Growing up with Bear Bear

01. Hello
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Hello!
Meet Bear Bear



It has been an exciting few weeks making sure everything is ready for Bear Bear as we welcome her into our family. Our friends at Purina have been giving us tips to help introduce Bear Bear into her new home. We are going to share all the tips that we are learning along the way with you! We are so excited and so are Mum and Dad. Thanks for following us!

02. Deciding to Get a Pet
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Deciding to get a pet



Hi everyone, Max and Izzy here.
Bear is all settled in to our home and we are having lots of fun together! We thought it would be great to tell you all about why we wanted to get a pet and how we ended up choosing Bear.
To begin with, Mum and Dad both grew up with dogs for pets and they loved having them around. They said pets make people happy and they had lots of fun, so they wanted the same for us too. Also, we like to do lots of fun outdoor activities as a family and we wanted a pet that would be able to join in with us.
We decided the first thing we should do, was to look for breeders and information online. The breed selector tool on the purina website was a huge help because we were able to see all the dog breeds available in New Zealand and learn all about them. Mum and Dad said this was important as some dogs require a lot more attention than others and may require more training to be a good fit for a house with children. Using the breed selector tool, we took turns in picking dogs that we thought were cute, then learning all about them and deciding whether or not they would be a good fit for our family.
Our friends at Purina NZ say there are a lot of things to consider before getting a new dog so we made sure we had thought about why we wanted a pet and what kind of pet would be suitable for our lifestyle.
We read all about them and it all went from there!
Well that’s all for now!
Talk to you soon,
Izzy and Max

03. Choosing the Breed
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Choosing The Breed



Hi everyone, Max and Izzy here.
So after searching and searching, we eventually came across the Hungarian Vizsla and it was love at first sight!
Mum and dad researched everything from temperament to what Vizslas were originally bred for and we could see that it was the perfect breed for our family.
Also a family friend had a Vizsla and had always described it as a ‘Velcro’ dog; always wanting to be with you and in contact with you, which we thought was perfect.
One big thing that we considered was how much hair the dog had and whether they would be moulting. After all, Mum and Dad just found us a new home and really wanted to keep the carpet clean!
Normally dogs have an overcoat and an undercoat, but Hungarian Vizslas don’t have any. They still have hair just don’t shed as much, so that was a big ‘thumbs up’ from Mum and Dad. If your pet moults everywhere here is a trick we learnt!
Mum and Dad did lots of research online and we quickly found that dogs like Bear were in high demand. Mum and Dad wanted to find someone we liked and were happy with. Eventually we found a family in Wellington who bred Vizslas for hunting! We phoned them and spoke to them and luckily they had the perfect dog for us!
Our friends at Purina had some great tips and questions that you should ask yourself before buying a pet. So we thought we should share these with you:
1) Think about the care and training you will need to provide
How can you prepare your home to be a comfortable and safe place for your new dog? What toys and supplies do you need? How much time will you need to set aside for training? Good planning will ensure a smooth transition and the chance to establish a healthy bond right away.
2) Establish your family’s roles
There’s something for everyone in your family to do when it comes to looking after your new dog. Just ensure that all family members have a clear understanding of their roles in the care-taking and that they all treat the dog in the same consistent manner.
3) Plan for costs
You’re going to want to plan ahead and budget for all the care your dog will need, including visiting the veterinarian, taking training classes, toys and food.
There really is a lot to think about! You can read more here.
Well that’s all for now, we hope you learned some great tips!
Talk to you soon,
Izzy and Max

04. Introduction to New Home
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Introduction To New Home



Hi guys,
Izzy and Max here!
This week’s blog is all about introducing Bear to her new home.
We had talked about getting a dog at home for a long time, but weren’t sure when it was going to happen. We had our fingers crossed leading up to Christmas!
Finally, Mum and Dad told us on Christmas day that we were getting a pet! We were so excited. We picked Bear up in January and prepared ourselves for our big journey ahead with her.
When we first took Bear home, she was a bit scared because everything was all different. We gave her treats with positive commands so she would follow us and explore her new home so she could be happy and get used to her new surroundings.
She slowly became more comfortable and once she saw the cool space we have outside for her, she started running around and enjoying herself, sniffing and exploring and having fun.
Now Bear is very happy in our home and we all spend as much time with her as we can. We couldn’t take her to doggy day care til she was 3 months old, so we had to wait to take her out to see other people and families. During this time Bear became really comfortable around all of us and she has settled in very nicely.
Thanks for reading!
Izzy & Max

