Please get in touch to order a calendar? The charity calendars are £15+p&p (UK only). I have a limited number printed now, so please order while stocks last? Email me: penny@dentbros.co.uk
I spend all year planning and taking photos, so by this time of year I am ready to go. UPDATE: ONLY 10 CALENDARS LEFT IN STOCK!
March on the beach
I have put together a mixed collection, trying to be a bit more imaginative this year, rather than just the standard set of poses.
April – Busy and Ounce in the bluebells
Research done
I ask my Facebook followers to vote on some of the pictures, to gauge the level of interest. Then I make some changes, sometimes taking out a photo altogether.
May – Angus peeping
I do these calendars partly as a personal project, to ensure I keep trying to improve my photography skills. My main motivation is of course to raise money for my favourite charity – Canine Concern. They support my volunteering work, visiting my local school, Heronsgate Junior School.
June – Quin and MurmurJuly – by popular request
Seasonal photos
It is a challenge to try and find photos to reflect the seasons! The October photo was taken a year ago. I did have a nice picture of Aura taken on that day, but Chris wanted Luna included, so there she is.
August – AuraSeptember – Busy
Of course by the time she is on the wall it will be October 2024 and we lost her in March 2023, but there you go – our special Boo.
Buy Charity calendars NOW!
Please get in touch to order a calendar? The charity calendars are £15+p&p (UK only). I have a limited number printed now, so please order while stocks last? Email me: penny@dentbros.co.uk
The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!
Why do we buy toys for our dogs? What are they for? Like most people, I love a bit of retail therapy every now and again. I am seduced by cute, furry toys, with funny faces. I love buying presents for my dogs. They love receiving presents from me! They are so happy to have a new toy, running around waving it about and making sure to give it a good shake, or a squeak.
How long will donkey last?
I suppose one of the reasons for buying toys is that it gives us and our dogs pleasure. They enjoy the stimulation of having something different to play with.
Destructor puppy!
The trouble with buying cute cuddly toys for your dog is that they don’t last long! Puppies have sharp teeth and they absolutely LOVE ripping toys to shreds. They scatter the stuffing all round the room and eat ears, feet and hands, which then end up littering the garden when they reappear. Oh dear!
What was it?
The thing is, if you don’t give your puppy toys to play with, they will find other things to chew and destroy! That’s what a puppy does best. So far we have lost a phone cable and a cushion to our darling Quin, but I know there is more to come, because this morning we found a tooth.
Teething trouble
At around 4-5 months of age, puppies lose their baby teeth and their adult teeth come through. Just like with human babies, that is annoying and painful for puppies. They find relief through chewing.
What should this puppy be playing with?
In the wild, they would chew sticks and roots, or probably bits of fur and skin from the animals killed by their mother. You can buy bits of animals for your puppy to chew, such as chicken feet or pigs ears. Beware antlers though, as these can break teeth, leading to expensive vet bills for dentistry work. Luna lost a canine to an antler. Teething puppies can also be soothed with food, such as frozen Kongs, carrots or ice cubes.
Different toys for different tasks
When shopping for your dog, you need to think about meeting a variety of needs. Soft toys are great for playing with, squeaking and believe it or not, cuddling! My dogs definitely love their soft toys and some last for ages. Others, not so much.
Dogs definitely need hard toys to chew. These are often bone, or stick shaped and made of plastic, rubber or nylon. Beware rawhide, as these have been shown to be produced using hideous chemical processes, which are bad for our dogs. They also cause blockages.
Looks like a bone, but won’t splinter
Balls are of course essential. Most dogs love chasing after a ball. My dogs have a box of tennis balls they have discovered on walks; Aura is the queen of the ball. They have so much fun running around after a ball, giving it to one another – they hardly need my input at all!
A word of caution about ball chuckers: I used to use one to give the dogs long, fast runs, but decided that it was just too problematic. Too much running at top speed and jumping for a ball leads to early onset arthritis, joint damage and other possible injuries. It is also too stimulating, which can just make your dog hyper, rather than tiring them out, as you probably intended. Oh and chewing tennis balls has now been shown to erode teeth, so again, this needs to be managed.
Tuggy toys are another must have for many dogs. I use tuggy play to engage with my dog and keep their focus on me whilst training. It is super rewarding and really helps stop my puppy reacting to things going past him whilst on walks. At agility, it’s a great way of stopping dogs getting wound up by other dogs training, or competing. Some people think tuggy play can be too distracting for dogs and lead to undesired behaviour, so again, this needs to be kept in context. Dogs will play tuggy with each other, which can be fun, as long as it doesn’t lead to fights.
