rottweiler Archives - Page 6 of 9

Tag: rottweiler

31
Oct
2019

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone! We don’t typically celebrate Halloween here in Africa, but any excuse for us to celebrate makes for great fun right…

Halloween is slightly different this year because we have Baby Gia celebrating with us. One day Zara will be able to share tons of candy with Gia, but not too soon 😉

I am enjoying celebrating all these firsts with Zara and Gia together, creating memories and of course taking photographs of the two of them on occasions like this. Zara has stepped into her new role as big sister like a true champion. Their bond as sisters grows stronger every single day, which makes my heart explode with pride and joy.

It’s the end of October and that means it is seriously hot for us here in Africa. So I thought it would be fitting to make some frozen halloween treats for Zara this year, and of course I wanted to include Baby Gia in the celebrations too. I have so many creative ideas for Gia and halloween treats but I need to take it one step at a time… For now I am keeping it simple with pumpkin puree for her.

Zara’s Frozen Halloween Treats

These treats are frighteningly easy to make and Zara absolutely loved them!

Ingredients

melted coconut oil

pumpkin puree

melted peanut butter

silicone moulds

popsicle sticks

Directions

Since it’s so hot here, my coconut oil was already melted so I simply spooned 3 tablespoons of the liquid into each silicone mould and froze for an hour. While that was freezing, I made the pumpkin puree. I simply steamed chopped up pumpkin from the pumpkin that Baby Gia is sitting in in the photos of this blog. Once the pumpkin was soft and cooked through I blended it into a smooth puree. Spoon the pumpkin puree over the now frozen coconut oil. The orange (pumpkin) segment needs to be the largest but be sure to leave enough space for the peanut butter layer. Place your popsicle stick in the middle and pop them back into the freezer for a few hours. Take five or six tablespoons of peanut butter and put it in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave it for 30 seconds then using a teaspoon, gently spoon a layer of peanut butter over the frozen pumpkin layer. Place them back in the freezer for another hour. Once the entire treat is frozen, take them out of the moulds and let your pup enjoy them!

Baby Gia’s Pumpkin Puree

Since Gia has only started eating solids I needed to keep this years halloween ‘treats’ very simple for her. So I just made a yummy pumpkin puree using her Baby Bullet. Simply place steamed pumpkin into the blending cup with a 1/4 cup of water and blend until your desired texture is reached. Yum!

Both Zara and Baby Gia enjoyed their pumpkin treats this year. I particularly love Zara’s halloween treats because they are my take on the American candy corns which are famous during halloween. But possibly the best part of halloween this year is Baby Gia sitting in her pumpkin, she actually loved it and thought it was rather funny!

Happy Halloween to you all. Enjoy the festivities and candy but remember to keep your pets safe!

Thank you for reading

21
Aug
2019

Petqwerks FLiPST!CK

categories: Product Reviews, Zara

Petqwerks is without a doubt our most favourite international doggy toy company around! Not only do they constantly spoil Zara with the most amazing surprises but their toys are always interactive and extremely innovative!

I am always excited to test out their latest and greatest inventions. This time Zara and I were asked to review their latest interactive toy… The FLiPST!CK. Let’s just say I don’t know who has more fun with this toy, Zara or myself-haha! It is hugely entertaining for both of us and a serious workout for Zara.

I particularly love the fact that the FLiPST!CK interactive toy is so different compared to any other toy Zara has. I also love the fact that it is slightly easier on her body compared to playing ball which can get quite rough. Because of her two TPLO surgeries I am always mindful when we play and never allow her to push herself too much. I rather pack the toy away and let her rest then bring it out later again for another play session.

The FLiPST!CK allows Zara to literally go wild, but in a good, safe way! I love the fact that I have a lot of control over it and can bob it as hard or as soft as I like. I can keep it low to the ground so Zara doesn’t have to jump up all the time but I can throw a jump in here and there. I also cannot believe how strong the FLiPST!CK is. Zara weighs 53kg, and the FLiPST!CK sure measures up to her rottie strength. Any toy that can withstand Zara and her strength gets an extra bonus point in our ours eyes! She doesn’t quite understand why she can’t take the FLiPST!CK from me which makes playing with it more fun.

We received our FLiPST!CK during our winter months so I cannot wait for the weather to warm up so we can play with the FLiPST!CK in the pool. The water is easier on Zara’s joints and will allow us to have a different kind of fun- I’ll keep you posted!

