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Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Rabbit: the Lovemydog muse and inspiration for the brand

Friday, December 15th, 2017

Our muse, Rabbit, joined the studio in 2007. He is half Norfolk Terrier and half Jack Russell, but
100% personality. Not to be confused, Rabbit does not actually contain any traces of the hopping
creatures, although he does spend his days bouncing around the office trying to see who will give
him a treat or a scratch.

Rabbit at the Lovemydog Studio

Rabbit’s typical day at the Lovemydog Studio

Lilly gets her best ideas when she is out and about in London with Rabbit, cycling around with him in the basket of her bike. He is always the first to try on all of the new designs. And, like any dog, he is really a human in disguise and has special ways to tell Lilly what he likes (or doesn’t!) about a new creation. Who knew a 10-pound pooch could have such an opinion.

 

Lilly and Rabbit cycling in East London looking for inspiration

Lilly and Rabbit cycling in East London looking for inspiration

Rabbit’s Favorite Picks? Well, he can often be seen donning the Hanbury RE16 Collar (and matching Lead when he needs to step out of the studio for a wee). For those brisk winter mornings, Rabbit loves his fashionable Watney Duffle Dog Coat. And most importantly, for lounging in the office, Rabbit nestles in his Sutton Pet Carrier, that doubles as a bed for the occasional afternoon snooze. After all, being the inspiration behind a business can be quite exhausti

Rabbit in his Harris Tweed Watney Duffle Dog Coat

Rabbit in his Harris Tweed Watney Duffle Dog Coat

Rabbit getting ready for his afternoon nap in the Sutton Denim dog carrier

Rabbit getting ready for his afternoon nap in the Sutton Denim dog carrier

Rabbit's favourite dog lead for his lunch time walks from the Studio

Rabbit’s favourite dog lead for his lunch time walks from the Studio

To see what Rabbit’s up to, follow him on Instagram at @rabbitlovemydog

 

Matilda the Frenchie

Friday, June 30th, 2017
Matilda the Frenchie modelling the Hanbury RE16 collar and lead

Matilda the Frenchie modelling the Hanbury RE16 collar and lead

Countless hours go into hand-crafting each Hanbury collar from finest Italian Leather, softest nubuck and woven Scottish Tweed. The difference is in the details, from solid brass fittings, an extra loop to keep the leather tip flat and neat and the new LISH imprint – the hallmark of quality and luxury. Hanbury RE16 takes its design inspiration from the glorious blazers worn at Henley regatta which denote the club or country they represent and are often passed down through families.  The Hanbury collar and lead set seen here modelled by Matilda the Frenchie are from our LISH label, the high-end designs of our creative director and founder, Lilly Shahravesh under her new personal label.

Green paws: Garden designer Tommaso del Buono tells us how a squirrel-hunting terrier changed his life

Thursday, June 30th, 2016

Expert tips on creating a dog-tastic garden, plus tales of mischief with Rabbit’s sister Gina.
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Life goals: run your own design business, make that business garden design, absolutely take your dog to work with you.

Sounds like Chelsea gold medal winner Tommaso del Buono has pretty much nailed it. But how does having a slightly naughty Norfolk Terrier/Jack Russell cross really fit in with an international career designing high-end gardens?

We spoke to Tommaso about life with Gina, including squirrels, cat flaps and one particular disgrace involving baby deer.

“I’d been thinking about getting a dog for a long time but I travelled so much it was difficult,” he told us, “When I set up my own practice, I decided now was the time.”

“A friend’s dog was pregnant and once I saw the puppies that was it. I had wanted a boy dog – Gina was meant to be called Gino. But she was the one I loved.”

A cheeky little bundle of Norfolk Terrier/Jack Russell cross, Gina’s got a big personality for such a wee pooch.

“She’s very clever and very affectionate and she’s quite naughty,” said Tommaso, “She’s very small – but has no notion of her size.”

