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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2/18/2017 1 Comment Devil dood designs CollarsWhen I'm looking for a dog collar that combines style and strength - Devil Doods Designs is my go-to. It's no secret now that I love the company, given I own two of their collars and have promoted them on this site previously. Devil Doods is a relatively new UK company, who opened in November 2016. They hand make a wide range of paracord dog products, in multiple styles and colours. You can customise them to suit your needs, the owner being a pleasure to deal with who answers all of my many questions patiently and helpfully. However, the customer service isn't the only selling point of DDD's paracord products - it's also the fact that the material used is insanely strong, the mega rope style collars (like my rainbow one below) being able to withstand weights up to around 2000kg! With Simba being a strong puller like he is, I have to take extra precaution when choosing collars and hardware to ensure that any accessories I use will not become a safety hazard every time I attach a lead to the D-ring, and head outside. (All three photos below taken from DDD's etsy shop) Not even a few weeks after they officially opened, I ordered myself my first collar from them - a lovely 'Ice Cave' themed Christmas dog collar. I requested the blue as not only is it the best colour that stands out against Simba's fur in my opinion, but I wanted something that was multipurpose. Something we could use all year around, to dive into water with and withstand muddy walks, but attach the little reindeer charm to around Christmas time so I don't feel the need to buy a new collar each year (although I probably will, anyway). The reflective strips woven into the black paracord are also pretty neat, as they help me easily locate my nutty dog in the bushes on our dark, winter walks when I shine a torch in his direction. Unfortunately, Simba managed to break the plastic buckle on this collar so it is used purely decoratively now, but since we wear a slip lead for most walks anyway, this really isn't a problem. This collar would be perfect if Simba didn't insist on pulling me across town like a steam train - and don't let Simba put you off buying from DDD, their collars truly are fantastic! The second collar I acquired was very recent - it's a Mega Rope Style type in rainbow colours. This collar is officially stamped 'Simba Proof'- it withstands his pulling, due to the way it is secured with heat shrink (I think it's that, anyway) and the fact that it would be almost impossible for him to rip the trigger hook off of the O-ring. I simply can't trust Simba with regular buckle collars nowadays, so this collar was a perfect alternative. Not only is it strong, but it is washable, meaning that Simba can wade in the sea wearing it, and I won't have to worry about the colours fading! Overall, we highly recommend Devil Dood Design's accessories. We have not yet tried the leads, but if the quality is anything as excellent as the collars (which I don't doubt they are!) we're certain they'll be fantastic too!
QOTD: Do you have a Devil Doods Collar? What do you think of it? Milla and Simba 2/16/2017 0 Comments Raw FeedingNutrition- it's a hot topic right now. Wet Vs Dry, extruded or cold pressed, there's a lot of conversation and controversy on the topic as people are becoming more and more aware of how nutrition directly effects their beloved pets short term health and longevity of life. Since both of my dogs are raw fed, I thought I'd help to introduce my readers to the world of what I'd consider the most natural way of feeding a dog. Dogs are physically designed to be carnivores. There's no beating around the bush with that fact. They are part of the taxonomy order of 'carnivora', and everything about their bodies reflects that. Sharp teeth designed for tearing flesh, short digestive tracts that allow bacteria to swiftly pass through without a negative effect to the dog, and the incredible sense of smell are only a few of the modern dog's features that once contributed to them being a relentless predator. Whilst it is true that dogs are opportunists when it comes to diet, and would be just as thrilled to see a smelly sock in their dinner bowl, as they would a bowl of the finest meats, it must be noted that dogs can survive on almost any diet, but have been known to thrive on what centuries of evolution has equipped them to consume. There are many versions of raw feeding, such as BARF (known as Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, or Bones And Raw Food), and PMR (Prey Model Raw) being the most common types. BARF may include vegetables or other carbohydrates, whereas PMR is usually exclusively made up of meat, and/or whole prey animals. Nowadays, there are many pre-prepared minces available that make feeding a balanced raw diet almost as convenient as dumping a pile of kibble in a bowl! (However, it is extremely important that you DO get the balance right with raw, as it is not always done for you!) Most raw feeders, some vets and nutritionists included, recommend that the dog's raw diet is made up of 80% muscle meat, 5% liver, 5% other offal and 10% bone, from a variety of different proteins, such as beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, duck, and pork. Other meats are available, however, and the more variety, the better, as to prevent allergies developing to different types of meat. The reason they are fed in these proportions, are because stools are the most consistent in most dogs when the food is fed in these ratios. Too much bone can lead to constipation, but not enough bone can mean a runny bum. Dogs fed too much offal, especially liver, are prone to diarrhea as it is very rich in nutrients. It's important to include certain types of fish in the diet, as they offer omega 3's and 6's that regular meat cannot provide in such high quantities. You have to be careful with certain fish such as tuna that contain excessive levels of mercury. Below are some examples of my dog's dinners! On the far right is their usual pre-prepared mince, that contains the correct ratio of bone, offal, and meat. The rest are special treats - the DIY dinners we make up between waiting for food deliveries. Muscle Meat Sources (besides from the obvious steak, breast, etc)
