everything pets + a tiny human
It’s the month of love and the ever so handsome Mr Duke would like to send bunny smooches to all the beautiful ladies out there!
Much love
xoxox
Download your February calendar here
Thank you for reading
by 
It’s no secret that Zara absolutely loves to swim. When she is in her pool she truly is the happiest girl in the world! In fact Zara loves any water. She will happily join us in the shower and even dunk her head in my bubble bath trying to catch the bubbles. Water is just her favourite thing above all else.
With this love of water also comes some skin problems. Luckily with the food Zara eats, her skin and fur always looks good. But there is no denying that chlorine is damaging to any skin type, be it human or your pup, no matter what food they eat. So I am always on the look out for new fresh and earth friendly shampoos and conditioners for Zara.
Earthbath is another amazing product distributed by Pack Leader South Africa. They have a wide range of ultra-concentrated totally natural shampoos and conditioners. We received the Mango Tango 2-in-1 Conditioning Shampoo. It smells gorgeous and because it is 100% natural I don’t mind if Zara gobbles the bubbles, turning bath time into play time. After her first shampoo with her Mango Tango I noticed her fur was extremely soft and even shinier than before. Because of the conditioner it made brushing her really easy too. She doesn’t have the longest fur but I definitely noticed a difference when brushing her fur.
Earthbath is proudly 100% natural, does not contain any parabens, sulphates, artificial dyes or fragrances, soap, gluten or toxins of any kind. In a world filled with pollution it is a comforting thought knowing Zara’s shampoo is not harming the environment we inhabit.
Besides the shampoo being 100% natural my favourite thing about it is the scent. I’m a scent person. There is nothing nicer than soaking in a hot bubble bath that smells amazing or putting beautiful body cream on yourself so why not let your pups enjoy that feeling too. I received a wonderful compliment the other day, stating that Zara does not smell like a dog despite her swimming so often and often being wet. Even when she is wet she doesn’t smell like a dog at all. I was of course so pleased with this compliment! It just goes to show what a good natural shampoo can do for your pooch…
You can purchase Earthbath products from selected retailers or you can pop down to the Pack Leader concept store which is mind blowingly amazing, situated in Parkhurst Johannesburg. Follow Canine & Co on Facebook for all product updates!
Dont forget to follow Pack Leader South Africa on Social media | Facebook | Instagram, as well as Earthbath | Facebook | Instagram
Thank you for reading
by Happy New Year everyone! We hope you all enjoyed your festive season and holiday break. We sure did! Zara is having a little bit of a hard time adjusting back to her normal routine.
We are excited for 2019 and all the exiting things it holds for us! We hope your 2019 is your best year yet…
Click on the image to downlaod your January calendar
Thank you for reading
by Since the day we brought Princess Zara home almost two and a half years ago and fed her her very first Acana meal I have been searching for slow feed bowls, toys and ways in which to get Zara to understand that her food will not run away from her.
I was utterly horrified when I first saw the way my beautiful 8 week old puppy gobbled down her food in twenty-seconds flat! I was so used to Oscar who would have won a medal for the worlds slowest eater if I had entered him into such a competition!! I was of course concerned for Zara’s health and sought advice from a lot of my Instagram friends and our vet Dr Sally.
Through time and lots and lots of patience, I can say that I am extremely proud of what a lady Zara has become with her food at meal times. She does still have her moments especially when it comes to treats and table scraps which I don’t think will ever change.
Pack Leader is the sole distributor of many fantastic top quality products for the South African Pet market. Their brands include Orijen dog food, Acana dog food, Weuva canned cat and dog food, Planet Dog durable toys, Smart Cat-cat litter, Tuffy Dog Toys, Mighty plush toys, Dura Force toys, RuffWear Dog Gear, Earthbath grooming products, Pawbreakers catnip candy, Chuckit dog toys, Earthrated biodegradable poop bags, Ducky World cat toys, Go Cat interactive toys and Kittens no 1 cat trees and furniture. Their list of products is pretty amazing and no doubt you have seen them around or are a huge fan just like me. Pack Leader prides themselves in only bringing you the best quality for your pooch or cat, and I would say they’re doing an amazing job!
