Total Dog Magazine

Author: Kim O’Meara

  • Best Pet Treat Camera For Older Dogs

    Best Pet Treat Camera For Older Dogs

    We test a lot of pet tech. We’re lucky that way. So when we tell you what we think is the best pet treat camera for older dogs, it comes from a place of experience. We’ve tried loads.

    New research recently revealed that we spend the most on our dogs when they are puppies or in their senior years, which makes sense really.

    When our dogs are young, we try to find out what our puppies like/dislike to make them happy – and of course, the teething stage means we have to replace beds, toys, and more, multiple times, and when a dog enters their senior years, I think we’re more determined than ever to make each day special.

    Or that’s how I see it.

    Our oldest dog is 14 now and over the last couple of years, her mobility has slowed her down, her teeth and gums are more sensitive so hard chews are not really a suitable treat option any more and she’s never been one to play.

    But she loves food and when we first got her a Furbo pet treat camera, it changed her life.

    Here’s why.

    It brings unpredictability and variety to her day.

    She never knows when the jingle to let her know treats are being dispensed might ring out, so she is more alert because heaven forbid another dog gets any.

    When we’re away from home, it makes us feel like we’re never too far away from being connected with her. Something that’s more important than ever these days.

    The Furbo app, which you use to dispense treats, is simple to use and works off wifi.

    Furbo treat camera app

    The app also lets you save your memories, letting you take videos and photos, and gives you the option to personalise what your dog hears when treats are dispensed.

    Furbo treat camera two-way microphone (works even for older dogs)

    The two-way mic and speaker also means you can talk to them while away from home. They can hear you and you can hear them.

    It keeps her active and engaged.

    Over the last six months, like many older dogs, her hearing has started to fade and she relies on my other dogs to let her know when they hear my personalised ‘who wants a biscuit?’ jingle.

    Summary – the Furbo pet treat camera is perfect for older dogs (and younger ones too)

    However, even though she no longer hears like she once did, her desire to get to the dog camera for the treats before anyone else is still as strong as ever – and she will barge anyone out of her way if need be (she’s always been focused and single-minded).

    The concept of a dog treat cam may seem like a novelty in some ways, but quite honestly, we wouldn’t be without one. It has without a doubt made my dog’s days brighter.

    Want a Furbo pet treat camera for your dog?

    Get One Here
  • Dog Walking Is 4th Most Popular Side Hustle, but Using Dogs to Earn Cash Will Do More Harm Than Good

    Dog Walking Is 4th Most Popular Side Hustle, but Using Dogs to Earn Cash Will Do More Harm Than Good

    A new survey has revealed that more than 1 in 3 Brits who side hustle, use dog walking as a way to make extra money each month because for almost a quarter of the UK, the average monthly wage of £1538.97 and it is not enough.

    According to OddsMonkey, over the last year inflation has more than doubled to 3.1% making everything more expensive and leaving Brits needing to top up their income using other methods, like side hustling.

    The problem with side hustling using dogs is not dog walking itself, it’s where it could lead. We’re talking about dog breeding.

    Although this survey doesn’t reveal how many Brits side hustle using dogs for breeding purposes, it is a definite problem here in the UK and around the world, and it leads to an overpopulation of dogs and puppy farms.

     

  • Who Is to Blame for the French Bulldog’s Rising Popularity?

    Who Is to Blame for the French Bulldog’s Rising Popularity?

    The French Bulldog is set to become the UK’s most popular dog breed, overtaking the Labrador in the top spot where it has sat for multiple decades.

    Some of you may think nothing of this. Some may not care and some may be outraged. What you should think is not for us to tell you, but here’s how I came to my own conclusion that this breed is not heading in a terrible direction, it’s damn well there and things will only get worse. We need to do something to address the problem. If we don’t I fear we will – or could (some will say should) – lose the breed and others who suffer from the same problems forever.

    The French Bulldog we see today is not how they used to be. These are two French Bulldogs pictured in 1905, look at their nostrils and muzzle length specifically. Have a good look.

    This is the French Bulldog today.

    Can you see the difference? Can you imagine how hard it is to breathe through such closed nostrils and such a short snout? Jemima Harrison’s blog has even more heartbreaking photos here and I urge you to look, once you’ve finished reading, of course, to make your own mind up.

    Owners of French Bulldogs often say how difficult the heat is for their dogs to cope in, and not just that, but a lot of forms of exercise, bursts of excitement and even the simple act of eating cause difficulties in breathing.

    And yet we cannot forget that the version of the French Bulldog today has been willingly bred like this.

    Media organisations, including ours, made the decision some time ago to limit the images we show of Brachycephalic dog breeds within our features unless it is relevant to the story. A full list of the dog breeds including French Bulldogs, Lhasa Apsos and Boxer is available here.

