May. Spring's in full bloom, the sun is starting to shine, and the misery of the winter has started to fade. It's the perfect month to treat your pup to a box of goodies, hand-picked for you so you don't have to mull over the hundreds of toy and treat options available on Amazon for hours and rack up a £100 basket within the blink of an eye. Fortunately, for the weak-hearted (like me) who struggle to narrow their options down, a myriad of companies now offer monthly surprise boxes for dogs to ensure your beloved pet is never short of a special treat come payday, for being such a wonderful friend throughout the month. The Pawsome Box is one of these monthly boxes, who will provide a monthly box of 5-6 items uniquely chosen to suit your pooch. These could be anything, from toys, to accessories, to treats, or even healthcare products, from only £14.90 per month! In my box, I received two packs of treats, two toys, a water bottle and a lead. A perfect combination for a day out, we promptly put them to the test. TREATS The two packs of treats provided in the box, were a pack of Chew 'n Snack Tripe Strips, and some Snackys Ham-flavoured, bone-shaped treats. Both of these serve as perfect training treats for us, as they are soft enough to be broken up into tiny pieces. Simba is not a picky dog when it comes to treats, who immediately scoffed the lot, so I cannot determine how palatable the more selective dog might find these. For this reason, he may not be the best food tester... TOYS The box also contained two toys; a plush toy shaped like a luggage bag, and a rubber flip flop toy. Simba's a serial plush toy destroyer, who sometimes attempts to consume the stuffing which means his access to the toy is limited. He loves rope toys, so the flip flop will become a staple in his toy box. We may even take it on our next beach trip, just for the irony! "Nooo, give me the bag, I want to go on holiday!" "Do these shoes make my feet look small?" ACCESSORIES & OTHER The final two products were a convenient, portable dog water bowl and bottle combination, and a strong red lead. We've been meaning to acquire one of these bottles for a while, and receiving one in time for the summer (providing we get one warm enough to require refreshments) was just perfect. The lead has a subtle texture to the webbing, to create a checkerboard pattern. It's surprisingly comfortable to hold, despite not being as soft to the touch as you'd expect. If you'd like a box just like it, be sure to use my personal promo code ukbbt9fy for £5 off of the cost of your first order!
Thank you for reading, Milla & Simba
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Spaniels are renown for their ability to get filthy, in even the most immaculate of places. They're also infamous for pulling, gorging on any food in sight, and finding toys around the house you never even knew you bought. Simba is nothing less than a stereotypical spaniel, who has been known to obliterate collars that are not sturdy enough to stand up to his ridiculous strength, given he barely weights 13kg. The thing that drew me to Salt Dog Studios in the first place, is that I was searching for an attractive, hardwearing, washable collar made in the UK (as I no longer posses the virtue of patience to ship from the USA) that was NOT EzyDog - I was looking for something that would not only suit frolics in the park, but look flashy enough to be worn for special occasions. Made To Last The irresistible mint-green whale design is comical, but is balanced by the sturdy metal buckle to make for a beautiful, multi-purpose collar. The matching lead is equally as robust, and has received comments in the past for being so cute! As we rapidly approach Summer, I feel that this collar is going to become even more of a staple in Simba's 'outdoor wear' wardrobe (alongside his rainbow Devil Doods collar) as the weather warms, and we explore various local lakes and parks. Our SDS set has suffered being subject to almost every type of filth; from sand, to mud, to water, it has survived and is still going strong despite vigorous use. Besides from a small amount of rust on the eyelets, the collar still looks and feels brand new, and the stitching on the lead remains firmly in place although it had been tugged on time and time again. Testing his Salt Dog lead during his first trip to the beach back in late December. He has also worn it do Daycare on more than one occasion, been dragged about by the lead by a cheeky Labrador puppy there, and it is still fully intact. You'll also notice the lovely black brand tag on the lead - one which is also sewn into the collar, and I often struggle to equip the right way up the first time if I fail to check. Comfort The collar and the lead handle feature a soft, velvet layer of fabric that act as a padding, giving these accessories a luxurious feel, as well as providing an essential soft surface for the dog who's wearing the collar, and some protection to the hands of the humans attached to rowdy dogs by the end of the lead. On more than one occasion, I've found myself praising the genius idea that it was to add velvet to the inside of the handle of the lead, when I'd usually be covered in fabric burns from materials that don't feel half as nice as they look. Although this nautical print is no longer available on their website, there are dozens of other designs to choose from, to suit any dog. Overall, I would recommend these accessories to anyone with a similar criteria to us- attractive, resistant, ergonomic and easy to clean. If you've never heard of them before that's because they're not as active on Instagram as they are on Facebook - but they're definitely a company you should start following now! They're the perfect alternative to a brand like EzyDog, for those looking for something just as good but a little more fashionable for their posing pooch.
