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

Puppy Love Petwear Bandana Review

We're famous!! Check it out...our very first review!! It's delightfully entitled "How to make your cute pets cuter" and written by gorgeous Mary at The Critter Sermon:

So very excited indeed...and very flattered! So many lovely compliments *blush* Here's a little excerpt:

" I came across a stall selling handmade Bandanas..they were SO cute! There was a little dog next to me who had just been bought one and he was sitting there proudly wearing it!...I was greeted with smiley helpful faces and more importantly dog lovers! I showed them photos of Darkley and said about how I was hoping to adopt Holly and all the issues we were having with that...

So with Holly home and more than happy to be dressed up I wanted to get some made for Holly and Darkley... The awesome thing is that if you want a particular colour or something extra snazzy for your pup they will try and do it if they can...As they are handmade they can be made exactly how you want for your pups and best of all at such a reasonable price- because dogs will be dogs and I knew full well that mud and all sorts will end up on them!... They can happily play in them too, they don't bother them in the slightest! They are also made with Velcro at the back so if the bandana gets caught it wont hurt them at all as it will just undo (which is good to know with my clumsy pups...but i haven't had any problems!)

...it is so nice to buy handmade things and not the same old stuff from pets at home! "

We met Mary and her Mum at the Dogs Trust Harefield Open Day back in August and we kept in touch through the Puppy Love Facebook page yet only discovered her wonderful blog earlier in the month.... I can't believe we didn't know about it sooner!!! Packed full of news, anecdotes and tips it's a fab read and I strongly urge push you all to go read & then of course follow/subscribe to The Critter Sermon... Now!! ;) And of course by doing so you also get to coo over pics of gorgeous rescues Holly & Darkley ... Adorable!! x x

Dutch Dogs, Sailing & Sewing

It's that time of year again already... Back to School. How times flies! But for us it has been Back to Sewing!! We had a fab time in Holland visiting Dad and learning to sail :) We even met this handsome chap who has years more experience sailing than we do... he has been sailing for 13 years!! Wowza! That sea-air must be good for you huh?! We met him in the harbour at Lelystad which was the first harbour we moored up in on our 3 day sailing trip. He had a fab bright orange doggie life jacket-coat which I must say was not only good to see for his safety but also looked very fetching & cosy. 

Infact, in general, the Dutch seem to be big animal lovers! We saw sooo many gorgeous dogs out running alongside their owners' bicycles, in little baskets on the front or in trailers behind... and of course just w-a-l-k-ing the usual way! And did you know...there is a tax on dogs in the Netherlands which is paid annually and calculated according to the number of dogs in the household. We are not sure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.... whilst promoting responsible dog ownership we fear it may also mean that the rescue rate is low and abandonment rates high. What do you think?

Being back at Puppy Love HQ means that the Puppy Love eBay shop is now back to business as usual, as is the Online Store here so if your little sea-pup is in need of  nautical dog bandana like Lubo is sporting below, you know where to go! ;) x x

Northampton Market Square Dog Show & this week's Friday Funny

We're staying close to home  for this weekend's show.... about 5 mins walk away actually!! We are sooo excited for Sunday's Fun Dog Show & all round Fun Day in our hometown :) Last year we had a lovely time... after we got our head around the totally surreal feeling of being on our very own market square lols! This year the show is bigger & better with more stalls, more space and more fun and once again is raising funds in aid of local charity Animals in Need. They are a fab little charity in Little Irchester & really do rescue ANY animal in need, not just your usual pet menagerie. When I volunteered there I also helped look after hedgehogs, ferrets, squirrels, blackbirds...the LOT! Integrated into the site is Maxicare which is a dog rescue which along with taking in strays etc, also save dogs from pounds who put animals to sleep so they do an invaluable job and constantly require support & supplies so increased awareness through this event is fantastic. This weekend is also the 22nd annual Northampton Balloon Festival and we are hoping to catch up with our gorgeous staffie model Benson & his almost as gorgeous *winks* mama Jayne from Fake Bake Princesses who are visiting for the festival so if anyone is town for the Hot Air balloons, come down and say hi to us!! Entries are taken from 10.15am and you can download your entry form here. 

It's also time for our weekly Friday Funny & today's is one to make you squeal with delight. Here is the absolutely divine Kiwi, an Alaskan Klee Kai puppy, discovering a lime wedge for the first time! Enjoy!! 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 ♥

Personalised Dog Bandanas on Ebay now!

As you all know, I am in LOVE with my new embroidery machine and have been making some fab doggie items with it including 'I NEED A HOME' bandanas for lovely Bethan at Greyhound Rescue Shropshire & Borders and helping to spread the Staffie love with our 'I'M FRIENDLY' and 'BIG SOFTIE' designs inspired by gorgeous Benson. Now, at last....our personalised bandanas are available to buy online in our eBay shop!

