Barkbox February 2015 Mardi Gras Small Dog Box Review

The February 2015 Barkbox celebrates Mardi Gras. I don’t even know what Mardi Gras is here in Washington. All I know is that beads are popular and women are scantily clad. And there are parades. Barkbox aims to educate me and reminded me that New Orleans is the epicenter of Mardi Gras partying and also has some distinct cultural culinary delights.

The Cost: $29.99/month, less with a longer subscription.

What You Get: Every month you will receive a box in the mail with four or more carefully selected products and presents for your dog – anything from toys, bones and all-natural treats to hygiene products and innovative new gadgets!

Now the dogs don’t care at all about themes. So Barkbox is catering to us parents when they do these things. I think it works. I can’t even believe how good they are at thinking up themes and sticking to them. This Mardi Gras box is pretty awesome.

Delca Jester Ball- This is a bouncy ball covered in a Jester costume. Can I tell you what’s awesome about this? Once my dogs have ripped all the cloth off this, there’s a real ball inside! It’s purple with nubs all over it. It’s like two toys in one. Bugsy loves that it bounces even though it’s got a costume on.
Value: $7

Harry Barker Mardi Gras Crinkle Mask- Why do people wear masks at Mardi Gras? I should probably Google it and see how it all originated. I’m sure I learned it in high school but that was an ungodly number of years ago and I don’t remember. This mask was made especially for Barkbox, has two squeakers and a fuzz covered back.
Surprisingly, these Harry Barker toys have lasted a lot longer than I thought they would for being made of canvas.
Value: $10

I know it’s blurry and I don’t even care. This is was proud dog mamas do. Bugsy “wearing” his mask. What a good boy he is!

Think Dog Crawfish Jerky- What’s a party without food?! These are crawfish treats with alligator. They reek. These treats are incredibly stenchtastic and both the boys love them beyond all reason. I just have to crack the bag and Bugsy is doing all his tricks at once and Dexter runs to his bed and gets in a “down” like a good boy. One little crack in the ziplock seal and the boys smell it. Very smelly treats but apparently also delicious and made in the USA.
Value: $7

PetSafe Indigo Catfish Po’Boy with Chicken- One of the things I love about the South is their food. When we go to visit family, it is a non-stop food fest. And what do I always beg for? Catfish and BBQ. Not at the same time but you can’t get either one here in Washington. Well, BBQ but it’s not as good. But catfish? No. There’s basically no such thing unless you search for it.
But the dogs get lucky! They get themselves some catfish with chicken! Or Bugsy does, since Dexter can’t eat chicken. These are very good treats, made in the USA, no preservatives or anything bad so you’ve got to refridgerate them, freeze them or eat them all in 3 days. Since that’s a lot of treats at once, I freeze these then dole them out frozen. Bugsy doesn’t care and it makes them last longer.
Value: $7

Aussie Naturals Salmon Quarter Cigar- I can’t believe this is actually called a cigar! I have a few salmon skins now so I gave this to Dexter and the other skin from a different box to Bugsy and then locked them outside. Those things are smelly but the dogs really like them and fish is good for their coats. I try not to let my horror of the stench prevent them from enjoying good treats.

VERDICT: One more fab box from Barkbox. It’s always the perfect mix of toys and treats. If you’re looking for accessories, we haven’t received many in our Barkboxes. I’ve subscribed for a year using a coupon but I love getting dog boxes so much, I think I would always want to have one as long as it was a reasonable expenditure. It saves me a trip to the pet store and it keeps my boys in their toys.
Barkbox has been good for the boys because they really do send some interesting toys that I would never choose. Plus, with a never ending supply of new toys, it’s really easy to get rid of the well-loved scraps that tend to find their way under the couch.

If you would like to sign up for Barkbox, you can use my referral code. It looks like you’ll get one free box for using that code! It used to be 10% off but a free box is better if you just want to try the subscription for a month. I’m not currently aware of any coupons though Barkbox does occasionally popup on Groupon or Living Social, so keep your eye out.

If you use Ebates, you’ll get $3 back on your subscription purchase at Barkbox.com, too! Don’t forget to activate it!