Welcome to Our Family, Maggie | A New Puppy!

Welcome Maggie!

Last week my parents asked me to find them a puppy, as they'd sadly lost their black lab Tilly in June. My dad simply can't live without a pack of dogs, so he wanted me to help him find a new addition to their menagerie. Ideally he wanted another labrador, however I love spaniels, so I sneakily sent photos of litters to my mum of spaniels too!

It just so happens that she fell in love with the cheeky little monkey above, and my parents went to view her and bring her home the very next day. 

Little Miss Maggie, or Maggie Moo as she's affectionately known, is a 10 week old black and white English Springer Spaniel. Like most spanners, she's absolutely full of beans and so comical. We all absolutely adore her, and she's already being spoiled rotten with cuddles, toys and love. She's being raw fed, and is doing really well on Natural Instinct food! 

The dogs in our family aren't quite so enamoured, though! My parents also have a 13 year old springer and a 9 year old cocker, and they're still a little unsure. With time though, I know they'll all be the best of friends. Archie is becoming good pals with the little one already, but Winnie still needs some convincing! 

She likes to eat grass, chew stones, pee on the doormat, chase Winnie round the garden and she sits splayed out like a little frog. We just love her so much already!

Stay tuned for more exciting news in a few weeks (hmm, what could that be?!)

Chloé, Archie and Winnie

Paws in the Park | Ft. Pit Pat, Broughton & Co and more!

Hi everyone!

At the beginning of July, I packed up the dogs and headed off to Paws in the Park with our best pal Bernie and his Mum. Paws in the Park is a fab day out, with fun activities like dog diving, agility, gun dog displays and a companion dog show. Of course, there's also lots of lovely food and stalls to shop at! The event is held three times annually, across several different locations. The summer show is held at Stanstead House in Havant, which is close to our usual haunt of Hayling! It's a beautiful location with a wonderful country house, perfect for taking the photos you see above.

The last time we went to Paws in the Park Archie was just 5 months old, and he was my only dog! I was excited to go back with both dogs, and our friends of course. The dogs were dressed to impress in bows from my etsy shop (Chloe Suzanne Designs) and Archie was also wearing his Pit Pat activity monitor. I thought it would be fun to see how much exercise he gets on a day out like this, and compare it to the stats from my Fitbit! 

Of course, we had to stop by the Broughton & Co stand, and buy more goodies! I picked up another collar, and two personalised lovelocks for the dogs. We spotted Archie in amongst all the Broughton Pup Recruits, and he took a particular shine to Creative Director Luna (so did I!) Luna had an operation this week, so we're sending lots and lots of get well vibes and cuddles to her!

Broughton & Co will always be our absolute favourite for collars; the range of colours and styles are second to none, and Philippa offers incredible customer service. I recently had an issue with two of mine (which was TOTALLY my fault and Philippa was under no obligation to help me) but she offered to take them back and sort them out. Incredible service! We now have four collars and two lovelocks, and they're just stunning. The pieces are pure luxury, and I'm sure we'll continue to add to our collection!

We also came across a new brand, Kera Pets, who offer gorgeous pieces in a variety of colours and sizes. Our favourite was a beautiful jade green shade, and the collars were affordably priced. It's so lovely to discover new brands at these shows! 

We also stopped off at Equafleece, and picked up a new mulberry number for Archie. We spotted some familiar faces!

After lots of fun with our pals, we headed off to the beach at Hayling for some lunch! At the end of the day, I checked out my Fitbit and Archie's Pit Pat: what a busy day Archie had! 255 minutes of activity, whereas my own monitor measured just 44 minutes for me. It goes to show that a good walk and some fun at the beach really gets their little legs and hearts going! I love that the monitor also tracks their play and sleep; it's fab getting an insight into Archie's day. 

I hope you enjoyed reading, and that you've had a lovely week!

Chloé, Archie and Winnie

A Weekend Away | Hayling Island

Hi all, 

If you've been following our blog for any amount of time, you'll know that Hayling Island is my family's happy place. I spent the majority of my childhood there, and for the past three years my parents have owned a holiday caravan there too. Now that my boyfriend and I are creating our own little family, we like to continue tradition and continue to visit Hayling as often as we can!

It was our fourth anniversary on Saturday 29th July, so on the Friday we packed up our things, and the dogs of course, and headed down to the van! On Saturday morning we were up bright and early, with plans for a beach walk. I find that the Beachlands end of the seafront is best for dog walks; it's dog-friendly all year round, and tends to be much quieter than Eastoke Corner. Archie can go off the lead and have a proper run (sadly Winnie's recall isn't reliable enough for her to be off-lead!) and when the tide is out there's lots of lovely flat sand to walk on. 

