Things I have Learned Being a Pet Owner For 4 Years

 

It’s been 4 years since we brought our mischievous puppy home, and haven’t those years been full of fun and mischief. 

Lux, our now 4 and a bit year old Dalmatian is always keeping us on our toes.

Thankfully his destructive days have fallen into the past tense, but his running away days will happen as soon as he is provided with an opportunity.

It was just the other month that I mistakenly left the gate open and unleashed Lux on the general public, I was in the middle of a field half an hour into a 12k stroll when I got the call to say ‘your dog has escaped’.

Thankfully he was commandeered by the post man who was then spotted by my Dad, and he was safely returned home. I was very thankful that he didn’t get hit by a car, but I knew that one way or another he would cost me at the vets as a result... After a week of Lux throwing up I took him to the vets for a once over. £65 later and he seemed to be on the mend again.

I guess you could say, that you really do know you have our big bundle of puppy, and that statement can equally be applied to the garden...

Dalmatian’s as a breed have a gene mutation that means that causes high levels of Uric Acid, this can cause the breed to form crystals and/or bladder stones... but it also means that these beautiful dogs can really kill a lawn with their urine!

There have been many times that I have considered ripping up the lawn and laying some Cheap Artificial Grass instead. I always notice that the lawn does back quicker over the winter months and leaves nothing but mud in its wake, of course when spring rolls around I can be found hastily throwing grass seed down in the hopes of rejuvenating some life into the turf before summer rolls around.

I was fully aware of the gene mutation in the breed before we committed to a Dalmatian, this has meant that I can work with Lux and make sure that we keep him healthy by feeding a low purine diet. 

Purines are found in many different types of food, but there are certain food groups that boast higher levels. It is due to this that we have primarily fed Lux a raw diet that consists of chicken thighs, eggs, meaty bones and vegetables. These are all foods that keep his purine levels low, and ultimately help us to keep him stone free!

We float his meals with water so that we can keep flushing him through (I know... the poor lawn!), but it also means we need to avoid the food groups with higher purine levels, which unfortunately for Lux means absolutely no offal! 

It is also due to this that we decided against using kibble dog food, opting to construct his diet ourselves. 

You could say the last 4 years have been a learning curve, and you wouldn’t be mistaken! I have learned that it's not just the parts of having a dog you know will cost you money... You also have to budget for the things that will unexpectedly come your way.

For me this has come in the form of having to upgrade my hoover to something that can handle the amounts of dog hair that drop out of Lux on a daily basis (365 days a year!), and in those puppy days... Replacing the kitchen floor and patching up the wall he decided to eat!

Every so often Lx likes to do something that we aren't expecting, you know... Just to remind us that he still can be destructive if he so chooses to be... I learned a long time ago to never leave ANYTHING on the kitchen worktops when we go out without him...

As mischievous as Lux is, he is equally as loving, and although life would be a lot quieter if we hadn’t brought him home, our lives and hearts certainly wouldn’t be as full.

Disclaimer: This is a featured post

Autumn Appreciation

This last week you can most certainly feel that Autumn chill in the air, and I have found myself wrapping up warmer on the school run, and even for those dog walks that up until recently have been too warm for a jacket of any sort. 

It really is pretty incredible what only a few weeks can do to the weather, It was only a couple of weekends ago that the entire family dispelled to Kenilworth Castle to make the most of the beautiful sunshine in nothing but shorts and t-shirts, yet now summer has all of a sudden just vanished into the distance, almost as though it had never been at all. 

I do love the cooler weather, but equally I hate being cold so I have to make sure that I am dressed for the occasion, and that for me involves a thick snuggly coat that is comparable to a duvet or a warm hug. It can't be argued with that Autumn is a truly beautiful time of the year, yesterday I decided to take the puppy out for a long walk to take in all of the gorgeous colours that were now starting to show on the trees.

There is one tree in our village that I always admire, the leaves have already started to turn and very soon the entire tree will be dressed in a sea of orange, almost as though it is alight in flames, before finally they will all drop to the floor and Winter will be truly here.

With it getting so much chillier I am having to start thinking about a new coat, and as it will have to be something that accompanies on walks with Lux (aka the asbo puppy), I always tend to opt for darker colours as he has a tendency of  getting me pretty mucky while we are out and about in muddy fields. 

I found this gorgeous puffer coat which would be ideal for those colder dog walks, being a dark colour means that I don't need to be as precious with it as I would if I was going to wear White, Cream or Beige. 

Image Credit: Lyst

There are some really nice new Winter Coats in at Topshop right now.

It might only be September but it really does feel like we could be in for a rather cold few winter period, and I for one would absolutely love that. Leo has only ever seen snow when he was very young, and he has been wishing for the last couple of years that it would come back for him to build his first proper snowman, as for the dog he has never seen it before at all. 

