Dog Fancy Dress Wins $6000!

There have been some really very upsetting dog stories in the news just lately .... so here is a nice change for you Puppy Lovers! Meet 18 month old Rufio...

Doesn't he look pawesome all dressed up for Howl-o-ween last month?! And we're not the only ones to think so! Rufio, a Plainfield Neopolitan Mastiff, has won $6000 in the PetSmart Monster Cute Photo Contest in the USA. And that's not all....he's won at least 25 other competitions! And, what makes it even more pawesome...his owner Kathryn Dunlap is using his winnings to help rescue dogs!! She has already bought an animal shelter food with her $500 giftcard. Infact, Rufio and Kathryn are on the look out for an agent to reperesent him and Kathryn says “My goal for him is to be a spokesperson for other dogs, especially those in shelters and rescues” and being such a rare breed and so utterly gorgeous, we are thinking he will be great at raising awareness of the importance of rescue centres and the plight of homeless dogs... you know, the only Plainfield Neopolitan Mastiff we'd seen before was 'Fang' in Harry Potter. Bigger dogs are often found in rescues due to becoming too much for their owners to manage as they grow...it breaks our heart! Hopefully star-pups like Rufio wil help raise awareness of these loving gentle giants. For more information about Rufio and his new line of greetings cards, visit www.rufiosrumblings.com or find the Rufio Ricardo Fan Club on Facebook x x

New Bandana designs! Twilight inspired ...*swoon*

OMG Puppy Lovers... it is now less than 2 weeks until Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part One is out at the cinema! Very excited indeed here at Puppy Love HQ! Next Friday we shall be staging our very own Twiathlon with our gorgeous friend Nicola and watching all 4 films in succession... I know, i know...lickle bit nerdy but it's only like the boys watching successive football matches on a Sunday afternoon right?! Lols. In honour of the Sparkly One and (not quite so much but still) the Furry One, we have a new addition to our bandana collection.... Twilight inspired Team Edward & Team Jacob designs!! 

Made with 100% cotton, and fastened with Velcro, each one is handmade and embroidered using our lovely embroidery machine with really nice, slightly sheeny Mettler embroidery threads. They are available now in our eBay store from £6.99 and as always come in all sizes. As an extra treat for you...scroll down after the jump for the Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part One movie trailer!! *SQUEAL!* x x

Cassie the UK's Fattest Dog Slims Down & a list of Doggie Poison Foods

Meet 7 year old Cassie the Collie.... 

Isn't she a cutie? She is one rather special little girl as just six months ago she looked like this:

Cassie has lost the title of UK's Fattest Dog by also losing half her body weight! Go Cassie!! When Cassie arrived at Dogs Trust Kenilworth earlier this year, she weighed a shocking 7 stone after being fed a diet of full sized portions of fish & chips, roast dinner, crisps and *gasp* chocolate!! The lady who really was killing her with kindess would even order double at the takeaway! Now, sadly, so often we hear animal abuse stories that chill us to the core, and although this involves no vile mutilation or violence, it is still a form of abuse. Poor Cassie could not walk for more than 3 minutes before she gave up the ghost and  it took 3 people to lift her in and out of the car. 

Dogs Trust Kenilworth manager Sandra Wilson said: "Unfortunately, when owners treat their pets as if they were humans and feed them the wrong food, they're simply killing them with kindness... She was at risk of heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis, but it's great to see the progress she has made in a relatively short time and a testament to the hard work of the staff here."

She has been working out on the treadmill and with hydrotherapy, which she loves, and is now ready to go to her new home. But her story is a warning to dog owners around the world... Most doggies will keep eating unitl they go off pop! Many a time I have commented that Buzz, left to his own devices would end up a little ball with legs...just like poor little Cassie looked earlier in the year. I decided to look into the pyschology behind a dog's relationship with food and what I found was interesting... Sarah of Sarah's Dogs comments:

"In the course of the history of humankind's relationship with the dog, the dog has come to look at people as being able to provide it with food. Since a dog is also a pack animal with a social hierarchy, the treatment of food by the pack is important to a dog. In the dog pack, the top dog will eat first... 

