DIY: New Puppy Welcome Cookie

Puppy Week 03 Dec

Welcome to DIY Friday, Pretty Fluffies! And to round out Puppy Week here on PF we’re doing a New Puppy Welcome Cookie. I can’t think of a better way to let your friends, family and neighbours know that you have a new furry addition to your family. A cookie & announcement card is a great way to inform everyone of your new pup and with your neighbours it’s the perfect way to let them know they have a new pooch in the neighbourhood. By paying them the courtesy and sweetening the deal with a yummy cookie, your neighbours are more likely to sympathise with you when your pup starts testing his barking skills, rather than calling the local dog catcher. Win-win!

The best part is this recipe is super easy, so you don’t need to be a domestic goddess to be able to share the news of your new puppy with some old fashioned buttery goodness. For instructions and the recipe keep reading below.

VANILLA BUTTER COOKIES
Makes 20-24 cookies depending on size of cutter.

You’ll Need:
60g unsalted butter
1/4 cup (45g) pure icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
1/2 cup (75g) self raising flour
Oven tray lined with paper.
Cookie cutters in the shape of dogs or bones

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
2. Beat butter and icing sugar with mixer until pale and creamy. Add yolk and vanilla paste and continue to beat until just combined. Add combined flours and stir with wooden spoon until mixture just comes together. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth.
3. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface until about 3mm (1/8″) thick. Use your cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes and place on lined tray. Re-roll dough scraps as needed to make more cookies.
4. Bake cookies for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to completely cool before icing.

COOKIE ICING
Make 20-24 icing shapes for pre-baked cookies

You’ll Need:
500g white fondant
Pink colour paste (or whatever colour you choose)
Royal icing
Cookie cutters in the shape of dogs or bones
Piping bag
Silver cachous pearls (silver icing balls)

1. Use a small amount of colour paste to add to white fondant. I prefer to take about 5x5cm (2×2 inches) of fondant, add a couple of pricks of paste from the end of a toothpick and then knead (like play-doh) until the colour distributes evenly. Remember a little goes a long way.
2. Dust your surface with icing sugar and roll the coloured fondant to 1mm thick. Use your cookie cutters to cut out icing to match your cookie shape.
3. Place your fondant on your cookie. To make it stick brush a bit of water on the cookie before applying the icing.
4. With your royal icing pipe the dog collar onto your cookie. Finish with a silver cachous pearl as the dog tag.

Once set, slip your cookies into a clear cookie bag and attach your ribbon and personalised card. Your puppy is now ready to be welcomed by the world!

3 Easy Steps to a Happy Puppy

Puppy Week 02 Dec

Now as we all know, I love a pretty dog leash, luxury bed, or ornate dog food tin just as much as the next person…Ok MORE than the next person. But being the owner of a Border Collie I am also one to know that you can have all the pretty fluffy things in the world but without mental stimulation your puppy will go bananas. Never fear, Pretty Fluffy is here! (That sounded alot better in my head – oh well…)

Now most people get told by their breeder, rescue center or local vet what to feed their new puppy, when to vaccinate, and to walk their new bundle of joy 1-2 times per day. What a lot of people don’t get told is your puppy needs educational stimulation to keep their little brain active just as much as their daily romp in the park.

Step 1 – Enrol in Puppy Pre-school. This one’s a no brainer. Puppy pre-school teaches your dog valuable skills like socialisation with other dogs, basic commands such as sit, stay and come, as well as calming techniques when they get over excited. And for owners there’s the added benefit of learning housetraining tips, and basic training skills. Your local vet should be able to point you in the direction of a reputable Puppy school. Don’t feel bad about checking out a few options – this is going to be one of the most important experiences for your little puppy, so choose a preschool that you’re comfortable with.

Step 2 – Turn some Tricks. Now we’ve all heard of the saying ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.’ Well actually you can, but when they are a young pup it’s much easier – their little puppy brains are just like sponges ready to soak up something new. Start with the basics of sit, drop, stay and come and then you can move on to harder ones. It’s basic enough for a young puppy and all you need is your pup’s favourite treats as a reward and a spare 5 minutes a day. Any longer and you’ll probably loose their attention to a passing squirrel, sound of a bird chirping, their own tail….don’t worry – it’s what puppies do.

Step 3 – Play to Learn. Did you know that dogs can learn up to 50 words in any language? I’m not kidding myself that Soda is going to one day trot off and enroll in Harvard, however I know keeping her mind active makes for one happy pooch. So in between your chew toys, and oh so cute stuffed puppy toys leave some room for a few ‘educational’ numbers. Here are some of my Pretty Fluffy faves…

1. ABC Plush Blocks with squeakers from Muttspace. Teach your dog his A-B-C’s with these gorgeous plush blocks.
2. Puzzle Plush Cagey Cube from Cheengoo. Just like the retro Tupperware children’s toy, this cube encourages your dog to develop their puzzle solving skills by removing the shapes from inside.
3. Canine Styles Hide a Squirrel. Help satisfy your pup’s natural instinct to search, stalk and capture prey with no real squirrels harmed.
4. Brick Puzzle by Nip and Bones. This game really tests your dogs ability to search and problem solve in a bid to find their treaty reward. With a range of difficulty settings it can take them from puppy to adult.

