It was Mother’s Day here in the UK, today. For those of you who also celebrated, we would like to send you lots of love and schlurps… well, and to those across the pond who celebrate later, too, for that matter! We love you all!
I spoiled my very own Mummy today, of course, but I was surprised by my very own furry children too.
Firstly, they got me a lovely card and cleverly signed it themselves. But, better than that, they sat together and let me take a lovely picture! Trust me when I say, that’s rare.
They also got me this plaque with a warning lovely heart-felt message. You can tell by Millie’s face just how much the sentiment is felt here.
Lastly, the thoughtful bunch presented me with some flowers. Aren’t they gorgeous, I do LOVE tulips, such a happy flower.
And apparently they smell quite nice…
I actually think the pups mistook them for food, since I distinctly heard a little crunch before I managed to rescue them. Who were these for did you say, guys?
It doesn’t matter anyway, presents you can share are always the best kind and I would have been more than happy with the love and attention I get every day of the year.
Do you treat your mum on Mother’s Day?
THIS IS A BLOG HOP! Black and White Sunday is lovingly hosted bySugar andNola… Thank You! ❤
<!– start LinkyTools script –>
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
JUST A LITTLE NOTE: Many of you by now will already know of the sadness and cloak of darkness surrounding Crufts this year. There are some important points that need to be, and that I want, to address. However, when my friend Susie and I attended we were blissfully unaware of the circumstances that were to come. It’s difficult, since I am writing retrospectively, to not think of all this when documenting our day but I feel it only fair to separate these topics. I do not think that the disgustingly deplorable actions of a few vile ‘humans’ should be allowed to completely overshadow the astonishingly good and amazing examples of the bond between dog and human, that most of us visit Crufts to enjoy.
Now on with the fun…
FRIDAY 6 MARCH | 2015 Hurray! The day finally arrived. It felt like it never would. We chose to attend Crufts on Friday this year, as I’m sure I have mentioned before there are so many ways to pick which day is best for you. Friday (and they do swap them around every year, just so you know) was ‘Working and Pastoral’ day, which meant that they were the dog ‘groups’ being judged that day, for entry into Best in Show on the Sunday. So why didn’t you go on ‘Terrier and Hound’ day or ‘Toy and Utility’ day? I hear you ask… well, because generally, for me, the actual ‘showing’ parts of Crufts are the bits I find least interesting. Oh, I love to see all of the different breeds and hear about who wins their ‘group’ or ‘Best in Show’ of course, but actually sitting and watching it happen? Nah, are you kidding me? There’s so many more exciting things to see and do… So I do those instead.
There was also a slight hope that going on a ‘school day’ would maybe, hopefully, mean fewer people too…
…just so you know, that’s a tiny strip of one of the FIVE halls, heading towards closing time 😉
Not to worry, for a more professional look at what it actually look like out there, why not let Reamus show you:
SO WHAT DID WE DO? Well, since the Birmingham NEC is a good three hour journey away by car, you might have thought that we pinned our itinerary down to minute detail on the way? Erm. We had a look at the agenda and decided the parts we definitely, absolutely, couldn’t miss, and pretty much agreed to play it by ear.
For Susie, the most important thing was to lay her hands on some fur and cuteness. Not a problem, heading on over to the ‘Discover Dogs’ area in Hall 3 it was then. And for me, I particularly wanted to see some doggies dancing, so the activities in the ‘Arena’ were also a must. So, that’s where we headed first, since getting a good seat is important and ‘Heelwork to Music’ (dancing doggies!!!) started quite early.
HEELWORK TO MUSIC
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
I appreciate that the concept of Heelwork to Music, and in fact just seeing a random image of it in practice, seems pretty bonkers. Describing it to people, doesn’t make you sound any more sane either, to be honest. BUT this activity is fun with bells on! You just get sucked right in, or at least I do. The dogs LOVE it, you can see it in their little faces and with every wag of their tail… as well as the odd little bark (that they take marks off in scoring for… I still haven’t found out why, but I will).
*Sigh* Here’s a little link to exactly what we watched in the arena that day… if you can hear sobs of joy coming from the audience, it’s probably me…
Ok so… when the competition had ended (and I’d composed myself as the last one was particularly sad) there was a handy break. It was handy because otherwise you’ll just stay there all day. So we made ourselves move.
