Calendars.com carries a nice selection 
of Bowwowmeow stuff and they have 
FREE shipping!
http://www.calendars.com/BowWowMeow/cat370002/

Dog Time Holiday Gift Guide

We pleased to be included in dogtime.com's 2011 Holiday Gift Guide!
They did a review of our design your own dog kits a few months back  and they loved the them.

You can find the review here:
http://dogtime.com/design-your-own-dog-collar-by-bowwowmeow.html

and the gift guide here:
http://www.dogtime.com/canine-clothes-and-accessories-gifts-for-dog-lovers.html

Creative Child Magazine Awards Design your own Birdfeeder 2011 Product of the Year Award!

We're pleased to announce that Creative Child Magazine has awarded our Design your own Birdfeeder kit the 2011 Product of the Year in the creative crafts category.

Creative Child is a national bi-monthly  publication that provides parents with the latest information on how to nurture their child's creativity. With departments such as Kids at Play, Health and Safety, Discovering Creativity, Nurturing Talent and Tomorrow's Child.


Creative Child Magazine's Awards Program is unique in that all products submitted are reviewed by moms, music educators and early education professionals. Products are not reviewed by any one person. They are reviewed by many people-the very people who purchase them. The reviews are then tabulated and scored, with Toy of the Year being the top award for each category. 

Review by Pet Secret Shopper

Design Your Own Dog Collar by BOWWOWMEOW

by GUEST BLOGGER JOCELYN

I just LOVE the Design Your Own Dog Collar by BOWWOWMEOW.  Sometimes it's hard to find the exact collar design to fit your pups personality in the stores.  Sometimes we want our pooch to have that one of a kind collar.  Sometimes we are just feeling a bit crafty or want to keep our kids entertained for a while.  Whatever the reason is this collar fits the need. 

Available in small, medium and large this kit comes with a plain white adjustable collar and 4 permanent markers (red, blue, yellow and green).  The durable collar has a "D" ring to attach a tag and a leash and has a plastic clip style buckle closure. 

Great for creating that original collar for a special occasion or for everyday wear this collar kit is sure to get your creative juices flowing.  As much as I wanted to create a design I reluctantly let my 4 year old go to town.  He loved it and is VERY proud that he created his dogs collar!

BOWWOWMEOW carries Design Your Own Dog Collars, Leashes, Jewelry, Party Collars, Scrapbooks and Pet Ornaments.  The collar is available for $15.99 on the BOWWOWMEOW website.

http:/http://www.petsecretshopper.com/2011/06/design-your-own-dog-collar-by-bowwowmeow.html

Gifts and Decorative Accessories Magazine

Design your own Birdfeeder is in the May issue of Gifts and Decorative Accessories Magazine!

"What's Hot"

Creative Play Retailer Magazine serves the toy, game and hobby retail industry and has featured our Design your own Window  Birdfeeder kit in the "What's Hot" section of the May, 2011 issue. The magazine provides the specialty toy market with top rated reviews of products that are endorsed by Creative Child Magazine, parents and educators.

The Norman Rockwell Museum

Rockwell in his studio with Pitter, 1972

We are pleased to have our Design your Own Pet Bowl and Design your Own Collar kits available in the The Norman Rockwell Museum gift shop!

The museum shop is offering our products in conjunction with the upcoming exhibit It's a Dog's Life: Norman Rockwell & Man's Best Friend. On view June 25 through November 11, 2011.

The exhibit will shed light on Rockwell’s work with man’s best friends through original artworks, photographs, and archival materials that offer insights into his artistic goals and working methods.

The Museum is located in Stockbridge Massachusetts.

To learn more visit www.nrm.org

War Dog

Dogs have been fighting alongside U.S. soldiers for more than 100 years, seeing combat in the Civil War and World War I. But their service was informal; only in 1942 were canines officially inducted into the U.S. Army. Today, they're a central part of U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan -- as of early 2010 the U.S. Army had 2,800 active-duty dogs deployed (the largest canine contingent in the world).                                             

And these numbers will continue to grow as these dogs become an ever-more-vital military asset. So it should come as no surprise that among the 79 commandos involved in Operation Neptune Spear that resulted in Osama bin Laden's killing, there was one dog -- the elite of the four-legged variety. And though the dog in question remains an enigma -- another mysterious detail of the still-unfolding narrative of that historic mission -- there should be little reason to speculate about why there was a dog involved: Man's best friend is a pretty fearsome warrior.Above, a U.S. soldier with the 10th Special Forces Group and his dog leap off the ramp of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during water training over the Gulf of Mexico as part of exercise Emerald Warrior on March 1.

