Fireworks and Pets | How to look after your pets during fireworks.

Here in the UK the dreaded night for pet owners is upon us. Remember, remember the 5th of November. Dogs remember it all right, and mostly for the wrong reasons. Fear!

According to the RSPCA more than 45 percent of dogs in the UK show signs of fear when they hear fireworks. 

It doesn't have to be that way so please don't ignore the problem. A firework phobia can be treated meaning your dog doesn't have to feel miserable every year. 

The best treatment you can offer is preparation. Here are a few simple things you can do to help your pet deal with fireworks. By preparing in advance before fireworks start your pet will be better able to cope with the noises.

Top Tips For Looking After Your Pets During Fireworks. 

• Provide your pet with a safe haven. This means they always have somewhere to hide if they want to. Examples include under furniture, a dog crate or under your bed. Providing extra bedding will also make them feel more secure. 
• Keep your pet INDOORS. This is a must! During the firework season walk dogs during daylight hours and keep cats and dogs indoors when fireworks are likely to be set off. 
• Once is starts to go dark, close windows and curtains and put on some music or television (at a little higher level than normal) to masks and muffle the sound of fireworks. 
• Make sure pets are kept in a safe environment and cant escape if there is a sudden loud noise. Try to block all exits, especially for cats its a good idea to block off any cats flaps or windows. 
• As hard as it might be, don't fuss over them your pet. This will only make it worse. The best advice is to ignore their behaviour to avoid reinforcing it. Leave them alone unless they are likely to harm themselves.  
• Try to stay in with your pet and avoid leaving them home alone during the firework season. If you do have to leave your pet alone for anytime, try and be as short of time as possible. Provide a doggy plan area, making sure a radio or tv is on to drown out the noise. 
• Most importantly make pets identifiable. Make sure your pets are microchipped and have a ID Tag in case they do escape and that all your records are up to date. 

If for any reason your dog still struggles with fireworks. Don't panic! Dogs go through stress at one time in their life and Lottie is no different. I really underestimated just how stressed she would be during a car journey. After many different methods, much to no avail. Our VET recommended a Pheromone Diffusers (No we hadn't heard of them either). They dispense the synthetic copy of the natural canine appeasing pheromone proven to help support dogs in a range of stressful situations. You can purchase them in a variety of different applications (collars, diffuse res, sprays) and are widely available in your local pet store. We couldn't believe the difference they made to Lottie. Here the brand that we highly recommend. 

Although its a little late for this year, its never to early to start to prepare for next year. Sound therapy for pets is another great tool that half of us don't use enough. There website can be found here. They offer a range of  downloadable audios that can be played when the dog is distracted and then increased in volume each time to desensitise the dog to that particular sound. 

Don't forget small animals

• If your pets live outside, partly cover the cages, pens or aviaries with blankets to help block out as much sound as possible. If you have a rabbit or guinea pig you could always bring themselves for the night. 
• Provide lots of extra bedding so your pets have something to burrow in.

They are just a few of our handy tips to help you guys prepare for fireworks night. Please don't forget your other pets too, especially if they are outside. 

Have you guys got any top tips to help your pet cope with fireworks. We would love to hear them. 

Jessica and Lottie. 

Most importantly keep your dog safe. Lottie likes to cuddle her teddy during fireworks. 

Halloween Gift Guide | Costumes and more...

Whether you agree or not with Halloween, each year it seems to become a mini like christmas event. With costumes, decorations and food related products, Halloween has definitely become a big hit.


To be honest I have varied opinions on the dressing up of dogs. Whilst I have seen many a friends dog, parade about in a spider themed costume. I do understand the side of the debate that argues that no dog should ever be treated like a doll. My best advice be lead by your dog, if you dog clearly hates the idea of being a devil dog for the night, then under no circumstances is it fair to let them wear it. If however like Lottie you like to parade around the house strutting their stuff then if used with common sense are completely fine.

With so many different costumes on the market it can be difficult knowing which one to buy, or where the best deals are? Never despair, below is out top five dog Halloween costumes which not only look great but are all at a affordable price too.

