A whirlwind at #Barkworld? Part 2 of the furtastic fun!

As I learnt earlier this year, conferences are wonderful for so many reasons. I enjoy the networking, the new friends, and of course, reconnecting and spending time with old friends. It really is a short and precious few days to learn, connect, and even at times do some good.

I spent my first day rushing around attempting to meet all the exhibitors, attending sessions, chatting with old friends, finally meeting the great people I worked with through email, and interviewing Norman the Scooter Dog from the Natural Balance sports team. That post is coming up soon, with a video, when I get the chance to edit it! I have to admit, it was a bit strange without BabyPom, who everyone missed.

I always started my morning with Doga (Yoga + Dogs). Ha! I didn't have either of my 2 fur babies with me but I had a replacement stuffed pup. They told me that with time, the pups would synchronize their deep breathing with yours. It apparently comes in handy for calming them down in anxiety charged situations.

Some of my favorite sessions included the Pet CPR Demonstration and learning about blog-brand relationships. Pet CPR is so fascinating! He even taught us how to help a choking dog. Well, to start with, let them be. Do NOT ever try to use the Heimlich maneuver on dogs! Instead, only when their own methods aren't helping, you should put your hands on either side of their lateral chest wall, allowing them to breath in, and then giving slight pushes as they breath out.

I even learnt SEO! What I had tried to learn for 2 years by html...I never realized it was as easy as turning on a function in blogger. It was that simple; leave it to me to make it more complicated than it really is. Super thankful for Red Clay Interactive who helped me out of that maze! I came away from the conference feeling I learnt so much.

Friday night's Block Pawty's were awesome. I had so much fun in each of the respective parties thrown by Eukanuba/Iams, Petco, Nutrish, and PetCareRx. Each room had a different themed party. I even got a caricature drawn in the Nutrish room. The artists were so talented, they added in JR & BabyPom just from looking at my phone pics! Plus, I was in great company and celebrating with friends for *someone's* special birthday!

Sleep just doesn't seem to be my friend at conferences. My last day at the conference was of course, packed with fun and activity. I had an early flight and was trying to make it home before Hurricane Sandy wrecked havoc and left me stranded in Atlanta. I wasn't going to let that ruin my day though. I attended as many sessions as I could, met Ruff and Mews from Petco, and celebrated another birthday with a Petco friend.

Oh, and guess what, thanks to your help, I won the $500 grand prize from Natural Balance to donate to the shelter of my choice and a year's worth of dog food. When I get it all sorted out, I'd love to introduce you to the shelter I adopted JR from. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. $500 can do a whole lot of good for a shelter.

Yep, if you had seen me, you would've thought a whirlwind descended upon #Barkworld, hurrying from one end to the next. I don't regret a minute of it though. Fun friends, awesome memories, great learning experiences are just a little of what I got out of Barkworld. It was a fab conference and is one I want to return to next year!

Did you miss Day 1 at Barkworld?

Disclaimer: Barkworld provided 1 night's accommodation for my attendance. No other form of compensation was received. Opinions expressed belong to Whirlwind of Surprises and are NOT influenced in any way. Please view my full disclosure, TOS, and privacy policy. Please take the time to enter my other giveaways while you're here.

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                                                         Until next time,