It’s November and another month to download your free Stylish Paws calendar.
Download your free November calendar here
by 
Happy November!
categories: Calendar
by by by Happy Halloween!
categories: Oscar
Happy Halloween (for Saturday)! Oscar and I enjoy dressing up for all occasions, and halloween is no different. Oscar is the best model and dresser-upper! Somehow he just understands that I would like a super cute photograph of him in his crazy outfit to share with the world. Other times, he knows that its super cute to just run around the house looking like a dog ghost or play in the garden with his doggie-sunnies on. Either way Oscar is absolutely fine with dressing up, which of course makes my heart explode with love and happiness!
Halloween is an occasion where anything goes and you can be as crazy and creative as you want. The crazier the better, but please be careful as to how far to go with your pets. After all their safety always comes first!
Here are some fun and safe ways to enjoy halloween with your pets…
Dressing up: When it comes to dressing your pooch up in cute and funny costumes, you need to know their limits. The costume should never affect your pups ability to see, walk, breathe or hear. Your pup should be comfortable. You can visit the Stylish Paws online store for some cute Angry Bird dog jackets www.stylishpaws.co.za/shop2
Sweets: It is a well known fact that sweets and chocolate are a definite NO for our furry loves! Keep all sweets and chocolate out of reach to your pooch, but don’t exclude them in getting some tasty treats. Make them some of their own halloween goodies to enjoy. Below are a few ideas-
Scary carrot fingers
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup fat free milk
1 tbs olive oil
1 green pepper
Directions
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix together the egg, carrots, milk and olive oil, then add the flour and knead the dough. Break off tablespoon sized pieces and shape them into fingers. Place them onto a greased baking tray and cut a piece of green pepper to make the finger nail. Bake them for 20 minutes. Let them cool and dry out over night. Let your pooch enjoy his halloween fingers! Store them in an airtight container or freeze them.
Pumpkin Fro-Yo
Ingredients
1 jar pumpkin puree
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup natural Greek yoghurt
Directions
Blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Pour the mixture into ice trays or halloween shaped moulds (I definitely need to get some). Freeze for a few hours. Let your pup enjoy his fro-yo treats! Keep frozen.
Decor: Halloween decor is fun, but you need to be careful of chocking hazards when choosing your fun decorations. Dangling cob webs and plastic insects can catch your cats attention and can be a hazard. Keep candles on high tables and shelves or use battery operated ones instead. Raw pumpkin lanterns are the perfect decoration.
Trick or treating: When you take your furry love trick or treating to show off his fabulous outfit, please pay attention to his mood and anxiety levels. Your pooch may not react to people dressed up as well as you think he will.
Most of all, have fun with your pets and neighbours! Halloween is a night filled with silliness. Look after your furry loves and enjoy dressing up with them.
Thank you for reading.
by Frozen Pup Treats
categories: Recipes
Summer is here and we hope you are having as much fun as Oscar and I! Having pool parties, picnics in the garden and late evening walks. When temperatures are extreme, Oscar doesn’t enjoy being active. And that includes getting up to drink his refreshing water! So I came up with a solution that not only keeps him cool and hydrated but entertained too. He gets to enjoy delicious frozen treats and he doesn’t need to move from his comfy spot under the tree.
We all love popsicles and frozen yoghurt…. So why not make some that your furry love can enjoy too. Here are 10 really easy recipes that your pooch will love!
Strawberry ice:
Ingredients
A few strawberries chopped up small
Distilled water
Ice tray
Directions:
Place a few pieces of chopped up strawberry in each compartment of the ice tray. Fill with the distilled water and freeze. Oscar loves this one! Keep them frozen.
Rooibos tea ice pops:
Ingredients
2 Rooibos tea bags
2 cups of boiling water
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
squirt of honey
Ice tray or popsicle maker
Directions
Steep the rooibos tea bags in hot water for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add the cinnamon and honey. Stir and place into an ice tray or popsicle maker. Freeze for a few hours and let your pooch enjoy. Keep them frozen.
Peanut butter and banana frozen snack:
Ingredients
1 banana
Natural Greek yoghurt
Smooth peanut butter
Silicone cupcake moulds
Directions
Thinly slice the banana. Place a dollop of the natural Greek yoghurt into the silicone cupcake mould and place a slice of banana on top. Then place a dollop of peanut butter on top of the yoghurt and banana slice. Freeze for a few hours. Let your pup enjoy his snack! Keep them frozen.
