If you know me well, you’ll already know my love for Guru Pet Food and the team behind the scenes!
As a Guru Geekster for exactly 7 months, I just had to share my experience with you all.
We first met the Guru team back in 2016 at the Game Fair when we were greeted by the lovely Lisa and Sam who were very excited to meet me! It was love at first sight for me and Auntie Lisa, as she has two of her own handsome boxers so of course I gave her a full boxer greeting *wags the whip-like tail, vigorously shakes boxer bum and giving copious amounts of boxer kisses!*
After giving everyone the Ruby greeting it was time for me to have my first taste of Guru as I sampled a trip bone! – Mum said it was like watching someone eat their favourite bar of chocolate when you scoff it all until the very last piece, then savour the tiniest crumb! IT WAS THAT DELICIOUS!
As a fussy eater I have never been able to stick to one food until some months later, mum decided to trial Guru’s cold pressed dog food as we didn’t want the fuss of raw food prep nor eating kibble either! Well.. since then I have not looked back! This food looks, smells and tastes super! How does mum know this? Because I never ever leave even a crumb and I’m up ready for breakfast even before she is!
As a petite boxer, I have always been on the slim side but now with my Guru diet I am the perfect weight, my coat is shinier than ever and my humans are pleased about the minimal dog mess to pick up!
Here I am before starting Guru back in January 2017 (left) and here I am now in tip top condition! (right)
So, here are the five things I love about Guru…
1. Super duper tasty food not only with quick delivery, but my local Countrywide store stocks it to!
2. Trip bones for life!
3. Venison Sausages are THE BEST!
4. The Geeksters are like one big crazy family and always make us feel so welcome when we pay them a visit! (See our latest road trip with Guru at CountryFile Live giving geekstar Auntie Lisa Kisses below!)
5. And lastly, getting to drool over photos of resident Guru boxers Duke and Gino!
Thank you Guru, it’s always a paws up from me!
If you’d like to give Guru a go, order your sample here.
Can you believe it’s almost a year since I made the transition for Rufus’ dog food? Rufus has been on Guru Pet Food for a little over a year now. I thought we’d write a little update to let you know how we are getting on and why we’re still championing this cold pressed food.
We receive a lot of dog food samples through the blog and Rufus has been lucky enough to try lots of different dog foods. When we first bought Rufus home, I kept him on his well known brand of kibble, with the attitude he was eating it and that was the main thing. I genuinely thought it was a healthy dog food because of how well known it was. Sometimes, he’d leave his dinner but I was under the impression it filled a hole for him but it was never going to live up to his tuna obsession. He digested it fine, it was affordable and we couldn’t really complain.
Since moving to Guru, Rufus adores dinner and breakfast time. He’s a very food orientated little soul but nothing quite wets his appetite like Guru does. As soon as we’ve put our knife and fork down from our dinner, Rufus stalks out my fiance waiting for Guru; tip tapping across the house waiting for his food to be filled full of delicious Guru. He’s never ever left any of the pellets in his bowl since moving over.
Not only does Rufus love Guru; I’ve seen the added health benefits. Rufus is definitely more chilled out, his coat is a lot shinier and he’s maintained his healthy 10kg weight. I was worried when we first moved onto Guru that he’d loose weight as it seems you’re giving your dog a lot less food but our annual vet visit confirmed he’s spot on for his terrier breed. As well as the happy dog, it helps wonders with my bank account with a 5kg bag usually lasting us 6 weeks! It’s a lot cheaper than our old brand and I’m happy I’m feeding him a well balanced and happy diet.
Rufus and I are also a huge fan of their field trip bones. They are the on the go meal equivalents in a bone form, which are great whilst we’re out and about. Sometimes, when our cheeky Friday afternoon beer turns into a Friday night session it’s great to know Rufus will still be having his meal as I always have one of these in my bag to hand! We’re also super lucky that Guru put a cheeky field trip bone in our Guru parcels every now and again.
Finally, and this is one point I cannot go without mentioning, one of the biggest things I love about Guru is that they are one of the friendliest companies I have ever worked with. It’s lovely knowing that our dog food is coming from a small company and the customer service they give is second to none. Apart from my Mum and Dad, sometimes I feel Guru are our biggest cheerleaders supporting the little blog and always being on hand with next day delivery when I forget to order it (oops!). When we attended Dog Fest South, we were lucky enough to meet Lisa from Guru Pet Food who adored little Rufus and was extremely friendly and welcoming of us. It honestly goes a long, long way.
Will we be sticking with Guru? Absolutely. It’s friendly on my bank account, if I ever took Rufus to their head office in Wigan he probably wouldn’t come home, and it’s healthy for my little dog.
We finally met with the Geeksters at Guru when attending The Game Fair! We were not disappointed with our high expectations, all the Geeksters were super friendly and gave Laula so much attention. It makes a real difference meeting staff at a stand during a fair and show when they have so much enthusiasm and passion for what they do and for their customer both on two and four legs. We loved getting to hang out with them all!
Obviously we could not leave with a simple goodbye and instead stocked up on a couple of items to enjoy. We decided that knowing full well Laula’s love for sausages, we had to try out their Venison Sausages. They are super healthy and have no nasties hidden away, this makes them perfect for a health conscious pup.
For those times when it is inconvenient to bring out a bowl to give your pup their food, they have these brilliant Field Trip Packs. Made for the smaller of the breeds as a full meal or as a tasty snack for a bigger pup. For the bigger pup, Road Trip Packs are perfectly sized to enjoy as a full meal. We definitely love having these as a back up for when on adventures!
Overall, what is not to like about Guru? Their amazing stuff, well thought out products as well as their passion, makes them a real treasure in the dog food industry and we would not hesitate to recommend to any of our Paw Friends!
Guru has been in Spencer’s life for about a year now. We had gradually introduced it when he was still a puppy. We are convinced that we have made the right decision and best choice for him.
A few months later, his big brother Bailey came into our lives and became a Geekster as well after his food envy could no longer be contained.
Bailey and Spencer are lively boys with an abundance of energy and personality. Guru’s well-balanced ingredients keep them both healthy and active.
Whereas Spencer had grown up with Guru food and always polishes his bowl after every meal, Bailey had been a bit of a grazer before his transition to Guru food. Bailey’s sensitive stomach has also meant many trips to the vet. Now he is no longer a grazer, but a hoover, and his digestion continues to improve. The boys are mealtime buddies, who burst into a concert of impatient howling while their food is being prepared. They push their bowls through the whole kitchen to ensure that not a single crumb is being missed.
We haven’t experienced any flatulence or diarrhoea since feeding Guru. Both boys have strong immune systems.
In this ‘jungle’ of different dog foods, we feel fortunate to have found out about Guru and wish that more people would give it a go and experience the incredible benefits of it.
The one thing that had always struck us about any dog foods we had encountered before Guru was the horrible smell and greasiness of the kibble. Guru kibble smells delicious even to our human noses, and there is no sign of greasiness or other nasties.
We work with a variety of different dog breeds on a daily basis and experience first hand that the majority of dogs actually suffer from either stomach problems and/or allergies caused by their diets. Choosing the right food can be such an easy fix.
We believe that Guru dog food makes our boys not only happy boys, but also even-tempered doggies.
Evie is a cheeky 5 month old cockapoo puppy who lives in Cheshire, she would love to share with you some words of wisdom about food.
“I thought it was about time I shared with you the secret to my good looks. To look good on the outside, you need to feel good on the inside, right? To enjoy an active lifestyle and outdoor adventures, you need to be fit and healthy and that can only be achieved with a great diet.
