Best dogs for active families: Finding the perfect fit

Dogs are such a special addition to any family. Furry balls of fun running around can enhance family life, get everyone outside for exercise, and provide lots of laughter and love. Finding the right fit for your family can be challenging, though. You want a breed that can match the activity levels of your family whilst still creating companionship. Here are ten of the best breeds for active families. Labrador Retriever One of the most popular breeds in the UK, Labradors are all-around winners. Their versatility and friendly nature mean they are perfect for families with children. If you are a group that likes hiking, running, and outdoor play, then expect a labrador to join you on your adventures happily! Border Collie Border Collies are known for being highly intelligent animals with incredible stamina. As such, they are an ideal match for families who enjoy being outdoors for long periods. You could even start a new family activity of agility training, which Border Collies absolutel......

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Home and style at Christmas

So we have a new home and this is our first Christmas in it which has been very exciting. Everything was somewhat of a rush, having only moved in less than 3 weeks ago but we managed to get our tree up, decorated the house, make a gingerbread house and some homemade gingerbread cookie gift tags and get a very excited little toddler to sleep in time for the big day. It was a magical morning spent opening our stockings and gifts, we opted for less is more and picked some lovely natural toys for the little man. We had a champagne breakfast, which always goes down well especially on a lazy chilled out morning before walking over to spend the day at Mr A's grandmothers house. I have also been keeping my beautiful East jumper aside for a special occasion and there is none more special than christmas day, I think my lovely doggy jumper beats any novelty one and captures winter and the Christmas feel while still being stylish and warm. I feel like such a lucky girl as John sur......

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Puddle suit, wellies and Tractor Ted Giveaway

Inseparable  So there has been a lot of rain of late, which is all the more fun if you ask me, when the weather has broken we have made the most of it, although always going outside prepared in case the skies should open again, which has meant we have got a lot of use out of the puddle suit we bought the little man over the summer for the festival season. I recommend them as they go over the clothes and keep them dry as well as working as a wind breaker and Mr A loves putting his on Well prepared for any weather Since this is now the 5th or 6th week without a car, we have stayed pretty local and luckily we have a few decent parks and a bicycle track near us. I try to mix it up when it comes to outdoor activities, some days we take the bus into town and walk back through the park, or we go cycling or potter around in the garden looking for little beasties or maybe we just enjoy a little bit of puddle hunting, but we try to do something different each day Finding sn......

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A Boy and his Dog

Just before the cold snap came in we had a little walk up on the greenbelt called The Common only a short drive away. It's a lovely place, nice and quite with a view over the town and we always find lots of little bugs like ladybirds and different kind of spiders in the reeds, as well as Holly and Blackberries. There are also Druid circles up on the common with a really old rock called the "Rocking stone". My mother came along for the walk and so did Mr A's best friend in the whole world - our family sheepdog Sam. We are so lucky to have Sam, he is such a pleasant and kind natured dog who has the patience of a saint when it comes to Mr A. He is getting on in age and between the two of them they almost walk at the same pace and there friendship is something of beauty and pure love and it truly will be a very sad day when Sam is no longer with us. It's been wonderful to see there friendship grow over the past 3 years and Mr A is very protective of ......

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The Build-a-bear experience

The morning started with excitement in the air as we got ready to take little Mr A to Build-a-bear worhshop for the first time. I had walked past the shop in Cardiff's St Davids many times but never really ventured in to see what it was all about. We told Mr A that he was going to see lots of bears and he was very excited by this prospect even though I am not sure he fully understood what the day entailed. He ran all the way from the car, through the shopping centre to the shop and then stood still as if slightly overwhelmed. The staff were so friendly that very soon he felt at ease and comfortable and made his pick of a little dog to call his own. After he picked what he was kind of soft toy he was going to stuff we had to pick a noise to go inside the dog, so of course we went for the barking sound, then it was off to the stuffing part of the experience. Mr A was not fazed by the loud noise of the stuffing machine and watched with wide eyes as his dog started to come to......

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