We hope this gift guide helped you find some cute spoils for your furry loves. Should you wish to purchase any of these items through our links, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you, it’s just Amazon being nice to us 😉
Happy November everyone! Summer is in full swing here for us and we are taking advantage of lots of pool time and water toy fun. It’s kinda what summer is all about right 🙂
The Hansgrohe DogShower is the latest dog grooming product to hit the South African market and we couldn’t be more excited to share our experience with you.
When Hansgrohe reached out to us I’ll be honest, I had not heard of the DogShower but since doing my own research and connecting with the brand I am seeing the DogShower more and more internationally on social media. But fear not my fellow South Africans because the DogShower is coming to YOU!
The Hansgrohe DogShower is pretty awesome and can be used for both indoor and outdoor grooming. As you know Zara loves nothing more than to be hosed down and groomed and the DogShower makes the experience a little more luxurious for her. It has three different wash settings, one for the bulk of her fur, which is the full flow of the shower head. One for the more sensitive parts like her legs, under-carriage, bum and tail areas, which is only the top section of the shower head. And the last setting is for her paws, which is a single jet of water flow. It also has a button to increase the pressure if you want which I actually quite liked especially for around Zara’s leg area where the shampoo usually sits.
The long silicone nozzles offer a pleasant massage experience for your pup which Zara loved. I was able to massage from the top of her neck right to the tip of her tail without the nuzzles getting stuck in her fur all whilst making sure no shampoo foam is left behind.
The single flow paw cleaner is also great because I often forget about Zara’s paws when bathing her however the paw cleaning setting on the DogShower makes sure any bits and pieces that are wedged in between her toes gets cleaned away especially when you use the booster pressure button.
We connected our Hansgrohe DogShower to our standard outdoor garden hosepipe and it works perfectly. Because it is currently so hot where we live, giving Zara an outdoor shower suits her perfectly. I mean who doesn’t love outdoor showers anyway 😉 At first Zara thought it was a new sprinkler water toy to play with so she tried jumping up and playing with the water sprays but she soon realised what a relaxing experience it is to be bathed with the DogShower.
Don’t worry, if you don’t enjoy bathing your pup outside the Hansgrohe DogShower works indoors too. All you need is a shower hose connected to your bath or shower which you screw the DogShower head to and use it in the bath or shower. Zara loves an indoor bath too so we keep these to the winter time so we can make the water a little warmer for her.
Basically everyone can use the Hansgrohe DogShower and we highly recommend this product. No more random buckets or jugs needed to bath your pets. Simply screw it to your bath hose or outdoor hosepipe and you’re good to go!
Thank you Hansgrohe for such an awesome product which we will use all the time!
Follow Hansgrohe Africa on Instagram and Facebook for actual product launch dates 🙂
Summer is in full swing for us and while we as a family absolutely love the summer months, the intense heat of our summer days can leave you feeling drained and Zara is not immune to this and neither is Ollie or the bunny girls.
Most dogs and pets in general can suffer from heat stroke really quickly and most pet owners know that heat stroke is no joke! I am very aware of how hot it gets for us and I am constantly making sure Zara, Ollie, the bunny girls and us stay cool and comfortable so we can enjoy our beautiful hot sunny days to the fullest.
So here are some tips and things I do to make sure we all stay cool during our hot summers.
*this post contains affiliate links.
Water Toys
Water toys in summer are an absolute must have! We have a few gems we found on Amazon and in the shops. Zara is a water goddess and loves nothing more than a water toy or shell pool to splash around in. She loves sprinkler toys and there are some fabulous ones available! Our latest water toy is her sprinkler pad which is great for Gia too. The two of them can sit for hours playing in the water together.
Cold water and Ice treats are a must for all of us. You can make them interesting by adding fruits and veggies. The bunnies particularly love a fruity ice treat. I usually pop a blueberry, chopped strawberries or chopped carrots in each ice mould before filling it with water and freezing. Zara loves eating ice and it definitely helps in keeping her body temperature down. I also make sure she has a big ice block in her water bowl all afternoon so she has lovely cold water to drink. Ollie drinks Zara’s water too and I have noticed he quite enjoys it when its really cold. Of course you can make yummy frozen yoghurt treats and doggy ice cream too but on a hot day I find those can make Zara extra thirsty so I prefer fruit and water to be honest.
Frozen Water Bottle
When I know it’s going to get really hot I freeze a few full water bottles. Once frozen I wrap a small towel around them (to prevent ice-burn) and I give it to Ollie to lie next to for his afternoon nap. When the bunnies are really hot I give them one too.
Swimming
As you know Zara loves nothing more than swimming in the big pool. She’s a fish in a rottweiler body! This is the most effective way to cool her body temperature down fast, but not all dogs love to swim and that’s ok! Water toys are just as much fun and absolutely help in cooling down. Gia is learning to swim too so the two of them have great fun in the pool together.
Offer a Fan or AC
We have both fans and air-conditioning in all areas of the house, our summer is too hot not to have these things. Zara quite enjoys both! On extreme days I put the AC on and she takes up position right under it and enjoys her afternoon snooze. Ollie also enjoys the AC on a hot afternoon. Otherwise I put the fans on to circulate the air and this works well too.
Some Don’ts
I never let Zara sunbathe on extremely hot days. Our sun is too powerful and she gets really hot really quickly and ends up coming inside panting like she’s just been on a 5km walk! We also never walk Zara past 10am, even at that time our temperatures are getting high. We usually do early morning or late afternoon past 4pm or even later. We try not to run around and play too much during the hottest times of the days either and that’s why we have so many water toys- so we can still have plenty of fun while keeping cool even tho it’s roasting hot!