Well, when I first arrived at my forever home I was 8 weeks old and I did not look or feel great. My eyes were dirty, my breath stank and my belly was all swollen like a barrel. I’ll spare you the full details of my toilet activities but the words ‘Mr’ and ‘Whippy’ were used by the hoomans on quite a few occasions, I’m not sure what it means but judging by the look of horror on their faces, it is not a good thing.
Luckily for me my new hoomum does a LOT of research online before committing to anything these days and she had already read up about what makes a fantastic dog food. After looking up the details of the food I had been eating she wasn’t very impressed with it at all and before I had even arrived home she had ordered samples of both Guru flavours for me to try. She chose Guru for me after reading about the cold pressing methods and how because the ingredients aren’t cooked they retain all of their vitamins and goodness.
The general advice given is to ween a puppy on to any new food slowly by replacing 10% more of the old food with the new food each day. There was no way I was going to let that happen, once I had tasted the delicious Full on Feast pieces I couldn’t go back to my old food so I kept leaving it in my bowl and refusing to eat it. The hoomans had no choice but to give me the full portion of Guru. Haha, I win.
Not only was I eating a much tastier food everyday but within a few days I was looking, feeling and going to the toilet much better. My eye stains disappeared, my swollen belly went away and I was producing my very own healthy little lawn logs that any pup would be proud of.
I’ve managed to convince hoomum to add a little warm water and coconut oil to my meals to make them EVEN tastier, it’s worth waiting 5 more minutes for and the coconut oil is really good for keeping my coat shiny.
Guru really does tick every box for me, it’s tasty, as good as raw yet way more convenient, gentle on sensitive tums and to top it off, it’s produced by a super friendly family run business.
I can’t recommend it enough.”
Evie x
Evie has been working on her own blog site for a month or so now, she enjoys writing about her outdoor adventures and favourite doggy products. If you have enjoyed her ramblings you can find more at eviepoo.com or follow her @EvieThePoo Twitter and Instagram feeds.
As all of you Geeksters know, Guru’s about to turn 2 – WOOHOO!
Another year on and what a year it’s been…
We want to thank each and every one of you for sticking by our side like the #TrueGuruGeeksters you are!
‘The Dog Food Revolution’ that is Guru Cold Pressed, really is GURUowing. It’s been an exciting year, especially with the release of our brand spanking NEW(quick, cover your furiends ears)…SAUSAGESSS!
We adore our social media family! A second year on and our bonds are getting stronger and stronger x
Speaking of which, the Guru Geeks have been HUGE fans of Spaniel Life for a long time; two Stunning Working Cocker Spaniels living in the UK with accounts as gorgeous as themselves…
Every post is picture perfect! Having met them at a few events and seen their love for Guru, we just had to ask them if they’d like to become part of the team and the answer? YES!
12 months on and we couldn’t adore these super spaniels more…
Sev & Lily have been our ADORABLE Ambassdogs over the past year, they’ve been joining us to #SpreadTheLove by GURUving all over social media and attending all sorts of events with us, not to mention being chief taste testers of all the guruliciousness!
If you haven’t noticed, this pawesome pair will do absolutely anything for their mum, Steph. You can guarantee a show stopper when they’re around… whether that’s strutting their stuff with their GURUliciousness at the beach or woods, turning into a reindeer for the day or posing on the top Guru shelf! (we did say they’ll do ANYTHING)
It’s fair to say EVERYONE adores Spaniel Life, how can you not?
It’s been a pleasure to work alongside Steph & The Spaniels over the past year! We’d like to say a MASSIVE thank you for their support and talent, they really couldn’t deserve the title ‘Ambassadogs’ any more.
We’re sure you’ll agree that they are two top dog models with bubbly personalities and we wish them all the very best in the future!
A few months ago on the way to Dogfest, Husband and I were chatting about what the heck we were going to do about feeding the hounds while we were on holiday. We feed them complete Raw, but we couldn’t exactly ask the B&B or hotel to put a huge slot in the freezer aside for us.
Little did we know, our question would soon be answered. I spotted the Guru Pet Food stand at Dog Fest, if you have ever visited them, you know it’s difficult to miss! I follow these guys on Twitter & Instagram and they are honestly the coolest. I have never seen a pet food brand interact with their followers as much as they do. So over we trotted to say hello, and I was greeted with an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm which was delivered in a thick northern twang. Turns out they knew the Whippet Snippets Crew from social media (does that make us famous)?
I mentioned the food conversation to Lisa and she was super excited to tell me that a lot of her customers are Raw feeders….eh? Guru is cold pressed, which means it retains way more nutrients, and is much closer to a dogs natural diet than standard kibble.
The thing that sold me was when she showed me a glass of water with Guru, and a glass of water with kibble. The Guru broke down completely, the kibble had expanded a huge amount and was still floating around, this is one of the things that always worried me about kibble. You need waaay less than regular kibble.
As well as high grade meat, it’s got lots of great additions like green lipped muscle, which is super good for your hounds joints.
I was a little worried about how the hounds would react to being fed dried food, I needn’t have worried, when the Guru arrived they tried to eat through the box! Even Boo, who is normally a little high and mighty had a go.
Our first test was a weekend away in the Cotswolds. On the first night, we made a bit of a mistake and fed it completely dry, I think the hounds thought we had given them a bowl of amazing treats as they inhaled them within seconds. We were a bit more intelligent on the second night; although Guru can be fed dry, we took the advice that we got from them on an alternative way to feed, mixing Guru with water. When you add water to Guru, the food breaks down it starts to look more like porridge, that worked and it took a lot longer for the hounds to eat.
Now for the bit that somehow dog owners seem to be able to talk about within seconds of meeting – the bottom burps. I was frankly amazed that there were no room clearing incidents during the weekend, in fact, I still am. They drank more water than usual, but I knew to expect that, thanks to the great information on the back of the packet.
We are off to Dorset for a weekend soon, and I am so glad that we have a great alternative to Raw to feed the hounds. They approve which means so do I.
Love, The Whippet Snippet Crew x
If you want to see more adventures with the Whippet Snippets, check out their Instagram & Twitter.
P.s. How AMAZING is their mums photography?! Check out her website.
Polly photographed with Guru’s Venison Sausages at Hartshill Hayes Country Park.
We met the lovely people at Guru Pet Food and learnt all about their brand and how brilliant their dog food is.
What is cold pressed dog food?
Without over complicating things, cold pressed dog food is a process which simply retains as much of the nutrients as possible. If you don’t like the hassle of a 100% raw diet, Guru’s dog food is as close to a dogs natural diet you can get. Now your probably thinking that this food must be do expensive to feed your dog, however I am delighted to confirm that you use up to a third less per portion compared to most extruded kibble, so your bag lasts much longer.
Just one little bite!
We were shocked to discover how, after one hour the cold pressed food starts to break down whilst during the same time dry foods start to expand and float. After 3 hours, the cold pressed food has completely broken down optimising the nutrients within the food, whilst the dried biscuits have only expanded. When you look at the glasses pictured below it is of course not an attractive sight, but it is such an important and interesting visual. The glass on the right is cold pressed Guru food, as you can see the food is completely broken down which allows your dog to absorb as many nutrients as possible. In comparison, the dried biscuits on the left have expanded, making your dog feel full, however the nutrients are all hidden inside the biscuit and are inaccessible to your pooch. So Guru is more than likely cheaper AND most importantly, better for your pup.
