Our journey with Guru started last year during the summer, we went along to the Game Fair at Ragley Hall, not ashamed to admit we actually pretty much went solely to go to the Guru stand and see what all the hype was about that we’d seen online.
The main reason for wanting to visit and then eventually swap to Guru is; we like spoiling the dogs and giving the best of the best if we can; because why not! As well, it contains Glucosamine and Green Lipped Mussel (along with the meat, fish, vegetables and other healthy extras) as Tobie; 10 at the time suffered with her arthritis quite frequently and unfortunately all treats and aids we gave her at the time didn’t do too much to help her out. The girls had also been fed on supermarket and shop brands of food which caused fatty lumps for Tobie; general bad odour and carrying extra weight for the both of them!
After a very lengthy discussion with Lisa we walked away with a bag of Surf and Turf and a couple of Trip Bones for the girls to try. Once we got home the dogs got their Trip Bones straight away, not even a sniff was required. Gobs open and running off to their respective spots to chomp away and it’s been a love affair ever since!
Both Tobie and Lexi adore their dinner time (as we only feed in the evenings), as opposed to previously being so unbothered by their kibble they had no bother if their feeds were delayed until we were back in from work, which at the time could be quite late into the evenings/night.
However, now there is no such luxury and we can’t get past 5pm without Tobie begging, whining and otherwise overly suggesting our watches must be wrong and that right now is their beloved dinner time(!!).
Considering they don’t get fed ‘til 7pm in the winter and 8pm in the summer Tobie certainly knows how to scream and shout for what she loves!
We use Guru as their full meals, as treats on walks and in their handy trip bone form (most loved for our holidays to the beach!) – they’ll take as much as they’re given and a lot more!
The biggest and best result from the change has been in Tobie; with a better result than we could ever have hoped for. She has gone from a slightly chubby, achey jointed 10 year old, to a svelte, shiny coated, active and food begging 11 year old, that it’s hard to believe she’s not just years younger!
We adore how reactive the girls are, too. Lexi is a lot calmer now, there are no nasty additives in her food, and has become a dream both physically and mentally now.
A 14kg bag lasts Tobie (15kg) and Lexi (18kg) a good 6-7 weeks – with a few trip bones spread out over the time as well – which is just an added bonus to it all!
We’d never look back or feed anything else ever again and are willing to find a tall peak to shout about Guru from!!
Waggy kisses from Tobie, Lexi and their humans xox
P.S can we talk about the smell please?! The days of the girls stinking the room out with their rear ends have gone!!! Which is a dog owners’ dream…
The Cotswolds or ‘wolds’ referred to by the locals is a very special place. From its golden stone to its rolling hills, it’s a fabulous place to explore. With adventures galore, it’s the most perfect place for two gorgeous spaniels to explore…
Yes, you’ve guessed it… we’re talking about the furbulous Woody and Wilma from @thecotswoldspaniels
Woody is an adorable 5 year old English Working Cocker Spaniel who has been recently joined by lovable Wilma, a 10th month old Apricot F1 Cockapoo. Even though they enjoy daily adventures in The Cotswolds, you’ll often see them travelling the country exploring everywhere dog friendly.
Megan is the most awesome photographer specialising in canine photography. Her aim is simple, to capture memories in photographs and share them with her many followers. She achieves this to perfection and quite willingly shares her tips and advice on how to improve your dog photography via her blog. For example, check out Megan’s post on the 30th of January where you can read her tips on how to take even better photos of your dogs!
So, Woody became a Geekster well over 12 months ago now. He just loves Guru cold pressed food, switching between our two recipes of Surf and Turf (Beef and Seafish) and our Full on Feast (Duck and Seafish). Check out his blog here.
We couldn’t wait to meet Woody and his family and finally did so last June at The Dog Fest show in Windsor. Woody loved the attention he received from everyone on the Guru stand, we all had such a special day and were even treated to Woody cuddles and kisses too. We next saw him at The Game Fair and then again at the Countryfile Live show last August, but this time he had his surprise baby sister Wilma with him too. Wilma melted the hearts of not only us, but everyone who stepped foot on our stand with her puppy dog eyes. We were so delighted when Mum told us that Wilma was now a Geekster too!
So here we are, 12 months on…
We can’t wait to see how these 2 x Gorgeous Guruvy Geeksters are getting on with their cold pressed food…
Press your paws here and be prepared to enter the adventurous photogenic world of The Cotswold Spaniels xox
Buster is an adorable one-year-old French Bulldog. He’s very cute and sweet natured, but when his owner, Nicola Smith, first brought him into her home, he did have one considerable downside… a rather sensitive stomach.
Buster was inherited by Nicola at just 7 months old, following the very sad passing of a family member, which left the puppy in need of a new home.
During the period of Buster’s original owner’s illness, several people had looked after him, and during that time he suffered chronic diarrhoea.
On a day-to-day basis, this wasn’t a pleasant thing to deal with – not to mention time consuming to clear up.
With the people looking after him struggling to cope, Buster was welcomed by Nicola who resolved to see what she could do to help him.
It was a bit of a bumpy start. Nicola said: “During the first week of having Buster, whilst he was a really lovely dog, every morning we were met with the messy leftovers of the poor boy’s sensitive stomach. As you can imagine, this isn’t the most pleasant of starts to the day!”
She continued: “At the time and following the vet’s advice, Buster’s diet comprised primarily of James Wellbeloved, which is supposedly hypo-allergenic, and the food that the vet believed would work best to help counteract Buster’s sensitivity.”
Despite the vet’s recommendations though, Buster showed no sign of improvement. So, faced with constantly cleaning up Buster’s mess, Nicola decided to look online for the best solution.
She said: “While researching possible solutions, I came across the concept of Guru’s cold pressed dog food. Reading up on the benefits, it looked like a good option to try and help Buster.”
One of the many positive side effects of cold pressed dog food is that it helps to improve stool quality in dogs. Seeing this, Nicola decided to give it a go.
She commented: “The official feeding advice for Guru is to wean your dog onto cold pressed, by mixing it in gradually over time with your dog’s existing food. So, I took that on board, giving Buster half cold pressed and half his existing food, James Wellbeloved.”
The effect was practically immediate. Overnight Buster’s stools became half solid and half diarrhoea.
With such a profound response after just one feed, Nicola decided that she was just going to go all in with cold pressed and remove the other food entirely from Buster’s diet.
And the result?
No diarrhoea.
Nicola said: “It’s been amazing. The transformation happened so quickly. I can’t tell you the relief at having to not clean up after Buster every morning! He’s such a beautiful dog and with a wonderful personality, so it’s great to see him better.”