Alternatives to toys
If you don’t have endless funds to spend on buying toys, there are alternatives. Soft toys can be made from old socks for example. A pair of socks, one inside the other, filled with the stuffing and squeaker from an old toy can provide plenty of fun. Or buy soft toys from a charity shop.
You can use yogurt pots, juice or water bottles, or flower pots for dogs to chase around and chew. If you fill a bottle with gravel that provides an extra level of sensory play. Watch the chewing of this plastic though and take it away once it starts to break up as the pieces are much sharper than plastic bones.
Kongs: fill with peanut butter and kibble, lovely!
Tuggy toys can be made from bits of vet bed, cut into strips. Or how about getting an old pair of jeans, tearing it into strips and plaiting it? My puppies love playing with these and they last a good while.
Toy management
As you have seen, most toys have limitations. They need managing and you need to be aware of what your dog is doing, as much as possible. But they are safer than chewing sticks or stones. Ultimately, it is about keeping your dog occupied in a manageable way, rather than letting them destroy your home. There are now plenty of toys available to help challenge your dog, such as licky mats, snuffle mats etc.
Hours of play and no furniture damaged
When they are teething, people often despair and think about re-homing. Like many stages of puppyhood, this will pass. Most dogs stop chewing, most of the time.
Weekly Focus Challenge
Provide a variety of toys for your puppy. Monitor their play and make sure they are not eating things they are not supposed to! This is harder than it sounds and you will definitely have a few inappropriate toys chewed.
Please share your thoughts and a photo? You can do this in the AYWYP Facebook group, or buy the workbook to keep your own record. Details below.
Buy the Workbook
The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think. If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME, by filling in your email address below? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE
NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.
Each year I produce a calendar of my dogs, and the puppies I’ve bred to share with family and friends. I sell these to raise invaluable funds for the charity Canine Concern. This is a small charity, based in East Sussex, who support volunteers to take their dogs into all sorts of venues, including, as in my case, schools.
CALENDARS COST £10 EACH, plus £2 P&P – LAST FEW REMAINING!!!
A future volunteer?
The charity provides support to volunteers by assessing the suitability of them and their dog, which is an area of my volunteering that I LOVE to do, as it is great to meet enthusiastic people and their lovely dogs, over a coffee. Canine Concern also provide lots of information and documentation, including insurance, to support the volunteers.
I produce a calendar that is shamelessly Border Collies, because that is what I have and breed! Quite a few of the dogs I’ve bred have been volunteering in schools and other venues – Busy and I have been visiting for 7 years!
CALENDARS COST £10 EACH, plus £2 P&P – LAST FEW REMAINING!!!
Canine Concern volunteer
I try to make the photos seasonal and show a variety of dogs, as you can see! Here are the images I have chosen, voted for by my followers from a shortlist:
I do know that not everyone in the world likes Border Collies! So I do produce an alternative calendar too. These are photographs I’ve taken on my walks around the countryside, from Devon to Scotland. Again, I try to make these pictures seasonal, so that they will bring pleasure all year round.
CALENDARS COST £10 EACH, plus £2 P&P – LAST FEW REMAINING!!!
Here are the photos I have chosen for the countryside calendar:
2023 Charity calendar
How to order your Charity Calendar
To order your calendar and support Canine Concern, please contact me and specify which calendar you would like. HURRY! Stocks are limited at this price.
CALENDARS COST £10 EACH, plus £2 P&P – LAST FEW REMAINING!!!
Puppies are hard work! There is a lot to learn and it can be daunting and difficult. This workbook, with its weekly lessons will take you through the first year of owning your puppy. You will probably attend puppy classes and read books, but this is a different resource to help you manage this new relationship.
A Year with Your Puppy is designed to help you learn about your dog in a way that is manageable. The workbook is divided into weekly chunks, covering problems, training tips and information. Best of all, the workbook is interactive, with plenty of space for you to record your progress. You can try out the weekly challenges and write about what has gone well. You can also add a photo each week! At the end of the year, you should be proud of your dog and all that you have achieved.
