Haslemere Pet Portraits: 2013 and the Launch of Whippet Snippets

Whippet owners seem to agree that once a sighthound has wrapped you round their elegant paws, there's no going back. They are vast in their idiosyncrasies and full of contradictions; affectionate but also aloof, fast but lazy, bold but nervous and oh so cheeky, quirky and playful. I think because of their unique nature, owners are almost fanatical about all things sighthound related; we love to buy them funky collars, special beds and a coat for each season. There is so much on offer out there that the options can be frankly dizzying! I thought it would be helpful to do a few personal reviews to hopefully make some of those decisions a bit easier - so far I have had some lovely feedback, I'm glad to have helped!

I set up Whippet Snippets towards the end 2013 as a bit of a side project to my main business but it has gained a life of its own! I have met some amazing people, heard stories, 'virtually' met Whippets from across the globe, had a 27 strong Whippet Beach walk and started offering pet portraits as an entity of it's own.

I already have a bunch of pet portraits booked in for 2014 - I am so excited that people are helping me combine two of my passions; animals & photography. I can't thank you enough for that. 

Here's a handful of my personal highlights from the year, lots of Whippet images, not surprises there then ;)

Start of the year and heavy snowfall. Luckily the boys have great coats!

Encapsulating the very essence of a Whippet

Our two became three when we adopted Boo.

We fostered a couple of amazing Lurchers for Hounds First. This is Kevin & Ava

We fell in love with our foster Milo (Now Mr. Bo). Those eyes!

Milo was so chilled out. 

Boo brought a real personality to our furry family.

Furry family portraits started taking off.

Pet portraits became available.

We had some amazing weather - lots of days at West Witterings beach.

Scout met the neighbours

We had some fun shooting in the beautiful Midhurst

I met this pooch who was perfect for the autumn colours

One of my favourite portraits of Scout

Not a highlight, but Jasper went through a tough time. So very glad he's over it now.

Autumn brought some fabulous foggy mornings

I played with snow overlays

I finally got round to taking a family portrait

I found some new places to shoot with spectacular scenery.

                                 

(c) www.kerryjordan.co.uk {Sussex & Surrey photographer}

Pet Portrait Gift Vouchers

I'm really quite excited about this! For the first time, you can now purchase gift vouchers from Kerry Jordan Photography. There are a few different packages so you can pick one that suits you.

A perfect gift for your dog mad friend or partner.

(c) www.kerryjordan.co.uk {Sussex & Surrey Pet Photographer}

West Wittering Whippet Beach Walk (Try saying that fast!)

When I met The Whippet Hotel a couple of months ago, I knew that we were going to get on. Anyone who shares the love of Whippets as much as I do (if not more!), is always going to rate high in my book.

I can't even remember how it came about, but an event was created, the word was spread, and on the 17th November at West Witterings Beach in Chichester, 27 Whippets and their owners convened for a truly awesome sight. It's a testament to both the Whippet breed & their owners, that there wasn't a single issue. There were whippets who were careering round like F1 racing drivers, puppies included, and ones that were just content to trot along and do their own thing. It really was a perfect sight for Whippeteers.

Another meet has been organised for the 5th January - details can be found in the events section of the Whippet Hotel's facebook page.

(c) www.kerryjordan.co.uk {Sussex & Surrey Pet Photographer}

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from us all here at Whippet Snippets!

(c) www.kerryjordan.co.uk {Surrey & Sussex Pet Photographer}

A visit to the Whippet Hotel, Burgess Hill, West Sussex

I honestly can't think of a nicer way to spend time than being surrounded by whippets in the beautiful English countryside. And guess what, that's what I was doing this afternoon!

As most whippet owners will probably agree, whippets just aren't built for a stay in kennels, they like their home comforts too much. We don't actually go away without ours very often, and if we go for short periods we leave them with our amazing dog walker. When I found the Whippet Hotel, I wondered if this would be a perfect solution for if we ever get to go on a longer holiday.

I asked if I could pop over for a visit, and Caroline, the 'front desk' of the hotel, was more than happy to agree. 

They take security of your whippets very seriously, and there are three high gates to get into the fenced back garden. My pooches got to meet the hotel whippet family (Basil, Flippet & Seb) & their guests. It was just lovely to see so many whippets in one place!