BY REBECCA FRANKEL | MAY 4, 2011

See the rest of the photo essay here: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/05/04/war_dog?page=full

Guide Dogs

Seeing eye dogs provide a crucial link  assisting blind and visually impaired people with the world around them. They form a partnership with their people permitting a more mobile and independent life.
BOWWOWMEOW is proud to support The Seeing Eye, the oldest guide dog school in the world (founded in 1929).
To learn more please visit: www.seeingeye.org. Also, please visit their annual online auction April 29 - May 12.

Kitty and dolphins playing :)

Check out this YouTube video of a cat making friends with some dolphins.

Featured Retailer: Kazoo Toys in Denver, Colorado

Kazoo Toys located in Denver, Colorado has carried BOWWOWMEOW products for the past three years. They are a specialty toy store with a large selection of fun and  quality products.

If you're in the mile high city Kazoo can be found at 2930 E. Second Ave. in Cherry Creek North. Store hours are M-F 10am-6pm, Sat. 10am-5:30pm and Sun. 12pm-5pm. They have also have a very extensive webstore (www.kazootoys.com).

Toy Fair

2011 Trade-Show Booth

We will be at the New York International Toy Fair from Feb. 13-17. This will be our 4th year exhibiting. We've been showing at several trade shows a year since we've started. We have exhibited at pet industry shows, gift shows,  craft and hobby shows and toy shows. As trade shows go, NY Toy Fair is a big one; anyone and everyone involved in the toy business gathers in NYC for this event. All the big toy companies will be there as well as the little pups like us.

If you're coming to the show please stop by, say "hi" and take advantage of our show specials. We'll be in the lower level, booth 5662.

NEW!!! Design Your Own Window Birdfeeder

We are pleased to announce our latest product...
The Design Your Own Window Birdfeeder allows you to paint a finely crafted wood birdfeeder any way you like with the included paint and waterproof varnish. The back of the feeder has super strong suction cups to attach to an outside window. Place bird seed or breadcrumbs in the bottom of the feeder and take a front row seat to watch the birds from inside your house.

This kit is fun, creative and educational. Budding artists, ornithologists, cats and nature lovers alike will love it.

Kit Comes with the birdfeeder, a paintbrush, two strips of acrylic paint and water proof varnish to protect from the elements.
We aim to have these in stock and shipping to retailers  next month.
MSRP: $22.99

Crain's Business News

BOWWOWMEOW is mentioned in an article in the Small Business section about North East Ohio companies exhibiting  next month  at the American Intermational Toy Fair.
Here's  an excerpt from the article:

Not playing around
For NE Ohio's toy entrepreneurs, building a business is more than just fun and games
By JOHN BOOTH
4:30 am, January 10, 2011

There's nothing small about next month's American International Toy Fair: 25,000 attendees are expected at the Feb. 13-16 show in New York, and the 2011 edition will include 100,000 products from more than 1,200 exhibitors.

But as several Northeast Ohio toy innovators are out to prove, you don't have to be big to think big — or to hit it big.

More than pet projects

Mike Greenwald and his mother, Evelyn Greenwald, founded Cleveland Heights-based BowWow-Meow in 2007 by combining their love for pets with their shared experience in developing children's craft kits for Creativity for Kids.

“We launched with (kits for) a dog scrapbook and a cat scrapbook,” Mr. Greenwald said. “And we've continually come out with more.” The product line has expanded to kits for decorating pet bowls, leashes, picture frames, collars and shrink-art plastic jewelry. And coming off the company's best Christmas season yet, the Greenwalds are adding a bird-feeder kit to the catalog for 2011.

BowWowMeow seems to have found an uncrowded market niche, but Mr. Greenwald admits that its unique position has come with its share of struggles: Pet stores, for instance, often see the products as toys or crafts, while larger toy retailers and craft stores view them as too pet-centric for their shelves.

As a result, most of BowWow-Meow's nearly 400 retail customers are specialty toy stores and museum gift shops. “We're not in any of the mass-market stores,” Mr. Greenwald said. “We've been approached by a lot of them, but we can't work with the (cost) margins they need to make. And right now, we're kind of happy being a specialty brand.”

Thank You and Happy New Year!

