Pets Magazine August 2018

August 2018, FREE

Pet Horoscopes

by celebrity astrologer Russell Grant!

STOP TEACHING YOUR DOG TO SIT! - TOP DOG LISTENER PLUS PET STORIES/TOP PET PRODUCT REVIEWS & MORE INSIDE

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Cavaliers’ Choices...

Premium pet products, destinations & activities for you & your pet chosen by Sophie Nell and Rufus, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, assisted by Marie.

Paws for Poppies!

An excellent selection of pet products from The Royal British Legion, including this lovely dog bowl (pictured.) Not only will your four-legged family love the new products, you’ll also help show your support for The Royal British Legion as all profits raised from their sale will go directly to the charity and help fund their continued work in providing care and support to members of the Armed Forces, veterans and their families.

Available from The Royal British Legion’s official online store, The Poppy Shop - www.poppyshop.org.uk, where prices start at just £2.99 for a Poppy Pet Tag.

Camo Clean Dog Robes has launched its own camouflage inspired range of Dogrobes, adding a distinctively different look to its popular collection. Like all Dogrobes, the camouflage collection comes in a full range of nine sizes – from mini to XXXL – and can be personalised with a dog's name or a harness access opening. The drying robes have camouflage print on the outside, with superabsorbent terry toweling material on the ties and inside, which goes next to the dog’s coat to dry it after outdoor swimming, training, bathing or working.

Priced from £29.90 and available from their website.

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Cavaliers’ Choices...

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie! How can you treat the thoroughly spoilt pooch in your life? How about a handmade traditional-style metal dog bed? Developed by The Cornish Bed Company, the beds are hand cast by a dedicated team of skilled artisans at a foundry in Par, mid-Cornwall.

These wonderfully crafted beds are created using exactly the same methods and materials as humansized beds, and can be made-to-order. Starting at £995, the range includes a miniature four poster and day bed. (Photos by Steven Haywood.)

PS/ We’re always looking for premium products & services to review for both pets and people! Please get in touch with the boss at editor@petsmag.co.uk.

Love,

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Sophie, Nell & Rufus

xxx

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The Curious Tale of the Bed Hopping Dog...

Pets Magazine writer LINDA ROBB on why sleeping with a dog on / in your bed can lead to a military operation in nocturnal manoeuvres...

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Rosie, the terrier

By Linda Robb I’ve come to the conclusion on the nights when I sit shivering on the edge of the mattress, that I’ve

she loves nothing more than

Without a word of a lie, there

spread-eagling herself

are now times when getting

lengthways in the centre,

into bed requires the tactics

completely forgetting I will

best deployed by advanced

attempt to turn in.

military personal. I’m sure I’d

pass some SAS test from When she was a puppy it was really spoilt my dog, Rosie... months of learning the so cute, now she’s a hefty and She’s taken to wanting to turn extremely clever eleven year perseverance, ninja stealth and Mensa level planning in early; the grumbling old, even seeing her doing her required to be able to simply sounds start at around eight superman pose is losing most lift up the duvet and climb in. o’clock and ten is the absolute of its charm. latest she likes to be up.

Once achieved, even then, Along with many other dog with all that going on she Anytime past ten o’clock, and owners, I genuinely can’t deigns to look at me as if to we have to ignore her full on believe I’ve been putting up say “You’re not really going to strutting across the carpet with her mood swings for so try and lay in that spot are and dramatic exasperation. long. I might laugh, but in you?” and I’m forced to say, However once she’s got the actual fact, she’s turned me often out loud “of course I whole of my bed to herself into some sort of weirdo.

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to judgement, she is old and no amount of last minutes garden visiting makes any difference. When she does want to go out, and it’s not every night, lifting her off of the bed makes me fear I’ll suffer a hernia.

As I hop up and down on the spot in the garden, waiting for her

When a dog hogs the bed...

to hurry up, (because I

am, that’s my spot, I’m not

dribbles. Come to think of it, I

have to watch her sniff almost

going to start laying at the

love her even then.

every blade of grass before

bottom of the bed now.”

