A Healthy Future

'Dogs - A Healthy Future', narrated by Clare Balding, is the Kennel Club's latest short film, focusing on the health and welfare of dogs in the UK. One of the main subjects covered is puppy farming and what it's done to the health of many innocent dogs, with puppy farmers irresponsible and overly selective breeding being the leading cause of hereditary diseases in dogs today.

The film also takes a look at what is being done to rectify the issues and how the KC intends to keep our dogs welfare a top priority on everyone's list this year. It calls for united action against the concerns raised, to ensure real progress is made in 2012 and for years to come. Our dogs' future is in our hands.

The film was uploaded to the KC's youtube channel last week and has already totted up over 22,900 views. You can watch the full film below and do your bit to help spread the word by sharing a link to this post or directly to the video, awareness and understanding is only a click away.



Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

P.S We've been away for a long time, due to illness (my own, the girls are all fine!) but we'll be doing some major catching up over the next week, so be sure to check back with us soon ;)

Bark & Read Foundation.

"Dogs are the new weapon in the battle against child illiteracy."

The Kennel Club Charitable Trust has always been there for dogs, helping our furry friends wherever and whenever possible. Now though the KCCT has teamed up with Pets As Therapy (P.A.T) and Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D) to form the Bark & Read Foundation so they can help dogs help children!

You may be thinking, 'dogs can't read!' and you're quite right, they can't, but they can provide a relaxing, pressure free atmosphere and a sympathetic ear. Studies have shown that children can become stressed when learning to read to others or to a group and so often the nerves can show in a reluctance to practice. Practice makes perfect and that's especially true when it comes to primary skills like reading!

The idea is to take away the stress of learning to read and give children some comfort and reassurance as they venture into the world of literacy. Reading aloud can be scary if you struggle or lack confidence and a lot of children will fear judgement or criticism. A dog will still adore you even if you make a mistake - a positive fact that the KCCT, P.A.T and R.E.A.D are trying to extend to the children in need of a helping paw. 

The dogs' sociable natures will also provide motivation and inspire self esteem. By using dogs in this way reading will hopefully become a hugely positive and rewarding experience for children, giving them a love for books that will last a lifetime. Reading is such an important skill, every child should be able to unlock their full potential and hopefully 'Bark & Read' will give the estimated 1 in 6 illiterate children the help they deserve.

Bark & Read will be officially launched at this years Discover Dogs, where children under 12 go free, so be sure you take your children along so they can visit the Bark & Read Corner and see what it's all about! Even if you don't have children you can always call in to the corner and find out what's going on, so you can spread the word and maybe bring it to your local schools attention.

If you'd like to have one of the Bark & read sponsored dogs visit your school, group or club then you can contact Pets As Therapy by calling  01844-345445 or email R.E.A.D via tonynevett@yahoo.co.uk

The KC Library (Clarges St, Piccadilly) will also be holding 'reading days' for children from London primary schools and children with special needs from senior schools and colleges. You can find out more information about the reading days by getting in touch with Ciara Farrell on 020 7518 1009 or ciara.farrell@thekennelclub.org.uk

We really hope you'll get behind the fabulous Bark & Read campaign and maybe even do your bit to help the cause! If you need any encouragement at all, these heart warming testimonials should do the job...

Until next time,
Love & licks as ever,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo  

Discover Dogs (Plus Our Ticket Giveaway!)

Discover Dogs is right around the corner now and with that in mind we thought we'd share a little information about the big event and tell you how to get your hands on a pair of complimentary tickets!

Discover Dogs is a huge 2 day annual event run by The Kennel Club and sponsored this year by Royal Canin. At Discover Dogs you can expect to meet over 200 breeds of purebred dogs and their knowledgeable owners, who are waiting to tell you all about their furry friends! You'll learn about not only the look of the each breed, but also about their personalities, any distinctive traits and their needs as a breed.

Discover Dogs isn't just all about the purebred pups though, scruff-ty mutts are more than welcome with events such as the Scruffts Grand Final being held there and the Companion Dog Club Competition!

As well as the purebred meet and greets and the host of shows/competitions and agility demonstrations, there's also the winners display from the Dog Photographer of the Year 2011 competition!

If that still isn't enough for you then you're in luck, the 100+ trade stands should keep you busy for a while ;)

For any more info on what's on at this years Discover Dogs you can check out the list of events and start planning your route around the show!

