Barks 'n' Bubbles Pet Store Bray & Greystones

25/10/2025

Halloween Happiness 🧡🌟
.we know Halloween can be an awful time for animals, & we want to make that a little lighter in any way we can, we have donation boxes in both our stores which you can add to if you wish & we will drop them to our local animal shelter next week in time for Halloween.

23/10/2025

"...but dogs give their offspring corrections, so why can't we?"

This is one of the most baffling arguments to punishment based training I've heard.

Aside from the fact we aren't dog mums let's look even further at this argument.

Dogs react in the moment. They may tell their offspring off for trying to grab their food, because their survival instinct says they need it. They may tell their offspring off for biting too hard in play, because it is hurting them. What they aren't doing is telling their offspring off for not walking nicely on a lead, or some other complex training need that we as humans have. They aren't putting their offspring in a situation they know they will struggle (face to face with another dog) and preparing to "correct" them if they show fear. They're not TRAINING their puppies to be good puppies for their new homes. They're just reacting and responding to what is in front of them.

Plus, mum dogs can't use the same positive reinforcement methods we can. They can't carry a bag of treats in their mouths and give them a treat every time they do something great. They don't have those capabilities. But we do. We have a lot more intelligent gadgets at our disposal and maybe if mum dogs had opposable thumbs to open up a treat bag and dish them out, they would? That's a strange visualisation 😆

Point is, we aren't living in the moment. We aren't afraid our dogs are taking our food away. We aren't being physically hurt when our dog barks. So comparing what we do with what mum dogs do is unfair comparisons. Dogs also sniff each others bums to say hi but I don't see anyone advocating that we do that to make friends with our dogs in our lives? Again, a strange visualisation 🤪 What we are trying to achieve is complex behaviour change or meaningless (to the dog) training for the most part.

Dogs deserve the right to be treated with respect when teaching them often very complex things that WE want them to do to make life easier on US. We have the brains to plan, execute complex scenarios, and break things down into manageable chunks. Nothing we are teaching needs to be as immediate as a dog mum protecting their food. We can do better than using their limited choices as an excuse to hurt dogs 🐾💜

20/10/2025

18/10/2025

Big Ollie found the best place to nap - in the Greystones store 🤣🥹💤🐾

Hope your weekend is as chilled as this gorgeous boy ♥️

15/10/2025

We have been super quiet on here over the last few months as we went through a big transition; packed up all of the family, two and four legged, and moved a little further out so we could all be together ♥️

It wasn't an easy feat but we are starting to settle and very grateful for the little chats and hugs keeping us going 🥰🐴 🐾

25/08/2025

Lovely to hear of little Tania's recovery. She came to us with worrying bloods showing high BUN and creatinine (protein, essentially) and phosphorus. Kidney disease and pancreatitis was the diagnosis.

Low protein and phosphorus prescription kibble and meds was the recommendation, upon which the dog was not improving. In fact, I thing such a course of action would likely fuel a slow and steady deterioration of her condition.

We advised the client to explore (with her vet) a more suitable diet containing fresh meats, some organ content, a fresh egg, a little steamed veg and a herbal kidney/liver tonic, and keep on eye the bloods as we go.

Just a few weeks later - PRESTO - her bloods are now returning to normal.

"She loves her new food and is doing so good on your recommendations!!"

Life-changing for this little dog and her owner but there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that a change in diet was going to help her to some degree. Zero.

But how was it possible her blood protein and phosphorus levels FELL when her new diet contains lots MORE protein and natural phosphorus ??? 🤔

If you have a dog in such a situation and they're still on high-carb kibble, or if you're a vet with a clinic full of such dogs, and you don't understand how such a thing is possible then please, for the sake of the dog, engage the services of a canine nutritionist, folks. There's so much you can do.

Real, biologically appropriate food might not fix everything but it's most definitely the first place to start with a chronically ill patient, regardless of the disease.