How nice would it be to have a white christmas? Yes I did just say the C word, because realistically now is the time to be preparing for the big day. I have already started making lists of gifts that I am planning for those nearest and dearest to me, because I am determined not to be running around last minute come December. 

I am definitely going to be adding a new dog walking coat to my own Christmas list this year!

A little Update...

It feels so good to be back, and by back I mean to sit down at the computer and start putting my thoughts back down into my little corner of the internet. I know I have been so quiet around these parts, but it really has been for a good reason (well that and because I got especially lazy!).

Where do I start?

Last October I hung up my self employment hat and took on a part time position at a local company, and I think it could be the best thing I have done. I am lucky enough to work within a great team, and there isn't a day they don't cease to make me chuckle. It all works around Leo and Lux perfectly, being a local company, I can drop Leo at school in the morning, and get to work by 9am. Finishing at 2pm, I can get home to walk the dog and then pick Leo up at the end of the school day.

I didn't realise how much I had missed actually going out to work, I think that we all need that adult conversation during the day, and at home it was just me and the dog. My aim after becoming employed again was to take my blog right back to the roots, but seemingly I got lazy and I didn't have the motivation to turn the computer on at the end of the working day. I opted to get my workout in (I am primarily working out entirely from home again these days!), and then fall in front of Netflix for the rest of the evening.

It's now May and the tumbleweeds have been blowing around for way to long, I am ready to re-claim my space and start over sharing again! Moving forward you can expect family updates and reviews, I want to keep it all authentic and true to us. I have started a bit of a post 'tidy up', and will be removing anything that I don't feel is relevant to us, and at some point I want to spring clean my older posts and have them made into a book for Leo. 

Ultimately this blog was made to capture our memories, and somewhere along the way I feel like I lost my way on that front. Things got a little jaded, and I personally believe that is because it really did become my job. I sold out, I lost focus and in turn I lost my way. Now I have taken a step back, re-evaluated what's important and taken a very long break from the blogging community (and boy has a lot changed in my absence!), I am back and ready to start a fresh.

Leo is turning 7 next month, yup SEVERN! It seems so crazy that my little blog baby is as grown up as he is now. He's still the ultimate Mummy's boy though which I love. I know that in a few short years he will be taller than me, and he is already well on the way.

Lux otherwise known as the spotty one is still causing trouble on a daily basis, but he really is part of our crazy little family unit, and no amount of floor munching or targeted poop humiliation could change that! Thankfully he does have one good trait, and he is a pro spider catcher (it does help us overlook his less desirable traits!).

Right now we are preparing for a busy couple of months, starting with June. We are all off to see Ed Sheeran in concert next month (This will be Leo's very first concert, and my Second!), then Lux turns 2, Leo turns 7 and there is even talk of a big family holiday to Rhodes (which means Lux is off to boarding for a week!).

This means I will have lots to share with you. Last year when we left Lux.... The boarder couldn't wait to give him back. So we may need some happy well wishing thoughts sent our way, because I think before long we will have exhausted all board options in our local area...

Finally we have enlisted a one to one dog trainer to help us perfect our spotty beast, here's hoping that he comes on in leaps and bounds!

Gazillion Bubble Fun

It's been a while since I have sat down and put hand to keyboard, and that is why things have been so quiet around here, but that is for another post... (One that I will write sooner rather than later, I can't believe that it is now May and I am only just checking back in after Christmas!).

May has seen some absolutely beautiful weather, and it has given the entire family cause to get outside and have fun in the sun. Last weekend we stoked up the BBQ, and set up residence under the great British sunshine. When I say we, I mean the entire extended family, Leo, my Mum, Dad, Brothers and Sister. We have all rallied around a lot recently since my Mum fell and broke her hip a few months back, so this weather for all of us has been just what the doctor ordered.

My parents have a large garden, a garden that Leo has grown up playing in an now our spotty dog Lux loves nothing more than burning off his disposable energy zooming around, only on this occasion we had an extra special treat for him...

Summer and bubbles go hand in hand, so it seemed like the absolutely perfect day to have some fun with Gazillion Bubbles! 

Now it's up to you to decide whether they were more for Leo or the pup? But both had equally as much fun chasing the bubbles as they floated away into the crystal blue skies above, it quickly became a game for both Leo and Lux to attempt being the one to burst the bubble... This shot I accidently captured really does sum up the action packed afternoon that they both enjoyed, and it has quickly become one of my favourite action shots. Just know if I had set out to get this shot, I never would have managed it!

One second either side of pressing that camera button could have resulted in a very different snap, but by complete accident, I caught the absolute best moment ever. Lux is leaping up to pop the gigantic bubble that has almost ballooned out into a tunnel in front of Leo, and out of the depths lunges Lux, who coincidentally we often refer to as a shark!

