Pogo at the Beach! (Wordless Wednesday – 23 April 2014)

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Fun at the Dog Park!

There is a lovely park close to where I live, Marlay Park. I often walk there with the gang. Sometimes, I will meet friends or my brother and we will sit outside the cafe and have coffee and cake! They do a delicious vanilla latte there.

Marlay Park was one of the first parks in Ireland to open a dedicated dog park. Usually in parks here, dogs are allowed off the lead in any area of the park at certain times of the day. I prefer this method as poor Casper is too anxious and overwhelmed when faced with all the other dogs at the dog park.  It is better for me to wait until the allocated times and choose a quiet area to let him off.

However, since Pippa joined our gang, I have found that I frequent the dog park more often. It is great to have a secure area where she can have a good run and really stretch out her legs. I made a video of a great day that Pippa and I had at the dog park with a friend and her two Swiss Shepherds, Okami and Yuki.

Would love to hear what you think of dedicated dog parks? Are dogs allowed to be off-lead where you live? How do you ensure that your dogs get enough exercise?

So Sleepy (Wordless Wednesday – 16 April 2014)

 

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The Arrival of a Sighthound!

Here is a tale that is long overdue. It tells the story of the arrival of our latest pack member, Pippa!

Last year,  Mr Fluffytufts and I decided that there was room in our lives (and our house!) for a fourth dog. This time, we opted to search for a sighthound, given that there are a large amount of these dogs waiting patiently in rescue for their forever home.

Due to the fact that we have two cats and three small fluffy dogs, we needed to find a very special sighthound. We needed a dog who had little to no prey drive and who had been cat-tested. We approached a small rescue called Sighthound Strolls. They only rehome sighthounds, so we figured they would have the expertise to guide us with our decision.

When we first spoke to them, they were very clear that it could take quite some time to find the right match for us. We prepared ourselves for a long wait and kept busy reading up on sighthounds and raising the garden fences! We were very surprised when less than a week later, we received a call about a possible match.

Pippa (then Indie) was brought to the rescue because she has virtually no prey drive and was no good to her owners as a hunting dog. The scars on her body suggest that it was probably not a happy life for her before coming into rescue.

The first meeting was at her foster home in Meath. I fell in love straightaway but tried not to let that cloud my judgement. We took her for a walk with the Lads and they all got along brilliantly.

In the end, it was Casper who made the decision. Given all his issues, we knew that it would only work if he was happy with her. Unusually for him, he took to her straightaway and so it was decided… Pippa was the sighthound for us!

Read more about Pippa’s adventures with us in future posts!

Flurries, a Fall and a Daring Rescue!

We have been having a very strange spring here in Ireland. From what I’ve seen on the news, we are not the only country to be experiencing unseasonal weather at the moment.

A week or so ago, right at the end of March, we woke up to a blanket of fresh snow! I couldn’t believe my eyes. We decided to pack up the car and headed out for a drive in the country with The Lads.

We drove through the Dublin Mountains and onwards into the Wicklow Mountains. Funnily enough, the further we drove, the less snow there was. There are many public walks throughout Wicklow, so we decided to stop off at one of these and take The Lads out for a hike.

It was really a lovely day. The Lads enjoyed exploring the forest, sniffing every inch of the place! They even had fun doing their own version of agility, jumping tree stumps, climbing steep banks and running along felled trees. While we were walking, a sprinkling of light powdery snow fell delighting us all.

Unfortunately, the day was spoiled considerably when Jimmy fell down a steep embankment!

Mr Fluffytufts had stopped to take a photograph of a waterfall while I continued along the path with The Lads.  Jimmy was trotting along the edge of the path when suddenly a pile of shale slid out from under his paws and he went rolling down the embankment. At first, I couldn’t see him as he had rolled into the undergrowth. Thankfully, when I called out to him, I spotted the red of his jumper moving.  Next, was the question of how to reach him… I tried but wasn’t able to climb down myself.

Jimmy got himself out of the undergrowth but in his panic he went to bolt in the wrong direction. I don’t think I ever yelled so loudly in my life! Pogo and Casper joined in by barking, and together, we were able to catch Jimmy’s attention.

I maintained eye contact with him and asked him to ‘climb’. The others were encouraging him on by barking and whining for him. He tried, but the bank was too steep and he kept slithering back down.  I then instructed him to ‘wait’ and was relieved and proud when he waited perfectly till I was able to attract Mr Fluffytufts’ attention.

Mr Fluffytufts was the hero of the day! He came running up the mountain path and without hesitation, climbed down the bank through gorse and brambles until he reached Jimmy. We checked Jimmy over and apart from a few scratches, he was fine. Needless to say, everybody went back on their leads till we got back to the safety of the car!

A Portrait of Casper (Wordless Wednesday – 20 March 2013)

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This stunning photo of Casper was captured by Mr Fluffytufts who has recently taken up photography. You can visit his page, Phillip J Wells, if you would like to see more of his work. If you like what you see, then please ‘like’ the page and share with your friends. Thank you!

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I Can Has Shamrock Shake?

Happy St Patrick’s Day from all of us here at Fluffy Tufts!

Bathtime for Casper (Wordless Wednesday – 13 March 2013)

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Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, it’s off to Crufts I go!

Just a very quick post as I am busy packing up to go to Crufts! I was very lucky to have been given a free pass from the Kennel Club as part of their new KCAI (Kennel Club Accreditation Scheme for Instructors). My plane leaves at 6.30am, so want to get an early night so I can enjoy the day tomorrow.

This will be my first time attending Crufts and I am bursting with excitement. My plan is to go to the agility ring in the morning to support Irish competitor Declan Dolan and his dog Bonnie who will be competing in International Agility. Then I will go and pet dogs at the Discover Dogs exhibition. Finally, I plan to shop till I drop and hopefully get lots of goodies for The Lads!

My camera battery is charging and I will try to get lots of great pictures so that I can share the day with you all! Look out for a Crufts update over the next few days. If any of you have any Crufts advice or tips, please let me know in a comment. Thanks!

Poodle Picnic! (Wordless Wednesday – 6 March 2013)

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