I’m ashamed to admit that

Even then she still waits until

when it was very cold last

the last minute to move,

month she had decided that

giving an irritated grumble

being on top of the bed

when I try turning over, so

wasn’t warm enough and had

quite often, I lay there stiff as

buried herself under the

a board so that she’s not too

duvet.

put out.

making her mark) all the time, I keep a cautious eye on my surroundings. She would be totally useless if some deranged burglar were to suddenly strike, something her occasional muffled growling warns me of, but it

When I went in I said very

makes me feel a bit safer

Don’t get me wrong, she is

loudly ‘Where’s my dog” and

having her there, if nothing

totally adorable, cute and

the dog shaped lump was all

else in her haste to get their

funny and I love her. Except

wiggly and tail wagging and I

attention they could trip over

perhaps for those times when melted. It would be a cold she does stunning impersonations’ of a windy hurricane with added smell effects, or when she snores, or dream chases, or rolls in something indescribable and

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heart that didn’t laugh at that.

her.

And you’ve guessed it the

It’s not unusual for her to

moment she’s back in the

nudge me awake in the early

house she reclaims her space

hours so that she can visit the and I’m back to shivering on garden, and before you jump Pets Magazine

the mattress.

Beloved Terrier Praised for Supporting Son in Throes of Addiction A Shropshire family has highlighted the invaluable support rescue dogs can give to people who are battling addictions.

Tottie was born in 2003 and was the last of an abandoned litter of puppies to be homed by the Dogs Trust at Roden Shropshire. She died recently one month short of her 15th birthday but will always be remembered for the love and support she gave to her owner who suffered from alcohol addiction.

Tom Maybury died five years ago at the age of 29 but the recent death of Tottie has led Tom’s mother Sally and

Special: Tottie, the terrier

younger brother Henry to raise awareness of how

she was the last to be picked.

wanted a dog. On seeing this

rescue dogs can make such a

Because of her lack of toilet

little one with a huge head Tom

difference to people’s lives.

training she was then returned

decided he wanted her, despite

after a few weeks.

us trying to persuade him

Henry Maybury, Tom’s

otherwise.

brother, said: “Tottie’s brothers “We visited the Dogs Trust and sisters found homes and because Tom was adamant he

“Tom absolutely idolised her,

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she really was his little girl. She

“Students would message me

funded organisation who tackle

would go to work with him,

through Facebook and

the problem of underage

riding in the tractor cabin,

Instagram asking me how Tottie drinking and associated anti-

keeping him company.

was and what she was up to.

social behaviour all across the

Prisoners would beg me to

UK. They invited us to the House

bring her into prisons so they

Of Commons where Henry was

“Sadly, after Tom had been

looking after Tottie for about six could meet her – I wish it had

presented with the ‘Youth

years, he was unable to care for been something I was allowed

Community Champion Award.’ I

her properly because he was

was so proud of him.

fighting his own

to do.

demons, alcohol

“I would never have thought that after

“As the saying goes

addiction. Tottie

the sadness of five years ago of losing

‘a man’s best friend

moved in with mum but Tom visited

my son Tom that I would now feel joy

regularly, walking

from seeing the amazing response to

her – he really did love her to bits.

our addiction programme from students in schools, parents, prisoners

“When Tom moved back with mum for

and those fighting addiction and in recovery.”

a spell of support,

is his dog’ so true in so many ways.

But Tom’s Tottie was even more than this bringing so much unconditional love and support to him and us as a family.

she would

We have so much

frequently find Tottie lying on

Tom’s mum Sally said:

to thank Tottie for during those

the bed with him. Tottie played

“Tottie started suffering from

wonderful 14 years and 11

such a large part in Tom’s life

arthritis and dementia last year months of her life. She will be

and I am sure she helped him

and towards Christmas we

sadly missed but never ever

in trying to cope with his

knew she had come to the end,

forgotten.”

demons.

so we all said our goodbyes to a very special lady, who is now

Henry is donating 100% of the

“After releasing the videos and

reunited with her best friend

proceeds from his debut

traveling all around the UK

Tom.”

single ‘Lost Days’ to addiction

visiting schools, prisons and

charities globally. For further

rehabs Tottie became a star in

“We are working with

her own right,” added Henry.

Community Alcohol Partnership and bookings please (CAP) who are a government

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information for donations visit www.henrymaybury.com

Top Dog Listener: Why Teaching Sit to Your Dog is WRONG!