Starting at £5.99 with FREE P&P these come in all sizes and soon more colours! If you would like a different colour now just drop us a line here! Doggie's name & paws are embroidered in top quality sheen thread and as always the bandana is edged in soft black cotton bias and fastened with velcro for ease & comfort. Not forgetting that our velcro closure means that should doggie ever by chance become hooked up on anything, it is easy release :) 

You can visit our eBay store here! 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

Purple Power!! We got our Purple Star on eBay

We have some rather exciting news... *drum roll please* ... we now have our purple star on eBay!! 

We really pride ourselves here at Puppy Love on customer satisfaction & producing long-lasting quality products and it's wonderful to have such a positive reaction to our brand. Thankyou Puppy Love-rs! x x

Showbiz Saturday: Jennifer Aniston buys fab new NYC apartment in her dog Norman's name

Jennifer Aniston has bought a fab new penthouse apartment in New York which is just down the road from the famous Friends building!!! And...the best part.... she bought it using the savings trust she set up in her doggie's name! The Norman's Nest Trust is named after Norman, her adorable little corgi-terrier cross. Such a cute name for such a cute lil dog... We can't decide who looks more gorgeous in this pic of the two of them:

We hope that she and Norman are very happy in NYC - she sooo deserves it! And there must be some left over in the trust for some new treats & toys for Norman?! She must have change from $6 million right? :P Maybe she would like one of our new 'Home Is Where My Dog Is' draught excluders as a housewarming gift?



Draught Excluders £12.50



Saturday can also mean only one thing for a pet blogger.... the Saturday Pet Bloggers Blog Hop brought to you by Two Little Cavaliers, Life with Dogs, and Confessions of the Plume! Join in after the jump!! x x

Dogs Trust Kenilworth Open Day

As those of you who follow us on Twitter may know, we have been booking our Summer 2011 events over the last few weeks... and our first confirmed event is.....

Dog's Trust Kenilworth's Open Day on Sunday July 10th 2011

This was our first event EVER back last summer and gives us the warm & fuzzies so we are so excited to have been invited back and to see all the Kenilworth staff and doggies again! We will bring you more details soon but be sure to expect lots of lovely stalls, raffles, yummies and a fun dog show x x

Britain's Got Talent Dancing Dogs and our new 'I've got Talent' bandana for your dog!

Britain's Got Talent started again at the weekend with new judges Michael McIntyre and David 'The Hoff' Hasselhoff joining Amanda Holden on the panel. We loved singer Michael Collings who did a SuBo, stunning everyone with his amazing voice, and Steven Hall who did a dance-medley of moves to famous tunes. But without a doubt, the stars of the show were Mega and Biba and their mummy & handler, Donelda Guy:

Watch their totally p-awesome audition at www.itv.com/talent (they wont share the video...*sniffles* ). Inspired by BGT and using our beeeautiful new embroidery machine, here is our latest bandana design:

'I've got Talent' from just £5 with FREE P&P 

Buy yours today in our online store!! Click to shop. x x

Getting Egg-cited for Easter? New: Easter Bunny Dog Hoodie and Snood

It seems like only a few weeks ago we were getting ready to celebrate the New Year and still living off of turkey nut roast sandwiches...and now Easter is just around the corner! Do you have any special plans for the holiday? We are looking forward to spending time with friends and family (of both the human and furry varieties) and hoping for some lovely bank holiday weather - the mini-heatwave we have at the moment has whet our appetite for more of the warm stuff :)

Here at PUPPY LOVE HQ we have been making a special new fun design for Easter... the Easter Bunny Dog Hoodie! Also available, the Easter Bunny Dog Snood!

Whatcha think?! Cute huh? Made using a lightweight fleece and quilted satin-ette both designs are super-soft and comfy for little furry ones. Prices start from just £10. These will be limited editions for the holiday so if you'd like one drop us a line here with your doggies vital statistics (breed, size) now! x x

Coming Soon.... Royal Wedding Bandanas!! x

Friday Funny

"Happy Friday y'all!" 

This week's Friday Funny is soooo cute, it even made our Peggilini giggle and coo and she is quite scared of kitty's after a bad experience when she was little... we hope you enjoy it too! 

Before that though - a quick 'Congratulations!' to 2 of our Paws for Japan Prize Draw winners... Ted and Teagan. Don't they both look gorgeous? Big snuggles to them both! 

If you'd like to see more cuties in their Puppy Love bandanas and other Puppy Love items, check out the customer gallery here!

Did you love it? Sooo sweet! Why not share it with your friends online by choosing one of the share buttons above or the email button below!? x x

NEW!! The Puppy Love Online Store...Coming soon!