A testament to how relaxed my hounds were; Jasper, who is never usually interested in other dogs, flirted shamelessly with all and sundry, but was particularly taken with Flippet, who played very hard to get. Scout, normally very indifferent, was in a playful mood, begging Basil to play, and Boo was her normal boundy self.

This really is a home away from home, where whippets can all cuddle on the sofa with the humans, and bask in front of an open fire. It helps that everyone in the household is super lovely and quite obviously adore the dogs that stay with them.

I can only see one obvious problem with this hotel - I want to stay there!

Whippet Hotel Website: http://www.thewhippethotel.co.uk

Whippet Hotel Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheWhippetHotel

(c) www.kerryjordan.co.uk {Sussex & Surrey Pet Photographer}

Review : DinDins Wicked Raw Superfood

I'm so glad I stumbled across DinDins! Jasper has suffered with flaky, dry skin in varying degrees since we adopted him. We feed our dogs Raw and try to make it as healthy as possible, including fish, eggs, veg, carbs etc.

With regards to Jasper's skin, we have tried adding cod liver oil, oily fish, and a few other things that have been recommended, as well as another supplement which was a bit fiddly. Nothing seemed to have any any major effect. DinDin's is marketed as an organic supplement both for dogs using kibble where some nutritional value may have been stripped in the process of making the product, but also to boost Raw feeding.

The main concern I had before buying DinDins was that having three dogs, I would use it up quite quickly and it would start getting expensive (I bought the 100g tub for £22.00). They recommend 2 scoops per day for my Whippet size, that's six scoops a day in total for my hounds. I needn't have worried, the scoops (included in the tub), are actually quite small, and have still got half left after about two and a half weeks. 

I wasn't sure when, or if, I would see any results but so far so good. Not only has the flakiness reduced significantly, but his coat has definitely got more of a shine to it. I have to admit, I was just feeding it to my other two to cover any shortfall there may have been in their regular diet. Saying that though, I have noticed that they are all getting many more compliments about how shiny and healthy their coats are! As this seems to coincide with the introduction of DinDin's into their food, I can only believe that it's down to that. If it's having such a visible effect on the outside, I can only think how much good it's doing to their insides.

Apart from the great results I am getting, DinDins's has a really personal feel about it. Their response to email is swift and friendly, and the product was delivered quickly. 

Obviously every dog is different but I am really happy with the change that I have witness in ours. 

I hope this review is helpful and would love to hear if you decided to give it a try. They quite often have free samples on their facebook page too if you want to try before you buy.

Big thanks from Whippet Snippets! Whippet Snippets Facebook Page

DinDins Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dindinspets

DinDins Website: http://www.dindins.co.uk/

A healthy, shiny, Jasper

(c) www.kerryjordan.co.uk {Sussex & Surrey Pet Photographer}

Collar Town: Martingale collar review

A visual explosion, that's where I am going to start; when you go to Collar Town's Etsy shop, your eyes are assaulted with a riot of colour. 

I have always, until now, used leather collars padded collars and have been happy enough with them. The only issue I had was keeping them from fading and trying to keep them clean when, with increasing frequency, unquestionable things were rolled in. Martingale users told me I could just pop them in the washing machine - yay! I held off mainly because I couldn't quite find the right ones, and there are SO many out there it became a difficult to remember which ones came from where. 

And then I came across Collar Town. The collars, for me, really do stand out from the crowd. I was able to find ones that really matched the personality of my little furry family. I had an issue though, there were too many that I liked! I finally chose three to be delivered; they are made in Canada, but don't let that put you off, the delivery was speedy! Then there is the price - I ordered 1.5" medium and the conversion worked out at about £13.50 each, bargin!

When the arrived I knew one thing - I would be going back for more. Great crisp colours, sturdy material and well made, at that price I can get spares, backups for the spares, oooh and maybe holiday themed ones too! They are also a talking piece - I haven't had them long but already people are commenting on them. Suffice to say, I have already chosen my next order.

Whippet Snippets Facebook page

Collar Town Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CollarTown

Collar Town Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CollarTownPage 

(c) www.kerryjordan.co.uk {Sussex & Surrey Pet Photographer}