Left Glass (Dry Dog Food) Right Glass (Guru’s Cold Pressed Dog Food)
When looking into your dogs food it’s vital that you look at the ingredients, a lot of well known branded dog foods on the market are full of additives and artificial colours.We were very lucky indeed to take a variety of Guru’s products away with us to try and well it’s fair to say Polly LOVES them! It’s peace of mind knowing that everything we are feeding her from Guru can help improve her skin and coat, strengthen her immune system and even help freshen her breath!
Guru’s food doesn’t contain any of the following:
Chemical additives or artificial colours
Preservatives
GM products
Gluten
Animal testing
Feeding Guru really is giving your dog the best!
Guru’s Venison Sausages
They are so tasty, Polly will do anything you ask of her, we can’t leave the package in sight as she will challenge herself until she’s too pooped to get it!
Guru’s Venison Sausages
They come ready sliced which not only saves time but are also easily breakable for some delicious training treats or for a special reward! They are naturally air-dried which maintains the flavour and nutrients of the sustainably sourced British venison meat, Guru pride themselves on having NOTHING TO HIDE.
I have never seen anything like this before, it’s so unique and utterly brilliant! Guru’s trip bones are a cold pressed dog treat that you can take anywhere with ease. It’s perfect if your out and about a lot, as you can just pop it into your bag, so that your dog can be fed it’s normal high quality food in a fun and mentally stimulating way. When we pop over to Jack’s parents house, our visit is usually only a few hours due to Polly needing to be fed at home. However, with a trip bone she can be fed her normal high quality food which is within the bone that consists of 28% Dried Ground Chicken and Brown Rice.
Oh yeah, your drooling right?
We often have long days when we are doing bits and pieces for our blog or Instagram. But now with a trip bone in our bags we don’t have the hassle of bagging up Polly’s food and most of all risking it bursting into our bags leaving a beautiful fish aroma for all to smell!
Oh no, after the first few licks I just can’t stop!
I would 100% recommend the trip bones they are absolutely wonderful!
I can’t believe it’s been over a year now since we started feeding Guru! After hearing the shocking stories about what goes in to some big dog food brands, I immediately began doing some research and came across the Guru team on Instagram. To me it’s really important that Piper is fed a well balanced, healthy & natural diet. So as you can imagine I was thrilled to discover that Guru covers everything that I was looking for!
Unlike most dry dog foods, Guru is cold pressed. It’s cooked at much lower temperatures than the usual dry extruded kibble, meaning all the nutrients and flavours are locked in, making it super yummy for the dogs (perfect for fussy eaters!). The cold pressed element makes the food super gentle on the digestive system and is also great for sensitive tums. Because of the way the food breaks down, it means it can be turned into porridge by simply adding hot water. This is perfect for those doggies who like a bit of variety in life, or slowing down those super speedy eaters.
When we first joined #teamguru we started with the the Beef, Sea Fish & Vegetable flavour, more commonly known as Surf & Turf! It went down a huge hit here! So much so in fact, that we had to in the end give up with the gradual swap as Piper used to pick out the Guru and leave her old food. It soon became evident that we had found a food that we both loved!
About 6 months after we started feeding Guru, they released their Grain Free recipe, Full on Feast. We were super excited to try this and just as I expected Piper went crazy for it. Piper prefers to be fed the Full on Feast food as it helps with her itchy feet, but our Labradoodle, Teddy, is solely fed on Surf & Turf as he loves the beef flavour.
We live a super busy lifestyle which means that Piper is often fed on the go. Guru’s Trip Bones are the solution for us. The bones are a meal on the go, or a tasty snack. They’re compact & easy to take with you. They are quite hard, so keep the dogs occupied for a while but also help to clean their teeth, perfect! A super healthy dental chew solution.
The newest Guru Pet Food craze is the “nothing to hide” Venison Sausages. These were released on the 03/07/2017 and Guru Geeks all over the country were doing the #sausagedash, trying to get their paws on these tasty treats. The sausages are completely natural and only contain venison, sweet potato & apple- ideal training treats! These are probably one of Piper’s favourite treats to date, she sniffs them out from miles away! The soft, juicy texture is certainly a hit with her!
Guru has been a real game changer for us! When I was researching dog foods I was concerned at how much the better brand were going to cost. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Piper eats 40-45 grams of food per meal, depending on activity levels and this costs around 35-40p a day! £12 a month to feed one of the best dog foods available! (That’s actually less than the poorer quality food she was fed previously, a win win situation!). Because the food is cold pressed, it is much denser and therefore you feed 1/3 less than normal dog kibble. This means a bag of food lasts 30% longer, so subsequently works out to be a really affordable food for your dog.
If you don’t believe me, you can check out the allaboutdogfood website (www.allaboutdogfood.com). Not only can you read other customers comments, this website produces independent reviews in a huge range of dog food available on the UK market. Guru scores 4.9 out of 5. You couldn’t get much better than that!
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about how much we love Guru Pet Food!
This Summer has been a fun and special one, being on the road with Guru Pet food and experiencing the wonderful events as the Ambassadogs for the last time.
Guru head to so many different shows and events over the Summer, and being able to join them is really such a pleasure for Sev and Lily.
First up this year was Dog Fest South, following the wonderful (& warm!) Weekend of North, Dog Fest was bought down to Knebworth House. The gorgeous grounds were filled with dog friendly stands and stalls, have a go’s and talks from the wonderful “Super Vet”.
Severus and Lily were super excited to see the Geeksters, and showed off their wonderful Guru Geek hoodies, made especially for them.
Acting like they owned the place, and following their noses to the bones, sausages and food, they soon made them self at home before posing perfectly for a photo or two. They even got captured, and had a photo with the boy and his trip bone winnings.
Next we headed to The Game Fair, at Hatfield House.
On Sunday, the ground was muddy but the sky clear, ready for our adventure.
A mix of countryside shopping, amazing working dog displays and the important stalls to spoil your pooch, Guru of course stood out with their amazing stand.
Sev and Lily of course felt right at home on the stand, helping out with the samples and attracting new geeks to join.
Our last Summer adventure took us to BBC Countryfile Live, set at the stunning Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
With amazing country stands, displays and shows, really great for all the family, with of course so many dogs sniffing around too.
Sadly the dog stands were light on the ground, but this made the Guru stand, stand out even more than usual. Especially with the extra white picket fence and hay bales, the perfect country setting.
This time, I got to photograph other Geeksters on the stand, although Sev and Lily still wanted to pose too, especially when a trip bone was on offer.
With the Summer dog festivals over for another year, and our time as Guru “Ambassadogs” coming to an end, it’s been so much fun to get to know the Guru team and support them in the best way. We will forever be Geeksters that #SpreadTheLove.
You can follow Severus and Lily’s adventures on…
Instagram: @spaniellife
We were super excited to be joining in with the Geeks this past weekend at the Game Fair! Getting to know the team on social media this past year has been incredible. Having now met them in person one thing is for sure, the Guru team is the most genuine team on social media. They are just as warm, hilarious and carfin in person as they are online. We had such a fun afternoon as their ‘pupparazzi’ for the day!
Being slightly sheltered Londoners we felt entirely out of place at the Game Fair with the working dogs, country side men walking with sticks and very practical dog accessories! There were a few glimpses of familiarity with Made in Chelsea starts flying in & a Birkin handbag or two walking past! We couldn’t believe how many Cavaliers were among the fields of working dogs. Adorable little fluff balls being adored by their owners. At first glance you would have thought a Cavalier King Charles would be the least likely visitor at the Game Fair.