As the leader of the pack, you must eat before the dog eats. If you allow your dog to beg from you and to get a morsel of food before you, you are giving the dog a boost up the social ladder in your home... Once someone shares some of their food with the dog, the dog then not only realizes that its dog food is inferior in taste, scent and appearance to what its masters are getting, the stage now has been set for more begging. The dog will beg for another morsel, and once that begging behavior has worked, the dog will continue begging nonstop. At every meal, you will see the staring or blinking eyes that are entranced by every move you make...In that case, your alpha status has been weakened, especially if you give the dog a treat before you feed yourself. As the leader of the pack, you must not tamper with your leader status by interfering with whose food is whose..."

You can read more of her article here  and be sure to check out the rest of her site - it's very informative! 

This is exactly what happened with Cassie in terms of her then turning her nose up at the proper dog food - she even went on hunger strike for 3 days when first confronted with dry dog food. Of course, Cassie's story is an extreme case. Before dog food was mass-produced, dogs did eat 'human' food and obviously in the wild back in the day, they didn't pop to Asda's for a bag of Harringtons or tin of Pedigree Chum but they would have scraps (ie. small!) and raw meat. And of course, there is the raw diet so popular now. It's nice to give your dog a little treat sometimes by way of a chew etc and you have to be mega-tough to resist those puppy dog eyes at mealtimes but just be aware that by not giving in as much as you can, you are actually doing your best friend a favour. Just like us humans, being overweight puts them at higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, arthritis etc... and please check out the list of potentially poisionous foods for dogs after the jump! There are some that were real shockers to us, and we thought we were pretty clued up so please do look. 

We'd love to know what you think about Cassie's case, and the concept of doggie diet, so please do comment! x x

Great Greyhound Gathering & this week's Friday Funny

Happy Friday Puppy Love-rs! What do you have planned for the weekend? We are going to the Great Greyhound Gathering in Nottingham tomorrow and rather excited indeed! So many of our fab twitter & facebook pals will be there, including gorgeous Lisa Rees with her Dog O'Nine Tails stall and Soxi, Dino, Karen & Neil....we can't wait to see Karen and hear her news...she has been training as a Galen Myotherapist  - dog massage - and will very soon be qualified! So any achy pups out there, get in touch!! 

The show tomorrow will include fun & more serious dog shows, stalls, etc, and takes place at the Nottingham Racecourse, Colwick Park, Nottingham NG2 4BE from 9am. We will also be meeting up with beautiful Bethan from Greyhound Rescue Shropshire & Borders and the rest of their fundraising team. We have launched a range of ECO shoppers made especially for GRSB, part of the Retired Greyhound Trust, and they will also be selling other Puppy Love items on their stall to raise much needed £££ for the Greyhounds in their care. 

You will be able to buy the shoppers directly from our eBay store from next week where a good percentage of the sale will go directly to GRSB! Here's a sneaky preview of one of the designs...

And of course, being Friday it can mean only one thing.... it's time for this week's Friday Funny! This one is just soooo cute.... meet MAY(yorkie) and LUNE (maltese) in a bonio speed eating contest! Enjoy! x x

9/11 Dogs Ten Years On

10 years ago today, the world changed. Big time. 

As George 'dubbleya' Bush said in a rare moment of sincerity & depth, at yesterday's memorial for Flight 93 in Pennsylvania ... 

“When the sun rose in the Pennsylvania sky 10 years ago, it was a peaceful September morning,” he said, “By the time it set, nearly 3,000 people had lost their lives." 

Even a decade on, whenever I look at the images from that day, my brain still struggles to process that what I'm seeing is not a movie still or some angry computer game. Today we want to honour the bravery of all involved in the rescue operation at Ground Zero, the Pentagon and those heroes of Flight 93 who really were the first to stand in the 'War on Terror' or whatever the politicians term it. To us, they just fought back and triumphed against pure evil. 

Of course, it wouldn't be Puppy Love if we didn't move on to the heroes of the furry variety... and we can't believe that somehow we missed this story over the last ten years! Maybe it has something to with the leaky eyes of grief and outrage but at last we have discovered the story of Michael Hingson and his guide dog Roselle who were working on the 78th floor of Tower One of the World Trade Center when the first plane hit Tower Two. Together, beautiful yellow lab Roselle leading the way, they began the evacuation and ended up just 100 yards away when Tower Two collapsed. And her fellow guide dog Salty also did the same for his owner in another area. I never have words for the loyalty of dogs, just a big lump in my throat. Roselle, like so many of the rescue dogs who worked on 9/11, has now crossed the Rainbow Bridge but just like the thousands who lost their lives that day, and in the resulting conflicts and attacks around the world, they will never be forgotten. 

