Tag: fluffydog
The Most Essential Piece of Dog Kit – Tractive GPS

The Most Essential Piece of Dog Kit – Tractive GPS

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Sally wearing the Tractive Dog 4 attached to her harness.

Tractive – Wearable GPS with us on every walk

Our getting ready for a dog walk routine: call dog, dress her with collar and harness, find snacks and poo bags, get my shoes and coat, pick up her leash and make a final check she’s wearing her Tractive GPS.

Sally’s been a Tractive dog since her teenage sleddog phase, when for her safety and my peace of mind I bought a first generation Tractive. We upgraded to the new Dog 4 GPS last January, so have now field and loch and going through gorse bushes tested it.

Tractive recently asked me would I like to review their dog GPS. I said “yes” because it’s an essential piece of Sally’s kit (disclosure: this is a paid partnership, Tractive made a generous contribution to Pet Blood Bank UK on Sally’s behalf, but all views and opinions in this piece are my own).

What is Tractive?

Tractive are the market leader in pet GPS tracking. They make pet wearables that couldn’t be easier to set up and use. Here I’ll be reviewing the new model Dog 4.

In the box you get the Tractive device, a stretchy collar clip and a USB charging lead. All packaging is card/paper with no plastic!

What’s in the box?

You get the Tractive GPS device, a stretchy rubber collar clip, and a charging lead that connects to a standard USB power adapter.

The GPS is small (71 x 28 x 17 mm), lightweight (35 g) and streamlined with rounded corners to prevent it from snagging on obstacles. It sits along your dog’s collar or harness, being connected by the fragile looking but tough rubber clip (it’s survived 6 months of Sally’s best efforts to dislodge it – it’s tough!). Unlike the older devices, you don’t have to unclip it for charging as the charging pins connect at one end. The LED will turn from red to green once it’s ready and it takes only 2-3 hours for a full charge.

Set-up

Each device has a unique code, to activate it download the free Tractive app (available in the Apple and Google Play stores), make a user profile, choose your subscription plan (similarly to a mobile phone you need to pay for data usage, but this is a flat fee per month) and upload your code.

You need to take the Tractive outside for it to begin location tracking. Location finding is through GPS, but information is relayed back to you through cellular connections. Unlike your own phone, the device is not limited to one network but uses any of several cellular networks, selecting the one with the strongest signal.  

Tracking

The device handshakes with the GPS satellites every 10-15 mins, so, when you open the app, the map should load with a relatively recent position. Activating LIVE mode will give you constant updates, and you can also turn on a light and sound (we don’t use these options, as the LED is invisible in Sally’s fluff and the sound annoyed her, so she tried to remove the device). There’s a choice of map types – standard, satellite, OSM and there’s also a new augmented reality mode which overlays your dog’s position on your phone camera view (see screengrab below).

There’s a few seconds timelag in position updates, but this hasn’t ever been an issue. Using the “show trace and heatmap” function, I know where Sally’s been and can see the direction she’s headed.

Bluetooth, share function and limits

On a walk near her Grandpaw’s house there’s poor mobile phone connection. The Tractive device is constantly receiving GPS data from satellites, so as soon it gets even a blink of cellular connection (far sooner than my phone) it reports its location. I’m reliably informed from Grandpaw back at home (if you choose Premium subscription, you can share your dog’s location with friends/family) that he can view Sally’s whereabouts. So, if the worst happened and you lost your dog in an area with poor cellular coverage, once they re-enter coverage, the Tractive will report in, and you’ll see where they’ve been.

It will fail to get a GPS signal in dense woodland, but I’ve found it works on trails with overhead breaks in the tree canopy cover (see screengrabs above). As most animals will use paths if they find them, I feel that if Sally became lost in woodland, I’d locate her again as soon as she discovered a path. The device also uses Bluetooth to communicate to your phone at close range. This means that if your dog is close by, you’ll be able to find them even in dense woodland (or down a rabbit burrow!).

Waterproof

It is FULLY waterproof to IPX7-standard (up to 1 metre depth, 30 minutes). This has been frequently tested by Sally going into lochs, rivers and the sea. She’s not a swimmer but she does enjoy sticking her face underwater, so when on her collar the device is completely submerged.

Sally demonstrating her fishing behaviour that washes the Tractive when it’s on her collar. The stretchy collar clips will also attach to the emergency light attachment loop on most dog float-jackets.

Virtual fence & battery saving zones

You can set up a “virtual fence” and be alerted if your dog leaves. I set it around Grandpaw’s house as it’s *nearly* a completely enclosed garden and Sally likes to snooze outside the back door but will occasionally disappear on a rabbit-chasing adventure. With Virtual Fence I get an alert as soon as she reaches the neighbouring hedgerow!

To save battery, you can set a power saving zone near your home Wifi. Speaking of battery life, it’s pretty good. I’ve found it needs charged every 2-3 days. If you use LIVE tracking, it will rapidly run down the battery, but it can cover a 2 hour walk on LIVE and then survive the rest of the day on normal use. You are sent phone notifications when the battery reaches 20%. Having a longer battery life is important to me, because if Sally were to run several miles (if she got spooked by thunder or hunting gunshots) it may be some time before she would turn for home. I always make sure her Tractive is charged up before offleash walks.

Activity & sleep tracking

This new model has activity and sleep tracking. To use them it’s recommended you leave the device permanently on your dog’s collar and the collar on the dog (except for charging). I’m not using these features to best advantage as Sally is usually “naked dog” at home, with her collar removed.

You are encouraged to set a daily activity goal and see how your dog compares with to others using local, breed, global and friend leaderboards. If you have friends using Tractive you can invite them to your “friends” board. It’s interesting to see how Sally, who only wears her Tractive for walks, measures up against the constant wearers. I worry you could go to competitive extremes and overwalk a young or infirm dog, so I appreciate the most recent update that anonymously compares your dog against others of the same breed, age and weight, plus the recent option to opt-out of the leaderboards.

