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6 Steps To A Cleaner Leather Sofa

I started with the sofa. By giving this a thorough spritz and polish I knew that the entire living room would brighten dramatically. Here’s how I did it:

Dust.

This is the most important first step. It ensures that any dirt residue will not be absorbed into the leather during the cleaning process. I did this with a vacuum, but you can easily do it with a soft dusting cloth. Observe and mark out grimy spots.

It’s worth doing this under a good source of natural light. I cleaned my sofa in the morning and kept the windows open so that plenty of sunshine streamed in through the windows and I was able to mark out any streaks or stains.

Clean

Apply a deep clean leather soap directly to these areas using a soft cloth. Continue to the remaining areas of the sofa. Rub well before wiping off excess cleaner and dirt with a dry cloth.

Condition

Follow with a leather care hydrating cream. The beeswax, lanolin and emu oil can rejuvenate leather to a soft and luxurious finish.

Cushion it up!

Kick off this spring with some spunky new cushions and a fresh new throw for your couch. Small things like colourful cushions and throws can give your clean sofa a fresh new feel.

Keep it clean.

I was so inspired by this fresh new look that I’ve invested in some regular leather wipes. Baby spew on the couch? No problem at all! 

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9 Expert Pet Boredom Busting Tips

Our busier lifestyles mean many pets are spending more time home alone and higher housing densities mean more pets are living in smaller spaces and more frequently indoors.  This can increase both the incidence and impact of problem behaviours, especially destructive behaviour caused by boredom.

Research indicates that whilst many pet owners rarely or never experience problems with their pets, some pets will demonstrate that they are bored and lonely through destructive behaviour.  With younger pets, destructive behaviour can sometimes stem from normal play, so it’s a great idea to have strategies in place to help prevent or manage this issue.  The key to preventing pets becoming bored and destructive is to keep them entertained. For dog owners in particular an enriched environment, plenty of exercise and training are vital.

Tips to help prevent boredom: 

  1. Regular exercise, play and training will help expend energy and keep your pet entertained
  2. Spend as much time as possible with your pet – always allow your pet to be indoors with you when you are home
  3. Provide extra human or animal company by arranging friends or family to visit your pet when you’re not home. Swap play dates with fellow dog owners or take advantage of dog walking or doggy day care services
  4. Leave the television or radio on for your pet when you’re not home so there is low level background noise and a sense of human voices
  5. Enrich your pet’s environment. Have a variety of safe toys for your pet to play with and change them on a regular basis
  6. Hide treats around your yard or house for your pet to find.
  7. Use food dispensing and puzzle toys- these are toys that you can fill with dry kibble (you can use your dog’s daily ration) and your dog has to figure out how to get the food out. This gives them something to do in your absence.
  8. Provide your cat with scratching posts to help protect your furniture. Create climbing opportunities and raised places for cats to sit
  9. Consider getting a second cat or even a cat as company for your dog

Tips to help manage destructive behaviour: 

  1. Pet-proof your home.  If a pet plays havoc with one particular area or room of your home, don’t allow them to access that area when you’re not around
  2. Minimise the risk of damage to anything precious or valuable by storing them in a secure place
  3. Ensure garbage bins and electrical cords and wires can’t be accessed by your dog
  4. Keep bench surfaces clear of anything that could be knocked over and broken by your pet

If problems arise or persist and you’re not sure how to deal with them, seek professional assistance.  And remember, if your dog keeps chewing your shoes it’s probably because you’re leaving your shoes where your dog can find them – don’t leave things lying around!

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Washing Your Puppy For The First Time

Once your puppy is happy going into the bath, then run the water near them while rewarding with treats. Do lots of these sessions and gradually work up to wetting and bathing your pup. The time you spend doing this extra bit of training will save you time for the rest of your dog’s life, as they’ll learn to enjoy bath time.

Here are some tips to help you make puppy bath time a pleasant experience for you and your puppy.

