150km June!

Hey! June has sprung upon us here at Daisy Pets, and I am not sure how to feel about it. I feel as though this year is slipping through everyone's grasps, and I haven't accomplished or done what I said I would by this time. I need to kick myself in the bum, and realise that the months will keep slipping by. For a lot of people this means it is time for Junk Free June, where they kick out junk food for one whole month. Some people will be raising money for charity, others will be doing it for the health aspects. My mother and sisters are all participating, and have stocked the cupboard with more appropriate snacks. I won't be. I am already on a plant based diet, so I don't really have the chance to eat 'junk food' as much as the next person, so don't see the interest in cutting out something I may want to eat.

So instead of Junk Free June, I will be doing my own challenge. That is 150km June. I want to walk/run/hike/crawl 150 kilometres with Diego in June. I usually don't track our walks, so cannot tell if this is going to actually be a challenge or if it will be a walk in the park. We shall see I guess.

We have been having horrendous weather lately, constantly raining, and not just a casual drizzle either, it has been storming for about two to three weeks now! This will make the challenge harder as we will need to fit in long walks around the weather, and hopefully not have to do too many horrible rainy walks. It also is extra incentive to leave the house each day, because a lot of the time I just want to cuddle up in bed with a hot drink. Diego also loves to encourage that habit by crawling under the blankets with me, but I know we will both be better off if we actually brave the colds and get outdoors.

I would love to have some people join this challenge with me, or atleast share some memorable walks for the month. I will be using the #150kmJune on Instagram for all my related posts, and will be doing weekly updates on the blog. Feel free to tag your own photos, and comment on our posts with how well you are tracking! Remember it is all about having fun, and enjoying the company of your dog while getting fit and active.

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Weekend Getaway to Rotorua

This past weekend Diego and I took a spur of the moment trip to Rotorua to visit my dad. Unfortunately, the whole trip seemed to be filled with stormy weather so I wasn't able to get the camera out of its bag very often. Diego and I drove up from Whanganui on the Friday and it is such a beautiful drive along a quiet, old highway surrounded by farm land and tumbling hills. When we arrived in Rotorua, we went straight to the Redwoods for a stroll. It was a patch of decent weather, only spitting for a bit of our walk. I am still working on my photography in low lit areas, so walking the forest did come up with a bit of a challenge for me, but I think I managed to get a few nice shots.

On the Saturday, we went out for brunch and had a coffee, then went back to the Redwoods. I accidentally left my camera at home this day so I didn't get any photos. We explored further into the bush on that walk, and actually went up into the hills which I didn't do on Friday. It was a wicked walk, but due to the poor weather recently, it was quite muddy. Dad has a bet going about being able to swim outside every single day for a year, so late at night Diego, Dad and I all trudged down to the lake that he lives by and Diego and Dad went for a pitch black swim. Diego was a lot less brave than Dad, and only put his paws in before running up and down the shoreline.

On Sunday, it was a terrible storm, with no break in sight. We planned to go on a hike at a nearby reserve to dad's home. Finally there was a tiny break in the weather, so we quickly packed up and headed onto the trail. About a minute into our walk it started pouring down, so the rain jacket had to go on my camera bag and at no point did the rain stop. That was unfortunate because it was a super nice walk and it would have been so much better without the rain!

Monday was the day we were to head back to Whanganui, so after we had packed up the car and were ready to go, we took one final trip to the Redwoods. This time we went on the dog side, and this is a huge area with lots of open fields, and planted trees. This area was allowed off-leash and Diego had a great romp around. This was a great way to end our trip to Rotorua, and start the four hour journey back home. On the way home we stopped off to view this waterfall, and have a quick rest stop to stretch our legs. It kept raining on our way home as well otherwise I would have stopped at more of the scenic lookouts. It really is such a beautiful drive and showcases New Zealand's beauty.

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The Life and Death of the Postman

We got this awesome Postman toy from Puss & Pooch in the Mega Lucky Dip pack. It is made of a thick canvas material, and has been stuffed in different segments, so that if there is a hole in the arm, they cannot take all the stuffing out, and vice versa. We have had this toy for a couple weeks now, and Diego has loved it since he first got it. He has spent many an hour laying down with it in his mouth and just gently squeaking the toy. I also found him asleep with it still jammed tightly in his jaws. I think the best thing about this toy is the look of it in your dogs mouth. I loved watching Diego trot up to me, with the postman's arms swinging erratically as though he was scared and asking for help. Thankfully, I got some photos of Diego running with the toy so you can see how comical it looks. During this photoshoot was the final days for our postman, the holes in his body finally giving away to Diego's snapping teeth and his stuffing was left strewn across the lawn.