Of course Petqwerks loves to spoil Zara A LOT so we also received TWO new chew bones! The Boar BarkBone in pork chop flavour plus the BarkBone STICK in peanut butter flavour. We’ve had a few BarkBones in the last couple of years and I will be completely honest in saying they are the best nylon chew toys around! Again they can withstand Zara’s intense chewing for hours on end. She loves nothing more than getting herself comfy and chewing.

Since having baby Gia, I cannot always be there to entertain Zara. Gia is far too small right now for us to all play together so it is amazing for me to know Zara is relaxed, happy and entertained while gnawing on her favourite chews!

Thank you Petqwerks for always making us feel so special and part of the Petqwerks family! We absolutely love testing out your new products and giving you our honest opinions. We look forward to some more fun and interesting toys…

If you would like to spoil your pooch with fun and unique toys then Petqwerks is your place to shop! Visit their website and social media pages NOW! Don’t forget to use our DISCOUNT code “ILOVESTYLISHPAWS30” to get 30% off your order….

www.petqwerks.com

Facebook

Instagram

And don’t forget to tag them in your social media posts for a chance to be featured.

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01
Aug
2019

August

categories: Calendar, Zara

August is probably one of Zara’s favourite months of the year… Not only is it her birthday month but it is also the month where our weather starts warming up, which means only one thing in Zara’s mind… SWIM TIME!!

We hope you enjoy your month of August just as much as we will.

Download your August calendar here

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07
Jun
2019

Dogs and Babies

categories: Zara

On 30 September last year, we found out that we were going to be parents to a tiny human! Nothing can describe that feeling of utter happiness and excitement. That day will always be extra special to myself and my husband because that same day is Oscar’s birthday, and it will always be Oscar’s birthday!

Our biggest wish was to make Oscar a big brother, unfortunately the universe had other plans but I now understand why. In Oscar’s eyes I belonged to him and only him. My husband will even admit to that-haha. I am not entirely sure Oscar would have been able to share me, let alone get through the eleven weeks of separation.

Most of you know that we live in Zambia, but I travel to South Africa fairly regularly for various business and personal engagements. Because the medical facilities are not up to scratch in Zambia, we decided as a family that I would give birth to our nugget in South Africa. This also meant that we would all have to endure eleven weeks of separation…

On 17 May, our beautiful daughter Gia came into this big bright world! We could not be happier and more proud of our little angel. Gia means “A gift from God” and I do believe she is our gift from God and Oscar, who is by my side making sure I look after our tiny human in the best way possible.

Zara on the other hand is going to be the best big sister we could ever have asked for. Zara is extremely intelligent, loyal and a little OTT on the affectionate side, but we love that about her. From the moment we found out about our little Nugget, we spoke to Zara and explained what was happening inside my tummy. Believe it or not Zara would just sit and listen to every word. She stopped body slamming me in the middle of the night when she jumps on the bed for a cuddle. She became mindful of my growing tummy and was careful not to bump me or push me. That’s how clever she is.

We wanted to prep Zara for what was about to happen, because ultimately her life is about to change forever too! So here are the things we did to help ease Zara into the role of becoming a big sister…

Baby Room Prep

We had to shuffle things around and swap the spare rooms to make Gia’s room closer to ours. While sorting through a pile of things we didn’t need anymore, Zara was right beside us! We never once chased her out or got mad because she dug through a pile of rubbish we just sorted through. After all this is a readjustment for her too. Once the nursery room was cleared out we painted and began furnishing it-the fun part!

Doll Practice

We decided to buy a doll and introduce it to Zara. We wanted Zara to get used to us holding something in our arms quite a lot. She needed to learn that sometimes there will be an extra person in the bed in the form of her baby sister, and she needed to be a little careful. At first Zara was unsure especially when the doll made a noise. But with patience and time Zara began to recognise that this little thing is quite special and lives in the newly decorated room.

Our Scent

When I left Zambia in April, I left behind a shirt that I had worn to remind Zara of my scent. My husband says she loves sniffing that shirt! After Gia was born I sent my hubby home with another shirt that smelt like me and baby Gia. We decided to do this so Zara can get used to the scent of me with someone else. Zara is so intelligent she knows exactly what we are trying to do, I just know it!

Zara’s Gifts

Often articles will tell you to separate your pets from your baby and to never allow pets into the nursery. We have been the total opposite with Zara and have allowed her to walk in and out of Gia’s room as she pleases. As a result, Zara now delivers one of her toys (her most prized possessions) and leaves it either on the rug, the chair or in a corner for her baby sister. When Zara gifts you with one of her toys, you know she loves you! It is something she started doing all by herself, we did not teach her to do it. So by Zara leaving presents for Gia I know that they are going to be the best of friends!

