Sunday, June 01, 2008

Beggin

We recently changed the type of dog food we feed Luna from a cheap brand to even cheaper. The 20 lb bag of Purina included a sample package of Purina's dog treats Beggin' Strips.

I opened the package to give Luna a treat and I was surprised to see the bacon shaped meat-and-meat-by-product treats. Why would Purina make a dog treat that is shaped like bacon?
Do dogs really know what bacon looks like?

The treats kind of smelled like bacon but they really smelled more like beef jerky. I gave Luna one of the treats and she gobbled it up and I put the package in the pantry. The next day I gave her another one. I was still intrigued by the whole bacon shape of the treat. I mean, c'mon, dogs eat their own shit from time to time, why does the treat have to be bacon shaped?

The following day I gave her another treat. Again I was struck by the bacon shape. It looks like bacon. It kind of smells like bacon. Seriously look at it.


I think it looks good.
I asked Lauren her thoughts about it but she seemed indifferent to the whole thing.

Just for the record it does NOT taste like bacon. I took a bite. Not good.

So again I ask, why the bacon shape? Does a dog know what bacon looks like? Or are the people at Purina just banking on the fact that people are going to try these treats?

29 comments:

Jody said...

Oh... I can not believe you tried that. Wait... Strike that... Yes I can.

Carrie said...

well.. I know how much *I* like bacon. if I had a dog, I would want them to know the goodness as well.

Rachael said...

Bacon is so good. Maybe even dogs know how freaking good bacon is. It does look kind of tasty...

Anonymous said...

He He!!! When I was around 18 years old I bought a package of Snausages... they had just come out and there was a guy I liked that had a dog he was crazy about so I bought them for her. My brother, who was in high school and was always roaming about in search of food, grabbed them up and asked why I bought them since we didn't have a dog... I thought... hmmmmm.

Me: You haven't heard about snausages?!?!?

Him: No...

Me: They are totally awesome!

Him: Those are dog treats!

Me: Yeah, but they are still awesome... everyone's eating them!

Him: No way. Really?

Me: Yeah!

Him: Give me some!

Hungry brothers... gotta love em!

Jared said...

It's gotta be in a bacon shape so more people will buy it. Bacon is like crack to many people (me included). Ever seen this funny video about bacon?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-aJ6bTnco00

Anonymous said...

Yeah, what Jared said. It's cutesy to give your dog a treat that looks like bacon, and also they know that people cannot resist buying bacon-esque anything.

Now I'm in the mood for bacon.

Creative-Type Dad said...

WOW!! You actually tried it.

I've always wanted to do that.

Now I'm truly disappointed it doesn't tastes like bacon.

Mindie said...

You have got to look at www.thesneeze.com and read the "Steve, Don't Eat It!" posts. Among other nasty things, Steve has eaten Beggin Strips and his review of it is soooo funny.

Suzy-Q said...

You are master of the obvious marketing ploy.

Anonymous said...

Hmm... I think we might be onto why Luna's been eating her own shit lately... I mean, if even YOU tried them, maybe they're not so bad the second time around, either... to a dog, that is. (Bill, even though you may be tempted, please don't try to eat you're own... oh nevermind, just remember to brush before bed).

The Maid said...

I actually think the beggin stip looks like shit..and since they will eat that, well, you know.

Oh, and the appeal is not so much the treat itself, the dogs probably saw the commercial.

Those darn ads get me to eat stuff every time.

The Maid

Teri said...

I'm glad you took a bite, I was going to ask if you did. I would have, too, just to see what it tastes like.

LilSass said...

For the record, doggy jerky is WAY better than Beggin' Strips. I mean, that's what I've heard from this friend of mine. A friend of a friend of mine ;-)

eclectic said...

Oh Bill. . .

Ern said...

I'm just going to go out on a limb here, and say that they're marketing to the individuals with wallets. :)

Anonymous said...

May I ask exactly what it tasted like? I've always wondered but too chicken to try. Plus I don't have a dog and it would be weird for me to go to my friends house and instead of accepting some guacamole saying 'hey can i have some doggie treats instead?'

Patience said...

It looks like bacon so people will buy it. Dogs do not care what it looks like. Dogs don't have any money to buy anything. People will buy anything that looks like bacon. So . . .

Bogart said...

Very curious...

Did you use mayo when you tried it?

Unknown said...

I think its a right of man hood to at least try dog food at some point. My story was a college bet....not quite as exploratory but still ...I ate dog food. :) I wanted to share with you the new site over at www.justdaddys.net. Its a place where fathers new and old, verteran and novice can come and trade tips, tricks, or just shoot the breeze. We are a growing community right now and I would love to have someone with your knowledge and experience get involved in on the ground floor and be a resource and a community leader. Thank you for your time and I hope to see you over at the boards.

Thanks,
Jason
DaddyKV

April said...

Seriously, do you taste anything and everything? First the soap and now the dog treat? I wonder if that fancy cat food tastes like tuna salad? Care to let me know? :)

Anonymous said...

I went to a go-go joint with that same name. It was for women early in their careers. They did not serve bacon there.

Unknown said...

I'm no expert, but I'm guessing that Beggin Strips beats Poop and Boogies for dinner...

Anonymous said...

Ick.

And yes, I do hope you brush your teeth before bed. Poor Lauren.

Undercover Mutha said...

All I know is that we fed some of those to our dog when he was a puppy, and he shot liquefied bacon poo all over his doggy crate while we were at work. Praise the Lord that I was not the first one home that day.

Anonymous said...

I think my neighbors dog knows Luna. I believe it is 6 degrees from bacon strips.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I am trying to get the word out about something and am having a little contest on my blog. Come check it out!

Anonymous said...

I have tried them before. They don't taste like bacon. They taste more like a cardboard version of jerky. Not good at all. My dog eats grass though. So, I guess it's good enough for him. You're right. The company just knows we will try to eat their nasty fake bacon strips. Yummy!

The Middle Child said...

You took a bite? That's hilarious. I'll take your word for it that they don't taste like bacon. My parents dog loves these things and I swear when I give him one he inhales it, it's gone before I can re-seal the bag.

Fetcher said...

I'll never forget the day that my little brother visited me at my store. I was working overnight stock back then, and had moved away from home to get away from my father (long story). Andrew came by and we chatted for about a half hour, until the store was closing. He said he had a list from Mom to get, and we made plans to hang out later that week.

So, later that week, I dropped by the house to pick him up. My younger sister decided to fill me in on a little nugget about the night Andrew stopped by my store. Apparently, he came home all excited about the 99 cent Beef Jerky that he picked up, and popped open the bag. After his second piece - - he turns to the family and says, "This stuff is nasty, no wonder it's 99 cents." He puts the package on the shelf and walks away. My sister was looking through the cupboards for something to eat the next night, and finally sees the package of jerky treats with a DOG on the front cover.

We still call him Ken-L-Ration to this day. LOL