Last 'Tongue out Tuesday' of February

Celebrating 'Tongue out Tuesday'

Plus another chance to win tickets for Crufts 2016

In honour of today being the last 'tongue out Tuesday' of February, here are 3 pics of my happy hounds - all with their tongues out!

Happy Ava

Derping Jasper

Smiley Sherlock

In case you don't know what #tongueoutuesday is - it all started over on Twitter, with people sharing photos of their hounds with their tongues out!  It's a bit of fun and in the case of Jasper, who only has one tooth, it's very difficult to keep his tongue in his mouth!

Win a pair of tickets to the 125th Crufts

Don't forget, to be in with a chance of winning tickets to the 2016 Crufts, simply comment on this, or any of our blog posts that are published during February 2016.

*The giveaway ends at 12:00GMT on Tuesday 1 March 2016 and Terms & Conditions apply.

PS. If you'd like to follow me on Twitter, you can find me @sukesu

Win a Pair of Tickets to Crufts 2016

The countdown to Crufts 2016 & our giveaway has begun

This year, Crufts celebrates its 125th anniversary.  To help celebrate this, the lovely folks at Crufts have provided me with a pair of tickets* (day passes) to giveaway on my blog.


It's fair to say that over its 125 year history, Crufts has experienced its fair share of ups and downs.  However, love it loathe it, Crufts is here to stay and it is now much more than a best of breed show (although that does remain at its core).  I'm not a huge fan of the showing element of Crufts, but I do love watching the various demonstrations of dogs competing in sports such as agility, heelwork to music and competitive obedience.

The 'must-sees' at Crufts

One of my favourite areas of Crufts is the Discover Dogs section.  In this section,  you get a chance to meet over 200 breeds of dogs and find out what living with a particular breed is really like. If you're thinking of getting a pure-bred dog, this is the first place I'd check out.

Me, meeting a beautiful Borzoi at Discover Dogs

There is also the chance to meet some great breed rescues, many of whom have stands at the show as well as canine ambassadors.  The Retired Greyhound Trust is a regular at the show, and a charity that is close to my heart - this year, you'll find them in Hall 1, stand 10.

The 'marketplace' is where you need deep purses, and even deeper pockets or bags to take all your purchases home! The shopping is fabulous and many companies show-case new products at Crufts and provide 'show specials.'  So, no matter what you're looking for, you're likely to find several dog-inspired purchases to tempt your purse strings.

A 125 years in just under 5 minutes..

Did you know that it was a greyhound that won the first ever Best in Show and that Crufts was originally started by a dog biscuit salesman, Charles Cruft?  To find out more about Crufts, watch the video below, or see the facts and figures page on the Crufts website.

Win a pair of tickets to the 125th Crufts

To be in with a chance of winning tickets to the 2016 Crufts, simply comment on any of our blog posts that are published during February 2016.

*The giveaway ends at 12:00GMT on Tuesday 1 March 2016 and Terms & Conditions apply.

Final Day for Crufts Giveaway*...

...And 3 more chances to win Crufts tickets

The sun is out (at long last) and it feels like spring is in the air.  This time next week, Crufts will have started and hopefully, I'll be making my way around the Halls to see what new products are on offer.

And as it's hound and terrier day, I'll be paying a visit to the benches to get my annual Crufts fix of sighthounds - followed by a visit to the Discover Dogs area to get up close and personal with my favourite types of dog!

All this spring sunshine has gone to my head, and as today is the last day for a chance to win 2 tickets to Crufts, I thought I'd give you all 3 extra chances to win!

If you leave a comment on any of my February 2013 blog posts, you'll be entered into the draw to win one pair of tickets.  If you'd like more chances to win, why not visit each of my websites and put your best sleuthing hat on to find what's hiding on each site, for another chance to win a pair of tickets...

Celebrating the launch of Happy Hounds Dog Training

Find Mina's pawprint

To celebrate the launch of my new Happy Hounds business, Mina has left a red pawprint on one of the pages.  (picture is not to scale!)

Simply find it and email me the URL for another chance to win tickets.

 

 

Find the black dog

 

It must be puppy love...

And over on my Puppy School North Lincolnshire site, there's a little black dog just begging to be found...(picture is not to scale)

When you find the black dog, simply click on it and email the URL link.

Closing date & time:

You've got until 4pm today (Thursday 28 February, 2013) to enter, so why not give it a go? (Terms & Conditions apply)

Feeling 'appy?