Meats and fish that can be fed include: chicken, duck, rabbit, horse, turkey, pork (this can cause diarrhea in some dogs) beef, lamb, goat, salmon, white fish, mackrel, sprats, venison, pheasant and other game birds, and some other exotic meats such as zebra and kangaroo. Green Tripe - Beef or Lamb Heart (in limited quantities as it is high in phosphorous) Gizzards Lung (this is not particularly nutritious and shouldn't be a large part of the diet) Tongue Trachea Meat on bones such as drumsticks. Offal Sources Testicle Brain Sweetbreads Spleen Liver Kidney Bone Sources - You have to be careful with bone, as bones that are too hard can break teeth. No large animal weight bearing bones, such as legs, or shanks should be consumed. Chicken or duck wings, carcass, thighs, and drumsticks. Turkey, Chicken, Lamb and Duck necks. Chicken Feet Salmon Head Lamb Spine These can be fed with caution- these can be too hard for some animals. Beef Ribs Pigs Trotters Lamb 'stock' bones (shoulder, pelvis) Lamb Ribs Lamb Head Ox Tail Beef Knuckle Bone Marrow Bone Goat Bones Turkey Drumstick How do you switch to raw? It is really quite simple - a cold turkey, straight swap is normally recommended, as raw and kibble/wet food do not digest at the same rates, so feeding them together would not make sense. You can feed your last kibble meal the night before, and swap straight onto raw the next morning! It can take some time (no more than a few weeks) for the body to sort itself out and the dog to become accustomed to raw. It's best to start with feeding just tripe meals for a week, and then move onto chicken and tripe for another week, and continue slowly introducing new meats over a course of time. Whole bones can be introduced after 3-4 weeks. How much food do you have to feed? (of their current body weight daily) 0-4 months 8% - 10% 4 - 6 months: 6 - 8% 6 - 9 months: 4% 9-12 months 3% Over 12 months 2%-3% Depending on the dog's activity, you may have to feed more or less. For example, a working dog may need closer to 5% daily if they are working. Since I started raw feeding almost a year ago now, I have noticed some benefits, and disadvantages to the diet. Some of the points I have made are generic, whilst others are Simba-specific. Advantages Shiny, Soft Coat- Many raw feeders report that their dog's coat becomes softer and shinier after switching to a raw diet. I can definitely vouch for that - I enjoy nothing more than running my fingers through Simba's baby-soft, silky fur. He is also practically odourless, and sheds a lot less overall than when he ate only kibble. White Teeth - chomping on a raw bone even occasionally (ours get a whole bone every 1-2 weeks), paired with not chewing on extruded carbohydrates are responsible for Simba's pearly white teeth, at almost two years old. Smaller Poop / Less Farts - I have personally discovered that ever since I began raw feeding, Simba's stools have been significantly smaller, and he only poos once a day on our walks (although, he does several poops during that hour, and walks around in circles as he pushes them out to make my job a lot harder...) the stench is not nearly as bad, either. Longevity - this is only anecdotal, but some owners report that their dogs live to an older age as they are not, or less likely to be compromised by nutritional problems in their life. Allergies and skin problems improve. Fantastic overall health, and less vet visits! Disadvantages Neosporisis and Toxoplasmosis are two 'bugs' that can be found in raw meat, if they are not frozen adequately before feeding. It is recommended that ALL raw meat, including human grade are frozen for 1-2 weeks prior to feeding to a dog to ensure that these are killed off. Things like salmonella and E-coli are unlikely to affect a dog, as the meat passes through the digestive system so quickly (usual digestive time for raw is around 4-6 hours). Freezer Space is another big disadvantage in raw feeding - unless you have a hefty freezer, with lots of space for one of the big, clunky machines, you are likely to be buying food frequently, which can get quite expensive. I can just about squeeze 10kg, or 20 days worth of dog food for my two with a combined weight of 21kg, into two regular bottom freezer drawers. Cost - Raw can both be expensive or cheap, depending on suppliers, location, and space. Delivery usually costs £6 or more at a minimum, and becomes more expensive depending on how many KG of food you are buying at a time. If you have a butcher or slaughter house locally that is willing to sell or give you offcuts, bones and unwanted meats, then feeding can be made significantly cheaper providing you have the freezer space. For our two dogs, it costs us £27 for 20 days worth of food from a relatively cheap supplier - which is more expensive than a cheap kibble, but not more expensive than feeding Orijen, Guru, or Barking Heads. Convenience- although ready-made minces in the correct ratios of bone, muscle meat and offal are available, you may still have to spend several minutes weighing out each meal every day. If you feed DIY, you will have to spend several hours weekly, or