Flowers, fur and fun at Floriade

Flowers, fur and fun at Floriade

For Canberrans, there’s no better way to spring into Spring than to head on down to Commonwealth Park for Floriade – the Capital’s huge annual floral celebration. And we mean HUGE – there are literally MILLIONS of flowers to brighten up your day! But it’s not just the bodacious botanics we’re excited about – The Floriade program is flourishing with fun things to do. There’s the bustling Traders Village, Kids Corner, music, craft, cooking demos and workshops, and even free fitness sessions with local fitness expert Lee Campbell.  After its pawsome debut last year, Floriade is holding its Dogs Day Out again so our furry friends can join us for a special day among the blooms to help raise money for RSPCA ACT. Pooches are off limits on all other days because, well, dogs and flower beds generally don’t get along very well, so we’re stoked that they’re permitting pups through the gates on October 6. See you there!  ...
Working (out) for the weekend

Working (out) for the weekend

Thank Dog! for Saturdays! The weather was absolutely gorgeous when House of Dog held its first Thank Dog! Bootcamp weekend class last Saturday at Barton’s Bowen Park. With daylight saving time now long gone, our weekday classes have been held under the moonlight (and floodlights) by the beautiful Lake Burley Griffin. So our Saturday morning session was a wonderful chance to catch some of those rays of sunshine we’ve been missing out on. And, while Canberra has been experiencing some of its coldest mornings in 15 years (Brrrr!), it looks as though the sun is going to shine again for us this Saturday (Yay!). We’re excited for some more pawfect weather to play in again this weekend!...
A million paws for thought

A million paws for thought

What a weekend that was! The weather was beautiful and so were the people (and pooches!) who stopped by our stalls at Majura Park’s Petbarn Fun Day on Saturday and the RSPCA Million Paws Walk on Sunday. After a big day of walking and talking, we were certainly ready for a nap when it all wrapped up on Sunday afternoon. It was so great to see everybody exercising with their beloved hounds – they really do make awesome workout partners! It can be so hard to leave them at home (I know I feel guilty when I do!), although, I know many owners have no choice – or at least feel they don’t. I overheard a fellow Million Paws walker mention that they’d love to go running with their dog but, unfortunately, their excited pooch keeps tripping them over. It’s not the first time I’ve heard of our furry fitness pals becoming hazards on the footpath. The thing is, you CAN go running with your pooch and not end up going head over tail; all it takes is a little bit of love and learning. When you master the ‘heel’ command with your pooch, the rewards far outweigh the work you put into training them. Not only will you and your dog be safer, you’ll both be happier because you get to run together and build a better bond Apart from having fun with your four-legged workout partner, teaching the ‘heel’ command is a major focus in Thank Dog! Bootcamp, because it means a safer workout for you and your pooch. For those who are not familiar with the command, ‘heel’ refers to when your dog sticks by...