Framed Paw Print Tutorial

I LOVE this idea! I am all about personalized artwork! This would be great as a gift as well! I have seen a few variations of this and figured I would give it a try for my puppies.

 

Here is what you will need:

-Picture Frame

-Scrapbook Paper

-Plain White Paper or Card stock

-Ink Pad

-Glue

-Printer or Marker

-Baby Wipes or Damp Towel

-Scissors

-and your pet of course!

 

 

 

You will first want to get everything ready and laid out ahead of time. I got everything together and went outside. I laid out the paper, ink pads and baby wipes. Side note on the ink pad: make sure you choose a non toxic, washable ink for this project .

 

Then it's time to wrangle up a willing volunteer! Hummm who to choose first?

 

 

I had my dog come outside and sit facing me. I had them "shake" and held onto their paw and blotted it onto the ink pad. If you do not think you dog will sit still you can have them lay down on their side and do the same.

 

 

From there, you will need to place your dogs paw firmly onto the paper. Make sure to apply pressure to all toes as well. As you can see my dogs have very furry feet so we got ink on their hair as well. After you have made you paw print you can try a few more until you find one you like best.

After you are done make sure to use your baby wipes to clean off your dogs foot.

As you can see some some were better than others! I chose the one on the right as my favorite!

 

The hardest part is over! Now it's time to get creative!

For the next part you can go into word and type up their names or you can free hand them on some extra paper or card stock. I do not have nice handwriting so I chose to use a cute font and cut out their names. You can use scissors and a fancy paper cutter like I have here.

 

 

Next, you will need to get your frame and decide on a design. Since I like in no-man-land we have little selection so I had to choose two separate frames. I wanted to put both of the paw prints together in one frame but they did not have any big enough at the store. So, we had to make due with what was available.

 

 

I chose two of these 5x7 frames. I wanted to dress them up a little more so I grabbed some scrapbook paper for the background and began to arrange the paw print, trim them down, and add the name tags I made in word.

You can fill the entire frame with the paw print if you like, or you can have a mat put around it. It all depends on you personal preference!

 

 

After a little cutting and creating this is what I came up with. The scrapbook paper is cut 5x7, the paw prints are cut 4x4 and the little name tags are cut 2x1 1/2.

 

 

For the next part you will need to glue it all together. I have some scrapbook glue I am going to use but you can use a glue stick, rubber cement or something to that nature.

 

 

Once you have everything all glued down you pop them into the frames!

Don't forget to clean the glass! (I forgot and they were very dirty!)

 

 

And here you go! A great way to remember your pet! Cheap, Fun and CUTE!

****Here is an update for our blog!****

Last time I was home I made these for my dad and his dogs. I used all the same materials and instructions as above I just added burlap to make it more personalized. I also used a paint brush and some black paint to write in the names.

What do you think?

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by! See y'all next time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valentines Day Giveaway!!

We all know Valentines Day is around the corner so we decided to do something fun. We would like to host a contest from now until the day after Valentines Day!

 

I have a jar of Starburst candies and if you can guess the number of candies in this jar you will win a $25 Gift Card for Southern Wag Merchandise!

 

The closest guess without going over is the winner!

 

 

 

The not so fine print of the contest: Please make sure you are subscribed to our blog to be eligible to be a winner. How to become a follower is by scrolling down our page and on the left hand side you will see a blue button that says "Join this site."

Then you will follow the instructions prompted.

Once you are a follower you can then submit your guess at the bottom of this blog! Have fun and good luck!

Paw Print Nail Art Tutorial

After living on Guam and in flip flops for three years this cold weather in Japan has kept me in closed toe shoes and all bundled up. We had a great day today at it was a high of 61! So I pulled off my socks and slippers for a good ole at home pedicure. I am by no means a professional but I wanted to do something for myself and having it done for FREE is the even better! So, if you are ready for some warm weather like I  am, here is a good way to free those piggy's and show some love for your four-legged friend! This would not only be cute for dogs and cats but for showing team spirit as well. There are plenty of cat mascots and you could just change up the colors to support your team!

 

You will need the following:

-Bobby Pin

-Scrap paper or a piece of cardboard like I used

-Nail Polish (2 contrasting colors)

-Clear Top Coat

 

First of all you want to start with painting your toes. While you are waiting for them to dry you can start practicing on your paw prints.