monthly, weighing out the correct ratios yourself for your dog or dogs. Popular Suppliers Morrisons Supermarket offer a great range of bones and offal, especially if they have a butcher onsite. I have picked up Trotters, Lamb stock bones, beef and lamb ribs, and have seen many other things such as hearts, liver, ox tail and lamb neck rings in Morrison's Supermarkets. Online Suppliers that deliver nationwide Natural Instinct / Nutriment, Scruffles Pet Supply, Poppy's Picnic, Raw To Go, Landywoods, Nature's Menu, Honey's, Albion Meat Products Wolftucker. These are only a few of the many suppliers! If you have any more questions or feel I've missed something - please let me know in the comments! I'll try my best to answer accurately. Milla & Simba 2/9/2017 4 Comments My favourite collar companies If anyone knows me, they'll be well aware that I am completely obsessed with dog collars. Therefor, it only make sense that I compile a list of just some of my very favourite dog collar shops. It was a tremendous challenge to boil my list down to just 13 shops, when the majority of my following list on instagram is made up of phenomenal companies creating unique, stunning accessories for the dogs of the world. The following are listed in no particular order - besides from the collars I already own being listed first. 1. Zee Dog - despite the above statement, there is no doubt at all that Zee Dog are my favourite dog company of all time. There's something about their unique designs, incorporating vibrant colours and quirky patterns (Donuts. Pizza. Need I say more?) to create the durable collars they sell. I own two collars, a harness and two leashes from this company, the quality is always fantastic, and the unique rubber logo they include on every product is what sells the brand to me. I'm a sucker for a charm, or something distinctive that makes a brand stand out - and this is exactly what Zee Dog has! 2. Devil Dood Designs - The thing I love about DDD's paracord products, is the fact that they are so customisable. I have a pair of collars from this company, and both times I have been able to alter the base collar to meet Simba's requirements, and what appeals to me. There's almost an endless choice of colours and combinations, and the customer service is simply sublime! There's a range of different styles too, to meet the needs of every dog; be it size, age, or strength, there'll be a gorgeous option for you! 3. Hound Collection - Although these collars are relatively expensive, especially coming all the way from Canada - it is certainly worth it given the fact that these gorgeous lambskin leather collars are handmade, using only the finest materials. The gold-plated logo appealed to me immediately (you'll know why by now) and I was fixated on the idea of buying a collar for months, until I finally caved and did it. The collars are stunning, soft and very high quality (although not the best for a puller!) - It almost feels magical to receive one of these marvelous accessories in the post. 4. Pawllar- These are a personal favourite due to the fact that the thick fabric is extremely strong, but soft on the dog's neck. The designs are charming and adorable, and like Zee Dog include an adorable rubber logo to secure the stitching close to the D-ring. I find this collar stunning, and the company rather underappreciated for their fantastic, high-quality work. These are collars I do not yet own, but aspire to in the future. I highly recommend checking out the following companies - their remarkable accessories, made of all different materials, patterns, and some with such unique concepts are worth at the very least a glance. 5. Mutts n' Such 6. Bramble And Friends 7. 4 Black Paws 8. Walk In The Bark 9. The Hound And Howl 10. Moo And Twig 11. Sotnos Dog Wear 12. Olive And Atlas 13. Broughton And Co. Milla & Simba 2/8/2017 2 Comments City Dog.. or not?Some of you may or may not know, but our trips to town are some of our favourites. (Simba's POV) They usually commence with a bumpy bus journey, where I make faces like this at mum, as she's got a treat in her hand to keep me out of the way of other passengers boarding the bus. I don't notice, but apparently the kids, the mums, and the old ladies on the bus coo at me. I'm too busy contemplating my next snack. Once we disembark, we take a stroll through the town center. I like to tug on the lead, chasing the pigeons that scrounge off of the happy shoppers bumbling from one store to the other. I wish they'd share their yummy finds with me, but the pigeons aren't so friendly when there's dogs around. On this particular trip, we stopped for a rest in the quiet part of town so mum could relax her aching arms for a while. Apparently, I resemble a steam train. I don't really get what she means, though. (PS. I'm wearing my lovely Duke Of Bristol bandana here - check them out, they're one of my favourites!) We head across the bridge that canopies the main road, where I like to splash in the big puddle at the very top. Here I am staring at all the cars I'm not allowed to chase, because I'm on a lead. Doh. It's so unfair being a dog. Our next stop is Pets At Home; my favourite place in the world! The bunnies smell wonderful, the hamsters want to be my friends (or not) and every food, toy, and treat I could ever imagine wanting is all there, all in one place! I'm even allowed inside. My favourite stop is at the raw food aisle, where mum might pick me up a bone for dinner. Sometimes she gets treats, or a toy for me too. This time she got me a brand new bright orange ball launcher since we left mine at home, which meant we HAD to take a trip to the park to test it out. As the kiddies bit was empty, I was even allowed to play on the apparatus for a few minutes. YIPEE!