She added: “He still has the odd upset stomach, but this is down to having the occasional treat. When he sticks to cold pressed he has no issues. The people who were looking after him before can’t believe it – he’s like a new dog. I keep telling him they’re not allowed to have him back though!”
Alongside Buster, Nicola also has a Yorkshire Terrier called Buddy who has suffered from skin complaints. Having seen benefits in Buster and with easier feeding in mind, Nicola has taken to feeding Buddy Guru’s cold pressed too. She said: “I have noticed a difference already, with Buddy seeming to scratch much less than usual.”
She added: “Whilst I’ve seen definite improvements, I’m not making a firm judgement just yet. I’ll wait until after the summer for full confirmation, but it’s certainly great to see the improvement so far.”
So would Nicola recommend cold-pressed dog food having seen its effect on Buster?
‘Oh, yes, definitely,” she said. “Buster is so much better since. It’s a relief for me, but I’m sure it’s a real relief for him too!”
We kept seeing all of our best pawfriends on Instagram eating Guru dog food so we wanted to try it too! Thanks to the amazing Geekster team we got given a box of samples to try out!
Never having heard of cold pressed dog food before we didn’t know what to expect. I’ve had cold pressed juice and I knew that it preserved the vitamins! One could only deduct that the same goes for dog food!
Amelia being the amazing star of our blog performed a live taste test of Guru dog food. I put two plates in front of her, one with Full on Feast and the other with Surf & Turf. After having a lick of both she chose her favourite! Check it out here
Spoiler alert !!
Amelia loves Surf & Turf ! In fact she loves it so much that when her samples ran out she went on a two day hunger strike refusing to eat anything else. I quickly alerted the Geekster team who arranged a next day food delivery for little Amelia. Amelia is now a true representative of a Geekster pup!
What made Guru stand out to us wasn’t actually their dog food (now of course there is no going back!) but their incredible invention of Trip Bones!
This amazing invention of a meal cold pressed into a shape of a bone is a revolution. Guru has come up with a perfect doggie parenting solution. No more overcompensation of treats when out for a long day with your dog. Now you can bring a healthy meal replacement on the go with you that your dog can enjoy as a treat!
Not only is it a healthy option to keeping your dog from getting hungry, but it is hassle free too. No fuss and NO mess. Pop it in your hand bag, your pocket, car glove compartment and off you go. They don’t have a strong odour, and it will keep your dog busy while you enjoy your own meal.
Not only for day trips but this is a perfect solution for overnight stays with your dog too! They come in two sizes, a Large Road Trip bone & Small Field Trip bone. For Cavaliers with little teeth the small bone will give them plenty to work on. Our friends with larger Spaniels say that the Road Trip bones are loved too!
If you don’t know Alfie Bear by now… where on earth have you been for the past couple of years?
Alfie is a dapper dog who struts his stuff on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. He’s super photogenic, extremely professional and Guru’s first ever blogger!
As you’ve probably guessed, we’re HUGE fans of Alfie and his photographer Mum, Emma. Our obsession with the dynamic duo is real and began just over a year ago when we reached out to Alfie, to see if he’d do us the honour of being our first ever Geekster to taste test and blog about our cold pressed Surf & Turf! Check out his awesome tried and tested first Guru blog here.
Alfie also attended our first ever show as a Guru V.I.P. (Very Important Pawson) at the fantastic Dog Fest North, Arley Hall in Cheshire, where fans queued to have a photo taken with him. If you’d like to find out about his day in the life of a ‘Guru Geek’press your paws here.
Emma and Alfie were also Guru’s official photographers at Countryfile Live, which took place at Blenheim Palace. They’re super talented and gorgeous Geeksters both in front and behind the camera!
Fast forward to March 2017…
12 months on, Alfie’s here to tell us how he’s ‘got a lot of love’ for Guru cold pressed food. Sit back, relax and press your paws here, because after all, it’s All About Alfie! xox
At Guru our focus is very much on dogs. Now, that might sound like something you’d expect from a dog food company, but the ethos of Guru is founded on a love of dogs and a desire to improve their health and longevity.
My husband Andrew and I were “home feeders” for 20 years, which saw us literally cooking our dogs’ food from scratch using natural ingredients that would provide all the nutrients they needed to thrive.
We were convinced that this approach was best for our dogs’ wellbeing, but the time consuming element was becoming an increasing issue thanks to our busy working lives.
One day, whilst sat in traffic on the M6 trying to instruct my mother what to cook for our dogs, it struck us that there must be an alternative option. One that offered the same nutritious content, but without the same level of time consumption? And, if so, we surely weren’t the only ones looking to solve this problem.
This lead us on a path of research and discovery – which culminated in the founding of Guru! We specialise in cold-pressed dog food. Cold-pressed is a little-known, yet traditional method of dog food production. Thanks to a combination of premium ingredients and low cooking temperatures, it preserves all of the nutrients; offering all the benefits of a dog’s natural diet, without the lengthy preparation.
But while we know this to be the case, many dog owners don’t. At Guru, we’re now into our second year as a business and during that time we’ve interacted with thousands of dog owners and dog lovers. This interaction has demonstrated a real disparity in knowledge. Some owners have a solid understanding of a dog’s nutritional requirements, others have a rudimental knowledge, at best. What are they looking for in their dog food choice? Is it nutritional content? Is it simply price?
In conducting this research, we hope to establish what really matters to dog owners. We want to understand just what it is that they’re looking for. And, consequently, we want to be able to provide a product that ticks the right boxes for them and their pets.
Lisa x Co-founder and Owner, of Guru.
Method
This study is based on a detailed online survey of 2,000 dog owners from across the United Kingdom, with a broad age-range, from 18 to 55+ years old. Of the people asked, 48.8 percent were male and 51.2 percent were female.
It’s worth noting that some of the questions posed were multiple choice, which may cause some of the percentages mentioned below to add up to more than 100%.
A half of all dog owners purchase dog food on a weekly basis and spend between £11 – £30 a time. At the top of this range, that potentially equates to £1,440 per year (or £120 per month) per person.
Change:
20 percent have used the same dog food brand for the past five years. A further 20 percent have used the same brand for the last two – five years. 50 percent of dog owners surveyed feed their current dog the same food as their previous dog. There were no surprises in the choices for most popular food – with 75 percent opting for “dry kibble”, and 64 percent opting for wet. In regards to evaluating their dog’s food, 50 percent said they do so “now and again”, 16.5 percent said that they do so “rarely” and 7 percent admitted to never having reviewed it. Although two thirds (66 percent) said that their dog’s diet was very important to them.