Rooibos tea and mint ice:
Ingredients
2 Rooibos tea bags
2 cups boiling water
Fresh mint leaves chopped up
Ice tray
Directions
Steep the rooibos tea bags in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove the bags. Place a few pieces of chopped up mint into each compartment of your ice tray then fill with the rooibos tea. Freeze for a few hours. Keep frozen.
Apple and parsley:
Ingredients
Unsweetened applesauce
Fresh parsley
Fresh mint
Ice tray
Directions
Sprinkle the freshly chopped up parsley and mint into each compartment of the ice tray, then place a dollop of the unsweetened applesauce on top. Freeze and let your furry love enjoy. Keep frozen.
Banana and coconut:
Ingredients
1 can coconut milk
1 banana
Silicone cupcake moulds
Directions
Slice the banana. Pour the coconut milk into the silicone cupcake moulds until they are half way. Place a slice of banana into each one, then fill them to the top. Freeze for a few hours. Your pups will love this one! Keep frozen.
Frozen watermelon
Ingredients
Seedless watermelon
1 cup fat free milk or coconut milk
Popsicle maker
Directions
If you can’t find seedless watermelon, make sure you remove all seeds from the fruit! Place the chopped up watermelon into a blender, add the milk and blend on a high speed until the ingredients are nicely blended. Pour the mixture into popsicle moulds or an ice tray and freeze. Keep frozen.
Strawberry frozen yoghurt
Ingredients
Strawberry yoghurt
Natural Greek yoghurt
Ice tray
Directions
Place a dollop of strawberry yoghurt in each compartment of the ice tray, then place a dollop of Greek yoghurt. Freeze for a few hours and let your pup enjoy-this is one of Oscar’s most favourite frozen treats!
Peanut butter frozen yoghurt
Ingredients
Peanut butter
Natural greek yoghurt
Ice tray
Directions
Place a dollop of peanut butter in each compartment of the ice tray, then place a dollop of Greek yoghurt. Freeze for a few hours and let your furry love enjoy.
Giant frozen treat:
Ingredients
Cubed fruit (watermelon, apple, strawberries, blueberries etc)
Distilled water
Big bowl
Directions
Fill your bowl with distilled water and simply add all your fruit and freeze. Your pup will have fun licking and enjoying the fruit surprises that pop out every now and then!
We hope these frozen treat recipes keep your pup cool, hydrated and entertained this summer 🙂
ps- All these recipes are as yummy to humans as they are to our furry loves!
Thank you for reading.
by Keeping your pets cool in summer
categories: Summer Love
Just like we need to keep our pets warm in winter, it is important that we keep our pets cool in summer. Oscar is prone to over heating so I have to be aware at all times and make sure he is kept cool on hot summer days. Dogs are prone to heat stroke because they don’t sweat like us humans do. They mainly cool themselves down by panting.
Here are a few ways I like to keep Oscar cool in summer:
I take him swimming. Oscar has his own little splash pool which he likes to sit in and cool off. Some dogs love to swim, so this is a great way for them to cool down. You can also fill the splash pool with ice and see what your pooch does-I’m not sure oscar will enjoy this idea haha!
You can tie a wet bandana around your pooches neck. I like to soak it in ice cold water then tie it around Oscar’s neck. It works like a charm.
Because Oscar loves to laze around, his favourite spot is under the air-conditioner. If you don’t have an air-con, a fan will also do the trick.
If your furry love has a long thick coat, consider taking them to a groomer. The groomer can take care of the thick undercoat and make sure your pup feels the cool breeze. Beware when shaving your pups fur completely as this can cause them to get sunburnt. The top coat of your pet protects their skin from the sun as well as allows them to feel the cool breeze.
Your furry love can also get sun burnt in the same way we can. There are pet sun screens available so make use of them. Their nose and ears are particularly susceptible to sun burn, so apply a little sun screen to these areas if they are going to be exposed to the sun for a while.
Remember to exercise your furry love either in the early morning or late afternoon. NEVER walk your pooch during the heat of the day! When walking your pooch be sure that the pavements and other surfaces are not too hot as this will cause blisters and burns on your pups paws.