One place we did feel at home was the Guru stand! A collection of warm and friendly people welcoming every dog and their owner to learn more about cold pressed dog food. I do believe the first time I wrote about Guru I mentioned that cold pressed to me could only mean very healthy green juice! It feels only right that if the healthiest way for me to get vitamins and minerals is through having a cold pressed veg juice a day – that Amelia would also get all the goodness from her food by eating cold pressed.
It may be difficult to remember that Guru are only coming up to being two years old as a company this fall. Yet you could barely believe the amount of dogs coming up to the stand who were all fed on Guru. Some younger dogs had been brought up entirely on Guru! Lisa & Andrew along with their team of Geeksters welcomed each customer back to the stand as dear friends. There was no lack of new customers being intrigued by Guru either. Lisa passionately demonstrated how cold pressed food breaks down when digested as opposed to regular kibble. Showing new visitors the range of products they offer and their many uses. After spending five minutes with Lisa, any dog owner would find it hard not to be convinced.
Personally I enjoyed taking a back seat and photographing everyone when they weren’t looking. The passion of the Geeks spreading the Guru love was undeniable even when looking from afar. Dogs & owners visiting the stand were all part of the Geekster family that is so well championed on social media.
Perhaps this will be a little corny, but the new venison sausage packaging says “nothing to hide” – I would personally like to extend this to the entire Guru team. A passionate group of honest people with a company ethos that is applicable far beyond their venison sausages!
It’s been a year since we started Guru Pet Food and it’s been a great one!
Angus has always been fussy when it comes to food to the point where he would go days without eating and after 4 years of this I was beginning to tear my hair out. I had also been to the vets for advice as he was underweight. I used to regularly visit pet shops to see if they had a different foods we hadn’t tried. Angus used to lure me into a false sense of security as he used to eat it for the first day or so then turn his nose up. We came to a dead end and over the years we must have donated 30+kg of dog food he wouldn’t eat to local rescue centres.
One night after trawling the internet for some advice I stumbled upon Guru. I had nothing to loose so ordered a sample of the Surf and Turf. It arrived the next day and he seemed to like it and ate his tea. I didn’t get my hopes up as I didn’t think it would last (it hadn’t before). I decided to order a 5kg bag to see how he got on. He ate every meal I put in front of him. My fussy underweight monkey was eating! We also moved puppy Eddie onto Guru as soon as we could.
Fast forward a year and he eats two meals a day, has put on 2kg and is much happier, as am I. Angus now tells me when it’s time for dinner (sometimes he’s a bit early though).
I honestly can’t recommend Guru enough and don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t found them.
Abigail, Angus and Eddie xx
Check out their adventures on Instagram: @abigailangus
It can be very difficult to curb a dog’s excitement when they see their dinner. It would seem that many Guru geeksters have this issue (quite understandable when Guruliciousness is involved) and this ultimately leads to a frenzied teatime with the food all gone in seconds! This can be quite concerning (Oscar always used to gulp after scoffing his dinner) and there are health risks associated with speedy eating in dogs.
We tried many different methods to combat the frenzy (e.g. slow-feeding bowls) but to no real avail. We came across the KONG Wobbler online and decided to try it. The results were instant and it didn’t take long for Oscar to figure out how it worked (he rolls it along the floor with his nose) so that was a bonus and you can see the delight when bits of food fall out on the ground. It has also really solved his issue with wolfing down his food, making it the perfect solution for dogs who ‘hoover’ their dinner.
The Wobbler seems to be nice and long lasting. Ours has been used practically twice daily for 6 months and other than a few scratches and marks on the outside, it’s still in good working order and a plus is that Oscar still loves to have his dinner in it because it is so much more entertaining and stimulating for him.
Guru cold-pressed food is the perfect size for the Kong Wobbler and it comes out of the hole easily but not so frequently that dinner is over in no time (instead, meals last 15-20 minutes). This gives us humans a bit of peace while pup is having a fun mealtime – though I would suggest using it outside as it is quite noisy.
The feeder has both a top and bottom half that screw together and they join nice and tightly, so that the Wobbler doesn’t come undone during use. The top half is dishwasher-friendly, but the bottom half is not as it holds weights to keep the Wobbler upright.
I would very much recommend this product, especially for all those Guru geeks out there, as a great way to slow down ‘hoover’ dogs.
Pros:
• Really slows down speedy-eaters, decreasing health risks associated with eating food too quickly
• Fun and stimulating – good for doggy brains
• Gives the humans 15 minutes of peace
• Lasting well
• Top part dishwasher-friendly
• High quality
• Seemingly long-lasting
Cons:
• Bottom part has to be washed by hand
• Can make a fair bit of noise when being smashed about (usually used in the garden instead of indoors)
Lucy x
Check out Oscar’s adventures through his instagram:@oscarcocker
Back in November last year, I made a massive leap out of full time work to run my business (Millie’s Beach Huts) and set up our new venture Millies Pet Services.
Not only did it involve moving 500 miles north back home to Scotland but to help manage some of the risk (and money!), I made the decision to move back in the short term to move back in with my parents.
Great news for Millie as that meant moving in with her brother Harley and another mad spaniel – Isla! The three musketeers were reunited!
But it presented a problem for us. All three dogs were on different foods and they all had their ‘issues’. Feeding time was turning into one very large job and it was impossible to stop them trying to eat each other’s food too.
Wouldn’t it be easier if they could all eat the same? It didn’t feel like it was going to be an easy job due to those ‘issues’!
From a very young age, I’ve had lots of vet trips with Millie due to a sensitive tummy. As an excited springer, when she is around water and tennis balls, she would wind herself up so much more and make her senstivie tummy even worse. It got to a point where I noticed she was continually licking her paws and having discussed at length with our vet, I started our long journey trying to find the ‘right food’ for her.
(Millie)
Over two years we gradually worked our way through different dog foods and finally noticed the biggest improvement when we moved to a hypoallergenic dog food and also changed the protein type too (to a predominantly fish based kibble). So at three years old, I was much happier with the food she was on but did wonder if we could get even more of an improvement.
Harley on the other hand will eat anything and he does try to 24 hours a day! But having previously been overweight, it was really important to us that we could ensure that we keep the weight off.
He’d also had major surgery in January this year following accidental poisoning (I did say he eats everything didn’t I)?
We were now feeling nervous with food choices as the surgery did put a great deal of strain on him. We’d been told his heart stopped at one point during the operation. He’s a typical boy spaniel but we’re just that little bit more protective of him and what he eats following such intensive surgery.
(Harley)
If that wasn’t enough Isla is also a fussy eater!! She’s the youngest of the three and don’t’ tell my mum I said it but well, she’s a little spoiled. I know, how you can be more spoiled that Harley and Millie but well she is ;0)
She will literally turn her nose up at food and would frequently leave it if she felt inclined to that day! And to top it off, we are trying to help her lose a little weight too.
So with that all in mind, it felt like the right time to do something and I took the opportunity to do a LOT of research on dog food at the start of this year (2017).
It took a couple of months of research before we finally made the decision to move to Guru. If I’m honest, we hovered between raw food options and Guru for most of that time. However, the more and more we researched, Guru looked like it would be perfect for all three and felt more confident in the health benefits and that Full on Feast would be a good match for Millie’s sensitivities.
Yippeee – happy meal times for the Three Musketeers!
