How to avoid a canine horror during the hot summer holidays!
Brigit Grant offers a few good ideas to keep your pooches occupied in the warmer months!
Brigit Grant is the Jewish News Supplements Editor
Parlour Talk
Jewish dogs get very anxious in mid-July. They can tell it’s July because of the chicken soup shortage and a sudden switch to Gazpacho on Friday nights. Then there are the impossibly early morning walks to avoid the sun and insufferable meet-ups for coffee
al fresco at Café Toulouse in the Suburb, where they have to share bowls of tepid water.
The only joy for these kvetching canines is sharing their woes while visiting Pet Mania on Mill Hill Broadway. It is there in the perfumed and pristine comfort of this grooming parlour that they get to cool off, essentially while being washed and clipped and pampered. Owner Gina Woolf prides herself on knowing the way each of her furry clients likes to be treated and whether they look better with a full fringe or a side-parting. Taking over the popular salon in May 2018 was a dream Gina harboured for over 10 years and from the moment she welcomed the first four-legged customer through the door, she knew “it was the place for me”. Since then, Gina and her team have reinvigorated Pet Mania Introducing a pop-up photo booth, new ultra-Sonic teeth cleaning, a loyalty card scheme and a Cat Sunday service on the last Sunday of every month. She also plans to offer a Sunday Splash for those in need of a wash/brush and tidy after a wild weekend. As temperatures rise, Pet Mania – assuming you can get an appointment – is all about removing excess fur as it’s essential dogs don’t overheat or pick up pesky ticks and grass seeds which are dangerous.
Happy with their haircuts, the dogs also sense that a summer snip signals their owners departure to Majorca. For the lucky ones, this means a stay at bubbah’s where the chicken soup just keeps coming.
Pet Mania 0208 906 4884 – #makingfurryfabulous
Devon Days 4 Dogs
Beagle Charlie Spender stayed at Devon Country Barns outside the leafy village of Lifton. Charlie was at The Orchard, one of five beautiful barn conversions with under floor heating,wood-burners, kitchens with ultra-modern appliances and a wall-mounted flatscreen home cinema that he only watched a bit.
The residence ticked every box for Charlie particularly the large enclosed patio and he couldn’t believe his luck with the acres of fields he could run through on the doorstep and a river for cooling down. Many of the beaches are dog friendly and the local pubs among them The Springer Spaniel near Launceston and The Rock Inn near Daymer Bay. Charlie got to taste his first Cornish Pasty and race across Dartmoor. He is still dreams about the pasty.
www.premiercottages.co.uk, 07500 702248
Dumbledore, a Tibetan, also got to lollop in Devon, but in Babbacombe Bay at the Cary Arms and Spa or ‘Inn on the Beach’ as it is also known. Dumble was pretty chuffed to find treats and a luxury dog cushion by the cutesy door of Pebble Suite cottage which inside was a snazzy split-level, two-bed apartment with a lounge and dining room, a stocked kitchen and a slipper bath looking out to sea.
Set on a cliff perch overlooking the bay, the higgledy hotel was visited by Queen Victoria where she painted the scenery from a rowing boat in 1852. Dumbledore wasn’t fussed by this or the fact that Agatha Christie was born nearby, but he did like the free doggie bar snacks in the main dining-room and being petted by the staff. There’s lots to do around the area, what with the steam train, horse-riding and Torquay, but moving about seems unnecessary when there is a Thalgo spa, a Jacuzzi swimming pool and extra fluffy scones at the cream tea. A must for mutts.
www.caryarms.co.uk, 01803 327110
Bruce & Akive
Look out for Shtisel’s Michael Aloni and his dog Bruce if you are in Tel Aviv. Most likely spot? Surfing together or hanging in the writer’s room for Season 3…
Dog Doings
Hounds on the Heath on July 14 (11am-4pm) is a free event that has activities and entertainment for both two-and four-legged visitors. Stalls selling veggie and vegan street food and treats for dogs in Temptation Alley. Contests for agility, waggiest tail and best looking. It’s all at Hampstead Heath Cricket Pitch
www.themayhew.org
Has your pooch got what it takes to be top dog and impress a panel of celeb judges such as Ricky Gervais? Pup Idol returns to the Garden Gate pub in Hampstead for their annual dog show on July 14 in aid of All Dogs Matter. Categories include Cutest pup to Mr Hampstead. £5 entry
www.alldogsmatter.co.uk/pup-idol
Smelly solutions
Groomindales Janet Rabbie has all the right pedigree experience as she started as a dog walker and licenced home boarder before moving into grooming. Training alongside Colin Taylor, the friends have since started Colin Taylor Grooming.
“We started the range as there are few companies who manufacture products specifically for Groomers,” says Janet “So with Colin’s knowledge and me for critique, our adventure began with a launch at Crufts in 2018 with seven products and a year later due to a great response we increased the range to 13.”
All the products are manufactured in the UK and include natural hypoallergenic shampoos and the colognes – Ultra and Sassy and finishing sprays. Nominated for Product of the Year their “Fast Dry” spray speeds the drying time of the dogs and they have recently introduced Pure Filth shampoo designed to “eliminate the awful smells of fox and worse”.
All of the products are used at Groomindales salon in Hendon where the two experienced groomers are specialists: Barbara with elderly and poorly dogs and Charlie in Asian Fusion and breed standard. Both groomers also work with hand stripping.
Always available for individual consultations, the well being of the dogs is a priority. Asked if she thinks Jewish dogs are different, Janet simply replied: “Yes, of course.”
But note Groomindales is very discreet.
www.groomindales.co.uk or call 07471 209480
Fancy a picnic with the furry ones?
Duke’s in London have always done gourmet summer picnics in Green Park and St James’s, but now they are doing them for dogs. The Classic picnic is set up by the Dukes team with comfy cushions, cosy blankets, cutlery and glasses.
Priced from £39.50 per person, Vegan Picnics are £35,Children’s £17, and the Dog’s dinner is £15 per pooch.
Call 0207 491 4840 or visit
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