For those of you who didn’t know, in January I adopted an old rescue dog called Wilson! He’s completely changed my life and I couldn’t be happier to have him in my home, I love my furry little OAP! I had never owned a dog before so I researched and researched until my typing fingers were sore to make sure I got everything my new rescue pup would need and kitted him out with the very best of everything.
But as the weeks have gone on I’ve found a number of items I didn’t think about at first that have been incredibly useful (and cute!) for me in my first dog venture that i thought would be great to share for anyone thinking about adopting a new doggy sometime soon!
Cleaning Solution
First things first, even house-trained dogs can have accidents and in the first week of bringing Wilson home we had a number of accidents on the lovely cream carpet as he was settling in that normal cleaner just wouldn’t touch – thanks Wils! The Simple Solution Stain and Odour Remover* from Pets at Home has been a lifesaver for little stains with it’s Pro-Bacteria enzyme that removes any trace of odour to stop your little pup from thinking it’s a-ok to poop on the floor! It’s a bit more expensive than the other specific cleaners on the shelf but having used both this bottle is the one for us – a definite essential!
Dry Shampoo
Did you know that dog’s have their own range of dry shampoo and deodorant?! Wilson really doesn’t like the bath, so I like to use a number of different doggy deodorants and dry shampoo to keep him smelling like roses! The Pets at Home Refreshing Deodorising Spray* smells amazing and when sprayed and brushed through his fur he smells like he’s just come out of a fresh bath every day, I love it!
Charcoal Biscuits
I’d heard that doggy trumps smelt but it wasn’t until I was subjected to the wrong end of Wilson that I realised just how smelly they were – I nearly lost my new Benefit eyebrows the first time he sauntered past dropping a big one in his wake! After finding it difficult to get hold of a stylish gas mask i went researching once again and discovered the wonders of Charcoal Biscuits*! You’ll find them in the pic n’ mix section in your favourite pet store and one or two of these bad boys a day will help keep the trumps away! Not the most pleasant of subjects but if you’re yet to try this then you’ll certainly thank me!
Parsley
On the subject of stinky canine bodily functions, let’s talk about dog breath! It’s not just the back end of my precious little pup than smells, sadly his breath could wilt flowers too. Luckily whilst researching the previous tip i came across a number of people recommending parsley in food to help with your dog’s breath and you know what, it really does help! Don’t get me wrong, he’s far from minty fresh but a bit of parsely in the morning and at night has really helped tone it down and doggy kisses are certainly a lot more pleasant.
A Radio
Wilson is 12 years old and during the day (and most of the night!) he likes to relax in his bed and have a nap. With working full time I employ a dog sitter to come and keep Wilson company for a while during the day, but for the rest of the time I like to keep the radio on to make sure he feels relaxed. Before a few weeks ago I didn’t own a radio at all, and leaving my laptop on the side plugged in all day just wasn’t practical. Luckily Roberts Radio came to the rescue with one of their stunningly vintage looking Revival iStream 2 radios* in cream for my new kitchen so Wilson could have a little rave to Radio 1 or relax to Classic FM when enjoying some alone time to relax.
The Roberts Revival iStream 2 is a pretty nifty piece of kit and has come in handy for a lot more than keeping Wilson company. As it’s DAB you can get a plethora of stations and you can run Spotify through it or stream music from files on your computer – you can even control it from an app on your phone, it’s amazing. Powered from the mains or by battery it can go anywhere but we think it looks super cool sat on the kitchen windowsill oozing retro style – i love love love it and so does Wilson, only the best for our furry old man!
Do you have any doggy essentials or tips you’ve picked up along the way?
I’d love to know – tweet me @xameliax #doggyessentials
xax