  1. Use a mild shampoo especially formulated for delicate puppy skin and coat. Not all pet shampoos are suitable for young dogs so make sure you select the right product.
  2. It’s a good idea to have everything ready from shampoo to towels to avoid leaving your puppy unattended in the bathtub.
  3. Put a rubber mat in the bottom of your tub. Your dog will feel more secure if he/she isn’t slipping all over the place.
  4. If possible, have a helper assist you. Ask your helper to gently restrain the puppy so as he doesn’t fall or run away, while constantly rewarding them with treats for calm behaviour.   Your helper can distract the puppy, while you get the job done as quickly as possible.
  5. Ideally, use a hand held nozzle with warm water running gently. Massage the shampoo into your puppy’s coat with slow circular motions.
  6. Add toys to the bath to make it fun to get wet. You can use your puppy’s favourite toy that he/she is only allowed to play with when in the tub.
  7. After shampooing, rinse well to avoid shampoo build up, which can leave coats dull and flaky.
  8. Towel- dry your puppy afterwards to avoid getting cold and your floors soaking wet. Then let your puppy shake any excess water off. Hair dryers may be too hot for delicate puppy skin but can be used on a very low setting if required.
  9. Praise, praise, praise your puppy throughout the bath for a job well done.
  10. Play a game at the end of the drying off process- this is a fun way to end the bath time routine and will help keep your puppy warm.

We hope our tips help you with your first bath time!

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Kitty Litter Tray Troubleshooting

Inappropriate elimination can be caused by behavioural and medial reasons. Medical reasons may include urinary tract infections, kidney disease and incontinence due to old age. Your vet should check your cat’s health so you can rule out or manage such causes.

If there are no underlying medical issues, then avoidance or misuse of the litter tray should send you a clear message that your cat is trying to tell you something. You may be making some simple mistakes or it may be a more complex problem, but either way you should get onto resolving it as soon as possible, because the longer the behaviour continues the harder it will be to fix. To help work out why this problem is occurring consider the following:

  • Has anything changed?  Cats can become stressed by changes in the household such as moving house, changes to routine or the arrival of a new baby or a new pet. Anxiety or tension can also occur between cats or other animals in the household.
  • Does your cat have easy access to the tray?  Cats don’t like to share or queue, so if you have more than one cat be sure to provide at least one tray per cat as well as one additional tray.
  • Is the litter tray clean enough to meet your cat’s standards?  You should remove waste as often as possible and change litter at least once a week.  Some cats prefer to have the litter changed and the tray washed and dried daily.
  • Is the tray an adequate size? The tray needs to be large enough for your cat to toilet easily without the risk of a misfire or mishap, one and a half times the size of the cat is about right. 
  • Is the litter right? You need to ensure there’s enough litter in the tray to enable the cat to bury its waste. Simply changing the brand or type of litter can cause problems for some fussy felines, so you may need to be consistent with one brand or experiment with different products to establish which your cat is happiest to use.
  • Is the litter tray private? Just like humans cats like privacy, so place the tray in a quiet space and well away from the area where the cat is fed. Covered trays can provide extra privacy, but be aware that many cats don’t like them.

Be aware that cat urine contains ammonia so take care not to use cleaning agents with ammonia as it can draw the cat back to eliminate in the same spot again. There are specific products available to remove cat urine and deter cats from urinating there again.

Finally, don’t punish your cat for toileting in the wrong place, rather than understanding that it’s a location issue the cat will most likely think they’re being punished for the simple act of toileting or for doing it when you’re around.  Try not to be frustrated and annoyed, you need to calmly work out why the cat isn’t keen to use the litter tray. 

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Border Collie Fun Day 2014

The Oakwood team as well as our ambassador Dr. Katrina headed to Castle Hill last Sunday to set up our information stand. It was a cool but sunny day and had a great turnout. The fun day attracted a lot of families with Border Collies and was a great family event.

Our stand was pretty popular and we were happy to have Border Collie experts Lauren Somers and Deb Richardson demonstrate how to groom and maintain a Border Collie coat using our products. They also demonstrated other important aspects of grooming a Border Collie such as trimming the nails. Our stand was very well received and people just loved how easy it is to groom a dog’s coat with our pet care range. 

The dogs however were the main attraction and they had an absolute blast.

The day had many activities planned for the active Border Collies and they competed in many disciplines, e.g. sheep herding, tricks, flyball, agility, treiball, nose work, heelwork to music, obedience and frisbee. The dogs also competed for the title of fastest Border Collie in a race against the clock. The 50 metre sprint saw three dogs in the final and two of them ran exactly the same time of 4.77 seconds. What are the odds of that happening!

We were very happy with the day and had nothing but positive feedback. Hope to see you at the next Border Collie Fun Day!

For more photos of the day, search for #bordercolliefunday on Instagram and Facebook. 