We walked for a few miles along the beach, before stopping for a little rest. Archie was very interested in all the other dogs that were playing at the water's edge! Winnie, on the other hand, just wanted to tell them all off as usual. Whenever we stop anywhere, we pop Winnie in her carrier as it gives her a safe little den and seems to help her reactive barking. We did the same thing on the beach, and unfortunately received some judgemental comments from passersby. It's a shame people can't keep their opinions to themselves! Not all dogs in carriers are "handbag dogs."

After the long walk back to the car, we were all pretty hungry! We stopped off at the café near the car park to refuel on burgers; I love that they've painted all the tables in rainbow pastels since our last visit! Sitting down anywhere is always a trial for Archie and Winnie... it's when their reactivity comes to the forefront. They barked a little when some people stopped to talk to us with their dogs (they also had a black and tan daxie called Winnie!) but generally, they were pretty good. It's always a relief when they behave!

When we arrived back at the van, it was still pretty early. I didn't want to sit around at the site all day, so after a rest (and an outfit change for us and the dogs!) we headed off to Chichester. Unfortunately, at this moment it began to pour down with rain. We were already out, so we figured we'd brave it... bad choice! We had to carry the dogs around, Winnie in her carrier and Archie in Will's jacket, as it was suddenly much colder than anticipated. We ended up just paying Chichester a flying visit, and the rain didn't let up at all for the rest of the day. I used the opportunity to take some photos of the dogs in the van!

On Sunday we had a lazy morning at the van, before heading out for lunch at Mad Hatters. It's a little Alice in Wonderland-themed tearoom and gift shop on the Hayling seafront, which has lovely food. I'm super picky, but I thoroughly enjoyed my sandwiches, tea and scones. The tearoom isn't dog friendly, but in good weather you can sit outside with them. This is what we did, and it was fine! Again, the dogs were pretty good until a cocker spaniel arrived... Archie had a good old bark, but it didn't take too long for him to settle again. Personally I think that their reactive behaviour has really improved, and outings like this are a "practise makes perfect" sort of thing. We'll get there!

We had a lovely weekend at the van, and I can't wait to go back very soon. One of the joys of working in a school is the long summer holiday! What are your summer plans?

Chloé, Archie and Winnie

(The dogs are wearing bows and bandanas from Chloé Suzanne Designs, my etsy shop, in this post.)

Butternut Box Dog Food | Review

Hi friends, 

Today's post is a review of Butternut Box, who very kindly reached out to us and asked if we'd like to trial their food for two weeks. Now, I'm quite fussy with what I feed Archie and Winnie, so of course I went straight to their website to do some research! Here's a snippet of what I found:  

"Your dog's box is specifically tailored to them based on their individual requirements. We take all the hassle away by pre-portioning meals into daily servings - just open, serve and set their tails to "wag". Our nutritional consultation takes into account the age, weight, breed, body condition and activity level of your dog to help us create a truly tailor made meal plan."

Easy peasy! You answer the online questionnaire about your dog's age, weight and activity level etc, and Butternut Box do all the hard work for you. There are a few options when subscribing, depending on whether or not you intend to feed your dog 100% on Butternut food. You can order enough food to make up the entirety of their meals, or just enough to supplement their normal food. Subscriptions are totally flexible, and you can pause, skip or cancel at any time. For most small dogs, £1.14 per day will fill your dog's tummy!

Now, the food itself. Butternut Box offer four "meals"; turkey, lamb, chicken and beef. All of their food is freshly cooked to order using human grade ingredients, and the recipes are grain and meat meal free. This is so important to me when I look for dog food, and I know it's important to many of my readers too. Our food arrived in an insulated box on a Sunday (yes, they deliver on Sundays!) and all the food was still frozen when I picked it up from my parents' house the next day. Each meal was packaged simply and they all stacked nice and flat, which made them so easy to store in my tiny freezer! 

The first week of food was labelled to show me which meal I should give to the dogs on Day 1, 2, 3 etc... it made the transition period so simple and stress free. I haven't included pictures of the food as I'm sure people don't need to see it, but it essentially looks like a slightly blended human roast dinner! It didn't smell horrible like most wet dog foods do, and as I have a weak stomach I really appreciated that. The dogs went crazy for it every single day, even Archie who is normally so fussy. I noticed over the course of the fortnight that Winnie's dry skin issues decreased, her fur definitely appeared shinier, and I'm sure this was due to the high quality and meat content of the food. 

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with Butternut Box; the food was great, the team was friendly and helpful, and the dogs absolutely loved it. I think it's the perfect alternative for those who are interested in a raw diet, but aren't comfortable with having raw food around... or as a food for those who simply want to feed their dogs the best home-cooked ingredients! The best part? They donate a meal to a homeless dog every time someone new subscribes... I'd wholeheartedly recommend it. 

