Today I thought I would do a quick post to promote a lovely local artist – Rachel Baker.
I know that I am attempting to become capable of photographing dogs and of course I am indebted to my friend Kate Everall Photography for her support and talent. But sometimes you want something more, well artistic.
Please go to Rachel’s website to see other examples of her lovely work.
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This is one of my favourite brands. I have plenty of their bits, including the full kit for when my book group come round; mugs, jug, sugar bowl, tray, cake slice (very important) and cake forks.
There are loads of different designs of these mugs, all as lovely as this one. I started with ten from British wildlife, including pheasant, squirrel, hare, owl, deer, robin and fox. Also chicken, goose and horse from the farmyard.
There is also a ‘zoo’ series, including elephant, giraffe, penguins and flamingos – all adorable. And there are various dogs and cats as well. Then there are a few just for Christmas, perfect for presents!
These mugs are a lovely shape and size to drink from and they are so good to use.
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These are made by Ryan Wilson. Ryan contacted me and told me the following about himself:
“I am the owner of a small furniture making business located in Hertfordshire, I make bespoke furniture and have carried this expertise through on to making pet furniture. I mainly specialise in making wooden dog crates.”
I thought his crates looked like lovely pieces of furniture, but worry that a dog may simply chew it! I talked to friends about this and they agreed. However, on further discussion, we found that there are some dogs who much prefer to sleep in a crate, even as an adult dog. I therefore feel that these represent a great alternative to a metal cage.
I also think you could easily have one made that can take a metal crate inside it, which can then be removed once the dog is older. Go to my post on Cages and Crates to see more about other options.
Crate Sizes and options
Please see below the sizes and prices of Ryan’s standard crates:
Small – (£299.99)
Medium – (£349.99)
Large – (£389.99)
Extra Large – (£429.99)
All crates are made to order so can be made completely bespoke in various sizes, designs and many different timber options available, both hard and softwood.
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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.
Cages are a key piece of equipment for your puppy. They are certainly not a cruel thing to torment your dog. Look what my puppy can do! Thanks to Sarah for telling me how to teach this trick. She’s supposed to shut the door as well but I’m not confident about teaching that bit. As you can see, she has chosen to go into the cage herself.
People often say to me “I don’t like the idea of using cages for my dogs, it seems mean to put them in there.” But with the right setup, cages can become a safe haven for your puppy and even for adult dogs. They should be their preferred space.
Cages as cots
You don’t take a newborn baby and put him down to sleep on the floor do you? You put them into a crib, or cot, so that they can be safe when they are asleep. The crib might be beside you bed, and that’s fine for dog cages too.
As you can see from the photo, there is plenty of space for Ounce inside her crate. I’ve covered it with a towel and she has her vet bed in there to make it nice and comfortable. In fact it is more like a kennel than a cage. Here’s what I have put on the Equipment Advice page about crates.
Cages or crates
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. 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.
Away from noise and bustle
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. 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.
Make sure your puppy has recently emptied its bladder and bowels before it enters and do not leave your puppy in the crate or puppy pen for more than a couple of hours during the daytime. Although most puppies are content to sleep in their crate overnight, they get very distressed if they have to foul near their beds, so you must be prepared to get out of your bed to let them out if they need to toilet during the night. If they have fouled inside the crate, you must clean it out immediately or the puppy will hate being in the crate.
Never use the crate as a sin-bin or you will teach your puppy to resent it. Always remove the puppy’s collar when in the crate in case it gets caught up on it.
A dog’s choice
This is the crucial point. It is not a way to contain your dog and stop them from moving about and enjoying life. It is somewhere safe for them to go and sleep.
Medium dog cage
Eight years ago, for our 20th wedding anniversary, my husband and I went to Norway to see the Northern Lights. Part of that amazing holiday involved going out on a husky sled. The dogs were great, but they weren’t very domesticated. I was shocked to see that they were kept in individual kennels, which were little more than holes in the ground, out in the snow. But I was told that if they were kept together they fought. And during the summer months they lived a much freer life.
Those dogs were happy and healthy and quite honestly, they had a brilliant life. They were outside, running about every day, howling at the moon all night long (we didn’t get much sleep!)