We made the switch over in February of this year and given all of the ‘sensitive’ issues above, we’ve very, very, very, VERY gradually transitioned over to 100% Guru.
Three Months On with Guru
Ok it’s time to get dirty and talk dog poo!
Yep, we all know it’s important to when it comes to changing dog food and we couldn’t be happier. There’s been a marked improvement in poo’s, which I’ve particularly noticed with Harley. Both colour and firmness improved in the first couple of weeks!!
Isla is eating her food at every meal time and we haven’t had any tummy problems with Millie either!
The one thing I would say, is that if you are making the move over to Guru, do look at the cost to feed per day rather than cost per bag which can be deceptive. Even though we were previously using higher end dog kibble, the difference in portion size was substantial and we’ve discovered that we are actually spending less.
While our final decision on dog food would never have been based 100% on cost, the fact that we have improved the quality of food for them while not increasing overall costs is an added bonus. Particularly as we have three energetic spaniels to feed!
The Icing on the Cake…
An extra added bonus for me was the fab field and trip bones that Guru had to offer. Why? Well with a sensitive tummy I have to be very, very careful with Millie’s treats.
At the end of March Millie and I set off on another adventure. We were hitting the road for 3.5 weeks and I was armed with a new delivery of Guru Full on Feast and a mountain of trip and field bones.
With a midweek break planned at the fabulous Brecon Retreat, I was then heading down to Essex. Millie is the CEO of a beach hut hire company and I had to help her out with renovating and opening four new beach huts for hire over those weeks. We (ok, maybe just I) would working around the great British weather. It meant that occasionally it would be extremely early and/or long days or late nights.
While I’d been using the field and trip bones as treats, this is where they come into their own as meal replacement. I didn’t need to worry about having extra food bowls in the car with me nor squeezing extra food in air tight containers into an already jam packed car. I just carried a bag of trip and field bones using them as and when we needed. Perfect!
(Millie and I having some time out while working on our beach huts – yep she had as much paint on her as I did on myself! I think she’s laughing at the mess of me, in this one!).
They really were such a lifesaver and meant that Millie still had her own routine for meal times, even though my own routine was a tad chaotic!
Were we nervous about making the switch? Yes of course. Isn’t every dog owner?
Am I glad we made the switch? Without a doubt and I’m so so pleased that I was able to find something that would work for three very different pooches.
Was it really 12 months since we attended our first EVER show..?
Yaass, the Geeks were about to go ‘On The Road Again’ and we were so excited to see all of our furiends old and new.
We were also excited to show everyone our GURUvy stand Geekover… Creating the stand can be a time consuming process (but we’re not gonna lie folks, we LOVE it!!). It’s important to make our Geekster experience informative, interactive and most of all FUN!
From all of your feedback, comments and well wishes, we think we just about pulled it off. So hold onto your hats Geeksters, its a double dose of Dog Fest, right here, right now..!
The most adorable Ambassadog’s captured strutting their stuff in front of our ‘Geekster wall of Fame’. Photograph: @spaniellife
FIRST UP – #TeamNorth
The GURU Mother-ship set sail (well on the back of a hiab lorry) on the Friday morning to Arley Hall, Cheshire. As you all know, it can be a logisitcal nightmare moving the stand, however we were pleased to say, it all went according to plan. The Geeks arrived on site early Saturday morning, bouncing with enthusiasm to get this PAWty started. We just couldn’t believe we had a whole weekend of fun ahead!
The time had come, the gates opened and the crowds came flooding in…
Let’s be honest, #TeamGuru‘s never easy to miss haha. Standing tall in her bright Guru yellow, ‘The Mother-Ship’ was attracting Geeksters of all shapes and sizes, we just love, love, LOVE you all!
It was our 1st show of 2017, not to mention the 1st chance to get your paws on some, yep you guessed it… SAUSAGESSS!
They went down an absolute storm. Geeksters just can’t get enough, we’re sure you’ve seen the hype on social media already, they’ll do anything for their Gurulicious slices!
Throughout the wooftastic weekend, we managed to capture lots of WANTED furiends from our Geekster wall of fame!
Overall, we honestly had a blast! Seeing familiar faces once again and getting to know new ones…
Unbelievably cute Country GeekSTARs captured spreading the love with our GURUlicious heart. Photograph: @thecotswoldspaniels
NEXT UP – #TeamSouth
Comments and posts about our stand went through the roof on social media and we just couldn’t wait to show it to all our Geeksters down in Team South. This year, Dog Fest South was held at Knebworth House in Hertfordshire, so we set off from Guru HQ on Friday afternoon, ready to Geek on with #TeamSouth.
We arrived on site, bright eyed and bushy tailed completely oblivious to the HUGE welcome we were about to receive. The time had come once again, the gates opened and within minutes our stand was packed out with Geeksters.
It was amazing to witness how many Geeksters joined the #SausageDash! After seeing the hype on social media, there was no holding them back… they weren’t leaving without some succulent sausage slices and that was that!
A BIG thanks to the lovely Becki, mum of @millymoo_and_charlieboo, for helping out on the stand! Being a true Guru Geek, she was brilliant and fit right in. What a great day we had xx
Once again, there was no place to hide for our WANTED furiends off our Geekster wall of fame. Everyone had fun capturing them throughout the weekend!
Next time Geeks, it may be worth wearing a disguise!
Stunning Adventure GeekSTAR captured on the ‘Famous Guru Chair’. Photograph: @dappermaximus
As you can see, we had the BEST time at Dog Fest this year, we think you’ll agree that the #GuruSquad really is the best Squad around. We also want to take the time to thank Super Vet for showing his appreciation for Guru and each and every one of you for joining us to #SpreadTheLove.
Check out these GURUvy blogs to find out what our goregeous GeekSTARs & PAWparazzi got up to at Dog Fest:
Feeding Sev and Lily, the Guru Ambassadors, Guru Pet food for the last year has been great. We’re so glad we found the food and the lovely company of all the wonderful geeksters.
Dog feeding and nutrition can become a headache of “do’s and don’ts” and “rights and wrongs”. Everyone is saying different things, and mentioning different brands.
The popular sweep of Guru Pet Food is not just short term though, the buzz around it is real, but it truly is a great dog food for your pet.
Here’s a few facts about Guru Pet Food and why we love feeding the spaniels it;
As it’s a cold pressed dog food, it keeps in all the nutritional benefits. Meaning it’s the closest dog food to a dogs natural diet, that you can get.
It can help with immune system, freshen breath and improve the skin and coat of your dog. Making them look amazing and feel healthy too.
There’s no additives, colourings or preservatives- just all the good stuff!
It comes in a grain free version too, but honestly Sev and Lily prefer “Surf and Turf”, and that has such a small amount of grain anyway.
Guru Pet Food is a complete dog food, meaning it has everything your dog needs for them to have a healthy diet.
Lastly, Guru Pet Food offer trip bones, which are not only a great treat for your dog, but great for on the go too. 1 small trip bone is equivalent to a full meal for a 10kg dog- great for those pooches that travel like our furry ones.
From a Chucky Puggle with no energy to a petite princess that thinks she’s a puppy.
Start weight: 16kg
current weight: 12kg
Total loss of: 4kg
Baring in mind Lola has had 2 litters of pups (13 in total), it’s obviously took its toll on her like most of us ladies out there.
I’ve always fed what brand I thought was the best, never really paying much attention to what was in it. I just thought, ‘the higher the price the better it must be’. Looking back, how wrong was I?