With only a few days left before the show starts it's time to grab any last minute tickets you might want... We're pleased to say we can offer a little help on that front to one lucky winner, with our giveaway! We're offering 2 complimentary Discover Dogs tickets to you, our lovely readers!

To get your paws on this pair (2) of tickets all you have to do is tweet or RT a link to this post, with the hashtag - #DDTicketsAHWTH and we'll pick a winner! I'll put out a tweet that you can RT to simplify things :)

We'll message the winner Wednesday 9th November, so take to Twitter and RT for your chance to win!

Best of luck to everyone who enters,
Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

ETA - Congratulations to our winner from Twitter, @misstew :) Glad you had a fabulous time!

Red is a Champion!

Red has always been our champion, but now it's official as he just won his third CC, making him Ch. Sengepabu Saint Valentine!



Congratulations to my mum and to the Champion of the world, Red! ♥

http://www.sengepabukennels.co.uk/ 

Puppy Awareness Week (PAW) - The final chapter.

It's been a busy week and firstly we'd like to thank everyone who has read our posts - we hope you found them helpful!

Puppy Awareness Week may have drawn to a close now, but we urge you to keep on learning. You can truly never know too much about dogs/your breed. A dogs life can span 10 - 15 years, or more. You can't expect to learn everything you'll need in that time, in just 1 week. Owning a dog teaches you something new each day you're with them, whether it's from an educational point of view, or they simply teach you how to have a little more kindness and compassion.

Dogs will teach you how to kick back and relax, how to jump up and play, how to be delighted by the every day things we humans seem to pass by. I don't necessarily recommend you stop and smell everything your dog does, but taking some time to 'smell the roses' never hurt anybody. And you can sure bet your dog will find you some lovely ones!

Your dog will show you real loyalty and teach you a new language, dogs don't have words because they don't need them, anything that can't be said with a tilt of the head, a well placed paw or the use of their expressive eyes, isn't worth hearing sometimes anyway, is it?

We hope you've had a 'ball' this week and will continue to learn about your very best friend, your dog.

Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

Pup Idol 2011/Puppy Awareness Week (PAW) - Part 6

This is our penultimate PAW post! I think I'll miss these when we're done with them :( Today though we wanted to tell you about Pup Idol and how you can enter :)

Pup Idol is a competition to the doggy stars. Think your pup is adorable? Think they have a certain je ne sais quoi? Then they could be the first ever Pup Idol! 

If you think your pup has what it takes to be a Pup Idol, scoot on over and enter here by uploading your adorable puppy pictures. You'll be in with a chance to win family tickets to Discover Dogs and Crufts 2012! Discover Dogs will be held at Earls Court 1 in London, between the12th - 13th November and Crufts will be at The NEC, Birmingham, between the 8th - 11th March 2012.

The only rule when entering Pup Idol is that the dog in the picture needs to be a puppy! Other than that snap away and get entering :)

You can post as many pictures as you like and your puppy can be a perfect pedigree or a cute as a button crossbreed, every pup is welcome!
Entries close on the 23rd September and judging will take place on the 30th September.

Good luck if you enter and we hope you'll come back tomorrow for our final word on Puppy Awareness Week!

Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

P.S We'll remind you about entry details in a few days when we share our entry :)

Puppy Awareness Week (PAW) - Part 5

Did you take that deep breath we mentioned last time? If not don't worry, puppy training really isn't all that bad... The time and patience you put in will be rewarded ten fold the first time you really need your dog to do something and lo and behold she/he does it! Plus the sense of pride you'll get when you puppy learns something new is always nice ;)

To begin with your puppy really only needs the basics - house training and simple commands like 'sit', 'stay', 'down', 'heel' and 'come' - commands like these are not only impressive and stimulating, but essential in keeping your puppy safe, especially later on when you take them out and about. We started teaching Lola 'sit' and 'down' a while ago, to get an idea of what to expect you can check out this video! :)

'Drop'/'leave' is also a worthwhile command for puppies, as many tiny mouths like to chew and they often like to chew things they really shouldn't. There's a long list of unsafe foods/plants that they'll love having a go at, so prevention is better than a cure! Another thing to consider is loose wires, if your puppy chews them sure your appliance will need repairs or to be be replaced, but your puppy may come off needing to be 'repaired' too... and I'm sure you don't even want to think of having to 'replace' them! So take extra care to make sure all wires and cables are firmly out of the reach of tiny teeth. Don't forget appliances that come and go, things like hoovers need to be turned off at the socket or unplugged when not in use, even turning your back on them for 30 seconds to answer the phone could result in a burnt tongue, or a lot worse...