    I love all dogs but there is very much a cycle in effect – the more people see a dog breed, the more they perhaps accept the breed’s looks as the ‘norm’.

    Celebrity culture is often blamed too. We received a press release recently from the British Veterinary Association blaming the media and celebrities for popularising breeds.

    The organisation’s President Gudrun Ravetz said, “We shouldn’t be buying and breeding dogs on the way we want them to look – it should always be about prioritising welfare above appearance. These are breeds that can suffer just by walking around or eating, which is why we’re calling on the media and advertisers to stop using them in their adverts. It is also difficult to turn on the TV, check Instagram or see a celebrity photo without also seeing a brachycephalic breed so it’s not surprising that demand for these dogs is rising.

    “And we would also encourage anyone considering getting a brachycephalic breed to speak to their local vet and think about choosing a healthier breed or crossbreed instead.”

    It seems reasonable from the outset and our core beliefs matched up, but their comment made us question them further. It seems like an easy route to blame one part of the chain – what would owners of these breeds do if they didn’t exist?

    Who is holding breeders and the organisation registering, and as such overseeing the breed’s demise over recent decades to account?

    When we asked how the BVA felt about the role of breeders and The Kennel Club they said:

    “It is vital that everyone plays their part in tackling poor health and welfare in our dogs. With the current want for designer dogs and brachycephalic breeds, the need for a record of conformation altering surgeries and caesareans that are carried out in veterinary practice has never been more important. Owners can submit data on their dogs’ operations, yet we have also been working with BVA members to raise awareness of the Kennel Club’s new online reporting system to encourage a data drive that could reduce avoidable hereditary problems, prevent further lifelong discomfort and suffering, and improve health and welfare for dogs.

    “The increase in demand for these fashionable dogs has also opened up a market for breeders and puppy farms, who sell dogs without any consideration for the dogs’ health and welfare, further exacerbating problems. A recent BVA survey found that the top two most common dog breeds, who vets suspected to have been illegally imported, were French bulldogs and pugs. “We are recommending that people don’t buy brachycephalic dog breeds because even those bred legally may have extreme characteristics that can cause serious, life-limiting health problems.”

    At that point we asked very specifically again, highlighting our question hadn’t in fact been answered as to where the BVA felt the Kennel Club and breeders ranked in the problem.

    On this point, Ravetz/the BVA PR team refused to condemn The Kennel Club or breeders, which seems strange – as it seems to me to be playing politics with the issue (did you note the KC new reporting system promotion in their quote?).

    Surely if you’re happy to name and shame one part of the cycle, you should name and shame all rather than saying it’s not helpful to name individuals when the press release began ‘Celebrities, advertisers and the public must stop normalising flat-faced dogs’ health problems…’ – one rule for one, another for those you work with perhaps?

    In my opinion, as someone who has owned dogs since a child. I was always influenced and overheard conversations where the Kennel Club registration was held in high esteem. It was something that was meant to reflect the quality of the dog and their breeder. And the registration papers add to the cost of the puppy, it seems to be something which means the cost of them vs others without papers is higher.

    The Kennel Club quite willingly underplays it’s role in its influence, whether this is because it suits them or not is for you to decide, but pointedly if breeders rely on The Kennel Club for verification (and I say again, add cost onto the puppy’s value) then they have a hand they could play. Could being the operative word, if they chose to.

    But they don’t.

    For these breeds to have a fighting chance, everyone needs to play their part.

    The breeds need to be ‘unbroken’.

    It’s not enough for owners to understand the financial commitments of taking on a dog with health problems, if there was no demand, there would be no French Bulldogs. If there were no French Bulldogs, there would be no demand.

  • Shame on You Channel 4: Rich Dog, Poor Dog TV Show Review

    Shame on You Channel 4: Rich Dog, Poor Dog TV Show Review

    As a dog lover who loves to channel hop, I can guarantee there are few things which will make me stop and watch whatever show I land on. But one thing that will always make me stop and watch is a dog.

    Last night while browsing I came across ‘Rich Dog, Poor Dog’ on Channel 4. At this stage, I would normally include a link to the show for readers to watch themselves if they missed it.

    In this case, I really can’t bring myself to do that except to say: if you haven’t seen it, I wouldn’t recommend watching it. Seriously, if you love dogs and understand the animal welfare crisis in the UK you won’t enjoy it: here’s why.

    At first I thought the show was simply looking through the keyhole at the life of dog owners who live only streets apart but find themselves living on very different scales of income: one rich, one poor.

    In the beginning, I watched not really sure that was that much of a revelation but found myself watching all the same.

