Hedgerow Hounds

20/06/2024

Summer Solstice, the longest day and the shortest night. 🌞 The Dog Rose was certainly looking more radiant this morning after a bit of sun on her petals 🌸 I think it makes us all feel better.

20/06/2024

A survey from the RVC which is quick to fill out and can provide useful information for them. The survey applies to any treatment natural and chemical. Interestingly there is a question that asks "If you use chemical treatments, have you found that they are no longer effective" I am hearing this far more often now and for fleas in particular.

🐈🐕 Are you a UK cat or dog owner that treats your pet for fleas or ticks? Our RVC researchers need your help! We are researching how pet owners use ‘spot on’ treatments.
⏲️ Anonymous survey takes approx. 10 minutes
📅 Deadline: Midnight 10th July

➡️ Link to survey: https://rvc.uk.com/pet-ectoparasite-survey-2024
️

11/06/2024

Today`s blogs will give you a few ideas for making your own cooling treats and there is also one with Kong recipes.
Ever hopeful it will soon warm up a little ☀️

https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/news/cool-treats-for-a-hot-day
https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/news/kong-recipe

06/06/2024

Hedgerow Hounds is thrilled to be one of the sponsors of this fantastic event that celebrates the tripawd dog. The photography exhibition will show the incredible achievements, bravery, and lust for life these wonderful dogs have.
The Tripawd Superdogs exhibition has been created by Sarah Loveland Photography and takes place throughout July & August at Land of Oak & Iron Cafe, Winlaton Mill, NE21 6RU
If you are in the area please go along to show your support.

I am so grateful for all these amazing businesses for sponsoring the tripawd superdogs exhibition. They are all businesses that either I have used or that the other dog owners use or love. These are businesses that mean something to us and I love that they are behind me in sharing how amazing these dogs are. I will be doing individual posts to give them a share and a cheer but I wanted to start by thanking them all as a group. The exhibition starts in July and there are going to be posts each week as we build up to it.
Thank you Mr Slobberchops Rock&Dog UK Cotswold RAW FourPaws Hydrotherapy
Eco Dog Designs Hedgerow Hounds DogCast Radio Leucillin Ruff Diamond Dog Training
Sarah x
p.s the exhibition is going to be at the Land Of Oak and Iron cafe.

05/06/2024

It is going to be a terrible year for ticks, so time to be extra vigilant and up the anti!!💪If you have dropped down to feeding Natures Bounty 5 days a week, it is very wise to increase it to 7 days a week this year.

17/05/2024

The soaps are back!! 🛀
The soap on a rope is perfect for bathing horses, larger dogs or for those with multiple dog households. It contains coconut oil, and essential oils of lavender, lemon grass & rosemary with added calendula petals.
https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/soap-on-a-rope

The smaller bar of soap has coconut oil, lemongrass, citronella, peppermint, and spearmint
https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/natural-dog-soap

These last for ages and the suds are easily washed away without leaving the sticky residue of some other natural soaps.

16/05/2024

For those of you with pet businesses then this is a great boot camp for you! Join the 3-day, free challenge with Karly Edwards to become more visible in your pet business. It runs from May 21st until 23rd and is online. Secure your place on the link below.

In this free challenge you'll learn how to put yourself out there with confidence and get far better results from your social media efforts.

01/05/2024

Happy Beltane. Here is a link to the blog I wrote for all about the queen of the Hedgerow, Hawthorn. It is a gift from nature that just keeps on giving, all through the year. The horses just love nipping out the young shoots at the moment, before the thorns become too hard and sharp.
https://cam4animals.co.uk/healing-hawthorn/

19/04/2024

A great little video made in a fun way, which is often the best approach to educating people on how to interact and share their lives with dogs.