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Top 10 Ways To Reduce Plastic Waste

Here are some tips to make it happen:

  • Store food in recycled glass jars or glass storage containers with removable lids. This avoids the use of plastic wrap or plastic storage containers and limits exposure to plastic.
  • Look for glass baby bottles and drinking containers, or find a plastic one that is BPA free.
  • Use metal or wooden cooking utensils and chopping boards.
  • Make sure you recycle! Plastic containers and packaging are clogging up landfills and flowing into our groundwater.
  • Switch from plastic nappies to re-useable cloth. Modern cloth nappies are much easier to manage than their primitive forbearers. Visit a good cloth nappy shop or attend a free cloth nappy education session to find a style that works best for you.
  • BYOB to the shops! Take your own cotton, linen or recycled mesh bags when you do your shopping! This cuts back on plastic bag use.
  •  Choose food and cosmetic products with minimal packaging, and look for laundry and washing machine detergents that come in a box.
  • Re-use paper bags to pack your school lunches.
  • Choose wooden toys over plastic (they last longer as well. And kids love them!)
  • Buy products in bulk and store them in your own recycled jars and containers. This saves on money as well!
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Creating All Purpose Homemade Green Cleaner Guide

Here’s how to use them safely and effectively in your home:

Vinegar:

Vinegar is a rich source of acetic acid – this is a mild, natural acid that can kill bacteria and mould as well as breaking through soap scum and dirt. Most types of vinegar are excellent cleaning agents – look for white, distilled or apple cider vinegar, but avoid balsamic (unless you want black, streaky stains on your benchtop!).

Vinegar can be used for a variety of purposes – air-freshener, multi-purpose spray or bathroom disinfectant. Some people choose to use it on its own, but you can also add essential oils and natural perfumes to take away the mild vinegar smell.

Vinegar surface cleaner: Mix 500ml distilled vinegar with 10 drops of essential oil (lavender or rosemary). Shake well. Pour into spray bottle.

Bicarbonate of soda:

Bicarb soda, or sodium bicarbonate is made from soda ash – a compound that can be mined or processed from sodium chloride. It’s an excellent cleaning agent because it has alkaline properties, which cause dirt and grease to dissolve easily. It also works well to neutralize odours, and doesn’t have the strong, distinctive smell that vinegar carries.

Bicarb soda can be used almost anywhere throughout the house. It can be scattered on carpet prior to vacuuming to neutralize carpet odours, or interspersed through the bathroom, and then wipe clean with a hot wet cloth. It’s also an excellent replacement for a cleaning cream cleanser on your stove top or oven.

Oven cleaner cream cleanser: Simply mix bicarb soda with hot water to make a thick paste. This can be spread over the stovetop, oven or benchtop to remove grease and grime. Leave to rest (for tough stains, let it rest overnight), then wipe clean with a fresh cloth.

Lemon Juice:

Lemon juice is one of the most refreshing scents to enjoy in the home, it also works as an excellent cleaning agent and is environmentally friendly as well (especially if you grow your own lemons!).

Lemons are naturally high in citric acid, which gives them a low (acidic) pH. They also contain natural antibacterial properties, which work to kill germs on most surfaces.

You can use lemon juice as an air-freshener, surface cleaner, dish detergent, rinsing aid (in your washing mashine or dishwasher), or even to clean and shine metals such as brass or copper. Mixed with baking soda and vinegar it makes a superb all-purpose cleaner.

All-purpose cleaner with vinegar, lemon and bicarb soda: Mix together ¼ cup vinegar with 2 ½ tablespoons baking soda and 4 cups of hot water. Squeeze in the juice of 1 small lemon and allow to cool. Pour into spray bottles and label clearly.

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Warm Winter Paws

Some pets are more susceptible to the cold than others – short coated, very young and older dogs and cats need extra care during winter.

Dog with very short coats may benefit from the added warmth of a jacket.  Always ensure jackets fit snugly and that they don’t restrict the dog’s movement.  Waterproof jackets can be useful for outdoor winter walks, but never leave a damp or wet jacket on a dog. Some dog breeds, such as Whippets and Greyhounds have fine coats and very little body fat, whilst Devon and Cornish Rex cats have very short coats and Sphinx cats are virtually hairless. All of these breeds are particularly susceptible to the cold and it’s essential they’re kept cosy. 