Tony Knight, an internationally-acclaimed Dog Listener and trainer, on why some forms of obedience training are a

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Tony Knight, an

the floor. This lady’s dog resisted her attempts to be pushed down, prompting the trainer to come over, tell the lady that she was “far too soft”, and forcibly shove the dog’s backside down. This caused the dog to yelp – not great.

internationallyacclaimed Dog Listener and trainer, on why teaching your dog to sit is a waste of time.

Imagine that you are in town just after a rainstorm.

Each time you have to cross the road, you are told to sit down before you can cross. The ground is still wet, and if you refuse your backside is forced down onto the cold, wet surface. Nice…

This treatment carried on for a few weeks; each time I have heard so the trainer I remember well a dog many dog trainers use the owner who had some issues forced the dog’s bottom “sit” command as their down, causing a yelp. It was with their dogs so, like an “cure-all” for problem dog only when the owner awful lot of people who behaviour. It’s almost as if noticed that her dog had don’t know where else to they regard it as a magic trouble walking for a day or turn, she enrolled in dog spell that instantly calms a two after the classes that obedience classes. Of dog. I have said many times course, a big part of the alarm bells started ringing. over the years that training a lessons was teaching the A quick trip to the vets led dog to sit is fine and dandy, dog to sit. The instructor to an X-ray that found but it is not nearly as chronic hip dysplasia. We told everyone to ask their important as many people advised her to stop going to dog to sit. If a dog did not believe it to be. the classes… do so, they were to push their dog’s bottom down to

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Greyhounds find it difficult to sit like other dogs; the way they have been genetically engineered makes it uncomfortable for many. Personally, I had two request for my dogs; to come to me when I asked and to stay where they were if necessary. Sitting, standing or lying down was their choice but I put no pressure on them as frankly it is not important.

South Africa. We were introduced to four elephants that performed “tricks” for us – one stamped its foot, the second shook its ears, while Number Three trumpeted. The fourth one gave us a kiss (actually it sucked at our faces with its trunk). I have subsequently seen where they stick their

happen to parents if they smacked their baby around the head for not getting the idea of saying “Thank you” on the first attempt? Time and patience are both crucial when learning any skill, no matter how basic.

Whether you end up on a TV talent show with your dog as it performs incredible feats, or your 4-legged friend only knows to come when you call them, make sure you both enjoy the experience.

“Teaching a dog to sit is OK,

but it is not what makes for a well-behaved and calm

If you enjoy teaching your dog tricks then that is great.

Expecting a dog to understand what you mean right away is not realistic.

Using force to make them perform risks creates a negative experience or even physical pain (as in the case of our poor dog with the bad hips). Nowadays, we are turned off by the idea of seeing trained animals in a circus as we know that there is often a definite element of force and coercion. Good trainers use no force but do practice plenty of patience.

Several years ago, I went to an elephant sanctuary in

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canine.” trunks – I would never have one do that to my face again…

Anyway, when I asked the staff how they taught the elephants to do that, I was relieved to hear that they noticed the animals doing them anyway – they simply introduced a treat when they did it to create an association (a lot like clicker training which was originally developed for dolphins).

Human babies learn through patience and repetition too; can you imagine what would Pets Magazine

Remember that teaching a dog to sit is OK, but it is not what makes for a well-behaved and calm canine. Knowing how to convince your dog in their language that they can trust you with the big decisions – that’s the real deal.

You can see how I use patience and repetition with a puppy here to quickly make progress: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=-DHKgXX0nNs To find out more, visit: www.tonyknightdoglisten er.com

www.sweetpeepets.co.uk

Pet Horoscopes

by Russell Grant

ARIES (March 21st-April 20th)

so much noise others are

When your world needs a hero

alerted to help.

or heroine, it's good you're

Troublemakers are hereby

there to take on the role! When put on notice not to tangle something unexpected

with the king!