Over 350 dogs worked at Ground zero and Boston journalisist Laurel Sweet worked with vet Dr Cynthia Otto who was treating their injuries from searching through the debris ... "I think the dogs were the only thing that kept people going at Ground Zero," Sweet quotes Otto as saying. "You'd actually see their faces change when a dog walked by."

Dutch photogrpapher Charlotte Dumas has tracked down the 15 still living FEMA doggies and complied a beautiful book called 'Retrieved' which is available now... 

If you don't want the leaky eyes, and believe me they'll come big stylee, click away now, as here are some of those doggie-heroes :

From the NY Times: Bailey, age 14, Thompson Station, Tenn. She went to the Pentagon following the attacks of 9/11.

Bretagne from Cypress, Texas, arrived at the site in New York on September 17, remaining there for ten days 

Moxie, 13, from Winthrop, Massachusetts, arrived with her handler, Mark Aliberti, at the World Trade Center on the evening of September 11 and searched the site for eight days

Tara, 16, from Ipswich, Massachusetts who stayed for 8 days from Sept 11th

Kaiser, 12, pictured at home in Indianapolis, Indiana, was deployed to the World Trade Center on September 11 and searched tirelessly for people in the rubble

Guinness, 15, from Highland, California, started work at the site with Sheila McKee

Merlyn and his handler Matt Claussen were deployed to Ground Zero on September 24, working the night shift for five days

Red, 11, from Annapolis, Maryland, went  to the Pentagon

Abigail, left, was deployed on the evening of September 17

Tuff arrived in New York at 11:00 pm on the day of attack to start working early the next day

Hoke from Denver searched for 5 days

From the NY Times: Orion, age 13, Vacaville, Calif. He worked at the World Trade Center for five days after the attacks 
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2033628/Surviving-9-11-rescue-dogs-scoured-Ground-Zero-bodies-commemorated-decade-difficult-mission.html#ixzz1Xdnr20gt

Black Dog Appreciation Day

Today we are not doing our weekly Friday Funny as we want to talk about a serious cause close to our hearts. Today is Black Dog Appreciation Day where, worldwide, animal lovers celebrate  black dogs and highlight Black dog bias or Black Dog Syndrome. 

Now if you haven't heard of Black Dog Syndrome before, you will be as surprised as we were to find out that all those beautifully sleek, glossy furred, gorgeous black dogs and cats are more than often the last pets in rescue centres and shelters to find homes, if at all, because they are passed over in favour of the lighter coloured animals. And it's not just the bigger breeds or Heinz 57's that the phenomenon applies to - even the toy & pedigree breeds are affected. 

As you know we have two black rescue dogs in the Puppy Love family, Buzz and Lubo, both of whom spent a long time in the rescue centre waiting for us... Lubo was at the Mayhew for 3 months:

and also these three beauties in our extended family, where again Brook's fursis & bro Soxi and Dino are rescues:

Noone is 100% sure why this happens - it is thought that they don't photograph as well so aren't as appealing on adoption websites, and that people often still associate black with superstitions ie: black cats etc (although I always thought that a black cat crossing your path was lucky!?) Other theories put forward include the idea that in movies and the media as a whole black dogs are usually the aggressive, mean ones or that noone wants the dark fur malting. Personally I LOVE black dogs and cats but I must say when I went to the rescue centre all those years ago in Hull, Buzzy provided the perfect example of Black Dog Syndrome and I am eternally grateful to the staff there for spotting we would be perfect for eachother. He was stood there quiet as a mouse hid in the background away from us, whilst all the other dogs jumped and barked, and I think this is another factor. Certainly in the smaller rescue centres and shelters where it can be a little dark and gloomy, the black fur just doesn't show up :( A shelter in LA did a study to try and challenge the Black dog bias or Black Dog Syndrome by saying a full 28% of adopted dogs were black, but the facts still stand sadly... 

