Ruby's new collar

Ruby is a bullbreed - a Staffordshire / Boxer cross, or so they told us at the refuge.  She is definitely bullbreed as she can turn her head almost inside out when she yawns!  We think she is most beautiful.

However, sadly, not everyone shares our love.  She is very friendly and loving, but does have a strength - 29.9kg of solid muscle at last weigh in - and people can be afraid.

A couple of weeks ago I was doing our usual walk around the river - a great place for dogs to romp and play, when a young excited Springer came bounding up.  Ruby was like "hey, yeah, nice to meet you, let's play" when the owner started screaming at me to get my dog on a lead!

Of course, I asked why, she said Ruby was "out of control" as she wasn't on a lead.   I pointed out that her dog was also not on a lead and had indicated to Ruby that she wanted to play.  The snotty Springer owner then told me it was ok that her dog was not on a lead as it was a "nice dog"!

It took me all my time not to slap her with my steaming bag of dog poo.

Instead I simply clicked the catch on Ruby's lead, which was round my neck and also which indicates to Ruby that I want to put her lead on, and she stood stock still while I attached her lead and the Spaniel ran around her in circles, still wanting to play.

"Now, get your dog on a lead and leave please" I said.... there might have been an expletive in there somewhere  ;)

She finally managed to put a choker chain (I hate those things) around her dog's neck and it tugged her around the field almost yanking her arm out of the socket.  So THAT's the control bit I missed in puppy training classes.

Anyway.... that's just one story, we have had people actually picking up their dogs when Ruby approaches or turning to walk the other way, we are forever shouting "IT'S OK, SHE'S FRIENDLY".

We never had this trouble when we had a Springer  ;)

So, on a visit to the Vet's this weekend for a check-up, I saw these.  I have seen them before online, but I always like to check the sturdyness of collars in person.  These are great!  They come with big bold wording which leaves you in no doubt about the dog's personality.

We bought one for Ruby.  I wanted a red one really - red for Ruby, but Green it was  ;)  Hubster said he thought I should get the red one for myself.   Note to other dog walkers, the dog is fine, beware of the owner!

We took her for a walk, around the river, that very same day and what a HUGE difference it made. I could hardly believe it.  People relaxed as soon as they saw it, they even called her over to pet her.  Owners were happy to let their dogs play and it was a much nicer walk.

Happy Days.

We got ours from our Vets - Ashley Veterinary in Carlisle.

So, if you fancy one for yourself, I can tell you the quality is excellent (we just bought the large collar and the lead) you can find them here...  but check your local Vets too, they might stock them.

http://www.friendlydogcollars.com/

Squiddly Denim Dog Toy

I made another dog toy!   I must say I am having too much fun with these and making them is not getting me through my "to do" list very quickly!

Still, Ruby likes them.  This one is "Squiddly"  named so beacause he's a squid - clever huh?   :)

Anyway.... what I did was to take a piece of demin jeans leg left over from cutting off to make shorts.  A tennis ball and an empty crinkly bag of dog treats.

I turned the leg inside out and sewed a rough arch shape across the top.  Trimmed some of the excess of and turned it back the right way again.

Then I popped the ball into the bag - I wanted the shape of the ball and the crinkly noise of the packet.

Screwed it up a bit and added some sellotape to seal.

Then I placed it in the top of the arch and sewed it in place by stitching a rough line across.

Next, I puckered it all up as best I could and zig-zagged lots of rows to hold it in place.

Time to cut the Squid's tentacles now, I just cut it all up into 1" or so ribbons.

And cut one off  :)  Not accidentally, I really did need it for something.....

... for tying around the stitching in fact  :)   Tied extra tight in a double knot.

Then I put a knot at different heights in each of the ribbons.

And drew a face on him with a Sharpie pen  :)  (I drew an angry face on the back too).

SQUIDDLY!!!

"What on earth is this?"  Says Ruby.

(Captions please)    :)

Scrappy Denim Dog Toy

You remember I was cutting the legs off jeans this week to make shorts for my daughter?  Well Ruby the Puppy decided to keep running away with the bits of legs that I had removed, so I put down what I was busy with and decided to make her a toy.

Introducing 'Scrappy' - great name huh?   ;)

So, what did I do?   Well, first I took a plastic sauce bottle out of my recyling bin - washed it again to make sure it was spotlessly clean.

Then popped some dog treats inside to make it rattle.   I wanted something to make a noise within the toy, and used dog treats as at least I know they are digestible in the chance that she gets into it.

Screwed the lid on tight and gave it a shake to check it was noisy enough  :)

Then I took the piece that once was the bottom of a pair of jeans.

Decided that it would fit the bottle in this way, but if you are making one fit it in anyway it will go.

I TRIPLE sewed a line up the 1/3rd mark of the denim, so hopefully it will be a nice strong seam.

Then I slid the bottle in and triple sewed another line to keep in in place.

Next I sliced up the edges to make ribbons of denim.

Some of the ribbons I plaited and sewed the ends to make them hard to undo.  I left the little tag in place as Ruby seems to like chewing tags.

And other ribbons I knotted with very tight knots.

Yeah.... she likes it.  All the blooming toys we have bought her and this is now a firm favourite.  Maybe because it smells of her humans.

She even takes her naps with it beside her.

Would you like a little video of her playing with Scrappy?  Yeah, thought you might  ;)

Now, I must add a disclaimer.  I would never leave my dog alone with this, even though I don't expect anything is too harmful, I don't fancy paying a large Vet bill for bits of plastic that have got stuck in her little gut!