Living with Lenno and living with The Pet Loo!

The Pet Loo is the best invention for people with dogs in small spaces. After the pet playpen, it is an excellent investment! I was a bit skeptical of the Pet Loo initially - I'd read a bit about them but wasn't sure if Lenno would get it!



After a bit of encouragement, he got the hang of it. Every time he jumps on to it I use the command "toilet" and I always give him a treat and heaps of praise and pats when he does the right thing! This will help reinforce toilet training for the months to come. Sorry for the in depth details but for those who want to know - the grass is fake and the urine drains down into a collection tray underneath. You just need to pick up the poo as you usually would when you take your dog for a walk. It is really clever - and better than having poo all over the backyard! I've also got some extra grass replacements so I can wash and dry those not in use.






Lenno couldn't recommend The Pet Loo more highly!

What are you looking at?

Here's a couple of photos of a cheeky Tawny Frogmouth I spotted recently. He looks a bit scary behind those beady eyes but they are harmless and rather comical creatures!

Contrary to popular belief, Tawnys are not actually owls- although I'm sure they would look good in spectacles! The Tawny Frogmouth mostly eats insects where as owls eat larger prey such as mice and rats. Tawnys catch their prey with their beaks rather than with their talons, another way in which they are different from owls (owls have big toes to help them catch their prey). Owls fly around at night hunting food, but Tawny Frogmouths sit very still on a low perch, and wait for food to come to them. (They are a bit lazy!)



You may be surprised to know that many Tawny Frogmouths can be found in the inner city parks such as the Botanical Gardens. I saw an entire family there last year!



Tawny Frogmouths breed from August to December so keep your eye out for grey fluffy babies peering at you from the branches above.

Here is a photo I took a few years ago of a Tawny Frogmouth nest that was right outside my bedroom window in inner city Melbourne! If you look closely you will see the babies to the right of mum.

Living with Lenno - Week 1

What a week! Having Lenno in our lives has been nothing short of amazing. He has made us laugh non stop and has become my best little friend. I cannot believe how many people have stopped to talk to me when I have him with me! You are never lonely when you own a pet and a pet is definitely a great way to meet new people...and we haven't even been to puppy school yet.

When it comes to the BEST puppy gadget so far, it has to be Lenno's playpen. I bought it from a big pet warehouse, for about $60. Buying it was the best decision I have made for him (and us!). You can see from the photo below that it is just like a baby's playpen. We have put him in the pen to sleep and when he needs some "quiet time". He feels safe in his little area and I can safely leave him here when I am cooking or doing jobs around the house. He is also happy to sit in his playpen at work. I've been rewarding him with a little treat and lots of praise when he is calmly resting here. It is amazing how quickly he caught on to the routine!

Here's a picture of the playpen. There is a red blanket hanging behind his bed to stop the cold drafts at night! (Puppies and Kittens are not very good at keeping themselves warm)



Of course, Lenno has also been allowed a little bit of couch time too. I am happy to allow pets on the couch. There are some people who believe this can cause 'dominance issues" but animal behaviouralists are now moving away from this idea and understand that dogs want to be part of a family unit and simply like to be with you. Of course any signs of aggression or if your pet is not happy to be moved may be an indication it is best for time out off the couch. So far, Lenno is happy to just snuggle. He especially loves a woolly blanket!





Lenno has a few idiosyncrasies that I love. I managed to get one on camera (see his tongue below). I haven't managed to catch him snoring or barking in his sleep (I think he chases rabbits in his dreams!)





Stay tuned for photos of Lenno's first bath!

Spring babies

I love Spring! There are new babies everywhere! These three fluffy cygnets are hanging out at the Albert Park Lake with their two doting parents. They are growing very quickly! Please be careful if you are taking your dog around the lake - sadly a few swans have recently been attacked by passing dogs.

Did you know that Swans usually mate for life??

Balls of grey fluff...


Hanging with Mum and Dad..

Puppy Love

"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face" - Bern Williams

It has been over the past 5 days that I have realised how true this quote is. I am excited to announce that last week we picked up our new puppy! Introducing the adorable Lenno...



Lenno is a Cavalier Kings Charles Spaniel x Toy Poodle (although he looks much more like his mum who was the Cavalier!) My fiance and I had been waiting for the right time to take on the responsibility of a new puppy and thank goodness, finally the time had arrived!

Lenno has already proved to be an amazing and very special addition to our lives and has made us laugh continuously for the past 5 days. We have both said to each other " how did we live without him!?" (Lenno is even helping me write this post - he's asleep on my lap now!)