1 - Wag-A-Tude Orange Jack-O-Face Green Points Dog Sweater - £10 (Regardless of size) 

This is a classic and was our choice of costume last year. Keep your dog warm and cosy in this festive Orange Jack-O-Face Green Points Sweater, complete with 3D green knit leaves and black bells. We feel this is very reasonablee priced as regardless of size is £10. 

2 - Wag-A-Tude Black Red Devil Dog Headpiece and Tail Costume Set - £5.00 

This is great for those doggie's that aren't keen on a full costume but still want to get involved. Show off your dog's devil-ish side in the Black Red Devil Headpiece and Tail Costume Set. Which includes a Black devil headpiece (including 3D red horns!) with an elastic strap for comfortable fit, plus a Black tail (featuring 3D red devil tip!) with a velcro closure around the waist for an adjustable fit.

3 - Canine & Co - Red Devil Costume - From £14.00 

This cute little devil outfit will ensure your pet looks Spooktactular. Pawfect for any party, fancy dress, trick or treating or just for fun! This is a great options for those larger four legged friends as the size goes right up to 5xl. 

4 - Dogs & Co Halloween Dog Fancy Dress Costume Spider - from £19.99 

Despite this being the most expensive of all of the option we think it super cute. This great fun dog costume is complete with an attached hood with big (friendly!) googly eyes. Long legs that are bendy and a large padded abdomen.

5 - Lion Mane Wig for Dog - from £4.49 

Ok, ok I know this isn't a traditional halloween costume but there is definitely a big trend this year to wear a less spooky outfit. This Lion costume transforms your little friend into a Lion Dog! which will  definitely be the talk of any halloween party. 





Of course dressing up is not for everybody dog and we don't feel it fair that they should miss out on the Halloween celebrations. So these products are all a great alternative and will still give your dog so much fun. 

Squeaky Halloween Dog Toy - Pumpkin - £0.99 

Squeaky Halloween Dog Toy - Ball - £0.99

Spooky Halloween Spider Dog Toy - £2.99 

Squeaky Halloween Dog Toy - Bone - £0.99

We hope this Halloween gift guide give you plenty of inspirations to make sure your pooch has the best Halloween. Will you dog be getting dressed up this year? How will you spend Halloween? 

Love 

Lottie and Jessica 

Protextin Pro-Fibre For Dogs | All you need to know

After Lottie's tummy troubles I have decided to invest in some Protexin Pro-Fibre for Dogs. Yesterday we posted a picture on our Facebook Page, which promoted a few questions, so to answer all those question you may have we thought it was best to do a blog post about it. 

If like me you have never heard of Protextin Pro-Fibre before, don't despair neither I had! I like many, like to keep up to date in the doggie health world, but with so much controversy it can be difficult to know what supplements are best. 

Last week Lottie had a typical tummy bug and a few of our Facebook followers did recommended Protextin Pro-Fibre to help. At our next vet appointment I happened to mention Protextin to see what our vet thought. 

Lottie has had problems with her anal glands in the past, not nice but that what being a dog owner is all about. She normally has to have them emptied quite frequently. The vet thought it was a great idea to try some and was able to provide us with a tub to take home, unexpectedly it is reasonable priced costing around £15.00 for a 500g which based on our daily amount will last us 50 days! 

Protextin Pro-Fibre is very much like us taking a probiotic. It is designed to be given daily, which can help to promote efficient digestion and avoid the problems associated with insufficient dietary fibre.  Lottie is fed on a dry kibble and I didn't actually realise that a lot of modern dog can actually leave dogs with insufficient fibre in their diet which can lead to problems such as impaction of the anal glads and coprophagia. 

Its really easy and simple to give. It comes with a  scoop and dependent on your dogs weight varies the number of scoops you feed. For Lottie it's 10g which is one scoop once a day. 

It suggests that you give it over their normal food allowance as it is meant to be very palatable to dogs, however Lottie being the fussy little madam she is, she didn't like it. After some tips found online I am now giving it in her tea in a small amount of soft cheese and water(normally a cheese triangle). 