We had a play with the Giant Gazillion Bubble Wand, this one was my personal favourite, it was a little tricky at first to get the hang of, but we had some pretty epic bubbles coming out as soon as we got the hang of it! There was a slight breeze and I found that we just needed to slowly lift the wand out of the bubble solution and then let the breeze do the rest.

The Gazillion Bubbles Tornado Machine was the biggest hit with the 6 year old and the pup, the constant stream of bubbles kept them both entertained throughout the BBQ and well into the evening. 

I live for the weekends that we can enjoy the garden and lap up the warmer weather, more so than ever since we got Lux almost 2 years ago. You never really know what he will get up to, so it's good to make sure that I am on hand ready to retrieve whatever he steals next... But what I have realised in recent weeks is that when the entire family is outside, he is so content with just having everyone around him, that he will actually relax (Well.. Until the BBQ goes on and the food comes out of course!).

Let's just hope that we can expect more of the same over the long Bank Holiday weekend that kicks off on Friday, I could do with some more family time in the great outdoors.

On another note, it feels so good to be back to blogging!

Until next time!

Cotswold Dog Days & Spotty Dog Lux

When you have a rather energetic dog such as my Dalmatian Lux for instance, it can be quite a nerve racking thought to entrust him to anyone other than yourself. Earlier this year when we went off to Crete for the week, I sent him off to a dog board (for those of you who don't know, it's essentially a holiday for dogs, where they get one to one attention, and it's an alternative to kennels). 

I knew that Lux would not fare well in kennels, so this seemed like the best option for us all. Only Lux had never been left before and he must have felt like his world was crashing in on him, that we had left him forever. Suffice to say the poor guy who was caring for Lux that week did not have an easy time of it at all, I guess that might be why he wanted to return him a day earlier than planned, and why he rocked up back home just after 8am as opposed to the discussed 14:00 o clock...

Yes, leaving Lux is not something I make a habit of doing, and up until this weekend, I didn't dare let anyone else take him out again, let alone have him over night. I guess I have become slightly anxious because I know that he can be a rather large handful, but deep down he is a lovely boy just wanting to be involved in anything and everything that is going on.

When Lux goes out for a walk, it is almost as though he see's the world for the first time (every single day), all the sights, sounds and smells, the other people and of course the other dogs make for a very excited dog.  

This weekend I pushed my anxiety aside and sent Lux off with Naomi of Cotswold Dog Days for a 5 mile round walk around the Cotswolds. I gave full disclosure about my not so little asbo puppy, I told her that he could be a handful and a down right monster at times, but this didn't phase Naomi and she said that she was more than happy to see how they got on if I was happy for him to go.

I decided that it would be nice for Lux to go, and it would be interesting to hear some feedback from Naomi on what she thought about Lux. At 2pm Naomi came and picked up Lux, and as soon as she arrived my mind was put at ease and I knew that Lux was in very good hands. 

Naomi had even brought a car harness for Lux to wear in her car and explained that she had planned a 5 mile walk around Broadway, and provided me a time to expect them back. 

This gave me around 3 hours at home without Lux, and it was such a strange feeling. Lux is always with me at home, so to walk around the house without having him follow me wherever I go (or do the laundry without him running off with a sock or two) was just very odd. It did however give me the chance to tidy the house from top to bottom. 

I got a text just after 5pm letting me know that they had finished their walk and were on there way back home.  

Naomi offers photographs of all the dogs that she takes out on her walks, and we were lucky enough to receive some absolutely gorgeous shots from Lux's walk with Cotswold Dog Days (Friends and family who have seen them have been as equally impressed as us!). When the images came through last night I felt a sudden prang, you know that feeling you get when you are proud of your kids? Yeah I got that for my dog! 

I am planning on getting one or two of these shots put onto canvases, I have been meaning to get some done for a while but never found the right photo (and now I have a gorgeous selection!). Naomi must have read my mind when it came to the telephone box, because I was going to try and get a similar image myself (but I can never get Lux to co-operate!). 

Naomi offers a very personal service to you and your dog, and I have been so impressed by the entire experience (and the gorgeous photos that you receive after).

Naomi delivered back one very tired spotty dog (Who pretty much slept for the rest of the evening), and she did absolutely amazing with him because he can be a real nightmare. I wouldn't hesitate in using Naomi and Cotswold Dog Days again in the future, and if you are local to the Cotswolds or will be visiting for a holiday at some point in the future then you can claim a 10% discount by mentioning #SpottyDogLux!

Make sure to follow @CotswoldDogDays on Instagram for more gorgeous pet photography!