Research, clarity and advice
The majority of dog owners choose their dog food via recommendations. When questioned as to whether there was a lack of clarity when it came to nutritional information about dog food, 68 percent said yes there was a lack of clarity. 71 percent admitted to consulting their vet for advice on nutrition.
Cold-Pressed & Home-Cooking
Nearly half (48 percent) of people surveyed said the “beneficial effect to my dog’s health” was the most important factor when shopping for dog food (this was the most popular answer). Yet when asked whether they were aware of cold-pressed food, two thirds (66 percent) answered “no”. Over half said that they had attempted home cooking, but 20 percent said that they didn’t have the time to do it on a regular basis.
How often do you buy dog food? 51.8 percent of people surveyed said that they purchased their dog’s food on a weekly basis. 22.9 percent said that they did so fortnightly, with 19.1 percent doing so monthly. A further 4.6 percent said that they purchased dog food every 1 to 2 months, and 1.7 percent said that they went as long as two months.
How much on average, do you spend each time you buy dog food? The average expenditure, per person, on dog food varied. The majority of people (55 percent) said that they spend somewhere in the region of between £11-£30. 30.4 percent said they spend under £10, while 11.6 percent said that their spend is anywhere between £31-£50. 3.1 percent said that they spend £50+.
How long have you been buying your dog food? When asked as to how long they’ve been buying a certain brand of dog food, 23.9 percent said that they had been doing so for the past 6-12 months. 21.4 percent said that they had been doing so for the last 12 months to 2 years, with 22 percent saying that they’d been with the same brand for 2–5 years. 21.6 percent said that they had been buying the same dog food for 5 years and more, while 11.2 percent said they had only been purchasing a specific brand for a few weeks.
What type of dog food do you currently buy? The most popular types of dog food were dry kibble (76.6 percent) and wet food (64.3 percent). 21.6 percent said that they fed their dog’s raw food (homecooked), while only 11.8 percent said that they were aware of, and fed their dog, cold pressed food.
Have you ever owned a dog(s) in the past, before the current one(s) that you have? 77.1 percent of people said that they had owned a dog previously, 22.9 percent had never had a dog prior to their current pet.
Do you feed the same food to your dog(s) now as you did previously?
There was an almost even split between people feeding their current dog the same food as their previous dog – 49.4 percent answered yes, while 50.6 percent said no.
Do you read any reviews or carry out research before buying dog food?
In regards to whether people read reviews or carried out any research before purchasing food for their dogs, the survey found that 50.3 percent did some research, while 49.7 percent did not.
How did you choose your current dog food?
When asked as to how they had chosen the food that they bought, 43.1 percent of dog owners said that they did so through recommendations. 30.5 percent that they made their choice after doing some research. 24.9 percent said that they had just stayed with their usual brand, 24.1 percent said their purchasing choice was based on identity and reputation of the brand, while 13.5 percent did so because they were impressed with a certain brands advertising. 11 percent said their decision was made for other reasons.
How often do you evaluate your dog’s food?
When questioned as to how dog owners evaluate their dog’s food, 51.8 percent said that they did so “now and again”. 24.9 percent said they did so “frequently”, while 16.5 percent said “rarely” and 6.9 percent said “never”.
How important do you consider diet to your dog’s health?
The survey also asked how important dog owners considered their dog’s diet to be, and how important it was to their pet’s overall health. 67.2 percent considered it to be “very important”, while 27.4 percent thought it was “fairly important”. 4.9 percent thought a dog’s diet was neither important nor unimportant in regards to their dog’s health.
Do you think there’s a lack of clarity when it comes to information about dog food?
Dog owners were also asked as to whether they thought that there was a lack of clarity when it came to information about dog food, 23.2 percent answered “yes, definitely”, while 45.2 percent said “yes, maybe”. 22.5 percent said “not really, 5.1 percent said “no” and 4.1 percent were unsure.
Where would you turn to for nutritional advice for your dog?
The vast majority of dog owners, 70.7 percent of those surveyed, said that when it comes to advice on nutrition, they would consult their vet – 41.2 percent said that they would turn to online sources, such as information websites. 24.5 percent said that they would check the packaging of the food, while 23.3 percent would check the manufacturer’s website. 3.4 percent would turn to “other” sources and 3.5 percent were unsure.
What do you consider to be most important when shopping for dog food?
The majority of dog owners (48.1 percent) said that the most important consideration for them, when purchasing their dog’s food, was food that would be beneficial to their pet’s health. 31.2 percent said that nutritional content was the most important thing, while 16.4 percent said that their decisions were made based on price. 2.4 percent thought convenience to be most important, while 2.1 percent answered “other”.
Do you know about Cold Pressed dog food?
Most people said that they were unaware of “cold-pressed” dog food – 41.3 percent claiming to have “never heard of it”, while 25.1 percent said “not really”, although they had heard of the process. 11.2 percent said that they “knew it well” and 22.5 percent said that they had a “basic understanding”.
Have you tried home-cooking for your dog(s)?
When it came to providing dogs with homecooked food, 20.7 percent said that they think it’s a great thing to do, while 21.6 percent agreed but said they’d only done it “once or twice”, as were without the time to do it on a regular basis. 12 percent answered “yes”, but were concerned about cost. 12.8 percent were unsure as to where to start when preparing homecooked food for their pets, while 23.4 percent hadn’t considered it and 9.7 percent did not know how to create the appropriate recipes.
Thank you… Thank you for taking the time to review our findings, we hope you’ve found them as insightful as we have. Our core aim is to provide healthy foods for healthy dogs, but we also want to help our lovely pet parents wherever possible. Research such as this helps us to build a picture of what our customers want from their dog’s food. We’ll be using the information uncovered in our study to try and improve our offering as we continually assess our processes and methods in a bid to provide the best product we possibly can.
Indie, named after the great Indiana Jones is an 8 month old cockapoo with a fantastic temperament. He is clever, loving, happy and healthy!
Long before his arrival we researched everything we could relating to both cockapoos and dogs in general. You see Indie was to be our first puppy and we wanted to do everything right and give him the best start possible in life (much like any other dog owners). Nothing could prepare us for the love we would feel for this little pup and how clever he would be!
Indie came to us on a wet dog food, but from our research we knew we would change that food to Guru within a few weeks. We had checked out the All about dog food website and come across Guru. Being a member of many cockapoo Facebook pages we asked about Guru and the praise given for this cold pressed food was enough to make us order a whole bag immediately!