Now puppy is home you'll want to make an appointment for their vaccinations, worming and micro chipping, plus a general health check to make sure everything is as it should be. It's a great time to ask for any advice from your vet and start building a good relationship with them, so don't be afraid to ask questions, they should be happy to help you. It's also time to get puppy settled, keeping the first few days calm and quiet is helpful. it might be hard to say 'no' to say excited relatives/friends, but your pup needs his/her time to settle, the move is a big change and can be a little daunting for even the most confident puppy.

Tomorrow - is your pup a star? Find out with Pup Idol, part of PAW thanks to the Kennel Club!

Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

Puppy Awareness Week (PAW) - Part 4

So you've done all the leg work, researched your breed, made your choices, found your breeder, saved your pennies, puppy proofed and talked to your family. You're ready for your puppy. Or are you?

Like preparing for a baby there's a fair bit of kit you're going to need! You're going to need everything from bowls, food, toys and a bed, a crate, to a carrier to transport your puppy home in, a lead and collar, blankets, puppy training pads and maybe an experienced friend on hand, should you need some advice. Don't forget things like pet gates, for puppy proofing and cable covers to keep little teeth safely away from wires! When you get your puppy the breeder should have included a small bag of the food he/she has weaned your puppy on to. Cross tapering on to a food of your choice over a period of 1 - 2 weeks is always best to avoid upset tummies! Food is an important part of your puppies life, so taking some extra care and choosing the best food you can is priceless in preparing your dogs body for a healthy life.

Our crate!

(Ours is from the Croft website, it's an Alpine cage in pink)

Now you've got all you need, found your perfect breeder, gone to see some puppies they have available. You have a furry multi pup whirlwind of cuteness dashing around your feet, so how the heck do you choose which bundle of love to take home?

I have to answer this with a story - When you go to see a litter, it's likely you'll have seen a picture of the litter and whether you admit it or not you're probably going to be leaning towards 1 or 2 pups based off the photo. I did it, with my first Chihuahua, Buffy. I went with 2 of her litter mates in mind, when we got there however 1 was far too timid for us and the other I didn't click with. I never looked twice at Buffy in the picture, but as soon as I picked her up something clicked and I knew she was 'the one' for me.

Buffy's Litter 

(You can see her easily, she's the only one with a mask lol!)

If you can put looks aside, there will absolutely be one puppy who grabs your heart and is not going to let go. If none of the puppies do that then don't be afraid to walk away, you owe it to yourself and to that puppy too, it could be perfect for someone else. There will be other litters. Buffy's markings/colouring may not have jumped out at me but her personality did and I think she's as beautiful, if not more beautiful, than any of her litter mates ever could be.
Love isn't fur deep!

At this point you'll have a puppy! Congratulations :)
If you thought choosing your puppy was a labour of love, you best take a deep breath, because tomorrow comes the training...

Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

P.S Sorry this post went up a little late - we had a busy morning having our new fence put up! We'll post all about it in a few days! :)

Puppy Farming ePetition! (PAW)

It's a campaign close to the hearts of many and it's backed by millions, it's the fight to end the cruel practice of 'Puppy Farming'. The KC, amongst others, are pushing for an end to hundreds of thousands of dogs' suffering. They can't do it alone though, they need your support! So we urge you to sign here and help convince the UK Government to take puppy farming more seriously. If 100,000 people sign it then it will go forward to be debated in the House of Commons! So if you haven't already signed please take 2 seconds to add your name to the list of people who are backing this campaign.

By signing you're not only helping end suffering, you're also helping educate people and by spreading the word so much heartache could be avoided. If more people know about the horrors that go on and what to look out for, imagine how many people would be able to spot a 'farmed' puppy and report it. That puppy would then be removed, looked after and the farm shut down. As for the farmer, they'd get everything they deserve. Without public knowledge though things will continue and so many young puppies will be born into an endless cycle of over breeding and abuse. Please do your part and spread the word, share the petition any way you can and help put a stop to puppy farming, forever.

Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

Puppy Awareness Week (PAW) - Part 3

Last time we looked at choosing your breed, well what if you've not been around that many breeds of dog? Or what if you like the sound of a slightly more unusual breed of dog, that you've never even heard of before? Well all is not lost!

Sometimes you might want something a little bit different, or come across a breed that seems suitable for you, but you've never heard of it, so then what do you do? Well the best thing is to go along to dog shows, there's no better way to meet your chosen breed in person and meet people who not only own and love the breed but will also know more than their fair share about it too.

If you have 1 or 2 breeds in mind you can go along to any of the hundreds of breed specific shows held countrywide, or if you have a longer list of dog breeds to choose from you, especially unusual ones, you could consider going along to something like Discover Dogs! Going along to these kind of events is a great way to get any questions you might have answered. It's also a good place to start looking around for the right breeder for you, after all the right breeder will bring you the right pup. A bad breeder may not bring a bad pup but they will most likely bring a pup with poor health and a bad start in life. The wrong breeder could be selling you fur covered heart ache, while the right breeder could sell you love on 4 paws.

You can find some superb breeders through the KC's Assured Breeder Scheme. A good breeder will be willing to go the extra mile for you, in terms of matching you with a suitable puppy, advising you on temperament, giving you advice on how to care for them and much more. A lot of breeders will give you a 'puppy pack' which will give you things such a a blanket that smells of mummy doggy to help settle your new puppy and bits such as the food your pup has been weaned on to. To avoid upset tummies it's always best to cross taper them on to the food of your choice after a week or 2 of having them. A caring breeder will be on hand and many like to stay in touch and keep up to speed with their puppies!

There's no rush to get a puppy, they'll be with you for years, all being well, so take your time finding the right one. A lot of top breeders will have waiting lists, sometimes a litter or 2 in advance! Don't let this discourage you though, it just means people are prepared to queue for their puppies... They obviously have something worth the wait!

We'll continue tomorrow with what to do once you've made your final decision on a breed and a breeder!

So until then,
Enjoy your Puppy Awareness Week,
Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

Puppy Awareness Week (PAW) - Part 2

As promised in our last post, we're back! This will be the first in a short series of information and advice based posts, in honour of Puppy Awareness Week! We'll be covering 1 or 2 different aspects of dog ownership every day, so be sure to check back :)

Ready then? Here we go...

Are you ready for a puppy?
One of the key things in preventing rising numbers in dog shelters, is evaluating how suitable your life is for a puppy/dog. So many people get a dog to then find they can't afford it, can't cope or as some people in rented properties can find, simply aren't allowed one.

Only if you have the time and money for a puppy should you consider getting one. Consider your family situation, if a (human) baby comes along unplanned, will the puppy pay for it by losing its new home? Money sadly plays a huge part of a lot of dogs ending up in shelters, so look at your bank balance before looking at a litter! Aside from the initial cost of the puppy and obvious expenses like food, toys, puppy vaccinations, yearly boosters, micro chipping, spaying/neutering etc, you could also run into unexpected costs with things like illnesses.

Your puppy/dog getting ill  isn't something anyone wants to imagine but every eventuality should be prepared for! When you buy a puppy you take out an unspoken moral contract, a silent agreement to love, protect and care for your puppy, for as long as he/she lives. Pet insurance is often the best way forward for those of us who aren't heir's to a throne or empire.

There's also things like exercising your puppy, taking time to play with them and training them to consider. A puppy brings a lot of love to your life, but it will need a lot of attention and work in return. The reward will outweigh any effort on your part though, so it's worth putting your best foot forward and going in with your sleeves rolled up. Whether you're new at this or not, puppy training classes are a great way to get some expert help and provide your puppy with invaluable early experiences and socialisation.

The second most important part of preparing for a puppy is making sure you get the right dog for you. Forget Mr/Mrs Right, it's your perfect pup that you want to find! The first thing to decide is if you want a pedigree or a cross and if there are any breeds that stand out to you. Older dogs have as many benefits as puppies and may be easier on first time owners, so don't rule out the golden oldies, they still have a lot of loyalty and love to give. Then take into account you have over 210 breeds to choose from and you will begin to realise it's a decision worth taking some time over...