Milla & Simba For those of you who do not yet know, a few weeks ago, Simba became a model for the online dog accessory company, R 'n' D Paws, who hand-make fabulous Scottish Tartan accessories for dogs. It's his first modelling 'job', which is nerve-racking yet simultaneously exciting - more for myself than for him, as I challenge myself to be more creative with my photography than I've ever had to be before. We won our collar, bandana and matching bracelet set in a giveaway hosted by the company to celebrate the arrival of the new year. Ever since it arrived in early February, I've been flaunting their stunning products all over Simba's page - it's hard not to, when the bandana suits him so well, and stands out on his glossy white coat like he was born to wear it. I'm not usually one to pick anything red for my ginger dog - but in this case, I am certainly glad I did! The bandana is thick and incredibly well-made, and has withstood being washed three times in the last month due to Simba recently having developed a habit of coating himself in the natural essence of dead woodland creatures. The collar is strong too - the buckle seems to be holding up thus far which has previously been an issue for us - though the D-ring has not made it to today. The endearing little red heart button is a distinguishing feature for the brand, and I thought it was genius. Simple and distinctive, yet an adorable addition to each accessory. That isn't the best part about my collar and bandana set, however. What I appreciate most in an accessory, is it's ability to be washed, and to be able to survive through Simba's obsession with tearing through the holly bushes which we see on most of our local woodland walks. His R 'n' D paws set passes the 'Simba test', though we are yet to test how one of their bow ties will hold up with him. His set has even survived a dip in the lake, and hours spend at doggy daycare. I highly recommend R'n'D Paws for the stylish pooches who suit tartan and tweed. The quality of their accessories are second to none, the vibrant colours thankfully failing to fade despite multiple washes.
You can even use my code 'SIMBA15' during checkout for a 15% discount on your order! Milla & Simba 2/22/2017 4 Comments Aquamat Dog TowelIf you've never heard of an Aquamat Dog Towel - you have no idea what you've been missing. These towels might be old news to some, but to me, they are ridiculously innovative. I picked mine up at Discover Dogs in 2016, after being exposed to their brilliance by a dog groomer - and there will be no going back now! The towels are made from a material I can only describe as what feels like a mix of rubber, foam, and cotton. It is soft and flexible, extremely absorbent, but has a smooth, sleek surface, and can be rolled up and stuffed into the portable plastic tube provided so the handy item can be carried with you wherever you go. The material is designed to hold water and will not leak and dampen the coat, so works as a cooling towel to refresh overheated dogs during the summer when the towel is wet. When wrung out to just damp, it will work as the most remarkable drying towel you'll every try. I've been using mine daily ever since winter came into full swing, and I learned the true meaning of muddy paws... and underbelly, and tail! They are an extremely popular tool with dog groomers due to their unique qualities that help to slash drying time in half, which is due to the fact the water can be squeezed out over and over again, as many times as necessary until a dog is adequately dried. On the other hand, a conventional cotton towel will only absorb so much water until it begins to leak, and needs to be hung out to dry and replaced with another in order to finish the job. Aquamat towels are machine-washable on a cool setting for when your pup's filthy paws coat the towel in layer of muck that a regular rinse cannot remove - which is just another of many bonuses to an already fabulous product! They come in a range of colours, as well as in the form of a Dog Cooling Chiller Coat for those warm Summer day trips where you need something that covers a little more of the body and is comfortable to wear. We love our towel! (Even if Simba's "woe is me" expression doesn't seem to reflect that! And yes, he IS a smelly dog!) I have included a video to show briefly exactly how it works. I highly recommend this towel, as I'm almost certain they'll last us a life time! And even if they don't, they're still just as reasonably priced as any other regular cotton towel, but with triple the benefits!
If left unused for prolonged periods of time, these towels can dry out and become hard. Do not be alarmed by this - as soon as you wet the towel, it will return to its usual, useful form. You can pick up an Aquamat at most Discover Dogs shows throughout the year, Crufts, or online here for only £10! Milla & Simba |
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