Living in luxury
It really made me think about the way we keep our dogs and it is something I often reflect on. I know many people with large numbers of dogs, who usually keep them in separate crates for large chunks of the day and night. I don’t do that, but if I put a crate up, all my dogs will immediately go in it. If Ounce isn’t in her crate then someone else will usually go into it (often the cat!) So my dogs aren’t ‘kept’ in crates, but they don’t sleep on my bed either.
In this country, we want the best for our pets. That’s great, as long as it is actually the best for the pets, not what we think is the best for them. If your dog is left alone to chew up your house and you then get angry with it and want to get rid of it, that is not a great solution, is it? Give your puppy a safe, happy place to call their own. They will thank you for it.
I know so many people who buy lovely big, soft beds for their dogs and find that the dogs prefer to sleep on the floor, because the bed is too hot. What will your dog choose?
Buy the Workbook
The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. This book is 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! Find out lots more by looking at the Contents page.
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 are looking for a Border Collie puppy, please visit the Champdogs website? Don’t ask me for help, I can’t do anything more.
I lost my bowl this week, as it fell out of the boot when the girls all jumped out of the car at once. Silly me. Fortunately I’ve been able to order another (two) and best of all they are in exciting green, not boring grey! They have other colours, but this one was on offer. Result.
These bowls are great because they hold masses of water, but they have a false bottom that stops the water spilling out.
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.
I have an Amazon Associate account, which means that if you buy things by clicking on the links on this site, I receive a few pennies as a reward.
So here are some things I’ve bought, that I like:
Of course I can’t tell you about all the shopping I’ve done recently, as they are for my family! But these are some books I’ve enjoyed reading this year.
I was reflecting on the fact that I have recently bought another pile of toys for the dogs (especially the puppy) and some of these have already been destroyed. Is is a waste of money? Is it better to spend more on toys, or buy cheap ones? Should you have toys for chewing, or fetching, tugging, or shaking? All of those, of course!
I have a whole toy box full of stuff for my girls. I tidy up before bed every day and by the end of the following day there will be up to 20 toys littering the kitchen and hall. This demonstrates to me that the toys serve a purpose. They engage the brain in some way.
Butter wouldn’t melt, eh? Hmm, that’s what you think.
This is supposed to be a squirrel.
Busy still loving it though, despite its diminished appearance.
This had a nice rope on it for tugging a week ago. Ounce even played tuggy with Aura, for about ten minutes. I found the rope in the garden yesterday, having been passed right through somebody (it was Aura).
Poor thing. It had legs, and stuffing in its head. Not long before it too, is consigned to the bin.
This tatty old bottle was inside a toy, which went in the bin. Bottles and yogurt pots are such popular toys. Not everything has to be expensive.
This hat was hanging from a pin on the top floor. The puppy is not allowed upstairs, yet somehow she crept up two flights and picked this off the wall, bringing it downstairs. Fortunately she decided not to shred it, so it can dress some pirate up on another day.
That is what happens if no toys are provided – the puppy will look for other mischief. As well as keeping them happy, toys do provide mental stimulation and engagement. That is why I keep buying and providing them. Plus, who doesn’t want to buy their dog a sprout for Christmas?
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.
Lovely, practical clothing, with the Dentbros Logo!
Here is Helen (Pixie’s mum) modelling a lovely padded, cotton bodywarmer, with a hood. If you fancy ordering something, you can order directly from Workwear Express. Or you can CONTACT ME and I can place an order and add the logo to it. I can accept PayPal payments to cover the cost of adding the logo.
These two items are ones I ordered recently. I am loving them, as they are really useful to layer up and add pockets as the weather gets cooler.
Or why not add a pretty hoodie – with or without full zip. The pockets are so useful and it is great to wear around the house. These come in a wide range of colours – go on, treat yourself!
Order directly from Workwear Express without the logo. Or you can CONTACT ME and I can place an order and add the logo to it. I can accept PayPal payments to cover the cost of adding the logo.
Great clothing, great logo – what’s not to like!
To stay up to date with all things Dentbros, why not FOLLOW ME? Then you will receive an email when there is a new post. Please CONTACT ME if you would like me to know more about me or my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think?
