So the day finally came around.  The kids and I were so excited.  We had tracked down two of Winnie’s siblings and were meeting them at a dog park for a re-union play date.  We met Vinnie (was Wicket) and Mo (was Winston) and Mo’s brother, a white Boxer called Kobi.  The three siblings were really similar yet somehow different to look at.  Mo was slightly bigger than Winnie, with a very boxer like face.  We have since discovered that the mother was a full Boxer and the father a very large Boxer cross, with Great Dane and Mastiff very apparent.  Vinnie was quite a bit smaller than both Mo and Winnie, with green eyes and the cutest long eye lashes.  He also had  more Boxer shaped jaw than Winnie.  So… they looked alike but surprisingly different too. 

It was when we owners stood around talking that the real similarities came out.  All have fairly major skin issues.  And all of us have been given different advice by different vets.  That was not too encouraging!  All three dogs are quiet… they don’t bark except when playing with other dogs.  All of them are exceptionally laid back, if not a little lazy.   All are extremely stubborn and none come when they are called.  It seems there nature comes from their genes and not their up bringing.   Their homes were quite different.  Winnie lives with two small children and spends much of her life tied to the school fence with a constant stream of children stroking her.  Mo lives with his adopted brother Kobi, a very energetic Boxer keen to run him into the ground at every opportunity.  Vinnie lives with a young couple where it seems he is treated as the child of the house.  And yet they all seem to have held onto the personalities given to them by their breeding. 

So my case for nature over nuture is a good one.  I have always been certain personality has more bearing than parenting (given my two children are so different yet subject to the same environment every day).  Now my conviction has been given more substance.

Would love to hear more stories about pet siblings re-uniting to see if my theory holds up.

Eat me!

My best friend texted me the other night… here’s what it said:

‘Sitting at the vet again. Noodle swiped a whole chicken off the bench while I was taking Bella to Guides. They’re putting soda crystals down his throat to make him sick!”

Noodle is a Border Terrier. His nickname is Naughty Noodle, so it is true to say this is not the first text I’ve had about his antics. But this one really captured my imagination. Especially when I got the update later telling me that the soda crystals had worked and the entire chicken had re-appeared on the vet’s floor, still mostly intact. Have you seen the size of a Border Terrier? And have you seen a size 16 chicken lately? One would think the this was a physical impossibility. Apparently not!

Even the vet couldn’t resist a final comment.  “I was going to have chicken for dinner tonight” he told my friend, “But I think I’ve changed my mind”

I'm no chicken!

Don’t you just love him!

From the desk of Pet Angels HQ. Making the world a happier place for pets. Dog walking, pet feeding, cat feeding, house sitting and pet care services extraordinaire.

http://hotdollfordog.com/produit.php?ref=hd1&id_rubrique=1&lang=2

Sorry people, I just couldn’t resist sharing this.  I accidentally stumbled across it on the internet (I was just searching for cool dog products I assure you).  Who would have thought??  I’m quite stunned that someone would think of this.  Check out the website. And the video showing you the rear end. 

Strangely, with all that has gone through my mind looking at this picture, the one that stands out the most is… why did they make it look like a four-legged penquin??

What do you think?

Stumbled across this … what do you think?  An video camera you attach to your pet’s collar, tells you what they’ve been up to … great to know what they’re doing when you are not there.  Would you buy one???

From the desk of Pet Angels HQ. Lovers of pets extraordinaire. Pet feeding, dog walking, house sitting and much more. Auckland East, Auckland North Shore, Auckland Central, Wellington.

Mike Butler with Rapid, left. The pair walked 2325km to raise $22,000 for the Cancer Society

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/eastern-suburbs/6528566/Cancer-walk-dog-dies-in-house-fire

So sad to hear of a best friend dying in such a horrible way.  I can’t imagine the grief Mike Butler must be feeling.  Be strong Mike.  And RIP Rapid, what an amazing dog.