Make sure your furry love has access to clean iced water at all times. There is nothing more refreshing than drinking a glass of ice cold water on a hot summers day-give your pooch the same!
Most importantly, enjoy being outdoors and having fun with your furry love. Make summer memories you will never forget!
Thank you for reading.
by It’s October!
categories: Calendar
Happy October everyone! You can download your free Stylish Paws October calendar.
Download your October calendar here
by Happy 12th Birthday Oscar!
categories: Oscar
Today Oscar tuns 12 years old! Birthdays in my family are always a time to celebrate, and because Oscar is a very important member of our family, naturally we celebrate his birthday too! Some people have the opinion that celebrating your pooches birthday is a little on the OTT side. I ask why? When your furry love is your best friend, your soul mate and a part of the family. We have celebrated each one of Oscar’s 12 birthdays and they have always been tons of fun for him and for us. Oscar knows when it is his special day. Unwrapping presents is his best, and of course he always enjoys his birthday cake!
Here are some ways you can celebrate your pups special day…
Bake a cake
There is nothing more rewarding for me than baking for Oscar. He loves all his special homemade treats and he knows the difference between a shop bought treat and my homemade treats. He has no problem turning his nose up at shop bought treats.
Here are 3 recipes that are easy to make and your pooch will love you forever:
Oscar’s birthday cake
Ingredients
2 cups water or fat free milk
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 cups wholewheat flour or all purpose flour
1 tbs baking powder
1 large egg
Frosting
1 tub plain cream cheese
1 tub natural greek yoghurt
Directions
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together and mix for 5 minutes, making sure all ingredients are properly mixed (I used a cake mixer and mixed on a medium speed for 5 minutes). Grease your cake tin and pour the cake mixture into your cake tin. Place it into your oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until cooked. You know the cake is done when you insert a fork in the centre and it comes out clean. Let it cool on a cooling rack before frosting.
To make the frosting beat your cream cheese until it is light and fluffy. Add the greek yogurt one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Be careful not to make it too runny. Frost your pooches cake and decorate with homemade treats (recipe below).
Pupcakes
Ingredients
2 mashed bananas
1/3 cup natural smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil or coconut oil
1/2 cup fat free milk
1tsp vanilla essence
1/3 cup honey
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup wholewheat flour or oat flour
1tsp baking soda
Frosting
Natural greek yoghurt
Natural smooth peanut butter
Directions
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together and mix for 5 minutes, making sure all ingredients are properly mixed (I used a cake mixer and mixed on a medium speed for 5 minutes). Line your cupcake tin with cupcake liners or you can use silicone cupcake moulds like I did. Place a spoonful of your pupcake mixture into the cupcake liners and bake them for 15 minutes or until cooked. You know the pupcakes are done when you insert a fork in the centre and it comes out clean. Let them cool on a cooling rack before frosting.
To make the frosting blend together 3 tablespoons of natural greek yoghurt and 1 1/2 tablespoons natural peanut butter. Frost the pupcakes and decorate with homemade treats (recipe below).
Honey and oat dog treats
Ingredients
2 cups flour or more if you need
2 cups oats
1/2 cup fat free milk or coconut milk
1/3 cup honey
1 large egg
Directions
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Add all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and mix with a wooden spoon. When you can no longer mix with the wooden spoon, tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead it. Roll out your dough and use cookie cutters to cut into biscuits for your furry love. Place them onto a greased baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, turning them over half way through baking time. The biscuits are done when they are golden brown. Leave them on a tray to cool. You can store these in an airtight container for on hand treats.
Give them a present
In the same way we love to buy ourselves a new handbag or those designer shoes, your pets love getting new toys, beds and collars too. So spoil your pets on their special day, wrap it up and watch them have some fun opening their gifts! You can visit the Stylish Paws online store for stylish pet accessories (www.stylishpaws.co.za/shop2).
Take them to the beach
I wish we lived at the beach! Oscar absolutely loves running free and rolling in the beach sand. A birthday beach day would definitely be his ideal way to spend his birthday. When we do go on beach holidays, it’s always that much more special because it doesn’t happen everyday.
Host a party
Throw your pooch a birthday party and instead of guests bringing gifts for your furry love, they can bring food, bedding and toys for a local animal rescue shelter. You and your pooch can then take a trip and donate all the goodies. At Stylish Paws we support Woodrock Animal Rescue and Oscar just loves visiting!