Life with a Dalmatian

When I decided to get a puppy I thought that I had covered every base. I had done extensive breed research, I had conducted even more breed research after setting my heart on a Dalmatian, and I was armed with the knowledge of their health conditions and how to help him grow and thrive. 

It turns out that no matter how much research you put in, nothing can really prepare you for having a puppy, or a dog in general for that matter. 

Lux has kept me on my toes everyday, I have learned that I cannot leave ANYTHING at all on the kitchen side because he will get hold of it, and he will chew or shred it into submission. I have learned that even if I don't leave anything on the side for him to destroy, he will create some new kind of carnage of his own, the most recent venture has been the chewing of my laminate floor (I guess you could say he is helping me with the home improvement costs, as now when I get the kitchen tiled, the guys won't have quite as much floor to tear up!)

He certainly looks very proud of himself don't you think? I guess I should just be thankful that he grew out of eating the dry wall...

I have found myself doing things that I didn't ever think I would need to do. Ever heard of anyone who actually hoovers their washing machine? Yup, I use the vacuum cleaner to get all of Lux's hair out. I was aware that Dalmatian's shed 365 days a year, don't get me wrong, but was I prepared for the level of dog hair? There is not enough reading material in the world to prepare me for the Tsunami of wire like hair that comes from having a Dalmatian, it sticks to your clothes and you will find it in places you would never expect to find it. 

Just this morning I insisted that Leo wear his dressing gown to breakfast, as I didn't want him wearing his school uniform around the pup. Not after I had washed it (and found that it somehow had remnants of Lux still on it), then I used a sticky roller to make sure that it was completely free of Lux and finally ironed the set. I was pretty impressed with myself when I managed to get Leo out of the door with no dog hair on him at all! 

We have recently installed a stair gate, not for Leo, but for the dog. Lux seizes opportunities to go galloping off up the stairs, it''s in the space of a few seconds that he manages to cause absolute carnage. He will steal soft toys, clothing and anything else he can get his paws on, so the stair gate means that upstairs is a completely dog free space. No dogs allowed. 

This means that I don't need to worry about anything dog related upstairs, no dog hair, no dog destruction, no nothing. That means that I can keep on top of downstairs and makes life that little bit easier. 

Lux might be one of the most mischievous pups I have ever met, but he is loving and enjoys a good fuss. Thankfully although he does create some additional housework and mayhem at times, he does have a few perks going for him, he doesn't have a doggy smell and he doesn't dribble (unless of course you have food that he wants to eat!)

  

The ideal car for a dog?

I have been thinking about getting a new car for a while now, and with the addition of our spotty dog Lux, the practicality of keeping a Mini Convertible seemed slim to none. Imagine if you will, one rather large Dalmatian, riding around in luxury on my leather seats, if you have ever driven a Mini yourself, you will appreciate that the back seats and front seats are almost one and the same, which for me meant that Lux would occasionally seize the opportunity to lay one massive kiss on my face (not ideal when A. it is completely unexpected, and B. you are trying your darndest to not crash....).

These realisations pretty much sealed my little Mini's fate, and it dawned on me that for the first time in my life I actually needed a 'grown up' car. My mind started pondering what that meant, I didn't want anything too big... But at the same time I needed the additional space, and that really only left me with an estate as an option. Along with the space factor, I wanted something that was economic and cheap to run, something that had little to no road tax (after the Mini crippled me at £305 a year!).

That's when I discovered the Skoda Fabia Estate and found a rather good deal for one not to far from me. The Skoda is only a 1.2 engine (where as the Mini was a 1.6 Turbo Cooper S!), it cosrs absolutely nothing in road tax each year and I have discovered that a full tank is under £50 (and let me tell you that it can go for miles upon miles with its Diesel consumption!).

Along with the money saving aspects of this car, I have also gained the space I need for that rather hefty puppy of mine (no more face licks as I cruise along...). Lux is now confined to the boot of the car and kept there thanks to the dog guard I purchased.

I am currently in the process of dog proofing my entire car. I want to get a boot liner so that if we take Lux out for a walk and he get's filthy, it won't matter so much when we have to get him back in the car, and not to mention how much Lux sheds, Dalmatian dog hair is always falling out, and it can be rather difficult to clean up (it took me HOURS and a whole roll of sellotape to rid the Mini of dog hair...), so I am thinking of getting seat covers as well even though Lux won't be in the main part of the car (dog hair finds it's way EVERYWHERE).

I have found some great Pets At Home Discount Cards over on Voucher Slug that I am going to be making the most of, because it's going to cost me a pretty penny to kit the car out with everything that I need to Lux proof it.

I may have lost a substantial amount of power with my car upgrade (I can tell you that picking it up and driving it around was a shock to the system when I was putting the pedal to the floor and only just managing to find the speed to overtake cars!), but I am really pleased with just how practical my little estate is, and it's just in time for Summer!