    Through our interviews for K9 Magazine, we’ve been told city-dwelling dog owners often find themselves making new friends through their one common interest – dogs. And so I watched thinking this may be where we were headed.

    Admittedly the show telegraphed this by filming the two ‘poor dog’ owners and their dogs, a Jack Russell and Staffie, walking to the shops to spend their last £7. Glancing from afar at the houses which they said must be worth £5 million, they speculated those who lived there wouldn’t have their sort of money problems.

    Contrastingly, we then saw the ‘rich dog’ family receive a visit from their groomer who the owner speculated was “the best in all of Chelsea and Battersea” for a pampering session in the comfort of the wealthy Shih-Tzu’s own home.

    Then the show took a turn.

    In the ‘poor’ household after being told one of the dogs would have to have cat food as they’d run out of dog food and had no money left until their benefits would be next paid, the concept of breeding was introduced in a ‘let’s get the laptop out and look at how to breed dogs’ segment.

    The topic seemed planted by producers at best, negligent at worst.

    The concept of backyard breeding wasn’t introduced as a bad thing. Nor as something that should NEVER be advised or attempted, but as something being actively considered because they had no money and because of how much you can earn if you breed cross-breeds with a fancy name like a “little jack shihtz”.

    The UK has an animal welfare crisis.

    Not just by sheer volume of dogs who end up in rescues every year neglected and abused (and this number is rising), but by breeders actively breeding dogs who will grow up with health problems and puppy farmers who in some cases are concealing their true motives aided (knowingly or otherwise, if we’re being generous) by The Kennel Club, who run Crufts (also currently being aired across Channel 4’s network).

    Dogs aren’t here to be our cash cows. They aren’t here to solve our income issues. They are our companions and do many, many wonderful things every day as our companions. They make us laugh, they give us comfort and in some cases are amazing assistance dogs transforming the lives of their owners.

    Watch a dog sitting with his homeless owner and you can see a content dog giving comfort and companionship. Dogs relationship with man has nothing to do with wealth.

    Across the country, there are dogs who already suffer at the hands of humans in many different ways. The fact the show aired this as something that people could do is appalling.

    So what happened?

    Well, the two sets of dog owners met and had nothing except dogs in common. Staffies were bashed a bit by the rich dog owner who had a stereotype in her mind which didn’t match the reality and should have known better, and the ‘poor dog’ Jack Russell (Juno) couldn’t have puppies and she was given up.

    This show COULD have said something positive about the discrimination towards certain types of owners and their dogs. It didn’t.

    It could have shone a light on how many dog owners put their dogs ahead of themselves. It didn’t do this either.

    What it did do it put the idea of backyard breeding out there with no common sense highlighting the untold distress to animals as a result. Nor did it tell the story of how this could put further stress on the animal rescue system which is already bursting at the seems.

    The show flashed up a hashtag to encourage people to take to social media to discuss. While following the trail today I discovered I’m not alone. Here’s what others thoughts.

     

     

  • Why Did This MP Block One Of The UK’s Most Committed Anti Puppy Farm Campaigning Groups?

    Why Did This MP Block One Of The UK’s Most Committed Anti Puppy Farm Campaigning Groups?

    Inquiry – an act of asking for information or to conduct a formal investigation.

    On 8th September SNP MP Dr Paul Monaghan for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross reminded us he was involved in an inquiry into animal welfare through his role as a member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, EFRA Select Committee Special Sub-Committee on Greyhound Welfare and the EFRA Select Committee Special Sub-Committee on Animal Welfare saying “Traveling to Wales tomorrow with @CommonsEFRA to visit puppy farms & dog rescue services as part of our ongoing inquiry into animal welfare.”

    This was then followed by a tweet on 9th September which said:

    The inquiry launched earlier this year and since then, no doubt as a result of what he has learnt, he has been active showing support by joining different campaigning groups on protests.

    Indeed on 23rd May he replied to the International Fund for Animal Welfare Parliamentary Team who applauded him for tabling an Early Day motion in Westminster calling for tighter legislation on dog breeding saying, “It’s a privilege to be able to highlight and support animal welfare issues. Let’s hope change is around the corner.”

    Whenever an MP backs calls for better animal welfare to create a brighter future for Britain’s animals in need it has to be a good thing, that’s what we all hope as dog lovers because there are far too many stories around the world daily showing man’s best friend suffering at man’s hand.

    However, when a publicly appointed MP with a role in animal welfare on a public forum such as Twitter takes a personal stance on an organisation who he has previously shared material from, hope turns to something else. It’s a feeling unlike another. Over the years many things come up which I keep silent about. Ryan’s voice, as publisher of K9 Magazine, is very often enough more eloquent than mine. Brevity is not my friend, but it is his.