A good thing to do is to make a 'short list', single out 3 - 5 breeds you have some love for, then research those breeds until you could do an exam on them. Different breeds have different requirements, so you need to be looking for one that will suit the kind of life you live.

If you think a cross breed or an older dog could steal your heart, try taking a look at a dog who needs a hero willing to give them a second chance. Charities like Oldies Club, Blue Cross, RSPCA, Dogs Trust and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home do amazing jobs and could have your best friend waiting for you!

Next time we'll be giving our views and ideas on how to meet your chosen breed in person before you buy and all about finding the right breeder for you, so be sure to check back tomorrow!

We hope you're enjoying Puppy Awareness Week so far,
Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

Puppy Awareness Week (PAW) and Pup Aid - Part 1

Today marks the beginning of the Kennel Club's first annual Puppy Awareness Week (PAW; 12th - 18th September) where they're aiming to spread not only love, but knowledge, about our tiny furry friends.

The aim is to give both existing and potential owners as much information as possible, including training tips and to spread the word on the fight to end Puppy Farming. Every dog started its life as a puppy and every experienced owner started out as a nervous novice, so the KC wants to help make those first steps a little easier and get new owners on the path towards being a loving, informed, responsible carer for generations of dogs to come.

Seeing as it's Puppy Awareness Week, we'll be doing a week of posts - We'll post daily segments on all the different aspects of puppy ownership throughout the week and we'll also be covering Pup Aid later in this post. We will cover everything from the exciting side of puppy ownership - choosing and researching your breed, getting ready for your puppy, bringing them home - to the heartbreaking side most people think they'll never see - the cruelty of puppy farmers and how you can help. There's a lot to say, so lets jump right in...

We'll cover everything we can think of for the happy side of PAW over the next few days, however sometimes things don't go the way we'd like and that needs attention too! The KC, coupled with everyone behind Pupaid, including Marc Abraham - TV vet and author of 'Vet on Call', are leading the fight against Puppy Farming. They're bringing knowledge to those who need it most - the people buying the puppies.

The second annual Pup Aid is being described as a 'boutique music festival and celebrity judged charity dog show'. Celebs such as actress and Strictly Come Dancing star Ali Bastian will be judging the dog show and there will be a whole host of live bands! It will be held on the last day of PAW (18th September) at Stanmer House near Brighton, Sussex. Be sure to grab your tickets before they're gone!

The message is to get involved in Puppy Awareness Week however you can, whether you donate by buying one of the KC's fabulous badges (we have ours!) or you go along to Pupaid to support the cause and do some sneaky celeb spotting!

Whatever you do we hope you'll get behind our dogs and celebrate all things puppy. It might be obvious with our 5 girls that puppies have been a huge part of our lives here over the past few years and will continue to be, however it has to be said Puppy Farming is an issue close to our heart, to find out why and to get more info about the issue, you can take a look at the full story behind getting Buffy here.

Have a wonderful Puppy Awareness Week,
Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

P.S To see how Scruffts and Pup Aid will be combined, you might want to have a look at this. :)

Scruffts!

Scruffts is a competition for our nations cute crossbreeds and offers a fun day out for the whole family. This is Scruffts 11th year and The Kennel Club have been running this years shows countrywide since late February. The last show will be held mid October. There's still plenty of time/shows left to get your dog a place at the final, so to find a show near you, check out the shows page here. This years heat winners will go on to the Grand Final which will be held at Discover Dogs 2011, in November.

Pretty much any dog can enter, as long as they're aged 6 months - 12 years and of course, a Scrufft-y crossbreed! Rosettes are awarded to the dogs who get 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each local heat and the 1st place rosette winner from each heat goes on to Discover Dogs for the Grand Final!

Entry is simple, you just turn up to the show nearest to you and be ready to wow. Entry is only £1 and all the money goes to a great cause - The KC Charitable Trust!

The KC Charitable Trust are working hard to 'make a difference for dogs' by funding research into canine diseases, helping welfare organisations and promoting better care and understanding of all our 4 legged friends, pedigree or cross.

So with that in mind and the possibility of seeing your dog with a winners rosette, there's every reason to go ahead to one of the local heats and let your dog have its day!