Indie’s tummy was unsettled on his current food, so the decision we made was to make an immediate swap over to Guru. We haven’t looked back…not only has Indie’s tummy been settled on Guru, but he gets so excited about Guru that we are able to use it as a training treat! I’ll be honest, Indie does love his food and would eat anything offered to him…BUT he has been on this food from being 10wks old and still gets very excited when I get it out of the bag!
I feel like I’ve found a dog food that I can confidently recommend to others and have done so via social media and word of mouth. This has resulted in many people I know trying Guru for their dogs…again their dogs are excited to eat it!
I am happy that Indie is getting all the nutrition he needs to grow up into a strong, healthy dog. He never gets his food from a bowl and always enjoys working for it whether that is through training, hide and seek, his snuffle mat or his Kong Wobbler. Indie never gets bored and always wants more, which is a winning situation for us!
I must say that we have received numerous comments from friends, trainers and our groomer on his beautiful soft fur, his sparkling eyes and his excellent behaviour which I believe is mainly down to the fantastic quality food he is on!
I don’t know how many of you have ever had the pleasure of meeting a hobbit, so let me tell you now, they are totally obsessed with food. Naturally with my springer spaniel puppy being so obsessed by eating, I had to name him Bilbo Baggins.
As Bilbo isn’t a fussy eater, I could try him out on anything. He didn’t give any clues as to whether the food he was eating was good for him or not.
I very stupidly gave him a supermarket brand, that shall remain nameless which is known as extruded kibble. He bloated out, he smelt of dog and his poo well…. You don’t want to know.
So after seeing a lot of posts online about Guru cold pressed dog food, I decided to give it a go. We were led to Guru thanks to a few lovelies on Instagram.
If you’ve never heard of cold pressed food before, it’s a method of producing dog food at very low temperatures so the ingredients retain all of their vitamins and nutritional value.
Guru recommended a transitioning period, where you gradually increase the amount of Guru bites compared to their old food, until you’re feeding 100% Guru. I didn’t have to do this transition because… The Hobbit and food, say no more!
Now Bilbo has been a Guru Geek for some time, I thought I would point out some of the benefits we’ve seen since Bilbo’s been enjoying Guru’s ‘Surf & Turf’.
1. Better Coat – His coat is shiny and soft now.
2. Sustained energy – His energy doesn’t spike and drop.
3. He smells better – He isn’t sweating out any nasties.
4. His poo is easier to pick up
5. His immune system is higher
6. He’s better behaved
In all honesty, I’m so happy that he is now on Guru. Bilbo and I cannot recommend their cold pressed food enough!
Time flies by at Guru HQ and before you know it, another year has begun!
As all of you Geeksters know, we launched in September 2015 and as a new company, we were eager to shout about our Cold Pressed products.
As we began to post on Instagram, Bella Loves Beau immediately caught our attention; two adorable French bulldogs living in Athens, Greece. Every post is professional, engaging and unique, with an inspirational quote helping to motivate and bring positivity to fans. We were eager to get in touch.
We emailed Alexandra to see if we could collaborate in some way shape or form. At that time, we were a brand new company who no-one had ever heard of, so we knew it was a long shot. To our absolute joy, Alexandra sent an email back and as they say, the rest is history!
Fast forward twelve months… Bella loves Beau are now part of the Guru Family. They’ve become firm favourites with our Geeksters up and down the country and everyone at the HQ adores Alexandra.
So twelve months on, all of us in the #GeeksterSquad would like to say a HUGE thank you to Alexandra, Bella and Beau for their support and help in our first year launch of Guru Cold Pressed Dog Food. Alexandra is an amazing person, super professional with a positive attitude and nothing is too much trouble for her. As for Bella and Beau, well we’re sure you’ll agree that they are two top dog models, who interact with and melt the heart of their followers the World over.
Question: Would we work with Bella loves Beau again in the future?
Answer: In a heartbeat.
As February is the month of love, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your continued support and helping us #SpreadTheLove throughout 2016.
We’ll leave you with one of Alexandra’s favourite quotes, ‘The best is yet to come’!
Angus was never a food orientated puppy. I’d try every possible bribe to get him to eat more than a couple of mouthfuls but never had much success. We’d make food a game, I’d add things but he’d never eat much and anywhere near the amounts he should have had. About 6 months ago, after a lot of reading and research, we made the change to Guru and wow!
6 months down the line, this once fussy cockapoo is still eating every bit of his Guru every day and I still get so much pleasure from knowing he’s eating and enjoying his food. He actually looks for his food now which he didn’t do before and he loves finding new, fun ways to eat it. He used to get bored half way through meals before so the fact he doesn’t have to eat such large quantities of Guru, suits him down to the ground. He loves having two flavours to choose from and long journeys in the car wouldn’t be complete without a Field Trip Bone!
He’s full of energy, has got such bright eyes and absolutely everyone comments on the condition of his coat and how soft and shiny it is. And for a pretty curly cockapoo he almost never matts. His vet and groomer are always raving about his coat and people are forever asking me what products I use on him but we use nothing and he rarely even has a bath in between grooms. He’s the perfect weight as well and has maintained it over the last couple of months since he’s stopped growing.
I honestly, honestly put it all down to the fabulous Guru food he’s on and i’m so glad we made the change 6 months ago.
This is a big one and something that’s key to maintaining a dog’s health in the long term and providing longevity. With all of the nutrients a dog needs contained within one complete dog food, it helps to keep illness and ailments at bay, leading to a long and happy life for your dog.
2. It will improve your dog’s behaviour
Dogs suffering from behavioural issues will often see a marked improvement. The nutritious content of cold pressed food aids your dog’s overall wellbeing. As they begin to feel better on the inside, this will become evident in their external behaviour.
3. It helps to reduce stool odour
A key indicator of poor health is a dog’s stool. Suspect colouring and potent smells are sure signs of poor health. Through cold pressed, after an initial transition phase, you’ll see regular shaped stools, with a noticeably reduced aroma.
4. It improves skin and coat
Dogs that look healthy usually are. Another improvement that will be clearly visible is to the skin and coat condition. Look out for a lustrous sheen on your newly invigorated dog!
5. It freshens the breath
‘Dog breath’ is a phrase for a reason! But it doesn’t have to apply to your dog. Cold pressed, without the bloating commonly associated with dry kibble, will settle your dog’s stomach better, meaning there’s less acid, improving breath.