    Through dogsblog.com we see a lot of stories of dogs rescued from puppy farms and so I see the end result if you like, as animal rescues pick up the pieces from all types of situations trying to give a dog a second chance in life. The life they should have had.

    The organisation he has chosen to take a personal stance about is Puppy Love Campaigns, who are supported by author and Huffington Post contributor Janetta Harvey, who’s main body of work revolves around raising awareness to puppy farming and the long-term effects on the dogs saved based on personal experience, and he seems to have also taken a personal stance here having taken the same action against her.

    Puppy Love Campaigns aren’t a group who court media and publicity, but in my opinion, that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve it. Their investigations have resulted in 10 puppy farms (and counting) being closed, saving many dogs from a life as a breeding machine in dark, squalid conditions we as dog lovers can’t quite get our heads around.

    Their videos and images have been circulated by many other puppy farming campaigns utilising their hard work and efforts to spread the word using the material and evidence they gather.

    Surely an MP with a role actively involved in inquiries about animal welfare should be doing all he can to benefit from the advice, work and specialist knowledge of those involved?

    Instead, after sharing news on 8th that he was visiting Wales as part of his work into animal welfare, he took the decision on 9th September to block both Janetta and Puppy Love Campaigns.

    This essentially stops them from engaging with him, but also stops him from seeing their activity on Twitter. For an MP who can be quoted telling us we should all “show respect to those we share our planet with” and who seems to want to do good and see an end to puppy farming, he will now miss out on vital news, information and advice he could benefit from for the good of the inquiry from Janetta, who has recently launched a book with a campaign to educate children about the subject and Puppy Love Campaigns, who have helped to close down – say it with me – 10 and counting puppy farms.

    This seems to be a thought echoed by many others who have echoed disbelief at the public figure’s actions, let alone those involved. Janetta has detailed her thoughts on her website while Puppy Love Campaigns have been left confused by the MP’s stance. All of which I note seem to have, publicly anyhow, gone without reply.

    Investigations of Puppy Love Campaigns have also resulted in 3 breeders being struck off the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme. This scheme was implemented after the critically acclaimed ‘Pedigree Dogs Exposed’ documentary aired on the BBC highlighting the plight of certain dog breeds bred to conform to specific standards outlined by the Kennel Club.

    When you cut through the marketing, the Assured Breeder Scheme in the Kennel Club’s own words “helps puppy buyers find breeders who follow good practice. We wish to guarantee a responsible and rewarding experience for everyone. Every single Assured Breeder will be inspected by the Kennel Club, a UKAS accredited certification body, in order to ensure that the scheme is recognised as the essential quality seal for puppy breeding and buying.”

    In exchange for joining and for the above, breeders can use the scheme literature and logo to promote their litters of puppies. The Kennel Club say “this is an important badge that shows puppy buyers your commitment to the health and welfare of your dogs.”

    The reason I highlight the work of Puppy Love Campaigns is for one reason only – they don’t seek the limelight, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve applause for their work.

    Puppy Love Campaigns is made up of a group of volunteers who want to see an end to the puppy farming trade and as such, remain anonymous to allow them to carry out their investigations gathering evidence to pass onto bodies, such as the RSPCA and Local Authorities at which point the investigations continue with the relevant bodies able to ensure cases are taken to court, such as the latest case in Wales or in other cases, improvement orders will be given, ensuring a better life for the dogs.

    Their investigations begin with calls from concerned members of the public, sometimes neighbours of individuals who are mistreating animals and aren’t sure what to do. This organisation has the trust of the public, after all, their investigations stem from public reports.


    Photo Credit: Facebook.com/puppylovecampaigns

    Their work is not built on personal opinions and they don’t seek thanks from members of the public, but they deserve respect and they deserve to be listened to, particularly if you are part of an inquiry into the subject.


    Photo Credit: Facebook.com/puppylovecampaigns

    In fact, wouldn’t you assume a publicly appointed figure would be seeking the ear of a body who have helped to close puppy farms across the UK?


    Photo Credit: Facebook.com/puppylovecampaigns

    After waiting what we felt was a respectable amount of time for the publicly appointed, but no doubt busy, MP to reply, we contacted his office for a comment for this story.

    We asked him why he had chosen to block. He told us after originally engaging with them (at the time of writing, this activity is still visible for anyone who wishes to browse), he spoke with someone leading him to feel they had a difference of viewpoint on strategies taken and repeated multiple times it was a personal decision.,

    Which left us confused as to why with this in mind he has left a tweet showing him sharing images taken by Puppy Love Campaigns (as below).

    To this, he replied that he feels there was no reason to delete it as the sentiment is in line with his viewpoint.