17/04/2024

Our dogs are sensory creatures, they have to adapt to living in our world and all the stresses that come with it. The noise, the strong aromas, the emotions that they pick up on from people around them, the canine companions that are chosen for them, when and what they eat, where they sleep and their natural canine behaviours and outlets are often discouraged or not freely accessible to them.
Providing some enrichment in our dogs' lives can be very simple. Here are a few ideas:
🥗Adding some fresh ingredients to your dogs food. Particularly if you feed dried food, a little extra moisture with some cooked green veg or a few berries is a good start.
🍳Including a raw, lightly boiled or scrabbled egg a couple of times a week.
🌿Adding some Hedgerow Hounds herbal blends into the food. Dogs love the taste, texture, and aroma and it does them good too!
🐶 Use lickit mats, snuffle mats & balls or puzzle feeders and place them where your dog can relax and enjoy the benefits, either in the house or garden.
🍗 Include size-appropriate raw meaty bones or a raw trachea makes a good chew. Chewing releases all the feel-good hormones. There is a blog on the website on how to safely introduce raw bones.
👃 All dogs, every breed, shape, size and age just adore sniffing. Ten minutes of sniffing, tracking, foraging and generally mooching around the garden ticks all the boxes. Be inventive with hiding treats in snuffle mats and toys to fulfil the needs of a dogs nose!
🌞 After what seems to be the longest winter on record, it`s nice to just allow the dogs to sit in the spring sunshine and chill, sniff the air, and watch the world go by. Also recommended, is that you sit out there for some quiet time too, and enjoy each other's company.

13/04/2024

Spring bowl 💚 using turkey & pork mince, with a few spring greens and of course Natures Bounty.
I blitzed the greens and popped into moulds to freeze for later use. Allow the frozen veg to defrost before feeding. Whatever you feed, you can add a little fresh seasonal greens to your dogs food. If they are new to eating veg just start very small and build up.
Here we have :
Turkey mince 🦃
🥦 Purple sprouting broccoli
🥬Kale
🌱 Wild garlic leaf
🌿 Dandelion leaf
🌿 Fennel
💙 Natures Bounty herbal blend

10/04/2024

Can my puppy have Natures Bounty to repel fleas and ticks? Well yes as long as they have reached 10 weeks of age. Start their journey to further reduce unnecessary chemicals in their little bodies by also taking regular worm counts by our favourite
Wormcount Dotcom
Thanks to Gemma & Ghillie for the photo. Ghillie has just started on Natures Bounty and absolutely loves it.

06/04/2024

Does your dog often eat grass and should it be of concern? At this time of year, the young grass shoots are putting all their energy into growth and are full of moisture and sugars, which are very tempting to your dog. 🌱Today's blog looks at the benefits your dog gets from eating grass and when it should be of concern. https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/news/why-does-my-dog-eat-grass

30/03/2024

Today's blog looks at the link between your dogs' emotions and their gut health.
Stress can be caused by many factors such as separation anxiety, excessive ball throwing so the dog is on a constant adrenaline high, inappropriate exercise for the dog’s age or mobility, picking up on the owner’s emotional stress, inability to cope in a noisy or stressful household and pain, illness or disease.
When dogs are over-excited, anxious or constantly alert to potential dangers their autonomic nervous system releases the fight or flight chemical adrenaline into the bloodstream, over time this becomes very damaging to the whole body and the gut in particular.
Both Tranquil and Digest & Rest are created by considering the dog in an holistic way, appreciating that the gut and emotions are so closely linked, and one will always influence the other.

Link to blog https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/news/emotions-and-the-gut

28/03/2024

The Spring newsletter will be landing in your email this morning at 10.30. There are special offers for the Hedgerow Hounds blends and discount codes are kindly given by some of our favourite, female-founded brands too.
I cover topics on nature, foraging and ways to relax with your dog.
Herb of the month is Nettle with a recipe for a coat or hair rinse.
If you want to see certain topics included in the next newsletter then just let me know.
Have a fantastic Easter everyone & keep those dogs safe around all that tempting chocolate!

24/03/2024

The Spring newsletter will be coming out soon and Nettle will be in the spotlight, as it's the perfect time to harvest and make use of this highly nutritious and undervalued wild plant. I`ll be talking about its medicinal properties, its history in making fabric and cord, and a couple of tasty recipes that are high in vitamins and minerals. There is still time to sign up for the newsletter and here is the link 🌿 http://eepurl.com/hKNvUX

15/03/2024

It`s World Sleep Day 😴 What has that got to do with dogs you ask?!
There is a lot of emphasis on providing plenty of exercise, stimulation, and enrichment for dogs but little attention is given to encouraging dogs to chill, switch off, and giving them the opportunity & environment to sleep undisturbed.
Sleep is also a useful gauge of the overall health of your dog. Have they suddenly started sleeping much more or much less, are they restless at night, struggle to get comfortable and now choose to sleep in strange positions, or perhaps they are no longer using their favorite bed preferring to sleep on a cold hard floor?
The average is 10-14 hours of sleep a day and you`ll get to know the sleep patterns of your dog.
It is normal for pups to sleep longer with intermittent bursts of full-on activity and senior dogs will often sleep for around 15 hours a day with power naps in between deeper periods of sleep.
Adequate sleep is essential for cognitive health, growth, renewal, and repair of all our bodies.

