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 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

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!

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