Husky Puppy and Friends take on Dog Park

When you have a new puppy it is a known struggle to allow them off leash for a while, especially if they are a husky puppy. They definitely seem to have a mind of their own. This past weekend I got to spend a couple of hours with Mowgli, who is my friends four month old husky puppy. He is a gorgeous boy, with loads of personality but he really choses when and where he listens. This has meant it has been hard for my friend Scott to get some vital off leash exercise for Mowgli.

A great solution for this was that I suggested we head to the Ian Galloway Dog Exercise Park with another friend and his dogs. Ian Galloway is a large fenced dog park that allows dogs of all sizes and breeds to interact together. The fences are high enough that it would be nearly impossible for a dog to get out while the owners are about, and each entry has double gate entry meaning that chances of escapees are reduced significantly. Our other friends dogs were older and had been trained to be allowed off leash, however they still had an amazing time exploring the area.

One problem at the park at this time of the year was how muddy the grounds were. Nearly all of the park had been turned into a sludge of mud. Some areas were so bad that they were bordering on swamp like. As the dogs were running around some areas would cause huge splashes of mud to come off them, and in others the dogs would just get shorter as they ran through a deeper section of mud. This did't deter the dogs at all, but it sure made a messy car and lots of clean up when at home.

Unfortunately Diego couldn't come as he is still in Whanganui while I am in Wellington, but fingers crossed that over the next few months that changes and Diego will be reunited with his Wellington friends. We did meet a beautiful Greyhound at the park, which for his first time at the park he done amazingly well. He joined into all the doggy games and didn't let anything faze him! He was wearing a muzzle just in case while a little dog was around, but once it was just the big dogs the owners took that off him so he could enjoy himself fully.

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Wildebeest Linden Harness | Wolves Of Wellington

Hey! Diego, being a Staffy, has the gift of a good pull on him. Generally after a walk my leash arm is aching in the bicep and over time I do think my right side is a lot more muscley than my left. I had been meaning to teach Diego to heel, but never found the best opportunity. When I had time to walk, I didn't want to be doing a dawdle along the road, I wanted to go adventuring and get all Diego's energy out. This is probably a lazy excuse, and I still do plan on teaching Diego a respectable heel (on a normal collar) sometime soon. In the meantime though, Joshua from Wolves of Wellington recommended I try the Linden Harness by Wildebeest. He has been using it with Willow ever since she was a puppy, and for such a large dog, she behaved amazingly on our walk. With that in mind, I purchased a harness for Diego, and mum got a harness for Chico.

After sizing both dogs, we got Diego an Orange Harness in Medium, and Chico got the Turquoise in Large. Diego and Chico vary in size quite a lot when looking at them, and so that is why I definitely recommend you measure your dog before purchasing because you could easily get the wrong size. If you live in Wellington, Wolves of Wellington offers sizing and fitting when you pick up, which could help with any concerns you might have. The colours are super vibrant, and you can chose from a range of four colours. If you are more keen on all black, all the harnesses are reversible which would only show up the black webbing.

The idea behind the Linden Harness is that you clip the lead at the front of the chest, instead of on the back like traditional harnesses. This prevents the 'Lean in, and pull with your chest' approach that a lot of dogs get when put on the traditional harness. Diego was definitely one of those dogs, and on a harness his pulling got even worse on my arm! With the lead clip up the front on the Linden, if the dog does pull, instead of him going straight forward, it would pull him sideways. The clip is also placed in a way that when the dog does pull, the harness slightly tightens around their chest making them not want to pull. Similar to a Halti, but around the chest area.

The harness has worked wonders for Diego's pulling! While wearing this, he is generally at a heel or slightly in front and I no longer have arm pain. It also works a treat if he is interested in something on a walk that I don't want him to be (another dog, dead animal etc) I can easily pull him away with a light tug. Chico had the reverse problem to Diego, he would often stop on walks and would dig his feet in if you tried to walk him any further. This was mainly due to new scenarios and situations. Now when he does this, instead of tugging on his neck, you can give him a gentle tug on the lead and he will follow along. I want to stress though, that this is merely a training aide, and does not fix the problem of leash pulling or stopping. If I walk Diego on a normal collar he reverts right back to his usual ways. This is just a great tool to use to help with the training approach to a heel, or like me, as a way to walk Diego for hours without my arm popping off while I train a heel at other times.

Wildebeest also has come out with a range of other products, all with similar colours and materials. This means that you can match the harness to other products if that is something you are into. They have a lead, collar as well as other little accessories like poop bag holders and water bowls. You can shop that all from Wolves of Wellington at the same time as purchasing the harness.

The Linden Harness sells for $54.99 which I know can seem like a hefty price for a harness, but when you take into account how much you will be using the harness I think it works out. If you compare it to other similar products you will find it works out to be most cost effective as well. For example, the Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness is cheaper for the smaller dogs, but goes up in price depending on the size of your dog. It also does not look as hard wearing or up to the same visual standard as the Linden.

