M.T. Sanders's Blog, page 5

Vuelio Blog award finalist 2018

Last week I had an email informing me that I had been shortlisted as a finalist for Vuelio Blog awards in the best pet blog category. I'll be honest and say that I was totally shocked. Last year I was honoured to be awarded 10th place in the awards and seeing the amazing other blogs around I thought it would be a one year wonder. So we have an invite to the awards evening in London in November and it seems a world away from how it all started.In 2011 after getting a Newfoundland puppy I began to write funny stories on Facebook as a way of coping with just how naughty he was. Monty was a character that's for sure, a very big one. When we visit schools now the children love to hear the stories about the things he used to get up to. How he walked into the house with a soggy unhappy looking chicken in his mouth, how he ate a hole in the kitchen wall and chewed the hosepipe so many times that it ended up a metre long. As funny as they seem now, funnily enough they didn't seem as amusing back then.The Facebook page got bigger and bigger. I was getting messages daily from people saying they were going through the same thing with their puppy or that the stories added some smiles to their day when things were tough. I realised I had to keep this going and so predominantly this has always been a blog for Monty's followers, friends and fans. The popularity of the blog has enabled us to get involved in some great charity projects close to our hearts. We unashamedly continue to push the profile to enable us to do more and reach more people.The last seven years have been an amazing adventure for Monty and I. Four children's books published, numerous school and charity visits and even delivering Christmas presents at a nursing home. We have been guest stars and bloggers at Crufts, The Dog Lover show and the Pet Show, plus radio interviews, books signings at Waterstones and newspaper features.So thank you Vuelio for recognising the work that we've done, it's lovely to be included in such a prestigious list of bloggers and we're going to have a great night. I'll tell Monty about it later Shhhhh…..

A poem about the learning zoo

My visit to the Learning ZooWhen we go and visit the learning zoo It's my favourite thing we ever do I get excited and wait by the door So dad packs the car the night beforeHe thinks I won't work out where we're going But a newfydoof's job is always knowing So try your tricks you won't fool me By that front door is where I'll beSometimes we travel really far But I love my journeys in the car I get to snooze while dad complains About roadworks on the M6 againArriving early is always the plan Finding space to park if we possibly can Then time for a walk before we start But you all know this ain't my favvyreet partThen exercise over time for work to begin So we head to the entrance to get signed in Suddenly hoomans appear from everywhere Taking piccies of me for an Instagram shareMini hoomans with faces shocked and excited Wide-eyed and wide-smiled but mostly delighted They're ushered away so we can set up While they just can't wait to see more of this pupAssembly is soon and they file in and sit All squashed up in rows so they'll manage to fit Pointing and chatting as the teachers say 'shush' and when all is quiet they introduce usThen it's over to dad and his to time to speak and that is my signal to lay down for a sleep I can snore through assembly and usually do but people sleeping when dad talks is not really newThen it's open for questions and it's most about me Well come on be honest, why wouldn't they be? How much does he weigh? and how old is he now? And is he really a Pandacow?When it's time for the story they love to join in and I know that that they want me, the hero, to win When I find out what I am you can see they are pleased and they smile when I say that I'm no longer teasedOne thing at the end that they all want to do Is come up and stroke this hooge 'Pandacoo' In lines they all wait to take turns for a fussand that's almost the end of the session for usStill time though to look for some toast dropped and missed or a teacher I haven't yet managed to kiss Then it's off home to Wigwam and back to the crew But soon we'll be back to our next learning zoo.....Poet Newfiette Monty da Dogge.If you'd like info about our free learning zoo visits contact montynewf@googlemail.com....just make sure there are treats

World Mental Health Day

As I'm sure many of you are aware October is ADHD awareness month and today is World Mental health day. We really had to highlight the positive impact our dogs have on our overall wellbeing, but very importantly our mental health. I am sure like many other dog, or indeed animal lovers it seems obvious how much joy they bring to our lives but I was sent a fascinating and comprehensive article on the subject recently. I can't take any credit because all of the work was done by Jack Bird who has pulled together a lot of the published research on the subject. He asked if I'd like to incorporate it into any future articles and I'm very happy to. Well today seems very fitting to share this excellent piece with you and the link is below. Thank you Jack I'm sure our readers will find it very interesting.http://www.kennelstore.co.uk/news/why-dogs-can-help-mental-health-crisis/

