And the winner is....

Thank you for your patience in the results of our competition. It has taken me rather a long while to recover from our Crufts trip as my Fibromyalgia flared up, but I'm starting to feel better now, and all entries have been verified so its time to announce the winner.

The winner was chosen at random and I am very please to announce that our winner is Gemma M!
Congratulations Gemma, please check your Twitter and let us know your dogs size/age/gender and I will get your dogs mystery box sent out!

A few updates

I have really been busy recently and the blog is way behind right now, sorry about that! But Maisies Instagram account has been kept up to date so at least you get your daily dose of cuteness!

Our competition has ended, and the winner will be announced shortly once all the entries have been checked. Good luck to everyone who entered. Check back in a few days time to see who won!

I will be doing "Group Spotlights" rather than breed by breed for the dogs at Crufts, as well as posting info on how Maisie's getting ready for her big day at Crufts!

The one good thing about insomnia - catching up on things that I didn't to during the day!

Spotlight on the Standard Poodle

Despite my favorite breed being the Longcoat Chihuahua, I am starting with the Standard Poodle because they are just stunning dogs, who can do an amazing job in the field too!

The most well known Standard Poodle has to be Ch. Afterglow Maverick Sabre (pet name Ricky!) who won Best In Show at Crufts 2014

To put it lightly, he is stunning! He has it all - Conformation, Grace, Power, and Personality! He is a dog that can put on an amazing show in the ring, but you can see would easily be able to do what the breed was originally meant to do! Just as a dog should. His breeder should be (and I'm certain are!) very proud!

Moving in the ring - Look at that muscle!
http://www.scunthorpetelegraph.co.uk/Crufts-2015-Best-Channel-4-tonight-Clare-Balding/story-26137366-detail/story.html

Winning the Utility Group, then on to Best In Show
http://www.afterglow-spinoni.co.uk/attachments/Image/Ricky-@-Crufts1.jpg?template=generic

Ricky winning Best In Show
http://i3.cdnds.net/14/11/618x495/ricky-the-poodle-wins-crufts.jpg

Standard poodles were originally bred to hunt and retrieve birds that had been shot, particularly in water which is why they have the cuts they are shown in today. Each of the "pompoms" are there to protect the dogs joints and to give buoyancy in the water.

A poodle retrieving in the fieldhttp://www.bestinshowdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/PCA_hunt_1.jpeg

Poodles are also very good at other types of work. They can be used at Therapy Dogs, do Agility, be Support Dogs, help the Disabled, all sorts of things. Standards are very diverse dogs, and because of their inteligence they need a lot of mental stimulation. They are great pets so long as they have a "job" to do to keep their minds active as well as their bodies.

A poodle working with his owner
http://www.agooddogday.productions/working-photos/

I will write up about the Miniature Poodle and the Toy Poodle later. What brilliant dogs!

Throwback to winter

Even though it was very cold we still needed to take a nice long walk. Pippi (pug cross chihuahua) was given this beautiful purple jumper as a christmas present but sadly it was too small for her. However it was the perfect fit for Maisie and kept her nice and warm on the beach.
Doesn't she look stunning!

Insta-dog!

Maisie has now joined the other canine celebrities and joined Instagram! Come and follow the worlds cutest chihuahua* and see all her adventures!

Click here to follow Maisies Adventures instagram account!

*This is purely her mums opinion but she is pretty sure it's an accurate description!

Its competition time!

With Crufts coming up, and a brand new Instagram account all about Maisie, it looks like its time to run a competition. We toyed with the idea of giving away a toy or a bag of treats but that never felt like enough, so instead Maisie has chosen to give away a whole Mystery Box to one of her fans for their dog!

Everything in there will be suitable for your dogs size, and it could contain anything from toys to collars to treats and so much more. There are lots of items in the mystery box and one lucky pup will win it all!

To enter, simply follow the instructions. The more things you do, the more entries you get! The more entries we get, the more items we add to the box!

Pretty Pooches Mystery Dog Box Giveaway

Crufts Countdown!

Im sure many people reading this are as excited as I am. Crufts is the worlds biggest dog show, and you see some of the worlds most beautiful dogs competing against each other for the coveted Best In Show title!

I am heading up to Birmingham NEC on Toy and Utility Day, especially to see my favorite breeds, the Chihuahuas, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and all 3 sizes of Poodle. Thanks to the Discover Dogs section I will also be able to go and say Hi to nearly any breed of dog you can imagine!

Lots of photos to be taken and lots of toys and treats to buy for my own pooches!

So excited!