Category: Informative

We get dogs because we love them, right? We would play and cuddle with them all day long if we could! While that sounds great, providing our pups with some structure does improve their quality of life and reduces mental stress. Why? Because every living thing has and needs boundaries. It’s just nature!

Here are some ways you can show pup you love them in a way they will understand and appreciate.

1. GO ON AN ADVENTURE WALK
   Allow pup to stop and smell the flowers, literally! Climb over rocks, walk through water and squeeze under branches with pup on an adventure walk. This could be on a dog-friendly hiking trail or even at the local kid’s park. Get creative and challenge pup’s mind and body. 😌
2. MAKE YOUR OWN FORAGING TOYS
   Here’s a recipe for some mealtime boredom busters with ideas of what you could do but, essentially, foraging toy’s are anything that allows your dog to work for their food. How hard they have to work depends on a few things, such as, have they ever needed to work for their food? Do they know how to use the toy? For first-timers, placing some kibble in an empty tissue box or a store-bought “ball with a hole” toy will be difficult enough. For a more keen pup, there are snuffle mats, you can play hide-n-seek with food, try wobbler toys, various Kong™ toys and anything you can come up with at home!

Sometimes I put my dog’s dinner in an empty egg carton. It makes it harder for him to gulp it down and he seems to enjoy figuring out how to get the food out!

Organix Dog Spa

3. GIVE PUP A MASSAGE
   It might sound silly but pup can benefit from a massage every now and again, just like we can. I’m sure you’ve seen pup wake up from a nap and stretch out his back and legs, throwing in an almighty yawn. 😪 Dogs experience muscle soreness just like us. Why not try giving pup a massage after your next walk? Apply an even, firm pressure in circular motions starting at pups hip joints, working your way down the back legs, back up, down the spine, to the shoulders and down the front legs – repeat. Add in a forehead and ear massage and that’s it!
   If done correctly, most pups will start to lean into your hands and may even turn around to better position themselves for the massage. 😁

ARE YOU PATTING PUP AT THE RIGHT TIME?
When you pat or talk to your dog you are telling them “yes!”. Remember that every time you give your dog any attention. If your dog jumps on you all the time, think, are you holding your arms out and “accidentally” patting them while saying “oh no! Spot! Get off me!”?
Because all that pup hears is “hu#%f! Spot! hr&nk!* Good Dog!”.
Why? Because attention is affection and affection is positive.

“…attention is affection and affection is positive.”

I’d love to never have to tell my dog, “no”, but our pups should be raised with an understanding of yes and no, just like our human children. 🙄 Cuddles aside, this Valentine’s Day I encourage you to do something your dog will find fun – not just you! Challenge their mind and body and encourage good behaviour.

At a Glance
– Looking after the environment is easier than you may think.
– Below I list 10 easy things you can try in your home.
– Check out some of the companies I love & trust.

As Jane Goodall once said, “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you.”
I believe change starts with one person and I’m a huge believer in “the little guy”. There are lots of easy small changes you can make to your everyday life which can make a big impact on the environment without impacting your life.

1. Choose Recycled or Bamboo Paper for your Household
   I use and love “Who Gives a Crap” paper in my whole house! They have recycled and bamboo paper options for your toilet paper, paper towels and tissues. 🧻
2. Choose Sustainable Compostable Cleaning Sponges
   They’re just a good as your everyday sponge yet are made of compostable materials. Also, they’re really cheap! What’s not to love?!
3. Use Cruelty-Free, All Natural make-up & Haircare Products
   It does exist and you don’t have to compromise on quality you just have to do your research.
4. Use Bio-degradable Rubbish Bin Bags & Doggy Bags
   Honestly, yes they aren’t as strong as a plastic bag but there are good biodegradable rubbish bags out there. I use BioBag bags for the house and Oh Crap! doggy bags and am very happy with the quality. It’s a really easy switch and you know you’ll be helping out the environment a substantial amount as everyone throws away garbage. 💩
5. Use Deodorant Powder or Creams instead of Deodorant Sprays
   I’ve only recently found out just how bade deodorants and antiperspirants are for your health and the environment so I immediately made the switch to a deodorant powder – it’s kind of like talcum powder.
   Firstly, oh my gosh! It works so well! And my skin feels so soft. Secondly, oh my gosh read this for reasons why traditional sprays and roll-ons are so bad!
   I really like this product from Lush but there are heaps of products to try. I can almost guarantee you’ll find one you love. 🥰
6. For the Ladies, Give Re-Usable Feminine Products a Try
   There are a heap of options now so there’s no excuse not to try something! You might be pleasantly surprised at how effective and easy to use some of them are to the point you’ll be saying CYA! to pads and tampons for good!
7. Ditch Plastic Straws & Cups
   Get yourself a reusable coffee/tea mug and metal straw. Most cafes will discount your coffee if you bring in a reusable cup saving you $$ in the long run and opting to bring a metal straw with you if you know you’re going out for shakes. 🥤Forgotten your straw? You know you can drink without one?! Weird right! – Sorry, a bit of sarcasm. 🤭
8. Carry a Drink Bottle
   Once you start carrying a drink bottle with you, you’ll wonder where it’s been your whole life! It encourages you to drink more water and stops you from dehydrating yourself. Many people say they drink when their thirsty but I guarantee if you had a water bottle on your desk for the day you would drink way more water than if you didn’t. Having water at hand means you won’t be tempted to buy bottled water or soft drinks when you’re out which means less plastic waste.
9. Switch to a Bamboo Toothbrush
   Bet you never realised how many plastic toothbrushes you throw away? That’s okay, someone has invented a great alternative, a toothbrush made of bamboo! It’s no different to your usual toothbrush, the only difference is the material so there’s no compromise on oral hygiene.
10. Re-Useable Food Wraps & Covers
    While shops have already started implementing reusable bags, there are still heaps of plastic bags & food storage items that you may not have realised you are using in your household. If you’re still covering bowls of uneaten food in cling film you can give Silicone Food Covers a go. They come in an array of sizes and stretch to fit over most bowls & jars.
    