    We can’t help but feel that by blocking those who have had a voice about the subject of puppy farming for longer (Janetta) or those who have had more of a direct role in communicating with and investigating puppy farms than you may have, you cast aspersions by doing so, given the goal of all is to end puppy farming.

    We put this to him and he said: “It’s important not to lose sight of the goal from all involved to end puppy farming.” He concluded wishing them well but reiterated his personal stance.

    Surely, this is a conflict of interest? If you’re using the platform to voice your work as a public official and MP for your constituency and beyond if you sit on committees, surely you should be open to receiving information, advice and data from those who have more expertise on a subject than you, as someone on an inquiry gathering data and insights to assess?

    After all, if you already knew all there was to know on a subject why hold an inquiry at all?

    We remain hopefully the enquiry will bring a silver lining to the lives of animals in need, but the subject of bias has to be raised, because lets face it, if you don’t have all of the data or insights on a subject how can you say you fully investigated and assessed for a well rounded, complete inquiry.

    Sadly, the topic of puppy farming is one those within the field are split about. Some believe stopping third party sales will end puppy farming, some, including Puppy Love Campaigns and the RSPCA, disagree saying third party sales would continue somehow, instead they would like to see every seller and breeder licenced.

  • How Did Losing Your Dog Affect You? We Want to Hear From You!

    How Did Losing Your Dog Affect You? We Want to Hear From You!

    Losing a pet can be like losing a piece of you. I speak from experience have lost my beautiful Labrador, Chloe, a little over a year ago. She wasn’t my first dog to pass, but she’s the most recent and I am still unsure if my age and being older made the loss all the harder to cope with or if it is deeper than that.

    Chloe

    We are working with a client on a particular campaign to bring some more dog owners stories about grief, losing pets and circumstances around – such as how you coped and what time off work you took (as well as the reasons you gave) to the forefront of the subject and how your pet shaped your past, or future.

    It’s a nice way to make them famous and give them a legacy more can read about, don’t you think?

    If you took a week or so off work and have a story to tell, we’d love to hear from you.

    Please tell us about your dog, the loss and how it happened, as well as your time off situation (leaving your email address behind your username if commenting in the comments section of the post) and we will contact you later today or Monday, latest.

    Thanks for taking part and sharing.

  • How Does Your Dog React to a Human Barking?

    How Does Your Dog React to a Human Barking?

    This probably wasn’t a question you had in your mind when you woke up this morning but admit it, you want to know now don’t you!

    Lucky for us magician Jose Ahonen and comedian and voice actor Rudi Rok also wanted to know…

  • Would Your Dog Like to Win Some of Pet Munchies New Salmon Treats?

    Would Your Dog Like to Win Some of Pet Munchies New Salmon Treats?

    We bet the answer is yes!

    To celebrate the arrival of Pet Munchies NEW super healthy range of 100% Natural Wild Gourmet Salmon Treats, K9 Magazine’s very own Christopher, Danny and of course, Mia, put them to the test before we launched a special giveaway offering 7 lucky readers the chance to win three packs for your own dogs to enjoy.

    Pet Munchies treats are made from quality, human grade real salmon.

    Salmon is ranked in the top ten of WHFoods due to the high level of the “ANTI OXIDANT Selenium”, making for a healthier skin and a shinier healthier coat and decreasing the risk of joint inflammation.

    A rich source of vitamins and minerals including Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, it’s often recommended by vets as it is easily digestible and ideal for dogs with allergies as it is naturally hypoallergenic.

    Packed full of natural goodness for your dog and sealed with dogs approval. In our case, they were most certainly also opened with dogs approval!

    Christopher (with a Mia cameo)…

    Danny…

    Mia (with Danny keeping a close eye on things)…

    Enter our giveaway today here on Freepetstuff.co.uk and give your dog the chance to go to sleep dreaming of Pet Munchies, like Christopher did.

    Good luck 🙂

  • 4 Reasons You Don’t Want to Miss Out on The Latest Edition of K9 Magazine

    4 Reasons You Don’t Want to Miss Out on The Latest Edition of K9 Magazine

    Only four I hear you say? Well no, but we don’t want to overly blow our own trumpet! That said, this issue of K9 Magazine is packed full of useful information, advice and celebrity features we’re sure you’ll enjoy diving into.

    This month we continue our series of exploring the UK’s most pet friendly places (reason no 1), before we find out in 5 easy steps how to teach your dog to count (reason no 2) from the owner of ‘Cooper the Counting Shih Tzu’ – hours of fun to be had!

    We also launch Ali Bastian’s new pet travel series (reason no 3) and we get the inside scoop on what it takes to get picture perfection and create everlasting memories of our pets (reason no 4).

