

One of the best ways that Mommy and I bonded and still continue to bond is with our trick learning and practicing. Pets love to learn new things, we love to please our humans, and of course, we love to have fun. Positive reinforcement is the only way to go when pets are learning something new of course. Have a small bag of small treats (break up bones you have into tiny pieces - a hammer works great on a zip lock bag of dog bones), and a simple trick you'd like your pet to learn, such as putting their paw in your hand. Say one word like "Paw" or "Shake" and then take their paw in your hand, say good girl/boy, and give them a small treat. Repeat a few times, always being positive. If they start to do it even a tiny bit on their own, tell them good girl/boy and give them a treat. They'll be on their way in no time! Of course it won't be learned in a day (or maybe it will) but it's a fun new activity to start and it makes your dog feel special and loved, like you want to be there with them, interacting one on one with them.
For detailed tips on training your dog, here is a link to one of my Pixel dog training articles.
8. Hug
9. Kisses
10. SNU GGLES!! 
(Why,  these last three were just WAY too easy!)

These are just a few ways to make your pet feel special, loved and appreciated this Valentine's Day and everyday. Make them a part of your celebration! And of course, nothing beats some good old fashioned snuggle time!
Do you have a fun way you show the love to your pet? I'd love to hear about it! Leave me a comment below and share the love. Happy Valentine's Day!

This blog post about love and the many ways you can show it to your pet, including the special last photo of me and Mommy sharing the love, is part of a wonderful blog hop that my friend The Lazy Pit Bull is hosting called #52Snapshots of Life, where each week a different theme is the focus of our photos and blogs. This week's theme word was LOVE. How very fitting! I hope you enjoyed the love I shared and I hope you'll visit some of the other blogs sharing the LOVE on this Valentine's weekend. If you'd like to join in the blog hop fun, just use hashtags #52Snapshots and #PBSG and visit the host for more details.

The Joy of Flower Power - Beautiful Dogs for Adoption with Sophie Gamand Photography

In celebration of National Dog Day, I wanted to share some extraordinary portraits of some extraordinary dogs by a very talented photographer. I first saw the #PitBullFlowerPower portraits by Sophie Gamand a few weeks ago and I fell in love with every single one of them. She has a real gift for  pet photography and a heart for helping pets in need. Sophie chose to do this series only of pit bull breed dogs because they often get a bad rap for no reason. The "pit bull" is actually any one of several breeds including Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, or any mix of those breeds. Sometimes even English Bulldog or Boston Terrier mix dogs are grouped in as pit bulls.
This is what Sophie Gamand says on her website about this project: ""Flower Power" is about challenging myself to approach pit bulls with a fresh perspective and an open heart. I invite the viewer to do the same." To me ALL dogs are beautiful, and these amazing portraits highlight just how beautiful they are! Some of these dogs have since been adopted, but most of them are still in need of a loving forever home. Please share this post with all your friends, on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and other social media pages and let's find ALL of them a home this week!! Doesn't every single dog deserve a loving home?

Lovely Lucy is a 9 year young female pit bull/Labrador mix with the most infectious smile and beautiful amber eyes. Lucy is loyal, smart, sweet as can be and very affectionate.
Lucy was abandoned at a vet's office this past June unable to walk. She was taken in by Animal Haven rescue who got her the surgery she needed. Lucy is still healing and they are unsure if she'll be able to fully walk again, but she's still the sweetest girl around! Lucy would love nothing better than to spend her days bringing smiles and joy to her forever loving best friend or family.
For more information on how to adopt this beautiful flower they call lovely Lucy, visit Lucy's Animal Haven page.

This unique blue & brown eyed beauty is Cali, a beautiful two-and-a-half-year-old Pitbull Terrier mix. Cali is a very sweet pup who loves to play and give kisses. She is very obedient and loving, but she does require some leash training.
Mommy & I have found that positive leash training is a great way to bond, especially when you are a dog who wants to obey and please. So, I bet Cali and her new loving pet parent would pick it up in no time!
For more information on adopting this captivating sweet faced girl, visit Cali's Petango adoption page.

Dharma, the gorgeous geisha girl dog, is a 5 month old female pit/Whippet mix (yes, that's right) with the most beautiful golden green/ice blue eyes you've ever seen. She's just a baby, ready to start a new life with a loving forever family. Dharma is so sweet, long legged, delicate and aims to please. She will make someone a fantastic best friend! She will probably be on the smaller size too.
For more information and to put an application in to adopt this beautiful flower, visit Dharma's Animal Haven adoption page.
Thank you Sophie Gamand, for doing this beautiful flower series for all these pit bull pups. Thank you for believing in them and helping others to see the beauty they've always had! To see many more pit bull flowering beauties up for adoption, please visit Sophie's special #PitBullFlowerPower page.
This is a "Tuesday's Tails" blog hop, where homeless pets are featured to help them find homes. It's sponsored by our friends at Dogz & Paws. To see other pets up for adoption who need loving homes, visit some of the other blog links below.