There are 5 heats left - Sussex, Kent, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Nottinghamshire. To find out where to go and when, check out the information here. We hope you'll turn up to support the KC's Trust and let your dog strut its stuff :)

Each local heat has 4 classes for entry - 

• Most Handsome Crossbreed Dog 6 months - 7 years
• Prettiest Crossbreed Bitch 6 months - 7 years
• Child's Best Friend* 6 months - 12 years
• Golden Oldie Crossbreed 8 years or over **

*(Handled by a young person between 6 and 16 years of age).
** Dogs entered at the organiser's discretion.

Scruffts is a fun competition, for the owners and the dogs entering, so the judges will be looking for happy, healthy dogs, with sound temperaments. Does your dog fit the bill? Try out and let us know!

As a bonus each dog that enters any Scruffts heat will get a free bag of Wellbeloved treats - as they kindly sponsor Scruffts :)

We hope you go along, whether you enter or you just go to have a fabulous doggy themed day out with your human family members!

Best of luck to everyone going!

Love & licks,

Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo 

Dog Photographer of the Year 2011 - Entries.

4 long weeks ago we posted about the KC's 2011 'Dog Photographer of the Year' competition. Well seeing as the competition is officially closed to entries as of today, we thought we'd share our entries. We entered 3 of the 5 categories - Dog Portrait, Dogs at Play and Man's Best Friend.

We entered this picture of Rafferty in 'Dog Portrait'.
Doesn't she look lovely?

We decided on this baby picture of Monroe for 'Dogs at Play'.

And we chose this shot of Lola on my slippers for 'Man's Best Friend' :)

It was so tough choosing which pictures to enter! We have literally hundreds of pictures of the girls and we love them all ♥ The toughest choice was picking our 'Dog Portrait' entry, we had to rope in a friend to help us with the final 2!

Now for the judging to begin! We wish everyone who entered the very best of luck and to anyone who hasn't already entered hurry up, it's for such a good cause and today is the final day! To slip in a late entry or to find out more, click here.

We'll no doubt do a post once the winners/runners up are announced, so we can share loads of fabulous pictures with you :) The winners will be announced via the KC website and the pictures posted on Flickr. The Grand Prize winner will get their award at this years Discover Dogs. Judging will take place 14th September and winners/runners up will be announced 15th/16th September, when we should be about to post about it, but of course we'll be back long before all that happens ;)

Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

Open for Dogs.

'Encouraging local businesses to welcome dogs through their doors.'

Open for Dogs is a campaign run by the KC, encouraging businesses to open their doors to our 4 legged friends and give owners the opportunity to include their pups in more family days out.

As the kind of owner who bases my outings on if my dogs can accompany me or not, this really appeals to me. Dogs have been banished to posts outside for far too long (which in my honest opinion is both unfair and unsafe) and I can think of nothing nicer than including your furry family members in your fun!

The KC are in the process of getting a range of venues, including pubs, beaches, cafés and caravan sites, to accept dogs. Not only do they want our dogs to be accepted but also welcomed, with doggy bowls and even snacks, if you take a leaf out of the Metro Bank's book. Metro Bank have been named the Kennel Club's bank partner and were heavily involved in the KC's recent adopt-a-thon.

Another adopt-a-thon is currently in the pipeline and will be held at Metro Bank's Borehamwood branch on the 17th & 18th September, 12-5pm, when Metro Bank will be giving out doggy goodie bags to anyone who takes their dog/pup in store to open an account. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home will be there, looking to place some very deserving doggies in some nice new homes, with hopefully as much success as they had in the last adopt-a-thon! The KC will also be there giving out information on Open for Dogs, plus puppy training advice :)

A special website has been set up by the KC where you can check out all the venues currently 'Open for Dogs', recommend a venue that you know to be dog friendly and list your own business as one that welcomes visitors with more than just 2 legs. So we here at AHWTH encourage you to go and check out some places for you and your furbaby to visit! We hope you have fun wherever you go :)

Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

A look at Lola :)

Lola's been here with us now for a little over a week and she's settling in great, the girls have taken to her (apart from Buffy, who gets bullied mercilessly by little Lola! It's all in good nature, or so Lola tells us...)

We had a play around with our camera earlier and got a few nice shots of Lola, so we think we'll end up choosing one of these to enter the Dog Photographer Competition :D

These are what we have so far;

Gorgeous right? And hasn't she grown up an absolute ton already? This is her just a week and a half ago...