If that's not making you feel 'appy enough (excuse the dreadful pun), why not have a go on the fabulous new Samsung/Crufts app on facebook.  The 'help a dog a thon' is in aid of the Blue Cross.  It allows you to adopt a virtual homeless dog and interact with it to make sure it is happy and healthy.

For each virtual dog that is adopted Samsung will make a contribution towards a vital health check for a Blue Cross rescue dog.  Samsung have a target of 20,000 virtual adoptions (which equates to 2,000 health checks) by the last day of Crufts. Can you help them reach it?

Simply click on the logo to be taken to the app.
Please note: The app has been developed for browser use only. It will NOT work on smart phones or tablets.

Terms & Conditions

• Giveaway is open to UK residents only.
• Prize consists of one pair of tickets to Crufts for each of the two winners (tickets are valid for the day of the winner’s choice).
• The winner is responsible for arranging their own transport to and from the NEC.
• Closing dates for entries is 4pm (GMT), Thursday 28 February 2012
• Winners will be notified by email

*Sponsored post.  My tickets, camera and Crufts experience have been provided by Crufts and Samsung. 

Crufts 2013 Ticket Giveaway*

It's official.  I'm on the countdown to Crufts 2013 and several dog-tastic days of shopping, socialising and watching dogs and their handlers in doggy disciplines like agility, heelwork to music and the Good Citizen scheme.

Ticket Giveaway

I've also got 2 tickets to Crufts 2013 to giveaway to readers of my blog - courtesy of the nice folk at Crufts and Samsung.

To be in with a chance of winning (terms & conditions apply), all you need to do is leave a comment on any of my February 2013 blog posts (including Wordless Wednesday posts).

The giveaway is open until 12 noon on 28 February 2013 and winners will be announced/contacted by email on Friday 1 March 2013.

My Crufts shopping list

This year, I'm on the look-out for new products to try on the hounds.  In particular, I'm interested in interactive toys, cereal free foods and supplements for the aging dog.

Over the last few months, Mina has begun to show signs of canine cognitive decline (often referred to as doggy dementia) and I want to do everything I can to help slowdown this decline.  I'm hoping that Crufts will come up trumps with some new toys, suitable for an aging greyhound.

Interactive fun with Mina

Currently, Mina's favourite interactive toy is the Nina Ottosson Dog Brick.  I tend to use this several times a day and hide kibble under the bones and bricks.  Mina loves it and has become a whizz at lifting off the bones and sliding the bricks to discover the kibble lurking beneath.

Mina loves this toy and I hope I can find something just as challenging for her to bring home from Crufts.

Live blogging from Crufts

I'll also be blogging live from Crufts and thanks to Samsung, I'll be able to upload some (hopefully) great photos as they're kindly supplying me with a camera.  

I didn't realise, either, that Samsung has been a sponsor and partner at Crufts for 20 years - beginning their sponsorship in 1993. To begin with, it seemed a tad odd to me that an electronics giant would be involved with dogs.  However, I've subsequently found out that, in Korea, they fund the Samsung Guide Dogs for the Blind - where growing numbers of dogs are trained every year. They also work with the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind Guide Dog School, helping to ensure that its trainers are certified to international standards.

So, all in all, I'm gearing up for a fun few days and lots of miles walked in the NEC.  And fingers crossed, I may be able to get the 'inside scoop' on some new product launches too.

Do leave a comment and let me know if you're going to Crufts and what's on your shopping list.

Terms & Conditions

• Giveaway is open to UK residents only.
• Prize consists of one pair of tickets to Crufts for each of the two winners (tickets are valid for the day of the winner’s choice).
• The winner is responsible for arranging their own transport to and from the NEC.
• Closing dates for entries is 4pm (GMT), Thursday 28 February 2012
• Winners will be notified by email

*Sponsored post.  My tickets, camera and Crufts' experience have been provided by Crufts and Samsung. 

Chasing Snowballs - Greyhound Winter Games

Adele may be chasing pavements but it's fair to say when there's snow around, Mina is definitely fond of chasing snowballs!

I normally wrap the hounds up in their coats and keep walks fairly short when there's snow. Mina even gets to wear two coats; she tends to feel the cold very badly, so has an undercoat and a rather red (and aptly named) blizzard coat as her top coat.  However, no matter how cold Mina loves two things about the snow - snorting it, or catching snowballs.