NB: This book is PRINTED IN BLACK AND WHITE and designed to be written in. IT IS NOT A GLOSSY PICTURE BOOK
The course is designed to be finished, and this is not a glamorous, well-finished book, it is a rough-and-ready *work* book – it’s for people who want to finally understand their puppy, not just read about it. Be warned – there are plenty of photographs and illustrations, but they are NOT COLOUR and they are not fine art quality.
Please use the “Look Inside” feature which is enabled – you can see the workbook nature of the book before you buy, and check it is what you are expecting.
When you open this book you will breathe a sigh of relief, realising they don’t have to learn everything all at once. It is easy to navigate around the book, meaning you can skip ahead to find out how to tackle problems as they arise. You will also revisit some issues and challenges. And there is plenty to celebrate too! Room for you to record things that are going well, so you can really see the progress you and your puppy are making.
Cheeky chappy
Online support
I have written the contents of this book initially as a series of blogs, so you can look at these online, on this website, for nothing. However, this book will give you the hands-on keepsake of the journey you take with your puppy.
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think. If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME, by filling in your email address below? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE
NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.
During the year I take many, many photos of my dogs and visiting dogs. I then force my family and friends to receive these calendars for Christmas . For the last few years I have sold these calendars, with 100% of the profit going to the charity that supports my volunteering – the amazing Canine Concern.
The calendars are in double A4 format . These are now available to order, for £15+£2 p&p (UK only). Simply message me to reserve yours? Payments must be made through PayPal (friends and family) or direct bank transfer.
Well I don’t know why you wouldn’t, or why you would be here, but there are alternatives…
A picture without a dog!
This is one of the pictures from the Landscape calendar. All calendars are in single A4 format. Landscape and Flower Calendars cost £10 +£2p&p, with 100% of profits going to Canine Concern. Payments must be made through PayPal (friends and family) or direct bank transfer.
If you’d like something more colourful, I have also created a calendar of flowers. Hopefully there is now something for everyone! Landscape and Flower Calendars cost £10 +£2p&p, with 100% of profits going to Canine Concern. Payments must be made through PayPal (friends and family) or direct bank transfer.
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think. If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
How to find a dog trainer to suit you and your dog
As an Assured Breeder, registered with and inspected by the Kennel Club, I am required to provide advice to all my new puppy owners. This puppy pack includes a few basic training tips, such as ‘let your puppy off lead on the first walk!‘
The Puppy Pack also includes advice about finding a suitable trainer for you and your puppy to attend. Before this year, my advice related to going along to classes in person. Now we have to consider alternatives, but I am going to talk about both options.
A trained dog is a happy dog
House training aside, every puppy needs to be taught good manners and have constructive lessons in basic control and social interaction. This includes:
Responding to its name
Learning how to greet and behave politely around other people and dogs
To come back when called (see my posts on recall for details)
To walk nicely on the lead
To sit down and stay on command
To allow itself to be groomed and examined by you and your vet
Dog training classes
Most if not all owners can benefit from attending good training classes, and training in the company of other dogs is very useful, because of the realistic distractions it involves. Ideally, you should start your classes as soon as your puppy’s vaccinations are complete, but classes can be invaluable for older dogs too.
There are various different styles of dog training and it is naturally important that you find a class and training instructors with the right approach for you and your puppy. You can find training classes by using the Kennel Club’s Find a Club service. You can also ask your vet and other dog owners for recommendations, or see my recommendation below. Dog training can be lots of fun and very rewarding.
A trained dog is a happy dog, and a happy dog makes for a happy owner too.
Finding the best dog training club
Before enrolling with a dog training club it can be beneficial to go and visit several classes first (without your puppy) to make sure you have made the right choice. Things you may wish to consider include:
Do you like what you see – are the trainers friendly, are people happy and enjoying training their dogs?
Are the dogs happily focused on their human family?
Are the instructors giving lots of encouragement and information to all attendees?
Are the instructors maintaining a controlled, safe environment for all?
Are instructors treating everyone fairly and meeting the needs of the whole group?
Some of these points still apply to online classes, but let’s consider these in more detail.
Online or In-person?
Since before the pandemic, dog trainers have realised that some elements of dog training can be done online. During the first Lockdown, we all had to adapt and good trainers have been able to transfer the majority of their training to be done remotely.