Monty the Lintbells Instagram model

As you may remember we won a little award last year. We were voted one of the top 10 pet blogs in the UK and we were very pleased and proud. Well since then we have been inundated by companies wanting to give us stuff and for us to review their products. From day 1 we decided that we wouldn't take a penny from companies as we never wanted to be 'bought' and secondly we'd only do stuff with companies that we thought offered a good product and that it would be interesting to our friends and followers.We are really happy to announce that Monty has been asked to become a Lintbells Instagram model and we've accepted. He has been on YuMOVE for a while now and we feel it has really helped him so it was an obvious one when they asked. Basically it means that he will be one of the faces of Lintbells while we are both happy with the arrangement.The exciting thing is that they have given us a code for anybody who wants to use it from the group and it gets you 25% off everything just put MONTYDOG25 in at the checkout and it should work fine.

Monty Dogge on duty...….Yes Sah!

On Sunday I was on duty at an official event for me charity Shoulder to Soldier. I love saying hello to all the old soldiers cos they were very brave and now they do great work in helping others. My job is pretty easy, I go along and look handsome...I have to take dad but we usually get away with that by just taking pics of me and just his legs - which are covered up so not too bad.I was really good at the event....I didn't slobber on the Mayor....I didn't knock any older hoomans over....I didn't bark when the another doglet that was there barked at me. I didn't even do anything when I was sat next to the bugley lady who played the last post.It did all go a bit banana shaped when the food got served at the end though and dad thought it was a good time for us to leave....Me not so. Have you ever seen a chubby hooman dragging a 13 stone doglet along who's acting like a pandadonkey? No? Well you need to come to more of our events then.Shoulder to Soldier are an amazing charity who's motto of 'Action not words' is exactly what they are all about. They really help ex service personnel and their families. This is on the ground 'real' help and every penny they receive gets spent in the right way. You can find out more about them at https://www.shouldertosoldier.org.uk/

Our day at Bamford Academy

This week we were delighted to be invited to Bamford academy in Rochdale to introduce the children to Monty and his stories. Since being privileged to be able to call myself an author we have made numerous visits to schools all around the country and have certainly had some very positive experiences.I always said from the start that our visits would be free. This gives us an opportunity to bring our stories to as wide an audience as possible, plus it's not just about those that can pay the most get the most.I don't think there is any debate about the value of children enjoying books, nor is there much disagreement that encouraging reading outside of school is a real challenge. We have had some fabulous feedback from schools that we have visited where Monty has had such a positive impact on the children, that they have developed a real thirst for reading and writing stories.We see what we do as a support for some of the amazing work that goes on daily within our schools and it is very much a partnership that hopefully builds on this. To this end we are totally dependent on the staff getting behind our visits and really making it something special that hopefully has a lasting effect.Our visit to Bamford was a great example of this and it makes such an enjoyable occasion for all concerned. We started by doing a whole school assembly where the children (and staff) had the chance to ask lots of questions about Monty, or being an author, but as usual mainly about Monty. The school set the assembly up so that we made our entrance once all the children were in and this gave Monty a great opportunity to give some newfydoof kisses along our way to the front of the hall. This was met with squeals of excitement and this atmosphere of fun lasted throughout the assembly. Monty added his mark to it by loudly sneezing right in the middle of the prayer and knocking the screens over, twice. What do they say about working with children and animals?After assembly was finished the children came back in class by class to hear I'm not a Pandacow and Monty and friends save Christmas. More questions followed, as was the opportunity for those who wanted to get up close and personal with the big lad and he was his usual patient and gentle self.Part way through the morning Monty was presented with some treats which I quickly managed to stuff in my bag before he became too interested. By lunchtime however he was getting the dinner smell in his nostrils and the final challenge was getting him through the dining area in a straight line. That was it for our visit but this is where the school's efforts are so crucial because straight away the visit was put onto their social media sites. Letters were also sent to parents to inform them that children were able to purchase a personalised signed copy of the book. When you have great staff wanting to build on the visit and encourage children to enjoy reading then it make our visits totally worth it.Thank you Bamford Academy for your welcome. Great staff and wonderful children. A really lovely school visit for us.If you'd like more info on our free school visits see our page on this website or email montynewf@googlemail.com