Make the day about them
Make sure your pup knows the day is all about him. Take the day off work and go for an extra long walk in the park, play tons of games together and have a picnic in the garden. Just be in each others company and enjoy the quality time.
If Oscar could have one wish I wonder what it would be? I know what mine would be….
We hope you enjoy celebrating your pups birthday as much as we do!
Thank you for reading.
by Alternatives to Raw-Hide dog chews
categories: Recipes
We all know how disgusting and unhealthy raw-hide treats are for our pets. But no doubt at some point you have given them to your pets-I did!! Oscar would sit for hours gnawing on them or rush off to bury them in the garden for another days entertainment. I didn’t know exactly how dangerous they were until I did a little research, and I was horrified!
Here are some homemade, easy and healthy options for your furry loves to snack and chew on…
Homemade sweet potato chews:
These are the perfect veggie alternative to raw-hide and they are so easy to make.
Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes (I used the orange variety)
Directions
Pre-heat your oven to 120 degrees. Slice the sweet potatoes lengthways about 2cm thick. Place them on a baking tray and bake for 3 hours. Turn the slices over half way through baking time. Once done let them cool on a rack. You can refrigerate in an airtight container or freeze them so you always have a treat on hand.
If you have a food dehydrator, you simply slice the sweet potatoes. Place them on the dehydrator racks-don’t overlap the pieces. Turn it on and leave for 14-24 hours.
Another great alternative for your furry love is homemade chicken or beef biltong sticks.
Chicken biltong:
Ingredients
500g boneless and skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup olive oil
Dog friendly seasoning (parsley, rosemary, sage)
Directions
Slice the chicken into strips about 3cm thick (slicing with the grain will make the biltong chewier)
Coat the strips in the olive oil and seasoning and place the strips on the food dehydrator trays, spacing them evenly and making sure they don’t touch.
Leave the chicken pieces for 24 hours. Check the pieces regularly to see how dry they are. Time will vary depending on the type of dehydrator you have. The biltong is done when the chicken strips are completely dried out. You can store the biltong strips in an airtight container and freeze them.
If you do not have a food dehydrator, you can try this beef biltong recipe using your oven.
Beef Biltong:
Ingredients
500g very lean beef
Dog friendly herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme)
String
Cooling rack
Directions
Slice the beef (with the grain), about 3-4cm thick and about 10cm long. Season the meat strips with the dog friendly herbs you have chosen. Using a piece of string, tie 3 strips together at one end and then tightly plait the strips and tie the bottom ends together. Do this for all the strips. Use the convection setting on your oven and pre-heat to 60 degrees. If your oven is not a convection oven then pre-heat to 70 degrees and leave the door open a little. Place the twisted meat onto the wire rack and bake for 4-5 hours. Then turn your oven to its lowest temperature and bake for another 3-5 hours. Check on the treats regularly. The treats are done when they have shrunk to about half their original size and are dark in colour and hard. Untie the string and let your furry love enjoy his treat. Store them in an airtight container and freeze for convenience.
Apple chip chews:
Ingredients
Apples (as many as you want)
Lemon juice (optional)
Cinnamon (optional)
Directions
Begin by removing the core from your apples. Slice them about 2cm thick so they look like donuts. Place the slices in a bowl and squirt with lemon juice and sprinkle with cinnamon if you wish. Mix well. Place the apple slices on the food dehydrator trays. Make sure they do not touch. Leave them for 10-14 hours. Check the treats regularly and remove the ones that are done. Give them a gentle squeeze to check the moisture content. For a softer chew, most moisture must evaporate but leave a little. For a crunchier chip leave them until they are dry and brittle. Store them in an air tight container and you can freeze these too. PS these are great human snacks too 😉
Oscar loves these raw-hide alternatives and I feel comfortable knowing that I have made an effort to give him the healthiest chew option available!
Thank you for reading.
by Toxic and non-toxic plants
categories: Summer Love
Flowers are blooming and everyone is happy, summer is finally on it’s way! We all love to fill our homes with gorgeous flowers and have gardens that are filled with colourful blossoms. But do you know which flowers and plants are harmful to your pets? Upon doing my research I was shocked and surprised at how many beautiful flowers and plants are harmful to Oscar! The next time I visit our nursery, purchase a bunch of flowers for myself or send some as a gift I will be sure to only purchase items off the pet friendly list.