So, today help us promote how totally p-awesome black dogs and cats are and raise awareness of Black dog bias/Black Dog Syndrome! There is an event on facebook here  today with over 12000 people attending online where you can share pics of your black dogs and share your stories - sooo many gorgeous pups! x x

For more info on  Black dog bias/Black Dog Syndrome check out the links after the jump>>  

We're all going on a Summer Holiday...

aToday we are off on holidays!! *Excited!*

We are visiting Daddy Puppy Love in Holland until the 3rd September so will also be there for my birthday which will be nice :) We haven't visited for ages where he was so poorly so we are really looking forward to it! We still be staying on his yacht which will be something new as I have never been on one before... I hope I dont get seasick! :S lols! But I do wish I could pack Buzz and Honeybun in the suitcase with me....

We will still be able to post while we are away so stayed tuned for updates of gorgeous Dutch doggies! I can't wait to meet Dad's doggie next door neighbour Kischa in the reals and see over the way doggie neighbour TomTom again. He is a little terrier cross with a mind of his own - his name is TomTom because he goes off on little walks by himself if he isn't watched 24/7 but always finds his way home! 

This means that whilst we are away, the Puppy Love Online Store & eBay shop are 'closed' but you can still order while we are away & we can respond to messages etc, it's just that any orders will be made up and despatched from Sept 5th :) x x

Dogs Trust Harefield West London Fun Day

You know what? We are sooo lucky to be able to spend so much time with so many gorgeous dogs! This Sunday last was the Dogs Trust West London Fun Day at Harefield & once again we were there with our stall having a fab time! 

It was our first time at the Harefield centre for their Fun Day (we go there alot for books etc when we visit The Millers though as it's only round the corner!) and we were so impressed with lovely Sian's organising - the site looked pawesome! There were yummy pancake & donut vendors, a cake stall with the biggest muffins I have ever seen, a little funfair section for the little ones, a petting zoo, tombolas & raffles and much more! 

The Puppy Love stall 

We were so lucky with the weather - it was tropical! Lovely sunshine all day :) And the sun brought out the visitors, at one point the queue for the car park was over half an hour up the road and there was a real possibility the car park would have to shut altogether! Which is brilliant news for the charity and all those dogs needing care and shelter. And check it out, its a HUGE Site...Wooo!

As the site is so local to Lee's family, they all came up to visit us which was really lovely! Even 92 year old Grandad Ben came along in his wheelchair ♥  

Mum fell in love with 10 year old Lurcher William who is in desperate need of a new home as he is getting increasingly distressed & depressed in kennels and is refusing to eat. He would have been coming home with her had it not been that he needs to be the only dog in the household so if anyone you know is thinking of rehoming please please mention him to them!

Laura @mistew on twitter came to see us too which was a lovely surprise & meant we got to see scrumptious Min Pin LJ in real life! Check out his adorable photo in the gallery! Her new London based dog walking company, Fun on all Paws, is doing really well & she is a sweetheart so be sure to check out her facebook page here! 

More pics after the jump or check out the full album on our facebook page... www.facebook.com/puppylovepets ! >>

Football Team Dog Bandanas

Today the Barclays Premier League started again! For this Arsenal-loving household it was not really the start we had hoped for... sendings off, saying bye to Cesc Fabregas & Samir Nasri and an injured Jack Wilshere BUT for all you other football supporters out there we hope you enjoyed the first game of the 2011/12 season! Did you know that we have a fab range of football supporter bandanas available for your dogs? Here's scrumptious little Benji in his 'I ♥ Man Utd' bandana and gorgeous Rufus and Keagan showing their support for the other side of Manchester in their 'I ♥ Man City' numbers:

If you'd like one for your proud pooch, you can visit our eBay shop or if your team isn't listed, just drop us a line at puppy_love_petwear@hotmail.co.uk ♥

London & UK Riots and the brave Police Dogs and Horses

We did have a blog post about Dogs Trust Salisbury ready to publish today but we just couldn't not mention the horrendous rioting that has been going on in London and now in cities across the UK over the last few nights.