happens, your show of bravery will be more than just show;

you really play your part with a

TAURUS (April 21st-May 21st) you're disgruntled. It's bad

spirit of daring do! When you

You're under an irritating cycle

enough when neighbours or

inject yourself into in a scue

currently, but that doesn't

visitors do disagreeable things

your intervention scares away

mean you should take your

and upset your housemate, but

a challenger. When you sense

annoyance out on everyone by

it's unappreciated when you do

danger approaching you make

being naughty or showing

this. A peaceful pet by nature,

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find ways to soothe yourself by now, as your human

identifying obstacles as

retreating to a comfortable

companion is refusing to face

obstacles, but as something to

corner until you feel better and the facts. It may be necessary

leap over, so just keep yourself

more sociable. If your

to make a public scene of some in a posture to vault and it will

companion's wise they'll have

kind. With any luck, your friend be smooth sailing! Keep

nice music playing to keep the

will recognise that you are

working on your human

mood uplifted for both of you.

acting up out of desperation,

companions and before long,

not spite.

you'll get them to change their mind about something that's of

GEMINI (May 22nd-June 21st)

interest to you. Just remember

A power struggle may begin

LEO (July 24th-August 23rd)

that affection wins more

over an article of clothing. It's

You're generally so lovely to

affection and honey attracts

no surprise your human

live with, so nurturing toward

more pleasant results than

companion wants to wear this

your housemate, so sensitive

vinegar!

welcoming fabric and doesn't

to everyone's needs, it's not

appreciate you wrapping

surprising that once in a while

yourself in it, or worse yet

you want all those same

LIBRA (September 24th-

dragging it across the floor.

attitudes turned in your

October 23rd)

You can pout all you want, but

direction. If you're feeling a

Take care; your stubborn

the bottom line is it's an

little under appreciated or

streak is showing and if you

expensive item and you're not

overlooked, you can always

don't back down you'll be

the one who paid for it!

retreat to a quiet corner until

headed for a heap of trouble

Perhaps you see this game as a your mood shifts, but putting

with your human housemates

way to keep your friend close,

yourself in view of those whose because of this behaviour. Best

but find some other way to

attentions you seek might be a

watch your step and direct

cement your bond!

wiser course currently. One

your pulses to something

look in your sad eyes is sure to

positive, like picking up after

garner a reaction.

people who leave things

CANCER (June 22nd-July 23rd)

scattered about. All will be well

You could earn your owner

if your friends take the time to

some money by winning a

VIRGO (August 24th-

engage you in vigorous

contest or posing for

September 23rd)

physical play. What is

photographs. Try to be a good

Even with a few challenges in

unchanging is the pleasure you

sport about the whole

your way, you're able to enjoy

find in the arms of your caring

situation. Communicating your

a sweet month; you have a

companion.

desires may be difficult right

natural talent for not

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SCORPIO (October 24th-November 22nd)

AQUARIUS (January

The world of your

21st-February 19th)

imagination just

With your special radar,

keeps growing

you can probably sense it;

bigger and bigger

new energies are on the

the more you feed it!

horizon, but they're not

You exhibit evidence

quite here yet. Get to

of this in your continual communication with other worldly creatures as well as through your artistic expression. Not only are you into dance as a performance medium, but painting has also

you're already thinking your housemates would scold you severely were they to uncover your secret treasure, then you'll know what should be your next move.

become part of your

work preparing for the changes that are coming by sorting out your needs and letting go of things you and your human companion no longer need or use. Once the space is clear, you'll both be more receptive to a fresh start.

repertoire. Was it intentional or CAPRICORN (December 22nd- Besides, it's nice to have a an accident that you wandered January 20th) clean house, don't you think. through a puddle of colours and consequently left your impressionistic marks all over the oor?

You start the month on a high note, eager for action and fun

with friends. If mischief making PISCES (February 20th-March 20th) is what you're focused on, you'll have time, energy and

SAGITTARIUS (November 23rd-December 21st) Finding strange new objects may tickle your curiosity or appeal to the scientist in you, but take heed; those you live with may not resonate well with your latest discovery!

Does it leak or have a strong odour; can you hide it in a way that will evade detection? If

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help to carry it o. With your people working overtime spinning a drama you won't

With all the commotion going on at the start of the month,

it's not surprising if you end up tripping over your own feet or

want to be left out. Your

someone else's! If remodeling

into acting up; perhaps you've

exaggerated even further. Your

companions may be wondering projects are going on, this unfortunate situation will be what exactly has drawn you not been getting enough attention, but whatever it is,

housemate can alleviate problems by setting you up in a

take a breather and try to calm comfortable corner so you're not caught underfoot. yourself; given the passage of time everything changes.

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