I left the park a liver cocker spaniel after I opted to drink and jump in the muddy puddle water rather than the fresh, bottled (disgustingly hygienic, I call it) stuff mum offered me. I was so filthy we were forced to skip the bus ride back (yay! Extra walkies!) and despite my naughtiness, mum even treated me to a trek through Fairlands Park on the way back home, in the hopes that I might clean myself off in the lake. It was frozen over. A bath followed our eventual arrival, as well as a thorough mopping of the floor after I left my muddy footprints in every corner of the house. It wasn't hard to sleep well after the adventure we had!! Simba (& Milla) 2/4/2017 2 Comments Chuckit! Ultra BallsYou either love them, or you love them. There's no in-between.
As a matter of fact, we love them. We will not depart for our daily walk unless I've got a chuckit ball thrower clasped in my hand, with one of their amazing rubber Ultra Balls tucked snugly into the holder. These balls are durable, bouncy, and by far the easiest to find in among a pile of leaves, in a bush, floating atop a body of water; you name it, you'll see your chuckit ball there. Chuckit have a wide range of fetch toys, and though I started on their regular tennis balls, it only took one game of fetch with one of their Ultra Amazing Ultra Balls to convince me to abandon the old one in the cupboard. With Simba being a spaniel, I have a tendency to chuck the ball in a random direction, and I expect him to find it. Often, he loses it, and gallops around in circles for ten minutes, nose glued to the ground as he works to find his favourite toy. I, on the other hand, have usually spotted the vibrant orange ball within 30 seconds, and am forced to wait impatiently until he picks up on the scent after racing past the ball seventeen times. Paired with a launcher, you can launch these balls up to 26m away from you - and it's no lie, the launchers really do what they say on the tin! Oh, and did I mention - they're not only amazing on land, but they float, too!? Although the balls are pricey (at upwards of about £7 for two balls), and relatively easy to lose (we've been through two in a matter of 10 months- and this was due to user error rather than a fault of the product!) they are worth every penny you pay for them! Below are some photos of Simba with his beloved ultra ball. Milla & Simba 2/3/2017 4 Comments Hi....So, this is our first post!
It's nothing much, just an introduction to our blog. A new page in our book. I'm not entirely sure what I want this to be yet. Once I start posting, I'll figure it out. I'll go with the flow; that's what I do. This is Simba, and the person behind the camera, and the unfunny, unoriginal captions on instagram (at least I try, okay?). I suppose I should introduce myself and Simba formally on this blog here. I'm Milla, I'm 17, I'm doing a Level 3 Animal Care course at college, and I'm obsessed with pizza. I shoot with a Nikon D3100 plus the Nikon 50mm, or Sigma 70-300mm lenses. Simba is a nearly two year old Working Cocker Spaniel, who's cocky enough to ignore my commands, but pose like a champ as soon as the camera is pointed his way. He's a lovely piece of hard work, but I wouldn't have him any other way. If he weren't a challenge, he'd be a lap dog! Simba loves food too, but likes exercise even better (unlike his owners). Please feel free to comment below with the kinds of things you'd like to see on this blog - that'll surely give my inspiration a kickstart! Thanks for reading, Milla and Simba (If you go to the menu, you can find posts on specific topics) |
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