In fact, here at LoveMyDog we’ve got a pretty good idea about Gina’s personality; she’s the sister of our very own Rabbit, both pups of the lovely Tulip.

Once an unstoppable bouncing force of nature, Gina’s now a grande dame of 12 years old and has slowed down a bit – thank goodness.

Tommaso explained, “She still to this day likes chasing sticks, balls and squirrels. In no particular order.”

Just one look at Gina’s beady little eyes and you know it: that doggy boisterousness has landed her in hot water more than once.

One particularly epic squirrel hunt saw her scurry enthusiastically into the undergrowth in hot pursuit, only to scurry out equally swiftly sporting a nasty bite on her neck. It seems that Gina had accidentally trespassed on the property of a large and fearless rat.

And sassy Miss Gina’s not afraid of taking on much bigger creatures.

“On one occasion she chased some baby deer,” grimaced Tommaso, “I was working on a project in Berkshire, near Newbury. Luckily she didn’t catch them but that was the last time I could take Gina to that particular project …”

 

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Gina-free zone: del Buono Gazerwitz Landscape Architecture’s gold medal-winning Chelsea Flower Show garden for the Telegraph.

Obviously Gina is queen of the castle when it comes to her own garden, though. Tommaso and his partner have a country place where Gina has room for lots of doggy manoeuvres – and she makes sure the humans don’t get too comfy after a tough week at work.

“She always tries it on!” exclaimed Tommaso, “We’re constantly having to throw balls and sticks for her.

“Dogs and gardens don’t necessarily mix very well. She’ll dig where we’ve been digging and she runs through newly-planted beds – but she’s a small dog so the damage is limited.”

Even in the urban sprawl, the pair make the most of London’s green spaces. When Tommaso lived in Bayswater, Gina was a regular in Hyde Park. Her favourite hang-out now, though, is hip Victoria Park, which is particularly well-stocked with squirrels, not to mention a temptingly big lake for cooling doggy paddles on a sweltering day.

Having a four-legged best buddy has actually helped Tommaso when working with dog-owning clients. There’s nothing like experience to give you a special insight when asked to design pooch-friendly areas, so he’s all over important touches such as non-toxic planting and dog-friendly ponds.

“We don’t design around the dog but you have to bear the dog in mind,” he explained, “One thing that’s really important is making a place secure for a dog.

“I used to have a cottage in the middle of a field and Gina could get through the cat flap. She was very used to letting herself in and out and dogs are quite curious – they do like to explore.”

Sometimes more unusual challenges come up. Tommaso’s business del Buono Gazerwitz Landscape Architecture recently completed a garden where they uncovered an old air raid shelter.

Everyone agreed the shelter should stay, so they left it in situ but designed a bespoke metal grille to prevent the owner’s inquisitive Pomeranian dogs from wandering in.

Overall, it sounds like a bonus to us – hire Tommaso to design your garden and you get to hang out with Gina too.

“Still to this day Gina and I are quite inseparable,” he said, “She’s come with me to many sites, on many projects. Many clients know her and she’s come very much part of the office – and part of me really.”

For more proof that gardens can be dog-tastic havens AND gorgeously designed, check out the Dogs Trust garden at RHS Hampton Court Flower Show on Tuesday 5 – Sunday 10 July.

 

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Image source: Dogs Trust

 

Designed to celebrate the charity’s 125th year, this contemporary space includes sneaky sniffer tracks woven into the herbaceous borders for dogs to forage and sniff out treats. We might even have a try ourselves.

Follow these feel-good pooches – immediately!

Tuesday, June 21st, 2016

You know what your Instagram needs? More dogs. We’ve put together five of Instagram’s best pets :)

InstagramLEAD

Some people think Instagram is a place for food, sunsets and legs in the bath. They’re wrong. Instagram is the place for dogs. From tiny corgis to hipster pugs, there’s no shortage of loveable canines to make your feed the happiest ever. Too many to choose from, in fact; so we’ve narrowed it down to five of our favourites to get you started.

