Who doesn't like liver cake?

Well, most people I suppose. But if you were a dog, you'd go wild for it! It was Sprocket's birthday recently and to celebrate, we made him a liver cake birthday cake. Let me tell you, it was very well received as you can see in our video! 

We've been baking this tasty treat for a while now at HHDB HQ, and thought we would share the cheap and simple recipe with you. Check out our video below, and the recipe method written out underneath. 

Heat your oven to 180C = 350F = Gas Mark 4

Ingredients

3 medium free range eggs
450g plain flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
(Or, if you prefer, substitute the plain flour and baking powder for 450g of self-raising flour)
150ml water
450g lamb's liver

Method

Pop the liver into a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Then add the three eggs and water, and blitz again.
​Then, in stages, add the flour and baking powder, and make sure it's all well mixed together.

Pour the mixture into a loaf tin lined with baking parchment, and pop it in the oven for 35 - 40 minutes. You can check it is cooked when you insert a skewer or knife, and it comes out clean. If any mixture sticks to it, put it in for another couple of minutes, then check again.

Consume!
The smell filling your kitchen may well be driving pup mad, but let the cake cool for a bit. It's totally safe for humans to eat, but having tried it, it's not recommended.

Once you have taken photos and shared them with us below in the comments or on our Facebook page, cut the cake into cubes about the size of some dice and give your dog a tasty treat! Enjoy!

Like many of you, we love to take our two dogs away with us when we go on holiday - we even took Sprocket on our honeymoon in a VW Camper to the Isle of Skye! 

Whilst we're here to care for your dog if they can't join you, it is lovely to pack up your things and take the whole family away for a break, letting your dog explore new smells and find new awkward places to poop. 

Before you leave, it's a good idea to make a list of all the things to take for your dog to ensure a safe and fun trip.Here's the checklist we use:

If you are away to the country, you might need to keep your dog on a lead due to livestock.

In this case, it's better to have a harness for long spells on the lead as that eliminates the danger of throttling your pal when he lunges to chase a rabbit.

​We use these Ezydog harnesses, as they can also be clipped onto your seatbelt for added dog safety on the road.

We've also started using Halti leads for our boarders, as they are strong and you can alter their size to suit the dog using clips. 

If your dog is a big breed, you might not want or need these. For little breeds, like our Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, we need to either keep them dry, or get them dry quickly as they are so little and totsy they can get ill with the coldness.

We think of dog jackets as having two types - ones where you go out in the rain, and ones where you come back home wet, whether by accident or design.

In the "going out in the wet on purpose" category are these waterproof jackets from 3 Peaks which we find are easy to get on and off, and keeps our two dry on top.

​One tip we have with these is to keep the velcro sections by the dogs head always connected, and push/pull the coat over the head of the dog instead. Otherwise, the loud noise of ripping velcro right by their ear could cause them to fear/hate the coat, making your life much more difficult. 

The second type are those to dry off after becoming wet, or to warm up after swimming or just generally cold conditions.

We use these little jackets called Equafleece, the blue version modelled on Sprocket here.

Designed initially for horses, they do two things. One, they draw moisture away from your dog's skin, drying them off quicker. And two, they are nice and cosy, helping your dog heat up if they have been in for a swim.

We have found that after a swim, our pups can be quite shivery and tired, but putting these on them gives them a second wind and off they go running amok again. 

Our other type of jacket is a onesie, and Indie's comes from Willowheart Onesies, a growing local Edinburgh business that creates bespoke, hand-made jackets for your pup. They are frankly adorable, and create quite the talking point when out and about! They are really well made and durable, washable and very funky.

This is more important in the summer months, but worth having year round.

Some people are squeamish about removing ticks, and if you are prepared to pay a vet to do it, that's fine. But for those of us who enjoy getting far away from civilisation it becomes more important, because the longer a tick is on your dog (or you!) the more damage it can do, including passing on Lyme Disease.

There are a range to choose from, but our current favourite is this kind of tick remover, which acts like a claw from a soft toy arcade machine and is very easy to use, and makes tick removal a very simple process. We've also been known to use these tick twisters, and although effective, we found that they can can be a bit finicky with smaller ticks. We've also tried these ones, but they aren't worth the money.

Don't even think about using a sharp pair of tweezers/some vaseline/a hot knife either as they can make matters worse:
​

• Tweezers can slice the tick, leaving some of it still in your dog,
• Vaseline is supposed to suffocate them, but they breath so infrequently that they can still be alive two days after application - well into the danger zone,
• And if you pop a hot knife on a tick's bottom, chances are it will drop off, but it might spew the deadly contents of it's stomach into your dog - which is A Very Bad Thing to Happen.

