Fur Real: Spa Treats For Pampered Pooches

Pexels By: Pixabay

It’s lovely to treat ourselves once in awhile be it with a weekend away, a sumptuous meal at a posh restaurant, a new hairdo or buying a designer bag we’ve had our eye on for ages but what about our pets? Dogs deserve some ‘me time’ too, and even though there are more new doggy daycare and ‘pawesome' beauty parlors opening their doors than ever, there’s no reason why you can’t give your furry friend the five-star treatment right here at home.

Blueberry Doggie Facial

Believe it or not, South Bark have created a unique formula suitable for pets that helps to brighten up their fur coat, soften rough hairs and is entirely tear free. It may make them look, temporarily, like a Smurf but it’s also packed full of natural goodness including coconut oil, avocado, aloe, jojoba and, of course, blueberry extract! It smells incredible and is totally lick safe in case your pet fancies a more thorough self-clean. Not all dogs like baths, so if you know your pal’s a bit skittish try giving them a pet massage first then apply the blueberry facial to both face and coat. A damp face is fine; you don’t want the fur to be dripping wet when you use the product! Massage the mixture gently into their fur and have a spa towel or doggie robe on hand for afterward. How long the treatment lasts is really up to your pooch but one or two minutes is ideal before gently washing off of with lukewarm water.

Pexels By: Caio

Top To Tail Fur Brush

Regularly brushing your dog’s fur no matter the breed is an absolute necessity, and a top quality ionizing brush is one of the best dog grooming tools you can have. Why? They not only help keep your pet’s fur super sleek, soft and shiny but also mean that you can remove hair quickly not just from your dog but the brush itself. Brushing not only helps tightly bond you and your pet, but it’s also an excellent time for you to examine your dog’s fur and skin for any problems such as fleas or mites. Dogs fur tends to shed a lot of hair every day, just like us it needs to be kept free of tangles; an ionizing brush also helps reduce static and the chances of any unpleasant smells in the air such as cooking, stale smoke, or traffic fumes settling onto your pet’s coat.

Aromatherapy Spray

Dogs tend to get a little stressed out at times especially during vets visits, during thunderstorms, while hearing fireworks or while being crated for travel, so an excellent way to calm them down while talking to them is to use a quick blast of aromatherapy spray. It’s ideal to use as and when needed, contains no harmful ingredients and doesn't leave your dog’s fur feeling sticky or tacky. Full of gentle, natural essential oils such as bergamot, tangerine, lavender, geranium, marjoram, and ylang-ylang all you need to do is spritz a small amount onto their blanket or mist your fingers before massaging their ears, and they’ll go from feeling ‘ruff’ to relaxed in no time!

Pexels By: Public Domain Pictures

Ensure Your Dog Is On Best Behavior

Dogs make such great family pets. In fact, they often become a part of the family. And your kids love spending time with their beloved pooch. But while there are lots of great things about your dog, their behavior might not be one of them! After all, it’s so easy for your dog to start playing up when you are out and about. And they might also start being naughty when guests are over. And when you find another half-eaten shoe, it can leave you at the end of the tether. Therefore, here are some ways you can ensure their behavior changes for the better.

  Pixabay

Take them to behavior classes

A lot of people make the mistake of not teaching their pooch good behavior when they are little. In fact, as it says on http://pets.webmd.com/, a lot of professionals recommend you take dogs to obedience classes when they are puppies. After all, the earlier they learn, the more they will grow up to be well-behaved. But it’s not too late if you are struggling with naughty behavior from your pooch. You can still find classes that you can attend which will turn things around. Therefore, look for classes that you can start going to with your dog. It might take a few sessions before you notice an improvement at home. But as soon as you notice a change in your dog, it can make for a better life at home.

Teach them discipline at home

You can also help your dog’s behavior if you work on discipline at home. After all, if your dog knows they are doing something wrong, it might stop their constant bad behavior. But a lot of people are put-off from disciplining their dog. After all, their cute face can often turn your frown upside down. And you don’t want to tell them off for being naughty. However, for the sake of your family, you need to introduce some discipline. For one thing, it might be as simple as locking them out of certain rooms when they misbehave. This will stop them from playing up if they know they are missing out on all the action. Or you could look into methods like collars which you can read about on dogcollarguide.com which can stop excessive barking. Make sure they know they will be treated if they do show good behavior, and things will turn around for the better.

