Scotty’s Cartoons

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It’s lovely to receive a portrait of our beloved canine. In getting a real likeness for their appearance, it’s a personal gift that we will treasure forever. Scotty’s Cartoons www.scottyscartoons.co.uk go a step further and don’t just capture that likeness in appearance, but also uniquely captures their personality in a 10 inch by 8 inch cartoon character portrait.

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Scotty’s Cartoons also provide business cartoon services to dog companies, including logo design, character design, posters and illustrations.

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As someone besotted with dogs herself, Scotty understands the special bond between human and dog, although judging from her dog’s own blog www.wisedogdiary.co.uk , Jasper’s opinion on that bond may differ from her own!

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The Health Benefits of Premium Dry Dog Food

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A growing trend over the last few years has been the idea of buying premium dog food.  The idea is that buying a type of dog food that is perhaps more expensive than one you would just pick up at a supermarket comes with a wide variety of benefits– benefits which will ultimately not only save money, but also be better for your dog.  But what exactly is premium dog food, and is it worth any extra cost?

Most veterinarians say yes.  Here’s a closer look.
To start with, what is premium dog food, and what is the difference between it and standard food?  It comes down to the ingredients. Whilst most pet foods do at least meet the minimal requirements and standards for nutrition, most of the cheaper foods accomplish this by way of fillers, additives, and by-products that do not do much to help your dog.  This means that your dog will be eating more of these “empty calories” just to get the nutrients that it needs, so in the long run, even though the food is cheaper by the kilogram, you will ultimately have to buy more of it.  In addition, many of these base ingredients are known to cause allergies and other health problems in dogs, which can lead to higher veterinary bills.

Buying a premium dog food not only prevents these issues, but also provides many benefits.  Some of the health benefits of premium dry dog food include the following:
Healthier Weight: Because a dog needs to eat less of a premium dog food to feel the benefits, that dog will probably weigh less than one who has to eat more to get their necessary nutrition.

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More Energy: Premium dog foods tend to be closer in composition to what dogs evolved to eat in the wild. Wild dogs need a high energy diet in order to fuel all their physical activity. You’ll likely notice that your dog is more energetic and playful once he is on a diet that is closer to what nature intended.

Easier digestion and fewer allergies: Related to the above point, a dog that is eating the way nature intended him to eat is much less likely to have problems digesting his food because it is natural for him to eat.  Similarly, the fewer additives that are in the food, the less likely it is for your dog to have a bad reaction to an ingredient.

Immune System Support: It is better for any animal to receive the bulk of their nutrients from actual nutritious food rather than from supplements or other additives.  When your dog is absorbing all the vitamins and minerals he needs, he will be healthier and better able to fight off infection.

Longevity: Just as in humans, a better diet leads to a longer life.  A better diet also leads to a healthier animal, which contributes to longevity.

Thanks to these and other benefits, it’s no surprise that more veterinarians and experts are recommending premium food as the dry dog food of their choice.  Perhaps it’s time for you to give it a go and see the difference a better food makes for your dog.

Brown’s Pet Range is a UK based company dedicated to helping you care for your pet with premium quality products.  If you’re ready to give our dog food a try, we would love to send you a free sample.  We know that your dog will love it and that you will see a difference.

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Costs vs Savings of Owning a Dog

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Bought By Many the smart service that uses internet crowdsourcing to lower your insurance premiums have created a new report comparing the cost of owning a dog vs the average savings. They have shown that dogs don’t just bring loyalty and love but a whole host of other savings too.

Here’s how your dog could be saving you more money than you think.

Dog-InfograpicAbout Bought By Many
We help people club together to buy insurance. We connect people with similar insurance needs in groups and use the groups collective buying power to negotiate offers on insurance that wouldn’t be available to individuals.

For more information about Bought By Many please visit:
www.boughtbymany.com
www.facebook.com/boughtbymany
www.twitter.com/boughtbymany

How to avoid overfeeding while training your dog

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Dogs are intelligent animals and they can be trained to perform a host of different actions. As a general rule, the sooner you start training your pooch, the easier and more successful the process will be.

By far the best way to train dogs is to use positive reinforcement. This means offering the creatures a reward each time they perform a behaviour you want. The only trouble is, owners often get carried away with handing out edible treats to their canine companions, and this can cause the animals to gain too much weight.

Here are some top tips to help ensure your dog doesn’t pile on the pounds as a result of your training sessions.

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It is really important to note that edible treats are not the only form of reward available to you when you are training your dog. In fact, some dogs prefer to be praised with affection or a game. If you discover this works for your pet, you can forget about handing over titbits.

Healthy treats
If your dog isn’t interested in learning new behaviours unless there’s the prospect of food as a reward, you should think carefully about the treats you offer. Some foods are much more calorific than others.

Particularly if you are handing out lots of treats, it’s vital that you choose foods that are low in calories. For example, rather than handing over meaty offerings such as pieces of sausage, perhaps you could provide small slices of carrot.