 

Here is what you need to do to start:

Get your piece of scrap paper or in my case a piece of the granola bar box that was in the recycling bin. Drop about a pea size amount of nail polish on the paper and get your bobby pin. You can straighten your bobby pin all the way or you can hold the two pieces apart like I am. I am using the longer of the two ends to dip into the white polish.

 

Hold your bobby pin up straight up and down so you get a uniform dot and just lightly touch the paper and your polish will transfer from the bobby pin onto the paper.
Go ahead and make one center dot and then two slightly above so you are making what looks like a Mickey Mouse head. You will need to re-dip your bobby pin for each dot.



1st step



2nd step



3rd step

 

Now that you have the pad made you need to make the toes. To make sure the toes are spaced right it is best to make a dot on each side of the pad first then make the two in the middle. This will help make sure it is even.

 

And that's it! Easy as pie! Now it's time to practice, practice, practice!

 

Practice makes perfect. You can see some are way better than others.Hopefully by now your toes are dry and you can get to work. You can use this paw print design on your toes and nails. Since I am going to do just one on by big toe I wanted to make the paw print a bit bigger so I am going to use something larger than a bobby pin.

Here is a wooden kabob skewer from in the kitchen. It has a round flat bottom that will make larger and perfect circles! GOOD LUCK!

 

Once you paw prints are dry go ahead and put a clear coat on them and that's it!!

 

And here is the finished product!

Taaa-Daahhhh!!

 

Here is another view on my other toe. I did a different paw print on this one. Which do you like better?

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2012 Holiday Pet Photo Contest!

And the winner is.....

 Congratulations to Toby and Kitty for winning our Swag Bag full of Southern Wag goodies! We are tailoring your prize pack just for you!

 

I would like to give an honorable mention to all of our contestants. I loved each and every photo submission. Please email us your mailing address because we would like to send prizes to y'all as well!

Royce

 

Rudder

 

 

 Indiana

Harley

 

 Sadie and Riley

Bonnie and Clyde

 

Thank you again for making this fun! Happy Holiday and Happy New Year!

 

PCSing with Puppies! (and Kitties)

Here is a picture of my Goldens and two Cats waiting to board the plan in Narita, Japan.



If yall don't already know we are a military family that is on the move every three years. My husband is a Chief in the US Navy and he has been in the military for over 11 years. We have moved as a family two times so far. We started in Texas then went to Guam and from Guam we are now in Japan. If there is one thing I have learned from Moving with pets it is: You always have to have a plan A, B, C and maybe even a plan D.

We brought our two cats from Texas to Guam which was tricky since Guam is a rabies free zone. Then we got our two dogs in Guam and all 4 of them went to Japan with us which is also a rabies free zone. The hardest thing about moving from Guam to Japan was the language barrier. Although, we all made it there were a few bumps in between.

I would like to share some advice with fellow military families about PCSing overseas with your pets. The first thing to do is START EARLY!! If you are fortunate enough to have a vet on base you should start there. The base vet in Texas as well as Guam had websites, print outs and good information to help you start the process.
You will want to check the rabies status of your next overseas duty station. Places such as: Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, Ireland, Taiwan, Hawaii, Guam, Australia, Fiji and New Zealand are all rabies free zones and will require some sort of quarantine procedure before your pet can go home with you. Some places allow for an "at home" quarantine stay IF you have all the requirements met.

To find more information on your next overseas duty stations policies you can go online to their website. They will usually have policies for PCSing with your pets posted. You can also check the host countries Department of Agriculture site for more information and requirements. Good resources to use are also your Sponsor, your Ombudsman, your Fleet and Family Center, as well as your base vet clinic.

Some of the things that are required for pet travel are: (please note this is not specific to any region, this is just a general idea of what is expected in some places)

• FAVN - Follow the link for more information on the FAVN test. This information is provided by Kansas State University. Click here for FAVN Information
• Microchip
• Health Certificate, this will be provided by a veterinarian. It usually is valid for 10 days of travel. It is best to get health certificates done a day or so before travel just in case you get held up along your journey. The idea is NOT to let your health certificate expire before you reach your final destination.
• Currently up to date vaccines
• Proof of recent external parasite prevention application. This is usually Frontline, Advantix, etc.

Again, these are just a few general requirements for some rabies free duty stations. You will need to look up the requirements for each host country since they all vary in some way.

Once you get your plane tickets you will want to make reservations for your pet with that airline. Just in case you need one more thing to think about in this crazy process you want to make sure your pet has somewhere to stay once they land. Check with your new duty station or your sponsor to see what boarding facilities or quarantine facilities are available in the area. You want to ensure you make a reservation especially during peak PCSing times or the holidays.