Tuna Melts My Heart

Who is he? The underdog with the overbite.

InstagramTUNA

Image source: Instagram/ Tunameltsmyheart

Chiweenies are a cross between a chihuahua and a dachshund. They’re also obscenely cute, as you’ll learn if you spend as much time as we do fawning over Tuna Melts My Heart’s Instagram feed (which is a lot). With his pronounced overbite and wrinkled-up chin, Tuna is an endless source of reaction faces for every situation. Oh, and did we mention he has impeccable fashion sense?

Chiweenie chic: Channel Tuna’s off-duty cool by wrapping your pooch in this corduroy dog blanket. Raffishly retro.

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Doug The Pug

Who is he? The self-declared king of pop culture.

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Image source: Instagram/ itsdougthepug

It’s official. Doug the Pug is our spirit dog. If he’s not basking his wrinkles on the beach, he’s dressing up as Harry Potter, salivating over wine and pizza, or meeting Dolly Parton on the red carpet. But his life isn’t all about the glitz and glam: Doug is a also registered therapy dog with a charity called Pets As Therapy; showering care homes, hospitals, hospices and schools with pug-tastic joy.

Puggy style: With so many celebrity jamborees to grace, Doug needs to travel like a VIP. This Sidworth tweed designer pet carrier is oh so smart – and ridiculously cosy.

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Sir Charles Barkley

Who is he? A Frenchie, and complete and utter heartbreaker.

InstagramCHARLES

Image source: Instagram/ barkleysircharles

The hippest name in the doggy world, the sharpest dress sense and the biggest smile; Sir Charles Barkley the French bulldog is a joy to follow. There are also excruciatingly adorable throwbacks of baby Barkley on a regular basis too (just in case you weren’t smitten enough).

Frenchie dressing: Got a Sir Charles B of your own? Treat them to this grey harris tweed dog bed for wrinkly snuggles galore.

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Maru

Who is he? The happiest, fuzziest shiba inu on Earth.

InstagramMARU

Image source: Instagram/ Marutaro

Can we be honest? We’re really, really jealous of Maru. Not just because he has the most chilled life ever with his owner in Japan, but because he’s more photogenic than we’ll ever be. Follow him for his joyous smile, infinitesimal fuzz of fur and general handsomeness.

King of Shiba: Maru, are you reading this? We really need to see you modelling this Bow Wow handmade dog bow tie ASAP. You gorgeous devil, you.

InstagramProduct3

Marnie the Dog

Who is she? 14-year-old shih tzu that’s gone from stray to star. Completely fabulous.

InstagramMARNIE

Image source: Instagram/ marniethedog

Young pups often take the limelight in dog shelters, but Marnie The Dog is changing all that. This senior lady, famous for her cheeky tongueand head tilt (caused by vestibular syndrome) is raising awareness of older dog adoptions, having been adopted herself at age 10. She was found partially blind and in a frightful condition. Now, she can be found occasionally falling into the arms of celebs like Taylor Swift and Tina Fey. Amen to that.

 

If the shih tzu fits: Give your pooch some sartorial flower power with this Amberley Liberty print dog collar lined with buttersoft suede.

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*Lead image source: Instagram/ DougThePug

Seven signs you’re a Whippet owner

Friday, June 17th, 2016

Fast and curious: here’s what life is like when you share it with a sighthound (clue: they’re not for everyone).

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Whippets are far from a poor man’s greyhound. Though they strongly resemble the breed they originate from, they’re a creature of very unique quirks.

Elegant, powerful, shapely and sweet, the beautiful dogs are just as up for snuggles as they are for adventures.

It’s these precious idiosyncrasies that present a series of life lessons, hilarities and heartfelt moments for Whippet owners. Here are just a few.

