Bonar and Clark Dog Gear

12/25/2023

Merry Christmas! I hope your day is filled with peace and joy!

11/13/2023

It’s Snuggle season …

Nothing says “snuggle time” quite like the soft and warm feel of a handmade quilt! Quilted with a lightweight cotton batting, cotton quilts get softer and snugglier with every wash. A “wrapped in cosy feel” that will be a favourite for years and years to come.

We’ve got a great selection of minky and faux fur quilted blankets in the shop that are guaranteed to keep you warm and cosy this winter! Sizes available for crib/toddler bed to adult sized lap blankets.

PS: only 2 more days on our blanket sale!

https://bonarandclark.etsy.com

11/07/2023

Get into the Festive Spirit with These Adorable Fawn Stockings 🦌

Who doesn't love a dreamy woodland Christmas? These little fawns are the perfect addition to your holiday décor. Plus, our generously sized Christmas stockings are perfect for Santa's visit on Christmas Eve.

Trimmed with faux fur "minky" and fully lined, they can even be personalized with names.

Get ready to say "Ho Ho Ho" and welcome Santa Claus in style!

Full details are found here: https://bonarandclark.etsy.com/listing/1588069340

10/14/2023

Exciting news! Santa's sleigh has just arrived with cozy and festive Christmas stockings for the whole family! 🎄🔔🎄

05/17/2023

These photos make my heart sing! I love making snuggle blankets for puppies 🐾❤️🐾

Adorable Winnifred (Keeva x Harvest) still loves her Leapfrog Labradoodles baby blanket. Thank you https://bcdog.ca/ for hand-sewing these beautiful additions to my puppy packs!

01/01/2023

Happy new year!

We’ve had a lovely low-key Christmas with our family. Lots of traditions and happy memories of time together.

Tonight I have a couple of worn out puppies sleeping at my feet and it’s not quite 10pm 😂!

This past year has been good to us in so many ways: being able to reconnect with family and friends has been a huge blessing. Work to keep us busy, gardens to dig in, and a really fun camping trip last June has me looking forward to spring once again.

I hope that 2023 brings you lots of great adventures, fun times with family and friends, and good health!

12/26/2022

Happy 6th birthday, Sparrow! Decidedly happy while snuggling and snoozing, Sparrow keeps us amused with her fun loving attitude towards life. Full of beans and chatter, we love you, little one ❤️

12/25/2022

Sparrow is ready for Santa to arrive! She says she has been a very good girl this year 🐾🎄❤️

11/19/2022

Little Miss Santa Paws (aka: Sparrow) has been waiting so patiently to share some new Christmas blankets with you!

Perfect for dogs and kids, our snuggle blankets are made entirely from scratch in my home studio. Using top quality fabrics and sewing techniques means your gift will last through years of puppy “nesting”, fort building, and bed time snuggles.

Add an embroidered name with your gift and go straight to the top of everyone’s “nice list” 🎄🥳😁

Shop link is in the profile at top of the page for more info.

10/27/2022

Love this article!

Sparrow is a “sniffer” and Polly is a “nester”. Our walks do take longer and Polly’s bed is filled with blankets that end up on the floor, and all is good in their world ❤️

What makes your dog happy?
Sniffing ✔️ Digging ✔️ Scavenging ✔️ Running ✔️ Nesting ✔️
Your dog's natural behaviours are essential for their well-being. But how can you help them express those behaviours in this human world?

AnimalKind accredited trainer Sandy Middleton of Best Friends Dog Training has effective tips on things you can do to help your dog express their behaviours and be the happiest they can be.

Let dogs be dogs! 🐾 https://animalkind.ca/kind-corner-helping-your-dog-express-natural-behaviours/

09/13/2022

Happy birthday to me!

Sending a huge shout out to my friend, Jill today for the stunningly delicious birthday cake she made for me!

Every chocolate lovers dream in chocolate cake, chocolate ganache icing, and berries on top: it was perfect!

Jill made the process of ordering so simple for me: after a few conversations, she sent me a series of hand drawn options along with a description of each. I love the combination of chocolate and fruit, so the choice was an easy one for me.

While I may not earn any gold stars for styling the photos (I was too much in a hurry to taste this beauty😉), you can rest assured that I loved every mouthful!

08/27/2022

Happy International Dog Day!

Sparrow and Polly hope all their pup friends have had lots of pats and treats today! We’ve had lots of fun this week hiking trails, playing in the creek, and getting muddy 🤣 Mom says we need a bath now but it was worth it!

