Puppy Love

There must be something in the air around Castle Ashby, as in the last few weeks I’ve been inundated with teeny pups aged from 8 weeks to 16 weeks! How lucky am I?!?

I thought I’d share this pic to show some of them, and their names and ages (at time of picture) are listed below!

From Top left – bottom right: Winnie 16 weeks, Millie 16 weeks, Huxley 11 weeks, Honey 11 weeks, Dorie 16 weeks, Teacup 8 weeks, Dotty 16 weeks, William 10 weeks, Dexter 12 weeks, Matilda 10 weeks, Piggle 10 weeks, Maizey 14 weeks, Alfie 16 weeks, Billie 14 weeks, Greta 10 weeks & Meg 16 weeks.

It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it! J

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We're Game

Yesterday Alfie and I had a fab day with Louise & Mac at the CLA Game Fair at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. The sun was shining, and we had a lovely time with our chocolates, people watching and, of course, a bit of shopping! The Joules tent with its big discounts was hard to resist!!

The boys even got to have a swim in the palace lakes, and got lots of fuss, as usual!

Next year, the CLA Game Fair takes place in Leeds from July 31^st – August 2^nd, and we thoroughly recommend it for a great day out!

Lisa x

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Two Much Love

Today is our LAST DAY at Heart of the Shires!!! Come and see us, it will be emotional, but we're full steam ahead for making the new shop at Castle Ashby look fantastic!

It is also Alfie’s birthday today! I can't believe my baby boy is 2... this photo is the first day I met him, and took him home! He has been my best friend and saviour ever since and I just love him so much!

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Jasmine's Back!

As some of you know, due to a change in my circumstances Jasmine was not living with me for a few months (she was being looked after by her dad instead); but now she’s back!

I’m very happy to have both of my furbabies back together and with mummy in a new house. Jasmine is loving life in the countryside, and has been spending her days happily exploring J

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Snap Happy

Alfie and I were so excited to spend Sunday morning with Sarah and Mike from Amour Pix, to capture some special photographs of us together.

It was so much fun, and Alfie was a really good boy as usual. Here are some of the pics.

You can find out more about the wonderful Amour Pix and the photography packages they provide here -> www.amourpix.co.uk or by visiting their Facebook page, where they often share special offers and competitions. www.facebook.com/amourpix

We couldn’t recommend them more.

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Jolly Holidays

Jason, Alfie and I have just returned from a few days on the Yorkshire coast, which have been great. My number one objective for the year was to get Alfie on the beach for the first time, and we definitely did that.

It was so nice to be out and about in the sunshine and enjoy the British summertime! I’ve never seen a dog so happy as Alfie, as he ran around after his ball in the sand! We managed to encourage his swimming in the sea too, but it did mean getting in up to our waists, which was a bit nippy at times!

We found 3 really great dog friendly beaches in Scarborough, Filey and Whitby, and 2 great places to eat with him alongside us too.

If you visit Whitby Abbey (http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/whitby-abbey/) you are made to feel very welcome with your dog. We parked at the Abbey and paid £6.40 each to get in, then we were able to wander through the grounds, and into the museums with Alfie on a lead. We sat outside for a spot of lunch, then took the 199 steps past the church into the seaside town. After an amble through the busy streets, we stopped off at the dog beach for a run around. Alfie got absolutely covered in sand here, as he was just skidding and rolling around with joy!

We went to Ox Pasture Hall (http://www.oxpasturehallhotel.com/) for dinner and ate in the beautiful Bistro there. Alfie was very welcome to sit alongside us as we dined. The food was great, and beautifully presented. I fell in love with this place a little bit! Tasty and stylish grub, a big cool glass of chilled Pinot Grigio and my Chocolate Lab at my feet! Perfect!

The best beach we found was Hunmanby Bay, which is situated near Filey, between Scarborough and Bridlington. You can park for £2.50 for a whole day, and there’s plenty to do for a few hours. You can walk the long length of the beach to find a variety of cafes and beach huts for refreshments. There are plenty of dogs wandering around, but the beach is so huge you’re not bumping in to each other. If you have a dog who is less confident around other dogs, you can easily find your own private space to enjoy. Alfie was in and out of the sea for hours, and had a really, really great time there. So many things to sniff around, and plenty of waves to jump in. I liked Hunmanby Beach so much I would definitely consider visiting there even for the day, just to see Alfie so happy!

The other dog friendly beach we visited was North Bay in Scarborough, which is smaller, but still well worth a visit. There is a restaurant on the edge of the beach called Blue Crush Bar & Restaurant (http://bluecrushbar.com/), which allows dogs inside with you before 6pm. If you’re eating later than that (as we did), they can sit outside with you on the seafront with stunning views. We weren’t sure what the food would be like, but I have to say it was very good indeed, and really well presented again.

If you’re looking for a day out with your pooch (if you’re located near enough) or a few days break, I truly recommend the Yorkshire Coast.