A good online dog trainer, will provide a range of tuition methods:
Live video calls to a small group, covering the topic for that week’s lesson
Use of a ‘demo dog’ to show how to carry out the instructions and reward the dog
The opportunity to watch the recording of the class later, for revision or if the live class has been missed
The chance to post videos of your own training to a private group
A way of asking questions and receiving feedback
There are pros and cons to both types of classes, in my view.
It is easier to attend an online class, especially if you can watch a recording later on. No travelling or parking issues. Very useful if your dog is not yet good at travelling.
You might feel that an online class will make it harder to ‘show off’ your dog’s training and discuss the issues you are having. I believe this is not the case. It is much better to watch the trainer’s explanations and demonstrations without your puppy messing around/ barking at other dogs/ weeing on the floor. Honestly, it can be really hard to manage your puppy whilst sitting in a draughty hall. Much better to sit calmly at home, paying attention to the lesson. Then go away and practice, in your own time.
Once you’ve mastered the lesson, or if you are having problems with it, posting a video showing where you’re at is a great way for your trainer to see what is happening. What might seem confusing and tricky to you will soon be sorted by your trainer. I highly recommend Adam Delderfield at Delders Dogs for expert online training.
Group interaction is so useful
One of the nice things about going along to an in-person class is meeting other puppy owners. You can show off your baby! It is lovely comparing notes and hearing that they are going through all the crap (literally) that you are going through.
But this can be done easily through a private social media group. These days we are pretty adept at communicating in this way. My Sweetie Litter were the first to have their own WhatsApp group and they talk to each other most days, even after 18 months! We are currently discussing neutering and relationships with our vets 🙂
Practice makes perfect
Whomever you go to for training, just going, engaging and practising the lessons will make your dog better. Building your relationship with your dog is the key element of the training sessions and the value of this cannot be over-emphasised. Please go and please practise and please, please put in the effort to train your dog? Your dog will thank you 🙂
For specific help with behaviour issues, I very much recommend a specialist such as Dan Callaghan at MK Dog Behaviour and Training.
I also recommend Nicole Vento from the The Calm Canine Academy. Please visit the website to find out more about their training methods and the services they offer. When you book training with any of these people, please mention me? Thanks!
Remember..
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think. If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
For the last few years I have amused myself throughout the year, taking photos of my dogs, my puppies and landscapes. I then force my family and friends to receive these calendars for Christmas . Recently I have been presumptuous enough to sell these calendars, with 100% of the profit going to the charity that supports my volunteering – Canine Concern
The calendars are in A4 format and there is a choice this year of DOGS, FLOWERS or LANDSCAPES. These are now available to order, for £10 (plus p&p). Simply message me to reserve yours?
In case you don’t like Border Collies
Well I don’t know why you wouldn’t, or why you would be here, but there are alternatives…
A picture without a dog!
This is one of the pictures from the Landscape calendar. All calendars are in A4 format, with an A4 grid of dates.
Calendars cost £10 +p&p, with 100% of profits (around £3) going to Canine Concern.
Payments must be made through PayPal (friends and family) or direct bank transfer.
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think. If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
Most puppies love snuggling into a piece of ‘Vetbed’ or similar. This is a synthetic simulated sheepskin, which is hygienic, machine washable, totally non-allergic and relatively resistant to chewing. It can also help to prevent pressure sores on bigger dogs. Buy at least two pieces so you use one while washing and drying the other.
Crate
Your puppy needs its own space and safe place. The crate or cage keeps it safe and out of trouble when it is alone, rather like putting a baby in a cot or playpen. It also helps to teach the puppy that it does need to rest and so do you.
When ordering a crate for your puppy, buy one big enough for it to lie in stretched out and standing up in when it is fully grown (medium). Make sure that the mesh is not too big as puppies may get their mouths caught. Put some bedding inside and tie some toys in the far end of the crate so the puppy has to go in there to play with them. Gently place your puppy in there whenever it falls asleep. Leave occasional treats in the crate for the puppy to find, so the puppy learns to love going in there.
A handy hint to ensure that your puppy is eager to enjoy the safety and calm of the crate is to feed him in there, with bowls like these. Then, quietly close the door. Puppies love to search and sniff for pieces of food, and once they have found and eaten everything, they often settle down and drift into sleep for an hour or so.
This gives you a chance to do other things without worrying about what the puppy is up to, and it is a good experience for the puppy to curl up and sleep in the cot by choice. You can gradually increase the time the puppy stays in the crate and initially this should be whilst you are in the room with it.