Who would have thought?  Apparently (according to research from UK pet insurer) the average dog will cause nearly 2000 family arguments during its lifetime…. nearly 3 rows a week!

Here are the top causes of arguments listed:

What to do with do when going away on holiday/for the weekend (we can put an end to that argument!!)

Has the dog been walked?  Who should walk it/whose turn is it (we can solve this one too!)

Whether the dog should be allowed upstairs/downstairs

Who should clean up the mess in the yard

One of the owners being too harsh or too soft

Should the dog be allowed on the furniture

One of the owners has spent too much on the dog (surely not!)

Training the dog

Allowing the dog to be fed from the dining table

Fascinating huh?  I can safely say that my Giant Puppy has caused no arguments that I can think of in her 10 months with us, but then I’m a solo mum so I get to make all the decisions, and pay for everything…

What about you?  Love to hear if your beloved pooch causes friction in your home! 

Sourced from Fetch Magazine

Winnie the Giant Puppy continues to grow and the more she grows the more she eats and the mores she eats the more she …. well, you know… poops. Huge! Like a horse’s. Then I put her onto Ziwipeak, 100% natural dry pet food from our very own New Zealand. I actually started her on it because of her eczema when someone told me it was hypoallergenic, free from alot of the things that trigger skin problems. It has helped the eczema so I will keep her on it for that reason. But the real bonus has been the change in her pooping! I will spare you the descriptive details but what was once seriously gross, large and soggy is now nicely contained, neat little (relatively!) packages.  What a change to my daily task.

I am a total convert to Ziwipeak and highly recommend it to all dog and cat owners. Check out their website www.ziwipeak.co.nz… they have distributors all over the world and you can order online wherever you are.

Laura, Top Dog,  Pet Angels HQ

From the desk of Pet Angels HQ.  Pet lovers extraordinaire, dog walkers, pet feeders, house sitters and providers of the best possible care your pet could ever have!

Anyone been watching Dogs 101 on Animal Planet?  I love it!  As a child I was a dog fanatic and could identify pretty much any breed of dog I saw.  I’m still love dogs and love to learn more about all the breeds.  No wonder I love this programme.  And my 6 year old daughter loves it too… cute!  Anyway check out this one on the Boxer.  I love seeing how Boxers actually box.  Now imagine my Boxane (Boxer Great Dane cross) who at 13 months weights 42kg and stands shoulder height almost, with feet the size of dinner plate… who also loves to ‘box’.  It’s a scary thing to witness!

What’s your favourite dog breed?  Check out Dogs 101 and let me know which video to watch…

Laura
Top Dog, Pet Angels HQ

From the desk of Pet Angels HQ. Making the world a happier place for pets. Dog walking, pet feeding, cat feeding, dog day care, house sitting… if your pet needs us we are there at the touch of a computer key!

Wow it’s February already.  Just back from holidaying in Golden Bay with my family, including Winnie the giant puppy… who discovered the wonders of a beach  holiday.  There are lots of adventures to be had for a dog crossed with a horse at the beach.  Sticks to be chased, kids to chase her, a new game of run and hide the stick to be invented.

A major break through came with her puppy fear of water as she bravely tip toed out to sea to fetch a stick, then bounced back like a kangaroo each time.  Being a rather tall canine, she was able to get out quite far without ever having to get her feet off the ground.  

But the strangest of all puppy beach antics was the obsessive digging.  Has anyone else seen this with a dog on the beach?  Winnie would start digging in a frenzy, spraying sand everywhere, all over us on our beach towels (thanks Winnie!).  She would dig and dig until she made a bed for herself and then lie in it.  I guess this was to keep cool?  The opposite of Huskies who dig holes in the snow to keep warm?  Whatever her purpose, she did make us laugh.   Love to hear about your pet’s holiday antics…

Laura, Top Dog, Pet Angels HQ

From the desk of Pet Angels HQ, pet lovers, pet care specialists for dog walking, cat feeding, pet feeding, pet sitting… and lots more besides!