Category: News & Press

We all start out with the best of intentions when we take on a puppy or a new dog. Most of us will attend puppy classes and dog training, even going on to take part in agility, heelwork training or learning to be an assistance dog. We teach our dogs skills that will stay with them. Now is a great time for revisiting those skills and polishing up our basics using positive training techniques and remembering the importance of a good relationship with your dog

Leave it!

This is a useful command to teach your dog, whether it is leaving your sandwich which you have just placed on the coffee table or something your dog is showing interest in outdoors that could be harmful. It is always useful to be able to call your dog away.

Greeting visitors

This might be a little trickier if you live alone but it would be great to rope in an assistant if you have others in your household! Practising appropriate behaviour when someone arrives at your home will make life easier in the long run, although if your dog does find this very exciting we would advise not to practice ringing the doorbell too regularly for the sanity of others in your house!

Stay

This is another useful skill for everyday life. Perhaps you may have spotted a danger that your dog has not and you would like him to stay where he is until you are safely able to reach them.

Drop it!

Dogs are brilliant at searching out all sorts of things left by others on a walk, or occasionally stealing things they shouldn’t. Making sure you can take these items back from your dog is very helpful.

Crossing the road

With current restrictions on movement in the UK, most people will be walking their dogs from home where possible. This means that you might be following the same or similar routes more often. It is great to practice safely crossing the road, especially if your dog is likely to get excited at the prospect of good sniffs on the other side! There are different ways that people like to train their dog to ensure they are safe, one of which is to ask your dog to sit and wait whilst you assess the traffic situation before moving to cross the road.

Toilet on command

Your dog may have mastered toilet training when they were a puppy, but another useful skill is to be able to ask your dog to toilet on command. If you are in a situation where you only have access to a suitable toilet area at certain times of day, or you ever need to collect a urine or stool sample from your pup, you will be grateful you spent the time teaching this command.

Carnilove treats provide a great high-reward incentive when training your dog. They come in a variety of different tempting flavours, in both crunchy and semi-moist formats which easily break up into smaller pieces if required.

SHOP NOW: Carnilove Dog Treats or Carnilove Cat Treats

READ MORE: Games to play with your dog

READ MORE: Check out these great resources for further information on dog training:

Kennel Club Good Citizen Scheme

Association Of Pet Dog Trainers

Here are some home grooming ideas to ensure that your pet remains in tip top condition while your usual dog groomer is closed. Grooming your dog is also a great for bonding with your furry pal!

If you have a long haired or fluffy dog, make sure that you brush them daily to keep them comfortable. Pay special attention to areas that are more likely to create friction such as under their collar or between their legs to make sure you do not miss any knots or tangles.

Even very short haired dogs will benefit from a good groom with an appropriate brush which will act like a massage and leave them nice and shiny! It is a great opportunity to check your dog for ticks or any lumps or bumps they may have acquired.

You might normally leave bathing your dog up to the professionals and indeed bathing a fluffy dog too often can increase the formation of matts and knots in their coat. If you do need to bathe your dog before you can get to the groomers again, here is some advice for those with fluffy dogs:

• Remove knots before bathing – the process of bathing the dog can often make these knots harder to remove.
• Do not dry your dog by rubbing them with a towel. This friction will create knots and matts in their fluffy coat. Instead pat dry, or even blow dry (on a cool setting) to keep the coat as straight as possible.
• Use conditioner on fluffy or wool type coats to help reduce matting.

Of course, every groomer will tell you good diet is essential to maintaining a great coat. Upgrade your groom to a full pampering package by using Carnilove wet dog food smeared on a Lickit mat as a treat during the grooming process!

If you are looking for more information about grooming your dog, this article from the Blue Cross is a good place to start: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/how-groom-dog. Alternatively there are many breed specific online forums where you might find ideas for dealing with your dog’s coat.

SHOP NOW: Carnilove Wet Dog Food

During this time it is important to keep an eye on your pet’s weight to ensure that they stay healthy. Multiple factors could affect their weight, from reduced exercise to owners being more available for pets to badger for treats! Having more of you at home may also mean that sneaky pets could be fed more often (as we all know, some pets have perfected the ‘I haven’t eaten for weeks’ look to fool owners into serving a second breakfast!).