To Get You Started
There are a heap of products out there that you can try, I know because I’m always looking for better alternatives to everyday products. Check out some of the brands and products I love below. You won’t be disappointed and you know you’ll be doing the environment and your health a huge favour.

Who Gives a Crap – Toilet Paper / Paper Towels / Tissues
I love this company! 100% of their products are made without cutting down any trees and they use 50% of their profits to help build toilets for those in need.
Their paper is made of bamboo or recycled paper and contains no dyes, ink or fragrance so their safe for everyone. I’ve got all of their products and can happily say their products are just as good, if not better than supermarket brands. The bamboo paper is a little softer but I’ve had no issues with the recycled paper as well. The paper towels are great! They don’t fall apart as easily as cheap paper towels do, but, just remember they’re not designed to be as strong as say, Vileda or Handee. In saying that, I’ve used Who Gives a Crap paper towels to clean the algae off the INSIDE of my fishtank before with no problems. 🤭
I can’t rate this company high enough!

Modibodi – Feminine Hygiene Products
Most feminine hygiene products are made up of plastic which means a huge contribution to the amount of plastic waste entering our landfill sites. One single pad takes 500-800 years to degrade naturally in landfill making even proper disposal not much help to the environment.
Modibodi is absorbent underwear that feels no different than your everyday underwear and can be washed and reused. That means no waste. No feeling uncomfortable.

Oh Crap! – Doggy Bags
In Australian, there are approximately 4.2 million dogs which create over 1200kg of waste! So you can understand why we’re told to ‘Pick Up’. But that also means if we are all picking up, we’re adding 1.3 billion plastic bags to landfill every day.
There are lots of ‘green’ doggy bags that have come out recently but I always go back to my Oh Crap! doggy bags. Many other brands are only degradable or are biodegradable, but take a long time to break down in commercial composting conditions – not your household compost bin or landfill. This is why I always read the packaging. 🧐
These bags break down completely in landfill within 3 months! They’re made of cornstarch which is sustainable and the texture of the bags is actually quite nice and silky – if you’re weird like me and that’s considered a positive. And yet they are strong enough to withstand a bit of moisture and water so your dog’s poop stays in its bag! 🤢
Bonus! The guy who runs it is super nice!

Natural Value Walnut Cleaning Sponge – Cleaning
These sponges are so great! Sometimes when it comes to cleaning products you have to settle for an inferior product. It might be harder to use or more ‘fiddly’ but with these sponges, you definitely don’t have to settle. They feel and work exactly the same as your everyday artificial sponge despite being made out of crushed walnuts and plant cellulose. These can be thrown in your compost bin or regular bin and will break down 100%.

ZUII Organic – Make-Up
A great alternative to unnatural chemically produced makeup and skincare is Zuii. They have an excellent range of skincare and makeup which is formulated using REAL flowers, they even have tanning products! The best part is that their makeup is formulated to improve your skin’s condition at the same time so you’re not just covering up your skin or putting pretty colours on your face, you’re actually hydrating, soothing and in some products, reducing fine lines.
70% of everything your skin comes into contact with is absorbed, so why not ensure it’s only absorbing good things?

Flora and Fauna – Website
This site has heaps of great stuff! It’s my go-to website when I’m looking for a natural alternative to something I’m using – I also do a monthly order of household supplies. I encourage you to jump on and have a look around. Most items I’ve mentioned can be bought from this website so for me, it’s a one-stop-shop. 🌱

Sustainable, green, eco, all of these words can often be thought of next to weak, fragile and inefficient, and that’s because quite often green products aren’t filled with harsh chemicals or made of super-strong materials that last forever which can make these green products seem “not as good”. This is just a mindset issue. There are good and bad products in every niche, you just have to try them until you find something you like. I’ve been switching out the products I use for a few years now and I admit, some green-eco brands just don’t work good enough for me, but I keep trying until I find a product I like. And there are products that work just as well as others – without harming my body, my pets or the environment.
Using the above lists, I encourage you to start to think about the products you are currently using and try switching them out for a more sustainable option.