The Joy of Showing Your Love - Redefining Love with #HillsPet

Hi friends! I'm live on location here on the beautiful coral sands of Florida's East side with a special report that I hope you will appreciate. It deals with two very important and joyful things...Food & Love!

Just like all pet parents, Mommy has this incredible need to make me feel loved, and she shows me love every single day of my life. It is a constant that comes in so many forms and I cherish each one. Sometimes it's with hugs, sometimes with kisses, other times it's with a toy or a nice game of chase outside. In the past it has been with extra food and treats, whether it was my normal food or food from her plate. It is so easy to express love with food. Up to a point it can be good, but when I was a couple of pounds over my ideal weight a few years ago, Mommy had to curb her desire to give me as many treats as she would have liked, and as much as I wanted her to. Of course, a little treat here or there is good in moderation, but they can add up rather quickly. Extra food and treats that say "I love you" can often lead to excess weight that could over time lead to health problems in your pet. I know first hand that this is true.

Animals are often ruled by their stomach, so for us, any excuse is a good excuse for treats, extra food, a lick of your spoon or a piece of french fry from your fast food stop. We can't help it. If we had our way, each of us would have free reign of your refrigerator every single hour of the day.

SHOW ME THE TREATS...UM, I MEAN LOVE MOMMY!!!
The good news is, our love for you runs much deeper than our stomachs, and of course your love is precious and never ending, and we know it. So we trust you to do what is right for us. If you see that your pet is looking a little extra stout, it can be hard to curb that desire to give us extra treats, especially when we give you those sad puppy dog eyes or a soft little "Meow" that is just begging for a little something extra. But cat and dog weight loss can be hard to attain.

My friends at #Hill'sPet know how difficult it can be to cut back on our treats, especially when we have been a good girl or boy. It might even feel like you are withholding love. With Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution, it’s not about withholding love, it's about redefining love. Every pet parent wants their pets to live as long and as healthy a life as possible, and keeping your pet at a healthy weight is instrumental in helping live a long healthy life with you. Hill's doesn't want you to feel like you are withholding love to keep your pet's weight in check, they want you to be able to feed a better weight loss pet food that will allow you to keep giving your pet all the love you ever have as you feed them a food specially made to help them lose weight without holding back on the treats and food.

Hill's Prescription Diet Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution pet food is virtually guilt free! No more cutting back on food or treats. Not only do they have wet & dry food, but they also have...wait for it....TREATS! Can you imagine? Guilt-free treats for your dog or cat. You no longer have to feel like you are withholding love...instead you are redefining love with a pet food that actually changes the metabolism of your pet to help them lose weight. As a matter of fact, 88% of pets that tried the Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution food for 60 days lost weight! They ate good, had special treats and still lost the weight. Now THAT is my idea of showing the love!

Now, how would you like to show the love? How would you like some love shown to you? Hill's would like to help you pay it forward through the Tell-a-Friend Program. Share the Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution $25 Wellness Visit Rebates with your friends and family to encourage them to see their pet’s veterinarian for a wellness visit. That's $25 you get back after your pet visits the veterinarian for a wellness check up. Instructions are on the rebate.
In addition to that cool rebate, those same lucky friends (who take their dog or cat for the wellness visit) will receive a valuable $25 rebate for Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution food for dogs or cats. Wow! That’s a $50 value. Only one rebate per household please. Rebate  available in the U.S. only.

REBATE FORM LINK:  https://blogpaws.wufoo.com/forms/hills-rebate-and-coupon/

So whether you fill out the rebate form yourself, or share it with someone whom you know could use it, you'll be spreading the gift of health for dogs and cats! What could be sweeter than that?

This post is sponsored by Hill’s and the Pet Blogger Network. 

I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s Prescription Diet Metabolic Food,

but Pixel Blue Eyes' blog only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers.

Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.

Pixel's Special Moments with Mommy - Early Morning #RecipeForMoments

Mommy and I have an incredibly strong bond. We've shared that bond since the very first day we met, and it has only grown stronger and more special with each passing day, month and year. This month marks 6 happy years that we've been together! We love each other so much and share special moments every day. Special moments are important in any relationship and should be sought out because they strengthen the love and friendship we share with another.

In celebration of these special moments, I'm taking part in the BlogPaws #RecipeForMoments blog hop. Now, what makes a good  "Recipe" for Special Moments? They are as varied as they can be. No two recipes are exactly alike. Over the years, Mommy and I have created many different types of special moments together...moments we share throughout the day and week, some year after year. We cherish each one and never take them for granted. Some things get better with age, or with time, and that statement couldn't be more true than with Mommy and me. I'd like to share one of our very favorite special moments...our very first moment of everyday.