The sleep tracker is interesting and will be a good way to monitor changes as Sally gets older and may start developing doggy arthritis or dementia. I’ll be able to see if she was up during the night (but she would have to wear her collar for this). Currently she’s showing unusually high sleep efficiency as her collar is off overnight so the Tractive isn’t moving.

Activity data is downloaded via Bluetooth when the app is open. The GPS device can store about a week’s worth before it overwrites (rather annoyingly if you have just managed a 100-day streak of completing your recommended daily exercise but forgot to download it, but that’s a minor grumble).

History

The History function is a great way to relive walks later, to see where you’ve been, and if you turn on the heat trace, you can see where you’ve lingered the longest and identify the good picnic spot for next time (or the rabbit warren or squirrel tree you want to avoid!). With Premium you can go back to any past date within the last year and view your adventures – and you can share the route maps with family and friends to tell everyone about your dog’s walks. Sally likes to come home and show her Granny where she’s been on her weekend trip to Grandpaw.

Pimp your device

The Tractive comes in Snow, Coffee or Midnight blue. With usage the outer plastic will inevitably become scratched and marked – see the photo below of Sally’s Tractive after 6 months of hard wear!

Tractive sell protective sleeves and covers that protect and jazz up the device – but they need removed before charging. I found the hard cover easier to remove than the soft sleeve but wish there was one that could stay on for charging. There’s a limited choice of colours and patterns, hopefully they’ll soon bring out some more, I’d like a girly pink for the fluffy princesses such as Sally!

Overall impressions – 100% Sally approved

Tractive gets the 100% Sally Approved rating from us. The small lightweight wearable disappears into her fluff to the extent it’s usually invisible, but knowing it’s there gives me peace of mind. The battery lasts a reassuring several days, and the device and attachment clip are robust and waterproof and survive all that Sally throws at them. The app is easy to use, and the new features help you better understand your dog’s daily activity. Tractive comes with us on all Sally’s adventures and it’s thanks to them I feel more confident giving Sally some offleash freedom.

Do you use Tractive? Do you find it easy to use? Any stories or comments about dog GPS you’d like to share then please comment below! And if this has encouraged you to get a Tractive for your pet then click the link https://tractive.com/en/pd/gps-tracker-dog!
How to keep fluffy dogs cool in the heat

How to keep fluffy dogs cool in the heat

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Seaside paddles in the cooler evening

As I write this, the UK is currently undergoing our hottest ever weather, and while Scotland isn’t suffering the same 40 °C heat as England’s south coast, we have daytime temperatures in the mid to high 20s – about 10°C hotter than is comfortable for Sally and her fluffy kin.

So, what am I doing to keep a fluffy wolf cool? What actually works and what just looks cute in Tiktok videos but is no real use?

Ice

To feed or not to feed? You might have seen the viral Facebook post “written by a vet” that says NOT to feed ice as it can upset dogs thermoregulation and make them hotter, but search a bit deeper on the internet and you’ll find plenty of reputable sources completely debunking this – it’s perfectly fine to feed dogs iced treats as long as they aren’t currently in heat-shock (when the thermal shock of the cold ice could further stress their system).

Sally is LOVING iced snacks, she gets her food frozen into ice-lollies, and I’m making bone-broth (see my recipe here) at least once a week to freeze into ice-cubes for her. If there’s nothing else going, she enjoys a chomp on a plain ice-cube. You can also use things such as kefir, plain yogurt, dog-safe herbal teas, the watered down liquid from a sardine tin, mashed fruits etc to make lollies. These are making up a fair proportion of Sally’s food intake at the moment (why I’m using her actual food in them, to try to retain some semblance of a balanced diet) because as soon as it’s hot she gets picky with eating. Be a little bit careful with smaller dogs and don’t feed large amounts of ice as you don’t want to chill them, also if they have sensitive teeth then adding something to the ice (bone broth, mashed fruits, kefir etc) makes the ice less brittle and easier to crunch. Flat shapes and lollies are less of a choking hazard than cube shapes.

Ice-lollies are always a hit with Sal! These are raw dog food mince, kefir yogurt and bone-broth with a carrot stick.

Water

You can buy all sorts of sprinkler mats and paddling pools specifically for dogs (or use a child’s one but watch dog claws as they can easily puncture toy pools). These are no use for Sally, unless it’s muddy and comes in a river or loch or the sea she’s not a water-baby. She had a paddling pool that was studiously ignored. If your dog loves the pool or sprinkler then this is a great way for then to cool down, but limit their time as dogs can overdrink in hot weather and end up with water toxicity if they are gulping down water for hours as they are playing.

There’s lots of advice online about wetting towels/putting towels in the freezer and letting them lie on a cold wet towel and draping another over them to cool them. I’ve tried this in the past but stopped as her skin became very red, and I was worried she’d develop hot spots from the damp. I’ve found a bandana or circular scarf soaked in cold water does seem to help as it’s providing evaporative cooling to the front and chest.

Going for walks (when it’s slightly cooler) near water is much enjoyed as paddling helps keep them cool.

Sunscreen

Just don’t (for Samoyeds at least). If it’s bright enough and hot enough to need sunscreen on your fluffy white dog’s ears and nose then you shouldn’t be out. Samoyeds have built in sun protection with their dark pigmentation around the eyes and nose and lips, and their ears have a protective fur coating. They shouldn’t need sunscreen unless they are recovering from been clipped. Other thinner coated and paler nosed dogs may benefit from dog-safe sunscreen but it shouldn’t be needed for your Samoyed, but if you have concerns then please check with your vet.

Cooling vests/bandanas/t-shirts

My DIY cooling scarf bandana does seem to help Sal on hot car journeys. I’ve never tried a cool coat as to be effective these have to be tight around the body, so they squash the hair and remove the protective insulation (against both heat and cold) of that Samoyed fluff. If you put a cool coat on them then you are solely reliant on the coat to keep them cool. There may be times when you feel that the coat will be more effective than their fluff, so if you feel you want to try it then go for it, but be aware you’ll need to constantly check if they are cool enough and if the coat has dried out (most use wetting for evaporative cooling).