Even though Lottie has only being on it for a few days I have definitely noticed a different in her stools (they are bigger and firmer). Hopefully it will also mean that she won't need those pesky anal glads seeing to as much. We will report back on that when we visit the vets next. 

If you want to find out more information about Protextin Pro-Fibre click here. 

Woofs and Kisses, 
Jessica and Lottie 

Product Review : Pawsomebox Review

Everybody loves a treat including me, so I was delighted when mum said we were getting a Pawsomebox to review. 

What a Pawsomebox I hear you bark? 

Pawsome is a UK based company offering a pet subscription service. With a team of doggie parents they know exactly what make us tick. Pawsome understand that each dog is different. Puppy parents can set up a profile of their dog explaining their dogs age, breed, size and fur type and each box will be customised to your pets personal profile.

With 5 to 6 quality product, chosen and adapted to fit your dogs's profile each monthly box is filled with surprises. Whether treats, toys accessories or hygiene product, they only select the best of product for your pooch. 

They understand that not everybody can afford a subscription box every month, so have three plans to choose from - either a one- monthly box for £19.90, a three monthly plan receiving one box every month for £18.90 a box, a sixth monthly plan receiving one box a month for £17.90, or a twelve month subscription receiving one box every month for £17.90. The plan you choose decides the frequency of the payment, if you choose a monthly plan you pay each month, the other plans are billed according to their subscription length but a one of payment is taken for that subscription to active the great discount.  All plans include delivery by a independent courier for free. Plans also renew automatically to make sure your pooch never miss out, but there is no catches, you can cancel whenever you want. 

So what did we receive in our Pawsomebox?

As much as Lottie tried she isn't a item in August Pawsomebox, but we got lots of other fantastic goodies. 

Chicken Jerkys by Duvo+

Lottie loves chicken jerky so she was more than delighted to receive this item. These treats are made with real chicken, meaning your dog will love the natural taste as they chew away. Chew away she definitely did, they are a great size for small dogs and latest Lottie a decent amount of time (which is don't find with some other chews).  She loved them that much she even begged for a second. 

Sanal Chicken Sushi 

Now we had never heard of dog sushi before, so Lottie had never tried it. Upon opening the packaging it was very clear to see that Lottie would love them. Boy she did! Despite the fact she found them a little chewy, she was giving a paw for another, and another and another! Not that it worked every time!  These snacks are rolls of tasty chicken flavoured filling wrapped in a meaty outer casing. They are also low in fat content and don't contain any sugar, making them perfect do dogs with diet limitation or condition such as diabetes. 

Eurosiam plush lion toy 

This was definitely Lottie's favourite of all the items. She is very gentle with her mouth and still has all her puppy toy, so this is a new welcomed addition. It's just the right size and even has a little squeaker in its tummy to keep your dog interested for longer. With it bright colours and soft yet durable material your dog will love to snuggle down with this cutie. 

Eurosiam’s Garfield toy

Out of the three variety's for this item, boy are we glad we got this one. It just so cute. Lottie isn't keen on cats. She's definitely more a canine lover, but with this toy no longer does she need to forlornly try to win the love of the neighbours's cat next door! She can have all the fun of having a cat companion without the chance of being hissed at! I think you will agree, they are definitely the best of friends? 

Camon Pet ID tube

Not the most interesting of product, but absolutely vital never the less. Even though Lottie already has a pet ID this will come in very handy. You simply write your details on the paper provided, slide into the small container and add it to your dog;s collar. The ID tube is made out of durable and resistant metal, meaning that even if your canine is a water baby your contact details will be safe inside if someone needs to get to them. 

Biogance Cleansing Lotion for Dogs

The final product, is a cleansing lotion by Biogance designed either to help you cleanse the ears or clean the eyes of your dog. If your anything like us, you make sure you keep your dog in tip top condition. However, there are some areas that dog owners can forget, and the eyes and ears are a prime example of this. Lottie has the typical Westie skin condition which effects her ears, mouth and paws and is treated with medication from the vets. So here ears so get cleaned frequently. That said as soon as we knew that we would be receiving this product we made sure it wouldn't interact with her other lotions and potions! The vet said it would be fine and may actually help to improve her ears even more. The ears solution includes soothing natural ingredients such as menthol and rosemary extract, to help your dog to keep fresh ears and smell great at the same time! After two weeks use we definitely noticed a different, and Lottie ears definitely seemed to be improving. 