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Fur better, fur worse

After hearing so much about them, I bought Alfie and Jasmine a FURminator deShedding tool each to see what all of the fuss is about! I’ve got to say, I am a total addict already, they are FANTASTIC!

As soon as they were delivered I had to give it a try, and just 10 minutes of brushing him produced so much dead fur I couldn’t believe it! It is lovely to use, with a comfortable rubber handle to grip, and it glides through fur with ease.

Alfie really enjoyed it too, and it was actually quite good for our bonding. Afterwards, his fur was just so soft and really shiny. I have been using it regularly since, and so many people have commented on his shiny, sleek coat. I used the large breed, long hair FURminator on Alfie, as he weighs around 26kg at the moment, and has really long wavy hair on parts of him.

Jasmine was harder to get hold of, but once I could pin her down she did start purring. She is quite long haired, so the amount of fur to come off was astonishing! I can only do a bit at a time with her because she won’t sit still long enough, so I have been working my way round her a bit at a time! You can really see the difference in the parts I have done compared to the parts I haven’t got to yet! She looks so much tidier!

Have a look on YouTube for plenty of recommendations and demonstration videos, like this one… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUIcQQ64vmo

I will be keeping Alfie’s in the shop for a while, for demonstration purposes, so feel free to come in and try it out!

I can honestly say, if you only buy one accessory for your pet this year, it should be a FURminator!

Finally, I have matched my low prices to Pets At Home. Get yours here http://www.barkitty.co.uk/category_dog_furminators_1.shtml

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Proud to be a Theo Pathitis #SBS winner 05.05.13

Run, Forest!

I had a rare day off from the shop today, so we did our favourite thing and plonked our JuJu wellies on and took Alfie & Bobby out for a walk in Salcey Forest!

  

It was a really crisp winter’s day, so we wrapped up warm and paced it out! The dogs got really muddy but they had a fantastic time! My sister Carla, and her boyfriend Ryan came along which was nice. We have lots to talk about as Carla is 4 months pregnant – due to have a baby on Alfie’s first birthday!

Most people who live in and around Northamptonshire know about Salcey Forest and the ‘tree top’ walk, which is great for dogs (and kids)! We actually don’t go up to the viewing deck with the dogs anymore, as it’s quite busy and they only get under people’s feet! However, it’s well worth going up there, as you can see for miles. On a clear day you can see right across the town.

We prefer to follow a route which takes about an hour, with plenty of puddles and interest for the dogs, and cut through woodlands between footpaths as there’s plenty for them to jump over and sniff out!

The café area is well equipped for dogs with plenty of drinking water available! Oh, and cappuccinos for those who prefer something more sophisticated! Don’t forget you need to take some change with you, as you do have to pay to park.

We take Alfie to some fields in Brafield-on-the-Green in Northamptonshire every morning for a good walk, as there are no distractions which is good for his whistle training! There are some beautiful public footpaths around there, so it’s really worth visiting for a good walk. Get to know the route so you can plan how far you want to go, otherwise you could go for miles and miles which may not be suitable if you have a young, or elderly dog. The route we take involves bridges, duck ponds, styles, wildlife, farmhouses and lots of puddles which is great for keeping us all interested. Just be aware of the cattle grids you encounter on these kinds of walks, as your dog could be really injured if they reach one before you do!

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Chew Much?

I recently posted this comment on my Facebook page, and had to share the responses I got as they made me laugh…

Naughty Alife chewed up my SD camera card and card reader this morning, meaning I lost about 100 photos!! What's the worst thing your pup has chewed up? Until this point it was the £10 note for Alfie! :/

“Oh dear! Poor Alfie! Wooden/Perspex heel on my shoes was gutting!”

“Poppy chewed my phone charger, I think that’s the worst but my husband would disagree as she ate his work laptop bag which he thinks is much worse:-)”

“Thankfully Archie has only chewed up a cheque (which got replaced) and a cable for my tablet which I could replace as well. Fingers crossed that's the worst of it ;)"

“Me!”

“Probably my D&G Specs... The ear pieces are now two extremely sharp metal spokes and they sit extremely crookedly on my head - luckily I wear contacts 99% of the time so I only need wear them just before bed!”

“My glasses. Had to wait a week before I could see clearly again”!

“Darcy has chewed the door surround at Phil’s house :/ and when Bella was a puppy she ate my mums house including the sky tv and phone cable!”

“Floss, my dads dog chewed his false teeth haha, dad wasn't laughing”!

“The receipt for my engagement ring, luckily I liked it”!

“Winston’s eaten 3 sofas and looks like Rosie’s heading down the same path”!

“Our lab Ruby chewed up a lottery ticket a few weeks ago!! I spent ages trying to piece the remaining bits together to see if I could read the numbers until my other half came in that evening and reassured me that it was one he'd already checked! Phew”!!