05. The Family & The Puppy
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The Family & The Puppy



Hi guys,
This week, we are going to tell you all about how Bear Bear is getting on with the family.
Everything is going perfectly! Bear seems very happy and we love playing with her and giving her cuddles.
We haven’t had any issues with Bear, she is pretty well behaved! She does like to nip and bite things but we learned that this is just normal it’s part of teething and is her way of learning to control her bite. When she nips a little too hard, the best thing to do is say ‘no’ and ignore her. That way she knows that is naughty and not ok.
We all take turns feeding and walking Bear and Mum and Dad take her to bed at around 10pm when they go to sleep. Before we got Bear, Mum and Dad told us that looking after her would be a shared responsibility and that we would have to help as much as possible. We are helping with everything from feeding to toilet training and we are learning a lot about what it takes to look after a pet. It is definitely a harder job than we thought!
We spend lots of time walking Bear to the beach and park, and training her to respond to commands. Hanging out with Bear on the couch is definitely our favourite thing to do.
Training Bear is not finished yet. She is getting used to hearing her name and becoming more obedient. If Bear isn’t listening to us, we usually don’t worry as she is still learning. If it is in a serious situation though, like asking her to sit before we safely cross the road, we give her a helping hand if she doesn’t obey. That is important because it teaches her what to do in that situation from an early age.
Well, that’s all for now.
Talk soon!
Izzy & Max

06. Transition to Purina ONE
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Transition to Purina ONE



Hi Guys,
This week we thought we would share with you how we helped Bear change her food to Purina ONE.
When we got Bear she was being fed a different food. We followed the guidelines online and gave her a small amount of Purina ONE with the food she was eating. We then slowly increased the amount of Purina ONE and reduced the old food we gave her until after about 10 days she was only eating Purina ONE.
We used to feed her four times a day, but now we feed her twice a day, which is way easier!
Our friends at Purina have asked us to share some tips for feeding your pet, so we have chosen the ones that helped us the most:
• Recommendations for your dog will vary depending upon your dog’s age, breed, activity level, metabolism and your own schedule. Whether you feed your dog once or twice daily, make sure to feed him at the same time each day and provide fresh drinking water at all times.
• Follow the feeding guide on the back of the pack, but remember the guide is only there to give you an idea. Every dog is an individual, so the most important consideration is to feed enough to maintain a lean, healthy condition. Always provide a bowl of fresh drinking water.
• If you feed biscuits or treats, remember to reduce your dog’s main meals accordingly. Treats should never be more than 15 per cent of your dog’s diet.
• Look for a bowl that will resist tipping over and is easy to clean. Separate bowls for food and water will help keep your dog’s feeding area tidy. You may want to buy a smaller bowl when your dog is a puppy, and upgrade to larger ones as he grows and needs more food. You may also want a standard 250ml measuring cup so that you can feed your dog the amount recommended on the bag.
• Some dogs can develop the habit of eating too quickly which can cause stomach issues. For a great tip to slow down your dog’s eating, check out this video.
Well that’s all for now!
Thanks for reading,
Izzy & Max

07. New Dog, New Tricks!
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New Dog, New Tricks!



Hi guys,
This week’s blog is all about tricks!
We haven’t started to teach Bear any hard tricks yet. She is still learning easy things like sitting, coming when we call her name and hopping in and out of bed. Also, she is learning to stay at the bottom of the stairs until we call her up.
As we talked about last time, we started rewarding Bear’s good behaviour with treats and praise from when we first got her.
When you are teaching your dog tricks you have to be really patient with them and not expect too much too soon. Learning can sometimes take them a while and you always need to make sure you keep giving your dog rewards with treats and lots of praise.
We haven’t really kept track of how long it takes Bear to learn a new trick, but she is definitely getting better every day so we are very proud of her.
One important thing we learned is to be treat-wise when you are rewarding your pet.
This means being careful with what treats you give your dog, and how many.
Dogs eat some different foods than we do and some things that are good for people to eat can be really unhealthy for a dog.
Our friends at Purina have told us that when you are choosing treats for your dog, you should think about the size of your dog, their caloric requirements for the day and their weight. Treat your dog sensibly and remember to reduce the amount of food you give them on a day that you have given them treats, because you might overfeed them and make them gain weight. A fat dog is not a healthy or happy dog.
Learning new tricks can be lots of fun and helps you bond with your dog. Reward your dog with treats and praise and always be patient and loving with them.
Thanks for reading!
Izzy & Max