Try to be consistent in your use of treats too. If your dog is used to getting rich, indulgent treats, it will be harder to switch over to healthy versions.

Safety first
Whenever you’re choosing rewards for your dog, make sure they are safe to eat. Certain human foods are poisonous to dogs. For example, it is not a good idea to give your pet chocolate. If you are unsure about certain products, ask your vet or search for information from trusted sources online.

Reduce mealtime calorie intake
The commercial dog foods now available from firms such as Hill’s Pet Nutrition are complete, meaning there is no need to supplement them with anything else. Indeed, if you start adding to your dog’s diet by dispensing treats, you risk overfeeding it.
To ensure you don’t fall into this trap, make a mental note of the number of treats you give out during training sessions and adjust your pet’s food portions during mealtimes accordingly.

By putting less food in your dog’s bowl, you can help to prevent it from gaining excess weight.

Know when to stop
It’s also important to know when to stop giving out treats during the training process. Once your animal has learnt the relevant behaviour, there is no need to continue handing over rewards. All too often, owners carry on dispensing treats when it is no longer necessary.
By bearing this advice in mind, you should find that you’re able to train your dog without overfeeding it in the process.

Pet First Aid

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Invenio Training

Dogs, we make a conscious choice to bring them into our home.  We feed them, care for them and alter our lives to accommodate them.  Essentially they become a member of our family.
As conscientious owners we ensure they are fed, exercised, wormed, have flea treatments and veterinary care.  Everything is planned from their boosters to worming.
What happens when it isn’t planned?

  • The one time they run across the road and get hit by a car?
  • When they eat poison set by a landowner?
  • The puppy who chewed through a power cable?
  • Being caught on a wire fence, cutting their head and ear open?
  • Kicked or crushed by livestock.
  • Drowning.

The list goes on, accidents are never planned, they just happen.

If you or a member of your family is hurt you call 999 and help arrives, you would be stabilised and taken to see a doctor.  For your dog, you are the emergency help, your immediate actions can make the difference between life and death, buying time before you see the vet.

We invest time, love and money into out dogs and pets; I am keen to give owners and businesses (who look after other peoples’ dogs) the confidence to be able to act the one day it all goes wrong.

Please visit my website and contact me for more information.

As a soldier in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps and as a pet dog owner I have treated and stabilised my own dogs and other peoples from shrapnel to cut pads.

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Seeing the helplessness and distress in someone as their dog suffers, is hard to forget.  So make a difference; show them that you love them when it really matters.

There are courses throughout the year; the next one is on 8th December 2014 at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.  Money from the courses goes towards supporting this valuable charity.

 

Thank you
Bruce Petty

Enter a pic of your ‘Pooch Passenger’ and win

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Pooch passenger

If your dog loves a road trip, gets excited every time they see you’re heading for the driveway and simply can’t wait to hop on in to the car, then you’re definitely going to want to give the brand new competition from The Car Buying Service a go.

 
Enter a picture of your eager ‘Pooch Passenger’ and you could win a £50 Pets at Home voucher so you can spoil your furry travel companion with a treat or two.

 
Take part in the competition and you’ll not only be in with a chance of winning this top prize, but you’ll also be doing your bit for charity too, because The Car Buying Service will donate £1 to Manchester Dogs’ Home for every pic they receive.
Entering’s easy: just take a quick snap of your dog in the car – the more creative the better (nothing dangerous, though, of course) – then share the picture publicly on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #poochpassenger.

 
Want some inspiration when it comes to creating your pic? Then take a look at the special #poochpassenger page where you can see all the entries that have been submitted so far; once you’ve sent in your image, it’ll be displayed there too.

 
To find out more and read the full terms and conditions, head on over to www.thecarbuyingservice.co.uk/pooch-passenger/

Can You Guess the Most Searched Puppy in 2014?

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Financial service startup Bought By Many recently created a research report listing the most searched puppies in the UK in 2014. Can you guess what’s number one? We couldn’t… The results will surprise you.

Trending Puppies
This year there is a brand new puppy in first place. The brilliantly named Cockapoo has grabbed the nations attention this year and has been named the UK’s most searched puppy.A mixture between the Cocker Spaniel and the Poodle, these pups have knocked the Cocker Spaniel off the top spot to number four.

German Shepherd puppies have seen a surge in popularity in 2014, rising six places to 5th, with Husky, Golden Retriever, and Boxer puppies also making gains. Meanwhile, Chihuahua, Pug and Shih Tzu puppies have all seen a decrease in popularity.

Surprisingly Rottweiler puppies are the only new breed to enter the top 15 and have displaced Border Terrier Puppies who previously occupied the 15th Spot in 2013. Evergreen favourites like the Labrador, Jack Russell Terrier, and the Bulldog have all held their positions, along with Beagles and French Bulldogs.