Photo courtesy of the Daily Mirror 

I have certainly never seen anything like it in my lifetime, and i don't think I can think of another time in UK history when the drive behind such mindless violence and looting is seemingly just pure greed and destruction. All of us here at Puppy Love are sickened by the behaviour of these vandals and thugs - the majority of which are in their teens! It is scary and sad to think that this is what a portion of the next generation is capable of. They have no respect for anyone or anything - including themselves. There has been criticism as always of the police force but really with such limited resources and such a large number of rioters we think they are limited in the way that they can react. It is truly flabergasting to watch the footage on the news of these looters and how easy it is for them to cause such havoc with no police or otherwise around to grab them. But our biggest praise always goes to, surprise surprise, the animals. We never fail to be moved by pictures of the police horses and dogs who do such an amazing job and are so brave and calm in the face of craziness. Tonight on Sky news it was reported that 5 police dogs have been injured in the rioting so far and we are sending them lots of love in the #pawcircle to get well soon. They are so loyal and do their jobs so well... all for the reward of a tennis ball bless them! We also send out love to all those animals affected by the violence and of course their humans. Stay safe everyone and join the stand against the rioting by joining the Facebook group to clean-up here  or by using the twitter hashtag #riotcleanup and visit the site www.riotcleanup.co.uk x x

Photo courtesy of Demotix

Photo courtesy of the Daily Record

Photo by Lee Massey

Amy Winehouse 14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011

Yesterday we were shocked & deeply saddened by the tragic death of the dazzlingly talented Amy Winehouse. Yet another one of our brightest sparks extinguished by the darkness of addiction. It is thought today that more likely she died from a seizure after drinking and not an overdose but that these seizures were a side-effect of the damage done by years of such serious drug use. Such a talented & also very young woman - she would have been in my school year - she was also a unique fashion icon with her big hair, cute little pumps and trend-setting eyeliner. I pray she finds some well-deserved peace at last in the big recording studio in the sky with all those other great talents taken from us too early.....Cobain, Hendrix, Morrison, Presley, Monroe, Dean, Joplin, Lennon, Aaliyah, Lisa Left-Eye... Rest in Peace lovely x x

4th July Independence Day Fun Dog Piccies!

So yesterday was Independence Day in the USA (and also Papa Miller's birthday... Happy Birthday to him!) and we had a very busy bustling day sewing, birthday greeting, catching up with our lovely neighbour Alicia who just got back from Barbados *lush* all whilst trying to catch up on orders from the weekend and stock up for the big show on Sunday at Kenilworth Dogs Trust. But we did take a minute to check out our American cousins in their Stars & Stripes & here are some of our faves:

America...America!

Crusin'

Party-d out!

Trooping the colour

'You lookin' at me?!'

And of course, Buzz was rockin' his Stars & Stripes bandana yesterday:

From £4 with FREE P&P in our online store

:

Remember if your pet is scared of fireworks or loud noises such as thunder there are many options available to reduce their stress - talk to your vet :) x x

It's Tropical again... important RSPCA Heatwave Pet Safety Tips!

Sad news again in the press... another 2 dogs have died after being left in a car in the hot weather. The devastating thing is the handler had already lost another dog 7 years ago after leaving him in the car.... makes us angry! Hopefully he will be dealt with accordingly. Dogs dying in hot weather after being trapped in cars is tragic, cruel and unneccesary... *sigh* We posted these tips during the last little heatwave back at Easter and they really are essential.... please pass on to all your friends!

Temperatures in cars can rocket in this kind of weather, up to 47 degrees in just an hour when it is 22 degrees outside! Brain damage in dogs starts at 41 degrees. Also, don't forget that suncream is not just for humans... any delicate areas and 'pink bits' will need an application. Check out these fab top ten tips for keeping your pets safe in the sun from the RSPCA:

1. Your dog should always be able to move into a cooler, ventilated environment if he/she is feeling hot.

2. Never leave your dog alone in a car. If you want to take your dog with you on a car journey, make sure that your destination is dog friendly – you won’t be able to leave your dog in the car and you don’t want your day out to be ruined. If leaving your dog at home is the best  option because of the weather, 

always ensure that his/her needs are properly catered for.

3. If you have to leave your dog outside, you must provide a cool, shady spot where he/she can escape 

from the sun at all times of the day.

4. Make sure your dog always has a good supply of drinking water, in a weighted bowl that can’t be 

knocked over. Carry water with you on hot days and give your dog frequent, small amounts.