Disclaimer: Myself, nor, Organix Dog Spa, have any affiliation with any of these products. We just think they’re awesome!

I love the dog park! Seeing other dogs running around having fun, chasing toys and rolling everywhere possible, and mine walking beside me trying not to get in the way of the other dogs fun like the grumpy old man that he is…
While arriving at the park and letting your dog go and run amuck might sound like normal park etiquette, there are a few things we should consider for the safety of everyone at the park. Respecting the rules prevents dogfights and uncomfortable situations from arising.

The following list is what I believe should be followed by everyone at the dog park. These rules help to protect the people who visit and their dogs. Because let’s face it, not every dog at the dog park is happy-go-lucky!

1. Don’t feed your dog around other dogs.
   You don’t know if all the dogs around you are OK with food being given to just your dog. If a dog is food aggressive, they may just run over and attack your dog to get to the food!
   *If your training out at a park, make sure the treats are secured on you, you’re away from others and no dogs are trying to join in on your session and your treats are bite-sized.

2. Do not be afraid of big dogs.
   Most people with small dogs will assume large dogs will play too roughly and hurt their precious fluffy, but that’s not true at all. You should be looking at the demeanour and play style of ALL the dogs rather than their size. If your dog looks like they’re spending most of their time being trampled on and getting bowled over, find another group of dogs to play with. That’s not to say they’re not still having fun! But it is safest to at least limit this activity. They should get to play a little rough 😉

3. Always, ALWAYS, ask to pet or approach someone’s dog – off leash or not!
   Just because they’re out running around with other dogs and zipping past you does not mean you can bend down and ruffle their fur. Not all dogs are comfortable with strangers.

4. Pick up after your dog.
   There are free bags at most parks or at least bins, so no excuses. I’d hate to step in dog poo so I wouldn’t leave it for anyone else. I’ve picked up rubbish before and used it to scoop up poop! It’s a win win for the environment and the park 😀

5. Do not pick up your dog when a situation is getting heated.
   Ever thought, “ooo that dog is being too ruff (haha sorry couldn’t help it!) with Fluffles… I’ll go pick him up out of the way.” NEVER. EVER. Do that. The second you attempt to pick up your dog in this situation, the other dog just might attack. This is part of the fight or flight instinct, you’re forcing your dog to flee which initiates the other dog to fight. Instead, ask the owner of the other dog to distract or call them away and you can call away your dog.

6. Pay attention to your dog.
   Never not know where your dog is. We all get stuck into a doggy conversations from time to time. Guilty! But I always know where my dog is. Most dog fights happen when owners aren’t paying attention.

7. Don’t let your dog get their freak on!
   Haha! But seriously no humping! It’s rude and dominating in the dog world and another thing that could cause a fight. Clap your hands or call your dog away if they’re the serial humper!

8. Take off all walking tools!
   Don’t leave walking tools on your dog other than their collar. Harnesses, halters and choke chains can end up getting caught on feet and plants and could even injure your dog if they roll over and land on a buckle or strap, so it’s best to remove them so your dog can have a proper play.

9. Read the atmosphere of the park before entering.
   You know your dog better than anyone else. Have a look around, which dogs match your dog’s energy level and play style? If the park is big enough you can stay with the compatible dogs or ask another owner if your dogs can play away from a particular dog or group. If the park is smaller, you may just have to wait for a better day or if you think you can handle it, try entering with your dog on a leash and try to meet just one dog. But remember to stay calm!

10. Never enter the park if the dogs are rushing the gate!
    Fights happen in small spaces. Wait for the other dogs to move away so your dog can enter freely. You want it to be a positive experience for your dog and they shouldn’t be bombarded when entering. On that note, enter the park calmly, don’t allow them to drag you in and pull on the lead till you release them. They’ll charge around the park trying to release all that tension they just built up. Ask for

Not all dogs are perfect candidates for the dog park but I believe all dogs should be able to experience the dog park without worrying about any negative interactions. If your dog is still learning I’d encourage you to visit the largest dog park you can find. This will allow your dog to not feel entrapped or overwhelmed with the number of dogs in their space and it also allows you to move away from any dogs your dog isn’t comfortable with.

Need some space at the dog park? Follow the yellow dog project’s idea by tying a yellow ribbon to your dogs lead.

Remember to stay calm, dogs pick up on body language and feelings. If they feel you are tense as it might be your first time at the park with your dog, your dog might also start to feel tense. Relax, be respectful and have fun!