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Treat Review: Hundur's Crunch Jerky Rolls

Diego recently has taken up a new hobby. It's not a hobby I personally enjoy, nor do I promote it. He has taken to charging full speed to people across a stretch of land when on our walks. It doesn't matter if they are alone, if they are with kids, if they have a dog, anyone that he can see, he will go and check out. This makes for a very uncomfortable run for me across the expanse of land that he has decided to charge across. He means no harm, and is a friendly dog, but really it is something that no one likes. To combat this problem, I have started taking treats along on our walks and often practicing recall when there is no one around. When there is someone, I have started putting him on a lead. Just until I can hundred percent guarantee he will listen to me.

Coming back to me when there is something else more enticing is not the first choice of Diego's, so I have to bring some very smelly, and enjoyable treats. Recently, we were lucky enough to be sent some Hundur's Crunch Jerky Rolls from the lovely Janelle at Puss & Pooch. This is an all new product that she has got for New Zealand customers, and I was excited to try them out.

Hundur's Crunch are 100% fish, so there is no corn, wheat, soy or by-products meal added into the treats. This is amazing in a world where a lot of the pet food and treats contains so many less than perfect ingredients. Fish is high in Omega 3 which supports healthy skin and coat. What also is nice about this product is that the fish themselves are responsibly caught and sourced in Iceland.

Hundur's Crunch come in a few different styles of the same treat, and we have the Jerky Roll version. These are circle disk treats, that would suit any sized dog as a treat on their own. The disks are too big to be used as a reward for when out and about, or for use during training, however, they do suit giving to your pets when you feel the need to give them a decent sized treat. The treats, when chewed by a dog, have a flakey consistency that you would imagine of fish all smashed together into a shape, and they are eaten easily. This means that if given whole, the treat will also be helping to remove plaque and clean dogs teeth. However, if you are wanting to break these to use for smaller sized treats, like I have been with Diego, they are quite tough and hard to break. I have found the best method to break them into smaller pieces is to smash the roll with a hammer.

These treats are very smelly! They smell as you can imagine 100% fish treats would smell, and the dogs go crazy for them. The scent isn't as off putting as the Lamb Hearts that I reviewed HERE. The smell easily leaves the fingers once you wash your hands, and when out on my walks I hardly noticed the scent at all.

The dogs loved these treats. Diego would come racing from all parts of the park to make sure he got some of these. Chico also really loved them, that at one point he nearly took off my whole hand because he couldn't wait to chew on them. These are guilt free treats as well, since nothing bad has gone into them, and fish is a wonderful addition to a dogs diet. I would definitely recommend these to anyone who is on the market for some new treats to try. I am even purchasing more right after I type up this blog post, and I will be trying the other styles as well. I will have to do a comparison post on them all for you as well.

At the moment, these treats are available HERE. As well as these treats, the brand makes a few others that you can also purchase from that link. I would love to know how you feel about these treats if you have tried them, so leave me a comment down below.

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Pet Bloggers Bloopers: May

On the 2nd Friday of every month there is a Pet Bloggers Bloopers Round Up, where Pet Bloggers share some photos from the previous month that something has gone wrong or is quite funny. I have been reading these for multiple months now and never really had something to contribute, well this month I do!

I had Diego perfectly posed by the Whanganui river, he was sitting nicely and looking directly at the camera. The background was perfect, a wonderful sunny day that was reflecting off the waters surface. As I clicked down to get this shot, Chico shot past, full Greyhound speed into Diego. 

This is the result:

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Inspiration or Craziness?

I am quite an impulsive person, and a lot of my actions and decisions are made on a whim. I got both Guinea Pigs on a whim, heck, I even got Diego on a whim. I left my well paying bank job on a whim, and then also moved to Whanganui on a whim. Sometimes this can be a bad trait, it makes me look indecisive and irresponsible. But in all honesty I do it because I am seeking happiness.