Of course this chapter is not complete yet because Zara still has to meet her tiny human. I am in South Africa until the end of June so I will be sure to post an update when Gia and I have settled back home…. But for now we continue to video chat, where Zara is most intrigued by her baby sister especially when she moves or makes a sound.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the goings on.

Thank you for reading.

03
Jun
2019

June

categories: Calendar

Brrr it really is getting cold on our side of the world! Nothing a big blanket and lots of cuddles can’t fix…

Wishing you all a wonderful month of June

Download your June calendar here

Thank you for reading.

06
May
2019

Acana Dog Food: Zara’s Flavour of the Month

categories: Product Reviews, Zara

I have always been a firm believer in feeding Oscar the very best dog food I could find. I looked at it from my point of view, if I were him. I love good tasty food with a variety of ingredients so why should he be given anything different.

Oscar was an extremely fussy eater, making meal times often stressful and unpleasant for us both. It wasn’t until much later in his life that finally an amazing kibble was being sold in South Africa. From the first scoop he was hooked which as you can imagine made my heart explode with happiness! It was then that I started doing loads of research into dog food and the ingredients used.

Enter Zara, a food guzzler from day one! I could have given her anything and she would have gulped it down in less than thirty seconds, as she did when I gave her her first Acana meal at home. It was a no brainer to feed Zara Acana kibble from the beginning. I will be honest, I did not transition her as they say you should, simply because I didn’t agree with the food she was being fed in her previous home. I believed in the power of Acana and I knew she would be totally fine. And guess what, I was right!

I don’t think Zara has a favourite flavour of Acana kibble, simply because she absolutely LOVES her food no matter what. So it is up to me to read the signs of her excitement and of course look out for any physical differences I see.

Zara’s flavour of the month is the Acana Pacific Pilchard which falls under the Acana Singles range. This means it is a single-protein food and suitable for pups of any breed or age and it’s great for pups with food sensitivities.

Acana is a grain free diet made up of biologically appropriate foods specifically for our beloved pooches. It’s packed with nutritional proteins and fats, plenty of vitamins and minerals that are essential in your pups overall health as well as important amino acids.

The Acana Pacific Pilchard ingredient list is pretty spectacular to say the least, it is made up of 50% wild caught pilchard, which is an easily digestible fish, green peas, red lentils, kale, spinach greens, butternut, cranberries and blueberries just to name a few! It’s hard to believe any pooch would turn their nose up at this food…

If you would like to find out more information on the entire Acana range, you can contact PackLeader South Africa on Facebook or Instagram or simply visit a reputable outlet.

Your pooch deserves the best!

Thank you for reading

02
May
2019

May

categories: Calendar

May sure is going to be the most exciting month of 2019 for our family. It is the month we welcome our little nugget into the world!

Zara is extremely excited to meet her tiny human, and we cannot wait for her to blossom into the best big sister we know she will be.

Download your May calendar here

Thank you for reading

10
Apr
2019

Oneplan Pet Insurance

categories: Product Reviews

For most of us our pets are our family. We celebrate their birthdays, we take them on holidays and we include them in every aspect of our daily lives.

But when it comes to them getting sick and needing treatment, are you covered so you can offer them the very best care that is available?

Pet Insurance is a pretty new thing in South Africa. Back in 2003 when I got Oscar he was terribly ill and nearly died. For the first year of his life we were back and forth to the vet more times than I could count! Vet bills as you all know can quickly add up, and this is where pet insurance steps up to the plate.

At Oneplan Pet Insurance you can insure your household goods, your car, have your own medical scheme through them and include your pets insurance too! Oneplan Pet Insurance truly cares about the safety and wellbeing of your beloved pets. They understand just how much our pets mean to us, be it a dog, a cat or a bunny. They’re more than just an animal. The love is the same and the care they receive should be the same too.

What exactly is Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance is like human medical insurance. It covers your pets for various accidents and illnesses that may need treatment, both in hospital or out of hospital. The reality of life is that accidents do happen. Hundreds of pets are run over by their pawrents accidentally and the vet bills involved in an accident like that can be tremendous. At Oneplan Pet Insurance they cover accidents like these for up to R50 000 depending on your chosen plan.

Why Is Pet Insurance Important?

Some of you may feel that pet insurance is a waste because your pet is fit and healthy. I am pretty sure you have medical insurance even though you are fit and healthy too? We all need to visit various doctors at some points in our lives, and our pets need the same. It is no secret that a simple vet consultation costs more than your standard human GP visit. At Oneplan Pet Insurance they cover four of these visits per year to the value of R1400 depending on your chosen plan.