The easier part of your journey is making sure you have the proper kennel or crate for your pet to travel safely. Also, to make sure you and your pet are prepared to make your journey.
You will find that when traveling your pet is required to have an International Air Transport Association (IATA) approved crate. Click on the link below to be taken to the IATA site for traveling with pets. IATA Information Each airline has specific requirements in addition to the IATA so check with your airline to ensure you meet their requirements as well.

We all want our pets to be safe and comfortable when they travel so here are a few things you can do to make travel on your pet a little easier.

• If your pet is not used to being in a kennel slowly introduce it to them. Set it out in the house for a few days and let them get used to it. You can place it by their food bowl or their bed to create a positive association with the kennel and food or their happy place. Once your pet gets comfortable with the kennel being around you can try to put their food inside the kennel. Place it in the doorway at first then SLOWLY move the bowl into the kennel. This process can take weeks or even months depending on how comfortable your pet is with the kennel. You can also leave the top and door off the kennel and place a bed in there or the food bowl. This can also create a positive association. If this does not work there are many more tips and tricks you can try but remember make the kennel a positive thing. Never shove or force your pet into a kennel. This causes anxiety for the pet and makes it a negative experience.
• On the day of travel put blankets, towels or sheets in the kennel that smell familiar to your pet.
• Reduce the amount of food the day before travel and allow for access to the litter box or potty area before travel.
• Take your dog on a long walk or get out your cats favorite toy for some play time before travel.  If you pet is mentally and physically exercised before being kenneled it should make your pet less tense or anxious.
• Lastly, sedation of pets is highly discouraged before travel. The IATA has more information on this or you can speak to your veterinarian.

On the day BEFORE travel make sure you have all the required documents attached to their kennel. You will also want to keep copies of their record on you as well as copies of all necessary paperwork such as health certificates, rabies certificates and entry permits.
Don't forget to pack extra food for travel as well as frozen water bottle for them as well.

PCSing with pets should not be difficult but you want to ensure you cross all your T's and dot all your I's. You can never ask too many questions and you can never not have enough information on your host country and their policies. Good luck in your new advneture and always make sure you have a back up plan!

How to make a Dog Bowl Cake

 

In our previous blog we showed you our dog bowl cake we made for our first birthday. If you are interested in how to make a doggie cake of your own here are some simple instructions on how to do so.

 

I started out with simple ingredients:

 

I bought two boxes of cake mix, two cans of icing, Cocoa Puffs, and an aluminum dog bowl.

 

First, make sure to grease by dog bowl ahead of time so you can pop the cake out nice and easy! I used a non-stick cooking spray.

 

Second, I mixed the TWO boxes of cake batter and poured them into the bowl. I set the oven according to the cake mix box but increased the baking time so the cake would cook all the way through. I am not sure how long it baked for exactly but I kept an eye on it and once the top started to brown up a bit too much I laid a piece of foil across it to keep it from burning.

 

 Once your cake is done set it on a cooling rack. Make sure the cake is cooled all the way before you turn it out of the pan. Then I used a knife to cut the cake in half. Hopefully, your cake will look like this.

 

You can see on the left the cake is turned out of the pan and on the right it is cut in half. My cake is not cut perfectly but that is ok because you are going to put icing between the two layers so if they are not perfectly symmetrical it will all work out in the end with the icing.

 

So you are going to want to put the bottom layer back into the dog bowl and ice the top of that layer. Then you are going to put the top layer back on and ice the top of that. You are going to want a bit of a thicker layer on the top so you can add the Cocoa Puffs and make sure they stick on there well. I only used about a can and a half of icing. I am sure you can make the most of 1 can but icing is just too good to be skimped on so I opened his equally delicious friend!

 

NOW, for the fun part. The kid in me wanted jut to pour the box of cereal on top of the cake and see how it turned out, but then my OCD kicked in and I "had" to place each and every piece of cereal on there one at a time to ensure a good outcome! Take your pick. If you do decide to dump the box let me know how that turns out-- I am still curious!

 

So once you start to put all the cereal on you are almost done. All you need to do now is decide if you want to leave room for candles or a cake topper. I did not have either so I went ahead and filled it up with the Cocoa Puffs. So it looks like this:

 And there you have it!

Please note: this cake is for human consumption only.