“My living room carpet now needs replacing thanks 2 my pup Bailey chewing a big hole in the middle of it” 

“2 mobile phones, a brand new pair of £140 shoes straight out of the box, credit card, phone charger, laptop charger, plug off the iron, £20 note....I could go on for a while”…

“I woke up once to find Rio, a 9 year old chocolate lab, going for my Swarovski earrings that were on the coffee table. Luckily I screamed so loud I made him jump and he spat them out. Oh and he ate a whole bag of dolly mixture at the weekend lol”!

“3 pairs of glasses, a pair of Prada sunnies, 2 pairs of £100 3D glasses, 2 sets of iPad headphones, the coffee table legs... I think that about covers it ?!”

“Paracetmol packet luckily leaving the tablets all on the floor and not eating them”!!!!

“Haha, these are very funny - although I feel bad for laughing. I think the worst Lily has chewed is our Internet cable and hubbies shoes (luckily she isn't bothered about mine)”

“My 15 week old Lab Puppy has only managed to get the nozzle on our hoover and the phone wire! I'm hoping that’s all she gets! She isn't left alone long enough to get up to too much mischief”!

“Alfie chewed my friends boots that she left at the door in my house , 2 massive holes totally unwearable !! She must have stinky feet I reckon ??
P.s cost me a new pair though!”

“A pair of Churches Shoes !”

“Lincoln still has a shoe fetish and is 4 now! But have to say the worst thing he ate that he wasn't supposed to was a rubber wine cork, he swallowed it whole and it got stuck in his intestine, had to have an emergency operation or he would have died, cost us £1000 in total!! He was 3 so still not a puppy!! He's just naughty and if you tell him no he goes out of his way to get whatever it is”!!!

“Between my 3 doggies they've managed to eat the legs of kitchen table, 2 sets of kitchen chairs(replaced chairs ate the new ones) ,skirting boards, decking, took a nice chunk out of the sofa, numerous shoes and chargers, and the leather case containing our wedding album” :-)

“A mobile phone, my cashmere jumper, log basket, a drawer of an antique desk belonging to my parents that i had forgotten to close.............joy and chaos in equal measure is how I sum up life since Lottie joined us!”

“Don't even get me started”!!!!

“My mobile phone charger i have to charge it on the PC now (naughty Leo) lol”

“X2 mobile phones & Ray Ban sunglasses”!!!!

“Molly chewed every electrical cable I had, low ceiling so no ceiling lights, and she chewed all my lamps. I spent the first 6 months of having her in the dark! Touch wood Bob’s only eaten a house plant so far!”

“Mine’s gross!! Here we go!! Changing my sons dirty nappy and I ran outta wipes so went and got some came back in and my hubby's dog had ate the entire dirty nappy contents and all!!! Yak!! So ..... Later that evening I let her out for last time before bed for her to re poo it out in front of me and my friend who was over at the time then she turned round and ate it all back up!!! YES DISGUSTING!!! But that's worst thing she’s eaten… made me throw up”!!

“Alfie has also eaten Ray Bans, I forgot that... and he's eaten numerous shoes. He ate a roll of Sellotape the other day - which wasn't expensive but was REALLY inconvenient as I needed it”!!!!

“Paddy, my parents Lab, ate 120 bags of pick'n'mix we'd put together for my wedding!! Lolly sticks, wrappers, paper bags, the lot”!!!!

“My hubby's dogs also as well as a dirty nappy ate my Dominos!!! Put it on side to pop to the loo, came back in to no pizza just a chewed up box in her bed literally gone - seconds and it was all over!! Heartbreaking Dominos of all pizzas the king of pizzas!! If she ever pinches one of my Krispy Kremes she will be sorry lol”!

“Lol mine don’t chew my house things!! Just sneak off food whenever they can!! They eat way too much! Lol”!

“Many years ago, my English Setter pup ate a plastic greenhouse, in a morning! Unfortunately, it was to have been our son’s birthday present, so he didn't even get to see it”!!

“Mine and Jen’s Jack Russell Phoebe, chewed my wallet with the contents of £100 chewed into pieces”.

“The list is endless my 10 month old Setter Munster Landers have eaten most things including, shoes, blankets, phone chargers, cushions, chair, 9 toilet rolls in one go, sponges, new phone, bank card, lap top chargers, coats, glass photo frame but the worst one was walking in with my boy Archie eating a carving knife”!!

“Just got home to a huge bite size hole in my birthing ball - needed a bounce to ease my cramps!!! Cheers Rocco!”

“Ventolin inhaler ,poor sod was lets say very alert for a good few hours”!

“Shoes... What more do I have to say??! And the remote, and a credit card”!

“2 remotes! 2 chair legs the wall laptop cable!!! The list goes on…”

If you have any stories of your own email me at lisa@barkitty.co.uk and I’ll share them!
View this list online, and see the numerous comments being added all time time… www.facebook.com/barkittypetboutique

Lisa x
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