Wednesday 6 March 2019

Category: Mummy's Boy // And the Winner is....

This post has been commissioned by James Wellbeloved.

lady cuddling her labrador dog
Look at the soppy boy on holiday with Mum and my aunt in September last year

Eight years ago my mum lost her heart to a new male. His name is Archie and he's a Golden Labrador, or Mum often refers to his colouring as a red fox. We believe he is a pure breed, but she doesn't have pedigree papers for him and as such he'd never be able to enter Crufts (which by the way, is taking place from 7th - 10th March this year). Well, let's be honest, it won't be his lack of pedigree that prevents him from competing at Crufts, it will be the fact that Mum has turned him into a complete mummy's boy. Just look at him in the photos above... in his happy place, on her lap.

James Wellbeloved, the makers of natural dog, cat and ferret foods, and the sponsor of both Crufts and the crossbreed equivalent, Scruffts, challenged me to come up with a category that I just knew Archie would win. It was a toss up at first, would I go for 'scaredy cat' or should it be 'mummy's boy' and the latter won, because it's not Archie's fault that some nasty youths on a motorbike scared him as a puppy and he's been fearful ever since.

Archie really is a pampered pooch and a very much loved mummy's boy. The two of them are always found out walking together, enjoying the fresh air, running after a ball (that's Archie, not Mum) and meeting up with the other dogs and walkers in their little gang.

woman resting on a dog walk, with a labrador
We all laugh at their relationship, as it really appears that Archie listens to Mum. When she talks to him, he cocks his head to the left side as if to listen, but the funny thing is that he only does it for her. He looks straight on as anyone else talks to him.

Golden labrador

The mummy's boy can often be found with a favourite cuddly toy too. He has a number of them and snuggles down for the night with one, or maybe his favourite duvet, as he loves that too.

Labrador cuddling a teddy

And look at these puppy eyes in the photo below. When he wants his dinner or a tasty snack but it's not time yet, this is how you might find him, giving you the sad eyes in the hope you'll feel sorry for him and feed him before time. He is a Labrador after all and they are known for their greedy appetite.

When he was a puppy he was very fussy with his food, and didn't tolerate some very well. So it was a case of trial and error for Mum and Dad.

If only they'd known then what I know now, that James Wellbeloved make a great selection of natural and tasty recipes for all sizes and breeds of dogs to enjoy - including grain free dog food for those dogs who cannot tolerate grains. But they don't have to be grain intolerant to enjoy this food, as the grains have just been replaced with tasty vegetables and the food is still naturally hypoallergenic with a single animal protein in each food and no added synthetic colours, flavours or preservatives (just like all their other products). This really could be a great food for Archie to help improve his general health and fitness, as he is getting older now, having just turned 8 years old.

Golden labrador laying down

Pets bring their owners so much joy and of course we all want the best for them, so it makes sense to choose a food that is produced naturally with love and care, by a company that started over 25 years ago because the owner of two boxer dogs was distressed that her dogs had upset stomachs and itchy coats. James Wellbeloved was born and has been caring for our four-legged friends ever since.

If you purchase James Wellbeloved dog foods you'll pet will enjoy -

  1. a glossy coat and healthy, nourished skin
  2. feeling fuelled and energised
  3. a supported immune system
  4. settled tummies and firmer poo's
  5. being at their best, as they'll be a healthy weight.

I think sometimes we don't stop to think enough about what we are feeding our dogs, and when they give us so much love we really must.

Mum loves her Archie so much that he always goes on holiday with her and Dad, but of course that can be a bit restrictive and she was off to see Michael Bolton (her favourite singer) last October in Bournemouth, which is a bit of a drive from Surrey. So I encouraged her and Dad to stay overnight and really enjoy themselves. My family came to stay to look after Archie, but look at the picture below. Archie loves my kids and gets excited when they come to play but even his favourite playmate Miss M couldn't completely cheer him up when his mummy was away! He laid on the back of the sofa and watched the window, and you should have seen his happy dance when she started to come down the drive and he saw her.

Golden labrador and tween

Archie is such a lovely boy, he has the most placid nature and has been a wonderful and faithful friend for my children to grow up with. They truly love him and if we had lived closer I suspect they would have liked to go to dog training classes with Mum, to walk him daily and maybe even to have showed him in some local shows. I know how much I loved it and how proud I was when my aunt used to show her three Old English Sheepdogs and go to Crufts each year.

Young girl cuddling a golden labrador

Why not pin this post for later?

Grandma and her dog


Disclosure: This post is in conjunction with James Wellbeloved but all thoughts are my own and I have not been instructed what to write.