So when Pack Leader South Africa contacted us, Zara and I did back flips in the pool. I have always taken pride in the fact that we give Zara Acana kibble. I have done extensive research when it comes to dog food and of course there is always going to be the debate of raw vs kibble but for extremely personal decisions Zara gets kibble and I believe Acana/Orijen is a raw diet in a kibble. The ingredients do not lie.
Up first in our bag of goodies to review from Pack Leader are the Planet Dog Snoop and Nook Slow Feed Balls. To say that I am impressed is a serious understatement! For once I can say that Zara has met her match with her Snoop and Nook balls. You fill the blue Snoop ball with kibble or treats and then place the red Nook ball inside the Snoop ball. The idea is for your pooch to work out how to get to her treats. I actually had to take the Nook ball out which made it a little easier for Zara to understand. The Snoop ball alone kept her entertained for over an hour, with just a few Orijen freeze dried treats inside. She had to really, but I mean really use her brain!
For added entertainment you can squish peanut butter or cream cheese inside the Nook ball. You can then use it as a stand alone interactive toy or place it inside the Snoop ball for yet an even harder challenge for your pooch. Zara did eventually work out that she needed to take the Nook ball out the Snoop ball so she could reach her treats.
I love the Orbee-Tuff material that the Snoop and Nook Balls are made from. Planet Dogs was founded on this material invention. Orbee-Tuff is non-toxic and made from 100% recyclable medical-grade material. It remains the most innovative and eco-friendly dog toy in the world. That alone should be enough to convince you that the Snoop and Nook balls are amazing!
The feel of the Orbee-Tuff material is pretty awesome. It will never crack, is tougher than elastic and will last longer than rubber. With that being said I don’t believe the Snoop and Nook balls are chew toys and you should always be present while your pooch is playing with them, pick them up once the fun is over for the next round of entertainment.
Did I mention that the Snoop and Nook balls are 100% dishwasher safe too-yes please!
Overall Zara and I give the Planet Dog Snoop and Nook Balls a five paw rating. They are fun, interactive and extremely entertaining for your pooch. These balls will get your pups brain working in no time.
To get your paws on these fabulous balls, you can purchase any of the following:
*2x 2kg Orijen dog food and receive a FREE Planet Dog Nook Ball
*2x 6kg Orijen dog food and receive a FREE Planet Dog Snoop Ball
*2x 11.4kg Orijen dog food and receive a FREE Snoop AND Nook Ball
Or you can purchase the individual Snoop and Nook Balls from participating pet stores
*This promo is running until stocks last-so hurry!!
Follow Pack Leader on social media for all their upcoming promo’s and awesome products they stock: Website www.packleader.co.za | Facebook | Instagram
Thank you for reading
by When Fit Pets wanted to collaborate with us, I was seriously excited and intrigued as to what we would receive and how this device would work…
Fit Pets is an activity monitoring device for your pets. Very much like a human fitness tracking device. It tracks your pets sleep, activity for the day, provides you with insight into their mood and you can set fitness goals for your pets to achieve.
Once you get your Fit Pets activity monitor, you put it together and download the app. This is how you get all the readings and insights into your pets overall fitness and activity levels. With Zara having had knee surgery almost three months ago, I was extremely intrigued as to what the device was going to tell me. The moment I received it, I put it all together, put the device onto Zara’s collars and then waited patiently. I waited 48 hours so I could get a good reading and a full understanding of the app and how it works.
I was wonderfully surprised with Zara’s results. Although we are keeping her quiet and calm for the most part because of her knee recovery, she still does seem to get enough daily activity to keep her happy. I also learnt that she doesn’t necessarily get all that much sleep during the day. She may be lying down and resting but it doesn’t mean she is getting her much needed quality sleep. With me being at home, I often disturb her sleep. Luckily she seems to sleep really well at night and falls into her deep sleep a lot.
On the activity front, Zara has only managed to reach her daily target twice. This is because we are trying to keep her calm because of her knee recovery. To reach your daily target you need to include daily play and a walk or outing of some sort. On the particular day that Zara did reach her goals, she swam for most of the day and we played in the garden with her a lot. But she missed her daily sleeping goal by a long way. Balance is key to a happy and healthy pup so I am loving learning how to balance Zara’s sleeping and activity better.