Cool mats

Great idea for dogs who’ll use them. Be careful with chewers as the gel inside isn’t meant to be eaten. Some people suggest putting the mat inside a duvet cover to stop the dog chewing it, but the cover between the mat and the dog will reduce it’s effectiveness. Sally doesn’t like the feel of the mats so this is another great idea we have to go without… (you can sense a theme emerging here can’t you…).

Cold Floors

Sally rarely sleeps on her dog bed, she prefers the cold floor, and never more so than now. When she gets really hot she hops into the shower tray or the bath! If you have a room with a tiled or wooden or lino floor this will be cooler than carpets or rugs, so leave doors open so as they can access this space.

Fans and aircons

I had a fan when Sal was a puppy. I left it on when I was out in the summer as my house tended to heat up. She enjoyed it and would sleep in the airstream, but often got eye infections and dry eyes from the dry air until I started using eye drops for her. If you are using a fan, particularly with a puppy, it would be a good idea to speak to a vet about pet-safe daily eye drops you can use.

Car rides and pet friendly stores

If it all gets too hot in the home then sometimes (if you have aircon) the car is a better option, I’m seriously considering taking Sal for a short drive soon just to break up the monotony of house arrest for her. Also some larger shops with aircon are dog friendly, so while it seems crazy with the sun blazing down outside, consider a shopping trip to a cooler dog friendly retail outlet if you can journey there without overheating.

Grooming

It’s too hot for them to be fully bathed and air-blower dried, but make sure their undercoat is well groomed out so as air can circulate in the coat as this will help keep them cooler. If you have a doggie dryer/blaster then a blast on cool while brushing will get rid of the loose underfluff. Or see if you can book them into a groomer for a brush out.

Midnight walks

Check a few different weather apps for when the coolest temperatures will be in your area. This might mean 5am or midnight walkies. If you feel awake enough at those hours, then go out for a short sniff at every lamppost walk. We’ve been doing this for the last wee while, to the extent that I feel we’re personal friends with each of our local urban foxes, as they are the only other creatures stirring at this hour and we see them in passing every night.

Take it easy

Finally remember that under exercise and boredom for a short while won’t harm your fluffy dog, but exercising in the heat might. Take it easy and enjoy the slower pace. Use the time to make them some iced treats, do a through brushing, or play enrichment games in the house. Try some of the cooling tips that work for us (Sally says ICE-LOLLIES!) and also maybe some of the things that didn’t work for us might make a difference for you. And just take the time to chill, at the moment Sally is quite happy to laze around and snooze and dream of the day it snows again! Paws crossed it’s not so long now until the colder weather comes again.

Essential First Aid Kit For Dogs – My Dog Cupboard Must-Haves

Essential First Aid Kit For Dogs – My Dog Cupboard Must-Haves

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If you think your dog needs to see a vet then don’t wait around trying to fix things yourself at home, go to the vet! These are the things we use for small scrapes/ailments while I’m waiting on a non-urgent vet appointment or for things I know will clear up on their own.

Sally hurt her shoulder about a month ago, and due to deferred pain and boredom chewed a hotspot on her elbow. I’ve been treating it for the last 2 weeks (almost healed now). I realised I’ve used just about every “first aid” product I have in the dog cupboard. I’m going to talk you through what we have, because it’s a fairly short list that I wouldn’t be without. Like me you’ve probably seen “dog first aid kits” for sale. I’ve never invested in one because most contain more items than I’d ever use (if it’s that serious I’d go to the vet) and my small stock seems to fix most scrapes and cuts. I try to use natural/mostly natural products but also products where there’s some solid science behind why/how they work.

Sally peacefully snoozing with a vet wrap bandage keeping a hotspot on her elbow clean (and stopping her from chewing it)

My Dog First Aid Kit:

  • Leucillin
  • Green Clay
  • Lucaa+ Wound Spray
  • Anicura Dog Gel
  • Vet Wrap
  • Wound Dressings – And that’s all!
Green clay
Non-adhesive dressings
Vet wrap
Leucillin antiseptic
Lucaa+ wound spray
Anicura dog gel
My dog first aid essentials

Leucillin

Leucillin is a salt solution (not sodium chloride, but hypochlorous salt (HOCl): a chemical that is naturally produced by vertebrate white blood cells to kill bacteria). It’s strongly antibacterial (and antifungal and antiviral but is harmless to vertebrate cells). The makers claim it doesn’t sting and is safe to use near eyes, mouths and ears. I’ve found it stings slightly if applied to broken skin or sunburn (it’s not licenced for use on humans as it hasn’t undergone clinical trials but it’s highly effective for cleaning small cuts and also for curing my earache in the winter!).

Uses

You can use Leucillin to clean wounds, soothe irritated skin, wipe around crusty eyes, clean out sore ears etc. Either spray directly from the bottle or onto a cotton pad or tissue and wipe. I use it as my first go-to for cleaning any wound or scrape.

Green Clay

Green clay is a fine powdered clay dust, most comes from just a few quarries in France where it’s been used for wound poultices since at least the Napoleonic wars. It can also be mixed as a drink to settle an upset digestion. There are “pet” and human brands available, the clay in both is identical as long as you get a human one with nothing else added (some sold for spa face masques have essential oils added).   

Uses

If you have a wound that’s not healing, then mix a little clay with cooled boiled water (or Leucillin) into a thick paste. Use a cotton pad or bud to coat the wound. Bandage and leave for 12-24 hours. Use warm water to remove the dried clay (it sticks a bit in the hair). The clay dries out the wound and prevents infection by drying out any bacteria cells. It also forms a barrier which stops infection reaching the wound. You can wash the wound with Leucillin and reapply clay if the wound hasn’t scabbed after the first application. It’s safe if your dog licks it.