DISCOVER DOGS Crufts is a dog-shoppers dream! But to be fair, although we like to have a little browse and hopefully pick a few bits up, it’s the least important thing for either of us. I mean, we’d be in serious trouble if we didn’t go back with ANYTHING but we tend to scour the halls on our way to do other bits and pieces. This works out fairly well, since The Arena is in Hall One and Discover Dogs is right at the back of Hall Three… You’ve covered half of it right there.
I’m sure I’ve explained before what exactly Discover Dogs is, but in case you’ve forgotten, it’s basically ALL the dog breeds, in group and alphabetical order with their owners/breeders. You can go up, have a stroke and a cuddle if you’re lucky, and find out all about the breed. Some stands even have print outs with information, which is so handy if you are actually researching. For Susie and I though, it’s basically all about the cuddles.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Don’t be alarmed, those pens/crates are actually a lot bigger than they look. It’s not very easy to get a lot of great photographs and it’s ALWAYS very busy, but this is the best place to get your hands on some puppies at Crufts!
AROUND AND ABOUT There are always plenty of dogs around and about here though, you often see people walking one by, and as dog owners they sense your eagerness and will usually stop and let you meet and greet. After we had our fill of paw shakes and cuddles we (read: the dogs went home) we moved on again, throughout the halls and stalls and stands. By this point, I think we were both really tired and when we turned a corner I thought I was hallucinating. Everywhere I looked there was a Labrador or a Retriever, I decided to follow the trail just in case and this is what I spotted…
This photograph does not do the situation any justice, I swear, beautiful yellow coats were all over the place. It turns out these dogs aren’t just pretty faces though, they are life savers! Heroes. Official name being; ‘Medical Detection Dogs’ and their charity was receiving an award so they all decided to grace the photo-op, isn’t that lovely?
We didn’t get much further along before I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, again.
I thought Myfie and Ellie had donned their disguises and followed us to Birmingham!
These two cuties, actually are from Manchester and Cheshire Dogs Home, though. After the tragic events in 2014 which I am sure you all remember so well MCDH were invited along to represent at Crufts. They decided it would be a great idea, so they could thank personally so many of us who donated. The gentleman I spoke to was lovely, and the emotion in his voice as he spoke revealed just how much, each and every bit of help had meant to them all. It was so lovely to see these beautiful, happy pups, having so much fun.
Well, and much-needed rest 😉
Which is exactly what we needed too, more specifically our feet needed a rest!
AGILITY We headed back to the Arena to watch some talented pooches using up their energy in a much more productive way then we could manage. I love watching the sporting events, agility and flyball both get your adrenaline pumping, and again, the dogs just seem to be having SO much fun! Unlike with the very serious :p Heelwork to Music competition, these pups get NO points deducted for shouting their heads off along the way… and so they do! And it’s great.
SCRUFFTS 2015 Scruffts, sponsored by James Wellbeloved, is the nation’s favourite crossbreed competition. Scruffts was launched back in 2000 at the Discover Dogs Show and is now celebrated with the grand final at Crufts. We were lucky enough to see the finalists and hear their stories, all so beautiful and deserving, and then watch the winner take their trophy.
The lovely, Gracie in the Golden Oldie Category took this years Crossbreed of the Year title.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
AND THEN WE WENT HOME. Our day had just about come to a close, but on the way out we remembered a few things we had seen while we ‘weren’t shopping’ and thought we’d end the day on a high note; with presents to take back to Dinx, Myfie, Ellie and Millie our very own ‘Best(s) in Show’ no matter what any judge thinks. So there!
I realise this post is ridiculously long and full of links and pictures etc. but believe me, I cut SO much out! If you can stand to see any more I’ll be uploading the rest of the photos to our Facebook page where you can peruse at your leisure! Have any questions for us? Pop them in the comments, and let us know which event you would have made a bee-line for!
Thanks, as always, for reading,
Carrie and Pups x
What? you want a reward for reaching the end? Oh go on then… this will make you laugh. Here are some dogs, being dogs, ay Crufts:
HEY! Easy? After the plea you sent on my blog post just before Crufts, I decided to make it my personal mission to find you a girlfriend! You’re one smart puppy, I mean, if Crufts isn’t the place to do it, then what is? right?
So… *drum-roll please*… look who we found… are you ready? You should probably sit down, she’s a bit of a stunner…
Meet Molly! Isn’t she beautiful? She’s three years old and single. Her mum was telling me she’s a bit of a tart, but don’t worry what she really meant was that she’s an exhibitionist and she showed me some photos of her with her, erm, ‘bits and pieces’ clearly on display. I think that just means she’s comfortable with her body! I mean, ‘if you’ve got it, flaunt it’ and all that. And she definitely has it!