This has been a stand out product for me this year. It has really changed the way Diego walks on lead, making longer walks a lot more enjoyable and safer for him too. We have had tonnes of compliments on how well the two dogs walk on lead, and I make sure to inform them that walking both dogs at the same time is a horrible task without the Linden Harness. I definitely recommend this product, if you have a puller, or even if you just worry about your dogs neck when on a normal collar. It is well worth the money invested into it, and I can see from the quality that it will last a long time.

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Four Reasons you should brush your Short-haired Dog

Hey! An important part of dog ownership that a lot of short haired dog owners seem to forget is the importance of grooming. Short haired dogs are often over looked for this task as they do not get knotty like their long haired brothers. However, it is still a duty that needs to be done to keep you and your dog healthy.

1. Signs of Illness
When you are brushing your dog, you are up close and personal with him/her. You will be able to look and feel over your dog for any injuries or changes in their body. A lot of smaller cuts and scrapes can go unnoticed over time if you don't regularly check for them, and these can lead to infections. Another thing you will be able to feel is any unusual lumps which can be a sign of something worse inside of your dog, and be able to watch them for signs of growing each time you brush your dog. It is also a good opportunity to get a feel for your dogs weight, and how they are holding their weight.

2. Less Stray Fur
Some dogs shed more than others, and I find that even short haired dogs leave a lot of fur around the house. Diego has course fur, which sticks into carpets and chairs and is quite difficult to remove. Chico on the other hand has a lot more fur coming off him, but it is light and can easily be vacuumed up. During certain months, both dogs moult crazy amounts of fur and it feels like their is dog hair in everything. That is why it helps to brush them, preferably outside. This gets a lot of the loose fur off your dog, and helps to pull out the other fur meaning there will be less fur inside. During the change of seasons, I recommend brushing at least once a day as this is when the fur moults the most. The rest of the year, once of twice a week will make a drastic improvement on how much fur is left around your house.

3. Bonding Time
In this day and age, time is an important factor in a lot of our decisions and this means that bonding time with your pooch can be pushed low on the importance factor. With brushing regularly, it gives you a chance to bond with your dog in a close environment, while getting other benefits that we are mentioning. I find this a good chance to bring out some treats and do some basic commands as well, while teaching the dog to enjoy brushing and you being in close proximity. Its a great way to interact with your dog on a one on one basis, and gives the dog the opportunity to be the only thing on your mind.

4. Improves Circulation
Regular brushing helps not only with your dogs fur condition, it also can help with their skin and circulation. Depending on what type of brush you use, it will change what benefits your dog gets. I recommend for short-haired dogs that you use a rubber brush as this helps to circulate and massage the skin. Like massage in humans, brushing in a nice firm manner will help to prevent knots in muscles, as well as improving blood flow.

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Table Flat Horse Trekking

Hey! For my Birthday this year, instead of getting me a present my dad thought it would be so much cooler to go on an adventure. I have to agree with him, and now every time someone has a birthday I want to go on adventures, and make memories instead of giving them a physical present. So for my birthday, we stayed in Fielding, and went on a horse trek at Table Flat Trekking.

Dad, ever the deal hunter, looked around for a cheap deal on a horse trek, and then tried to find an area that was between both of us (Him, and his partner live in Rotorua, I live in Wellington). That is how he came across Table Flat Trekking and it turned out to be an amazing choice.

We got there and all four of our horses were already tacked up, and had been warmed up prior to our arrival. At this point we got the chance to greet each horse, interact with them and hear a bit about their individual personalities and traits. I chose Hercules, a horse that liked to take charge, but was also described as a 'cross-legged hippy, with a satin shirt and a joint in his other hand'.

Once we were all on our chosen horse, we were taken through a basic training on how to stop, start, and direct our horses. My dad, and his partners son both had never ridden so therefore this was a great opportunity for them to learn how to ride a horse. Dad's partner and I had both ridden, although I have not ridden in a few years that it was a great refresher. It was then time to take on an obstacle course which gave everyone more confidence before the trek, and helped us connect with the horses. This was such a nice touch as most treks go straight into the trek with no training.

After all that we started on our trek, which went through paddocks of sheep, forests and even some road riding. It was a beautiful trek, with some amazing scenery, with a backdrop of an incredible range of snow capped hills. We were at a walking pace the whole trek, and this suited everyone perfectly. It gave us a chance to enjoy riding, but also look around and appreciate how beautiful New Zealand is.

Once we got back from our trek (which was roughly about two hours long), Trish (Dad's Partner) and I got the chance to trot and canter our horses. We had a couple of goes at this, and it was wicked to see how quickly all my training as a kid came back to me. We got some videos of this, and watching them back it looks slow, but when you are on top of the horse it felt lightening fast.

We were then lucky enough to go feed the herd, so our horses were untacked and we drove to the field where the rest of her herd were. We threw out hay for all the horses to eat, and got some more descriptions and back stories on all ten of her horses. This was such a neat way to end the day, and as the sun was setting we got to be around all the horses, and the dogs and just enjoy what a wonderful time we had had.

If you ever get the chance to go for a trek, I definitely recommend Table Flat Trekking. It was by far the best trekking experience I have ever had, and I am going to go back with my sister to do a longer trek!

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