When Daisy passed away, it was the first time I was without animals in my life. Yes, mum had her cats and my now ex-partner had his dog, but I never really felt a strong connection to these animals. This left me rather depressed, and I realised then what a sad life it was to be without a pet. They help with so many emotions and responsibility that you feel wanted and needed in the world. That is why I got Schmutz, then BMO and then Knuckles. All for a want of a pet in my life. Thankfully, these whim decisions were great and were what started the foundation of this blog. If I had acted on a whim back when Daisy was alive, I would have already started this blog, and people would have got to known Daisy with all her crazy traits.

I, then got Diego on a whim. I had been looking for a dog, and wanting one, but hadn't really hundred percent thought into it. I had one look at Diego and knew I needed him in my life. I think at that point, I probably made the best choice of my life. Diego has been a constant in my ever crazy life, and has always been there. When going through a tough break up, it was nice to know someone depended on me, and if I didn't go to work, or walk him, he suffered, not me. He has in turn made this blog grow, and be something I can be proud of. He is an amazing wee dog.

The reason I type all this today, is that I have found a job in Whanganui, however it is less than desirable. I moved up to Whanganui for Diego to be with Chico, but also for myself to be with my family. My younger sisters were having a hard time as they recently moved up here as well (They are 11 and 13) and I thought that since I have no real commitments down in Wellington, I should spend the last years of their childhood with them. We are a super close family. This job I have found, is all afternoon/evening shifts, and I would work on weekends. This means that I would only see them two afternoons a week. That didn't sit right with me. Not only that, I found a lot of loopholes in the contract, that worked out for them, but not so much for me.

Should I go with the job that is there, that would teach me amazing new skills, make new friends and earn full time money, or should I find something that is more suitable hours, that allows me to spend time with my family and work on my blog? It is a tough decision, and I am still not sure where I stand. I want to be in a place of happiness and excitement, and I don't want to dread going to work each day. But then I also want to afford to buy things for Diego and I when I want, and not have to worry about the constraints of money.

I truly believe that people should follow their passions, their happiness and put their mental and physical wellbeing at the top of importance. Too many people get sucked into bad relationships, jobs or even living areas that they don't like or enjoy and they get trapped in the vicious cycle of being there. I don't want to be one of those people. I want to continually set goals, and work towards what I would consider my dream job and life. This means that I need to think about every decision, and decide whether it helps me towards my goals, or if it is just a means of money.

I look up to and respect people around me that have followed their passion, and set up something for themselves that is amazing. I love seeing the spark in people's eyes when they are doing something they love, or even when discussing the thing they love, and they get so full of emotion and passion. I want to be that person. I don't want to get caught up in a life of hoping for the weekend and not enjoying every present moment.

I am not sure if any of this makes sense, but thought a good ramble was needed.

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Dog ID Tags That Last a Lifetime?!

Hey! Every dog owner worries that their dog may get out one day, and that they will become lost. Thankfully, with dogs wearing collars, we can add dog tags with numbers and names onto them so that if found, we can get a phone call to pick up our pet. Now that idea has been taken one step further, by having a dog tag that is attached onto the collar, not dangling! This prevents the dog tag being ripped off, or getting snagged on something.

As of May 2015 when first purchased.

Bow Wow Boutique offers these wonderful tags that are made from non magnetic stainless steel and then engraved with your details. She gets these done over in the United States and they are guaranteed to last the lifetime of your pet. The tag hooks onto your dogs collar snuggly around the material, and once placed on correctly it will not fall off.

I purchased Diego's tag in May of 2015, and since then it has been on a few collars. I got his engraved with my mobile number, and my now ex-boyfriend's mobile number (What a mistake that was). I didn't get Diego's name engraved because I am scared that if someone knows his name, they are more likely to steal him or resell him. A bit crazy I know, but I prefer to be safe. Bow Wow Boutique allows you to engrave your pets name, phone numbers and addresses if you want, and then it is up to you to decide what you want on it.

When I first got it, we had it on Diego's light blue collar, and it caused no damage to the collar at all. No discolouration or tears when we removed it. Currently, Diego has it on his dark blue galaxy collar and as with the original collar it hasn't worn the collar at all. I know that with Daisy we had a traditional dog tag and it rusted around her collar leaving unpleasant marks, so it is wonderful that this doesn't do that.