6. No chemical additives or artificial colours
Our ingredients are all natural, which means the colouring comes naturally to it. We don’t add any chemicals or colours to make our food look the way it does.
7. No preservatives
Again, we include no preservatives. Our food follows the natural spoiling process, one delayed through its production process, but natural nevertheless.
8. No GM products
Once more, this is down to the natural ingredients of our products. We clearly list the contents of our food, with no genetically modified foodstuffs present.
9. No gluten
Many dogs are wheat intolerant and the presence of gluten can cause discomfort. A lot of dog food out there contains gluten, but with the dog’s interest at heart, it’s something we actively avoid.
10. No animal testing
Finally, and given the ethos at the heart of Guru, there is absolutely no animal testing during the production of our cold pressed food. We put dogs’ welfare at the centre of everything we do, so animal testing goes against all of our values.
The gorgeous Sev and Lilyare Guru’s ambassadogs for 2017. The photogenic cocker spaniels are aged 3 years (Sev) and 1 year (Lily), and are furry bundles of energy and joy, whose exploits are captured on the Spaniel Life Instagram and Twitter.
Having been appointed as our ambassadogs in September last year, they’ve only come on to cold pressed dog food relatively recently, so we caught up with their mum Steph to see how they’ve been getting on with it…
How long have the dogs been on cold pressed now?
It’s been about 6-7 months. Sev and Lily took up their role as ambassadogs in September last year, but I’d actually been feeding them cold pressed for a couple of months prior to that.
How often do you feed them?
I feed Sev and Lily twice a day, once in the morning and once in the early evening. They get fed at regular times, so know when to expect their meals!
Has there been any noticeable difference?
The big one for me has been the fact that they’re definitely fuller for longer. Previously, I used to just feed them dry kibble, which often left them hungry throughout the day. Since giving them Guru’s cold pressed food though they’re noticeably happier between feeds and less prone to beg for food or give me sad ‘puppy dog eyes’ as feeding time approaches. They’re happy to wait until their usual time, which is really useful for a busy dog owner and it makes me happy to know they’ve enjoyed a nutritious and balanced meal.
We regularly see them with pictures of our field trip and road trip bones. How often do you tend to give them cold pressed bones?
The cold pressed bones are great for when I’m out and about. For example, I recently went to London for some meetings and brought Sev and Lily along with me. During a busy schedule, which messed up their usual feeding times, the bones made an excellent meal substitute. Both dogs were happy to chew away on the bones and barely seemed to miss their usual feed!
Would you recommend Guru?
Oh, definitely. The food is excellent and, as it’s cold pressed, it’s different to anything else on the market. It’s genuinely beneficial for dogs’ health. I’m not saying that purely in a capacity as the owner of Guru’s ambassadogs either! I was posting images of Sev and Lily with cold pressed products before they started in the role. They’ve taken up the ambassadog’s baton as we believe in the concept of cold pressed dog food and the care-centric approach of Guru.
The adorable Sev & Lily give Guru Cold Pressed dog food their ‘Paws Up‘, will you?
A question we are often asked is ‘What is Cold Pressed Dog Food’? ” Well, it’s actually a way of producing the very best natural dog food for pets and is a central reasons why we have become one of the leaders in the UK providing Cold Pressed Dog Food. We all want a great diet for our dogs which is why at Guru we insist on only using the best ingredients.
Why Cold Pressed Dog Food
Cold Pressed dog food is a naturally balanced food for dogs that uses low temperatures to create a premium dog food which harnesses the ingredients nutrition and natural goodness. Not only is Guru cold pressed dog food a complete dried meal, it’s also suitable to feed alongside a raw diet.
The low temperature controlled process of cold pressing has been around for many years but has been adapted to produce a unique cold pressed food. This process allows the ingredients to retain their richness and natural goodness without using high temperatures which can result in a loss of vitamins and nutrients.
Guru Cold Pressed Dog Food
If you’re looking to find out more information about how you can feed Guru Cold Pressed Dog Food to your dog please do not hesitate to contact us at Guru Pet Food and one of our specialist ‘geeks’ will be more than happy to assist.
We used to feed Oscar on another brand of pet-shop available food before slowly introducing him to Guru over the course of a month as advised. At the time, he was a whopping 20kg (Oscar covers his ears when you say it out loud) and he really wasn’t eating 3 horses for tea everyday!
The vet decided (and us) that it was time to try and get him back down to his ideal weight of around 17-17.5kg. Over the space of the next 3 months, he literally went from 20kg to 17kg. We have now dubbed him the ‘biggest loser’. He seems to like it!!
How did we do it?
Well obviously Guru’s amazing surf & turf had an amazing impact on the little fella. He honestly adores his Guru feeding time. It took a LOT of dedication and careful planning, but we basically cut out ALL his treats like gravy bones, nibbles, chewy bones etc and replaced them with carrots. Yep. Oscar can now see in the dark! Haha.
In all honesty though, we’re now in a place where Oscar chooses a carrot over a gravy bone. Amazing. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not eating whole carrots, but nibble size squares were the way we did it. We got the whole family on board (Oscar has many hooman helpers that help look after him when myself or Lisa are away with work). One thing that really helped him, was using a slow feeder. He used to gulp his food down so quickly previously, but with the help of the slow feeder, it really seemed to help make him less the scavenger!
I should add that once a week, he was allowed half a trip bone – as a very big treat. It sounds hard on the little man, but in all honesty, he’s looking better than ever and is now able to enjoy more treats in moderation. Guru really helped him shift the weight – that was obvious from the very start and one of the main reasons we wanted to switch from a shelf brand to Guru cold pressed dog food….and also because it sounded so wonderful.
It’s worth bearing in mind that while a dog is certainly for life, they’re also for Christmas too!
Our dogs are important family members, which means we don’t want them feeling left out when everyone else is excitedly unwrapping presents.
For us humans, Christmas time is a traditionally indulgent one, with the addition of some ‘festive weight gain’, practically a given in December. But when it comes to our dogs, we have a duty of care, so while it might be tempting to spoil them with leftovers during the season of goodwill, there are some do’s and don’ts to take into account…
Consider what’s healthy.
Traditionally, there’s lots of chocolate floating about over the Christmas period – but be sure to keep these away from your dog, no matter how much begging they do.
Chocolate, along with coffee and all caffeine products, contains methylxanthines, which are found in cocoa beans. There are lots of very nasty canine side effects associated with these, which can lead to serious issues such as abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, seizures and even death. Given the seriousness of these side effects, it’s important that they’re kept away from pets, and especially dogs.