To everyone who gave the gift of BOWWOWMEOW this past holiday season …. Thank You!  This was our best holiday season to date. There were many Doodle Dogs, Design your own Pet Bowls and Design your own Leash and Collar sets exchanged this year. Peace and Happy New Year to all!

CityDog Magazine

BOWWOWMEOW has been featured in the holiday issue of CityDog Magazine! CityDog is the definitive dog lover’s magazine about life and living with dogs in the West -- Seattle, Portland, San Francisco -- and everywhere in between.

Thanks CityDog!

CityDog can be purchased at independent pet stores, newsstands, Barnes & Noble, Borders, B. Dalton, Hastings and other major bookstores throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and northern California.

WE WON!

 

Our Design Your Own Leash kit has been awarded a Fat Brain Toy Award in the Arts and Crafts category. Thank you to all of our customers and friends who purchased a kit and voted making this such a successful product for us.  

Leroy Does a Hand Stand

Here's a picture of Leroy Brown doing a hand stand. He actually does this all the time. He'll walk around on his front  legs for up to 10 seconds, particularly after he comes inside from going for a walk or playing outside.

Design Your Own Dog Leash Nominated as a Fat Brain Toy Award Finalist!!!

We are excited to announce that our Design Your Own Dog Leash kit has been selected as a finalist in the Arts and Crafts category, for the Fat Brain Toy Award. This is the third year that Fat Brain Toys has held this contest, and the exciting thing about this toy award is that it is based on consumers feedback. Real people who have actually bought the product and thought enough about it to give their opinion. Fat Brain Toys is a unique specialty toy store. They have several retail locations, a mail order catalog and an impressive website. They are also a manufacture. To say they know about toys is an understatement. They are also an independent business and have a great eye for unique and quality toys.

Although our Design Your Own Dog Leash is not specifically a toy, it has found a home in many specialty toy stores throughout the country. We know that kids love their pets, are naturally creative and love the opportunity to create something for their pets.

Please click on the Fat Brain link to vote for our Design Your Own Dog Leash! Thanks.

Cell Phone Dog Photography

Here's a link to a good article on iPhone dog photographs:
http://mashable.com/2010/09/06/iphone-dog-photographs

This is a picture I took with my cell phone. I call it Little Dog, Big Ocean. Leroy is seen here greeting a new day and contemplating the meaning of life :)

Snowball and Leroy

We thought we'd share this picture of Snowball and Leroy.  They're all settled down in the backseat after a long day of driving. After working hard all summer developing a few new soon to be released BOWWOWMEOW kits they took a well deserved vacation at the coast. Snowball found inspiration taking long off-leash walks on the beach and Leroy busied himself chasing sandpipers.

Design Your Own Pet Bowl featured in Edplay magazine

Our Design Your Own Pet Bowl has been featured in the August 2010 edition of Edplay Magazine.
Thanks Edplay!
Edplay is a trade publication for toy, game, gift and museum stores.

What the Stuff Toy Review

We are pleased to announce that What the Stuff Toy Review has reviewed our Design your own Pet Bowl and has awarded us four stars!

This kit has been selling very well through out the summer and we will be adding a companion product to it soon. The bowl is ceramic and comes with special ceramic markers. It does not need to be baked or fired and the colors are bright and permanent.

See the whole review here: http://www.wtstoyreview.com/REVIEWS/Bowwowmeow-Design-Your-Own-Pet-Bowl-Cats-Dogs-Kids-Teens-Tweens-Product-Review.htm

Featured Retailer: Barstons Child's Play

Barstons Child’s Play is a regional chain of specialty toy stores with 4 locations in the Maryland, D.C. and Virginia area. They have been in business for 24 years and have sold BOWWOWMEOW since we started in 2007! They currently carry our Design your own Pet Bowl, Design your own Dog Leash and My Dog Scrapbook kits.

www.barstonschildsplay.com


Washington, DC
5536 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington D.C. 20015
(202) 244-3602

Congressional Plaza
1661 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
(301)-230-9040

Baltimore, MD
86 Village Square
Village of Crosskeys
Baltimore, MD 21210
(410) 435-0804

Arlington, VA
4510 Lee Highway
Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 522-1022

"What's Hot"

Creative Play Magazine has featured our Doodle Dog kit in the "What's Hot" section of the June issue.

Doodle Dog has been selling very well this summer. A Doodle Dog autographed by a child's camp friends makes a lasting keepsake.