This tag has never fallen off, or been close to coming off. It is literally so hard to remove, and once on, it really is on. We have never had any trouble with it snagging on anything as there is nothing dangling down that could get caught.

As of May 2016 after owning and using for a year.

Another great thing about this tag is that it stands out. If someone was to grab Diego by the collar they would easily see the tag, and even more easily be able to read the numbers that are on it. We have had it a year, constantly on Diego's collar, and the engraving is still in amazing condition. There is no spots where you might be unsure of the number, everything is clear. Diego has swam, hiked, got dirty, been washed, and just done general doggy things with this tag on, and there is no sign that it has happened.

I would 100% recommend these over traditional dog tags, and have already started convincing friends and family to buy them for their dogs. They are inexpensive, and could mean the difference between you being reunited with your pooch or not. You don't have to worry about your dog losing the tag, getting caught while running through the bush, or the tag getting into your dogs food and water. To purchase, contact Alex from Bow Wow Boutique directly on their Facebook page.

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Book Review: Pukka's Promise by Ted Kerasote

Hey! Today I am bringing you another book review, this time it is Pukka's Promise written by Ted Kerasote. Ted Kerasote also wrote Merle's Door, which I read sometime last year and really enjoyed so thought I would give this one a read also.

Pukka's Promise is about Ted's hunt for a new dog to come into his life after five years without Merle. The major twist in this book, compared to any other dog related book I have read, is that it not only does it follow his journey on getting Pukka, it contains a heap of facts and research about dogs. Ted was upset about how low the longevity of a dog is, and had also had a lot of people contacting him after Merle's Door to share similar stories of how young their dogs passed away. So with that in mind, he went about researching how we could look at keeping our dogs happy and healthy for longer.

There was all sorts of research and topics that went into this book, from dog nutrition, to whether or not to spay/neuter your dog, to the shelter systems in America. I did find it hard to get into the book, and I had the book for about four weeks in total (usually I can get through a book of this size in under a week). Ted's writing style is different, he often talked about Merle as though he was physically there, which was untrue, and he also puts words into his dog's mouths. I am all for pretending dogs speak, I just was not one hundred percent keen on the way it was portrayed in this book. The scientific and research sections of this book were amazingly written, and made every important point easy to understand and absorb. 

There is a couple things I want to bring up, without disclosing all the great data inside the book. In one chapter, Ted was researching the toxicity of dog toys and found alarming answers to a lot of the products he sent in for testing. In this section of his book he brings up Planet Dog dog balls, and said that it was the only dog toy that his dogs couldn't destroy. He got these balls tested and they all came back nontoxic. This is amazing news as Planet Dog makes the Diamond Plate Ball that Diego loves and chews daily.

Another point he brings up in the book is that dogs need off leash time on a regular basis to keep their mental wellbeing at peak. Dogs get stressed if they are unable to spend time exploring their surroundings without someone attached to them via a leash, and stress leads to a shorter life expectancy. This is something that can be hard depending on your area, as well as your dogs reliable recall. I think it is something you should keep in mind though, and try your hardest to find places that you can let your dog offleash to explore. 

The final point inside that I want to bring up is probably a bit controversial at the moment, especially in New Zealand. If you weren't aware, currently in New Zealand there is a lot of public debate about completely banning Pit Bulls as they are supposedly the most dangerous dog breed. A quote directly pulled from the book is 

'These dogs - American Pit Bull Terriers, Bull Terriers, and American and Staffordshire Terriers, as well as the mixes that had been bred from these breeds - had become the dog of choice for tough young men in America's inner cities. They weren't necessarily bad dogs, but they were strong dogs, and when trained to be aggressive, they could do damage.'

I bring up this quote because I believe whole heartedly is that this is the problem, people breeding and training strong dogs for aggression, not the actual breed. If Pit Bulls were to be banned, they would just move onto another breed and in ten years we will be discussing banning that new breed.

This book was eye opening about a lot of different things in regards to the pets we bring home, and I felt like I have learnt and retained a lot of valuable information. Even though it took me a while to get through it, I am glad I have read it and now can spurt off some facts to anyone that asks. I think it is a worthwhile read for people who are interested in the scientific side of their pets, or who would love for their pets to live longer than they currently do. 

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