    All of this, lots more and bundles of goodies to be won inside – what are you waiting for? Download your copy pf Issue 86 in either flash or for tablets/mobile devises here – http://www.k9magazine.com/k9-magazine-issue-86/

  • A Pet Owner’s Review: Are Steam Cleaners Really Worth It?

    A Pet Owner’s Review: Are Steam Cleaners Really Worth It?

    It’s Summer, it’s meant to be sunny isn’t it? We’re all set for a heatwave in the UK apparently but let’s be honest, that’s likely to be followed shortly by rain if the past few months are to be judged.. We’re just being realistic, we have to be prepared for the muddy paw prints don’t we?

    Following our review of vacuum cleaners last year paying particular attention to what we as dog owners need, we decided to find out if steam cleaners are really worth the hype, and in some cases, price tag.

    With three black coated dogs, including a puppy who has successfully conquered (thankfully) house training, a cat, and husband (who spills but never admits) at home, our house has a heavy footfall daily.

    Not only that, we have cream carpets throughout except for two rooms which have hard floors. The carpets, flooring and rugs take the brunt of the paw prints but nevertheless short of attaching clothes to every paw/foot, I knew I needed to try something different and wanted a different option to bleaching constantly but at the same time, wanted something which could kill bacteria. So could a steam cleaner be the answer?

    I’ll be honest, I was a little excited to try this. The time I spend cleaning our hard floors means the doors are closed to all and I can put any cheesy music on full blast without worry that I’ll be asked ‘what on earth are you listening to?’ because no one wants to come in and risk being told the floor cleaning task can happily be assigned.

    So, on with the reviews. We chose to review three steam cleaners with different price points.

    First up…

    Name: H20 X5 5in1 Steam Cleaning System

    RRP £79.99 (Free P&P)

    Pros: Great price, easy to store with great customer service. Speedy start time from switching on to being able to use.

    Cons: The cloths which attach to the steam cleaning head weren’t hard wearing enough to cope with our stone floor sadly so they lasted one-two uses each.

    Summary:

    The H20 X5 mop uses water only (no chemicals) and they say the steam alone will ‘kill up to 99% of bacteria like salmonella and E. coli’ (less on wooden floors). It uses ordinary tap water that it turns into super-heated steam to help sanitise and deodorise.

    It comes with a fantastic array of attachments and clothes and with the extra heads and cleaners available, it can be used to clean what felt like virtually everything – Floors, Windows (in its hand held function), Clothes, Curtains and Carpets.

    Available in different colours, you can choose from Red, Green, White and there’s currently a Special Pink edition available.

    During our review we had an issue with the ball which attaches the head to the cleaner. The ball essentially allows the head to fit into different corners and move with ease. The customer service team acted swiftly to help us resolve and send a replacement, which was fantastic.

    The H20 X5 gives lots of flexibility to change it’s use with multiple add on’s available to purchase, including a ‘Pet Kit’ which available to purchase separately for £14.99 and includes: 1 x Red Lint Cloth, 1 x Green Nylon Brush and 5 x Disposable Bonnet Cloths.

    Sadly, we found the cloth heads weren’t hardy enough for our tough stone floor which suffers primarily from muddy feet, but we have used repeatedly on windows and once you’ve got used to maneuvering and the weight of holding (it’s heavier to hold than and move up and down on windows versus the light feeling of using on floors) it becomes pretty easy to use.

    If you’re looking for something that does it all, this cleaner is worth a look. It has so many cleaning options, if you find just one like we did that saves you time and money in the long run, then it could be worth it to you.

    Find out more at ThaneDirect.co.uk

    Next up…

    Name: Vax Steam Fresh Combi Multifunction

    Price: RRP £159.99

    At the time of writing, it is currently on special offer (link below) as an online exclusive with additional add-on’s included for £109.99

    Pros: Really light to use and quick drying (Vax say it dries in three minutes). Uses a combination of water and a scented detergent which leaves a fresh smell. Great lead length meaning from being plugged in, it could stretch across a fairly large floor space with ease.

    Cons: During our review, the pads which attach to the bottom of the cleaning head kept getting caught and folding underneath so corners being cleaned weren’t getting the full benefit of the cleaning session.

    Summary:

    Winner of a ‘Which? Best Buy’ award for 2014, we were really keen to put this 2-in-1 steam mop and handheld cleaner to the test.

    Coming with an array of 10 tools to clean every nook and cranny as a handheld cleaner as well as for hard floors and carpets, it’s clearly designed to give you confidence that whatever the space, whatever the job, it can tackle it.

    The refillable container has clearly marked lines for the scented solution and water and it’s really easy to fill, remove and place back in if you need to re-fill before you’ve finished.

    For me, I really enjoyed my first few tries varying between wooden floors, where it performed very well, and my tougher stone floor, and I loved the fresh scent from the solution provided with the cleaner.