Green clay can also be used similarly to Pro-Kolin to slow down food passage through the gut if your dog has diarrhoea. For a dog Sally’s size, a half teaspoonful of the powder sprinkled over food (or made into paste with water and spread onto a dog snack) once/twice a day should be enough. The large surface area of the clay particles and their hydroscopic nature mean they bind to and remove water and toxins in the gut so slow things down. If symptoms persist more than a day or two go to the vet and/or purchase Proflax Tummy Tastic (clay and lots of good probiotics and herbs including slippery elm bark) and/or slippery elm bark. But for us, the clay powder usually does the trick. I use it as a prophylactic to prevent sickness if she’s eaten a particularly whiffy dead crab. Don’t use internally if your dog is on any oral medication as the clay will bind to and remove the drugs too, rendering them ineffective.

Lucaa+ Wound Spray

Lucaa+ Wound Spray works on the opposite principle to Leucillin. Instead of killing bacteria, this is a mild soap solution that cleanses a wound, and adds a mix of probiotic bacteria that will repopulate the skin microbiota. The idea is that the natural “good bacteria” in the spray out-compete the infection-causing bacteria and replace them. So far I’ve found wounds treated with this spray are slower to heal than with Leucillin. Some infectious bacteria are infectious because they grow quickly, so I’m not completely convinced that the probiotics can get established rapidly enough on a deep or badly infected wound to make a difference.

Uses

It says to use on any wound to aid healing. I use Leucillin and green clay first, then switch to this to re-establish the healthy skin microbiota as the wound is almost healed.

Anicura Dog Gel

Anicura gel contains apple cider vinegar and sea buckthorn as the active ingredients. Soothing and mildly antimicrobial. Sally is terrible for reopening scratches and small wounds by chewing them. This gel seems to sooth the area and prevent her from chewing.

Uses

I find it soothes irritated/broken skin and speeds up healing after hotspots. I use it 1-2 times daily from when a wound is fully healed (after I swop from the Lucaa+) until I have a reasonable hair regrowth over the area.

Non-Adhesive Dressings

I buy ones for humans and the largest size I can find. I then cut to shape. I use silver dressings for the first 24-48 hours until wounds scab over then switch to standard dressings. I haven’t found non-adhesive silver dressings (yet) so just cut the silver pad out the middle away from the adhesive. Don’t use silver dressings with Lucaa+ spray as the dressings are antimicrobial.

Vet Wrap

I use vet wrap to attach the dressings and keep wounds clean. I’m lucky in that Sally doesn’t chew vet wrap, so bandaging with it stops her turning small scratches on her legs (which she gets regularly from running through gorse/brambles) into hot spots.

Other Things We Use –

  • Coconut oil – for sore paw pads, to prevent snowballs in the snow. To cover sore skin before water immersion.
  • Charcoal Tablets/Biscuits – heavy duty detoxify the gut. For use after I’ve caught her snacking on really really whiffy dead crabs or dead seagulls. I prefer tablets but these are hard to find so doggie charcoal biscuits (Betty Millar do wheat-free ones) are the next best thing.
  • Proflax TummyTastic and Dorwest Tree Bark Powder – My next step after green clay if she’s got a tummy upset that goes on to a second day.
  • Adaptil and Dorwest Valerian and Scullcap Tincture – calms if fireworks or thunderstorms
  • Apple cider vinegar – coat freshener after fox poo/dead seal rolling incidents, also mildly antimicrobial and anti-midge/tick deterrent.
  • Teef or Plaque-Off – Dental health additives, I alternate between the two.
  • Golden Paste – For when she’s been injured to aid muscle/joint recovery. I add a teaspoon per day until I’ve used up the packet.
  • Homemade bone broth – see my recipe here. All round multi-nutrient and pick-me-up if she’s feeling poorly
  • Stewed pumpkin – I keep boxes in the freezer in case she has a stomach upset. If so she’s on light meals of stewed pumpkin, cooked white fish and bone broth for 2-3 days.
  • Kefir – I use this for probiotics. She gets a tablespoon a couple of times a week, I up it to a tablespoon every day if she’s had an upset stomach.

That’s our list of must-haves. I hope you found them useful. They are enough to fix minor injuries, and buy us time to get to the vet for larger problems. What’s your doggie first aid must haves? Do you have any others not listed here? If in doubt if you can treat at home ALWAYS seek veterinary advice.

Note – I have not been paid to include any product on this list. Links are not affiliate links so I don’t gain if you purchase items. Always consult your vet before starting any new treatment. Discontinue use immediately if you see any side-effects from any of these products.

Finding Footprints – How to Spot the Hidden Wildlife On Your Walks

Finding Footprints – How to Spot the Hidden Wildlife On Your Walks

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Wild Walks

During the first UK total lockdown from March 2020, Sally and I went for long walks while we waited for the world to heal. I started filming one walk per week and posting online as “Wednesday Walks”, as people locked down in cities, and people far from Scotland were asking me to show them our surroundings.

Surprisingly to me (since my Instagram is supposedly focused around Sally), the big attraction wasn’t Sally herself but the landscape, and the little things. I was asked for the names of flowers, the bird calling in the background, the rock types of the bright pebbles in the stream, for the history of the cottage I walked past, the families on the gravestones in the kirkyard? Since lockdown ending, I’ve mostly stopped filming as I often walk Sally alone, so I’m uncomfortable giving out exact location details. I’ve decided instead, I’m going to do a nature walk photo essay blog series here. I’ll try to put up a post once a week/fortnight focusing on something I’ve seen on our walks and showing and telling you about it. I hope you enjoy these little glimpses into the world of the fluffy wolf.

Snow captures all the footprints

Leave Only Footprints, Take Only Photographs…

How About Take Only Photographs of Footprints?

Telling a story about snow, in the hope we get another snowfall before winter is over, because that would make the fluffy one VERY happy.