Other seemingly harmless things to be avoided are nuts, grapes and raisins as vomiting and diarrhoea, and even kidney failure and pancreatitis are associated with them. The toxic substance in grapes and raisins is currently unknown, but to be on the safe side, stick to safely recommended treats!
This one should go without saying, but just because you’re sipping away on the sherry doesn’t mean your dog should be, so again, avoid giving dogs any form of alcohol even if you think they’d like to lap up one of your winter warming ales.
Bones might seem like a sensible, natural choice, but domestic dogs are susceptible to choking – so be very careful what you feed them. The leftover turkey carcass is a definite no as the cooked bones are brittle and can splinter causing intestinal problems.
It’s not just food that needs to be taken into consideration. Exercise is still important at Christmas, even if it does seem too cold to go outside!
As part of involving your dog in the festive spirit, give them a present too on Christmas morning. Toys are a great way to keep them occupied, both mentally and physically. Hard rubber toys are brilliant for endless chewing and carrying around. Putting dog treats in hollow rubber toys is even better – as they get mentally and physically stimulated, all with a reward at the end.
When it comes to treats, avoid ones that are high in fat, sugar and preservatives. Our Guru cold pressed Trip bones, are free of additives, so are perfect for this. Our Cold Pressed bites, hidden in a toy, is a very tasty, healthy incentive for inquisitive play. An alternative option is, perhaps surprisingly, fruit and veg such as banana and apple slices or some berries. So give them these rather than a hearty helping of Christmas pud!
And whilst we are big fans of Buster the Boxer bouncing away in the latest John Lewis Christmas advert, avoid the need for the dog to hijack someone else’s gift by giving them their own.
This year’s Guru Christmas Hamper contains everything you need for a healthy dog this Christmas. From healthy, organic treats, to fur and skin friendly shampoo, rubber balls to Christmas baubles, the hamper has well rounded content that will ensure furbulous festivities for any canine companion.
We wish you a Woofy Dogmas & a Guruvy New Year! xox
What a fun filled year 2016 has been for The Guru Geeks…
We’ve laughed a lot, cried a lot (with laughter), ate a whole lotta cake, travelled the country and made some lifelong friends!
So, what have the Geeksters actually been up to in 2016?
Top of the list has to be The Guru Stand, aka ‘The Mother Ship’, so
How did we get the idea?
Who designed it?
How long did it take?
And how did it all come together to create the GURUviest stand around?
Well, it all started back when the Geeksters decided to hit the Road and head to Dog Fest, this could only mean one thing… we needed a stand. As this was our 1st ever event, we knew we had to ‘go big or go home’!
Then the design process began…
Once again the Geeks got together for a ‘long boring board meeting’, which involved lots of laughter, a cup of tea (with a slice of cake of course) and a very long wish list! We gathered all our suggestions to work out how to put them together and create a pawsome stand for the Geekster get togethers. From photographs to wall art; fixtures to fittings, we more than ticked all of the boxes. The whole process took us just over a month.
Our stand turned out better than we could have ever imagined! We absolutely loved the finished product and couldn’t wait to show all our furiends. It was the pawfect place to meet & greet people and create some amazing memories! One thing that became even more popular than we expected, was the Guru chairs. Everypawdy who visited the stand wanted a photograph on the now famous Guru chairs. They took pride of place on social media, being modelled by the most gorgeous Geeksters, including some of the most instafamous ones. We were thrilled to bits to see Archie The Pug Star feature in the Daily Telegraph, getting his GURUve on in one of our Chairs!
“Move aside hoomans… #HoundsRule”
So 12 months on, what do we think are our highlights of 2016?
Geekster Sam: “The highlight of 2016 for me has to be our 1st ever event where we debuted our new stand, Dog Fest North! We were so giddy about meeting all our Geeksters and showing everyone our GURUvy stand that had come together pawfectly. With wellies & Fleeces at the ready, we had a blast! But I also can’t resist mentioning the ‘#GuruvyGeeksters of Instagram 2017’ calendar… it took a lot of hard work, time and some very tough decisions, however to see the final product and pictures of our Geeksters receiving them, made it all worthwhile.”
Geekster Corinne: “My favourite moment was when I was on the Guru stand at The National Pet show. I got to meet and watch Hagrid the Leonberger, who is the Guinness world record holder for catching things. He’s a gentle giant who stole my heart.”
Geekster Charlie: “The best moment of 2016 for me, was creating the Guru Geek Mannequin Challenge. It’s very unusual for all the Geeks to keep still at one time and it was hilarious to film! So that has to be one of my favourite moments… However, I was also very excited to meet the Baby OG’s Gino and Duke for the first time!”
Geekster Laura: “Mine has to be meeting Lumen the Eurasier at The National Pet Show. I’d never heard of the breed before but he was so sweet and it was lovely knowing he’s now happy eating Guru. A true Geekster!
Geekster Lisa: “Where on earth do I begin…? What an amazing 12 months Guru has had! I really couldn’t highlight just one moment as there are so many to choose from. I rang in our 1st New Year on my own and now I’m saluting 2016 with all the new Geeksters and their highlights, Wow we’ve had some fun! All of the events have been so memorable, but the main highlight for me, has to be showcasing our stand on Deansgate, Manchester. It was an absolute dream come true! Another weekend that meant so much to me was Guru’s 1st year Birthday celebrations. All of the Geeksters were away on holiday that particular weekend, so it was over to me to cover social media. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world… the comments, the photos and the well wishes poured in. I really was overwhelmed, speechless and humbled. Some of our followers have been with Guru from the very start (you know who you are) and some just a couple of months, however I’m proud to say I’ve met some of the kindest people via social media who I’m proud to call our Guru family. Thank you to every single one of you Geeksters for you’re continued love and support. There’s only one more thing left to say… C’mon Geeksters, let’s #SpreadTheLove throughout 2017″ xox
So, if this coming year is half as good as the last, then hold on tight, we’re going to have a blast!
We wish all our Geeksters a very Merry Christmas and peaceful New Year. Remember to leave a little sparkle wherever you go…
We thought as we have been official Geeksters since August, it was probably about time we introduced ourselves. So like Laurel and Hardy or Cagney and Lacey, in true duo style, we are Corinne and Laura (Lolly). Unlike the famous parings, we are only a teeny bit funny and unfortunately not so great as detectives. Let’s hope we make better Geeks!
We discovered Guru while looking for a new food for our Spaniel, Madeleine aka Maddie. We have Instagram accounts for Maddie (@maddie_and_family & @madeleinethespaniel) and came across Guru in the shape of one of their tasty Trip Bones on what is now the famous #TripBoneTuesday. After doing our research, ordering a sample and having Maddie devour it in seconds, we knew we had found the best food for her.