For more information on ticks, how to deal with them and how to dispose of them, here's the Lyme Disease Action link (which contains photos of ticks, in case you are one of the squeamish ones).

I mean, obviously bring food, unless your dog has to hunt for himself. At least remember to take his food and water bowl, don't make him a complete barbarian.

For out and about, we carry a bottle along with one of these sorts of plastic bowls, but we've also seen folk use bowls made out of a lighter material It's a handy little bowl, and really useful for when you'll be away from any source of freshwater on your walks to keep pup hydrated.

Here's one I bet you didn't think of. 

Whilst vinegar is an important part of any chip diet, it's also a magic ingredient for removing the smell of fox poo on your dog. Many people recommend tomato ketchup for this, but it is the vinegar in the ketchup that does the trick. Also, if you have a white dog, we really don't recommend you covering them in red sauce...

I've tried to find the science behind why this works, but have drawn a blank. I guess the only way to prove it to you is to give it a try next time your dog rolls in a present from Mr. Fox. I sometimes know how Boggis, Bunce and Bean must have felt...

So what have we missed? Anything slightly unusual that you take on your hols?

​And remember, for when you can't take your dog, we're here to help and make sure they get a holiday of their own!

There are very few places that can tick as many boxes as Edinburgh.

Beautiful - tick.

Historic - tick.

Gorgeous accent - tick (obviously!)​

Historically, dogs have been welcomed in Edinburgh - as evidenced by the world-famous Greyfriars Bobby. In fact, some say that one of the best things Edinburgh has going for it is it’s dog friendly culture.  So let's refine this idea as we explain why you should bring your dog to Edinburgh!

Many pubs and bars in the UK claim to be dog friendly these days, because it’s good for business. In reality though, some are merely dog tolerant. They might let you sit at a small bar with your pup so you can order peanuts, or allow you to sit in their windy beer garden with all the smokers, but if you want anything more substantial to eat, or a more comfortable seat to eat it in, you’ll have to hope there’s a burger van nearby or you’ll both be going home hungry.​

Edinburgh offers a truly dog friendly atmosphere, with your dog accepted into many places you would never have expected.

I can take my two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Sprocket and Indiana, to more cafes and eateries than I can count.

​This ranges from beachside pubs like The Espy in Portobello (Edinburgh’s seaside town) to city centre gastropubs like the Scran and Scallie, run by the Michelin starred Tom Kitchin. ​

Such is the number for dog friendly places in Edinburgh that a site has been specifically set up to keep track and advise you on where you can happily take your pup. 

Dugs 'n Pubs started in 2009 and has exploded in popularity since then. It is an invaluable resource for anyone in the city who simply wants to go out for a nice day with your best friend and not have to worry about where they can go for a drink.

The city also hosts a variety of dog friendly events throughout the year, including the Foodies Festival, which tours the UK celebrating great food and drink, and the more local Meadows Festival.

The Meadows Festival, as you can see from the images below, is an annual weekend event of music, food and stalls selling everything from artwork to jewellry. Held in a central park only moments from the Royal Mile, it's also a wonderfully dog friendly event, with dog shows and events run by the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home - you might even walk away with a rosette!

Over and above all of this, Edinburgh has so much outdoors space to play with your pup on a visit. 49.2% of Edinburgh is green space, and has recently been named the UK’s greenest city.

​Of course, the biggest green space - and one that is hard to miss - is Arthur’s Seat, a hill which towers over the Scottish Parliament and Holyrood Palace near the city centre.

​This remnant of an extinct volcano welcomes tourists and residents alike to walk and run up its sides, providing a massive playground for dogs of all sizes and capabilities. ​

But here’s the biggest tick of all. Here’s why you need to bring your dog to Edinburgh.

The people.​

Strolling around with your wee pal through the winding, gorgeous, cobbled streets can often take longer than planned because of the community spirit amongst fellow dog owners.

​Don’t be surprised if you are stopped so your dogs can fuss each other - or so you can fuss a new puppy pal! You never quite know who you are going to end up chatting with, and during the Edinburgh Festival, you never know - could get a pleasant surprise!

To finish, here's a list of some more of our favourite dog friendly places to go with your dog in Edinburgh:

Holyrood 9a - a wonderful pub not far from the Scottish Parliament that adores dogs.
The Espy - we can't get enough of this place! 
Cloisters - a lovely traditional real-ale  pub with a fireplace to stay snug in winter.
City Cafe - travel back in time with this funky diner by day, drinks by night!
The Southern - this used to be our regular haunt, and was also visited by Nirvana once!

​What other places would you suggest visitors with their dogs go to in Edinburgh?