A dog run, or playpen, like this one is ideal to help you manage your puppy. You can make sure they are safe, not chewing up the house, but they have room to run about and play. You can put down paper, or puppy pads, so that they don’t have to toilet in their bed.
Dogs & Horses make beautiful collars and leads. They are hard-wearing and comfortable for you and your dogs. I highly recommend them!
Choose a comfortable collar that is suitable for the size and age of puppy. Puppies grow rapidly and collars should be checked almost daily for condition and fit. These should not be so loose that they can slip over your puppy’s head or so tight that you cannot slip two fingers underneath. Some are connected by a plastic catch, remember they are not as strong as the traditional buckle.
Choose a lead that is suitable for the size of your puppy, not too long, too short or too heavy. A good rope lead is both strong and comfortable on your hands. Chain leads can hurt your hands, but may be useful if you have a puppy that likes to chew or carry its lead in its mouth. Nylon leads are strong, but can hurt your hands. Whatever type you choose, make sure you attach it to the ‘D ring’ of the collar and not onto the split ring that attaches the identity disc to the collar, as this is not strong enough to take the weight of your dog. Particular attention should be paid to the catch/ clip which must be strong and not liable to break or straighten. You can also use a harness to help manage a pulling dog.
Please do not use an extendable lead – it will teach your puppy to pull against it all the time and stop him from having a good run around. Before they are able to go out, practise the recall in the garden, with lots of treats. Then when you do go out, let them off the lead straight away. The outside world will be big and scary and they will want to come back to you, trust me! Give plenty of praise and treats and keep on recalling and rewarding all through the walk. Before your puppy is 3 months old you will have a good strong recall and no need of an extendable lead.
If you really feel that this is going to be too difficult, buy a Long Line. This is like a piece of rope around twenty feet long. You put the puppy on one end and stand on the other end. Let him go off for a wander and then call him back after a few minutes. If he doesn’t respond, give a gentle tug on the line to attract his notice, then call and reward. Do NOT pull him back to you – he has to want to come back. The line is for your security, that’s all. Please DO NOT chase your dog, you will not teach him to come back to you that way! He must want to come back to you on his own.
Identity Disc
You are required by law (The Control of Dogs Order 1992) to inscribe the name and address of the owner on the collar or on a plate or disc attached to it. You must comply with this, even if the dog is microchipped, and you can be fined up to £5,000 if you do not. You may also want to put your telephone numbers on the tag, but you do not need to put your dog’s name on it. Engraved discs are better than barrel types, which often undo and lose their contents.
Interesting toys
It is very important that your puppy has a range of toys to play with, otherwise it might chew on your things, instead of its own. Chew toys also provide mental stimulation, help to keep your dog’s teeth clean and allow it to exercise its jaws. Select toys for your puppy carefully – some may be too small and might choke your puppy whilst other items might splinter. You should also have toys that you can play with interactively, like balls on ropes and tuggies, so that you can have fun with your puppy.
Do not let your puppy play with sticks, golf or squash balls. All these things can easily get stuck in the throat and cause damage or even death. For this reason, it is important to bear in mind the size of your puppy and the size of the chew or toy you decide to purchase. If a chew becomes too small after a prolonged period of chewing, do not take the risk, throw the chew away. Remember, spending money on toys is preferable to having your house and furniture chewed!
Kong chews are invaluable for keeping your puppy entertained while you are away from them. If you fill it with treats and freeze it, this will keep your pup busy for quite a while! It is also good for when they are teething.
Food and water bowls
You will need separate bowls for water and food. Make sure fresh water is always available for your puppy. Metal bowls are unbreakable, safe from chewing and easy to keep clean.
These are the best water bowls for the car, as they do not spill (although they can be a bit of a pain to fill up!)
I feed my dogs Royal Canin. I give them the Medium Starter first of all, moving onto Puppy when they are 8 weeks old. I feed the adults a mix of Royal Canin Adult and Aging, depending on the amount of work (agility) they are doing.
There are many different types of dog food and many arguments for and against each type. You can read my thoughts in this post. I feed Royal Canin because they eat it, I can order it online in large sacks and they look and behave well on it.
Car harness, travelling crate or dog guard
A dog should travel either behind a dog guard, secured with a car seat harness or, ideally, in a travel crate or fixed car crate. A crate gives a dog its own space and ensures both safety and comfort. If you have space for a crate then this provides a safe haven for your puppy in the car. There is nothing worse than seeing a dog squashed in a car with luggage piled up around it.