I cannot wait to pack the pup and Leo into the car and just taking a drive to the beach with them both. I want to try and find a dog friendly holiday within the UK over the Summer break, it will be so lovely to go away as an entire family (this of course includes Lux), make some memories and explore the treasures hidden within England.

The Panasonic Pet Monitoring Kit Review

As regular readers will know, Several months ago we brought home our spotty dog Lux, and what an adventure that has been! People told me so many times how much harder puppies were than babies, and I shrugged it off thinking that these people were crazy. I quickly realised in the weeks and months that followed though... That they were absolutely, 100%, completely and utterly right, and boy how it pained me to agree with them. 

Lux is a whirlwind, he strikes like lightning (but not in the sense that lighting doesn't strike twice.. Because it does...In fact he strikes at every given opportunity.), and he always, always, always keeps us on our toes. The kitchen work surfaces are bare, and there is nothing left within paws reach, and as he has grown the parameters for this have also grown. If it can be pawed then it's fair game. We have lost letters, tea bags, dinner and even money to that puppy of ours.

If it can be reached, it can be shredded and destroyed beyond recognition. Not long after we moved into the house I waked into the kitchen and found Lux curled up with Luke's phone and around £300 of cach casually draped around him. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and very quickly picked it all up before the cash became the latest shred victim. Then there was that time he ran off with an entire box of eggs into the garden and smashed them all up just for fun... I was impressed that he managed to get the box down with all of the eggs all in one piece though...

I very quickly felt like I needed an extra pair of hands, not to mention another set of eyes. You can't be around your dog 24/7, and although I am at home with Lux the majority of the time, I do have to work and there are times I need to leave the house without a cheeky dog in tow, and even when I am working in the next room, I can hear mischief unfolding in the kitchen as I try to knuckle down with my to do list... It means stopping, wandering through to the kitchen to see exactly what he is up to. 

Then I heard about pet cams, devices that you can use to remotely check in on your pets. This got me really excited because it meant that I could keep an eye on Lux even if I had to pop out for a little while. Our general rule of thumb is that we walk Lux first thing in the morning, especially if we are having to go anywhere that day. 

A happy dog is a tired dog after all. 

We have been testing the Panasonic Pet Monitoring Kit over the last couple of months, and I have to say what a blessing it is.

The home monitoring kit comes with everything that you need to be able to oversee your entire home, and that means keeping a check on your pets.

It comes with:

- Smart Hub
- Indoor Camera
- Door Sensor
- Smart Plug
- Micro SD Card

Set Up

It was just a case of downloading the Panasonic Home Network app to my iPhone, plugging in the hub and going through the app screen instructions to connect the device.

I found it very easy to get everything set up and it didn't take very long at all, and when I did this I was actually feeling a little bit stressed due to discovering we had received a complaint from our local council about Lux. The complaint was a noise issue and speculated that Lux was barking too much. I found this very hard to believe as I work from home, he get's the walks he needs and he is pretty quiet. So while I was busy setting up our Panasonic Pet Monitoring System, I was hoping this might help me relaxed more about it all.

How we have got on with the Panasonic Pet Monitoring Kit

For the first few weeks we didn't leave Lux at all, because although I was sure that he slept while we were out, I was just too worried to leave him in case another complaint was lodged against him. I was terrified that the complaints would keep being made and the situation would escalate. In true Laura style, I over compensated. I stopped working from home and started working from the parents house instead, that way if any complaints were made... We would have removed ourselves from the scenario and it wouldn't be Lux taking the blame.

It took me a while to feel like I could leave Lux home alone again, especially since I didn't know the nature of the complaint. Was the issue inside the house? Outside? Day? Night? I just didn't know because the details that had been provided to me by the council were very thin on details, and this just made me worry more. I felt very disappointed that whoever had made the complaint had gone straight over my head. I like to think I am an approachable person, and more importantly an approachable neighbor, but instead of talking to me directly about whatever their issue was, so that I could address it head on and know exactly what I was dealing with, they went straight over my head.

We started using the pet cam right away, it was brilliant to be able to keep an eye on Lux while we were in other areas of the house. If I was putting Leo to be and I heard a noise, I could quickly see what Lux was up to and if he did start making a noise, I could intervene and get him to stop as quickly as he started. This is what I mean by over compensating, any noise Lux made, put me on edge. I felt like I was walking on eggshells in my own home all of the time.

When I finally plucked up the courage to leave Lux at home for an hour, I pretty much kept the video feed open the entire time. As I expected, Lux slept while we were out and was so well behaved. I was really thankful to have the video and sound to put my mind at rest while I wasn't at home. I was even keeping a dog diary so that if there was an issue, I could know where we were during that specified time. I took some screen shot of Lux sleeping to back this up on my phone, the amazing thing is that you can use the included SD Card within the home hub to take pictures and videos. At this point I hadn't got it all set up the way I needed it to be to do so.