Thank you for letting us try out your food Butternut Box!

Chloé, Archie and Winnie

Dog Fest Haul! | 2017

Hi everyone,

We're almost at the weekend, thank goodness! I wasn't going to write this post until next week, but I'm just so excited about my Dog Fest purchases and can't wait any longer to share them with you. There were so many wonderful stands at the show, it was super hard to stick to my budget! I visited old favourites and new discoveries, and there are definitely a few new companies I'll be keeping my eye on.

First up, we have an old favourite! Broughton & Co is just the epitome of luxury, with beautiful handmade collars, leads and accessories. These pieces are made with love and they're made to last! Archie has just outgrown the gorgeous collar he was gifted as a puppy, so I thought it was high time he got a new one. Of course, I couldn't leave Winnie out, and I nabbed one for her too. The best part was that we could have their names engraved there and then! I just adore these collars so much, and I'll be visiting Broughton & Co again this weekend at Paws in the Park... I'm hoping to pick up some love lock name tags!

(I know these photos are a bit rubbish, sorry, they were taken in poor lighting!)

Next Winnie was treated to a few new harnesses: she only has a couple of "every day" ones, and obviously I'm a shopaholic so she needed some more. They're both from Puppia, but I bought them from different stalls on the day. The first, pink design is from Snug as a Pug Ltd, and the blue floral is from Wiff Waff Designs. They're both a step in style (I believe it's design B) and Winnie wears a medium. Dachshunds obviously have a funny shape, and it's hard to find things to fit them... but this is made even worse by Winnie's HUGE breastbone, which adds several inches to her chest. I know these photos make the harnesses look a bit awkward, but they actually fit her perfectly and she can move really freely in them. They don't rub under her armpits like over the head harnesses do, so that's perfect for us.

Treats! We picked up some organic parsnip treats from Huxley Hound, and some venison Benyfit Bites from Benyfit Natural. Both purchases are going down very well with the dogs, and they're a perfect, healthy option for trick training or photo bribery!

Our final purchase is something that we've wanted for so. long... A Pit Pat tracker! They had an incredible show offer on, and I just couldn't pass it up. I'm so glad I finally nabbed one for Archie, as he's such a little whirlwind and it'll be fab to see exactly how much exercise he's getting. I'm also on a journey to get a little fitter myself, and it'll be great to compare his stats with those from my fitbit. We'll be road-testing it properly on Sunday when we go to Paws in the Park, so I'll be sure to write a special post dedicated to Pit Pat after that.

Last but not least, our lovely friend Jaime gifted a beautiful Devil Dood Designs collar to Winnie! It's one of their fab rainbow designs, and it fits Winnie perfectly. We love Emily's shop and have lots of bits and pieces from her, so I'm excited to add this to our collection! The colours really pop against Winnie's black fur, and it'll look gorgeous as we head into summer. Thank you so much Jaime!

So there we have it, our haul! What have you bought your pets lately?

Chloé, Archie and Winnie

Our Day at Dog Fest! | Knebworth House #TeamSouth

Hi everyone,

We had an absolutely fabulous time at Dog Fest on Saturday, and I couldn't wait to share some photos with you! Dog Fest South was held at Knebworth House in Hertfordshire this year, which is just over an hour away from us. I'm a nervous driver but it was super easy to find, and we managed to beat the queues by heading there early! I just wanted to take a minute to say that the event was really well-organised: there was plenty of space, chill out zones, shady spots with water troughs and lots of parking. Last year the venue felt a bit cramped at times, but in the grounds of Knebworth House there was lots of room to wander.

We went to the event with our friends Bernie, Sev and their lovely owners... we couldn't believe how many other dachshunds we saw throughout the day!

Sev's Mum, Jaime, took this fab photo of Sev and Winnie on the signature Guru chair! ^ I didn't get a chance to talk to the Guru team, as their stall was super busy and I was of course juggling both my dogs (who actually behaved really well, despite my last blog post!) We had to snap a few photos of them in the chair though, as it's a staple of every show! Hopefully we'll get a chance to see them again at another event, where we can have a proper chat!

We couldn't resist even the daftest of items; one stall was selling hilarious dog clothing, including shirts, dresses, pyjamas and all sorts! I very nearly bought Archie some froggy pyjamas, but reined myself in at the last minute... I think Archie would disown me forever if I put him in something like that, bless him. Sev was treated to a Hawaiian shirt, which came in very handy at a different stall later on, and Bernie tried on some adorable dungarees.

Testing out the furniture at the Elite Hound stall!