To find out more about how the report was created please visit the Bought by Many Blog https://boughtbymany.com/news/article/trending-puppies-q2-2014/

Bought by Many is a new online organisation that anyone who owns a dog should check out. Their goal is to help people who share something in common (for example a puppy) get a better deal on insurance. They do it by clubbing people together in groups, they then use collective buyer power in negotiation with insurance companies giving you a better deal. Visit them here… www.boughtbymany.com

 

PEDIGREE CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY

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This year Pedigree is celebrating its 50th birthday and did you know that it’s the biggest Petcare brand in the world, with sales of over $1billion? Pedigree’s success has been built on a love of dogs and a commitment to putting nutrition at the heart of the brand. Ever since the first Pedigree can was produced, our products have been underpinned by the science of the WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition, the world leading authority on dog nutrition.

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At Pedigree everything we do is for the love of dogs and we are constantly innovating to meet their needs and those of their owners. It is why we were the first to create truly effective oral care products, it is why all our main meal products are 100% complete and balanced and it is why we create products that help owners get the most out of their relationship with their dog. From cans to pouches, treats to oral care – Pedigree has led the way!

This innovation and drive to improve continues today and, as we celebrate our 50th birthday, we are proud to bring three new products to the market that highlight our understanding of the needs of dogs, their owners and the special relationship between them both, which include:

PEDIGREE® DENTAFLEX®
Four out of five dogs over the age of three have gum disease. With our Pedigree® DentaStix products we created the oral care category, but we recognised some owners wanted a product that their dog could really get into and would look after their teeth. Launched in July 2014, after five years in development, Pedigree® DentaFlex® is a longer lasting, tasty chew that reduces the build up of plaque and tartar close to the gum line when fed twice weekly.

It was developed by oral care science and technology experts at Pedigree®, with significant input from leading veterinary dentists, and is a completely new dental chew. The combination of active ingredients and its revolutionary spongy texture that flexes around the tooth enable it to clean close to the gum line.

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PEDIGREE® TASTY BITES™
Treats play a hugely important role in helping to build a bond between owner and dog. They give owners an opportunity to interact, treat and reward their pet. Pedigree recognises that owners want to have lots of treating moments with their dogs, but in a responsible way.

New Pedigree Tasty Bites™ launched in August 2014 are delicious treats in a bite-size format perfect for treating at any time, in a calorie controlled way. The whole range is packed full of essential omega 3 vitamins and minerals that will help keep dogs happy and healthy, as well as providing a selection of tastes and textures that owners tell us they are looking for.

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Pedigree® Pouches
Wet dog food has a macro-nutrient profile very similar to what dogs would eat in the wild and all Pedigree® wet products are 100% complete and balanced providing the 40 essential nutrients that dogs need. We know dogs love this product and so wanted to provide it to owners in a fuss-free, easy to use format. Launched in September 2014, new 100g Pedigree® Pouches are single serve pouches that offer owners an easy and practical feeding format for their pets. We understand both owners and dogs and this new product provides a solution that we know owners want.

Pedigree® Adoption Drive

Pedigree® Adoption Drive
Through the Pedigree Adoption Drive, we have been supporting rescue homes since 2008 and we are proud to have donated over £1.5 million. Last year, Pedigree donated over 2 million meals as part of the Buy One, Feed One campaign. This year we are continuing with this effort and will, again, award almost £100,000 in funding grants to rescue homes to improve their facilities.

Autumn Vet Clinic for dog owners with Chris Packham and vet Paul Sands

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Log on to our live and interactive web TV show to for tips and advice on how to make sure your dog stays healthy and happy this autumn

Show date: Tuesday 23rd September
Show time: 13.00

Keeping our precious pooches healthy is the number one priority for responsible pet owners, yet how many of us only take our dogs to the vet when they get sick, or they are in pain?

Preventative health care is a key aspect of responsible dog ownership, and moving from the summer months into autumn and eventually winter can be a challenging time.

On the back of long, dry summer and mild autumn, we can expect to see a much higher prevalence of ticks.

And as we move into the cooler winter months and turn on our central heating, we need to be aware of the potential for fleas to multiply in our warm homes. So what do we need to look out for, to ensure our pets are not subjected to unwanted passengers and the diseases they can bring.

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Log on to our web TV show where Chris Packham and leading vet, Paul Sands, will talk through what you can do to ensure your dogs remain parasite and disease free.

Advent calendars for dogs.

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The doggie advent calendars have been created to educate the general public on the best ways to avoid the pitfalls when looking for a new pet, spreading awareness of Pup Aid and to fundraise for animal rescues across the country. The biscuits and chews within the advent calendar are all made with human-grade ingredients and are fit for human consumption. They contain no salt, no sugar, no additives and no preservatives to ensure they are the healthy choice. Order your advent calendar today and we’ll deliver it to your door in the last 10 days of November.

At least 50p from each sale goes to Pup Aid to help them lobby the government to change the welfare laws surrounding the sale of puppies and kittens. Another 50p from each sale will go to the UK animal rescue of choice of the purchaser. Details about the biscuits and chews, including manufacturer, ingredients, analytical content are listed on the calendar, so owners that have a dog with allergies can check before giving their pet the daily treats.

http://www.barneysbiscuitboxes.co.uk/