I have since spoken the council in regards to Lux, and they confirmed that issue was apparently outside, and this to me still seems odd, as Lux is never left outside alone.. But still that was a much more attractive answer than the issue being Lux within the home.

Using the Panasonic Pet Monitor

Having the monitoring system has been such a help to me over the last couple of months, it has helped me find the confidence to be able to leave Lux home alone again. Last week Luke and I went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour, which is almost 2 hours from us here in Worcestershire. I walked Lux in the morning to make him suitably sleepy, and then we hopped in the car and away we went.

We were gone from 1:30 that afternoon until 9pm that evening, and I really don't like leaving Lux home alone, so being able to check in on him even though we were a long way from home was really reassuring. Every time I checked Lux was still asleep, and he stayed that way until we arrived home.

Not only can you see your pet on the monitor (even if it is dark!) you can also use the microphone to talk to your pet! I am constantly using this feature to tell Lux to 'Get down' 'Stop' and 'No'. The first time he looked baffled and was searching the room for my voice, now he's just like ' Great... They are watching me again! Busted!'.

What we think of the Panasonic Pet Monitor

I absolutely love this piece of tech, being able to check in even when you are away from home is just the most amazing thing, I cannot put a price on the re-assurance that has been provided through the use of the cam and app, and it has definitely made me feel more confident about leaving him in the circumstances that he cannot come with us.

So many friends and family have seen me checking in and seeing what Lux is up to, they have been amazed that I can see what he is up to even when we are not home, and it is something that is really special.

The video footage provided is brilliant, it stays up to date and doesn't lag which really helps make the experience.

Would I recommend the Panasonic Pet Monitor? YES, yes I would definitely recommend this fabulous piece of equipment and I would not be without it now.

The Panasonic Pet Monitor retails at £199.99.

Disclaimer: I was provided with the Panasonic Pet Monitor in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.  

Preparing for Christmas

Everything is winding down for Christmas over here, and it's been a lovely week having Leo at home. I finally feel like I am on top of everything for the big day now, wrapping aside of course... I always seem to leave that to the last minute. Leo has some wonderful gifts and I cannot wait to see his face when he opens them up on the big day, I am going to be vlogging Christmas Day (which is a real first for me, so I am excited about having that to look back on, and it will be something that Leo can enjoy in the years to come when he thinks back to the magic when he is all big and grown.

I will be making a start on the wrapping today, I have been stressing myself out worrying that Leo didn't have all to much to open, but as I as hiding it in different places around the house it wasn't until I put it all together that I realised how I actually had nothing to worry about... Well aside from finding homes for all of the new toys and games that will be descending on December 25th! 

One of the things that Leo is getting for Christmas is a new bike. It is something that he has been wanting for a while, and I promised him that when he learned to ride without stabilisers we could definitely look into as new set of wheels for him.  Leo took to riding straight off the bat back in the Summer holidays, he completely surprised me. He told me he was going to do it, hopped on his friends bike (without stabilisers!) and just did it. He had never even attempted before. I was there willing him to be careful, and he just took off like he had been doing it his entire life. So that is why a new bike made it to the very top of Leo's Christmas list this year!

As we only have a shed and no real way of hiding the bike within the house (away from wondering eyes!), Daddy has had to keep the bike in his spare bedroom until we can get it wrapped and over to the house on Christmas Eve! I was mainly worried about leaving the bike in our shed because it's not overly secure, and obviously we want to make sure that the bike is here to be appreciated on Christmas Day... We have been careful with everything we have purchased because you really can never be too careful.

Yale UK have put together the below video providing some very helpful tips to keep your Christmas Gifts safe this Christmas. We happen to have a cheeky puppy at home who has been showing an interest in all the gifts and of course the food! 

The Puppy Days - 6 Months Old

Where do I start on Lux this month? 

He might very well be on Santa's naughty list. 

One morning last week he had been exceptionally quiet, I was in my office trying to make a head start on my to do list... So I went in to inspect and see what he was up to. He had taken my handbag off the work surface, emptied it. Killed my bobble hat (The bobble is what you can see scattered all over the floor...), of course he thought he was hilarious, and to be honest I couldn't help but smile when I saw the sense of satisfaction that wiped over his entire face.

That might be the least naughty thing he has done though, and the contender for top naughty moment of the month has to be when I took him into Broadway village centre for the late night shopping. They have lot's of things going on in the street so we thought it would be nice to enjoy a stroll around the beautiful Cotswold Village with a mulled wine in hand. Of course Lux had other ideas and began following his nose as soon as we arrived. At one point I thought he was going to jump the wall to the open BBQ and take me with him... but the best was yet to come. It was on our way back to the car after he had pulled me around like a train carriage for the course of the evening, when he managed to loosen his lead and jump up at an elderly lady who was enjoying her festive mince pie!