Monty and Friends save Christmas

We have now approved the book and put in the big order for Monty and Friends save Christmas. Below are the prices for the new book. This is for Paypal if you want to pay via the bank just message us for details.If you have ordered a book it is reserved for you so there in no pressure to pay straight away while of course you can if you prefer. You can do this up to the end of October before we release the books for others. Books ordered will be numbered 1-300, signed and pawtagraphed with a dedication of your choice.UK 1 Book - £8.40 2 Books -£15.50 3 Books -£22.90 4 Books -£29.50 5 Books -£37.36Europe 1 Book -£10.96 2 Books -£18.70 3 Books -£26.45 4 Books -£33.06 5 Books -£42.55USA/Canada 1 Book - £12.02 2 Books - £21.03 3 Books - £29.85 4 Books - £36.45 5 Books + Please contactAustralia/New Zealand 1 Book - £12.34 2 Books - £21.45 3 Books - £30.41 4 Books - £37.04 5 Books + Please contactPlease note all prices are GBP Pound Sterling. Paypal will convert this easily for overseas buyers.All prices quoted for UK are 1st Class if you want 2nd Class please message and I'll work out a price but we find the first class service very quick (usually next day) and reliablePaypal is montynewf@googlemail.comAny questions just get in touch or comment below.

Our lovely trip to St Edwards C of E in Rochdale

Yesterday saw us back into school for the first time since the summer holidays and although it's been a while Monty knew at 6am that it was a school day as he waited patiently by the front door. He enjoys his trips out so much that it only takes the slightest change in the usual routine for him to work out that he's off to see the 'mini hoomans'.Despite it being the middle of September it was a very warm morning when we arrived in Rochdale even at 8.30am so plenty of Monty panting to come. We had a lovely welcome at the school and Monty was immediately very popular as he said hello to staff and pupils whilst demonstrating his best Newfy bum waggle. The day started with an assembly for KS1 and their faces were a picture as they entered the hall with some fabulous smiles and gasps as they saw their special visitor. After being introduced I told the children a little about Monty and then asked if there were any questions, which there were, plenty.I followed this by reading I'm not a Pandacow and the children listened really well and also joined in enthusiastically by finishing off the verses with squeals of 'Pandacow'.We immediately did a second assembly for the KS2 children and this time opened up with a Q and A with lots of great questions. Inevitably I get asked about Monty as a puppy and it's always a very popular part of our visits. The fact that this fantastically behaved, relaxed and almost bomb proof dog was a naughty puppy always gets the children very interested. It is a great opportunity to highlight how much work goes into having a puppy, whatever the size. I then read the story again, and again this was very well received and beautifully listened to by the children. We then had a break before each class returned to the hall to get the chance in small groups to come and say hello to Monty and this is always such a lovely part of the day. There is always such a variety of reactions from nervous to very excited and pretty much every emotion in between. As is his way Monty was loving, calm and patient throughout and I am always so proud of what a lovely example of the breed he is.We left just as dinner tables were being set up and Monty certainly had the aroma of the days offerings in his nostrils as he was very much livelier as we left for the day. We'll be back sometime soon to sign books for those children who want one and there was also a certain amount of excitement at the thought of Cookie visiting with the next book in the series or even perhaps the Christmas book featuring the dogs.Thank you St Edwards for a lovely morning spent with great staff and fabulous pupils. If you would like information about our free school visits just head over to our school page on this website.