I was walking in the last remaining patches of snow with Sally a couple of weeks ago and it was completely quiet. We had the whole place to ourselves, and as it was late afternoon even the birds were mostly silent as they were tucked up for the night. I’d have thought we were the only living creatures to have ever been that way, except the path was covered in footprints both human and animal. Also, since this last snowfall I found rabbit prints in the garden in an area where I didn’t know we had rabbits, the large stag’s footprints much closer to the house than I’d expect him to come (I guess that’s this year’s crop of snowdrops about to get eaten too), and smaller dainty deer prints further up the hill – do we have roe deer? I didn’t think so but maybe we do… I’m now a wee bit obsessed with looking for tracks to find out who shares my walking routes. So I really hope there’s more snow soon!

Not only is snow a beautiful background canvas for your photos, but every wild creature will have left their mark in that blank canvas. Ever wondered why your dog always sniffs round a particular bush? Now the pheasant tracks give the game away.

I’ve found that the best time to go looking for prints isn’t immediately after fresh snowfall, but the next day. Give it time for all the nocturnal creatures to have left their marks. Yes, the prints will sometimes be starting to melt away, but other times the frost will have baked in every detail.

Have a look next time you are out walking after snow. What wild animals share your local areas?

On Sally’s walk we found numerous bird tracks, deer hoof marks and rabbit paw prints along the path.

Some Top Tips For Finding Tracks –

Look around bushes and trees as many smaller animals and birds like to be next to shelter

At night the larger creatures such as deer and foxes often use the main trails so check the path. There could be animal tracks as well as human footprints.

Beside water is a good bet because although the animals can use the snow for hydration, many seem to prefer flowing water if there’s still some available.

Take photos and use your boot for size comparison if you need something for scale.

Look up the species later, most old school ID guides have a drawing of the tracks, and online guides use either drawings or photographs.

Be aware that if the prints have melted and refrozen several times they will have increased in size. You most probably don’t have giant deer, direwolves or yeti (in welly boots) living nearby, just that the freeze-thaw cycling has stretched the prints! Or maybe you do, you never know… Happy hunting!
Not An Influencer, Aiming to Be A Good Influence?

Not An Influencer, Aiming to Be A Good Influence?

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It’s not enough for me to be a content (media) creator, I also need to feel I’m a content (happy) creator.

My new year resolution was to blog more. I made this website so I could use it. If you read my earlier posts/follow Sally on Instagram @scotlandwithfluffywolf you’ll know that over the last year I’ve more or less abandoned this blog. Why? I had plenty I wanted to say, but I wasn’t sure if I should go ahead and say it. This is what happened…

The TLDR version is that I got fed up being asked to do ads for *really* random stuff and then being told I was a loser when I refused, for the full version see below…

I’ll walk my own path #lifelessonsfromthedog

Once Upon a Time…

It’s probably easiest if I tell the story from the beginning. So, let’s start there. Six years ago, I got a puppy, another year down the line (to keep work and social spaces separate) I made an Instagram for her puppy photos. It got reasonably popular. I kept getting asked “when are you making a website/blog?” as this seems to be the next step you are expected to take as a “content creator”. So, I dipped a toe (or should that be a paw?) in the water. Partly for my own curiosity to learn how to build a website, partly to have somewhere that’s independent of the big social media networks in case they ever go down or disable my accounts, and because I was tipped off that I should buy my domain name ASAP (I’d had threats from a blogger who viewed me as competition – I’m not and never will be for reasons we’ll come to, but there you go). I was warned to buy the domain before it was unavailable…

I Made a Blog

Then since I had the URL, it seemed silly not to use it…

I wrote a few articles about things that I wished I’d been able to find information on when I was a clueless new puppy owner. I didn’t have a clear plan for what I wanted this site to be, what type of articles I wanted to write. I had some well-meaning blogger acquaintances try to push me in the direction of having a gameplan to monetise the site, with affiliate marketing, optimising SEO, scheduling posts, backlinking to other sites, guestblogging, and all the other things fulltime bloggers must do to make a living from their writing. I felt, for me, these were premature considerations, as I was just beginning to find my feet and voice online, maybe later, but now’s not the time.

Brands Found Me

I had a look around and saw that most “dog blog” people seem to do dog-friendly travel blogs (often as a result of #gifted stays on the understanding that they’ll blog about it) and reviews of (usually #gifted) human and dog clothing and accessories. I suspected this wasn’t the direction I wanted to take for reasons I’ll come to. However, I digress, back to the story: writing anything at all, having a blog no matter how embryonic, just having that domain name, seemed to put me on the map as an “Influencer” to the powers that be, and in consequence I quickly got asked for “partnerships” and “collabs”.

It was very flattering to be asked, but I knew for my own dignity I had to approach ads with caution. I’m still learning to find that balance where I can both gain and provide value. I’ve been mostly lucky as some amazing brands have treated me and my followers with respect. There have also been a few times when I’ve been left feeling used, and worse, feeling that I’ve duped my followers. To me this was all wrong. Partnership should be that – the brand should get media they can reuse and positive online exposure, the blogger should receive payment or free goods or services, their readers and followers gain content they enjoy and information about goods/experiences that will be of interest to them. Everyone must be a winner otherwise it’s not “collaboration”, it’s exploitation.

Find your own sense of style and who you are #lifelessonsfromthedog

Play By The “Rules”?

I didn’t want to play by the (unwritten) rules of the “Influencer Game” – it seems in the Dog Influencer world you must either capitalise and seek to monetise your pet’s struggles, be it reactivity, rescue, recovery etc, or else everything must be cutesy-cute viewed through fluffy rose-tinted spectacles. Do you want misery or an escapist fantasy (or both)? Because those are your choices.

Then, there’s social cachet to be gained by promoting conspicuous consumerism. You “need” to run ads or you aren’t considered as influential as those who do advertise. Ads become the endorsement of you as a social presence. There are specific brands that are virtually unknown outside of social media, but within that social bubble, everyone who’s anyone seems to be on the bandwagon. I won’t be peer pressured, and I don’t want to add to the pressure (that I have at times felt) that you are a failure unless you have these items (ideally as #gifted to boot). It’s cliquey and petty and I’ve lost supposed friends because I won’t join them.  