Very young and older pets require extra consideration during winter.  Newly born or orphaned puppies and kittens can succumb to cold, whilst older dogs and cats often find it harder to keep themselves warm in colder weather. Elderly pets may slow down, spend more time in bed and be stiff when they move; this can be due to arthritis. Your vet may recommend medication to ease your dog’s discomfort. Older pets should sleep on a cushioned bed raised off the ground, a specially-designed pet electric blanket may also help.

All pets deserve to be well cared for and there are a few simple steps you can take to help maintain good health for your pet and guard against winter chills:

  • People love getting into a warm bed and snuggling under the doona on a cold night. Pets are no different, so create a draught-free sleeping place for your pet all year-round and provide extra bedding in winter.
  • If your dog has an outdoor kennel ensure the kennel is waterproof, the opening faces away from prevailing weather and provide plenty of bedding.
  • Winter home heating may be too hot for some dogs, they should always have the option to go somewhere cooler – like a tiled floor.
  • Provide fresh water at all times. Even though it’s cold pets still need access to clean, fresh water at all times. 
  • Shorter days and bleak weather may discourage outdoor activities, but try to maintain a regular exercise routine throughout winter. Remember to dry your dog off if they become wet while walking.

Always remember, despite their built-in fur coats, our pets can still feel the cold.

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Online Puppy & Adolescent Dog Training

“The Pet Lovers Puppy Club is great for those who can’t find the time to get to puppy classes or who live in a remote area, but we think it will also be of real benefit as a follow up to puppy classes for owners of adolescent dogs as this is the time when problem behaviours such as separation anxiety, jumping up, chewing and digging can start to emerge,” said Dr Katrina.

Research has shown that consistent training throughout the early and adolescent years improves a dog’s sociability and can reduce problem behaviours. This increases the likelihood of the dog engaging in shared activities with their owner and decreases the risk of the dog being surrendered.

“The program has all the benefits of a class, including weekly socialisation tasks and one-on one advice, but is available anywhere you have internet access,” said Dr Katrina. 

“Being able to access this information online means that puppy owners now have the chance to find a solution to their training problems in real time. And that’s something that has never been available before.”

The course, which runs for four weeks, provides pet owners with the necessary skills to give their puppy the best start in life and raise a social, well-behaved adult dog. It is for puppies of all ages and skill levels and covers the basics as well as fun things to do with your puppy such as trick training.

“It’s a very important resource for pet owners, given that most people invest more time, money and effort into their puppy than in any other period of their dog’s life,” said Kelly Gill.

The unique course offers members video tips, fact sheets and the opportunity to take part in live chats with Dr Katrina. It also provides:

  • Live support, through online chats and forums
  • Trouble shooting information around common problems such as toilet training, chewing, digging and barking 
  • A forum to meet other Puppy Clubbers, swap stories, share puppy photos and take part in competitions and giveaways.

Dr Katrina says that ensuring that owners are educated and puppies are trained also helps reduce the number of dogs surrendered due to behavioural issues. 10% of all Puppy Club subscriptions will be donated to Animal Welfare groups.

Dr Katrina Warren has 20 years’ experience as a loved and trusted media vet, best known for her roles on Harry’s Practice, Talk to the Animals, Beverly Hills Vet and Housecat Housecall. She became a household name for promoting responsible pet ownership and animal welfare.

Kelly Gill is one of Australia’s top dog trainers with over 21 years’ experience as a veterinary nurse, dog trainer and puppy class instructor. Kelly has also worked with dogs and cats for the film and television industry and her dogs hold over 250 obedience and agility titles.

Oakwood is a proud sponsor of the puppy club and we hope that you enjoy your training with Katrina and Kelly! 

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Loosing Your Mind Over Loose Hair?

Regularly brush your pet – Cats and dogs (and rabbits and guinea pigs and rats), long haired or short, will all shed their fur, so it is important to help the process and regularly brush them. The more loose hair you get rid of outside, the less you deal with inside.

Try Oakwood’s Pet Loose Hair Remover to remove your pet’s hair with the rubber brush side. Use the fabric side to get those tricky hairs stuck to furniture, clothing and your carpet. You can order it directly here

Use a damp rubber glove – just gentle go over the area with a slightly damp rubber glove and the pet hair sticks to the glove like glue. It is one of the fastest and easiest ways to remove unwanted pet hair from your furniture.