As well as celebrating other people's pets, I thought I would use this blog to document the events of Lenno's upbringing. I'll call these entries "Living with Lenno." Hopefully it will provide some insights into the joy he brings us as well as offering some helpful hints for others with a puppy. (I have a long list of tips already!)

To start it off, here's a few snaps of his first weekend:

Helping in the garden...



Enjoying the freshly mowed lawn...



Taking time to smell the flowers...



Collecting his favourite toys...



Asleep with plenty of friends...



Snoozing with his mum!



That's all for now,
Licks from Lenno xx

Do you recognise this cat?

Let me know if you recognise this cat...I certainly do!

Tickle the kitty

I just had to share this with all the pet lovers out there! I had tears in my eyes. It is one of the cutest kittens I've ever seen!

A weekend in the Yarra Valley

I was lucky enough to spend last weekend in the Yarra Valley with two very special dogs; Alaska and Bob.

Alaska is a beautiful and very intelligent 10 month old German Shorthaired Pointer. She has the tough job of living at the Dominique Portet winery and she spends her days chasing rabbits and breathing in the fresh Yarra Valley air. It's a pretty good life. Although she does not drink, (alcohol is poisonous to dogs) she recommends their Sparkling Rose.





Bob is a gorgeous little mix of a dog and he has a spunky personality to go with it.




Bob was rescued from the Save a Dog Scheme so his exact age is unknown. He may be small but he certainly has Alaska wrapped around his little paw. Bob loves to steal Alaska's bed...

"Bob, get out of my bed and give me back my ball..."



Alaska's favourite game is playing sticks...




And she loves snacking on grass - eating grass is normal dog behaviour!

"Yuk, this grass is very bitter!"



Bob is always up to something..."Please let me out, I want to go and chase those rabbits!"




After way too much excitement, Alaska and Bob were exhausted! At least Alaska got her bed back!

Winter sports, doggy style

This is brilliant and it proves that dogs definitely know how to have fun!!

Watch the video by clicking through to YouTube HERE! (The file is too big to upload onto my blog)

Holiday snaps

I was recently lucky enough to spend some time on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini. There are many dogs and cats roaming the streets of this island as well as hundreds of donkeys that carry people from the port to the town of Fira.

At first, the number of animals cruising the streets was a little overwhelming. As a vet, your heart often sinks when you visit places where the care and welfare of animals is not what it is in Australia. My immediate reaction was that many of these animals were strays and uncared for but after asking around, I discovered there was much being done behind the scenes. The people of Santorini love their pets and there is a Santorini Animal Welfare Organisation that has been set up to take care of the animals that need it on the island.

This organisation cares for and desexes the street animals, educates people about good animal care and helps out the donkey owners with the particular needs of their donkey. If you are thinking about heading to this beautiful part of the world, don't forget the furry creatures on the island. Visit the Santorini Animal Welfare Organisation for more information and photos. It is good to know that there are people out there trying to make a difference and ensure good health and welfare for animals worldwide.

Here are the four top photos I took while wandering in between the white washed walls. Hope they make you smile!

Grumpy ears...



"This is my wall, so don't even think about it!"


"Ahhh, relaxing at sunset...on my wall"


Best friends forever...

Meet Georgia the jet setter

I snapped a picture of this pooch last weekend at Melbourne airport. The gorgeous Georgia has just disembarked (pardon the pun!) from the plane after returning to Melbourne from a 20km endurance race in the Blue Mountains! Georgia was very happy to be home and let out a few barks to signal her arrival. Woof woof.

Out and about in Sydney

Who's ball is that?

"Wow, look at that ball!"



"Amazing...what should we do with it?"

Bella loves the tunes

This is Bella. I met the beautiful Bella and her spunky brother Rocco after the Million Paws Walk earlier this year. (You can see them on an earlier blog entry here). Bella's owners emailed me this adorable video and I just had to publish it. So cute!

Chillin' on Chapel Street

I came across this dog yesterday on Chapel Street in Melbourne. I'm not sure who owned this dog but he was happily sun baking on the roof of the car. Hilarious!

Bean bag cat

Introducing Braggy

Recently in Rome, I was lucky enough to meet Braggy, an extraordinary Roman feline.

Braggy has been visiting the Spanish Steps just above the Piazza di Spagna since she was a kitten. Every evening, while listening to their favourite tunes, Braggy and her loving owner Francesco enjoy the sunset.

Braggy sat peacefully and Michael Buble played as we all admired the view across the Roman rooftops. Oh what a life!

PS. The photo of Braggy above in her hat is compliments of Francesco.