The first place to check is the feeding guide provided by the manufacturer of your pet’s food. It is worth bearing in mind that this is only a guide and your pet’s requirements may vary slightly. You will need to take into consideration your pet’s age, activity levels and ideal weight when making these calculations. It’s easy to slip into bad habits, so referring back to the feeding guide is a good reminder.

You may also be tempted to feed your pet more treats than usual, especially if you are going through a stressful time. It is wise to keep in mind that treats should make up no more than 10% of your pet’s daily calorie allowance. If you would like to treat your pet more often, or you are looking for a training reward, you can take a portion of food out of their daily allowance for this purpose.

This body score tool from the WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association) can help you to identify if your pets body score is ideal:

Dog – https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Body-Condition-Score-Dog.pdf

Cat – https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Cat-Body-Condition-Scoring-2017.pdf

If you have any queries or want to discuss your pets feeding, you should be able to contact the seller to ask. For Carnilove nutritional queries in the UK, please contact 01737 488 400, email sales@bsbproducts.co.uk or contact us via our social media channels on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Learning fun new games with your pooch could be a great way to pass the time.

Hide and seek

This is a fantastic game to play if you have young, or even grown-up children at home. One person asks the dog to sit and wait in a location away from the other players (either in another room if playing inside or perhaps round the corner if you are playing in the garden or outside). The other players then hide in positions the dog will not be able to see them. The dog is sent in with a command such as ‘find them’. Much fuss and reward should be given to the dog for each player that is found and they will pick up the idea very quickly!

Hunting at home

Hide a number of treats or toys around an area in your house, out of sight from your dog. Let the dog into the room and ask them to sniff out the treats you have hidden. It is best to make sure you count how many treats you have hidden to make sure you know when this game is over!

Create your own agility course

You may not have access to the latest agility equipment but that does not mean you can’t have some fun building your own obstacle course for your dog. You can use a large box with two open ends to teach him to crawl through a tunnel or set up some empty plant pots upside down in a row and teach your dog to weave in and out of them.

Make your own snuffle mat

Snuffle mats are perfect to get your dog to use their brain and nose to find the tasty treats. They can also be used to slow down greedy eaters, making their portion of dry food last a bit longer! This blog from the Dog’s Trust explains how you can make one at home: https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/news-events/blog/2019/how-to-make-your-own-snuffle-mat

The muffin tin game

If you have a muffin tin and some tennis balls this game is great fun. Choose some high reward treats and place them in the muffin cups. Cover the treats by placing a tennis ball on top of each cup. Place the tin on the floor and encourage your dog to work out how to get to the treats.

Teach your dog to tidy up their toys

Now this might take a bit more practice than our other ideas! The game is based on the retrieve and drop commands to get your pooch to round up all their toys and drop them into a specified container.

• 1st Prize – 6 months of Carnilove food
• 2nd Prize – 3 months of Carnilove food
• 3rd Prize – Treat bundle

Come along to find out about our grain and potato-free dog foods that contain up to 80% wild-origin meat, along with forest fruits, vegetables and herbs. As requested, we have also packed lots of our ever-popular soft and crunchy treats!

When we began the search for our first-ever Carnilove dog ambassador earlier this year, we were looking for an animal and owner that truly captured what a ‘Carnilove Dog’ is. All dogs need love, warmth, exercise, stimulation, routine and, of course, an exceptional diet. As owners it’s our responsibility to provide all of this. A ‘Carnilove Dog’ responds to this care, bringing something special to the people around them.

When Balto’s owner, Sandra, entered our brand ambassador competition we realised that the love and time she dedicates to her beloved Husky would resonate with dog lovers up and down the country.

Sandra first met Balto when he was eight months old. He had been rescued by The Siberian Husky Welfare Association (SHWA-UK) from a dog shelter where he was just two days away from being be euthanised. SHWA-UK had found him a fosterer and Sandra had volunteered to be one of the drivers to transport Balto to his new foster home at the other end of the country.

