Pound Cottage Cavapoos

17/11/2025

Shared from another breeder
But so true and I couldn't put it better myself:

🐾 Every breeder knows this moment, that little buzz on your phone a few days after a puppy goes home.

The message starts sweet:

“We love him, but…”

And you already know what’s coming next. But he barks. But he nips. But he cries at night. But he’s just “a lot.”

And it breaks your heart a little every time, because what they’re describing isn’t a “problem.”

It’s a puppy.

A baby learning the world outside of their mum and littermates. They’re confused, overstimulated, excited, and scared sometimes all at once, and that’s normal.

But people today want easy. They want the version they see online the one that sits calmly, never chews a shoe, and somehow knows “sit” by eight weeks.

They forget that behind every well-mannered dog is someone who put in the work, the patience, the boundaries, the grace.

When someone says, “He’s adorable, but I don’t think we’re a good fit,”

What they often mean is: I wanted the love without the learning curve.

Even the most beautifully raised puppies don’t come pre-programmed. They come ready to grow with you. To learn your rhythms, your tone, your energy. They don’t need perfection they need patience.

Some people confuse an easy puppy with a good one. But the truth is, every puppy is good they’re just new.

And new things are messy before they’re magical.

As breeders, we see it all. We comfort the ones who come back scared, unsure, wondering what they did wrong. We remind them softly: “You didn’t do anything wrong, baby.”

Because it’s never their fault that someone wasn’t ready for the hard parts that make the best parts possible.

Raising a puppy isn’t instant. It’s sleepless nights, puddles on the floor, little teeth on fingers and the sweetest bond you’ll ever build.

A puppy isn’t a project, or a phase, or something to “try.”

It’s a commitment. A piece of your heart on four legs.

If you’re not ready for the messy parts of puppyhood, that’s okay just wait until you can give your whole heart.

Because these little souls deserve nothing less 💜🐾

02/11/2025

Zooalogical Vets are trained to understand the importance of Species Appropriate Diets - why oh why not general practitioners!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14UnCuGtqDh/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Last week, a veterinary social media influencer shared a video of a dog "gulping" chunks of a raw diet, including what looked like chicken wings, small drumsticks, and other typical raw meal components. She criticized the video for showing a dog not "chewing" his food, implying that chewing kibble was better for the dog.

Newsflash 1: (except for anyone who had cleaned up vomitus from a kibble-fed dog) Dogs do not chew kibble!

Newsflash 2: Dogs are not biologically designed to chew their food! Compare the dentition of a dog, with its sharp, pointed teeth, to that of a cow, with flat molars that grind when the cow first ingests grass, hay, silage, etc. And then re-grinds it when the how regurgitates it to chew its cud.

Newsflash 3: Dogs produce copious amounts of saliva, to lubricate the passage of chunks of food (meat) for swallowing. Animals designed to chew produce less, but mix it into their food by chewing and grinding the food to a small particle size.

Newsflash 4: None of this info is pointed out, in even the most casual way, in most veterinary programs. So please do NOT troll anyone who does not know this! It's not their fault, but rather that of the educational system that fails to promote feeding an animal in accordance with their biology. Zoo veterinarians get it, feeding the varied species they care for appropriately. Even pet stores get it, stocking everything from mice to crickets to other biologically appropriate foods for exotic pets they sell. Yet we still nutritionally abuse our dogs and cats with kibble/dry foods. And they pay the price in more illnesses, poor dental health, and chronic health conditions. We pay the price in higher vet bills.

It needs to stop. When you know better, you can do better.

24/10/2025

CAVA MOOS!

24/10/2025

💦 🍃 TOXIC FREE CLEANING 🍃 💦

I use white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda to wash all pet bedding and throughout the house.

You can learn more about toxic free cleaning products on the link below.

Unfortunately many of us think that products marketed as more natural are toxic free but they sadly are far from it.
Many believe that the term Hypoallergenic means the product is safe - it’s just a marketing term, and scientifically speaking there’s no such thing as a truly hypoallergenic product - only those that minimise risk. For sensitive dogs, the goal should be choosing products with the fewest ingredients, avoiding fragrances and dyes, and ensuring thorough rinsing to limit residue exposure. Hence my bicarb and vinegar approach.

