Christmas is coming and gifts ideas are becoming a lot harder to think of than ever. Well if you happen to have a pet lover in the family, maybe they are inseparable to their pooch or have a couple of cats they couldn’t live without, whichever pet they own and love. A great idea is to bring that pet into the gift too.

With novelty gifts taking storm over the festive season, ideas to bring entertainment to the table and provide unusual activities to do or games to play with friends and family. Choosing a novelty present for a pet lover has never been easier.

Personalised gifts are great as they are specific to the individual and provide humour to the present. Adding a personalised mug with the pooch or cat on is a gift winner for pet lovers alike. Even a novelty t-shirt goes down a treat. If you want to try something different as personalised mugs are very popular these days, try a personalised plate or cushion, you just need to get a snap pf the owner and their beloved dog or cat, and upload to one of the many novelty personalised gift sites, and that’s it, it gets sent to your door, and all that is left is for you to wrap the item.

So if you have that difficult person to buy for this Christmas, and they own a pet, make it easy for yourself and get designing and ordering now. Do it in plenty of time, as you do not want to miss the last date to post before Christmas.

Just make sure you have your camera ready for the snap to be uploaded, and then you are sorted. So at least that’s a couple of gifts you can start ordering now.

No matter what bread, from Pug to German Shepard, dogs need to have adequate exercise to have treats.

Following in par with the human race becoming overweight due to poor eating habits, our pets are too. Owners think that giving their dogs regular treat is being nice, however it is being cruel if they are not able to burn off those extra calories.

Many vets are experiencing increasing numbers of overweight pets. If you are unable to walk your larger dogs twice a day for an hour each time, or a small dog once a day for one hour, then consider hiring a dog walker.

Dog walkers are great at caring for your pooch, and provides you with the peace of mind that you dog is staying fit and healthy getting daily required exercise into their routine.

Dog walking is essential for a dog’s life, they need the exercise, they need to be able to explore and build their own immune system up by exploring and being exposed to new environments. Take the opportunity to find new and interesting trails, some with water so your pooch can have a paddle too.

When setting off on a new trail, make sure you have a supply of drinking water, for yourself and your pet. Allow your dog to explore and sniff the new environment, meet other canines and enjoy their new active lifestyle.

Another popular alternative is to join a dog walking group, packed with others alike. Keeping each other company and telling some great stories your funny dogs have been up to.

Remember your dog’s health is important and obesity could really affect the lifespan of your pooch, keeping them fit and active is an essential part of their lifestyle. Don’t forget a treat now and again is definitely acceptable once they have worked for it.

If you’re not a vegan or a vegetarian then you probably didn’t know that there are many vegetarian and vegan dog food products available on the market. This seems a little odd though doesn’t it, after all, dogs are carnivorous so they’re not made to live on a vegan diet. So why would a vegan prevent their dog from getting the nutrients they need and deserve? Well it’s because the methods used to get this meat can be inhumane and cruel, and if there’s no way of being 100% sure no animals have been inhumanely killed in the production of the dog food, then perhaps it’s only right they look at vegan alternatives. That said, the one thing worth going back to is that dogs are carnivores and they really aren’t built for a vegetarian diet, so there may come a time when a vegan needs to compromise and give their dog meat, even if they’re not sure exactly where it comes from and whether any animals were slaughtered in the making.

We’re often asked whether certain foods are good or bad for dogs and we thought it was about time we put a blog post together outlining exactly what a dog needs to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Firstly protein is really important, and thankfully most manufacturers use proteins in their dog food but you’ll want to find a food that contains mostly animal protein rather than vegetable because they find it harder to digest. Healthy fats will also do them good, it can keep your dog’s coat healthy and provide energy. That said, we would not recommend that you ever buy fat-free dog foods, even if you need to slim your dog down. Why? Because adult dogs need a minimum of 5% fat in their diet. Last but not least, water is extremely important. Dry food and exercise will make your dog thirsty so be sure to keep your dog’s water bowl topped up at all times.

If you have a dog or a cat, there will always come a time when he or she decides to go for a walk about without you. They love to explore, it’s in their blood, and if you don’t have your eyes on them all the time they can go wondering. This is why it’s important to make sure your dog or cat has a microchip fitted. These are unique identifiers that give authorities clear information on who the owners of the pet are and where they can find them. Contrary to what some people believe, they are not used for tracking cats or dogs, but they certainly will help find them. Microchips are extremely small as the name suggests they’re actually quite cheap to add and also quite easy to add too thanks to a small injection. The microchip will not harm the animal but it will serve a purpose throughout their life and as the famous saying goes “it’s better to be safe than sorry”.

Not every photographer is equipped to photograph pets as it’s completely different to photographing humans. With a dog or a cat, you have to be patient enough to get the animal into position, and even with dog treats in your pocket you may find that he or she is simply not willing to listen.

If you’d lie to get some professional shots taken of your pet, you may want the photographer to come to you. Events photographers are skilled in capturing moments as they unfold naturally, and you’ll get much better photos on a walk with the dog than you would in a photography studio. Animals are more natural and happy when they’re in their comfort zone, so always try to get the photographer to come to you if you want  the best possible results.

Some dog owners are surprised by the amount of affection received from their dog during the early stages of their relationship. You may spend hours and hours each day with them to begin with but of course over time when the dog is more comfortable in his or her surroundings, they’ll be able to spend time on their own. That’s not the case for all dogs though, and some dog owners let their dog rule them completely. They’ll only leave them for 1 hour max and even then they’re itching to return home. A clingy dog comes from clingy owners, and if you’re firm to start with, your dog will pick up on that. If his sad puppy dog eyes still work, he’ll continue to do so If he gets what he needs from you, meaning he’ll never leave your side. And that can be quite frustrating.

I recently had to look after my friend’s dog and though I was a little frustrated that I’d have to get to know this animal all weekend rather than doing the things I love, it turned out to be three days of fun. Usually doggy sitting can be a bit of a pain, depending on the dog you’re looking after, but the little Jack Russell was better behaved than I expected. When I walked through the woods not far from my house she never barked at another dog, she never walked to far in front and she barely stopped to sniff. Even in the house she settled in well and only barked a little. Usually I think dog sitting is a bit of a chore but this was so easy, and it really has to be the easiest money I’ve made. Perhaps I’ll become a dog walker now.

Aquariums can improve the decor of a home. Although there are many different shapes and sizes of aquariums in the market, like ovals, column aquariums can be a great solution, especially for small rooms. They can be used as an exceptional corner unit solution and can change the whole atmosphere of a home or an office. Maintaining a healthy aquarium is much easier nowadays and this is mostly because of the improvements in lighting, filtration, as well as of the increased knowledge of fish species. Column aquariums can be a great decorative solutions, that allow 360-degree view.

Maintaining the quality of the water

Freshwater column tanks can be maintained more easily, especially by novice aquarists. Although saltwater fish can be extremely exotic, they cost a lot more than freshwater fish. For example, saltwater fish come with some special challenges; they often refuse to eat when they first enter the aquarium. So, the owners need to make weekly water changes, which is one of the most important parts of maintaining the good quality of the water. For instance, weekly water changes of around 15-20% of the total water volume can fix a lot of problems of the quality of the water. In addition, the water changes can bring fresh mineral water into the tank, which is essential. The fishes, plants and bacteria use up the trace minerals in the water and by adding new water once in a week, can actually replace these minerals. By removing water, the amount of nitrate and ammonia that is being build up in the water can be removed and the tank can be cleaned.

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