The minute she met Balto Sandra was charmed by his sweet nature and surprised by just how calm and quiet he was in the car. Sandra already had an older husky, Keira, and wasn’t looking for another dog but she couldn’t help but connect with Balto. Unable to say goodbye permanently, Sandra applied and was soon approved to adopt Balto.

Sadly, Keira died a year or so after Balto arrived. Now, with more time on her hands, Sandra began entering Balto into various dog shows for fun, which he loved. He’s shown real potential in agility and participates in trick training classes (which is unusual for a Husky!). He also enjoys disobedience classes (as Sandra calls them, because Huskies are notoriously stubborn!) and has tried his paws at fly ball and long line scent work. He loves a challenge and trying different things.

Not one to rest on his laurels, five-year old Balto has also gone onto become a therapy dog with Therapy Dogs Nationwide (TDN). In this role he visits old people’s homes, day centres, schools, elderly psychiatric wards and gets involved with mental health awareness training days. In his (limited!) spare time, he works to promote both rescue dogs and the Siberian Husky breed at events such as Discover Dogs.

This life helps to keep Balto happy and healthy and is clearly very fulfilling for Sandra as well. Sandra has to keep Balto motivated through training, shows and in his role as a therapy dog so treats are essential. Carnilove semi-moist treats are perfect; they’re not greasy or flaky so can be kept in pockets or hands without leaving crumbs, oil or smell. Even though the treats are very small, they can be easily broken into three. This is just as well because everyone that Balto meets or helps likes to reward him, and he thoroughly enjoys it too!

Sandra is very careful to make sure that Balto’s not overfed and he maintains a healthy weight so any treats he is fed throughout the day are offset with a smaller evening meal. For his main meals Balto loves all of the Carnilove recipes, both kibble and wet food, but his particular favourite is Salmon.

When he’s not out meeting people, training or competing in dog shows, Balto’s favourite thing to do is to retreat to what Sandra calls his ‘man caves’; a selection of soft crates in his bedroom. The doors are always open but it takes quite a lot to prize Balto out! We think that this wonderful Siberian Husky richly deserves his downtime…

BSB Products, the exclusive importers and distributors of Carnilove, today announces that it has appointed its first-ever Carnilove dog ambassador. Balto is a six-year-old Siberian Husky who was rescued as a puppy and has since become a therapy dog as well as working diligently to promote rescue dogs and the Siberian Husky breed.

At eight months old, Balto was in a dog shelter and just two days away from being euthanised before The Siberian Husky Welfare Association stepped in. They found him a foster home at the eleventh hour and Sandra, now Balto’s owner, initially met him when she was involved in transporting him to his temporary home. “I was amazed by Balto’s sweet and gentle nature when we first met; he was so calm and quiet on the long car journey to his foster home.” Sandra tells us. It really was love at first sight, so Sandra applied and was approved to adopt him.

Sandra and Balto lead very busy lives. As well as entering lots of fun dog shows, this perceptive Husky also supports and comforts children, the elderly and the poorly as a TDN (Therapy Dogs Nationwide) therapy dog.

Colin Rodger, Director at BSB Products explains why Balto was chosen as Carnilove’s first dog ambassador: “Carnilove perfectly balances the needs of dogs versus what they crave with exceptionally tasty food and treats that contain all of the nutrients that they require. Balto entirely echoes this ethos with his dedication to work, rest and play.” Colin continues “Balto captures everything that a dog should be, he’s plucky, gentle, lively, kind, sensitive and, most importantly, a loyal friend. His journey from an unwanted, unchipped pup to a dog that provides comfort and distraction in care environments and the wider community makes him a champion in our eyes.”

To find out more about Balto, follow Carnilove on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for regular updates!

Come and see us at Crufts, in Hall 2, Stand 40 to enter!

We’re on the hunt for our very first brand ambassador to represent Carnilove dog food and treats. The search will take place exclusively at this year’s Crufts.

The winning ambassador will showcase how Carnilove’s grain- and potato-free dry, wet and fresh dog food fuels an active and happy routine, whether it is recovering from a challenging start to life, or for fuelling a busy working routine.  The winning dog will receive Carnilove food and treats for a year as a thank you for carrying out their ambassador duties.