07/28/2022

Tomorrow is a huge big happy day for the lucky families who are picking up their Leapfrog Labradoodles puppies!

Leapfrog does the most amazing job of raising happy and healthy puppies! Each puppy goes home with a bag full of toys and treats, and a wealth of knowledge and support for the families of these little ones.

As always, I am grateful for my small part in the “home coming” celebrations in making a collar, leash, and snuggle blanket for each puppy. Truly makes my heart happy to send out my love with these puppy packs ❤️

Safe trip tomorrow pups, and congratulations to all the new puppy families!

And bags are packed!

07/26/2022

Some great tips on the risks of high temperatures and how to keep your pups cool in this weather!

With this recent heat wave, for the information hungry, I thought I would post some data that goes beyond just reminding people to not leave their dog in the car, or to check the pavement temperature...

There is a fair amount of research on heat related injury in dogs (heat stroke was the 3rd most common cause of death in military working dogs during desert storm, so the DoD funds a lot of research).

THINGS TO CONSIDER:
• There is no specific temp that causes injury – it is a combination of temperature, activity level, and conditioning
• Re**al temp poor indicator of where a dog is at – brain temp is what counts
• Hot and humid environments are highest risk for over heating
• It takes 14-60d to acclimatize depending on condition of dog and intensity of training. The military frequently uses treadmills indoors in rooms that they steadily increase the temperature of.
• Footpads are a major source of heat dissipation, but the mouth is the primary source of heat dissipation
• Cardiovasc status greatly affects ability to dissipate heat
• Peak temp may happen in 1st 15min after finishing activity
• Dogs can’t sniff and pant at the time so panting SAR dogs have decreased performance
• Heat related illness can be divided into
o Heat stress – excessive thirst and controlled panting
o Heat exhaustion – heat stress plus weakness and uncontrolled panting.
o Heat Stroke – heat exhaustion plus central nervous system, and multiorgan issues

SYMPTOMS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
• Spade tongue (thin, flat, deep red tongue that is flared at the tip)
• You can distract with noxious odour to see if your dog stops panting as a way to distinguish between heat stress and heat exhaustion
• Increased frothing is bad - it represents an effort to evaporate more fluid
• If lips pulled back enough to expose the big teeth at the back of the mouth
• Excessive panting looks like they are struggling for air – they aren’t suffocating, they are trying to cool down. Get them to water.

RISK OF OVERHEATING IS INCREASED BY:
• Muzzles interfere with panting; muzzled working dogs are at increased risk of overheating
• Brachycephalic (snub nosed) breeds
• Upper airway issues
• Cardiovascular and/or neurologic disease
• Obesity
• Previous heat injury event
• Poor physical conditioning
• DEHYDRATION!!! - Heat causes increased water loss (up to 6L/day), which affects blood flow. Blood is central to the body’s ability to dissipate heat. Dehydration is a major risk factor for overheating. If your working dog needs to be in the heat, prehydrate by offering unlimited flavoured water (eg dilute low salt chicken broth) first thing in the morning

TREATMENT:
• Get them in water! Research has shown that even ambient temperature water (like a livestock water trough, etc.) is still beneficial. Soak the haircoat down to the skin, then seek veterinary care as indicated.

07/17/2022

Say “hello” to Robin! Robin is the daughter of Keeva, granddaughter of Sparrow, and Polly’s great granddaughter.

This special young pup is looking for her very own family through Leapfrog Labradoodles “guardian home” program (details in the link below).

Both Sparrow and Polly were guardian dogs through Leapfrog. This is a truly special opportunity for an amazing pup to join your home and family.

If you know anyone local to the Sunshine Coast who would be interested in adding this adorable little one to their family, click the link below or go to leapfroglabradoodles.com for more information.

Otherwise, I may need your help in explaining how a third dog ended up in our home 😉😉😉

*** UPDATE: Robin now has a terrific guardian family - thanks to everyone who applied! *** That face! Leapfrog Trillium (Wake Robin) aka "Robin" is available NOW to a loving, local guardian home! This happy, friendly puppy will make an incredible addition to any family. To learn more about our Guardian Home Program, please contact me or visit our website (link posted in comments).

05/09/2022

Warning … cute puppy pics!

Polly and Sparrow hope that all the dog moms have had a wonderful Mother’s Day today!

