English Setter Gear We Live By

There is an ongoing battle in my house over Miss London.  You see, she is mommy's little girl, as you can see my the cute pictures of her I post online, and as my entire social network knows by the amount I talk about late-morning cuddles and mother-"daughter" joyrides to the city.  Don't get me wrong, she's daddy's little girl too, but it is me who wants the snazzy pink collar from the pet store.

However, London is also a hunting-bred English Setter, and Jonny is a hunting-bred Newfoundlander.  So, our little girl is also an extremely active, nature loving, messy pooch who lives for the woods... and who takes her job very seriously.

Owning a big, strong hunting dog with long hair and a keen sense of smell can add a bit of stress, and dirt, to ones life.  You have to be a certain kind of person to find a balance between spoiled pup and Elmer Fudd in dog form.  There are a few items that make finding this balance so much easier, and helps to make all of us so much more healthy and happy.

Here are our favourites:

Easy walk harness by Premier Pet

I walk London pretty much daily, sometimes twice a day.  When she was a pup this was a leisurely stroll over to the elementary school where I work.  When she grew up, even as a good walker, which she usually is, I just do not have the strength to go far with the leash hooked on her coller.  Enter the easy walk harness to solve all problems.  This special harness has the leash hook on the dogs chest... which really lessens the dog's pull and causes no harm to the dog's throat (as collars can).  This thing is so good that we even leave one at grandma's and grandpa's (London's babysitters).

GPS Dog Collar: Garmin Astro 320

Once upon a time tagging along on evening bird hunting trips, and running London in the woods behind the house was something that did my heart good.  She is never happier!  Then, something very bad happened- she got caught in a fox snare.  Now, I'm not the most un-tough gal around, and I've had my fair share of dealings with rabbit snares, but a fox snare catches your dog by the throat.  I was lucky enough to spot her through the trees and wonder why she wasn't moving, and she was smart enough to sit and wait for help rather than pull.  In the end, after a few horrific moments, she was fine.  She kind of didn't even know why we had to leave and go home and why her parents were so upset.  Because of this experience, what used to do my heart good almost gives me a coronary every time I tag along.   

Then Jonny brought home the GPS, which has a collar with a built in tracking device, and a handheld GPS that tells you where your dog is.  This device is designed for hunting/sporting dogs (whenever she stops for a moment the GPS beeps and tells us London is on point).  Now, I can know where London is even if I can't see her... and if she stops for two long we can find her and check it out.  Every now and then I still have the odd panic attack in the woods with her, but this nifty piece of technology has certainly improved my life!

Seat Cover

Find this one here

We have two vehicles, a car and a truck, and both of our back seats look similar to this random person's.  Our vehicles are still messy, but I would be afraid to see what they would look like without these covers.  Not only does it stop a lot of pesky hair from digging its way into the car seats, never to be removed again without a lot of sweat, blood and tears (maybe a slight exaggeration), it also protects from the MOUNDS of mud that London brings into the car/truck with her after a run (or walk, or even a pee break).  I'm pretty sure that an English Setter coat attracts every speck of dirt, leaf and fallen tree branch within 100 meter radius.  I'm pretty sure that if she ever stayed still long enough after a run, birds would consider her fur pre-fab homes.  This cover receives all the abuse... and can be thrown in the washer and hung outside to dry.  It also unclips really easily, so we can be nice to our occasional backseat passengers. 

I would've made a top ten list, but these three things are so important to our life that I didn't want to just fill the post up with other random things.  Of course there are great toys, treats, leashes, etc., but these are  the three items that go above and beyond basic dog care that I would want every future (and present) setter owner to be aware of!

Tara 

E.T. Phone Home

It's amazing what some people do to their pets.  

In all seriousness though, we are not pet dresser-uppers.  Every now and then we throw something on London for a photo-op and then take if off (if she hasn't removed it herself) but for the most part we just let her be a dog.  I just couldn't resist posting this picture of her in a sweatshirt, because all it makes me think of is ET during his epic bike ride.

Somethings practicality dictates that we do put something on London.  We spend a lot of time in boat during the spring/summer, during which she becomes a big baby and shivers from the cold.  She may look like she has a lot of fur (and my floors may suggest she has a lot of fur) but her hair is very thin.  Usually she wears a neoprene vest while cruising the seven seas:

Here she is with her sea legs on.  This pictures also offers a glimpse into Newfoundland dory cruising fashion.  That's Mr. Wolf sitting between Jonny and I.

To all of you that dress up your pets, I'm not judging.  We all enjoy our pets in different ways.  

Here is wishing you and all your furry friends a great day!

Tara

London Love

I can go out on my patio today with just a sweater.  I am officially changing my favourite season from fall to spring.  I feel as though the whole world is waking up from a deep dark sleep.

Oh, and I love this girl with my whole heart.

Here is to your own sunny setter days.  

Tara

Snowshoe Therapy

One of my family's favorite things is a snowshoe after work. Of course, no one loves this more than London. Her nature runs have been far and few in between latly, due to a scare we received when she found her self caught in a fox snare (this was NOT a fun experience, but she didn't seem to mind too much) and the fact that she turns into a frozen puppy after being in the snow for ten minutes (Winters in England are not blessed with the snowfall we have here). Despite it all, it does our heart good to see her in her element, and to breathe some fresh air.

London loves treats, even in the woods!

Enjoying the fresh powder

Snowshoe Shot

Can't forget Jonny

The Aftermath. London was so iced over that we had to pour a warm bath for her when we got home. She loves the tub, and later that evening we found her standing in it waiting for us to fill it up again!

The Truth about Setters

Jonny and I thought carefully for years about the day we would finally become parents to a furry friend. We diligently researched our options and weighed the pros and cons of each breed, until we found the one that would fit perfectly with our idealistic lives. After hours of tedious calculations we came up with this: The English Setter. Of course, when we found London on a very nice man's website (search Anzil's Setters), all things technical melted away as her sad little frown and lopsidedly placed spots melted our hearts.

During the next 18 months we realized that you can't judge a dog by it's breed. While London fits wonderfully into our "less then idealistic" lives, we learned you can't always take what the American Kennel Club says as law. This is what I have learned from OUR English Setter:

1. English Setters are NOT mild shedders. On the contrary, my entire life has become consumed with dog hair. I eat dog hair, I sleep in dog hair, I wear dog hair and, from time to time, I breathe in dog hair. Maybe she will shed less when she's older, who knows, but for right now I just have to accept that everything black will be sort of white and everything white will be sort of black.

2. Enlish Setters are happiest when running in the wild

Here is a picture of London and Jonny doing what they both love best- hunting. She may look all nice and calm, posing for the camera, but notice the eyes. She's just waiting to make a great escape!
3. English Setters make the best napping companions, ever!
This is what happens every weekend morning when I get out of bed and London realizes Dad is staying home and sleeping in with her.
4. Toys do not stand a chance with an English Setter

No explanation needed! When she is determined, there is no stopping her.

5. English Setters NEED excercise, or they will make you pay!

6. English Setters like to bark at people walking passed the front lawn

7. English Setters are scared of lots of things- water, half open door ways, garbage cans, and the dark

8. English Setters love you unconditionally!
And I wouldn't trade mine for anything!