To enter, owners need to bring their completed entry forms to the Carnilove stand in Hall 2, Stand 40. The forms can either be downloaded from the website in advance or collected from the stand itself.  The winner will be announced by 5pm on Friday 15^th March via Carnilove’s social media channels.   Full terms and conditions can be found below.

Carnilove will also be running several other competitions in the run up to and during Crufts.  Keep an eye out for your chance to win tickets to Crufts for you and a friend in the next few weeks on our Facebook page.

We’ll also be offering visitors at Crufts the chance to win one of three pamper packs for a small, medium and large size dog, containing luxury items including a dog bed and toys from Martin Sellier and Carnilove food and treats.  To be in with a chance of winning one of these packs, come and see us on our stand!

We look forward to seeing you all at Crufts in March!

The Carnilove stand: Hall 2, Stand 40

Crufts 2019

Birmingham NEC, 7^th to 10^th March

To download your form click here

Terms and conditions

1. The promoter is BSB Products Ltd whose registered office is Bancroft House, 10 Bancroft Road, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 7RP.
2. The competition is open to all residents in the UK and Ireland aged 18 or over, excluding BSB employees; their close relatives; trade customers and retailers; or anyone connected with the competition.
3. The competition will run from 8.30am Thursday 7th March, up until 4pm Sunday 10th March at the Carnilove stand in Hall 2, Stand 40 at Crufts 2019. Entries made outside of this period will not count.
4. Strictly one entrant per pet is allowed. In households where more than one pet is entering, each pet must be entered on a separate entry form.
5. The competition is not open to owners or their dogs who are already ambassadors for other pet brands. BSB Products Ltd reserves the right to retract the brand ambassador appointment if it is discovered at a later date that the winner is already an ambassador to another pet brand.
6. There is no entrance fee and no purchase necessary for the competition.
7. There will only be one winner, and BSB Products Ltd’s decision on that winner is final. No further correspondence will be entered into after the announcement has been made.
8. BSB Products Ltd cannot accept responsibility for lost or damaged entries and reserves the right to disqualify anyone which it believes to be offensive or inappropriate or contravenes the terms and conditions of this competition.
9. By entering this competition, you are agreeing to BSB Products Ltd’s terms and conditions, and it will use the information you have provided to communicate with you.
10. BSB Products Ltd reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition at any given time.
11. The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges from BSB Products Ltd or independent guest judges invited by BSB Products Ltd.
12. The prize is as stated below. There is no cash alternative and the prize cannot be sold or transferred in any circumstances.

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who came and saw us at Crufts 2018 we had an amazing event and we loved meeting all of you! We also want to thank all you dog lovers who entered our Crufts competition to win a year’s supply of Carnilove Dog Food!

The winner of the year’s supply of Carnilove is Rose Sewell! The four runner up prizes who win a 12kg bag of Carnilove are Joanne best, Dale Puckey, Allison Sherlock and Diane Croarkin! Congratulations all! This has been announced across our social media channels, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We would love to see you at one of our shows this year, below is a list of all the exhibitions we will be at so please do make sure you come by and say hello.

Cat Shows
Surrey & Sussex Cat Show – 17/03/2018
Preston and Blackpool Cat Club Show – 24/03/2018
Midland Counties Cat Show – 05/05/2018
Bristol Cat Show – 02/06/2018
Eastern Counties – 14/07/2018
Humberside & Lincolnshire Cat Club – 28/07/2018
Chester Cat Show – 11/08/2018
Somerset Cat Show – 08/09/2018
Kentish Cat Society – 20/10/2018
Supreme Cat Show – 27/10/2018
Yorkshire Cat Show – 10/11/2018
National Cat Show – 08/12/2018

Dog Shows
Crufts Event – 8th – 11th March (NEC Birmingham)

Trade Shows
PATS Sandown – 22nd– 23rd March (Sandown Park, Surrey)
Glee Birmingham – 10th -12th Sept 2018 (NEC Birmingham)
PATS Telford – 23rd – 24th September (Telford International Centre)

If you have any questions about any of these events we are attending please email us on marketing@bsbproducts.co.uk or call 01737 488400