How Pet Insurance can save the day…

When we got Zara we never in our wildest dreams imagined she would have to have two major surgeries before the age of three! Everyone assumes Rottweilers are strong, fit and healthy dogs. Lets just say Zara should have been wrapped up in a cottonwool ball. There is nothing you can do to stop a cruciate ligament from tearing. Unfortunately it goes back to breeding and the bloodline of your pup. Another thing we learnt is when one goes there is an 80% chance the other one will too. Zara has had two TPLO knee surgeries in the span of twelve months, would pet insurance have helped, oh absolutely!

Don’t make the same mistake we did, get your pets covered today from as little as R142 per month and sleep easy knowing Oneplan Pet Insurance has you covered should your pets fall ill, injure themselves or be involved in an accident of some sort.

Thank you for reading

14
Mar
2019

My Dog Toy: Product Review

categories: Product Reviews

Zara is a Rottweiler, and it’s no secret that rotties have powerful jaws! We have had to teach Zara not to use her full force when playing with certain toys or us for that matter. She has most certainly understood the concept of gentle play when she plays with us, however she still loves to go full hooligan mode with some of her toys.

Enter three of the toughest toys I have ever seen, felt and played with…

The first one is the super cute MIGHTY micro-fibre pig. This pig may be pink and pretty cute to look at but it is also strong and durable. There are no seam lines which makes this toy unique. It is often the seam lines that are the weak spots in plush toys for your pooch. Another great thing about the MIGHTY pig is that it is stuffing free. Zara loves to rip out the stuffing in her toys and even eats it which can cause some kind of chaos later on, as you can imagine… So I tend to shy away from toys with stuffing inside. The MIGHTY pig has four super loud squeakers throughout its body which have provided Zara with hours of entertainment, the louder she can squeak it, the crazier she goes!

The next toy in our tough and durable toy package is the Dura Force boomerang. The best thing about this tough toy is that it can be used as a pool toy, and you all know just how much Zara LOVES swimming! The Dura Force boomerang floats which makes it easy for Zara to play with. It also doesn’t soak up too much water which keeps it light and easy to throw for her. The durable webbing around the edge of the boomerang is extremely tough, Zara has not yet managed to gnaw her way through it.

The next tough toy Zara got to investigate is the toughest of them all… the TUFFY MEGA tug-o-war toy. Zara absolutely loves playing tug-o-war with us! This is a game where she can use her full rottweiler force and show us what she’s made of. Usually we play with flimsy little toys resulting in her winning… But the TUFFY MEGA tug-o-war toy is so much fun to play with, even if I say so myself. I can get a nice grip on it and so can Zara and we can both use our strength against each other. This toy is made with seven layers of material, additional webbing along the edges of the toy and finished off with seven layers of stitching! There is no ways Zara will puncture this TUFFY MEGA toy any time soon.

Each toy has a rating on the tough and durable scale. One- being your cheap plush toy and ten- being mega strong and the most durable. My Dog Toy company only manufactures toys starting from 5 on their ranking.

The MIGHTY pig is ranked nine- extremely strong and extremely durable. This is no lie!

The Dura Force boomerang is ranked at nine too. It’s a toy that’s made to last.

The TUFFY MEGA tug-o-war toy is ranked at a whopping ten! Making this the toughest and strongest toy of them all and believe me it is.

My favourite toy of the bunch is probably the MIGHTY pig, simply because it looks cute but it is still up there on the tough-o-meter. This toy proves that dynamite does come in small packages.

Zara of course loves them all for different reasons, the MIGHTY pig is loud and noisy which she goes crazy for. The Dura Force boomerang is her new favourite toy to swim and play water games with. And the TUFFY MEGA tug-o-war toy allows her to challenge us in a safe and controlled way, showing us just how strong she is.

If your pooch is a heavy chewer with strong jaws we highly recommend these tough toys! Not only does playing with your pooch enhance the bond between the two of you, it also keeps them out of mischief where using their jaws is not appropriate. Providing your pooch with interesting and entertaining toys is a key part to keeping them mentally stimulated. I honestly cannot remember the last time Zara decided to chew something she shouldn’t have, and I believe it’s because she has always had a wide variety of toys to keep her entertained.

These tough toys can be purchased at selected pet shops or from Canine & Co in Parkhurst, Johannesburg.

To stay up to date and in the loop with new product launches be sure to follow everyone on social media

Packleader | Facebook | Instagram

Canine & Co | Facebook

Thank you for reading