LIFESTYLE

If you're worried about global plastic waste, you're not alone. Around 400 million tonnes of the stuff is produced every year, with an estimated 50% of this being single-use plastic. But what can we do to reduce our individual plastic footprint as pet owners? The answer's simpler than you might think...

Poo bags are an unavoidable part of life for dog owners. With around 13 million dogs in UK homes, the daily tally of waste bags used across the country is staggering. Unfortunately, the journey of these bags doesn’t end when we throw them in the bin. Instead, many of them go on to contribute to one of the planet's biggest challenges — plastic pollution.

The problem with traditional plastic poo bags lies in how they break down. These bags, often made from petroleum-based plastics, don’t decompose naturally. Instead, they can take hundreds of years to degrade in landfill, all the while breaking into smaller pieces known as microplastics. These tiny particles contaminate soil and waterways,

Lots of us decide that January is the time to turn over a new leaf, eat better, exercise more and generally take better care of our well-being, so why not get your pets on board this year too?

Involving your pets in your efforts to keep fit can make it much more enjoyable and give you that extra motivation to get up and active! Our pets are also great at improving our mental well-being, boosting our mood and helping us to de-stress.

Getting Out and About

Running is a very popular way to keep fit with your pet. Dogs love a good run-around and taking them along will be sure to make the exercise much more enjoyable! If running is not your thing then why not try upping the pace on your dog walks? Power walking is a great way to keep fit without exerting the pressure onto your joints that comes with running. Covering that extra distance will also keep your dog in great shape too! 

Whilst out walking or running in the winter be sure to be safe and be seen by using a beacon light on your dog's

What is enrichment for dogs?

Enrichment can be defined as the 'act of improving or enhancing the quality or value of something'. For your dog, enrichment often means thinking outside of the box to provide them with stimulating activities that engage their mind, body and senses. 

Most enrichment activities challenge dogs to think and problem-solve at varying levels of difficulty, depending on your individual dog. Super-smart dog breeds can be sometimes be harder to satisfy with standard enrichment activities, but luckily there are plenty of options out there for your intelligent pooch! 

Equally, not every enrichment activity is going to suit every dog. While some dogs are

Taking the dog for a walk through the glorious summer days is something we all adore. But when autumn comes along with its lashings of rain, it’s not always fun and games. Here are a few tips to help you embrace and even enjoy those soggy walks with your pooch.

For some people, walking in wet weather is the main downside of owning a dog and often becomes a dreaded chore. And while you could be lucky with a dog that prefers to stay indoors until the rain stops, others love a good romp around in puddles. Meaning you’re dragged outside in the cold, wind and rain whether you like it or not!

But your rainy dog walks don’t have to be a nightmare. Preparing yourself both mentally and physically will have a huge impact on how you view those rainy strolls. Here are a few tips to help you embrace and even enjoy those soggy walks with your pooch.

PREPARE THE AREA : 

Before you leave, take a moment to place everything you need for your return just inside the front door. You don’t want messy paw

Summer is behind us, and we’ll soon be walking our dogs in the gloomy mornings and evenings of autumn. But those strolls can come with a few challenges....

Visibility is a major concern for many dog owners heading out in the autumn and winter darkness. It can be more difficult for drivers to see you, and let’s face it, walking at night can sometimes be frightening for both us and our dogs.

So to help keep you and your dog safe on evening and morning walks, here are our top tips as those longer nights draw in.

Wear reflective gear:

Ensure people can see you and your dog at all times. Improving your visibility will not only allow drivers to see you better, but you’ll be able to keep track of your dog if you let them off lead.  Reflective gear could also prevent your dog from becoming lost if they sometimes break free from their harness or collar.

To keep yourself visible, avoid dark colours and consider wearing a reflective vest. For your pooch, you can use a reflective collar, lead,

Why are Lickimats so great?

LickiMats are great boredom busters that can keep your dog entertained even for hours at times. They encourage licking action in dogs, whether for eating treats or food, as well providing mental and physical stimulation which is very entertaining and satisfying for dogs and the licking action itself even enhances the sense of taste of the treats.