Molly says not to worry about this dude with her..
That’s her brother and she reckons he would sell her for a bone anyway. He seemed nice, Easy. I think you would get on. He didn’t have a great deal to say for himself but that’s probably because he was being fed treats at the time and y’know, priorities!
I told Molly all about you, showed her your photo (I hope Mum doesn’t mind?) and erm… she seemed keen! So what do ya reckon, have we got ourselves a wedding on the cards?
P.S. I’m still trying to get all of my photos from Crufts loaded and edited. There are hundreds and I have LOTS to tell you, so please do watch this space. I’m sure you all understand though, love has to come first <3.
THIS IS A BLOG HOP! Black and White Sunday is lovingly hosted bySugar andNola… Thank You! ❤
<!– start LinkyTools script –>
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
We’ve got something a bit different to share this Back & White Sunday… Hurrah! The lovely folks at PawsomeBox asked if we would like to review one of their boxes, so of course we put all our paws up and said we would be delighted!
That was back in January, and I had completely forgotten about it to tell the truth, so it was a lovely surprise last week when the postman knocked on the door with a bright blue parcel in his hand. I was REALLY excited, it was my birthday this week so I naturally thought somebody had treated me! Alas, no, this parcel was most definitely not mine. Except it was really because I would always much rather things went to the dogs, I liken the feeling to how parents tell you they feel on Christmas morning when gifting their children presents. My mum always used to say ‘I love to see your little faces light up’ and while it might be sad, it’s also true that I feel this way when I give my motley crew a present or treat. In fact, I’d put money on me being more excited about it than they are. But anyway, I digress, on with the review…
WHAT IS PAWSOME BOX?
I suppose I should give a little explanation, right? Pawsome Box is a subscription based home delivery service, for dogs. Every month, you receive a parcel full of goodies for your little furries (or big ones). You can tailor the box to suit your requirements, or rather your dogs’ requirements by filling out their profile when you sign up. There are a few different pricing plans available, but you can get your paws on one for as little as £15.90 per month, with the contents guaranteed to be worth more than this… up to £30 I believe. Simple, right? For more information though, give them a visit over here: https://pawsomebox.co.uk/
SO WHAT HAPPENED?
Well, once I discovered said box was for my trio I couldn’t wait to show them. And they just KNEW it was for them. They were jumping up and clawing and their little tails looked as though they may wag off. So I set the box down to laugh at the fact they couldn’t watch them open it.
Look at them snouts and noses going to work… they’re having so much fun!
Once I’d finished laughing at them they were done with the sniffing and exploring, I did just what Myfie’s face told me too… we opened it all up and investigated the contents.
SO WHAT DID WE GET?
Each of the boxes are themed, and this being the box for February it was all about Valentines Day. The box did come after the day itself, but I am sure any self-respecting dog owner will agree, love is not just for one day of the year! I was pleased and I know the pups were, with the theme of love for our very first box.
The boxes seem to have a good balance of treats, toys and hygiene related surprises. Ellie and I quickly nabbed the ‘Paw notes’ newsletter before Myfie got hold of it, thinking it was a toy. Shredding paper is oh-so-much-fun dontcha know? This little magazine style newsletter is a really nice touch, it lets you know what your box is all about, and has theme related articles and trivia. Ellie seemed to really enjoy reading it.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE GOOD STUFF?
Okay, okay… well naturally Myfie was straight in there for the food.
Hey! Myf… hows about you let us see what you actually have there, yeah?
Much better. So as you can now see, we got some rawhide and chicken ball thingies which apparently tasted delicious! I like to think they chose this treat in particular because they knew the box was coming to a household with more than one dog. That’s a nice touch! There’s also a lamb flavoured stick treat there so I am counting on the fact that he can’t count. I do recall seeing both of these things in the local pet store so know them to be of high quality… not that it would matter much to Myf.
Millie didn’t seem too impressed when I handed her these safety buds for cleaning out her ears… which I find odd, since she tries to eat the human ones if she ever finds any lying around. It might have had something to do with the fact she had just been groomed, though. It is just the buds, you can buy the cleaning solution separately.
Anyway, she perked up a little when she saw these cute heart-shaped training treats. Phew.