Of course I pulled him straight back down and apolagised profusely to this poor lady (who thankfully had the grace to see the humour of the situation and my giant puppy trying to steal her snack), and made a dash for the car! I get the feeling we are no longer welcome in the Cotswold's.... Thanks Lux.

The following day we took him for a nice long walk up Breden Hill, and thankfully he was on his best behaviour.

It's as almost as though this month he has regressed, he has become more mouthy again and he doesn't seem to be able to calm down and relax in the same room with us, yet as soon as you put him back in the kitchen for time out he will drift off to sleep, which I hate as I want him to be back to normal so that he can fall asleep on the sofa around us all.

Last month Rosewood sent Lux a beautiful new bed because he outgrew his initial bed within a month of us bringing him home, so he had some blankets on the floor in the kitchen, of course now it is getting colder we wanted something a little bit more substantial for him to keep him off the cold floor. 

He has spent the last month sleeping on the Chocolate Tweed Mattress, at 6 months he is a big dog, and this bed is the absolute perfect size for him. When we first gave it to him he announced his attraction by peeing on it... Whoever say's Dog's don't pee where they sleep, well they are lying. Because they do. I took it away and washed the cover before giving it back to him, I didn't want the kitchen being stunk out by my naughty pup who knows exactly where he's allowed to urinate, and exactly where he is not. 

Thankfully this was the only time he has done that, but he has recently taken to biting and pulling his lovely bed around, and I am now forever picking up fluff he has gauged out. I don't think the boy realises just how good he has it! 

It really is a lovely bed, it's thick, soft and really well padded. I have been really thankful for how easy it is to whip the cover off (there's a zip) and get it in the wash ready to go back to him nice and fresh again.

A toy that has been a real hit this month with Lux is the Catch & Flash Ball from Rosewood, you can see it in the above video clip after Lux stops throwing his bed around the room. It's a nice solid ball that Lux loves to chew on, I can hear him bouncing it around the kitchen as I type this so it would seem his nap is now over... It's great to keep him entertained for a while, even at night time when we have all gone to bed, because it flashes it means that he can even play with it in the dark!

I haven't really talked much about Lux's diet before now, but I thought this would be an interesting time to bring it up. You may or may not be aware that Dalmatians have specific breed problems (doesn't every breed!?), some Dalmatian's can be born deaf, this is a common occurrence, but not the end of the world, but all Dalmatians carry a genetic mutation that alters the way in which they metabolize and excrete purines. Purines are found in many different foods and this is especially true with meat. 

- Normally purines would be broken down like this:

- Purines are converted to hypoxanthine.

- Hypoxanthine is converted to xanthine.

- Xanthine is converted to uric acid.

- Uric acid is converted to allantoin, which is excreted in the urine.

It is safe to say that every Dalmatian cannot perform this final step 'Uric acid is converted to allantoin, which is excreted in the urine.' which means that their urine contains a high level of uric acid. Not every Dalmatian will go on to form urate stones, but it is always a possibility which means that Dalmatian owners need to be educated in what their dogs can and cannot eat. 

We feed Lux a low purine raw diet, I haven't actually bought a pack of dog food since we brought him home. Instead I follow the traffic light system, foods high in purines like Beef, Oily Fish, Game Meats and so on.

So what do we feed?

Instead we feed a raw diet of Turkey Mince, Turkey Necks, Chicken and bones, we would feed this along side things like:

- Egg

- Pasta

- Rice

- Oats

- Low Purine Vegetables like Broccoli and Carrot 

This way I know exactly what Lux is eating, and I know that we are avoiding any high purine foods that could potentially lead us into problems later on. I float all of his meals with water so that I am constantly flushing him through, and I make sure that he always has fresh water to drink throughout the day and night. Another important aspect is always providing him opportunities to go outside and have a pee (as I do get a lot of water into him!).

A lot of people recommended Advance Dog Food to us when we first picked him up, but we have got on really well with the raw feeding, and Lux absolutely loves it.  We have 3 dog bowls laid out in the kitchen, we have 2 open bowls, one that has water in, the other that we would put all of his meat and bone, and the third is a Fellipet Kaleido Manners Bowl - We put cottage cheese with his vegetables and rice in this bowl, the idea is that the paw print in the middle acts as an anti-scoff feature. This has been working a treat with Lux, as he usually only takes a minute or two to devour whatever is in front of him, it is really nice to watch him start taking his time. 

