The ‘ruff’ reality of dog ownership

22/04/2025

Sometimes I say to Clover ‘maybe you’re not the absolute cutest thing in the whole wide world’… and then we look at photos like this together and we laugh and laugh about what a silly comment I have just made. 🍀🐾❤️

15/03/2025

Todays walk 🍀🐾❤️🌳

10km across fields and roads with pit stops by the river for a drink (for clover, not for me). 2 hours 15 minutes of sniffing and exploring for the princess. 🍀

27/02/2025

Spring is that you?! 🍀☀️🌼

It’s amazing what a difference a bit of sunshine makes to our walks 😂

Getting Clover out for a walk in the winter is a MISSION. She hates the cold, hates the rain, hates puddles, hates wind and just generally has an awful time whenever I take her out. I can’t say I blame her, but if I don’t take her out then instead she uses her energy to annoy me as much as humanly possible.

We play tug of war, we hide the treats, I play hide and seek with her, she has snuffle mats, I give her cardboard to rip up. But none of this is as effective as a good old fashioned walk.

But as soon as the sun comes out Clover changes from a depressed Eeyore character to a super happy girl, legging it round and engaging in fetch and other fun. So, yes. We are pleased the sun has come out today. ❤️🍀

10/02/2025

Do I care that Clover comes home from daycare and needs a bath? No, of course not, it means she’s had the best time. But do I wish Clover would be a bit more co-operative during bathtime and not try to climb out the bath consistently? Yes. Yes, that would be nice. (Last photo is an accurate representation of how Clover feels toward bathtime). 🍀🐾🛁

30/01/2025

BLOG LINK:

https://theruffrealityofdogownership.co.uk/dog-a**l-glands/

🍀❤️

When I first got Clover, I had no idea how much time I would spend worrying about her bum, massaging her bum, looking at her bum and paying for the vet to look at her bum. Nobody told me about any of this. (Turns out when you google ‘benefits of getting a dog’, dealing with dog a**l glands doesn’t appear as a result- weird!). I also have to spend time wiping her bum, although that’s not related to dog a**l glands, that’s a whole other issue (don’t worry, I’ll do a post on it soon!).

Anyway, apparently it’s a very normal to have dog a**l gland issues. Essentially all dogs have a**l glands which naturally empty themselves when they ‘relieve’ themselves by going to the toilet. But sometimes, (or in Clovers case- often!) they don’t naturally empty themselves (the posh term is ‘express’)- and this can cause problems. “But how will I know if the glands aren’t expressing properly?!” I hear you cry. Well, let me assure you that there is no need to be concerned about that. Firstly, you’re dog will show obvious signs of agitation. There will be butt scooting across your nice clean carpets, and their bum sort of swells and looks a bit sore. Clover also tells me she’s uncomfortable by sitting down really quickly or turning suddenly to her butt end as if she’s just been bitten or stung. But if you haven’t noticed any of these signs then don’t worry… because you can’t miss the smell…

08/12/2024

Clover was hurt, angry and disappointed that she had to go out for a walk in the cold wind today. It was a good chance to test out her coat though and I think we can all agree she looks fantastic. ❤️🍀

08/11/2024

On Fridays, Clover pretends to be a slug. 7/10 right colour and good shape but I’m not totally convinced by it. 🐌

Happy Friday all. 🐾🍀

07/07/2024

I gave in and made a ‘ruff reality’ TikTok.

Give us a follow if you’re that way inclined. 🍀🐾

253 Followers, 86 Following, 850 Likes - Watch awesome short videos created by TheRuffReality_OfDogOwnership

01/06/2024

*LINK TO FULL BLOG POST IN COMMENTS. 🍀*

The ruff reality of dog mum guilt. ❤️

“Dog mum guilt started when Clover was a puppy. If I had to put her in her pen whilst I had a shower (you know, to stop her gnawing the whole house down in my absence)… guilt. If I had to pop to the shop and leave her for 20 minutes… guilt. If I had to go to the office… guilt. Even going out for dinner for a couple of hours having spent the entire day with her, given her my full attention and two very long walks… you guessed it. Guilt. It felt as though I was leaving a piece of me behind… it still does.”

https://theruffrealityofdogownership.co.uk/the-ruff-reality-of-dog-ownership/

05/05/2024

🍀HOW TO GET YOUR DOG TO TAKE FLEA AND WORMING TABLETS🍀

Once every three months, I pick up Clovers flea and worming treatment… and then we go into battle. Here’s what I’ve learned about the techniques we’ve tried so far…

https://theruffrealityofdogownership.co.uk/dog-flea-and-worming-treatment-my-ruff-reality/

21/04/2024

**DOG NAME IDEAS ❤️🐾**

“So, you’ve read my previous blog posts (all of them, I’m sure) and you’ve thought to yourself “yeah, I could get involved with all of that.” You’ve thought carefully about ‘how much do dogs cost’ and you’ve considered all of my ‘top tips before you get a dog.’ You’ve made your decision and it’s final, and for that I salute you. Dog ownership just might be for you. Perhaps you’ve decided on a breed (if not, head over to ‘which breed of dog is right for me?’) and maybe you’ve even put your deposit down. But now it’s time for possibly the biggest decision you’ll face… what should you name your new dog?”

CLICK BELOW TO CONTINUE READING 🐾

What should you name your new dog? Just like I was three years ago, you've found yourself googling 'dog name ideas.'

11/04/2024

🍀THROWBACK THURSDAY TO OUR FIRST EVER BLOG POST. 🍀

‘Nobody warned me about dog a**l glands.’

Link to full blog post below- enjoy! 💩

https://theruffrealityofdogownership.co.uk/dog-a**l-glands/