The snow at the weekend meant we had a chance to play one of her favourite games... Catch the snowball! She loves it,  and hopefully the video shows this (Watch out for Jasper's nose making an appearance at the end)




We had great fun in the playing field and I was very careful with the snowballs I threw (I didn't want them to contain any hard lumps of ice). The snow was very powdery and ideal for a game of fetch.

Share your tips for snow time fun for chance to win Crufts tickets

What are your favourite snow time games with your dogs?
Please do leave a comment and share - I've two pairs of tickets* to giveaway to Crufts to visitors who leave a comment on my blog!

*Terms & Conditions:
Giveaway is open to UK residents only.Prize consists of one pair of tickets to Crufts for each of the two winners (tickets are valid for the day of the winner's choice).
The winner is responsible for arranging their own transport to and from the NEC.
Closing dates for entries is Tuesday 28 February 2012
Winners will be notified by email and/;or via my blog posts

Countdown to Crufts – Win tickets to this year’s show

Crufts has a very special place in my heart and, believe it or not, is responsible for changing my life back in 2010!  So, to celebrate this fact, I have two pairs of Crufts tickets to giveaway to readers of my blog during February.

I’m somewhat ashamed to say that prior to 2010 I’d never been to Crufts.  Sure enough, I’d read about it and seen coverage on the TV but I’d never actually mustered the energy to go.  Then back in 2010 I took the plunge and visited for the first time…little did I know it, but that visit was to have a profound effect on my life!

A rather blurry pic of my first Crufts tweetup 

2010 was the year that I really became serious about pursuing a career with dogs.  I had enrolled on my canine behaviour and training degree, started reading (a now) ever-growing pile of dog books and become friends with some great dog trainers, behaviourists and fellow dog lovers.  Crufts 2010 was also the place that I attended my first ever tweetup – meeting many of the people I had been tweeting with over the previous year and months leading up to the show.

I didn’t really know what to expect from Crufts.  All I really knew was that it was a dog show and that I’d chosen to go on Friday, 12 March, the Terrier and Hound day (naturally).  Well, if Crufts used to be just a dog show, it had certainly evolved by 2010.  For a first timer like me, I was struck at how huge the event was – halls and halls of the NEC were filled with trade stands selling absolutely everything and anything dog related; it was shopping heaven and I came away with rather a lot of goodies and even had to invest in a wheeled trolley to cart them all home in.

I also managed to watch some of the displays and got my first glimpse of dog agility, which I’m now beginning to train in with Mina, and watched dog trainers and instructors giving demonstrations with their pupils – both human and canine.  It was also my first ‘proper’ introduction to the Kennel Club…

Little did I know it at the time, but a mere 5 weeks later I would find myself working for the Kennel Club.

Thanks to Crufts, I discovered that the Kennel Club tweeted and I started to follow them on Twitter.  A few days later, on 1st April, I received notification that I was being made redundant from my marketing job and then I spotted a tweet from the Kennel Club.  They were looking for someone to work in their press office for 3 months to cover sabbatical leave.  Fate must have played a role that day.  I applied for the job and within the space of a fortnight had been offered the role and joined the team and for the 3 months I was with them had one of my best jobs ever – mixing my two passions of marketing/PR and dogs!

Me, in my element, with a beautiful Borzoi at Crufts 2011

Fast forward to 2011 and I had the opportunity to work in the Crufts press office.  Once again, I jumped at the chance.  It was a great experience and really opened my eyes to the huge amount of organization and dedication that goes into organizing the ‘greatest dog show on earth.’  A working day at Crufts is a long day – we were on coaches to the venue at 6.30am and leaving on the 10pm coach on a daily basis. 

This year, however, I’m visiting Crufts as a blogger and visitor and to help celebrate that fact, I have two pairs of tickets to giveaway to two lucky people during February.*  To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is leave a comment on any of my February blog posts.  For each post you comment on your name will be entered into the draw.  So if you post on this post and say, 3 others in February, your name will be entered 4 times!

The closing date for entries is Tuesday 28 February and I’ll announce the winners on Wednesday 29 February.

If you want to double your chances of winning, I’m also giving away tickets through my Puppy School Facebook and Twitter pages – all you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is post or tweet us a photo of your dog with their favourite toy.

*Terms & Conditions:
Giveaway is open to UK residents only.Prize consists of one pair of tickets to Crufts for each of the two winners (tickets are valid for the day of the winner's choice).
The winner is responsible for arranging their own transport to and from the NEC.
Closing dates for entries is Tuesday 28 February 2012
Winners will be notified by email and/;or via my blog posts