Here is a list of some popular toxic and non-toxic plants for your furry loves, both dogs and cats…
A few popular toxic plants:
Aloe Vera
Elephants Ear
Hyacinth
Autumn Crocus
Lily of the valley
English Ivy
Azalea
Chrysanthemum
Lillies
Oleander
Sago Palm
Hydrangea
Jasmine
Tulip
Daffodils
Poinsettia
Baby’s breath
If your furry love enjoys tasting your flower arrangements then choose to fill your home and garden with these safe options…
A few popular non-toxic plants:
Burro’s tail
Boston fern
Spider plant (airplane plant)
Bamboo
Golden Palm
Pony tail palm
African Violet
Miniature rose
Begonia
Rose
Orchid
African Daisy
Oscar is forever wondering around and enjoying his garden, so it is important that I know what plants he is sniffing 🙂
We hope this information has been helpful.
Thank you for reading.
by Happy Spring Day!
categories: Calendar
Happy Spring Day! You can now download and save the monthly Stylish Paws calendars. We hope you enjoy them.
Download the September calendar here
by Get fit with your dog!
categories: Oscar
Spring Day is around the corner! A day where we notice the blossoms starting to bloom and the sun feels slightly warmer. Everyones mood suddenly changes too… Summer is on it’s way! Lets face it, exercising during the cold winter months is hard work and most of us would rather curl up under a blanket and snuggle with our furry loves.
With warmer days, we are more inclined to put on our running shoes and get fit- So why not do it with your best friend! Here are some ideas on how to get outdoors and get fit with your furry loves…
Take a jog – everyone loves a running partner and your furry love is perfect for the job. Ease into it and take care not to over do it for yourself or your pooch. No one went from couch potato to marathon runner over night! If you are not a keen runner, a brisk walk is just as good. If you live near a beach, even better. Taking your pooch for a walk will not only increase your mood, it will increase your pups mood too and he will be less likely to behave badly.
Join an agility training group – agility training is a great cardio workout for both you and your pup. It also increases your dogs coordination. You can train for competitions too, who knows you might just win that first prize!
Doga – It might sound strange, but the benefits of yoga are just as good for your furry love as they are for you. Teach your hound a few poses like ‘downward dog’, ‘upward dog’ and ‘double leg stretch’. This quiet time with your dog is great owner-pet bonding time.
Take a swim – Swimming is a fun way to get fit, and swimming with your furry love is even better! Run, jump and dive with your pooch. Play fun water games like fetch and see who is the best doggy paddler. Swimming is especially beneficial for dogs suffering with arthritis. Taking a slow calm swim is just as beneficial for them.
Play some frisbee – Dogs love to play fetch and frisbee offers a fantastic workout at the same time. A quick game of frisbee in your garden after work will do wonders for your pooch and yourself. Get the kids to join in too. It’s a fun activity for the entire family.
Kick a ball – Which dog doesn’t love running after a ball? So playing a game of soccer is an obvious choice. It is another game the entire family can enjoy too. Please take care not to kick the ball too hard or directly at your dogs face and body!
Take a hike – If you have an athletic pooch, a hike is the perfect way to spend your Saturday or Sunday mornings. Dogs love to go out and find new smells and meet new animals while spending quality time with their owners. Be sure to protect yourself and your pooch against ticks and fleas and remember to pack plenty of water to drink.
The dog park – while this isn’t necessarily the best work out for you, your pooch LOVES a bit of off the leash madness! Provided your dog is well socialised, having a crazy run around with friends at the park is an awesome way for them to burn off that extra energy.
Please be careful not to over do it with your pets. You know your dog, so look for signs of fatigue. Be careful not to exercise during the heat of the day. Early mornings or late afternoons are best. Always remember to offer your dog plenty of water during and after exercising. Just like us dogs can dehydrate and get heat exhaustion. Consider the age of your furry love too. Puppies shouldn’t be over exercised and older dogs will be slower in their activities. A visit to the vet is always recommended before you start an exercise program with your pets.
Most importantly, enjoy getting fit with your best pal!
Please share your comments and photos of you and your furry loves getting fit together 🙂
Thank you for reading
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