One of my favourite parts about events like this, is that I can discover new brands I haven't previously come across. One such small business is Elite Hound! They were selling beautiful collars, leads and other accessories... and gorgeous greyhound Mick was helping out on the stall too! I really loved the denim collars and leads in particular, they were so timeless. We've followed them on social media, and will definitely keep an eye out for them at future shows!

We were so excited to meet the Benyfit Natural team! I've been wanting to transition the dogs onto raw food for such a long time, but it's a big decision to make. After seeing the food in person and chatting to the lovely girls on the stall, I'm feeling more confident to make the switch. For now, we took some details and picked up some yummy venison bites!

I think Archie stole a few hearts at the stall, and it was so nice to see him getting some cuddles! Everyone fawns all over Winnie, but it's rare that Archie gets much attention. He's such a precious little dog, and so loving, so it made a nice change for him to get some fuss! Thank you Benyfit!

Of course, we had to pop by the PitPat stand and pick up our first activity tracker! I've wanted one of these for Archie for so long, so I took the opportunity to grab one at the show. The boys all posed on the #PitPatPetaway deckchairs (I love the photo I took of Sev and Bernie!) and Winnie got lots of cuddles too. I've set up Archie's PitPat today and I'm loving it so far; it monitors their activity, and you're given a daily exercise goal for them to hit. It'll be so fun to compare Archie's stats with those from my fitbit! I'm sure we'll write a blog post on it soon. 

We've been following Huxley's IVDD story on Facebook and Instagram, so we stopped by the Huxley Hound stall to say hello and pick up some treats! The HH team are so lovely and friendly, and their products are top notch. The dogs love the dried organic treats, and this time they kindly gave us some of the parsnip variety to try. We were so happy to hear that Huxley is doing well and resting up, I hope he's back to his usual self very soon!

Of course, we also had to swing by and see our friends at Broughton and Co. I treated both dogs to a new collar, as there was a special show offer that I just couldn't resist! The best part was that they had their engraving machine at the stand; you could purchase a collar or other accessory, have it engraved, and collect it later on! I had Winnie and Archie's names engraved onto their collars, and they look gorgeous. I absolutely love everything that B & Co sells, and I'll be heading back to their stall at Paws in the Park this weekend. 

Thank you to Sarah from Twilight Bark UK for the photo!

There was so much going on at Dog Fest this year: water diving, hay bale racing, agility, a fun dog show, the big dog walk and all sorts! Of course, there was also the main stage where Supervet Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick did a talk, and there was live music most of the day also. If I were by myself I think I'd have taken part in a few activities, but for me the highlight of Dog Fest was getting to hang out with some of my blogging/twitter friends! 

As I said, I attended the event with my friends Jaime and Shannen, but we also got to catch up with Silly Tilly Poodle, Adventures of Doodles, The Cotswold Collies, Fraggle and her Mum (who very kindly gave me their free ticket!) and the lovely Sarah from Twilight Bark UK. Sarah actually took the fab photo above, of all six of our dogs! It was SO nice to meet everyone and their dogs "in the flesh", we saw so many insta/twitter famous pooches too! Our next post will be all about the goodies we bought at the event, can't wait to share them with you!

Did you go to Dog Fest? Let us know in the comments!

Chloé, Archie and Winnie

Dog Fest Packing List!

Hi all!

We're off to Dog Fest South tomorrow at Knebworth House, and we thought you might want to see some of the things we're taking with us! In the photo above, you can see our snacks for the day; a packed lunch for me (I've just started Slimming World, so no tasty burger van food sadly!) and treats for the dogs. We absolutely love these Lily's Kitchen Snack Bars for big days out, and I always keep a few stashed away. I've also got a little pot of tasty bitesize treats, as we're going to be seeing several of our blogging friends and I want my two to sit nicely for photos!

I'm hoping to take both dogs with me, but I don't have a photo of Archie's "outfit" for the day. Sadly his new harness hasn't arrived in time, so I'm not sure what I'll put him in yet! Winnie on the other hand, will be looking super stylish in her new Pink Shetland Wool harness from Teddy Maximus, and a beautiful new lead from Bramble and Friends. Considering they're from different retailers, they're a match made in heaven and I cannot wait to show them off tomorrow. Of course, I've also got a little zip pouch of poo bags attached to the lovely tassel clip on the lead.

I've got this little zip bag too, with hand sanitiser, wipes and a mirror (my worst nightmare is having something on my faces/hands or whatever and not being able to get it off or wash my hands!) and I'll be taking my vlogging camera with me also. I'm trying to pack super light this year, but there are a few neccessities that I haven't pictured; obviously, I'll be taking a bottle of water, a collapsible bowl, our ticket and I'll most likely take Winnie's carrier as well. A few bandanas or bow ties might sneak into my bag for photo opportunities too!

Are you going to Dog Fest? What are your day trip neccessities?

Chloé, Archie and Winnie