    The pads wore much better than the previous cleaner, with no visible damage which was fantastic, but sadly I couldn’t keep fixing the pads on the cleaner to ensure I managed to get into every corner needed with ease. I can’t say if this is typical, but it was typical of my trial sadly no matter how many times I checked the grip between the cleaner and cleaning pad.

    That said, the cleaner does so much more and if you’re looking for something to help you clean all of those hard to reach places, it’s worth investigating.

    Find out more at Vax.co.uk

    And last but not least…

    Name:  Shark Sonic Duo – KD450

    Price: £179.99

    Pros: Lightweight, easy to maneuver with hardy cleaning pads which have stood up to our stone flooring. Good lead length from plug in point for use.

    Cons: Not a negative as such, but the solution bottles don’t last many months and would have been great to have larger bottles where possible. Our cleaning solution lasted two months (weekly cleaning), the polishing spray, which is guided by you and how much you use, lasted three months (weekly cleaning) and the rug sprays have lasted approximately 6 months because they’ve been used less, but again how much you use is guided by you. The solution can be bought separately from different retailers varying in prices from £9.99 upwards.

    Summary:

    The most expensive out of our three cleaners, we were keen to put the Shark Sonic Duo to the test to see if the price tag was worth the end result.

    It cleans a range of household surfaces with gusto. Coming with three different colour coded pads – 2 x green for cleaning hard floors, 2 x orange for polishing hard floors and 2 x purple for cleaning carpets/rugs. The solution bottles are colour co-ordinated to match the pads for easiness.

    To clean the hard floors you mix the solution with water filling up to the lines marked on the bottle before you replace the bottle into the front of the cleaner. Using on hard floors, the cleaner allows you to use pressing down on the head to scrub the floor almost. Admittedly this took some mastering, holding down and moving, or working out which spots in front needed a little extra attention on one spot before moving onto another, but you find your rhythm.

    Once finished, you then remove the bottle, detach the cleaning pads and re-attach new pads to polish spraying the brightening polish solution wherever you wish to then move over with the Sonic Duo.

    It advises you leave the floor without walking on for around 24 hours, in our house this just isn’t possible so I try to finish the task just before everyone two legged and four legged heads off to bed to give it a decent amount of time to settle in. The results on our hard floor truly are amazing. Being a dark brown stone, it can easily look dull. The brightening solution transformed it into a shiny, clean looking floor.

    As with the floor cleaning you tackle cleaning carpets and rugs in two stages. For us with Christopher house training, and I don’t want to say being slow to catch on fully, but he did have a few accidents when we thought he’d cracked it, this part of the trial was also very much needed at home.

    Once you’ve cleared the space from all (cue the cheesy music mentioned in the introduction), you first of all use the Pretreater Solution to spray the area/s needed before you go over it with the cleaner having attached the purple co-ordinated pads to the head. Once completed, you change the solution placing the brighter into the bottle holder at the front of the cleaner and repeat.

    The following day once dried the rugs and tested carpet areas smelt clean and fresh.

    Overall, this was our favourite cleaner. Although the most expensive with additional solutions needing to be purchased on an ongoing basis, we most definitely saw the benefit in our home with our specific floors with the cleaner. The pads have shown no signs of wear and tear on our hardy floors and I think from the moment I saw the brightened look on our stone floor, I fell in love. From years of cleaning and feeling like I knew it was clean so that was all that mattered, I felt like I actually saw a difference.

    Find out more at SharkClean.eu

  • It’s National Bring Your Dog to Work Day – Are You Taking Part?

    At K9 Magazine we regularly bring our dogs into the office. Christopher, Mia and Danny are given their weekly tasks of eating lunches, warming feet and reviewing different pet products and they carry them out with gusto.

    So are there any downsides to bringing your dog into the office? Well, it depends.

    As a puppy, Mia once interrupted an interview we were doing with Hollyoaks/Corrie’s Chris Fountain. The interview took place at an unexpected time so without having the chance to move into a calm, quiet office it took place at lunchtime with colleagues surrounding. Mia, spotting a temporarily unoccupied desk with a yoghurt sitting waiting it’s own to return, ventured up for a quick look. One lick led to another and it was gone, mostly all over the desk and her face, but gone nonetheless.  Sitting opposite, with a mixture of shame, embarrassment and amusement, I couldn’t catch my colleagues attention so had to carry on regardless.

    But Mia’s not the only one who’s found herself unable to resist the lures of lunches.

    A rare moment sharing a bed captured

    In her younger days, Chloe arrived in the office to find a colleague arriving for the day ahead with his laptop carrier in hand, sandwiches safely tucked away inside. You would assume a zip might be enough to keep them safe so while chatting in the kitchen about the day ahead, we were all surprised to see Chloe disappear to his office and then re-appear with the sandwiches in tow. Not eaten, to her credit, but still in tow all the same. We’ll never know how she managed to unzip that bag.

