Tobi VS. Texel

I've always spent my summers (until my family sold their apartment and school got busier) at the coast and now that I have dog of my own I thought it would be perfect to get away for a mid-week right before the holidays started! We booked just about a month ago and managed to get a good deal. We were told Texel was lovely and dog friendly.

We left on a Tuesday morning and travelled a goof 2.5 hours before we arrived at our lodge. To get to Texel we had to drive all the way up north to Den Helder and take a ferry which was super exciting. Dogs we're allowed on deck with the passengers and I got to share a lovely view with Tobi. A lot of people here in Holland get super excited when they see pugs as they've become super popular after a set of TV commercials aired. 

Tobi's previous owners took him to the beach once when he was still a itty bitty pug pup but this was different. Tobi's a rambunctious monster and loves to explore the world around him. I don't have footage of his initial reaction to the silky sand but he hopped from side to side, challenging and inviting me to play with him.

Just look at that face! He got wet every day and then proceeded to dig never ending holes in the dunes when we sat down for a little picnic. He even played better than he does at home at the dog park; here's a little slowmo video of him.

He tried to climb up the steep dunes a few times, probably to explore but I called him back right away.

Tobi isn't scared of water but the waves surely were super exciting! He followed two GSP's pretty far in but soon realised it wasn't going to be easy bobbing up and down like an apple. We kept treats and a tennis ball in our bag if he ran off too far or got distracted which worked great!

There was a boarder collie in the distance which he wanted to play with so we walked on but 3 minutes into playing when he looked up to find us he couldn't see us. He stressed out ever so slightly and ran off the nearest two people which clearly weren't his owners (Silly dog!). After shouting and waving our arms and offering treats he ran back like his life depended on it.

Both Tobi and I had a great time and want to go back in september for a few more walks along the shore and lovely time off from the busy city life. I would definitely recommend going with your dog, all the restaurants have water bowls out and it's a lovely place to let out all that pent up energy 

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Zee.Dog Collar, Harness & Leash Review

Some people enjoy collecting stamps or the newest shoes by a certain brand, but I enjoy collecting and using different kinds of harnesses and leads. With tobi being a brachiocephalic dog and and keen on walking ahead of everything and everybody I like to use harnesses so if he pulls he doesn't choke himself. (He also has a tendency to suddenly run and jerk at the leash which kills my shoulder after his evening walk to the dog park.

It might not be much but 1% of the revenue made from each item gets donated to shelters that don't get supported by the government. Cool huh? Here in Holland it's hard to come by anything made by Zee.Dog, luckily zooplus.nl sells a small selection of their items. The driver design/ print seems to suit Tobi quite well as he's a little speed demon when he plays with other dogs!

Zee.Dog collar: Driver, size medium. 7.99 euros.

A great sturdy collar with a nice large D-ring which feels quite hefty, great for withstanding all Tobi's excited pulling and playing! I like that I can change the size of the collar, especially because Tobi's neck roll game is increasing as he grows. I usually like a snug fit for but a tight collar on a pug looks so wrong! 

Zee.dog leash: Driver, size large. 14.90 euros.

I thought Tobi would hate a regular leash but his walking behaviour has improved soo much! Now don't get me wrong I still love the Flexi vario, but it's just not the right leash for a busy city centre and a hyper pug puppy. The big buckle is easy to use and feels sturdy.

Zee.Dog step in harness: Driver, size medium. 16.90 euros.

It's a bit more hassle to get Tobi into this harness but it's a great fit and will continue to fit well as it's adjustable at three main points (chest, shoulder and sternum). I've been able to correct Tobi without hurting him or irritating any sensitive areas, he recently had a URI which had him all stuffy and gasping for air so this was a great solution! The two d-rings at the top make sure you're pulling from a centre point above the shoulders and not off to one side.

I really like the no-nonesense packaging, sure it's nice to get a huge box with plastic to keep it in place and all but it's a waste of materials. As long as the packaging can communicate what product it is and a few basic details about it I'm perfectly content. Less is more, right?

In June Zee.Dog will be launching their online store, which has me super stoked because I really want to order the watermelon and pineapple printed items! If you sign up for their newsletter at www.zee-dog.com you'll get 20% off you're order when they launch!

Toodles! x

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Hurtta harness review

When I first got Tobi his previous owners gave him to us with a measly lead in neon green with a thin little collar that was far too small for him. Walking him from where we had parked the car to my house was super scary and annoying. Tobi kept spinning in circles and charging about which only made me feel bad. He kept choking himself due to all the excitement :( As soon as we got home we walked to the local pet store to get him a good harness. The man in the shop didn't have a large selection but what he did have in stock were these really durable Hurtta pro padded harnesses!

Brachycephalic or not, i'm a big believer in well crafted harnesses. It's a better experience for both pet and owner. Tobi is a lucky pug with a longer snout so he doesn't get winded easily. Pugs and bulldogs are generally hard to shop for as their chests are quite large in comparison to their barels. This one will always be a bit loose as long as he's a puppy but he can't escape from it so i'm happy. There's no contact or pressure on the neck, so if he decides to run until his flexi can no longer extend he can't be choked.

The harness slips right over his head and buckles up with an extra safety hook for when the buckle breaks or isn't closed yet. As you can see in the picture above there's reflective stitching. Lots of my walks (during the week) are either early in the morning or later at night, and living in the city centre is dangerous for little dogs here in Holland! All the bikes, cars, trucks and busses wizzing past don't easily see tobi without his harness.

I payed €29.95 for the harness which is a lot but with daily use for the past 3 months I haven't seen a single stitch come undone, even after hand washing it with a brush! It dries fairly quickly and is also easy to clean if your dog plays in mud or dirty snow.

If you're looking for good harnesses that are easy in use and maintenance then look for Hurtta! They do various kinds of harnesses, matching leads and even coats for real outdoorsy dogs. On their official website  they even have size charts for all breeds so no need to measure up before ordering!

Toodles x

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