I’ve tried to stick to my principles. To say “thank you but no thank you” as politely as I could (I’ve learnt the hard way I get rude kickback then blocked if I give reasons why I’m declining; brands aren’t used to anyone saying no). Lately I’ve just been saying “no thanks” with no explanation.

Silence Was My Defense

I let the blog go silent for a wee bit in the hope I’d drop off the brand partnership radar as it seemed to be “The Blog” that was bringing them my way. But I’ve had enough of that. I enjoy writing (even if no one reads it), so I’m going to take back what is mine anyway and use this space again.

I Choose Not to Conform

Let me say it now and say it loud and clear. I don’t want to be “An Influencer”. Firstly, it’s crazily hard work to do it well, to make media that makes people aspire to want the things you promote without seeming to be pushing a hard sell, and I have nothing but respect for those who manage it. But it’s not for me.

Appearance is Everything

Second, I don’t want to constantly appear in my photos, and as a woman, to make money online this seems to a requirement. You aren’t “trusted” unless you frequently appear on your feed, plus if you can dress provocatively or forget to dress, then this will up your value! I refuse to take part because I don’t want to add to the culture that your worth is tied up in your physical attractiveness. I know I could play along if I tried, but I won’t try. Not to put too fine a point on it, sex sells, cuteness sells. Woman with cute dog ticks all their boxes meaning “dog blogs” are popular with advertisers (that and the fact we don’t expect/know/are willing to stand up for our rights, so can be paid half of what a lifestyle or travel blogger would receive for the same commission).

Before Sally, I was a nature/landscape photographer. Now I use Sally as my avatar within the photo’s reality – because she’s a little fluffy wolf that transcends gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation, physical fitness or body type. She’s equally enticing to anyone viewing. She’s the hook that draws you in to the image. She invites you to explore her world and share in her sense of simple child-like wonder and joy in living. Therefore, my absence from her feed makes it more inclusive. Weirdly though, her Grandpaw features occasionally because people do seem to like seeing Sally interact with someone, and an older father/grandfather figure seems to have a resonance with many people. I haven’t really worked out why, but maybe because of this, Grandpaw photos are incredibly popular (shh don’t tell him I said that, he’ll expect an appearance fee now).

For me, there’s another wrinkle. I expect this will seem weird to most people, but to me it seems wrong to profit from my dog: she’s a dog – she can’t give consent to her online presence being used to support or promote x or y. But at the same time, I know I’m being hypocritical, as I’m more than happy to feature her if it’s to showcase brands we actually use. Anytime I’m asked to collaborate by a company where we are already customers, I’ll pretty much always accept. I don’t feel at this stage in my life online, and because Sally can’t give her consent, that any monetary payment made because of her image(s) is mine to keep, so I donate to dog or environmental charities. Out of respect for fulltime bloggers I won’t work for free. Content creation takes skill, time, and effort; so I do expect payment or payment in kind.

If from the beginning it was myself rather than my dog that was the subject of my social media, I expect I’d feel differently about profiting from it. I’ve seen many “dog blogs” refocus to be “dog and lifestyle/fashion” or “dog friendly travel” then simply “lifestyle/fashion with an occasional appearance by the dog” or “travel blogger that sometimes takes the dog along” as people wrestle with these considerations and find a solution that works for them. Also, there’s the very real fact that no pet lives forever, and one day we will be forced to find an online voice that can live on after our pet crosses the rainbow bridge. As I said earlier, treated as a job and done well “Influencer” is hard work, and I don’t have the energy or inclination to constantly travel (especially now in this crazy pandemic world), or the want to appear myself on camera to pivot into these woman-with-dog-as-occasional-sidekick niches.

Promote Sustainability not Consumerism

In addition, I’m conscious how selfish and especially environmentally selfish having a dog is. To have this furry consumer who’s dependent on me for her wellbeing. I know she’s an ecological walking disaster (from the mouse murdering to the 400g of quality meat consumed per day and the everything in-between). To compensate, I try to reduce my environmental footprint wherever I can. To promote non-sustainable consumerism just to fill webspace and for the prestige of being “A Content Creator” is not something that will make me a contented creator.

So, I’ve Been Silent:

It’s taken me a while to make sense even in my own mind of how I felt, and longer to be able to write it down. I’ve been trying to work out what I want for this blog if it’s not to be the typical “this is a dog friendly trip to xyz” or “hey check out my review of this amazing #gifted thingymejig”. I can’t promise that I won’t ever not write a travel piece, or I won’t review items, but that’s not going to be the focus, instead expect some more of my ramblings about life with Sally.

What Right Do I Have?

Lastly, what right do I have to say anything? What qualifications do I have that make me good enough to be able or to be allowed to put my thoughts in writing? If I’m honest this has been holding me back as much as anything else. The self-doubt, the feeling I have no right to say that. Then, I look around and I see plenty of people who’ve first come to prominence on their social media now using their fame to promote (and ofttimes sell) their views on (dog)food, training, exercise, travel, lifestyle etc. For in our celebrity obsessed culture, you seem to gain validity with follower count. They give themselves the right to speak out regardless of real world qualifications. All it takes is the confidence to put yourself out there.

This troubles me, for although there are some fantastic self-published websites that have become authoritative in their chosen field, there are others that are plainly vanity projects. The best that can be said is that they are well intended; at worst, plain crazy, quasi-science or pseudoscience that masquerades as fact. I don’t want to add to their number.

So, who I’m I? What authority do I have to speak on anything? I’m not a vet, I’m not a behaviourist, I’m not a nutritionist, I’m not a lot of other “-ists”. But what I am is a SCIENTIST. Someone trained for over 10 years of study in critical thinking. To be able to take information from different sources and evaluate it’s worth. If I write about a topic, I will have first researched it in detail, and/or I’ll say what I both know and don’t know. I’ll link my sources so you can go read them and draw your own conclusions.