Figure out why your pet is playing up

When your dog is being naughty, it’s often down to a particular reason. For one thing, it might be down to your pet not getting enough attention. After all, it can be hard to find time to play with your pooch when you are busy in your life. Or it might be due to you not walking them enough. After all, dogs can get irritable if they are not getting enough exercise. Or it could be an underlying health reason which is causing them to act out. Therefore, finding out why can ensure you make changes to boost their behavior. You could always take them to the vet who can guide you in figuring out what’s wrong!

And make sure you get a good leash as discussed on our previous blog. That way, you can keep them under control when you are out.

Things You Didn't Know Were Unsafe for Your Dog

Having a pet is sometimes like having a toddler. You have to keep a close eye on them to make sure they don't get into anything they're not supposed to. If you want to protect your dog, you can help them and you by being more aware of what could harm them. There are lots of things around your house that could accidentally hurt your dog. You could even be handing them things that might be bad for them. If you're not sure what your dog can eat or even be near, you should learn about some of the things that could harm them.

Unsafe Foods

There are more foods that could hurt your dog than you might think. Handing them scraps at the table might be tempting, but it's essential to think about what you're giving them. Some foods can be highly toxic to your pooch and could make them very ill. Most dog owners know about some common toxins, such as chocolate. However, there are other foods you might not have heard about. For example, several and fruits and vegetables are bad for your dog. You shouldn't give them grapes, avocados, cherries, or onions. Some foods can make them temporarily ill, while others can cause more serious illnesses.

Avoiding the Wrong Toys

You would think that every toy marked as a dog toy would be suitable for your four-legged friend. However, you have to be very careful when choosing safe toys for dogs. Firstly, it's important to remember that every dog is different. A toy that might be good for one dog could be no match for a bigger and more energetic dog, who could break it down and end up with choking hazards. Some common toys given to dogs aren't recommended for them, either. For example, tennis balls aren't designed as dog toys and could become unsafe. Rawhide is a fun treat, but they can harbor bacteria if left lying around too long.

Fertilizers and Insecticides

If your dog loves to get out in the garden, it's important to watch them. You might find that you need to use insecticides to get rid of pests, but be careful about using any strong chemicals that could harm your pets. Fertilizer can also have chemicals that you don't want your dog to come in contact with. And, what's more, your dog could be very attracted to the smell of it! You either need to think carefully about the products you use or keep a close eye on your dog.

Plants

There are also several plants that could harm your dog, either by brushing against them or if they ingest them. And you should never underestimate what your dog is willing to eat. For example, lilies aren't a good choice if you have pets in the house. Before doing any gardening or bringing any potted plants into your house, make sure you research what's safe and what's not.

It's essential to know how to keep your dog safe. If you want them to stay healthy and avoid injury, you need to be aware of what could hurt them.

Pippin Gave Birth to 4 Little #Kits

As I have mentioned in my earlier post about our  LionHead bunnies, Pippin is the female and Plumley is the male.  I didn't know that Pippin was pregnant.  It was a huge  surprise when I came to feed them today and found  blood in their cage.  I thought one of them  got hurt and bleeding but I saw a kit that I initially thought was a rat.  As I inspected  closely, I found out that she has given birth to a littler of 4 kits.  My heart sank when I saw that one of them is dead already.  I think the Dad killed it.  I felt so bad.   I immediately separated Plumley away from them.   

When we had Matilda and Wubzy before, the former never got pregnant so  we  never experienced  this.  When our former  bunnies  died, the kids  really wanted a replacement for them so we got  Pippin and Plumley.  Since I  never had any experience  having a litter of kits, we searched on how to  properly take care of them.  I found this article from WikiHow very helpful for a first timer like us.  

 I do hope that the  kits survived, they seem to be very weak when I found them.  Pippin seem to  not know what to do but I am hoping that she would figure it out.  I keep moving the kids because she keep stepping on them, I think she  got freaked out that one of them died.