From the very first day I came to be with Mommy, I've slept with her in our bed. It was "her" bed on day one, but I quickly made it "our bed". When she's on the bed, I have to be there also. Plain and simple. I snuggle with her for naps, when she's sick, and of course every night I lay up against her, lay my head on her arm, and go to sleep knowing I am safe, warm and eternally loved. We sleep all through the night like this. What a perfect start to a wonderful recipe for a special moment.

Our wake up routine is a very slow, gentle way to start the day. When we wake up in the morning, the very first thought in my head is "Oh my goodness, I get another day with Mommy!" Mommy's very first thought is "Oh my goodness, I get another day with sweet Pixel!" Believe it or not, I am still snuggled up against Mommy from the night before, but once I see she's awake, I immediately roll over on my back. I rub my eyes with my paws and coo little puppy sounds through my smiles, all the while Mommy is loving on me and rubbing my belly.

Our recipe for these early morning "special moments" is simple: we mix two hearts that love unconditionally, dozens of little kisses from both of us, endless smiles and we blend it all together with lots of cuddles.
Mommy gives me little kisses, I give her kisses back. We talk to each other and she tells me how special I am to her. It puts smiles on both our faces as we share this very special love wake up call.

After we've snuggled, given kisses, talked a while and nuzzled each other's faces, I have to seal the love fest with something that I know will ensure Mommy is "marked with my love" all the day through. I roll on her! Yes, I do. Sometimes I roll on her arm, or her long hair, most often it's just symbolic as I "roll" on our blankets, but the meaning is clear and I MUST do it every morning. Our morning snuggle routine is one of our most cherished special moments of the day together.
Here is a special video that Mommy took a couple of years ago, where she was able to capture our early morning special moments love fest together.

Here's another video of me giving Mommy good morning puppy kisses. I never run out of affection for her!

So, what's your special "recipe for moments" with the ones you love? I'd love to hear about it. It can be most anything, because no matter what your recipe for special moments are, as long as the moments are seasoned with love, the recipe will be truly delicious!

The Joy of Being Mommy's Special Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day friends! I surprised Mommy today by pulling out, of all toys, my special "Puppy Love" red heart toy and brought it to her. I knew that she would know immediately what I was saying to her...that I am her special Valentine and she is mine. She absolutely loved that I brought this to her. We know each other's hearts because we were meant to be. Isn't it wonderful to have a special Valentine who just happens to be your soul mate? Mommy sure is mine!

        

The Joy of Dancing to the Music in your Heart

I love to dance. I find just about any reason to twirl around joyfully with Mommy. I think that dancing is such a joyful expression of your heart and soul. I believe I was born with the heart of a dancer. I didn't know it though until I adopted Mommy; then one day, clear out of the blue, I did a double pirouette twirl for her as though I was a prima ballerina. It made her so happy to see me do it, so I've been dancing for her ever since. It is an expression of my love. I dance for her. I dance for me.

Do you dance? I hope you do. You can do it when you're all by yourself so no one sees, but I suggest trying it. It might just bring a smile to your face. Dancing has always been a joy for me and Mommy, and I hope it is for you too.
My Pixel advice is simple: Listen to the music of your heart and dance. Find a reason to dance and just dance! I love you my friends!

Dear Uncle Happydog - A Letter of Love one Week Later

Dear uncle Happydog, today marks a week since you left us. We all miss you so much! Little Dixie, our sweet sister that came to live with us just 9 days before you left...well she misses you too. This photo was taken after Grammy & Grampy had to take you to the vet because you were so sick the day before God came to get you. She and I were both in Mommy Jenny's arms as Peanut Pumpkin Pie, Auntie Helen, and us girls watched you leave that day, not sure if you would be returned to us. Dixie was just as distraught as any of us, and after we all left the window, she ran back to the window and leapt up to this perch to watch for you to return. It broke our hearts to see that, and yet filled us with joy at how much she loved you so quickly. That is just the kind of boy you were Happydog, everyone couldn't help but love you. We were blessed to have you come back that day, and God gave us one more night and morning with you, but you let us know that next morning that you were being called home. 

I want you to know that Dixie and I are getting along famously. I am no longer uncertain, and we have slept on the same bed together, we can play close by each other, we've even had a time or two of barking at the neighbors together, though it's still not the same on the back deck without you. Dixie and I have even chosen to lay in our big round playpen at the same time, you'd be so proud! Dixie is helping to heal Grammy & Grampy's hearts and I am so very glad of that. All 3 of us girl pups are doing that. Today I laid up against Grammy's left hip while she was writing, just like you always did. She said I was taking up where you left off, and I was so honored that she saw what I was doing. I promise to help take care of things while you are away. Well, I'd better go now. I want to introduce Dixie to some of more of my friends. I've got some really pretty photos of her to share. I love you Happydog.
Love always, Pixel