Reading the results is very easy. The app is user friendly and everything is explained to you. Your pets sleep is split up into light and deep sleep, it explains the difference and why each one is important for the overall health of your pets. There is also a calorie burn calculator so you can monitor how many calories your pet burns each day versus what she eats. The mood tracker is an interesting one, because the more activity your pet does the happier she is. To give you an example, over the past weekend we were out and about, and Zara was home alone resting. Her mood was rated at a low 60. On the day where she met her daily activity goals her mood was at a high 84. The perfect balance of course is to fulfil your pets activity goals and for them to reach their sleeping goals for the day.
The best feature on the Fit Pet device is the fact that it is completely waterproof! That means Zara can swim with it and I can still track her activity. Zara’s happy place is when she is swimming in her pool and it certainly shows on the mood counter! She loves playing with all her toys in the pool, throwing them around and swimming after them. The fact that her Fit Pet device tracks all this is amazing for me.
The device itself is small and pretty, easy to assemble with a battery that’s similar to a watch battery so you don’t have to worry about charging it. It clips onto your pets collar with ease and I have had no issue with it falling off. Not even in the pool when Zara is quite rough with her play. She sleeps, eats and plays with it and it does not disturb her at all. I simply love this little device!
I will continue to use our Fit Pet device to track and compare Zara’s progress. Being a Rottweiler she is naturally an active pup and I love reading the data each night to see if she could have overdone her activity for the day and in turn feel sore in her leg that was operated on. Both myself and my hubby have fitness watches so now it’s awesome to compare who has been the most active between the three of us, it sure does provide us with some giggles and motivation.
Thank you Fit Pets for Zara’s activity monitor. I absolutely love it and as her recovery improves I look forward to watching her overall fitness improve too!
To order your Fit Pet activity monitoring device visit the Fit Pets website www.fitpets.co.za
Don’t forget to follow them on social media for all the updates and new products
Thank you for reading
When the Petbound team contacted us to review the K9 Connectables toy range, I was so excited! Zara sure was going to love this one.
K9 Connecatables are a group of toys that connect together forming an interactive toy for your pooch. You can stuff them with treats or smear peanut butter inside and your pooch has to use her brain and work out how to get to the treat.
When we received our K9 Connectables I was immediately impressed with the quality and the durability of the toys. Remember that no dog toy is indestructible, but these are strong and I know Zara is going to have hours of enjoyment with them. The colours are also bright and fun making the toys visually appealing.
We received the K9 Connectables 3 pack. Is Zara spoiled or what! In it includes ‘The Original’ which are two ball like connectables and they also fit into ball launchers for you to throw, ‘The Dentist’ which are bigger than the balls and promote dental hygiene, and then ‘The Tech Bone’ which is the bone shaped one which all the others can connect to.
It was time to get creative and make Zara work for her treats. Zara is extremely intelligent and catches onto things really quickly. But this she had to think about… Each connectable has levels of difficulty. As you connect them together you can click them in once for easy, twice for medium, three times for hard and the Tech bone allows you to click four times which is super dog hard.
I started with the easiest setting on The Original connectables, I placed a treat inside and connected them together and just watched how Zara thought about how she was going to get to that treat. It was a total disaster on my part because I put treats that were small enough to slip through shapes on the side. So my princess learnt very quickly that rolling them got her treats… Now it was time for me to rectify that and teach her she needs to break them apart to get the treat. So I showed her the two separate balls, changed the treat, clicked them together and watched as she frustratingly tried to get her treat. She soon realised that rolling it this time was not getting her a reward so she tried a different tactic, us using her paws and jaw to pop them apart. Success!
The K9 Connectables are different from any other interactive toy Zara has ever played with. These are awesome! Even on the easy setting it is challenging for your pup, and so it should be! Zara is hugely food driven so once she knew there was a treat inside she did not give up until she broke the K9 Connecatbles apart. And i’ll be honest it took her a while, which I love because it really made her think about what she needs to do for her reward. These are without a doubt fantastic mental stimulation toys for your pooch.
Then it was time to enjoy them in another way… When I read on the packaging that the float, my heart skipped a beat because I knew this would be another way Zara would love these toys. Everyone who follows us on Instagram will know just how much Zara LOVES to swim! It is her happy place for sure, being in her pool. So now it was time to put these K9 Connectables to the test in water. I didn’t use treats or anything like that. I simply used them as some fun pool toys.