11/03/2024

They do indeed!🐾

09/03/2024

I am a huge fan of flower essences and have used them for many years to ease emotional issues caused by stress, overwhelm, and fear. I find they work on a deeper level and can often resolve problems where other things haven`t quite hit the spot.
I have wanted to offer flower essences to my lovely customers & their dogs for years, but until now haven`t found exactly what I was looking for.
So, let me introduce Saskia's essences 🌼
"Flower essences contain the unique vibrational energy of the plant they came from. This energy is held as a memory in water. When taking this vibration into yourself it reminds your own personal energy how to be, helping unlearn old patterns, bringing awareness to problems (and solutions), and rebalancing your whole being" Saskia
They are available in a base of organic vodka or cider vinegar.
The blend that I would recommend if you have an anxious, reactive, fearful, or stressed dog would be the "Calm & Confident" blend which works brilliantly alongside Tranquil. If you feel that your emotions also mirror those of your dog, then this is a perfect blend for you as well.
As Hedgerow Hounds is a brand ambassador, please use the discount code, Hedgerow at checkout when you visit Saskia's website www.saskiasfloweressences.com
If you need any advice on the different ways to use the blends, then feel free to message me.

28/02/2024

Spring is all about the Liver and gently supporting and cleansing this vital organ. Over the winter months, we all feel a bit sluggish, our diets are usually much heavier and we are often more sedentary, feeling the urge to hibernate and rest. As we come into Spring it is the time to incorporate the herbs that are at their best right now and have strong affinities with the liver and lymphatic system.
Herbs to use now, for both ourselves and our dogs are the following:
Milk Thistle, Burdock, Cleavers, Dandelion leaf & root.
The Natures Skin Tonic blend is the perfect spring tonic for your dog and contains all the best liver tonic herbs.
https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/natures-skin-tonic

28/02/2024

Snuffle mats and balls are back on the shop. They are so useful for dogs that are recovering from injury and surgery and are either on crate rest or confined to the house, for senior dogs to help mobility and cognitive function, to reduce anxiety and stress levels, and release those feel-good happy hormones whilst snuffling and to encourage natural behaviour`s such as foraging. There is also a blog to explain why they are used and how dogs benefit from them
https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/snuffle-mats
https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/snuffle-balls
BLOG https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/news/snuffle-mats-and-balls

27/02/2024

After what seems to have been the longest, dreariest Winter I can remember, I want to bring a bit of joy to your orders this coming month. I have some lovely spring design wrapping paper arriving this week and a few goodies to give away to brighten your day 🌼

26/02/2024

Ever hopeful that the weather may just warm up soon and the dogs can have a bath. The gorgeous natural soaps are on their way. I went for Lemon grass, citronella, mint & spearmint combo for added bug-repelling properties.
I find these so much easier than handling a shampoo bottle whilst wrestling an excitable wet dog, and of course more eco-friendly too with no plastic packaging to throw away.
https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/natural-dog-soap
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

25/02/2024

Start adding "Spring" to their bowl 🌱
After the heaviness and comfort of Winter food, we can now start adding some fresh, vibrant, lighter, additions to our own diet and that of our dogs.
At this time of year, the main consideration for feeding herbs should be a gentle cleanse (Natures Skin Tonic) and also to begin your natural regime for repelling fleas and ticks (Natures Bounty) If seasonal allergies are an issue, then including Natures Skin Tonic and adding a little bee pollen in one meal a day is a good idea.
Here in the bowl, we have:
Betsy's Lamb
Egg membrane from a free-range organic hens egg
First leaves of the wild garlic
Little Gem lettuce
Courgette
Broccoli tips
Watercress
Natures Bounty herbal blend
Bee pollen