The Furbo dog camera Pt 1

I think everyone would agree that as far as our beloved dogs go we would want to be around them all day every day. Sadly there are numerous reasons why this can't happen, and earning a living would come pretty high up on that list. Whatever the reason you can't spend the amount of time you'd chose to be at home it is always satisfying to know that everything is ok in your absence. Of course there are many ways of achieving this including dog walkers, friends and family visits or by juggling work hours around so as to get home during the day. With the advance of technology of course there are a number of cameras that can be viewed remotely which can also give a sense of security. When Furbo first contacted me my initial thought was that it was a straightforward surveillance device but after chatting with them I realised it had a bit more to it.I have to say I was intrigued by some of the features and decided it would be interesting to have a look at it with our dogs. The reason I've split this review into two parts is because for reasons that will become obvious I wanted to look at this product with the spaniels and Newfy's separately.I don't do all the techy stuff so I've included that in a picture for those of you that want to know more about camera quality etc. The main thing that attracted my attention was the ability of theFurbo was the fact that apart from seeing the dogs, listening to them and being able to talk to them there was also an ability to dispense treats from wherever in the world you were accessing the camera.I always try to be totally honest and with that in mind my first thought was that this would be a giggle, and something of a novelty. After now having the Furbo installed for a week I'm really enjoying having it around. Firstly you need to download and install the App on your phone and once this is done you can access the camera from wherever you have a signal.The vision is really good because it's a really wide angle of view so you can cover a decent size room quite easily. Once set up you can then see into the room, take a picture or video and listen or talk to your pets. As well as these features you can then also dispense a treat or treats and this is something our spaniels have unsurprisingly loved. You'll see that they soon work out where the tasty morcels are coming from.I have filled the dispenser with some of their food and periodically fire some kibble out which keeps them busy hoovering up the treats. It definitely breaks the day up and gives them some mental stimulus which is great because I can give them some amusement from wherever I am during the day.I have been very impressed with the quality, look and reliability of the Furbo and I definitely find myself using it more than I thought I would do. Part 2 of the review will look at Furbo v Newf and I'm very interested to see how it deals with Cookie in particular. Coming soon......For more info see https://shopuk.furbo.com/

A Great weekend at the Dog Lover Show

On Friday we headed north to attend this weekend's inaugural Dog Lover show in Glasgow. Since the launch of our books we have attended quite a few shows, events and launches but we were particularly looking forward to our trip to Scotland as we had high hopes that this would be a huge success. We spoke to the organisers earlier in the year and when we heard the plans for the show it was an immediate yes as far as we were concerned.Unlike other events we were offered an area where we could engage with children visiting the show and read stories from the books. When we arrived to set up the feeling from the very beginning was positive, upbeat and friendly. Even though the day before a major show is possibly the busiest we were greeted warmly by the organisers Vic and Robin and welcomed to Glasgow and the very impressive SEC.That friendly and very organised atmosphere didn't stop there, and refreshingly it remained right up until the close of the show on Sunday.True to the promise we were given a fabulous area with amazing backdrop, bean bags and carpet area, where we could greet the children for stories and of course give them the opportunity to meet the star of the books, Monty. As with all new ventures like this the test was always going to be about getting customers through the door. Well if proof was need that the dog lovers of Scotland wanted this type of event they certainly voted with their feet. From the opening of the doors on Saturday till last thing on Sunday the hall was filled with streams of expectant visitors all eager to visit the vast variety of stands and attractions that this exciting new show had to offer.We ran our story times on the hour throughout the day and they were a fantastic success. It didn't end there though because in between sessions we were visited by literally hundreds of people who wanted to see Monty, say hello and have the chance to buy their 'pawtagraphed' copies of the books. Because of the constant attention Monty received it was impossible to get round the show ourselves but everyone we spoke to was totally positive about the fantastic day they were having.I'm delighted for the organisers because they had the vision and confidence to let us showcase what we do so successfully at schools around the country and it was a huge hit. We are very proud to have been involved in the very first show. I'm sure there will be many more to come and we can't wait to come back next year.Thank you Scotland, Thank you Glasgow, and thank you to everyone involved with the Dog Lover Show. This is an event that is very firmly on the map.