    Another tale?

    Here’s another Chloe corker.

    They day started the same. The phone rang in our editor, Ryan’s, office, he answered but wanted to transfer so left his office, where Chloe was sleeping, and went to another room to pick up.

    While there, and chatting with a fellow director he heard heavy breathing down the line. Aware it wasn’t who he was speaking to, he carried on regardless all while the cogs were turning to work out what was going on.

    Ryan soon realised he hadn’t put the phone down in his office and Chloe, having woken and found herself alone, heard voices but couldn’t see anyone around. With her investigative hat on, she soon discovered the source of the sound after sniffing the handset which Ryan hadn’t replaced.

    These stories will remain with us, and with the colleagues who lost, or almost lost, their lunches. This post is dedicated to those memories of sandwiches and yoghurts lost, directors confused by heavy breathing and most of all the dogs who created the memories for us to share. Having been able to spend those extra hours of what we know are relatively short lives, means the world and the benefits dogs bring to our offices daily, we hope is returned to them in the company they share.

    Next week, in celebration of Bring Your Dog to Work Day, K9 Magazine’s trio as well as Buster the cat will be reviewing both the Pawsome gift box (for dogs) and the Purrfect gift box (for cats). As they tuck into their treats inside, at least we can say with confidence next week, no lunches will be harmed. Thank you Animal Box!

    National Bring Your Dog to Work Day is run by HOWND in aid of London dog charity, All Dogs Matter. To donate, please visit www.bringyourdogtoworkday.co.uk

    Share your own funny stories of bringing your dog into the office below or share your photos with us on Facebook @K9Mag or Twitter @K9Magazine – we’d love to hear from you!

  • This Dog Deserves an Award for His Dance Skills, Don’t You Think?

    This Dog Deserves an Award for His Dance Skills, Don’t You Think?

    Meet Oscar, he probably has more dance moves than you – he definitely has more than me.

  • A Birthday Wish to Chloe

    A Birthday Wish to Chloe

    One of the perks of owning your own magazine is that you can indulge a little at times, and so please bear with us as we indulge a little, remembering Chloe on what would have been her 16th birthday.

    She didn’t have many faults.

    She could take a photograph like a pro.

    Or she could learn.

    Okay, well maybe not, but she didn’t care.

    She could run and jump with the best of them.

    She loved to swim.

    She loved to dance like no one was watching to Mariah Carey, and wasn’t above the odd snub (take that Cat face, she never did forget those two slaps you gave her).

    She was quite happy taking the backseat on most things letting Mia take centre stage.

    She adored, and was adored in return. She loved unconditionally.

    Gone but not forgotten.

    Take a moment and indulge with us, share your canine memories and special moments by commenting below – we’d love to hear from you, or join us on Facebook @K9Mag and share your own dog’s photos on Chloe’s post and let us put a face to the name 🙂

  • Get Your Copy of K9 Magazine’s Latest Edition (83) on Your Tablet Now!

    Get Your Copy of K9 Magazine’s Latest Edition (83) on Your Tablet Now!

    K9 Magazine’s latest issue, 83, hits the web today and we’d love to hear your thoughts on what you enjoyed most, or what you’d like more of.

    This month we speak with Bonnie-Jill Laflin and find out about her blind military hero dog, Asur, and work in the animal welfare field. We find out about Lyme disease and whether it really is something we should be concerned about, before we take a trip to Romania and discover about the life of a dog living there.

    Plus much, much more inside so whether you’d prefer a copy for your PC or tablet/mobile, you can get your copy here, so don’t miss out and start your week off with us. Get yours today and let us know what you enjoyed most – we love hearing from you!

  • These Dogs LOVE to Play Football, But Who’s Better?

    These Dogs LOVE to Play Football, But Who’s Better?

    Finding something your dog loves that you can do together is a real treat. My dogs have all loved football. Chloe used to love to ponder rather than actually play, but Mia has always taken the game very seriously. There are videos of her taking people out with tackles which will never see the light of day (the embarrassment of people actually seeing it happen at the park will live with me forever) and it seems very much that Danny and Christopher are following in her footsteps, with I hope, better timed tackles.

    These dogs also love to play football and have been showing off their goalkeeping skills on Youtube, but who do you think is better?

    1. Meet Ethan, he knows the word penalty means business.

    2. This is Purine, and he has the stamina to last.

    3. This dog has passion and height, so he can reach those high flying shots.

    So, who gets your vote? Let us know below! If you’re still undecided check out the cat who loves to play football  before you make your decision.