24/08/2025

We had so much fun at the Harvest Festival today meeting so many gorgeous dogs and lovely people! 🥰♥️🐾🍂

Thank you all who took part and added to the fun. A great day & community - thank you
Don’t forget to tag us in your pictures from today to be in with a chance to win a natural treat hamper 🥰🦴♥️

23/08/2025

We will be at the Hawkin’s Wood Harvest Festival again tomorrow afternoon 💫🍂

Register for our fun dog show from 12.30pm, wander around and enjoy the activities and come back for treats and prizes at 2pm ♥️

Tag us in a picture here for another chance to win a yummy natural treat box! 🦴🐾

Always a fun (and free!) day out for kiddies and doggies 🥰🍂

13/08/2025

If Mabel goes in the bath, ball goes too 😂🎾🛁🫧

Swipe to see her face when she drops it ➡️🥹♥️

03/08/2025

👇

"Horse racing is steeped in suffering and death. If you love horses, don't bet on races or attend race meetings" - Thanks to Dublin People for publishing our letter in this week's edition https://www.flipbookpdf.net/web/site/d113db1d0baf2d21f2af5e82ee3913d28ada6acfFBP22750604.pdf.html /12 ❌🏇❌

Horse racing cruelty
Dublin People, 23 July 2025

"The whip is plied and the rein is chucked and often a rough, scolding voice cries out, 'go along, you lazy beast'. And then another slash of the whip, when all the time we are doing our very best to get along." So wrote Anna Sewell 150 years ago in her classic novel, Black Beauty.

This sad passage springs to mind following a recent race which prompted racecourse stewards to interview a jockey about "her use of the whip in the home straight". According to the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, "evidence was heard from the rider concerned who stated that her filly can be lazy on the track".

How horrified Anna Sewell would be that a century and a half after the publication of a book she hoped would "induce kindness, sympathy and an understanding treatment of horses", these magnificent animals are not only still being whipped but whipped in plain sight with impunity.

At racecourses around the country, and in Horse Racing Ireland race footage, jockeys can be seen vigorously striking horses, pushing them to their limits and beyond.

Many suffer painful injuries (broken necks, legs, etc) during races and are destroyed. Like their canine counterparts in greyhound racing, if they don't make the grade or fail to keep winning money for owners, they are often mercilessly killed.

Others are subjected to grotesque wind surgery. This mutilation involves cutting into a horse, tying back a vocal cord and the sack behind it or completely removing them with a scalpel - before stitching the poor creature back up again.

An Irish gambling company explains that “wind surgery is one of the procedures owners can conduct on a horse to ensure it runs at its maximum - having the operation could improve their chances of winning a race, as they are now less likely to endure a blockage of their airflow when galloping”.

Horse racing is steeped in suffering and death. If you love horses, don't bet on races or attend race meetings.

Philip Kiernan
Irish Council Against Blood Sports

ACTION ALERT

Don’t bet on horse racing or attend horse racing events.

Horse Racing Ireland has received more than €1.46 BILLION in government grants to-date. Contact the leaders of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael and demand an end to state funding to this gambling activity which causes so much suffering and death. Tell them to redirect the funds to the many deserving charities, health/homeless/environmental groups, sports clubs, animal rescue centres, etc crying out for funding.

Micheál Martin
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Tel: 01 619 4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/

Simon Harris TD
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Telephone: 01 281 3727
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris

Sign and share the petitions

Irish Government: Stop giving millions of euros to horse racing
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euros-to-horse-racing

SEE ALSO

More horses confirmed dead following races at Irish racecourses
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2021/08/19/horses-confirmed-dead-following-races-at-irish-racecourses/

Why you should say NO to horse racing – download and distribute the leaflet
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/08/05/new-leaflet-why-you-should-say-no-to-horse-racing

Watch “RTE Investigates: Horses – Making a Killing”
https://youtu.be/ymm0xh3gp7o

Watch the BBC Panorama documentary “The Dark Side of Horse Racing”
https://youtu.be/F1TZnZgV8L4

Please support our campaign with a donation
https://www.paypal.me/banbloodsports

02/08/2025

Precious pup Piccolo 🥹♥️🐾

21/07/2025

Last week we had a very traumatic experience with our youngest pup, Mabel.

She ate a wasp, and within minutes went in to anaphylactic shock and only moments later we had to perform CPR to keep her breathing, get an antihistamine in to her and rush her to the vets whilst keeping up the CPR to get her there.
Ballyorney Vets was closest to us and Beth was absolutely fantastic with her. After another shot, some monitoring and a lot of water we were able to bring her home; very itchy and tired, but alive.

Never been more grateful to have the Canine CPR training under my belt - this is why we & our groomers are trained in First Aid and CPR - because you never know when you might need it ❤️‍🩹 and we need to know we are absolutely best equipped to look after your precious pets. ♥️🐾