It's crazy how different she looks already, just by her ears coming up! We can't wait for her fur to start coming in, in a few weeks, her fur is insanely thick already, she's what's known as 'double coated'* which just means she has a thick downy soft undercoat, so her fur should be lovely when she's older :)

*Unlike our other 4 who are single coated, i.e they have only their topcoat, which is longer, finer and less velvet-y.

We'll upload a video of her playing and some pictures of her with the girls in a day or 2!

In the meantime we're stuck trying to choose our favourite picture from this lot xD
Might be worth opening it up to a poll and asking your opinion...

Until then,

Love & licks,

Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

Dog Photographer

of the year 2011... certainly isn't going to be us! Not with our useless camera and often uncooperative 'models' ;)

But there's no harm in entering, so fingers crossed for us, it's a great thing to do especially with the proceeds going to such a worthwhile charity, the Kennel Club Charitable Trust.

There's also prizes to be won, such as a Pixum canvas print of your pooch and a Lomo camera, the runners up prizes aren't bad either and a friendly competition is always fun :)

To find out everything and anything you could possibly want to know about the competition, including how to enter, clickity click over here!

As info isn't our strong point here, how about we give you a run through of the Hilton's top 10 model-esque tips, that way at least your model is prepared! (Or should that be prepawed?)

1. Look fly! Bathed, brushed and pampered to perfection? Lookin' like one hot dog!
2. If the world is your oyster, then your home, garden and local park can sure be your stage. Try going out and about for some great action shots.
3. Macro, you know how adorable your dogs crinkly nose is, get in close and show the world.
4. A happy dog is your best friend, caught in natural poses, your dogs eyes will shine.
5. Think outside the box. What makes your dog unique? Try to capture their personality in the shot, with poses and props.
6. Faces, your dog has as many emotions as you, use toys and your voice to bring out different expressions and catch them on film.
7. Angles can be your best friend, everyone knows what a dog looks like from above, get creative and be prepared to get a little mucky!
8. A dog is art in it's own right, don't over complicate your shots, let the subject speak for itself.
9. Have fun, if you're taking pictures for your photo album or for a competition, your feelings will show in your shots and most importantly...
10. Be proud of the beautiful dog you call your own and work those cameras!

Best of luck to everyone who enters!

Love & licks,

Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

ETA - You can check out our entries here!

Hot dogs aren't cool

in cars! Or pretty much anywhere.

Hot dogs are not cool in cars!

You might remember a while ago, back in April, I did a tips based post on keeping your dog cool at home, if you don't remember then you can refresh your memory by clicking -here-. Now however the weather is hotting up even more and people seem to be forgetting that while they enjoy being out soaking up the rays or going for a countryside drive, their furry companion might not so much...

We're seeing an increasing number of dogs left in hot cars and not all are owned by members of the general public, who are perhaps blind to the issues. Some are owned/looked after by professionals, who work with dogs only a daily basis, which makes it even more frightening, proving it can and will happen to anyone who chooses to ignore the facts. To find our more about the recent Police dog losses check out this article. The worst part of this story is the fact he had it happen to him before! We need to learn from the mistakes that have already been made. Sergeant Craven is not the first and sadly I doubt he will be the last. A similar thing happened back in 2009 with Nottinghamshire police. While most take it to be common sense, some owners are neglecting their duties to their dogs. If you cannot take your dog out of the car when you arrive at your destination, please don't put your dog in the car in the first place, leave him/her at home. The car ride is not worth being left in your car, which becomes an oven in minutes. If your dog can't be alone, ask a friend, family member or even a pet sitter to watch them for you.

The Kennel Club are behind a newer campaign to try and raise awareness on the issue, which you can check out in full here - Hot dogs are not cool in cars.

The sun doesn't just bring danger in cars, it brings out a whole host of sun loving critters. Everything from bees and wasps, which can give your dog a severe allergic reaction if they sting your poor pup, to Adders, our only poisonous snake here in the UK. An Adder bite is unlikely to be fatal to us 2 legged folk, but to our 4 pawed friends, the consequences can be life or death. Please contact your vet asap if you think your pup has been stung/bitten! To get an idea of some of the damage caused by Adders, you might want to check this out. Tragic. Please don't let it happen to your furry friend.