So, armed with leaflets galore, we set out in true Northern style when walking Maddie to spread the word about this great food and tell everyone we met about Guru including the Butcher, The Baker and the Boiler man.
A few weeks later we first got to meet Lisa (the founder), Sam (Geek) and Andrew at Dog Fest North in June 2016. We got to mingle on the amazing stand with our friends, family and fellow Geeksters. Shortly after was a visit to Guru HQ, mostly for a nosey and warm reception, but also to sample a free cuppa and a whole lot of cake.
Next up, The Game Fair…
We headed down the M6 in our wellies and finest country attire for another Geekster get together of spreading the word and singing the Guru praises to everyone who approached the stand. We spoke to some people who had never heard of cold pressed dog food and may have not wanted to but eventually had to agree it was by far, the best dog food around!
Well, after a few months of spreading the word (and accidentally replying to Guru’s own comments on their Instagram page) Lisa asked if Lolly & I would come on board and become official geeksters. So we found ourselves back at Guru HQ for a long, boring board meeting and lengthy discussion which turned out to be lots of tea drinking, more cake and a right old laugh discussing what needed to be done. We decided to continue doing what we did best which was replying to customer comments, queries and a whole lot of tweeting.
Soon it was September and time to pack up the Guru stand and head to Spinningfields in the heart of Manchester to the Makers market, where we got to #SpreadTheLove in true Geekster style. Cuddling puppies, chatting to owners and handing out samples. Sounds like a pretty perfect way to spend the weekend and trust us, it is.
Finally in November we headed further south to Birmingham’s NEC to attend the National Pet Show dressed in our new yellow Geekster t-shirts. We got to meet Guinness world record holders, trickster dogs and breeds we had never heard of before. It was just the most perfect weekend that we also got to share with our Ambassadogs, the gorgeous Sev and Lily! (@spaniellife)
So what can we say to sum up our last few months?
We’ve laughed a lot, spread as much love as possible, met life long friends and had a pawsome time. We love telling everyone about Guru and how it changed things for Madeleine, we love helping with your queries but most of all, we love being Geeksters and a part of this dog food revolution.
Jasper Harvey is a fussy little thing. When he wakes up, he must complete his routine of going to the toilet (hopefully outside,) playing with his micro-fibre monkey, having a chill with Mummy, and munching on his breakfast.
For such a picky cockapoo, the final stage of the process has always been a bit of a hassle. When we first brought him home, he’d been on a vet endorsed brand that we’d assumed (as you would) would be great quality.
Amateurs.
For the first few weeks of Jasper’s time with us, he stank like you wouldn’t believe. Desperately googling whether this was normal just to be told that most people love the way their puppies smell was not constructive to say the least.
After both the expense and the effects of the vet endorsed food were considered further, we decided it was time for a change. We visited our local independent pet shop and were encouraged to try a hypoallergenic brand. This seemed to improve on the smell, but we were concerned that the brand was completely unheard of. We used the website ‘all about dog food’ which didn’t even show the brand as being rated at all.
We were in the market for a healthy, credible dog food that didn’t make our cockapoo smell like the latter part of his name. That’s when we found Guru.
There’s a Facebook group in the UK for cockapoo owners (highly exclusive, top secret establishment i’m sure you can tell) in which a great deal of owners recommended Guru to us.
Naturally, we visited the All about dog food website to find that Guru cold pressed dog food is rated 4.9 out of 5, compared to the 2.6 of our first food. That was all the persuasion we needed. We instantly dove into researching Guru and found that it comprises of healthy ingredients that are hypoallergenic and cold pressed, meaning they retain all the lovely nutrients our doggies need.
Well Jasper just loves it. At first, we ordered some sample packs and have been gradually increasing the amount of Guru the pup has, and he smells better than ever. We love the fact that we know exactly what’s in his food now and that our little boy is being fed natural and nutritional ingredients.
We’re looking forward to trying the trip bones that Lisa so kindly sent us, and also tasting all the different types of flavours of Gurulicious goodies!
It was the 7th of October around midday, the Geeksters were ploughing through emails when we clicked on one from a Company we had never heard of ‘Ellery Bow’. Intrigued….? Yep, we were too!
Here at Guru HQ we love hearing from new start-up’s, so we headed straight to social media to check them out.
Louise, from Ellery Bow, explained that they are ‘canny curators of canine kit’ and their mission is to offer products and a first-class service that you and your dog will love. Mmmm… sounds just up our street!
We soon found out that they’re based in Whitstable and were just getting ready to launch their products that very week. Louise also explained that they were having a photoshoot in their home town using local dog models and they were looking for some support.
As you know, us Geeksters are always in the mood to #spreadthelove.
So, just in time for their 16th of October autumn/winter photoshoot, we packed up a box of Trip Bones and sent them on their way to the volunteer dogs of Whitstable.
Fast forward…. to Gino and Duke!
Gino Bambino and Dukey Wukey are not the best at modelling and we’re certainly not photographers, but that wasn’t going to stop us. So last week, we decided to take their new Ellery Bow snoods (Ooops and the boys) on a Road Trip to the beach, making sure we had a stack of Guru Trip bones tucked away, just in case. We were so lucky to have the most furbulous weather!
Gino wears snood in Denim (Large)
Duke wears snood in English Mustard (Large)
The baby OG’s don’t wear accessories very often, so we were prepared for a 1, 2, 3… ‘quick take the shot before they rip them off’ kinda day!! To our surprise, it was quite the opposite. In fact, they felt so comfortable in their soft, neck-warming, cable knit snoods that we even managed to take a short video…! Go figure!
As you can see we all had a great day and as Louise said to us “the dog world is very supporting of each other”. The Geeksters are all about spreading the love and long may this continue.
If you’re looking for something that little bit different and super stylish, then press your paws on the link below.
There has never been a need for me to switch Rufus’ dog food. He’s never had a sensitive stomach and always eaten his food with no issues. That was until a Sunday evening when I spent my time procrastinating and looking up the nutritional value in dog food.
I researched Rufus’ dog food and found on All About Dog Food that our well known brand of dog food scored a measly 1 out of 5.