To Be a Good Influence

So that’s why I’m not doing the typical “dog blog reviews X”, not because I’m not good enough (despite what my self-doubt and self-criticism might sometimes try to tell me) but because I CHOOSE not to. Because I’m not aspiring to be An Influencer, but I am aiming to be A Good Influence and that must be Good Enough.

With love and fluffy hugs and until the next installment,

Claire & Sally.

Thank you for reading, until next time. XX
Why a Samoyed? What’s a Samoyed?

Why a Samoyed? What’s a Samoyed?

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Why I Chose My Fluffy Wolf

Before I tell my story, this short checklist is for anyone who’s stumbled on this page as part of your deciding “should I get a Samoyed?

Yes, if:

  • You are home most of the day or can take your dog to work.
  • You have access to a park or garden where they can exercise.
  • You are willing to put in 1-3 hours exercise/walking a day once they are adults.
  • The hair EVERYWHERE doesn’t alarm you.
  • The barking doesn’t bother you/your neighbours (Sal is reasonably quiet, but Samoyeds are talkers).

Samoyed History

Samoyed dogs (can be pronounced Sam-o-yed or Sam-oid) originated with the Samoyedic/Nenet nomadic people of Siberian Russia. Their dogs were used to herd reindeer, hunt small game and deer, pull sleds, guard campsites, snuggle up and keep people warm at night, and watch out for the children. They are very much a “do anything and everything” medium sized dog.

They are high maintenance with their thick double-coated fur (which can be spun into a warm wool much like angora) and high energy; they need plenty of physical and mental stimulation and/or a job to do to avoid boredom (and trust me the last thing you want is a bored Samoyed, they excel in house and garden re-decorating).

Sally modelling a skein of yarn “chiengora” spun from her undercoat. Samoyed fluff makes a strong, soft, warm, fluffy textured yarn.

They are a very ancient dog breed descended from arctic wolves. They were first “discovered” by western Europeans in the late 1880s for use on the polar expeditions of the late 1800s to early 1900s before they became a popular pet breed. The original Samoyeds were any of white, black, brown, or parti-coloured – see W.E. Mason 1915 “Dogs of All Nations” but the snowy “arctic” dogs proved the most popular with western dog fanciers and today’s breed standard only allows for white, cream or biscuit (light sandy brown) dogs.

The entry for “Samoyed” in W.E. Mason’s 1915 book “Dogs of All Nations”. The dog is recognizably a Samoyed, albeit one with short “working style” hair.

The closely related Siberian Laika comes in all the ancestral colours, and dark and parti-coloured Samoyed-type dogs are still seen today in their ancestral home of Siberia. There are some (myself included) who would like to see these dogs permitted in the show ring, and so increase the genetic diversity of what has become a rare breed.

Sally’s friend Mishka the beautiful Siberian Laika. Mishka’s coat has all the colours that have been described for these two breeds.

I first fell in love with Samoyeds as a child when I met two that belonged to a friend of my mother. When I was looking to get a dog of my own, I had forgotten the breed name (if I ever knew it), but luckily googling “large white fluffy dog” and “polar bear dog” easily found what I was looking for. My mother set a simple rule when I was a child “you can have any pet you like as long as it lives in a cage, you clean and feed it, and I don’t have to walk it – that means no dogs!”. I stretched this definition to the limit, first with fish and then breeding hamsters, mice, cavies and cornsnakes, before finally adding two cats (cage-free) to the menagerie, but what I really wanted was a dog. Not surprisingly, one of my first jobs was in the education department of a zoo!

Five years ago, I graduated from my PhD. To get me through the final year (anyone reading this who has or is doing a PhD will know exactly what I mean) I made a pact with myself that after graduation I would get a dog. I tried the dog rescues first (having been made aware of the #adoptdontshop lobby), but understandably the reputable rescues didn’t want to rehome to someone who lived alone and worked full-time (albeit with a good support network and options for doggy daycare). I went on to have a bad experience with the (in my view) less than reputable end of the dog rescue business that made me realise that if I wanted a dog I’d have to find a puppy.

I’d known several huskies and GSDs, and although I’d read about the similarities and differences between the various northern and working breeds, I wasn’t at all expecting the Samoyed personality quirks.

They are loving, affectionate, needy (you’ll never pee alone again), stubborn, difficult to train (unless they see what’s in it for them), talkative, pull like sled dogs, need a huge amount of training before being trustworthy offleash (some will never be trusted), high energy but thankfully most (including Sally) have a good offswitch too, hairy (the fluff gets everywhere) and have a low boredom threshold. If you aren’t providing enough stimulus, they will make their own entertainment and you won’t like the results: interior redecorating and landscape design are frequent hobbies.

Would I have another breed now? Probably not. Will Sally be my last Samoyed? I hope not. But they are hard work. Please, if you are considering this breed go talk to breeders, but also to pet owners, and try to visit and walk with as many as you can. You’ll see they all have their own personalities, but you’ll also see the behaviours general to the breed. Would I recommend a Samoyed as a pet? As I said at the start, it depends on your lifestyle, if you have the time and resources and aren’t too bothered about talkativeness and hair on everything, you’ll find them the most loving companions.

For me, once a puppy was on the cards, my thoughts kept returning to those polar bear dogs. I read up everything I could on Samoyeds, and I was lucky to find a knowledgeable breeder relatively close-by, and even luckier to find out they had a litter (they only breed every 1-3 years). I went to see them to learn more about the breed. Sally walked over and plonked herself in my lap and licked my face. And the rest, as they say, is history. I’d found my fluffy wolf.

Sally as a 7 week old pup. This is the first photo I took of her, the first day I met her. I didn’t know yet she’d be my fluffy wolf.

World Blood Donor Day 2020

World Blood Donor Day 2020

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The 14th June is #WorldBloodDonorDay, and to mark the occasion Sally (the fluffy one) is going to donate blood for Pet Blood Bank UK.

Sally modelling her Pet Blood Bank bandana

Actually the dates aligning is just coincidence. Sally is a dog blood donor and she’s on the standby donor list, so if anyone can’t make their appointment we get a call up at short notice. We got the call yesterday to ask could we attend.