1. Unleashing your Whippet is always a hysterical affair

The Whippet is independent, often aloof and never lost his prey drive. Should anything small, moving and furry catch his eye – he’s off. Leaving you to enjoy a long romantic walk on the beach… with yourself. They are racing masters, after all. However, they do have two speeds: lightning and out cold on the sofa. Which brings us to…

2. You’re used to living with two shadows

Hands up if your furry friend follows you from room to room like he’s attached to your calf? Or cosies up under your blanket? We thought so. Whippets love nothing more than being snuggled up – and are extremely adept at finding cosy spaces where none seem to exist, much to our constant bewilderment.

 

WhippetBed

Whippets love: With their slender physique and sensitive skin, Whippets need luxuriously soft, padded beds to catch up on their beauty sleep. Treat yours to this tweed dog bed with thermo-regulating filling.

3. You’ve experienced a proper tail whipping

Any Whippet owner can relate to the eye-watering lash of the dog’s tail as they pelt pass, Speedy Gonzales style. Like a whip across the thighs. And as for the furniture? That happy tail can clear lampshades, coffee tables, you name it.

4. Your favourite shoes are hidden out of sight, always

If there’s one thing Whippet owners know (and have probably learnt the hard way) it’s to keep your favourite items up high. Waaaay up high. Your lovable critter will chew everything you own and you’ve come to accept that that’s just the way life is now.

5. Bike rides are out of the question

You know those dog owners that breeze by on their bicycles, leash attached to the handlebars, as their pooch gracefully gallops by their side? You are not one of those dog owners. As the fastest accelerating dog in the world, Whippets challenge even Greyhounds for top speed – and you’re likely to hit a bush at 80mph if you even attempt such a thing.

6. You get more excited buying outfits for your dog than you do yourself

Due to their svelte figure and lack of body fat, Whippets get cold easily. To a Whippet owner, this can only mean one thing – a complete and utter fashion frenzy. Wrapping your pooch in a properly-cut coat feels as momentous as Prince Charming bestowing Cinderella with her glass slipper.

Whippets love: End shivering in style with this hand-woven Whippet dog coat in pure wool tweed. Ultra smart, with a soft fleecy lining especially for sensitive Whippet skin.

 

WhippetCoat

7. Your dreams of having a watchdog are well and truly quashed

All strangers are welcome in a Whippet’s world. Great for when you have company – not so great if you ever wanted a guard dog. If you were ever burgled, you know fine well the criminal in question would be met with a friendly wagging tail and the soulful smile of your little whip. If they hear a can of dog food opening, however, that’s another scenario entirely…

 

 

 

Something for the weekend… The Whippet Hotel

Friday, June 17th, 2016

While it’s not strictly JUST for the weekend, we have recently come across The Whippet Hotel and wanted to share it with our Whippet friends :)

Seb on the bed

Image source: The Whippet Hotel

The Whippet Hotel is owned by Caroline Patey-Johns and her family. They have lived and worked with Whippets for 19 years, and they own three of their own – Flippit, Basil and Sebastian as well as Luna, an Italian Greyhound Whippet cross.

There isn’t anything they don’t know about the breed and how to take care of them. And as the hotel is also their family home, guests truly enjoy a home from home environment. They offer walks in the surrounding countryside and games, and the Whippet guests sleep upstairs with the rest of the family.

Caroline says ‘Our guests live with us as one of the family… They have access to all the comfiest places – sofas, chairs and laps are all at their disposal!

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Image source: The Whippet Hotel

They are based near Gatwick Airport, so handy for trips abroad. And they offer day care, and overnight stays. They also have their own range of yummy looking peanut butter biscuits that are given to all guests on arrival!