For example - The formula in many laundry washing products include surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and laureth-7, as well as additives such as tetrasodium glutamate diacetate and propylene glycol. These are chemical compounds (synthetic or derived), and not actually “natural”.

To use Ecover as an example:
• Ecover's manufacturer openly admits that some plant-based ingredients must undergo “chemical processes” (and that they may use “carefully chosen synthetic ones … for safety, efficacy or because there’s no alternative”). 

• A product recall was issued for this range because of high levels of potassium hydroxide (a strong alkaline chemical) in certain batches, which had the potential to cause burns to skin or eyes. 

Bottom line for pet owners:
While many of us believe that hypoallergenic laundry products are a better choice than many conventional laundry detergents (e.g., fewer synthetic fragrances, no optical brighteners, certified vegan etc.), they still contain chemical surfactants and additives - so are not “100 % toxin‐free.”
If you have a sensitive dog it’s wise to rinse thoroughly and consider additional rinses or use minimalist cleaning options for a truly chemical free process.

Interesting additional thought:
A dogs sense of smell is thousands of times better than a humans. They are likely to be overwhelmed by strong scents and chemical cleaners, especially as they are closer to the floor, often lying on it.

https://www.thebalancedcanine.co.uk/articles/safeguarding-your-pet-the-science-behind-pet-safe-cleaning?rq=Cleaning

08/10/2025

🐠🐟🐠🐟 FISH 🐠🐟🐠🐠🐟

As most vitamins cannot be made by the body, they need to be provided in your dog’s diet so by simply adding some fish to your dog’s weekly menu, they will gain many health benefits - helping to keep them in top condition and health throughout their life.

SPRATS -
A fantastic regular addition to your puppy/dog's weekly diet, (the frozen variety fed raw).

SIMPLY COOKED WHITE FISH -
Absolutely the best convalescence food.
Nothing else added

TINNED SARDINES /MACKERAL -
A great occasional meal (not too often as these are higher in sodium than the frozen option and must NEVER be in brine).

30/09/2025

Facebook:
What's on your mind?

Me:
PUPPIES 🤩😂

14/09/2025

🌧️ RAIN IS HOUSE TRAINING HELL 🌧️

I've had several puppy owners asking for advice as the weather has suddenly changed out of all recognition!!
This was my advice:

Unfortunately, rain is house training hell with Cavapoo's 🙄
Just remember - you are not alone. We're all going through it.

Welcome to the world of dog owning 🤷🏼‍♀️

Recently, I have had to herd my lot out every couple of hours - stand at the top of the garden with an umbrella, ignoring them so they sniff around and make sure they stay there long enough to go!!

I went out food shopping this afternoon and came back to find a massive wee at the back door 🙄
It happens to most dog owners at one point or other.

We have a cat flap which has always worked well with all my lot however, since April the back door has been open all day every day until late at night and my two 6 month old puppies (Daphne and Chino) have no idea how to use it 😑

For those having trouble with their puppies or older pooches - I would definitely recommend a catflap or bell system.

🔔🛎️🔔 🔔🛎️🔔

BELL SYSTEM

These should be hung on a hook by the side of the back door - (not on the door handle as this means they are jostled every time the door is opened for anything, not just house training).
Tap puppy’s paw on the bells each time you go out and puppy will get the idea quite soon.
Use lots of praise when they do it and open the door immediately so it’s an obvious cause and effect scenario.

* Hi Claire, we use bells by the lounge door for Wilf to nudge if he needs the loo. We did this as our lounge etc are on the first floor so we wanted a clear way of knowing if he needed to go out. It took a few weeks to get it, we'd nudge the bells with his foot every time we took him down to the loo, but he picked it up really well! He'll now go over and nudge them if he needs to go out. It works most of the time, but he cottoned on to the fact that it gets him our attention, so sometimes he'll nudge them to get us up and then grab a toy as he wants us to play with him instead! 😜

* Hi Claire. We got the training bells for Fudge but he wasn’t interested. It worked much better sticking to a routine of keeping an eye on him at all times and anticipating his needs whilst training and taking him outside after food/drink. Our cats liked the bells though 🤣

* We use bells on our back doors, it was the first thing she leant and she picked it up so quickly. When she went to the back door I tapped them to start with before opening the door, then I used her paw, then within a day she was happily whacking them to go out!