Want to find out more information about each of the products we recieved? Check out our video review below.

Like Lottie's Videos? Click here to subscribe Waggy Tales Youtube channel. 

Woof Rating 

So what did we think Pawsomebox? In a short answer we loved it. Each month you get to try and test new product that you necessarily buy or are able to buy from the high street. We feel its great value for money, especially with such a wide variety of subscription plans. As they do a one off box it also make an ideal Christmas present for a canine loving friend. If you want to spoil your pooch then a monthly subscription box from Pawsomebox is definitely for you.  

To find out more information, check out their website - www.pawsomebox.co.uk 

We received a subscription box from Pawsomebox at no charge in exchange for our honest and fair review of their product. All opinions expressed here are our own and truthful!

Doggie Vlog - Wordless Wednesday

You watched the likes of Sacconejoly and Zoella but they have nothing on the likes of this canine. Mum had a great idea last week of filming our first vlog for my Youtube channel. 

Filming commenced on the Sunday and both me and mum had a great. She wasn't so much for the editing though which took forever! Finally the video was ready to go live at 6pm on Monday.

We would love us if you could view my first doggie vlog below. Don't forget to paw that like button, leave us a comment and subscribe if your new.

Woofs and Kisses, 

Jessica and Lottie xox 

Wordless Wednesday - Pyjama Wrap

Hello Fwiends,

Ok, ok. I know this post is going out on Thursday instead of Wednesday. Mum was really busy yesterday (or so she tells me) and I use can't type it myself with those stupid keyboard keys!

I think somebody's found a suitable blanket! 

Woofs and Kisses

Jessica and Lottie

Its my Birthday!

Hello Fwiends,

Lottie here - once a year my human says I have this called a birthday. I mean, personally I just don't get it, but if it means I get lots of new things I'm all for it.

All last week mum has been saying "It's your birthday on Sunday". Sunday I thought. How the heck am I meant to know when it's Sunday. I know I'm clever but knowing what day of the week it is, thats a bit advance for my doggy brain.

But, by using my doggy have special powers. I only had to track mum's actions to see that yesterday must of been the day!

Boy was I excited.

Apparently I turned the big Four on Sunday. Mum then muttered something about that being 28 in human years. Doesn't she realise I'm pure canine! 28! That makes me older than my mum, even I know that can't be right!

I had lots of great new toys and treats and of course was spoilt rotten.

Are all these for me! 

They look yum!

When mum posted my picture on my Facebook page I had over 300 likes. Wow! Thanks guys that made me feel very loved.

Be sure to check out the video below of me playing with one of my new toys.

Until next time, fwiends.

Woofs and Kisses

Lottie (And Jessica)

P.s I really wish they made these keys smaller than I could type my own blog. Be sure to check me out on the next series of Doggy Den! Hehe.

Doggie Photo Competition

 Vain! Me never! 

Two weeks ago mum entered me into a local doggy competition. The winner is the photograph with the most amount of likes on their Facebook Page. 

Just click on the link below. (Don't forget to click like on the my actual photo, or you vote won't count). 

Click here 

We are currently in first place but it would be great if you guys could vote for me. Mum and I would love to win. 

The photographer took that many great photos, that in the end mum ended up buying a few which she can collect this Saturday. 

It was a great day out and I felt like a Pudsey. 

Jessica and Lottie 

Its a dog's thing | Doggy Behaviour

Lottie here - Ok, ok. I know I haven't posted a blog post for agessss. Butttt both me and mum have been really busy really. Mum is graduating from University this summer so she has had lots of deadlines for her degree.

Anyway mum assures me that the hectic period is now over so busy can resume as normal (well as normal as possible in our house).

Over the last 24 hours we have been experiencing a heatwave here in the UK. So its really important to keep us doggies nice and cool. Mum has been pulling out all the stops to make sure I do just that. Anyway its time for me to go and seek out a few more birds so I will hand you over to mum, who has much more time on her hands than me.