Thank you for reading, we’re off to enjoy some summer fun 🙂
Hello September. Spring is in the air, the birds are chirping louder, flowers are blooming and the days are getting longer. Oh how I love Spring! Happy September everyone 🙂
Today Zara turns five! I have no idea where five years have gone but what I do know is that the fluffy bundle of fun we brought home back then has grown up into the most beautiful, kind, loving and loyal soul I could ever have imagined.
Zara truly is one of a kind and I’m not sure what I did in my previous life to deserve such a beautiful girl I get to love and who loves me back with her whole heart. I’m not complaining though 🙂 Zara fitted into our family from minute one! She knew she had found love and she knew she had found it good.
Fast forward to where we are today, and I could not be more proud of Zara! She put up with Oscar for the good part of 2 years. She’s shared her home with numerous bunnies, babies and all plus a pretty cool kitten who is almost a cat. But more importantly I am most proud of the way she has handled becoming a big sister to her tiny human Gia.
The relationship that Zara and Gia share is something unique. It’s also something I never had growing up so I am particularly in awe of how the two of them are together. Yes I grew up with loads of animals always around me, at family and friends homes but I tended to have the small critters in my home while I was younger. Zara is extremely tolerant of Gia, in fact Zara is extremely tolerant in general. I guess Oscar taught her that because he was forever putting her in her place- whether it was needed or not.
So today we celebrate Zara in the only way I know how and that’s by spoiling her with gifts, letting her eat all the cake and have lots and lots and lots of fun with her favourite humans US!
Zara’s Birthday Cake
Usually I make Zara’s birthday treats from scratch but this year something caught my eye.. The concept is awesome and the first of its kind to be available in South Africa so I thought let’s give it a try! The wolf & Women birthday pupcake. Not only does this make my life easier but I am pretty sure it is going to be one very tasty birthday cake fit for my Princess Zara.
Zara is not short of toys and things to play with so when it comes round to her birthday I always have a hard time finding that one gift that’s a little more special than the rest of her gifts. An obvious place to start looking was Amazon and oh boy did I find something awesome for her! This water obsessed pup is gong to have hours of fun with this gift and I am pretty sure her tiny human will join in too- just the way I love it 🙂
No birthday celebration is complete without some special birthday decor. Of course I had to get a special 5 balloon plus some other cute balloons too. Zara is not a fan of balloons at all so they’re just there as decor. Happy birthday signs and party hats also go a long way!
Happy 5th Birthday to you Zara! Today we celebrate all your amazingness. Thank you for being you, you sure are one of a kind special and we all absolutely adore you!
*Should you wish to spoil your furry loves with one or more of these goodies, we receive a small percentage of the commission (at no extra cost to you- It’s just Amazon being nice to us)
It’s not a secret that Zara suffers from achy joints. After having torn both her cruciate ligaments and having to have TPLO surgeries, she has since developed arthritis in her front leg elbows.
Zara is pretty young to be experiencing all of this and it is for that reason why I am exploring home remedies, recipes and products that are more on the natural side of things instead of using harsh medicines.
Here are the home remedies, recipes and natural products we are using right now.
Golden Paste
Golden paste is exactly that! It is like gold. With turmeric as its major base, the anti-inflammatory benefits are massive. Zara gets a frozen golden paste block every evening with her dinner. It took her a while to get used to the taste, but now that she has it everyday I can certainly see the anti-inflammatory benefits which in turn eases the pain caused by the arthritis!
CBD
Apart from being the proud ambassador and being the face on the bottle, Regal’s CBD Remedy is a great one! It is easy to administer since it just goes over Zara’s kibble and she loves it. CBD is a great product to incorporate into your pets daily diet, the overall benefits are fantastic and of course it helps with achy joints. I have seen a massive difference in Zara since she has been back on her Regal CBD Remedy. Her limp has improved drastically and she seems to be in less pain caused by the arthritis in her front elbows. A winning product if you ask me!
Moringa powder is a superfood that I feel is still quite unknown. This superfood is FANTASTIC. And I will say it again… it is FANTASTIC to add to your pets daily diet! Like the Golden paste I had to come up with ways to disguise the taste a little but now that Zara is used to it she loves it. I have seen an overall improvement in Zara’s health since adding Moringa powder to her daily diet. Moringa offers so many benefits which I cover in this blog post. (click to read)
Bone Broth
I’ll be honest I kind of forgot about this one. Bone broth offers a wide range of benefits, see a previous blog post on this. If I’m honest though I do have to be in the mood to make this one because not only does it take hours and hours but your entire house smells like bone broth! However the benefits of to are amazing if made properly and its another great additive to your pets diet.
Other Extras
There are a few other added extras that I like to give Zara. Each of these offer their own benefits for her which I love. Blueberries, raw egg + the shell, soaked chia seeds and orange or purple sweet potato. We have most of these ingredients in the fridge all the time, but use what works for you and your pets! Remember fruits and veggies are just as good for our pets as they are for us and each one offers their own unique benefit! Please remember to check what fruits and veggies are NOT safe for your pets before giving it to them, and never any seeds or pips!
All in all, I hope these added extras will help your pets who suffer from stiffness and achy joints like they have for Zara! Remember these are all natural remedies and take time before you notice any real kind of difference. The key is patience 🙂
Hello August. August is another fun month for us because it is the month we celebrate Zara’s birthday! This year Zara is turning five. We cannot wait to celebrate.
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