Our Polly is Sparrow’s mom, and Hugo (the black labradoodle in the group shot) is Sparrow’s pup. Hugo’s hoomans happen to be my cousin and her family and we love getting the three generations together for a visit.

The baby photo of Sparrow with the tennis ball in her mouth was the first day she arrived in our home. Polly with her wet feet was her first day in our home.

Photo of Sparrow with her babies is courtesy of

Happy Mother’s Day, everyone!

04/29/2022

If you go into the woods today …

You might find a couple of happy pups!

Sun was shining today and it felt like spring finally! What a treat to walk in the woods and see all the new growth emerging.

Sparrow was the “spotter” dog today: she found both a garter snake and a salamander basking in the sun. She is so curious but they both dashed into the bush before she could get too close.

Polly graced us with a couple of photos today … yay! This may or may not have had something to do with Dad holding a treat behind my phone 😉

Water levels in the creek are down today too. If you look closely in the creek photo, there’s a traffic cone buried underneath the logs in the creek. The road above us was washed out in the November floods and many of the traffic cones are still stuck in the creek.

In the summer, Polly loves to splash in the creek! The water is still a bit too fast and deep at her favourite spot, but it won’t be long before she can play safely again. Meanwhile I’m glad to come home with a dry dog today 😂

Hope you’ve had a great day today!

04/26/2022

Sunshine and flowers today …

A modern wholecloth baby quilt in two of my favourite patterns in the “Indie Boheme” series.

On the front is “Boho Quest Day” and the reverse is in “Trinkets Linen”. Both are Oeko-Tex certified fabrics which contain no harmful chemicals or dyes. The batting in this quilt is unbleached cotton which is grown in the US.

The fabric is designed by Pat Bravo and is described as “a medley of romantic yet eclectic designs highlighted by free-spirited palettes, mixing soft pinks, bleached sand, laurel green, vintage blue and burnt coral”

Just perfect for a little girl’s room, don’t you think?

04/14/2022

But, Mom ….
Sparrow can’t figure out why she’s not being invited to model this baby blanket for me! I’m busy trying to take photos with one hand while I hold little Miss back with the other. Think it must be time for a new pup blanket for my favourite girl 💗

04/13/2022

Anyone else have a soft spot for little dots?
Bright and cheerful “polka dots and stripes” quilted crib sized baby blanket for boys or girls.
Generously sized at 43” wide by 60” long for use in a crib, as a floor or lap blanket, and a topper blanket on a twin bed as your little one grows.
Made by hand in Canada with the finest cottons to be loved and cherished by you and your little ones ❤️
Just listed in the shop today and only one available in this colour combination.

04/07/2022

Sunshine and hedgehogs 💗
One finished baby quilt, one finished puppy blanket for Marley, and one almost finished baby quilt for a friend …. all in precious pink hedgehogs!
Baby quilts will be listed later this week: just as soon as the care instruction labels arrive (patiently waiting 🤞).
Meanwhile I’ll go back to editing more photos of all the lovely quilts we’ve made in the last week 💗

03/24/2022

Happy National Pup Day!
Some throwback baby Sparrow with mama Polly pics for you today 🐾

03/21/2022

Sweet dreams, little one!
This has been my own dream for a very long time … Waaaay back when my son was tiny, my mom taught me how to make quilts for him. Mom was a patient teacher, a skilled sewist, and just loved making new things. We had such a good time making quilts and blankets for him!
I’ve always thought I would get back to baby blankets one day and in the last few months, I’ve had friends announcing their pregnancies and other friends who are becoming grandparents for the first time, so the timing feels perfect for me.
I’m having a really hard time trying to figure out how to incorporate baby blankets into my “dog shop” (is this too weird?). I’ve debated opening a third shop (having two shops already is a lot of work). I’ve also thought about simply selling the baby blankets privately. Feel free to chime in on your thoughts here.
While I’m mulling the idea over, here’s a sneak peak of some sweet hedgehogs in an oversized baby crib quilt (43” wide by 60” long).