We all learn by our mistakes. Also, I had never weighed food before (bad I know) but I just thought a cup twice a day will be fine, plus she would have the odd bit of human food, which is so bad for them I know. I was just weak at this point and thought if they beg I must give, no no no.
So cutting a long story short, I was told by the vet that Lola was morbidly obese and if I didn’t change things it would take 5 years off her life. I was so upset and knew it was my fault, I had to change my ways asap. Lola was actually at the vet for skin allergies, which was due to the not so great food she was on too, but I didn’t realise this at the time. The vet put me on a brand of theirs and yes, it shifted a little weight but the sore’s were out in force, so it was time to really look into this.
In October last year, I was chatting with my neighbour about Lola being over weight and her constant sores all over her body, when she asked if I’d heard of Guru. I told her that I hadn’t heard of them, but would check them out and that very same day I purchased my first bag of Surf & Turf. I found the website great, love that they only have a few things for sale, love the feeding guide calculator (so you know the exact amount to feed your fury friends) and the videos are cute and teach you a lot of things you would never normally know. I ended up calling Guru before I placed my order as I wasn’t too sure what to get; the customer service was great, they were so helpful and kind and had so much time for me.
So Lola’s journey began early October, I was excited but nervous about the new food and was hoping she liked it and praying this was the change we needed.
Lola’s loved the Guru from day 1, she’s a greedy dog and would eat anything but I could tell she really enjoyed it because she seemed different. When I say ‘dinner’, her eyes go big, she wags and howls with excitement and licks her lips like yessss GURU! Before switching, she would slowly get out of bed, yawn and then eat her nasty food. Her Guru meal in the morning is crunchy, then we feed her Guru with water, like a porridge, in the evening to make it last a little longer and she loves it like this!
Since feeding Guru, not only has she lost weight, her sores have gone and she’s got the shiniest coat, no more Gungy eyes or sore itchy ears and no horrid smells from her back passage (because this was a real bad issue before). I don’t think she even pumps now ha ha! She’s got more good energy as she was a bit grumpy and lazy before.
All in all, I’m so happy we changed to Guru. My dogs love it and are at a great weight and are very healthy & happy too!
Congratulations and applaws go out to our three Elite Geeks, who we’re so excited about getting GURUvy with! They’ll woof about all our wonderful news via their blogs and social media posts, which will include taste testing new products, attending shows with ‘The Mother Ship’ and buzzin’ about up and coming offers, giveaways and new products.
As you all know, our previous Ambassadogs include the very famous @bellalovesbeau along with our current most adorable furiends @spaniellife. Don’t panic Geeksters, Spaniel life will be with us until the end of August and promise us they’ll be attending most of our shows this year xx
So with the bar set so high, we asked Geekster Sam to get ‘up close and pawsonal’ in a sneak peek exclusive interview with each of our gorgeous GeekSTARs before they shout all about it on social media.
It’s a definite must read, so grab yourself a cuppa and let’s get ready to #SpreadTheLove…
A-List GeekSTAR
First up, let me introduce you to our A-List GeekSTAR, the adorable Amelia and her beautiful Mum Eva. You may ask, why A-List GeekSTAR? Well, they’re a girl cav duo, who strut their stuff around London, meeting and greeting fans, fighting off the pawparazzi and did I mention, they like all things pink!
I was lucky to grab enough time for a quick interview and here’s two sneak peek questions I asked them to wet your appetite…
Have you met anyone interesting/famous on your blogging journey? “We have! I’m sitting here wondering who wouldn’t mind being mentioned. I wouldn’t like to mention more personal encounters but publicly we have met with Siobhan Ferguson, the woman behind Pretty City London, we were asked to do a photoshoot with her and will be featured in her new book on London. The famous makeup artist Tania Grier, she loves Cavaliers & has done the make up for just about every celebrity you can think of! We were totally starstruck when meeting Clym Evernden the famous fashion illustrator. When you look at the luxury shop windows (like Tiffany & Co) he has done the artwork in them. Amelia got up close and personal giving kisses to Thomas Bjørn the European Ryder Cup Captain.”
If you could have any super power what would you choose and why? “Superpower! I would love to be able to speak to animals – does that count? Of course in order to speak to Amelia, but I also try to have conversations with my horse and even pigeons! Would make my life so much happier if I could have real conversations with animals.”
If you want to know more about this delightful duo, be sure to head over to Eva & Amelia’s world and check out my full GeekSTAR interview!
Adventure GeekSTAR
Next up, a dapper dog who leaves his paw prints everywhere he goes… it’s our Adventure GeekSTAR Maximus and his lovely human Charlotte. If you check him out on social media you may need time to catch your breath, as every day is an adventure for this handsome Geek who’s always on the go!
I managed to catch up with him for a quick pit stop on his way to yet another adventure…
Welcome Charlotte and Maximus to #TeamGuru tell us a little about yourselves. “Thank you! I am so excited to join the team. I’m Charlotte, I’m 16 and have a huge passion for photography. Maximus is our soon to be 1 year old Sprocker Spaniel, he is the main focus of my photography. I have a twin sister called Neve who regularly helps behind the scenes. We love going on new adventures around the British countryside, there are so many different places to explore.
I am currently studying for my A-levels. After this I would love to get into blogging and animal care as a hopefully permanent job, with a side hobby of photography of course!
I’ve really enjoyed sharing Maximus’ adventures on Instagram, its such a lovely community. I have always struggled to make friends at school so it’s been so nice to interact with people online that share a love for dogs like me.”
If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be and why? “That’s a tricky one! I’ve thought about it a lot and have decided on a celebrity I’ve loved since my childhood: Cole Sprouse. You may know him from the Disney Channel TV show: Suite Life of Zack and Cody. I used to love the show when I was younger, especially because I have a twin too. He also stars in my current favourite TV show: Riverdale, a programme based on ‘Archie Comics’, as a character called Jughead Jones. As he’s got older he has found a passion for photography and writing which I have found really inspiring. He has such an artistic eye and he’s so expressive and poetic with his words. He brings a simple photo to life, it’s such a skill, one I admire.”
Country GeekSTAR
Last (but certainly not least) we have our Country GeekSTARs! The Cotswold Cuties, Woody & Wilma, together with their talented pawrent Megan make the perfect team. Exploring the great British countryside and getting as muddy as possible along the way… (who doesn’t love a soggy spaniel?)
I’ve known these Cotswold Cuties for quite a while now. It’s time to get down and dirty in my exclusive interview…
How do you balance your photography business (Megan Williams Photography) with your blog? “There’s always so many exciting projects going on with both my photography and blog work, but I’m so lucky that I enjoy every minute of both of them so there’s never a reluctance to work. Also there’s such a variety in what I do, with my photography I get to meet so many amazing dogs and owners. Yet with blogging I photograph my favourite models [My dogs] and learn about a huge variety of dog products & experiences on the market to share with everyone.”
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? “I’ve not got much of a desire to travel but I love finding dog friendly destinations in the UK, especially coastal and the countryside. For the dogs they adore any where with a beach – or anywhere with water in Woody’s case. With the dogs by my side we have the best trips and adventures.”
Check out my full GeekSTAR interview on The Cotswold Spaniels blog and find out some tips & tricks about blogging/photography from our terrific trio…
Well there you have it folks, a sneak peek into my exclusive interviews. A BIG thanks to our A-List, Adventure and Country GeekSTARs for being so open and honest. I’m looking forward to meeting Amelia & Maximus for the first time and of course our Cotswold Cuties once again at this years events, when GURU goes on the road again!