Jessica here - I know 'Lottie has already apologised on our behalf for our lack of posts but I feel I should too. If you lives are anything like mine you can be half way through the year before you even know it. Just where has this year gone?

Anyway that isn't what I came here to write, so I had better get on with it.

With today being the hottest day ever recorded for July in the UK. I woke up this morning and thought I had better make Lottie some iced treats to help keep her cool.

I made her up several kongs using a wet dog food and some doggie ice cubes. For these I mashed a whole bananna and mixed it with some plain natural yougurt and just for good measure I popped a liver treat on the top (they always go down really well in this house).

During the midday sun I decided to see if they had frozen. Bingo! We had frozen iced cubes.

Now I'm not going to lie, they didn't look the most appealing treats I have ever given Lottie. Although a lot of doggie treats definitely DONT look good enough to eat.

Even though they had frozen I knew that once little madam had her paws on them, thing would turn messy. So, I decided to pop them into her normal food bowl to contain it.

Lottie has a Hing Bowl and she loves it. It's great at helping stop mess and I never accidentally run over it and end up with a swimming pool on the kitchen floor. I got it her when she was around 6 months old so its all she's ever know (just bare that in mind).

The 'Hing Bowl' 

On leaving the kitchen I had the little waggy tail hitting my wheelchair in excitement. Off we went into the garden so Lottie could enjoy her treat.

I placed the bowl (minus the holder ) on the floor and instructed Lottie with the normal wait command (so i could get the camera ready). Ok, I said. What happened next I definitely did not expect.

She went up to the bowl and immediately backed off. It soon became quite clear she wasn't going to eat them. Oh no! I thought. She doesn't like them. Then I thought, surely her taste buds can't change in less than 12 months, she loved them last year.

Then I had a light bulb moment!

She wont eat out of the bowl without the holder.

Off I wheeled back into the kitchen to fetch her holder. We repeated the whole process again and BINGO she went straight up to the bowl and took one of the ice cubes out and eat it on the grass (I don't know why she does that, but she always has).

Afterwards it really made me think. Dogs really are more intelligent than we give them credit for. Lottie in her canine brain knew that something wasn't quiet right with the bowl and made the decision not to eat out of it. Something my human brain had never even thought of!

You can check out the whole 'thing' below in the video.

Does your dog have any funny traits/behaviour? We would love to hear them?

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Until next time friends.

Woofs and kisses
Jessica and Lottie

Wordless Wednesday | My new best buddy

Mum brought me a new friend when she went to the pet store the other day. I think I'm going to get on with him just fine, don't you? 

Jessica and Lottie 

This is a Blog Hop!

Monday's Mischief | Rain rain go away

Now don't get me wrong I love some aspects of winter. I mean what dog doesn't love to roll around is the wet and fluffy white stuff. Winter does come with some drawbacks though! Rain... and here in the UK we get it in bucket loads!

Rain can only mean one thing... no walkies! Not because my mum doesn't like getting wet and is a seasonal dog walker, but because I just don't like getting wet! End of!

The weather can be a funny thing though! One minute we leave the house to glorious sunshine, the next its raining cat and dogs (not literally of course).

Well that's exactly what happened today.

As soon as mum got my lead out of the draw I couldn't wait to get going. Everything was going great until I suddenly felt the first drop. I carried on for a while thinking it might only be a cup full or two! Next minutes it was more like a waterfall. I dropped my bum to the fall immediately and refused to move any further. Of course, I really hadn't thought this through. We were about 20 minutes away from home and there was no other way for me to get into the dry than walk!

For the next few minutes I made the walk home very difficult to show my utter disgust. A few yummy treats soon made me forgot about the wet stuff and back home we returned.

Mum dried me off and I was fast asleep in my bed in no time! 

Does your dog like walking in the rain?

Jessica and Lottie 

We've taken part in Monday Mischief blog hop hosted by Snoopy’s Dog Blog, Alfie’s Blog and My Brown Newfies

Wordless Wednesday | Biscuit thief

Ive told you. I know nothing about any missing biscuits! 

This is a Blog Hop!