Disclaimer: These toys do not make your dog smart enough to write a daily blog entry. In fact given the chance your dog will probably just lay down and sleep on top of the laptop.

How smart do you think your dog is? Smarter than a 5th grader?
What training tips do you have for a new puppy owner?

You Know You Own a Puppy When…

Puppy Week 30 Nov

{Image via We Are Liars}

1. Your partner tells you to stop showing random strangers photo of your new puppy.
2. Your puppy has it’s own Facebook page…and she has nearly more friends than you.
3. You start to wonder if a baby would have been easier when you’re on your fourth trip outside to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
4. You are scared to buy shoes for fear they will become his latest chew toy.
5. You start brushing your dog’s hair more than your own.
6. Your friends start referring to you as ‘the crazy dog lady.’
7. You wonder if its weird to want to send out Holiday Cards from you and the dog.
8. You start to wish you could take a nap 5 times a day, only to wake up to treats and cuddles.
9. Your boss tells you that sick days ‘because your puppy got a fright from the vacuum cleaner’ do not count.
10. You watch 3 hours of Ice Road Truckers because your pup has fallen asleep in your lap and you can’t reach the remote.
11. You find yourself buying your flatmate a new pair of underpants after your puppy ‘accidentally’ ripped hers off the line.
12. You laugh at the nutball who bought shoes for her dog, but then log online to see if they come in pink.
13. You have Cesar Milan on speed dial.
14. You leave the TV on when you go out because your new puppy ‘likes’ Desperate Housewives.
15. You know that no matter what happens during the day, you’re happy knowing that you’ve got that little fluff ball to come home to. Awwww.

Join in the fun and add to the list through the comments below!
NB. Soda would like it noted that she no longer steals clothes from washing lines…

Collars, Leashes & Walking – Oh My!

Puppy Week 30 Nov

So you’ve brought your puppy home, you’ve survived your first night, you’ve cuddled and played and cleaned up the roll of toilet paper that you’re new addition thought was a toy….But you’ve yet to venture outside.

{Cheengoo Leashes & Harnesses modeled by Truffles}

Fitting your new puppy with a collar and leash, and them training them to walk with one is one of the most important things you can do as a new owner. A dog who can walk safely and confidently is a happy dog, which makes for a happy owner. And believe me it will save you years of hearing the joke, “Looks like its the dog taking YOU for a walk!”

The first port of call is getting a snazzy new collar for your puppy. I’ve always found the best choices are adjustable fabric collars – they are durable, easily cleaned, soft on your dog’s skin and also come in a whole range of pretty colours and designs! The golden rule for fitting a collar is once the collar is on you should be able to fit two fingers in between the collar and your dog’s neck. This means the collar is not too tight as to choke your pupster, but also not too loose that it may fall off. A great little extra feature to look for in a collar is a breakaway snap-lock. This means that whilst your dog’s collar will stay firmly attached for walks, should they find themselves caught on a fence or other such object the collar will give away preventing injury, allowing the little fella to safely walk away.

So now that we have your pooch rocking a brand new collar, the next choice to make is harness or leash? To be completely honest it really comes down to a matter of preference. If your dog if comfortable with a leash and collar it’s perfectly fine, if he prefers a harness that’s good too. Leads are quick and easy to attach, whilst harnesses are super convenient for walks and car trips alike. Don’t be afraid to trial them both and let your new pup guide you as to what they prefer.

{Polka Passion Collar, Cherry Stitch Collar & Manhattan in Spring Lead from Cheengoo}

What ever you choose the main thing is to get your new puppy used to wearing his collar and lead at home before you take him out for his first walk. After your little bundle of fluff gets used to wearing the collar and/or harness start to attach the lead and take him for gentle walks around the home. Positive reinforcement is always the best way to go, praising your puppy when they walk calmly by your side and merely stopping if your pup starts to roll around, pull or bite at the leash. At times it can seem like you’re walking for 2 steps and stopping every 5 seconds, but that’s a puppy for you! (I secretly think that’s why they were made so cute!) Keep your in house walking sessions short and end with some playtime each time as a reward.

When it comes to the big day of taking your pup out for their first walk the first thing to do is check with your vet to make sure your little boy or girl is fully vaccinated so it’s safe for them to face the big, wide world. As a rule of thumb it is usually one week after their last vaccination that they can visit the local park and socialise with other dogs. That said, choose a day and time when your local street and park is fairly quiet and go for a short walk around your neighbourhood ultilising the heeling technique you have been using at home. That way your fluffy can enjoy their first walk and then slowly build up to longer, more interactive outings.

There is nothing more exciting for your puppy than going for a walk. I think everytime I say ‘walk’ to Soda it’s like I’ve just screamed ‘You’ve won the Lottery!’ I believe a good dog walk involves a nice amount of exercise and lots of new smells for your puppy to check out. A walk for a dog is just like a shopping spree, just like you wouldn’t want to be dragged away from a half price Louboutins sale, let your dog stop and smell the roses every once in a while. You’ll love the time you get to spend with them every day and they’ll love you just for taking them – there’s no better way to start your day.

How did you train your dog to walk on a lead?
Do you prefer a harness or lead?