Thanks for reading and continuing to help us #SpreadTheLove
Until next time… hugs, wishes and Geekster kisses to you all xxx
As a first time dog owner we naturally wanted the very best for our fur-baby. When we first collected Ila we were given the usual starter pack of food that she was given as a puppy. She was fed a mixture of raw and a mainstream brand of complete dry extruded biscuits. We kept her on this diet until a year old (as recommended by our breeder) and decided that we would then research the ‘best’ food for her.
We decided that we loved feeding her raw as it kept her in good condition, with a shiny coat and clean teeth and in an ideal world we would have liked to feed her completely on a diet of raw meat and ingredients, however with a busy working schedule, this would not be possible. We decided to keep her on a mixture of raw and complete biscuits, with the bonus that if we ever forget to prepare her raw food, she can always have just the complete biscuits.
With Ila having an active Instagram account it was only a matter of time before we stumbled across the hype of Guru Pet Food. Many of the dog accounts we followed were giving so much positive feedback about the food (and the excellent reviews we found online), that we just had to investigate further! We discovered that Guru Pet food is cold pressed, therefore; it retains a lot more nutrients than extruded biscuits; is much more dense (requiring a smaller portion per meal); and includes lots of yummy ingredients we already loved supplementing to Ila’s meals (brown rice, sweet potato, carrots, cranberries… to name a few).
There are also many people who recommend that biscuits and raw meat should not be fed together as they are digested at different rates (something we discovered amongst our research). Guru, as a cold pressed dog food, breaks down faster than extruded dog food, similarly to the rate of raw food. Making it a great mixer!
I enquired to the Geekster team about feeding Guru alongside raw and they explained that many of their customers do this already with great results. Ila is in no way a fusser eater (I won’t go in to details about the various things she considers as ‘food’), however she responded to Guru like it was one of her favourite treats – an immediate hit! We took the plunge and ordered a full bag of Surf and Turf. We have not looked back since!
We still love to feed Ila on a raw diet, but feed it 50/50 with Guru Pet Food. This means we do not have to spend hours preparing her food, we do not need to worry about ensuring we include the right nutritional contents (as Guru is a complete meal) and if we forget to defrost her food she can just have Guru!
Additionally, her coat is beautifully shiny, her muscle tone is incredible and she loves the taste of her Guru Pet Food. Better still, when we are off on adventures or competing at shows, we can simply take a trip bone to feed her as a complete meal. No more measuring out biscuits and worrying about keeping raw meat frozen!
We cannot recommend Guru Pet food enough!
Well where do we begin? The end is certainly a dream come true, so grab a cuppa and we will fill you in.
The start of our search was for a healthy food to feed our new addition to the family, our beautiful Miss Maddie. Maddie is an English Show Cocker Spaniel and was a resale from 2 previous families who didn’t feel she fit their lifestyles. She was 12 weeks old when we got her and she was very underweight. Her coat was dull and her energy low. Her sleep patterns weren’t established and her training was non existent.
We just knew she was the puppy we needed to fill our hearts and our home. So we set straight on with training and routine. Her diet was of huge concern when at 13 weeks she was only 4kg. Her ribs were visible and her tummy upset.
We value our vet’s advice so asked them. They are our vet’s right? They will know what she needs to eat, to gain weight and be healthy? No they wouldn’t commit to any brand or type of food. They said to pick a good reputable brand and one she’s happy on. So with tail between our legs, off we went to Google dog food. For a year we tried all different brands and thought the most expensive was the best for her. She still failed to thrive and so the search continued….
We read about raw feeding but with two indoor cats we sensed this wasn’t for us. So what next? We found some information on Cold Pressed and searching on Instagram we found a dog with a Trip Bone made of Cold Pressed food. So what was this Trip Bone and who made them?
Well that’s the day we found Guru. That’s also the day that name became of such huge importance to us.
We ordered a sample from the lovely Geeks and it arrived the next morning. Maddie ripped at the packaging and was so hungry to eat. We had never had this before with Maddie. Her kibble had remained untouched for days and coating it in chicken and fish hadn’t helped.
Not anymore! She ate with enthusiasm and joy. Her eyes lit up and ours filled up. We had found it, we had found her food!
Within days her tummy was settled, her breath smelt good and her excitement to eat remained. Over the next few weeks as she transitioned, she gained weight and her coat began to shine. She was happy and content. Surely this couldn’t just be a change in food? A trip to the vet’s and yes, we were told it was just that. Her weight was now ideal, her teeth and coat were perfect and she was well on her way to being our beautiful healthy little girl.
I told them all about Cold Pressed and the process but they didn’t want to listen. They said to just do what was best for Maddie. Well if they weren’t going to tell everyone about Guru, then we were. We posted on Instagram, handed out leaflets and gave out samples to anyone who asked.
So here we are telling everyone and anyone who will listen yet again. Cold Pressed isn’t a new gimmick, it isn’t a passing faze, it’s the future for so many dogs. It’s changed Maddie’s and our lives in so many ways. We no longer worry about her not eating or her weight. We know a year later that changing Maddie to Guru was the best thing we could of done for her. She’s active and happy and that’s all we could wish for.
So after a year of being an official Geekster from not just Maddie but from the whole family it’s a HUGE paws up from us. We won’t ever be changing back. We will be spreading the word until everyone has heard.
This is Amber the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel x Bichon Frise. Cavachon for short.
Her hobbies include napping, eating, looking for treats and more napping. As you’d imagine this combination has not done her any favours in the weight department. About two years ago I decided that I needed to substitute her current food for a healthier option. I did a lot of research and concluded that a raw diet was the way to go. However, despite what may people believe, raw is not best for all dogs. We had quite a lot of problems with Amber on a raw diet despite following feeding guides and seeking advice from experienced raw feeders. She did lose weight but that was about the only positive I did see.
In the end I decided to take Amber off the raw diet and seek other healthy alternatives. At this point I hadn’t ever come across the concept of cold pressed dog food so put her on some grain free extruded (dry) kibble. I did this because as well as needing to lose a bit of weight, Amber had been having a lot of issues with her eyes streaming. This can often be liked to allergies, one of them being grain. The grain free kibble did help with the tear stains/ streaming however she put all of the weight she had lost on the raw diet straight back on. In addition to this she started having awful breath and tartar build up on her teeth.
Yet again, I started researching new foods for Amber and coincidently came across Guru Pet Food on Instagram through @honeyb_doodle. I read about the benefits cold pressed food and it sounded perfect! The Guru team very kindly sent Amber some samples of their Surf & Turf food around this time last year and she couldn’t get enough of it.
At the beginning of June of 2016 I switched Amber over to Guru’s food and it’s the best decision I could have made regarding Ambers food. She has dropped from 9.6 to 9.2kg (we’re still working on getting her down to under 9kg but she’s well on the way). This may not seem like much but Amber had a period of time in which she couldn’t exercise for very long at all due to problems with her knee. So she was doing less exercise than she had been on her previous food and has still lost weight!
Once I had switched her over to Guru’s Surf & Turf her teeth didn’t get any worse than they had gotten on the grain free kibble I was feeding her and her breath did improve. A couple of months ago I had Amber’s teeth cleaned by the vets and since then she has had no tartar build up at all on her teeth and her breath is far better than it has ever been! Obviously I clean her teeth but Guru has definitely been a big help in keeping her breath nice and fresh. Her eyes also no longer stream anywhere near as much as they used to. They are actually better now than they were on the grain free kibble. I’m incredibly excited to crack open our bag of Full on Feast as this is cold pressed and grain free so I’m hoping her eyes will clear up even more!