Everyone wants to enjoy the summer sun with their beloved pets, so follow the KC's guidelines, feel free to take away anything from my tips and be aware of the potential dangers because a safe, healthy dog is a happy dog and a happy dog is your best friend.

Well wishes,

Love & licks as ever,

Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe and Lily.
xo

Lily update!

It's been a week now since we first took Lily to the vets for her stomach infection and she's pretty much all better :)

We had a rough time with her, she had a fever for 3 days and in the end didn't eat for 5 days :( She lost about 1/4 of a pound, which doesn't sound a lot but she only weighs 3 pounds anyway!

Looking back at the picture of her in our last post, she looks so sick and small, my poor girl. I couldn't be happier to say she's back to her old self and is eating well, so should put the weight back on easily.

 

My dad and step mum fussing the girls, Lily getting extra tlc on my dads knee.

In other news I'm hoping to do another KC related post in the next day or 2 and we'll have some exciting news to share soon as well!

However it's ciao for now from us,

Love & licks as ever,

Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe and Lily.
xo

Puppy farming and the journey to greener pastures.

'Puppy farms'. If you have a dog, have ever had a dog, know someone with a dog or you even know what a dog is, you've probably heard of 'Puppy Farms'. Lets face it, it's hard not to have. But have you ever bought a puppy farm pup? No! I hear you say. But the sad fact is, you could have and you may not even know it. For example, I have. My oldest girl is the product of one of these farms, albeit a small time one, as far as we know. Still a puppy farm, in all it's glory though. At the time it seemed a slightly clueless breeder, perhaps morally lacking, but in hindsight, (which is the clearest form of sight!) it's quite obvious what was going on.

When Buffy came to us, she was younger than her papers suggested, (which are real papers, but certainly not hers!), she was underweight, kept in dirty conditions, with 3 or 4 other breeds on location, she was filthy, poorly socialised, full of worms, eating incorrectly (they weren't weaned properly) and had never seen the outside world or a toy in her short life. In the short time you view a pup, things can be smoothed over.
Thankfully our story has happy ending, but thousands and thousands of people end up with a puppy farm dog and the consequences can be heartbreaking for the owner and fatal for the puppy. Due to the conditions and lack of care, many of these dogs carry life threatening diseases.

So you may be thinking you don't have to worry about puppy farms, you simply won't buy a popularly farmed breed, you'll make sure it has papers, you won't buy from any breeder in Wales, you'll make sure it comes from a nice family home, with a normal amount of dogs/puppies. Well you can forget those stereotypes right away, because puppy farmers are smart, despite the incredibly stupid and cruel things they do. Not all puppy farmers are Welsh (and not all Welsh breeders are puppy farmers!). Not all of them run via a huge 3 acre farm with 1,000 Beagles on it. Some appear to be nice, normal, family homes. There in lies the danger.

The Kennel Club is at the forefront of the battle against puppy farms and lists the following as red light indicators to walk away; What to do to ensure YOU don't buy a puppy farm pup!

So if you have a suspicion that the puppies you've gone to view are less than kosher? Walk away and call your local pet charity, the RSPCA is a good place to start. If the breeder is operating under the KC, or at least claiming to, it's worthwhile contacting them too. The temptation may be to 'rescue' that puppy, but all you're doing is allowing the breeder to continue producing more puppies and letting yourself in for some serious heartache. If you think you've already bought a puppy from a puppy farm, it's never too late. Have your puppy health checked and contact the RSPCA anyway, better late than never and have them check out the puppies location. It won't make your puppies start to life right, but it could save hundreds more the same cruelty and injustice.

There are things you can do to make sure the puppy/dog you get is from a good place; Check with the KC about their accredited breeder scheme, thoroughly research both your chosen breed and your chosen breeder and you can always consider a rescue dog, the Dogs Trust and Oldies Club are both amazing rehoming based charities, the RSPCA usually has many dogs and puppies available for rehoming and local shelters are normally brimming with puppies and dogs waiting for a second chance.

To learn more about the Kennel Club's campaign to end puppy farming, go here, you'll be able to find out more about the cause and learn how you can help :)

There isn't going to be an end to puppy farming overnight, it's a journey, a process that's been in action for years already and may take many more, but it's a fight worth being involved in and slowly but surely things will get better!

Good luck if you're on a journey to find your perfect pup, we hope you find them soon.

Love & licks as ever,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe and Lily.
xo