Stylish Paws

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.

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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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Well this is most definitely a first for our family! We are puppy sitting a super cute 12 week old Jack Russell puppy for two weeks. Oscar has been an only child for his entire 11 years of being with us. He only knows the house with himself getting all the love, affection and attention so this is a very new experience for him to deal with. I was unsure at how he would cope with sharing his most prized possessions – his toys, his bed, his couch, his space and most importantly his family. I was unsure at how meal times would go too. All I can say is that I am immensely proud at how well Oscar adjusted to having the temporary presence of Cali. He has played with her for hours, he even allows her to sneak onto the edge of his bed for a cuddle, he allows her to share his water bowl and steal a kibble or two at meal times. Of course he gives her a stern word when he has had enough of play time and needs a power nap to regain his strength to carry on with another marathon play session. However, despite all the cuteness and fun Oscar and Cali have had together, it has not been quite so easy for the humans of the house. Opening your house to a puppy when you have not had one for quite some time, can be challenging! She has had accidents in the house, wakes us up three times a night to go outside and constantly steals whatever she can find lying around.

So before you agree to puppy sit, here are a few tips on how to make the experience enjoyable for everyone involved.

 Make sure you know exactly what you are getting yourself into. Suggest a sleep over a few weeks before.

 Make sure your own dog and the visiting pup have their own space where they can escape each other and have a little time out.

 You may want to get a baby gate to keep the puppy in a secluded area to play, or even use a play pen. This way your house remains in one piece and you have peace of mind knowing the puppy is safe and not getting up to mischief!

 Make sure the puppy is fully vaccinated as well as tick and flea free. You don’t want her infecting your house or your pets.

 If like us you have not had a puppy in your home for a while, you may want to puppy proof your home prior to her arrival.

 Keep all cupboards closed and locked if possible. You can use rubber bands over the handles to secure them too.

 Keep the pantry door closed at all times too. There are loads of potential hazardous items for a puppy- Yes Cali loves visiting ours and sniffing things out!

 Keep your toilet seats down. A puppy can easily drown if she jumps up and falls in.

 Don’t leave any cables, chargers, plugs or tv remotes lying around. I’m sure you won’t feel like rushing out to buy a new cell phone charger!

 Don’t leave shoes, socks or clothes lying around the floor. They will either get ripped apart or become a comfy spot to take a nap.

 Make sure all cleaning products, garden poisons and tools are locked away. You definitely don’t want to rush a puppy that is not yours to the vet!

 Most importantly enjoy having the puppy in your home. Oscar has loved having someone to play with, but he will be very happy when he doesn’t have to share his home or his family with anyone 🙂

Have you ever puppy sat for an extended period? How was the experience for you? Please share your stories by writing in the comments box below.

Thank you for reading.

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We all love a full body massage! There is nothing better than lying on that massage bed while the therapist gets rid of all your stresses and knots. You feel amazing after a full body massage right? Massages stimulate blood flow, soothes sore muscles and it calms and relaxes you. So why not let your furry love enjoy these benefits too…

While snuggled on the couch or while lying in front of the fire, give your pooch a massage he will want every night of the week!

Here are some tips on how to give your dog the perfect full body massage.

 Set up your massage area, either on the floor, on the couch or on the bed. As long as you are both comfy. A blanket will make the spot extra snug and comfortable for your dog.

 Get your dog to lie down, preferably on his belly to begin with. Start at the top of his head making circular motions with your finger tips massage down to his neck. Remember to be gentle with your dog, you want him to enjoy this experience.

 Dogs LOVE their necks being tickled and scratched so take your time and really massage his neck.

 Massage slowly all the way down his back to the base of the tail. Don’t rush through the massage. This is a time for you and your furry love to enjoy each others presence. It also gives you the opportunity to feel for irregularities such as lumps, bumps, scratches or bruises that may have developed.

 You can carefully turn your pet over onto his back so you can massage his neck, chest and tummy area. Again, be gentle and don’t press too hard on his neck or tummy. If your pooch has loads of excess neck skin like Oscar does then this part of the massage will be a winner.

 If your dog flinches or yelps, you have most likely hit a sore spot so be gentle.

 Massage his legs all the way to his toes. Keep an eye out for any debris that may have wedged in-between his toes like grass shards, thorns or seeds.

Enjoy this quality time with your furry love. Tickle him, kiss him and love him.

Oscar lives for his weekly massages. We hope these tips help you give the best doggy massage!

Oscar after his massage…

Have you given your dog a massage? Please share your tips with us by leaving a comment in the comments box below.

Thank you for reading.

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