Zara couldn’t get enough of them. They were all floating around her, she grabbed them, flung them around and literally had a party for one with her K9 Connectables.
She began biting down on them and I for sure thought they would split but they didn’t. It turns out they are made from a special soft but durable material called TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer – essentially a soft plastic) and this makes them super awesome for your pup to bite down on. They are also certified to be completely non toxic, BPA and phthalate free, another tick of approval!
All in all these K9 Connectables are fantastic toys. I absolutely love them and so does Zara! I am blown away by how much they made her use her brain to figure out how to get her treats. She will be getting these toys everyday to keep her mind stimulated. Thank you to Petbound for sending us these super fun toys to review. Zara gives them a five paw rating and so do I!
You can view the full range of K9 Connectables on the Petbound Website www.petbound.co.za
They also offer a variety of other goodies to spoil your pets!
Follow Petbound on social media too | Facebook | Instagram
Thank you for reading.
Happy October everyone. I cannot believe we are in the last quarter of the year. It’s scary stuff!
Zara decided she wanted to be part of the flamingo craze, so here she is looking absolutely gorgeous in her very special mingo bandana.
Download your October calendar here
Thank you for reading
Wow. Just wow. To say that I am blown away by our FlipChap photo book is a serious understatement!! Our photo book is filled with the most beautiful memories of Oscar and Zara and us as a family of four.
When FlipChap asked us to collaborate with them, I didn’t even hesitate. Having just lost Oscar just a few weeks prior, I knew this would be an extra special way to keep him close and an extra special way to remember him by. The two years that Oscar and Zara spent together were the best time of our family life, and now I can look at those memories every single day and reminisce.
FlipChap is an online based photo book company. Their website is so user friendly, I loved it! You begin by creating your account and choosing your book size, material and your display box.
I chose the sixty page square book in an artisan flip box covered in hazelnut fabric, but there are so many beautiful choices to choose from. Once that’s all set up, it’s time to get creative.
This was the best part. You upload the images you want to be in your book and you play around and get creative with the layouts. You can add backgrounds and text and stickers and banners and just have a fun time creating your memory photo book. Everything is online based and your progress is saved as you go along, so you do not need to create your entire book in one sitting you can log in and out as many times as you like.
There are so many options to make your book look pretty with new items constantly being added. It’s all about getting those creative juices flowing and making a beautiful photo book that you will cherish forever.
One of the most difficult parts for me was actually choosing and deciding which photos I want in the book out of my hundreds and thousands that I have of Oscar and Zara-haha! I am so happy with the choices I did make though. Our book is beautiful and extremely special in so many ways.
The quality that FlipChap promises online shines through in the actual product. The paper quality that your photos are printed on is smooth and soft yet durable. The dust jacket protects the actual cover of your book and the quality of that too is thick but smooth and soft to touch. The print quality of the actual images is amazing. What you see on the screen of your uploaded image is what you get on the paper in your book. It’s outstanding.
Not to mention all the little extra’s we received too… The cutest little mini book which I will be putting next to my bed so I can browse through it each night before bed. I find this mini book extremely special because you can take it anywhere with you! Little book marks for my book I am currently reading, a 2019 box calendar and printed out polaroid snaps. These little items are perfect.
Everything about my FlipChap experience was amazing. If I had a question or concern, they were there immediately on hand for assistance. Nothing was too much trouble.
So if you’re looking to create something very special, create a photo book with FlipChap! They are incredible with worldwide shipping, so it doesn’t matter which continent you’re on.
Thank you FlipChap for this beautiful photo book, I will cherish it forever. And that’s a promise!
Follow FlipChap on social media:
@flipchapofficial
And browse their website at:
Thank you for reading.
Yay! Summer is back and we’re having tons and tons of water fun again. Zara is one big water obsessed pup! She absolutely loves any water, be it the pool, the sprinkler, the bath or shower-with us in it! She loves nothing more than getting her fur soaked and having a bit of fun.
When we got Zara there were two things I insisted on, one was proper puppy training which she still does two years later. And the second was she would not be scared of water. Our perseverance paid off, and now she is a total water baby.
Not all doggo’s love water, Oscar was one of them! He hated having a bath even though I bathed him from a tiny pup. I would also take him into the pool and hold him tight so he could get used to it but he absolutely hated it and that never changed. He would sit and watch from a distance as Zara would behave like a complete loon with the sprinkler. He would watch her swim in the pool while he lay on a beach towel soaking up the sun instead. She would try and get him to join her but he was having none of it-haha!!