 

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Image source: The Whippet Hotel

 

The Whippet Hotel

East Amberley, Paynes Place Farm

Cuckfield Road, Burgess Hill

West Sussex, RH15 8RG

01444 258339 | 07884 433477

caroline@thewhippethotel.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Aristo-pets: Dogs from the upper crust

Tuesday, June 7th, 2016

Which breeds reign supreme? In celebration of Her Majesty’s official birthday this weekend we take a glimpse at the legendary companions to royals and rulers.

aristo pets queen

Image source: Annie Leibovitz/The Royal Family Facebook page

As the Queen celebrates her 90th birthday (congratulations ma’am), we’ve become accustomed to seeing her surrounded by a pack of her beloved corgis. The diminutive herding dogs have been pictured with her since 1936 and are now something of a royal mascot. But it’s not just corgis that have been constant companions to the aristocratic set…

 

Prince Albert & Eos

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Image source: GreyTArticles

Handsome greyhound Eos was given to Prince Albert in 1833 when the future Prince Consort was just 14 – and they soon became as thick as thieves.

The duo spent six years in Albert’s native Germany before embarking on a new adventure together; a move to England, following his engagement to Queen Victoria.

Eos – fond of plum cake and hunting – was always Albert’s dog but he soon became a much-loved favourite, adored by all the royal household.

greyhound-hoxton 2Royal match: Cloak your greyhound in this tartan coat for a chic look.

 

Winston Churchill & Rufus

aristopetschurchill

Image source: The poodle & dog blog

While Churchill’s legacy is headlined with his tactical battle choices, he was also well-known as a keen animal lover, counting a budgie called Toby and Nelson the cat among his friends.

When it comes to dogs, the British war leader’s fighting British spirit meant he has long been associated with the bulldog. In fact, his personal pooch preference was a poodle named Rufus.

Rufus accompanied Churchill throughout World War Two before he sadly passed away. But it wasn’t long before another poodle joined Churchill’s inner circle. His name? Rufus II.

 

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Royal match: Complement your poodle’s coat with this stylish pink tweed collar.

 

Duchess of Cambridge & Lupo

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Image source: Kensington Royal

Lupo was a wedding gift to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge from Kate’s brother James Middleton in 2011 and has since become a key member of the royal household.

The English Cocker Spaniel was even have said to have picked out Prince George’s name after the couple scattered choices on paper across the room and he sniffed out his favourite.

The pretty pooch has also featured in the tight-knit family’s official portraits since the birth of Prince George – just look at that smile.

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 Royal match: Is your dog a cocker spaniel, too? This stylish lead in yellow will contrast gorgeously against her glossy coat.

 

Duchess of Cornwall & Bluebell

Having grown up with dogs and cats, it’s no great wonder that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, has become a keen supporter of animal welfare.

Beyond making the royal rounds at various animal shelters and homes, Camilla has owned several generations of Jack Russells and has most recently picked up two rescue pups from Battersea Dog’s Home; Bluebell and Beth. She is regularly spotted with the companions by her side.

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Image Source: www.people.com – Chris Jackson, Getty Images

 

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 Royal match: Keep your Jack Russell looking super smart in the Bow Wow bow tie and lead in Hoxton Tartan

Lily – Pooch of the Month October 2013

Wednesday, October 9th, 2013

Pooch of the Month

Congratulations to Lily, LoveMyDog’s latest ‘Pooch of the Month’. (more…)

Maisy May – Pooch of the Month September 2013

Thursday, September 5th, 2013


Say hello to Maisy May, LoveMyDogs’s ‘Pooch of the Month’ for September 2013.
(more…)

Mitch – Pooch of the Month August 2013

Wednesday, August 7th, 2013

Congratulations to Mitch, who was chosen by LMD creative director Lilly Shahravesh as our latest ‘Pooch of the Month’. (more…)

RECENT POSTS

 
Rabbit: the Lovemydog muse and inspiration for the brand 15 December 2017

Ada Liberty Print Dog Quilt Bed Protector 10 July 2017

Matilda the Frenchie 30 June 2017

Five reasons to love Harris Tweed 20 January 2017

Dog-friendly holidays: six boltholes you (and your pet) will love 19 July 2016

 

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