This Mothering Sunday, we're celebrating mums of all kinds, including all the brilliant dog mums out there! We caught up with the lovely Lisa from @thelinenheart, who has four beautiful Golden Retrievers, to find out all about her precious pups!
What does being a dog mum mean to you?
My dogs are family, being a dog Mum to my girls is incredibly important to me, they are my babies, my soul mates and best friends. They are my world.
Tell us a little bit about your gorgeous golden dogs?
Denby (9) our gorgeous boy is the very last gift my Mum gave to my Dad before passing away. He is incredibly special. He and my Dad are like an old pair of slippers. Denby has the most amazing temperament, and this is one of the reasons I fell in love with the breed.
And, so came Daisy (4) from the same breeder 5 years later. She is loyal, loving, gentle, incredibly needy, she's my shadow, my constant companion, and is always by my side.
Daisy is Mum to Elsa (19 months) who has all of Mummy's traits but is also our clown. She is quite hilarious and knows it, she will do anything to make us smile.
Daisy is also Mum to Arna (5 months), when Arna was born, Elsa surprised us all by becoming a surrogate Mummy to all 9 of her brothers and sister, the bond between Elsa and Arna is incredible. They are inseparable. Arna is a little poppet, and like her big sister, she just wants to please us. She’s a little gentler than our heffalump Elsa.
What’s your favourite trait about Golden Retrievers?
My favourite trait without a shadow of a doubt is their temperament. There is no other breed like them - they are loyal, loving, needy, they love to please and love human company too.
If your dogs could speak what three things would you constantly hear?
When it's not “Food, Play, Treats” it would definitely be "Love You Mummy”.
Any top tips for anyone thinking about getting a dog?
Do lots of research. Go to your local KC Golden Retriever club meet up (or the breed you’re interested in) where you’ll meet members who will be only too happy to tell you more about their breed, they’ll also be able to recommend reputable breeders. Do your research on your chosen breeder too, ask to see health tests and all documentation for both parents, then check them on the KC website, if they’re genuine and breeding for the right reasons which is to 'better the breed' they will only be too happy to answer any questions, but in turn, expect to be grilled and asked uncomfortable questions. Any reputable breeder will want to know that their puppy(s) are going to absolutely the right home. Welcoming a puppy into your home is one of the most wonderful experiences, but it’s not easy, there will be many ups and downs, peeks and troughs until they are housetrained for example; but the rewards and love you will receive from your four legged family member are immeasurable.
We love your English country home – we’d love to hear a little bit about its history?
We live in a farmhouse with parts dating back to 1710. It was formerly owned by Sir Henry Vane, who was a Member of Parliament and an important member of Charles I household who purchased Raby Castle, farmhouses and the surrounding land. Various farms were sold off, ours being one of them. I love living here - it needs a lot of work but has very good bones.
What’s your favourite room?
I love our snug with its log burner, there’s something so magical and comforting about a real fire. When we aren’t outdoors, we spend most of our time in the snug, but I also love our kitchen, which has an Aga - a must for any country farmhouse.
What’s your favourite Sophie Alport Collection?
Oh, that's a very hard to answer because I love them all… well, I have bees, pink, and grey hearts, hedgehogs, sheep and dragonfly patterns so those are all my favourite, but I also love the limited edition collections too like the Chelsea collection from last year. I also have my eyes on some of the new designs, which I have been fortunate enough to have had a preview of.
What’s your dog's favourite Sophie Allport pet product?
This has to be their personalised sheep pet mattress, they adore it, and there’s often a scramble to get to it first, they also love the toys too, but as Golden Retrievers love to sleep, it really is their bed.
If you loved reading all about Lisa's beautiful Golden Retrievers and about her lovely home then follow her on Instagram - @thelinenheart. Are you a dog mum? We'd love to hear all about your pups in the comments below.