It is hard to believe that Alvin has been part of The Mad House for over two years now. It is hard to imagine our lives without him. He brings us much joy and completes us. We are a family of give. So much so that we actually look for holidays and breaks that we can take him along with us.
Since we got Alvin we have only ever fed him on dried pet food, this was part of the recommendation from our lovely VET. Plus we only ever used dried pet food with our cats when they were alive, so it is all we have known.
I love having a dog as I work from home and he keeps me company through the day and also ensures that I actually get up and go for a couple of walks.
I have wrote before why I think that it is important as a family to have a pet and that the boys get so much from having Alvin around.
Alvin is a deceptive dog, he can have so much hair that he looks bigger than he is. He had a haircut this week and is half the dog he was before his clip! Saying that it is important for us to ensure that Alvin is a healthy dog.
How to keep a dog healthy:
- We have a regular exercise routine. I walk Alvin twice a day and then the boys and MadDad do at least one walk.
- He comes on holiday with us when possible, we have just all been to Sherwood Pines in a cabin for the weekend. Keeping him happy and healthy.
- We do not overfeed or more importantly over treat!
- We talked to our vet about the best food for Alvin.
For us, it was important to check out what breed would suit our family lifestyle before we considered a dog and that has gone long way to ensuring that Alvin is a healthy dog. We are working with Hills Pet food and they sent us this fab illustration of Alvin by award-winning illustrator and dog lover Gemma Corroll. Isn’t it fab?
What to consider before getting a dog:
First and foremost we had to consider that any dog we had needed to be comfortable around children. We have two boys aged 10 and 9 and regularly have 5 little boys in the house. They can be noisy and demand attention. We needed our pet to be confident, but not overly with the children. My good friend Cass has a Bichon Frise and we knew what the breed were like and also that Maxi and Mini adored their dog Buddy, in fact Maxi walked Buddy every opportunity he got.
How much time you can commit to walking a dog and how regularly.
We knew that we would be able to walk Alvin regularly throughout the day, but didn’t want to commit to long walks (especially as I figured out it would be me doing them)!
Grooming takes time and money:
We knew that we wanted a non shedding dog, so checked out the kennel clubs non shedding dog list. We also knew that we had the time to spend grooming Alvin and that he would need to be regularly trimmed.
How much space you have:
It is important not just to consider the walks that a dog needs, but also the personal sape and also the space in your home and garden. Alvin has a medium sized crate in our kitchen, along with a bed in the sitting room and one on the landing outside my office. He also has free run of the downstairs and garden on dry days.
We really hit the jackpot with Alvin. He is an amazing dog, he is crate trained and sleeps in his crate overnight and if the boys are being loud or he needs space then he takes himself to his crate. He is a great companion and our family wouldn’t be the same without him.
Win a bespoke bundle of Hill’s Ideal Balance or Science Plan pet food
To win a bespoke bundle of Hill’s Ideal Balance or Science Plan pet food tailored to the nutritional needs of your pet, just answer this simple question.
To win a bespoke bundle of Hill’s Ideal Balance or Science Plan pet food tailored to the nutritional needs of your pet, just answer this simple question. Hint: You can find the answer here
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