Amber and I have been on quite the journey to find the perfect food for her but I think we have finally cracked it. Guru is all I was looking for and more!
Severus and Lily have eaten Guru Pet food since last Summer, and being “ambassadogs” of the brand, we’ve also learnt a lot more as time has gone on. Being true Geeksters and spreading the Guru love, wherever we go, including puppy parties at work and colleagues too.
So, why do we feed Sev and Lily Guru Pet Food?
Cold Pressed Food
Cold pressed food is premium quality, meaning your pooch will only get the best! It’s a new method of preparing the dog food, meaning the nutrients are preserved better by gently grounding and mixing the ingredients together.
For the everyday dog owner, this basically means that instead of the “normal” dry kibble swelling and expanding in the stomach, Guru breaks down and lets out the nutrients. This helps retain all the ingredients nutrition, aroma and vitamins which are essential for growth, digestion and good health.
Fuller for longer
So, they are spaniels after all and although they certainly know when breakfast and dinner time is, they aren’t constantly begging for food. They eat their meals and are satisfied for a longer amount of time.
We’ve also found fussy dogs seem to like it more too, recently sharing it with our friend Skipper (the Springer Spaniel) who can take up to an hour to finish his meals.
Food for all
Both Sev and Lily are adult age now, however when we transitioned onto Guru Pet Food, Lily was a puppy. However you can feed Guru to puppies, adults and OAP’s, with the easy feeding guide, you can find out what to feed your pooch at every age. Meaning it was super easy just feeding one type of food as Lily grew up…to become a fine young Geekster (of course!)
Trip Bones
The idea of trip bones, to me, is amazing. Not only because we’re on the go a lot, travelling around for our blog and instagram, meaning it’s a quick and easy snack to have in the car. Also because they’re being fed their normal dog food, within a treat bone. Perfect if your pooch has a sensitive stomach and can’t be switched around or fed different treats. Severus and Lily love the Guru Trip Bones, and we always have a stash at the ready for every road trip, visiting friends and family, or just at home when they’ve been extra good dogs.
Being Part of a Family
Guru is a small independent business, meaning they put love into everything they do. Every customer means so much to them, and they have time to answer questions and help out when they can. On instagram alone you can see how wide the Guru love spreads, and that’s because they take time to know when people share the positive and successful stories. Never being just a number or a sale, but buying into the Guru way of life.
You can follow Severus and Lily on…
Instagram@spaniellife
Not only is it beneficial for their health, it’s also beneficial for ours! And it also gives us the opportunity to admire the spectacular scenery of the British countryside.
Ordinarily, we take to ambling around the fields, usually twice a day, on a well-trodden route that our dogs are more than familiar with. And while they certainly enjoy it, it’s good to take them out to explore some new scents, sounds and sights now and again.
So where, in our humble opinion, are some of the best places to take your dogs if looking to go out a little further afield?
There are some fantastic dog friendly places to take a walk, and here are some of our favourites that we’ve encountered over the years:
Hardcastle Crags, West Yorkshire
Yorkshire is blessed with some spectacular scenery and Hardcastle Crags, just west of Halifax, is a delightful Pennine valley that supplements stunning riverside views with oak, beech and pine woods full of tumbling streams. A walk in spring at the right time will catch the bluebells in full bloom, while Gibson Mill offers a sample of Britain’s industrial past.
North York Moors, North Yorkshire
Another glorious part of Yorkshire to consider is the North York Moors. There are several routes to take, with Newtondale offering a lovely forest track. The moors do have stunning open field routes, but there’s chance of livestock being present, as well as the need to take care due to rare birds nesting on the ground at certain times of year, so we recommend Newtondale for the opportunity to give the dogs freer rein. More guidance from the national park authority can be found here.
Studland Beach, Dorset
One of Britain’s most beautiful natural coastlines, Studland Beach offers four miles of golden sands, with the heathland behind the beach a haven for native wildlife – including all six of Britain’s reptiles. A cautionary note on this…keep to the paths when on the heath as adders and ticks are a potential risk, but one that’s well worth taking for the breath-taking scenery.
For some more rugged coastal walking, why not take the route from the fishing village of Craster through to Low Newton-by-the-sea. Enjoying the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle en route and the long sweep of Embleton Sands, makes this an unforgettable walk with some incredible natural beauty that your canine companion will enjoy as much as you.
Clent Hills, Worcestershire
A slightly more sedate, midlands-based walk that we like is The Clent Hills. These are about 10 miles south of Birmingham and offer an easy circular walk, that passes through fields and woodland, with some fantastic panoramic views as part of it.
And for something slightly different, why not try a city walk…
The Water of Leith, Edinburgh
If you’re looking at a city break and want to get in some dog walking too, then the Water of Leith offers an excellent chance to enjoy some natural beauty, right in the heart of a city. Stretching for miles through central Edinburgh, at some points you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re taking a country river walk…but with bustling Princes Street and the Royal Mile still within easy distance.
One key tip from us…
Don’t forget to take a couple of our cold pressed Field or Road Trip bones with you, they’re super handy mid-walk. They’re great for an energy boost – and delicious for your dog to boot!
Since being a young puppy, Maximus has had a sensitive stomach. Due to this, we had been on the hunt for the perfect nutritious meal that would agree with his stomach for quite a while. We also wanted to ensure that his meals would still provide him with plenty of nutritious benefits to keep him healthy and happy. This was when we found ‘Guru Pet Food‘…
We were on the fence to give it a try for a while as it is a very popular choice over on Instagram. Therefore, I wondered what all of the rave was about, so I did some research and we finally decided to order our first bag of Guru!
There are two options to chose from:
Surf & Turf (beef, sea fish and vegetables)
Full on Feast (duck, sea fish and vegetables
Maximus loves mealtime, the pellets are so tasty (understood from his regular drooling and lick of the lips at the sight and anticipation of it!) we also use them as treats if we are running low on others. It’s delicious taste is proven by our West Highland Terrier, Oscar. He can be quite fussy when it comes to food yet he would do anything for a pellet of Guru. Therefore, when it comes to mealtime, it’s one big healthy treat!
In relation to Oscar, as he’s an older dog now at 11 years old, his teeth aren’t as good as they used to be. Therefore, he has difficulty biting down on food that is too hard. However, this wasn’t a problem as Guru pellets can be turned into a paste using hot water, allowing those seniors to enjoy some tasty Guru too!
Guru is hypoallergenic, keeping your dog safe and happy whilst indulging in a Guru feast!
In addition to this, unlike most dry food, Guru is cold-pressed which means the nutrients are not lost through the heating process. Therefore, it is packed with benefits.
Guru is great for your dog’s digestion. This is because the pellets break down quicker and increase in volume, settling nicely at the bottom of their gut keeping them full and satisfied for longer.
Due to it being more nutritionally rich, the amount in which you feed your dog per serving is less, making it financially beneficial too as it lasts longer. What more could you ask for?
On the back of the pack there is a range of information displayed, such as:
Feeding guidelines
Ingredients
Benefits
An added bonus to Guru is their Trip Bones, which are essentially a meal in a bone. Therefore, it is a convenient way to feed your dog whilst out on a trip as an easy meal.
Of course, you can also use it as a delicious treat too!
Maximus and Oscar love ‘GuruTime’.
Why not give it a try? I bet your dog will love it too.