24/02/2024

Does your dog have a sensitive digestion, frequent tummy troubles, or uncomfortable reflux? Are you changing your dog to a raw or cooked diet and feel they need a bit extra gut support during the process?
Today's blog is all about Digest & Rest and how to get the best out of this soothing blend, depending on the issue you are looking to improve.
Blog: https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/news/digest-and-rest
Product: https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/digest-and-rest

17/02/2024

Adding veg to your dog's meals, whatever it is you choose to feed them, is very easy. For your dog to get the benefit of the veg you feed it needs to be either blitzed in a blender (smoothie) steamed or boiled. This breaks down the cellulose within the veg so your dog can actually digest it effectively.
If like me, you love veg, herbs, and berries it is easy to set a bit aside when you prepare your own. I have a bowl in the fridge set aside for the dogs and I pop in odds and ends over the week.
Smoothies need some liquid to get the blender to work, so why not make a tea (using warm not boiling water) with the Hedgerow Hounds blends to whizz up your veg and then use the rehydrated herbs that remain in the pot to add to your dogs' meals.
Perfect blends to use are Natures Bounty, Greens, Seeds & Superfoods, Golden Years, Natures Skin Tonic. Please note the powdered blends are not suitable for making tea.
Smoothies can be poured into small pots and frozen for future use. 🫐🥦🥬🥒🥕🫑🥗🫛🍵🍉🌿🎋🌼

16/02/2024

As the days become longer and we start to enjoy a little sun, many wild plants and seasonal vegetables begin to slowly emerge from their winter slumber. Nights are still pretty chilly so they are saving the really abundant growth until next month.
But after a couple of sunny days and milder nights, the rate of growth is incredible.
I have always been a big believer in eating and feeding seasonally, hence the seasonal range of herbal blends.
Spring ingredients offer a gentle tonic to cleanse and wake up the system after less active months and a diet of heavier, warming meals. Many of these ingredients that come into their own now, offer support for the kidneys, liver, and lymphatic system that can often get sluggish over the Winter months. You may observe that your dog seeks out the fresh grass shoots as they appear, which are full of energy, sweetness, and moisture.
The following will come into season very soon & and are supportive of the liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, heart health, and cleansing to the blood.
Dandelion, spring nettle, cleavers, wild garlic, hawthorn leaf & flower, milk thistle, watercress & fennel.
Proteins: Lamb & rabbit
Herbal blends: Natures Skin Tonic & Natures Bounty

💚💙🌿🌼🥒🥦🥚☘️🫐🥩🐟🥗🫛🥬

15/02/2024

Natures Tonic is first in the seasonal range of herbal blends. It contains some of my favourite herbs, that are at their very best at this time of year. Spring is all about gentle cleansing and supporting the liver and kidneys, particularly after the heaviness of winter.
The skin is the largest excretory organ of the body and any toxins, allergies, or gut issues will always show itself through the skin, ears, and paws.
This lovely blend can be fed just for early spring as a gentle cleanse before you move onto Natures Bounty or used throughout the year to manage seasonal allergies and itchy skin. https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/natures-skin-tonic 🌿

01/02/2024

Thank you to everyone who pre-ordered Natures Bounty. A brand new batch was made last week and the orders started to go out on Friday. If you haven`t received yours yet it's on its way with a large amount of orders posted yesterday and today. 💙

18/01/2024

It's absolutely perishing outside and the ground is frozen solid. It's particularly treacherous because the churned-up mud is now very hard and rutted. It is always bad underfoot if you walk on bridleways, and farm gateways are dreadful, but add a few days of hard frost and it's very tricky. Many dogs get so excited by snow and heavy frost, and go into zoomie mode in a split second. One minute, sniffing a blade of grass, next it`s 0-100 miles an hour with handbrake turns!! 😲😆
So, It's really important to keep your dogs on the lead or close by until they are thoroughly warmed up before allowing them to run around. The solid rutted ground can cause muscle injury, torn pads and claws, and joint strain, particularly for the seniors or those with previous injuries, and folks like me with a dodgy knee and ankle 😆
Witney coats are by Friday Fox as I am always asked 😆