If your pup hates water but you would like to try and get him used to it here are some simple tips for you to try, but remember do not push your pup too hard. It could have the total opposite effect, so tread carefully….
Start small
Fill a kidies pool with a small amount of water to start off with and gently encourage your pup to climb in. Reward them with a treat and or some praise for any interest in the pool he might have. Never splash the water at your pup or make loud demonstrative moves. The aim is to show your pooch there is nothing to fear here. As your pooch gets more comfortable you can fill the pool with more and more water.
Make it fun
Make water fun by adding in his favourite toys. Because Zara is so food driven, I added chopped up apple pieces to Zara’s little pool. They were floating treats teasing her as they moved around. She soon got the idea that she would have to put her head in slightly to get the treat. She learnt and its because of that, that she now submerges her whole head to get a pool toy! She has even learnt to blow bubbles through her nose so the water doesn’t go in. One clever pup I tell you 🙂
Moving to a bigger pool
Once your pup is comfortable playing around and splashing in a small amount of water, it’s time to move them up to a bigger pool or lake. If your pup cannot stand comfortably in your pool then it’s a very good idea to invest in a doggy life jacket! (Click here to shop) Our pool is a steel structure and canvas pool so luckily Zara is able to stand in it. Gently bring your pup into the water and continually praise him for being so brave. Encourage him to swim, with you right beside him holding his under belly. Show him that swimming can be fun. Slowly build up his confidence as you did with the small pool.
Swim together
Once your pup is totally confident you can both enjoy swimming together. You can swim out and ask him to come to you or even throw his favourite toy or ball and ask him to bring it back for you. It’s important to continue to praise your pooch for doing so well. The more you praise and make swimming fun, the easier he will understand that it’s not that scary after all.
When it comes to swimming, your pups safety should be your top priority. Never push your pup too hard. Keep the lessons short and sweet, any progress is great progress. Take breaks and keep it fun. Our pups love having fun with us. Never leave your pooch unattended near the water, no matter how well they’re doing. Your pooch can panic if left in the water and you leave his sight.
But most importantly have fun with your pup. We love nothing more than swimming with Zara on a hot summers day.
Thank you for reading
*this post contains an affiliate link.
Yes please mailman, we’ll take that thank you! We finally received our Paw Box from Greece and boy o boy do we love it… Zara couldn’t wait for me to unwrap this rather big delivery and expose the contents.
Paw Box is a subscription based box for your pets that comes out every two months. Each box is a different theme and is filled with gorgeous goodies for either your dog or cat. At Paw Box, they love all things natural, homemade and eco-friendly and each item is tried at tested by their beloved pooch Persa and two cats Leo and Naya. Proceeds from each box sale goes towards rescue dogs too, so what is not to love about this subscription box!
The box we received was the summer Flamingo box. Yes flamingos are my favourite thing right now and should be yours too. In our box was… A flamingo toy that is too precious to play with. A jar of natural, homemade beetroot doggy treats which Zara totally loves and left her drooling for more. Pet perfume which smells like bubblegum. A gorgeous flamingo bowtie which Zara decided was her favourite item in the box, she picked it out and went to lie on her bed to cuddle it. Perhaps she knew that would have been Oscar’s choice. A nose, paw and stress rescue kit. Some organic doggy shampoo. Organic beard oil for fluffy pets, maybe I can use this one on Peaches when I brush her bunny fluff. A super cute bandana for Zara to rock when she returns to puppy school. And a rope toy. Yes we got spoilt with lots and lots of stuff!!
I was particularly excited to use the paw balm because Zara has always had quite dry paws. I have tried putting organic coconut oil on her paws but she either licks it off or slides all over the place since our house is tiles right through. As you can see in the before and after photo featured below, the difference is huge! I am so happy with this paw balm, and surprisingly Zara didn’t really lick it off and it soaked in enough for her to walk without slipping.
Subscription boxes are hugely popular and if you have not tried one, my suggestion is sign up today! You can follow Paw Box on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest and subscribe via their website www.pawbox.gr
A huge thank you to Paw Box for all our spoils!
Thank you for reading