08. Life’s a Beach!
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Life’s a Beach!



Hey guys!
We have been having heaps of fun with Bear and she has started to really enjoy going to the Beach. On our trips there, we have seen lots of dog owners and so have decided for this week’s blog we will talk about something called beach etiquette.
Beach etiquette to us means making sure you and your dog are behaving in a good way at the beach. This means thinking about the area, and the other people and dogs at the beach and making sure you follow any rules. To have proper beach etiquette, you need to be in control of your dog all the time. It is important that you keep your dog on a lead and that they know how they should behave at the beach. Oh and don’t forget to pick up after any toilet stops!
For us, we knew Bear was well behaved, but because the beach is such an exciting place for a dog, we thought there was a chance she could try to run away and go up to people and other pets.
When we first took her to the beach, we kept her quite close and used commands to let her know when she wasn’t doing the right things. She learnt quite quickly that she needed to be on her best behaviour here if she wanted some more freedom to wander around. Our trips to the dog park also helped to teach her this too.
We have seen some bad beach etiquette on our trips to the beach. Some people let their dogs off the leash without proper training. We have also seen dogs run across people’s towels, jump on strangers, chase other dogs and not come back to their owners when they are called.
We think it is up to the owner to make sure their dog is behaving properly. The owner needs to let their dog know exactly which behaviour is good. This is really important for the dog’s safety and the safety of other people at the beach.
Thanks for reading!
Izzy & Max

09. The Busy Season
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The Busy Season



Hi guys,
Christmas is the most exciting time of the year, but for mum and dad they say its guests, stress and time away, so we thought we would talk all about how this can affect your dog.
When you are going to have lots of people in your home it can be quite scary for your dog. Bear doesn’t get scared when new people come home, but she does get very excited. She can be over-friendly and wants lots of attention from new people. This is okay to start with but can get a bit annoying so once the person has said hi to Bear, we tell them to ignore her until this over-friendly behaviour stops. That way, Bear learns what amount of attention is okay for her to ask for.
We have socialised Bear quite well, so she is used to having quite a few different people around her. Dad says if your dog is not used to being around lots of people, it is a good idea to introduce them to more people gradually, not all at once. If you have not done this and think you are going to have lots of people in your house for Christmas, it is a good idea to shut your dog in a quiet room where you can visit them away from the noise and they will not be stressed.
Christmas can also mean time away, either for short shopping trips, or for long holidays. To get Bear used to being alone and entertaining herself, we leave her at home for small periods of time. She is okay when we come home and she has not been barking a lot or left a mess so we know she has not been too worried or stressed out.
We are also lucky that we have family and good friends who are happy to look after Bear if we go on holiday. This is great as we feel good knowing that she will have someone she knows looking after her if we go away and we can’t take her with us.
Here are a few tips from our friends at Purina for helping your pet through the holiday season:
1. Prepare a quiet hiding place for your pet to retreat to and feel safe – you may have visitors to the house that your dog is not used to and the dog may become frightened or overexcited.
2. Reward your dog for being calm so he or she knows this is the behaviour you want.
3. Maintain their routine to ensure a sense of ‘normal’ around the home.
4. If you have any concerns about how your dog may react, talk to your vet or pet care specialist in advance. There are even some products which can help calm a nervous dog which they can advise about. And make sure that as well as preparing your dog for your guests, you prepare your guests, who may not be familiar with dogs, for how to behave around them.
Thanks for reading,
Happy Holidays everyone!
Izzy & Max

10. Our New Lives
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Our New Lives



Hi guys,
Izzy & Max here!
After a busy holiday period and lots of time away with Bear, we thought we would talk to you all about how Bear has improved our home and changed our lives for the better.
Firstly, we have had to become much more responsible! One of the main conditions for Mum and Dad letting us get a dog was that we would help with everything. We have to make sure we are feeding Bear regularly, that she is clean and that she gets enough exercise and most importantly, make sure she is healthy and that we go with her on trips to the vet. All of these jobs have made us become more organised ourselves so that we can make sure Bear is getting the attention that she needs, so we definitely think that has made our lives better.
The next reason is that Bear has made us much more social! We love taking her to the dog park every weekend and we have met lots of new friends there. Bear has made lots of doggy friends there too so we are always talking to other families with pets and sharing our positive experiences with them. It has also made us more social with each other as we get to share the responsibilities and work together to make sure Bear is happy and comfortable in our home.
Another great change is that we have become much more active as a family! All of our trips to the dog park, to the beach to take Bear for swims and even just playing fetch with her in the garden bring our family together to exercise and we have a lot of fun. Mum and Dad say they feel much healthier too with all of the running around!
And last but not least, we are so happy. Bear makes us laugh and smile and we consider her one of the family. She is always there to cuddle when we have had a long day or to keep us snug when we watch movies together on the couch and we are so glad we found her and welcomed her into our home.
Talk to you next time,
Izzy & Max
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