The Puppy Days: Growing up

Rosewood Luxury Leather Soft Touch Red Leash and Collar

Guess who has been doing a lot of growing since my last post? Lux. The rate in which this boy is growing up is just astounding, and he is now proudly reaching the work tops and all of the things that I have had to keep pushing back. My Mum had him for the day the other week for me, and it was around the time of my brother's birthday so there was of course cake in the house. When I came to pick him up, Lux was very quiet... The kind of quiet where you know he is up to something before you even see him...

I walked into the kitchen and there he was licking the cake board clean, as the there was no cake on the board I left him occupied and asked my Mum whether there was any cake left... She excitedly told me that if I wanted a slice of cake then it was on the cake board in the kitchen... It was round about here that I dropped the cake bomb on her and told her that if there had been cake left, then Lux had polished it all off while he was in the kitchen. She couldn't believe it because she had pushed it so far back, but the devious puppy of mine had persuaded it onto the floor with those long paws of his.

I really feel that we have bonded now, he really is my dog. He loves a cuddle and is well and truly a large lapdog (Which I wouldn't have any other way). Training wise he is doing great in the house, and we have even managed to get him to sit and wait for food, which if someone had told me was a possibility a few months ago, I would have laughed whole heartedly in their face! 

We haven't been to the puppy training class I picked out for a good few weeks now, I didn't feel that her set up was working for us. She didn't want the puppies mixing at all, which to me just seemed odd because surely getting them socialized is a rather important factor. The last time we went along she gave everyone homework at the end of the session, she got to Lux and I and said 'Well Laura... You just get through the week!'. I was pretty stunned in all honesty, how is that constructive? I was there with my cheeky pup wanting to learn. 

I am looking at a couple of our other local training facilities and plan on going else where. I think to start with we will be better off inside to get the basics and then progress it outdoors. Lux is a completely different character inside in comparison to outside. Indoors he will listen and for the most part comply, outside you might as well just be talking to your self because he will literally put his nose to the floor and go off on his own, dragging you along in his wake. 

Lux pulls like a train, we are doing lots of heel work at home and while we are out and about, but so far he's still pulling like he's dragging me along on a sleigh. He is a coach dog after all, so pulling and sniffing are all completely within his nature and breed. I am looking at no pull harnesses at the moment, as a traditional lead and collar is proving to be a real full body work out, and every so often he completely catches me off guard and I find myself hurtling away in the direction of his choosing. I am hoping that a no pull harness will be a way to correct the behavior before he gets even bigger.

We have had such a lovely month, and now he is getting bigger we have been able to venture that little bit further with him. I am still taking things slowly with him, but we have been starting to do some alternate walks/jogs where we speed up for a little and then slow it back down again. Lux loves this, and when he runs along side me that pull disappears (I guess because he is going at the speed he wants!), we have been trying out Lishinu which is a really cool hands free retractable leash! You strap it to your wrist using the velcro and then your good to go. It's absolutely fantastic if you enjoy running with your dog, as Lux pulls it's not something I have been using in replacement of our usual lead on the walks that take us along the side of roads, but when we have been out in the field or on the walk we took up Bredon Hill it has given us a lot more flexibility.

Lux seems to really enjoy the Lishinu as it gives him more flexibility to roam around. We had such a great walk on Bredon Hill. I drove pretty high up and parked the car so that it was not such a long way for him to go (He's still only little at 5 months old and you aren't really meant to walk them to much at this age), but he was in his element chasing leaves and enjoying the great outdoors.

As it has got so much colder recently we have been really loving his Luxury Night Bright Jacket, it's thick and fleecy on the inside and the outer body is water resistant, so it keeps him lovely and warm and even stops him getting completely soaked by the rain. I think even Lux has been thankful for this because it has come to light that he really is a princess! In a morning he sticks one paw outside as if to see whether he can brave the elements or not, if it's wet he recoils back inside! I have to physically pick him up and put him outside in order to insist he goes for a wee! 

I had to giggle though, during our last session with the trainer. She asked me why Lux was wearing a coat, which to be honest I thought was a pretty stupid question. Why does anyone wear a coat? Usually because they are cold right? So I reminded her how cold the weather was now, I pointed out that Lux also has very short fur and that if she thought thus was weird, she should wait until I purchase his Winter Jumper! She pretty much told me I need to tougen him up, but I don't really think I do. He's a domesticated dog, he lives in a house, and there's absolutely no need to toughen him up. He's with a family who love him and want him to be comfortable in every weather and eventuality.

Lux finally grew out of his dog bed this month, so we need to add that to the purchase list for this month as he's currently sleeping on a blanket in the kitchen and now it is getting colder, I want to ensure he will be warm enough through the night.

I wonder how much growing he will do over the next month? One thing is for sure, he is going to be a giant!