They allow you to spread out the dog food or treat on the mat surface or press the dog food or treat into the mat surface, encouraging your dog to lick and lick and lick to get the food or treat as a reward. 

The rubber tips of LickiMat gently scrape and stimulate your dog's tongue whilst feeding or snacking.  This increases saliva protection, improves oral hygiene, protects teeth and gums, and most importantly soothes your dog by releasing endorphins.

The pockets of the LickiMat challenge your dog to extract the raw, wet, dry or liquid food or treat as a reward, enriching their feeding experience.  The different

Summer is finally upon us and with a heatwave this week, here are some helpful tips on how you can help your dog keep cool and safe in the coming months.

Dogs cool themselves through their tongues (panting) and the pads of their feet, so heat can build up quickly. Dogs don't sweat like we do and as a result they can overheat much more quickly. So if your dog is panting, their tongue is hanging out, drooling excessively or looking lethargic then these are signs of an overheated dog and signs of dehydration. Don’t forget, if the ground is warm, then dogs cannot cool down through their feet and dogs with darker coats will also absorb more heat than lighter coats. Hairy dogs, short nosed dogs and young and old dogs are more vulnerable to heat.

Dogs can succumb to heat stroke without shade, ventilation and water as well as after vigorous exercise or over excitement. So here are some factors to consider during the hot weather......Prevention is better than cure, so stay cool.

Avoid Car Travel

With summer here and holidays planned with their pets, all too often motion sickness can make, even a short trip, stressful for both your pet and you. Find out what you can do to help.

What are the typical signs of travel sickness?

Some typical signs of dog travel sickness include; restlessness, panting, whining, excessive drooling, yawning, vomiting and listlessness. Generally dogs will outgrow motion sickness but some dogs won’t and may need assistance to make their journey less distressing.

Dog Travel Sickness - How to Stay Calm when Travelling

For those dogs and cats who find it is the motion of the car which upsets their tummies even though they are not anxious, Dorwest - Digestive supplement is ideal if given two hours before travelling to settle and soothe the stomach. This supplement, for dogs and cats, contains ginger and valerian to calm the digestive tract, rhubarb and peppermint to aid digestion and soothing and comforting slippery elm.

Travel Anxiety
Often a common cause

Summer is prime time for walking trips and exploring the great outdoors. Since our dogs are members of the family, we’re always looking for ways we can include them too. But when it comes to walking trips with your pooch, there are some special considerations you have to bear in mind, it's not quite as simple as just 'pack up and leave.'Here are 8 backpacking essentials to ensure you and your dog have a fun and safe walking trip this summer.

Water

Be sure to pack plenty of water for both you and your dog. Hydration is the number one priority here. While exercising in the heat you’ll both be thirstier than normal, so you may need to pack more than you’d expect. Dogs need to drink up to 50% more in hotter climates and you certainly don’t want to run out when you are miles away from anywhere.  Furr Boost  grab & go cartons are perfect for all of your adventures where your dog is by your side on long walks or on very hot days.  Alternatively Pawer Water are advanced hydration sachets

Exercising your Dog…the many benefits and how much exercise does your dog need?

One thing that all breeds of dog have in common is a love and a need for daily. From Pug to Pointer and Labrador to Lhasa Apso; they all thrive on fresh air and activity.

Dogs love to go outdoors to engage with their environment and socialise with other dogs and people. Exercise will keep your dog’s frame strong, weight in a healthy range and it will also help prevent or alleviate degenerative joint diseases such as arthritis.

There are a number of factors influencing the exercise needs of your dog. These include its breed, age and overall health….in fact, this can also vary from dog to dog.

Adult dogs of the working and sporting variety, ideally, need an absolute minimum of an hour's running per day (and for some breeds much more); twenty minutes on the lead around the block really won't cut it for a Hungarian Viszla or any other dog bred to work all day long… they will end up miserable and probably chewing