Ellie bypassed the treats and went straight for the toys, as she always does… particularly if they are furry and squeaky. The little blanket was both of those things. It looked to me like something you would maybe give a puppy? It was like a comfort blanket with a head. Ellie tried to suckle it, but couldn’t get the angle quite right so she and Millie played tug with it instead and it is now in the ‘hospital’ awaiting major surgery.
This thing though, this thing is still going strong. It a heart-shaped, hard rubber (latex is it?) squeaker toy and all three of the little tinkers LOVE this. Why? Because it’s LOUD! and really irritating fun! Oddly this also finds its way into the hospital for frequent visits, we’ve no idea how it gets there (ahem!) perhaps it’s missing its old friend blanket bear?
And that’s our loot!
SO WHAT’S THE VERDICT?
Hmm. This is a tricky one. The thought of getting a little pick-me-up delivered in the post every month is so appealing. The pups were genuinely excited by it and knew it was for them. You could almost say it was worth the money for that feeling alone. It was a lot of fun watching their little faces as each item was pulled out of the box.
I don’t doubt the quality of the products in the box. In fact I had a little squizz on Amazon to see if I could price some of the bits up online as I, personally hadn’t heard of some of the brands (which is part of the appeal, too). My research showed that actually, yes, you are making a saving if you were to buy these items individually. So it’s reassuring to know that you aren’t getting ‘ripped off’ in some way.
The downside though, (and I imagine this is true of every box subscription service, no matter the type) is that I probably wouldn’t have selected these items to actually purchase myself.
If I had just one dog, I can see it as something I would definitely consider. The amount of treats and product in there is about the level you would expect for the price I think, for them to get a good amount of enjoyment and time out of it until the next one arrives. For three dogs though, unless you had the money to buy them one each (which I DEFINITELY do not pups, so don’t even THINK about it), it probably isn’t something I would invest in.
Please do try it out for yourselves though, if you are interested. You don’t HAVE to sign up for the full year so if you want some box-shaped fun delivered to your door give PawsomeBox a try and let us know what YOU think.
DISCLAIMER: PawsomeBox did not pay us to review, nor did they influence us on what we should say.
THIS IS A BLOG HOP! Black and White Sunday is lovingly hosted bySugar andNola… Thank You! ❤
<!– start LinkyTools script –>
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
We love it here at Pawed Towers when true winter hits. We love walking in the darkness when the less braver souls come out to play. That’s just as well considering it gets dark so early this time of year. The pups seem, to me at least, to be more focused on what they are doing in the dark. It’s especially good for Ellie, she appears far less distracted and ready to bark at the littlest thing… of course, there is actually less out there to bark AT but that’s beside the point.
The bad thing is that photos are much harder to get, not only because of the light situation but because the pups seem far less inclined to stop what they’re doing and give me a little pose. Rude of them, I know!
Anyway, since this is what we have been doing a lot of lately we thought we’d share some of the photos with you… warts and all!
Myfie seems to love the way that the ice crunches under his paws… I worry about his little pads, but apparently it’s fine for them to walk on!
…and it doesn’t matter how cold it is there is always time to send and receive a but of pee-mail, right?
Myfie views the dirt he comes home with as a badge of honour!
Millie is a proper little girlie, she likes to go out dressed to match the weather; sparkly top to match the sparkly ground!
…and who cares if it’s cold? It makes the prettiest seat ever!
Sparkles are so much fun!
Do you ever wonder how much more than us pups can see?
Ellie loves to have a good look around on her evening walks!
I sometimes wonder if she thinks she’s looking into the future!
Well, whatever she sees she looks happy about it, and you can’t ask for more than that!
Can anybody solve the riddle for us? Do you prefer a daytime or an evening stroll… and why?
THIS IS A BLOG HOP! Black and White Sunday is lovingly hosted bySugar andNola… Thank You! ❤
<!– start LinkyTools script –>
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
To each and every one of our friends in Blogville, and their family and friends and their friend’s friends… We hope you have a smashing, lovely Christmas and thank you for your support this year!
We Woof You!
Carrie, Myfie, Ellie and Millie x
<!– start LinkyTools script –>
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
My goodness! I don’t think any of us realised we had been gone for quite so many weeks! We have missed Blogville so much and would like to thank those of you that left supportive messages for us, wishing us luck with the Craft Fairs!