5. Never leave your dog in a glass conservatory or a caravan. Even if it is cloudy when you leave, the

sun may come out later in the day and could become unbearably hot.

6. Groom your dog regularly to get rid of excessive hair. Give long-coated breeds a hair-cut at the start of 

the summer, and later in the season if necessary.

7. Dogs need exercise, even when it is hot, but walk your dog early in the morning or later in the evening. Never allow your dog to exercise excessively in hot weather.

8. Dogs can get sunburned too – particularly those with light-coloured noses or light coloured fur on their 

ears. Ask your vet for advice on pet-safe sunscreens.

Great tips! Make sure you share them with your friends! Also be aware of the signs of Heatstroke and what to do should you think your pet is suffering from it. The most obvious sign of heat stroke in dogs is excessive panting and profuse salivation. Other signs include:

• Overly red or purple gums
• A rapid pulse
• Lack of co-ordination, reluctance or inability to rise after collapsing, seizures, vomiting or diarrhoea

You must act fast! It is LETHAL!

According to the RSPCA:

•  Pets should be moved to a cooler spot straight away before ringing your vet for advice immediately.
• Douse your dog with cool (not cold) water. You could put your dog in a shower and run cool water over him/her, spray your dog with cool water and place him/her in the breeze of a fan. Never cool your dog so much that he/she begins to shiver
• Let your dog drink small amounts of cool water
• Continue to douse your dog with cool water until his/her breathing starts to settle and then take him/her straight to the vets

To read the RSPCA's full article in PDF form click here.

Showbiz Saturday: Britain's Got Talent Dog Act Finalists

Happy Saturday everyone! This week's Showbiz Saturday post is dedicated to home-grown showbiz doggies... Unless you've been living in a cave (international Puppy Love-rs excused of course! ;) ) the last few weeks you'll know it's been all about Britain's Got Talent in the run up to the big final tonight. With acts such as Michael Collings, Razy Gogonea & much talked about in the press, 12 year old Ronan Parkes, it should be a great final...but we feel that the great British public have let us down with their voting habits yet again...there are no doggie acts in the final!!! *sniffles* Here is our little shout-out to all the gorgeous doggies who took part ... you're all totally P-AWESOME winners to us!!!! 

Pip & Puppy

Pip and Puppy were in the top 3 last night but the judges chose singer Michael Collings to go through to tonight's final. Absolutely gorgeous Pip and even more gorgeous Buddy wowed Simon Cowell, who wanted both acts to go through. As Pip sings note-perfect beautiful opera, little Buddy throws back his adorable little head and sings along. Soooo cute! We love you both & look forward to seeing more of you on the telly box!!

Angela & Teddy

12 year old Teddy the poodle is not the best doggie dancer in the world but he is definitely the cutest! In his twilight years, he is doing a brilliant job of jumping and reversing around objects and the piece du resistance... pushing giant balls and as shown here baskets! We think after his spot in the limelight, Teddy now needs to go home and have lots of relaxing time full of cuddles and treats and naps. Love you Teddy!

Donelda Guy with Mega & Biba

Mega & Biba are just soooo clever! And beautiful! We love their little sparkly anklets. Dog trainer Donelda Guy put on another brilliant show with the girls on Monday's semi-final. Dancing to Shirley Bassey singing Pink's 'Get the Party Started' the act was just so glam and fun! 2 of the best doggie dancers we've ever seen! Wooo... GO Mega & Biba!!

Mexican Mayhem

Mexican Mayhem are a fun little trio - Melanie and her two adorable little Chi's, Twizzle & Tucker. Melanie belongs to a training club and paid tribute to the late-leader of that club in Thursday's semi-final. Now, for us, what makes this act so fun is little Twizzle's complete headstrong minxyness!! It must come with the curls as our little curly madam is also rather minxy... whilst Tucker negotiates her obstacle course as directed by Melanie, Twizzle is having NONE of it!! Lols. We did think the loud bangs and pyrotechnics were a little unsettling for these two at the end of the act though and hope that they got lots of TLC when they got home.  Ai Chihuahua!! 

The Britain's Got Talent final is live tonight on ITV 1 at 7pm. x x

Don't forget, today is also Blog Hopping day... a great way to meet new furriends! Follow the all-new picture list after the jump >>