03/07/2022

Ah spring …

We spend the day in the garden today and I couldn’t be happier. Both the dogs are passed out on the couch after playing chase and wrestling sticks, and I’ve got my feet up for a few minutes before making dinner.
Today we were working on the veggie garden. Lots of weeding in the raised beds and pathways. Last fall we had three big trailer loads of horse manure delivered so as each bed gets cleaned up, a load of manure goes on. Next I add a 3-4” layer of wood chips to help keep the weeds down.
It always feels like such a huge job when I first start. As each day of work goes past, I feel more and more inspired as I see the “finish line” approaching.
Already I see seedlings coming up from last year’s kale and it won’t be long before the garden is filled to overflowing with produce (yay!). The crocuses are in full bloom and the bees are buzzing in the heather … my kind of day!
Hope you’ve had a wonderful day too!

03/05/2022

Day 10 …. I made it! This is Sparrow 😁
I was nominated by a supportive and very talented lady, Christy , to present one piece of my work for 10 days, no explanations needed, and to nominate another artisan to do the same.
The goal is to promote positivity, love and support for our amazing community.
I am going to continue to share how you can help support Etsy sellers in Ukraine.
1. go to Etsy-dot-com
2. type in the search bar “digital file”
3. choose button “all filters”
4. scroll down and find the “shop location” category
5. choose “custom”, and type “Ukraine”
Now you will be able to see all the digital downloads available from Etsy sellers in Ukraine. When you make a purchase of any of these items, they are automatically delivered to your email so no physical shipping is required. These purchases will support Ukrainian sellers directly with a continued income.
As an added bonus, Etsy has announced that they will NOT be charging Ukrainian sellers any fees and waived all outstanding balances for Ukrainian sellers! This means that 100% of your purchase will go directly to the seller.
Let’s share all our love, positivity, and support where it is most needed today 💛💙

03/04/2022

Day 9
I was nominated by a supportive and very talented lady, Christy , to present one piece of my work for 10 days, no explanations needed, and to nominate another artisan to do the same.
The goal is to promote positivity, love and support for our amazing community.
I am going to continue to share how you can help support Etsy sellers in Ukraine.
1. go to Etsy-dot-com
2. type in the search bar “digital file”
3. choose button “all filters”
4. scroll down and find the “shop location” category
5. choose “custom”, and type “Ukraine”
Now you will be able to see all the digital downloads available from Etsy sellers in Ukraine. When you make a purchase of any of these items, they are automatically delivered to your email so no physical shipping is required. These purchases will support Ukrainian sellers directly with a continued income.
As an added bonus, Etsy has announced that they will NOT be charging Ukrainian sellers any fees and waived all outstanding balances for Ukrainian sellers! This means that 100% of your purchase will go directly to the seller.
Let’s share all our love, positivity, and support where it is most needed today 💛💙

03/03/2022

Day 8
I was nominated by a supportive and very talented lady, Christy , to present one piece of my work for 10 days, no explanations needed, and to nominate another artisan to do the same.
The goal is to promote positivity, love and support for our amazing community.
I am going to continue to share how you can help support Etsy sellers in Ukraine.
1. go to Etsy-dot-com
2. type in the search bar “digital file”
3. choose button “all filters”
4. scroll down and find the “shop location” category
5. choose “custom”, and type “Ukraine”
Now you will be able to see all the digital downloads available from Etsy sellers in Ukraine. When you make a purchase of any of these items, they are automatically delivered to your email so no physical shipping is required. These purchases will help support Ukrainian sellers with a continued income.
As an added bonus, Etsy has announced that they will NOT be charging Ukrainian sellers any fees and waived all outstanding balances for Ukrainian sellers! This means that 100% of your purchase will go directly to the seller.
Let’s share all our love, positivity, and support where it is most needed today 💛💙

03/02/2022

Day 7 … WIP, and swipe to see my artwork purchase from Iris Printable Art (find their shop on Etsy)
I was nominated by a supportive and very talented lady, Christy , to present one piece of my work for 10 days, no explanations needed, and to nominate another artisan to do the same.
The goal is to promote positivity, love and support for our amazing community.
I am going to continue to share how you can help support Etsy sellers in Ukraine.
1. go to Etsy-dot-com
2. type in the search bar “digital file”
3. choose button “all filters”
4. scroll down and find the “shop location” category
5. choose “custom”, and type “Ukraine”
Now you will be able to see all the digital downloads available from Etsy sellers in Ukraine. When you make a purchase of any of these items, they are automatically delivered to your email so no physical shipping is required. These purchases will help support Ukrainian sellers with a continued income.
As an added bonus, Etsy has just announced that they will NOT be charging Ukrainian sellers any fees! This means that 100% of your purchase will go directly to the seller.
Let’s share all our love, positivity, and support where it is most needed today 💛💙