Do you dream of Paris all the time? When you go to sleep at night, when you take a break at work, when you’re cooking the evening meal. Do you find yourself saying, “Oui monsieur!” to your canine gentleman and singing French songs to yourself? Then you will absolutely swoon over this brand new Eiffel Tower Toy from Harry Barker. It’s made from Eco-friendly fibres and recycled plastic, and features an adorable little dachshund at the base of this monumental piece of architecture. In love yet? Same here! (Note: It’s not available until June 2012.) And for the ferocious furry chewer in your life you might also fall in love with these goofy yet invincible dog toys.

Diane Keaton is one of my all time favourite actresses, so when I heard that she would be starring in a film all about loving a stray dog I literally swooned! The movie is called Darling Companion and according to imdb.com it is about “a woman who loves her dog more than her husband. And then her husband loses the dog.”

Of course, there is only so much you can ever truly tell from a movie trailer, but this film looks like it will be a truly heart-warming and inspirational ‘tail’ (pun completely intended!) about how one dog can change a person, influence a relationship and teach us mere mortals so much about companionship. I am definitely the type of person who ends up sobbing at some point in every animal-related movie she watches, so if you’re the same way be sure to have a box of Kleenex on hand when you watch this darling preview.

I know this question has been asked before on Pawsh, but I’m always interested to know what are your favourite animal movies? Are there any you would recommend that I haven’t perhaps seen yet? Have a wonderful weekend everyone! xo

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You might know that Rory and I are close. Really close. I am completely and utterly in love with my little fluffball and anyone who says otherwise…well, we might have words. Often times the best part of my day is arriving back home to her inquisitive round face and happily wagging tail. We do all sorts of things together: watch movies, go for walks, sit on patios sipping tea and doing the Sunday crossword, host dinner parties, explore our city, enjoy bike rides, cook, clean and more. Rory is a constant companion and I wouldn’t trade her for anything. I’m sure many of you feel the same way about your pets.

However, I wanted to take a moment to talk about something that I don’t think is discussed a lot in the pet world…

While we are all eager to gush about our beloved animal friends and declare our adoration for them time and time again, we never seem to talk about the time we spend away from them. Countless parenting and family magazines tout advice from some of the world’s leading experts, proclaiming that parents need to invest in time spent away from their children so they can recharge, reconnect with themselves and be better parents. The theory is that by taking some ‘me’ time, a parent grows to better understand themselves, feel more rounded as an individual and thus have a greater ability to connect in a meaningful way with others, specifically their kids. It is an intriguing and often debated topic, one that has started me wondering about the average pet parent and whether or not we too need time away from the fur-babies in order to be more capable for them.

Over the years Rory has occasionally been left with her doting ‘grandparents’ for a weekend at a time while business trips or vacations emerged. And if I am perfectly honest, I must confess upon thinking back that I did enjoy, even relish, those brief times without the 7AM walk, the grooming, the running and the other daily activities that inevitably accompany a fur-child’s routine. It was lovely to have the freedom to go out and about without constantly checking my watch to make sure I was back for Rory in a timely manner and to know that when I did return for the evening I didn’t need to go out for another walk before completely turning in. 

Don’t get me wrong, I missed Rory deeply. I was itching to get back her after a day and half of being away and neither of us could contain our enthusiasm upon being reunited at last. Yet I did return feeling rested, restored and even more appreciative of that waggy tail. Does this make me a bad pet parent? At first I thought yes, but having spent a little more time thinking about it I feel that some time spent apart every now and again can in fact be a healthy habit. On the one hand, it allows the human to do all the things mentioned above — rest, rejuvenate, reevaluate life etc. — and teaches the canine ‘child’ how to be comfortable in somebody else’s care. Of course I couldn’t be away from her too much and nor would I wish to be, but once in while might not be so terrible, no matter how much I miss her.

So I’m curious: how much time do you spend away from your dog? Do you and your spouse have a standing ‘fur-childless’ date night? Do you plan for ‘me time?’ Do you think spending some time apart is a good idea or do you prefer to never be separated? I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

You may remember the fabulous company Wildebeest as one of the sponsors for Pawsh Magazine’s fall issue.  Well, they’re back! Offering customers a stylish pet rug suitable for any season of comfort, Wildebeest has debuted a new and improved line of shaggy rugs for your shaggy friends this spring.

What makes these fluffy pieces of heaven even better then they were before? To begin with they are now available in a whole rainbow of bright colours from solids to mixes, they come in larger sizes, can be custom ordered and have a durable canvas backing to preserve longevity. Personally, I’m eying the peaches and cream coloured rug and can’t stop imagining how cozy Rory would look snuggled up on it. Fetching, yes?