Honestly, I was in shock. I felt like a bad dog owner because my poor pup hadn’t been getting the very best. Once reading the results, I started doing my research to find an affordable, healthy dog food alternative. From the number of dog bloggers I follow, I’d seen nearly almost all of them rave about Guru Pet Food. We arrived home on Tuesday to a huge parcel of Guru goodies for him to try! Guru kindly sent us a sample of their ‘Surf and Turf’ dog food – containing beef, sea fish and vegetables and their grain-free ‘Full on Feast’ dog food – containing duck, sea fish and vegetables. They even threw in a super handy measuring cup and two small field trip bones. Safe to say, I had one excited puppy and I’d be lying if I wasn’t a teeny tiny bit excited too.
Why was I excited? I mean, it’s dog food when you think of it. I was excited because I was part of something that not many other dog owners know about. The thing that makes Guru different from other dog foods is because they cold-press their food. Instead of boiling all the ingredients at high temperatures, Guru grind the ingredients and gently mix them, before they are pressed at really low temperatures for a few seconds. It means the food keeps the majority of it’s nutrients and it’s about as fresh as you can get for a dry food!
The real test is what Rufus thought of it and if it was a change worth making. I won’t lie – I was worried about feeding him a lot less food. Typical terrier (and like me), he’s always thinking about his belly. Guru have a handy food measuring guide on their website and with Rufus weighing 10kg, I was only going to be feeding him 100g of food. However, the pellets are super chunky and because they break down quicker than normal dry food, they satisfy your dog quicker. For the first few days, I mixed Guru with his kibble and every meal went down the hatch straight away. He loved it. For the past 2 weeks, we’ve been slowly transitioning to Guru and now Rufus is on 100% pure Guru. He now eats every single meal without fail, enjoys that he can either have it either warm or cold which mixes it up a bit and it’s peace of mind for me knowing I can give him the best I possibly can!
For us, it’s the best choice we’ve made for Rufus and ourselves. He’s getting a great balanced diet, we’re feeding him the correct amount we should be and it’s more cost effective for us. The team at Guru Pet Food on social media are extremely friendly too so I know I can drop them a message at anytime! If you’re looking to make a change to your pooches food, I cannot recommend them enough!
When we heard that Guru were on the road again, to the National Pet Show in Birmingham, we got a little too excited.
After spending a lot of the Summer with Guru, on their gorgeous show stand, we felt perfectly at home when we finally got to the NEC. Showcasing our best smiles, snuggling up to the passersby and helping out with telling everyone how awesome Guru dog food is.
The Guru stand is made for outdoor shows, but it was still just perfect in the NEC arena and as always stood out wonderfully. Making it even more fun to boast that we were there as Ambassadors for Guru and their VIP guests for the day.
Although in general, dogs weren’t allowed, we still saw many walk by that were in the shows or being displayed to show off how wonderful their breeds were. Getting a large amount of the attention for the humans, especially when taking photos and being the perfect models.
It also made us feel truly special, just like ambassadogs should do, being very spoilt and getting all the attention.
Thanks to Guru for letting us all join in and be Geeksters for the day, we can’t wait to see you again soon.
When Guru do something, you know they’re going to do it right! The Christmas Hamper, for the festive season, is no different….it’s time to get excited.
The gorgeous white wicker basket is full of all sorts of goodies, the perfect way to pamper your pooch and make them feel even more special.
In the basket you’ll find Wellybix treats (our favourites) Little Beast dog shampoo bar, a sample of Guru (of course!), The Christmas edition of the Field and Road trip bone, a yellow solid rubber ball (medium size), the sweetest Christmas Tree decoration from Forever Bespoke, the most exciting calendar featuring “GuruvyGeeksters of Instagram” and your very own Guru tote bag….are you a Geekster?
The Festive ‘Full on Feast’ Guru sample is teamed with its very own Christmas coupon code. You will be able to use this code on your January order to receive 10% off your basket!
The basket has got us in the perfect festive spirit and certainly gets all four paws up from the Guru ambassadogs – Sev and Lily (@spaniellife)
The furbulous ‘Limited Edition’hampers also come with FREE delivery.
Pre-order yours from Wednesday the 2nd of November for £59.00…
‘because your geekster’s worth it!’
What’s on your doggy wish list for this Christmas time?
Ferguson had only been our lives a few days when I knew I would do anything to get him the best nutrition. As a puppy it is incredibly important to make sure your dog is getting their daily vitamins and minerals to aid their growth and build their immune system.
We met the Guru Geeksters at a market in Manchester City Centre where they were showcasing their ingenious cold pressed dog food. The method sees the ingredients ground then pressed together at the low temperature of 44 degrees to create a dog food that is gluten free, kind to the immune system and helps to improve your dog’s behaviour.
When we first gave our 13 week old border collie puppy a portion of Guru we were a bit worried by the amount in his food bowl, it looked like such a tiny amount and we were sure we would be underfeeding him. The beauty of Guru is that, being cold pressed, you get the daily nutritional needs for your dog in a much smaller portion so don’t be worried! Ferguson wolfed it down quicker than I have seen him eat anything else and he especially loves his Guru in the morning with a bit of hot water to make a yummy porridge, perfect for the cold mornings we have been experiencing recently.
Thank you Guru for creating such an innovative product that has helped Ferguson grow into a strong and healthy puppy. He also won Best Puppy at a recent dog show with the comment that he was full of life and very bouncy, proud doesn’t cut it! Our Guru Geekster is going from strength to strength and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for our Guru-fuelled collie. You can follow his journey on Instagram@fergusoncollie
So, we’re getting close to bonfire night, which is great for a lot of us but for some of our furry friends, it’s not their favourite time of the year…
Help your dog Fight their Firework Fears with Ralph & Macs top tips:
F etch a Guru Trip bone to help distract your pooch and keep them busy.
If you know a dog who isn’t scared of Fireworks, keep them together to show your dog there’s no need to be afraid.
Replay thunderstorm/firework noises working up to the events, starting quietly in the background and gradually increase the volume, to help your furiend desensitise to loud bangs while doing something they enjoy.
E ntertain your dog by playing with them and ignore the fireworks yourself.
W alk them in daylight hours, making sure they’re wearing their Guruvy collar, then keep them indoors when the fireworks are likely to be set off.
O nce your dog shows signs of fear, such as barking, remember not to punish them as it will only make things worse in the long run.
R emember to act normal/calm. If you make a fuss, your four legged friend will think there’s something to worry about…
Keep your windows and curtains closed and play music/watch an action movie to muffle the sound of fireworks.
S afe haven, this is what you need to create for your dog. A hiding place you can make as snug and secure as possible. They may already have a place they like to go to, such as a bed or if they don’t, create one for them (a while in advance) so your dog knows it’s their safe place when fireworks are in the air.