Pet Blood Banks

Just as there are blood donor banks for humans, several countries now have national or statewide blood banks for dogs (and cats). These tend to be established by charities or veterinary hospitals and sadly they always have high demand for their services so they are always looking to recruit new donors.

In the UK there’s PetBloodBankUK, in the USA the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation has a list of donor programs, in Australia it’s the Australian Animal Blood Bank, in New Zealand the New Zealand Companion Animal Blood Bank and Canada has the Canadian Animal Blood Bank. Asking Google for “pet blood bank” and your home state/country will give you their details.

Sally donates her pint of blood

Why Should My Dog Donate Blood?

Just one blood donation could SAVE THE LIVES OF UP TO FOUR OTHER DOGS. A single unit of donated blood is processed into two units of plasma and two of red cells. These are used in transfusions to canine patients who have suffered trauma, major surgery, or suffer from genetic blood disorders. Basically, for any situation in which a human might need a blood transfusion there’s a doggie equivalent. While previously, without access to blood transfusion services, these conditions would be fatal for our pets, today with the help of dog blood donors and blood transfusions it is possible to save and extend canine lives.

Why Does Sally Donate Her Blood?

One of Sal’s dog friends had an accident and required major surgery and then had major internal bleeding following the surgery. They needed a blood transfusion to stabilize them. They’ve since made a full recovery. This is how we first heard about dog blood donation and as Sal fitted the donor criteria I signed her up. I felt that we should give something back as her friend’s life had been saved through someone’s selfless donation.

Donor Criteria – Wanted: Large Friendly Dogs

  • Be in good health, between 1-7 years old, and over 25kg
  • Be friendly and calm in new surroundings and with new people
  • Not having travelled abroad
  • Be fully vaccinated and/or titre tested
  • Not on any current medication
  • Not have undergone major surgery (except spay/neuter) and not have received a blood donation

Note: each pet blood donor scheme has slightly different donor criteria so check with your local scheme.

Negative is a Positive in a Donor

Similarly to people, dogs have blood groups. There are at least 7, perhaps 11 different dog blood groups but they can be simplified as dog erythrocyte antigen (DEA 1) positive or negative or as a third rare group: weakly positive. Always the awkward nonconformist, you can guess which blood group Sally is! Negative blood types make up a third or less of the donor population, but these are the most valuable as they are universal donors. DEA 1- blood is able to be given to any dog in an emergency. Breeds and crosses most likely to be DEA 1- include:

  • Airedale Terriers
  • American Bulldogs
  • Border Collies
  • Boxers
  • Dobermans
  • Dogue de Bordeaux
  • English Bull Terriers
  • Flat Coated Retrievers
  • German Shepherds
  • Greyhounds
  • Lurchers
  • Old English Sheepdogs
  • Pointers
  • Weimaraners

If you are lucky enough to share your life with one of these breeds, and they meet the donation criteria, then please think about registering them as a donor. All dogs are special, but as blood donors these breeds are extra-special.

What Happens When Your Dog Donates Blood?

Sally on the blood donation table – and one pint of premium vintage Sally blood.

This will vary depending on where in the world you are, and at the moment COVID restrictions mean that that for the safety of the humans involved, only the pets go into the donor centre.

In normal times you are met by a representative of the blood donor service. They ask you to fill out a health check questionnaire, weigh your dog on a step-on scales, and then you wait until the vet is ready to examine your dog.

Next, your dog is given a through examination. A small patch of fur is shaved on both sides of their neck (over the jugular veins). This is the part that is most tickly and scary to Sally. She doesn’t like the sound of the shavers and the feel of being shaved. After this is done, the nurses will withdraw a small vial of blood to check for clotting, cell count and to send off for screening for blood-borne diseases. If your dog’s blood clotting and cell count are within normal range you will then be asked to wait again until the blood donor team are ready.

Your dog is then taken into the donation room (in normal times you could go too and hold their paw!). They are lifted up onto a padded table and made comfortable lying on their side. A vet nurse then places the extraction needle in the dog’s neck and begins the donation. The dog is bled for no more than 10 minutes. In this time they hope to extract 1 pint of blood. If the dog gets distressed, the blood flow slows, or their heart rate changes then the donation session is immediately cut short. The welfare of the donor is of paramount importance. After the needle is removed they get a colourful vet-wrap neck-bandage and a lot of cuddles and fussing and told they are a good girl/boy!

After they have donated you are asked to remain in or near the session venue until your dog has drunk some fluids (plenty of waterbowls are provided) and eaten some food (bring your own or let your dog partake of the free treats on offer!) and has been checked over by the vet. There’s the obligatory photographs for the blood bank’s social media pages and then you are free to go.

Donors are not paid, but in the UK, Pet Blood Bank gives you a goodie bag with Fish4dogs treats, a dog toy and a bandana. More valuable than a cash incentive is the complete health check your dog has received for free, and the knowledge that your dog is helping save lives.

Donors are not paid, except in snacks, and there can also be opportunities to visit dog shows and events as an ambassadog.

Please Help Spread the Word

If your dog fits the criteria then please sign them up as a doggie blood donor today, if they are ineligible you can still help – please spread the word to friends with large friendly dogs that dog blood donors are needed. Take a moment to spread the word and save a life. Thank you!

Is your dog a blood donor? Any questions or comments about dog blood donation then leave a comment below.

Hello There!

Hello There!

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Hello world: how to start? Hello from Sally (the fluffy one) and Claire (the badly dyslexic typist). Similarly to so many others, our lives were disrupted by COVID-19. Until the world reaches a new safe normal we are stuck in lockdown in rural Scotland.

Sally and the Bluebells. Photo taken last year. For now #staysafe and #staylocal.

To keep myself sane more than anything else I thought I’d share some of our walks, our dog training and feeding, and day-to-day lives with you. Wherever you are in the world I hope you are safe, making the best of things, and above all I pray you find your own happiness. Sal sends fluffy hugs too! #withlovefromscotland