Accustom your puppy to car travel with short trips at first ideally when the puppy is tired so it will go to sleep. If the puppy is car sick try fixing the crate on the back seat as the car sways far more at the back which can cause travel sickness.
Microchipping
It is a legal requirement for all dogs to be microchipped and for this to be done by the breeder. You will need to change the details of the registered owner with Petlog – details will be provided in your packs.
Poo Bags
You are required by law (Clean Neighbourhoods & Environment Act 2005) to clear up after your dog in public areas and dispose of the bag in an appropriate bin, so you will need a supply of poo bags, sandwich bags or nappy sacks to take with you whenever you are out with your puppy.
Grooming equipment
Border Collies do not require a great deal of grooming, believe it or not! Other breeds might need a full grooming kit, but Border Collies need a rake style brush to clear out the undercoat, nail clippers and a tangle teaser to ease through the matted bits that collect around their bottoms. See the post about grooming for more information.
Doggy toothpaste and toothbrush
Gum disease is far too common in middle-aged dogs and can lead to all sorts of health problems, so it pays to brush your puppy’s teeth. Use special canine toothpaste, which comes in tasty flavours and does not foam (unlike human toothpaste) with a special rubber thimble for dogs’ teeth.
Dog shampoo
Dogs only really need to be bathed when they have been swimming or have rolled in something smelly. Use a dog shampoo or a mild human shampoo and put a non-slip mat down if using the bath. Towel drying your puppy is important and will get it used to being dried when it comes home wet from a walk. Ketchup is a great way to get rid of the smell of fox poo. Rub it into the area, then shampoo out. Works like magic!
I thought it would be helpful to introduce you to my passion; a company called Norwex. I love their stuff so much I signed up to become a Consultant! I am now an Independent Norwex Consultant and am so excited about this new venture.
What I have found amazing since I purchased those first few products is how effective they are. I basically clean everything with just water now. My granite worktops have never been so clean! They are black and although they look amazing when clean, they quickly look terrible. I was using a granite polish spray to clean them. But because I don’t like using loads of chemical products I used to leave it a day or two between polishes. Now I don’t have to worry – my worktops always look fantastic!
New Products
Being an Independent Norwex Consultant is exciting! I get to share my passion for all things green and hopefully help people find products that work for them and their house. The brilliant thing is that you don’t need much to clean your whole house. Using Norwex products you will:
use less chemicals
make your house cleaner
save money (less products required)
save time – cleaning is much quicker
use less plastic (microfibre that doesn’t shed)
save the planet – products made from recycled materials
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my Norwex products? You can like my Norwex Facebook page too, then you will see the lovely things on offer and news about events and parties I’ll be hosting.
Ah yes, those sort of trainers. Not the trainers we give all our money to, lol. I often see posts on the agilitynet Facebook group, asking about the best footwear to have when training or walking our dogs.
They are comfortable, supportive, a good fit and OK to look at. Most importantly, the soles have a good grip. I have discovered over the years that I need ‘running shoes’ which seems a bit of a joke when I stumble around, but it’s what works for me.
Another recommended brand is Salomon which many agility people swear by.
I have found Sketchers to be very comfortable, but they are not really running shoes; soles not as grippy.
Winter walking
In winter we need a whole other kind of shoe; something to keep us warm and dry, still with grip and also support. I think I’ll cover that another time..
Trainers – the other kind
Just before I go, I would like to recommend a few trainers – the human kind. I have recently met two dog trainers – Dan Callaghan from Barkers Trail who is a dog behaviourist and runs a variety of training classes. And Adam Delderfield, from Delders Dogs. I haven’t worked with either of these trainers, but they both know what they are talking about so I recommend them as people.
I am also excited to have started working with Emma Conlisk of Beancroft Agility. I love the facilities, the class setup and the teaching style :-). Looking forward to more!
Ask for help?
You are very welcome to CONTACT ME to ask for my advice. I can help you with a variety of issues and problems around getting a dog and suggestions for tackling training issues. Go to the What Dog? page for more information on my service.
Please let me know if you have found this post helpful?
Remember..
Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think. If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.
NB: If you read my posts in an email, you may be missing out on the lovely pictures! Please click through to my website to see the post in all its glory!
. For the last few years I have sold these calendars, with 100% of the profit going to the charity that supports my 
Runs