* We used bells on the back door for Louis. He worked it out really quickly (on the first day). We used them for a few months and then no longer needed them. The only downside is that you have to respond every time they make a noise - especially in the first few weeks. 🙄

* We used bells from the beginning. Just every time we took her out we would bash her little paw on them and say “wee wees!” and she got the hang of it quickly. Now that she’s older she still uses them for toileting but also if there’s a fat pigeon that needs chasing or if she just wants to bask in the sun in summer so a little judgment is necessary. 😂

* We also trained Maisie with the bell. It worked really well for the first 10 months or so whilst she really mastered toilet training. It was particularly useful if we went away or somewhere new / unfamiliar as we would take the bell and put it on the door she needed to go to if she needed the toilet so it gave her some familiar sign of where to go and minimise accidents. After 10 months or so, being the clever pickle she is, she started to use it just to get the attention of a human and it became more about her requiring our attention/ to play / do something for her so we removed it. If we got another puppy we would use it again.

* We tried several things but eventually decided to put a catflap in and it has been great. She takes herself in and out whenever she wants and we don't have to watch her all the time. It took a bit of convincing my husband but was definitely the best decision.

UPDATE FROM A WONDERFUL PUPPY OWNER
* Just a possible handy tip…. I found it better to hang the bells on the actual door to start off with as it seems to be the natural instinct to jump at the door if he wanted to go out and the bells get hit because of this! He then put two and two together and now it’s on a hook next to the door.

17/07/2025

‼️⛔️ BRAVECTO QUANTUM ⛔️‼️

There’s a new chemical cocktail being pushed on pet parents, please don’t fall for it.

It’s called Bravecto Quantum - a 12-month injectable flea and tick treatment for dogs.

One jab. 365 days. A full year of insecticide pulsing through your dog’s body. This targets the nervous system of fleas and ticks, but often of the dogs too.

What is Bravecto Quantum?
This is the injectable version of Bravecto, part of the same class of flea and tick products (isoxazolines) that’s been linked to seizures, tremors, unsteadiness, vomiting, and even death in thousands of dogs.

And now they’ve put it into a 12-month injection, which means:

You can’t stop it once it’s in

You can’t detox it out quickly

And if something goes wrong, you can’t reverse it

It’s a neurotoxin designed to paralyse fleas and ticks. But for many dogs, especially those with existing sensitivities, inflammation, or toxic load, it can have serious neurological effects.

Safe and Effective?
The phrase “safe and effective” is thrown around far too lightly in the pet industry.

Safe for whom? A lab-tested beagle in a short-term trial? Or your individual dog, who may already be dealing with food sensitivities, itchy skin, vaccine damage, or whose health is already compromised?

You can read the official VMD product sheet here:
https://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/productInformationDatabase/files/SPC_Documents/SPC_2808659.PDF

This will now be on offer as part of preventative care packages alongside annual jabs and checkups.

The side effects can include:

Chronic itching
Disorientation or confusion
Head tremors
Seizures
Sudden behaviour changes
Digestive upset
Lethargy - and more

🌱 NATURAL SOLUTIONS DO EXIST
You don’t have to choose between fleas and chemical cocktails.

Supporting your dog’s internal terrain is the key. A clean, species-appropriate diet reduces the appeal of your dog to parasites. Add gentle natural repellents and real food, ditch the toxins and you’ll be amazed at what the body can do.

If your dog is already itchy, ye**ty, inflamed, anxious, or has had vaccines, antibiotics, or parasite treatments, this injection is the LAST thing they need.

Our dogs deserve better.

09/07/2025

Hello,
My waiting list is now open for late summer and autumn litters.
I am a holistic breeder and do things in a more natural and, I strongly believe, healthier way.
Please private message me for more information.