We will be replying very soon. Until then though, we thought we should pop our noses in and say ‘Hi’ and let those of you who are interested know just where we’ve been all this time!
As you may have read, it was our very first Craft Fair this December, and we were all mightily nervous about it. Personally, I wasn’t bothered if we didn’t sell a thing… it was all about getting the experience under my belt. I am so much more comfortable behind a computer screen, but being out there in the big wide world I find a little daunting. Also, I had to go it alone (well, that’s not strictly true I had a very good friend who was selling her wares alongside of me), but what I mean is, without the pups! It turns out that even though they happen to be staff members… they aren’t allowed to come along! Which we all found a little rude.
Fortunately though, Myfie came up with the genius idea of taking ‘Bob’ along. So I dressed him up in all the festive finery that we created and he became my partner in crime for the weekend.
He was very well behaved, but was a little shy with the customers.
I really had to fight an inner struggle not to cancel the fair all together, but in the end we made it. I took some pictures of our stall to show you. We had some nightmares with the banner, so please don’t pay too much close attention to that. It is still being resolved, but I am sure we will get there in the end.
I was quite happy with how it was all set up in the end, and even did a last minute Fair at a second venue on the Sunday!
So by the end of that weekend, I had three events behind me and I managed to pick up some great tips and experience along the way.
The Fairs were on the weekend of December 6, before and after this day I did a little bit of crafting for my own pups. I decided it would be a great idea to make them some Advent Calendar Bunting. Which, of course starts December 1… so BEFORE THE FAIR!! Eek.
I’d also never even done one single blanket stitch up until this point… great idea, Carrie. It’s not like you have enough pressure on yourself… why don’t you find something massively time-consuming to do in your spare time *eye roll*
Anyway, I did do it and despite messing up the numbers right at the end (if you can name some method to try, I probably did… and I probably messed it up) I was pretty pleased with the final result. Most importantly, the pups were happy with it… or rather they were happy with the special seasonal Delibakies I placed in each pocket.
It turns out this was a genius idea on my part. The pups have been none too impressed by how much I have been out and about of late. I’ve been to a few places where they aren’t welcome to join me, so some daily apologies in the shape of tasty morsels have gone down quite well.
Just after the fairs I was excited to find out the Coca Cola trucks were stopping by our town. Nothing signifies the arrival of the festive period more than the #HolidaysAreComing Coke ads does it?
I have to say though, there was a distinct lack of lights on this truck, it didn’t resemble the ones used in the adverts much but, well, it did help me to feel that little bit more festive. I could have taken the pups this time, but really I think they would have been a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people, and I don’t reckon they would have been impressed by the truck much either! Possibly Myfie if he could have gotten close enough to cock his leg up against it…
Back in September we won a giveaway on Facebook from a company called Lillie and Millie, and this week we received our beautiful cards and notelets. I had just finished making the girls some festive hair bows and (MY) Millie was so proud that she matched her little illustrated self, she posed happily for a snap. Ellie, is happy with her hair bow too (even if she forgot to tell her face that) and I think they both look adorable.
I’m hoping to fashion Myfie a matching bow tie before the big day and I’ll be sure to keep everybody posted now we are ready to snuggle on back into Blogville.
All that remains for us to do now is to… err… get ready for Christmas! Yay! In just a few days!… Ahem.What can I say? we like a challenge!
Are you all ready? Are you excited? Will Santa Paws be visiting your house this year?
Thanks so much for being patient with us and reading through this stupidly long post. We wish each and every one of you a VERY Merry Christmas x
Here is Myfie, he is one of my staff members that doesn’t let stress get to him and he never EVER lets work interfere with his rest time.
In fact, recently, he has taken his relaxation to a whole new level and since I don’t have time for a sit down in my cozy slippers, he’s doing it for me… isn’t that sweet?
I wanted add in (yet another) note of apology if I am not around as much as usual this next week or so… I have my very first craft show coming up and since all of this stuff is completely alien to me, it’s all just a little bit stressy.
I’m worried that the blog will have to take a bit of a back seat, so please please don’t be offended if I don’t stop by. I WILL be along to catch up with you all very shortly. In the meantime, if anybody has any tips for me that would also be great! Ha.
Myfie your suggestion is appreciated but I can’t see taking extra naps getting any of us very far!
THIS IS A BLOG HOP! Black and White Sunday is lovingly hosted bySugar andNola… Thank You! ❤
<!– start LinkyTools script –>
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
pawedblog 