Exciting times here at PUPPY LOVE HQ...the new & improved online store part of the site will be launching very soon! Full of fab & funky bandanas, fleece hoodies, our p-awesome new range of  ECO© jumpers & shirts, homewares and lots more! 

Until we launch though, you can still buy a few selected designs by clicking on the BUY tab above. x x

Best of British Dog Bandana - NEW!!

Today we have been busy listing our fab new dog bandana designs onto our Ebay 'store' here... this one is Buzzy's favourite:

Union Jack Flag print cotton with coordinating blue bias binding & velcro fastening 

available in all sizes XS - XL 

Let us know what you think!! :) x x

Busy bunnies!

We have been very busy the last few days... getting ready for and then restocking after the Greyhound Gala on Sunday. Northants Greyhound Rescue did a great job organising a fab day out for doggies & their owners! The weather was a little challenging... it was sooo windy!! Lols! And we were treated to showers but just like at Jerry Green it didn't dampen anyone's spirits & then we had some gorgeous sunshine as a reward in the closing hours...

We made some lovely new friends too - Lisa, Teagan & their gorgeous Greyhound girl from Dog 'O' Nine Tails who make Greyhound collars & other crafty bits. We were sorely tempted for one for Mr Buzz and will be measuring him up at Xmas for sure! x x

 More pics after the jump >> 

Jerry Green Fun Day

Today was the Jerry Green Fun Day at Brixworth, Northamptonshire! And doing exactly as promised...it was lots of fun!! :) The weather was not kind today with near gale-force winds & torrential rain showers but it didn't dampen anyone's spirits & everything carried on as if we were basking in tropical sunshine. The marquees just about stayed pinned down and after the storm we got some lovely sunshine to dry off in! There were so many lovely bits to do & see including doggie healing, a fortune teller, bric-a-brac from just 10p (!!!) & agility training classes. And as if that wasn't enough, a full dog show! So many lovely doggies came along it made it very hard for the judges to choose winners. Our handsome greyhound friend Jake won his 2nd award in less than 10 days, coming 3rd in the puppy class. Yaay! We loved meeting all the dogs and their owners & had a great time. Looking forward to seeing how much money was raised for the centre - they really do work sooo hard & help so many doggies who without their intervention would have been sent to doggie-heaven early *leaky eyes*. If you would like to donate, click here! x x

More pics after the jump! >>

Love for London

On Friday we headed to the bright lights of London for a girly day out with Mum & Nicola and we had sooo much fun! Besides admiring the pretties of Harrods' jewellery departments & the beeeautiful Chanel collections *wistful sigh* we all went crazy for the 'Pet Kingdom' dept. on the 4th floor which was choc-a-blocka full of woof-a-licious designer beds, clothes & toys including Roberto Cavalli's very glamorous pet collection ...BUT then we saw that they also sell puppies and were not happy AT ALL!! Very angry indeed that puppies for sale in a department store. They are behind glass and in a 'reasonable' size space which we assume & sincerely hope is air conditioned etc but there is no daylight, mama dog OR love and attention. It isn't nice at all to have people staring at them like they are in a fish bowl and taking pictures despite the 'no pictures' signs... not a good start in life even if it is in the most famous & expensive store in the world. We assume that they must have been checked out by the RSPCA but who stays with them at night etc??  If anyone knows anything, letting us know would be greatly appreciated - the cashier didn't really want to talk about it so we left. Really do not think it's neccessary to have them in there at all - purely gimmic. Hmmpff!!!

*and breathe...*
Other doggie-themed wares in the famous gold & green store included aprons, brollies & of course the Harrods doggie himself on EVERYthing you can imagine. Here are couple of our faves... although sadly the electric lighting has given all my pics from inside a funny orange glow...eek!

After our little outrage we headed to the Manolo shop where a very chic little chihuahua was shopping with her mum... unfortunately she was camera shy ... unlike Nic who can be seen here modelling her gorgeous new boots from the AW collection:

Also fell in looove with this doggie themed jumper & these yummy (and surely mega mega expensive!) cakes before having a lovely lady from the Mac counter show us how to contour our cheeks!! Lols x x

Birthday Girl!

Today is Honey's 4th birthday! Yaay! We made her a special party dress ... white cotton jersey with a black lace skirt and baby pink glittery trim PLUS 3 polka-dotty & rosebud bows down the back... very girly & pretty! 

And not wanting to be left out, Buzzy donned a pair of wings for the party... lols! Although we're not sure he looks as cute as Mops the Pug, who we met at Dog's Trust Salisbury's Fun Day, did in hers...

Birthday girl even did some dancing! After aLOT of yummy treats (including some doggie birthday cake!!) & dressing up fun, though, she was cream-crackered!! xx

"Night night lil sis!" -Buzz

P.s. Honey would like to know what you think of her dress please? Is she a trend-setter? x