14dfvdvf

We love a Yorkie Always bigger than they look!

Nuclear family Meet the strays of Chernobyl

Cheerio to another CEO Does the RSPCA need rescuing?

Innovations Is the Woofloo the dog’s business?

DogsToday A nose for news, easy on the eye and a heart of gold

❤

Stiff words about arthritis Campaign to better manage pain Renting with Rex Landlords in the doghouse

Smell to stay well?

Colour prejudice Is dyeing dogs’ hair fair?

Gourmet Burger in a pickle Hearing dog rudely rejected Game of Thrones Rescue snowed under with direwolf clones

Dogs detect early Parkinson’s October 2017

Meet Amberst

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e Our DogF r cover sta winner

Dog-loving criminals?

Stop cruel, illegal immigration

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REF: DT17

31/08/2017 18/08/2017 15:23 10:28

CAVALIER ATTITUDE Latest from the brave whistleblower and another pet owner bites back!

THE RARE BERGAMASCO Will they strike a “cord” with you?

MR PAPARAZZI Tells us about his beloved old pup

GIVE AND GIVE! We profile the best of the charity Christmas gifts

DOG MOUNTAIN Why we need to save it

MEET THE FAMOUS FIVE The first Hounds for Heroes pups

Puppy farming It’s on the EU agenda - why not the UK’s?

Leona Lewis Speaks out against animal cruelty

July 2010 £3.75

When Dogs Today was first full envisaged, it aspired to give prizes!

WIN Mungo’s day a voice to our best friend – tofour misery: always stick up for the dog’s best interests. How are we doing? Could we do it better?

Packed of

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Kids rescue lost Labrador trapped on barbed wire

January 2012 £3.75

Canine crisis at Christmas Why there’s no room left for unwanted pets

Are really

big dogs

a massive problem

or a huge bonus?

Adoption and fostering special

HEALTH

Every now Cover A4.indd 1

Beverley Cuddy is Dogs Today’s Editor and publisher. She shares her life with Tess, a gorgeous rescued English Springer from Dogs Trust, Oscar, a very handsome Bearded Collie and newest pack member, Betty, an Old English x Golden Retrieverish dog from Many Tears. All three are firm friends and partners in crime.

Words: Beverley Cuddy

28/05/2010 16:43

and again, I get the old bound copies of the magazine out and flick through the pages. We’ve had so many incarnations over the decades!

We’ve had this current format for a little while and maybe it’s time to question if we should do things any differently.

We used to have a major section each month called Dial-A-Dog where we provided everything you needed to know about how to find your next best friend. It was a chunky directory of information on every breed every month with contact details for breed clubs and rescues – it listed all the health tests that needed doing and pre-dated the Kennel Club’s breeder scheme. It was so revolutionary that many vets laminated our pages and kept them on the counter. Never before had all the recommended health tests been collated in one place. But it was repetitious – people got bored seeing it and it took up so many pages every month.

Then, more recently, we

Testing times

Plus:

Forest of Dean

Sarah Whitehead on finding love on the net

Where the wild things are...

Victoria Stilwell wants a change in the law

Breed-specific legislation

Best behaviour

Taming a teenage terror Train your dog to love his name

Inside!

90 dogs

A ban on Pit Bulls is “doomed to failure”

Top training tips for new pups

Couch potato

TV addict Seren and 56 other dogs with no home to call their own

Could it be you or someone you know?

Cover A4.indd 1

£3.99

A happy-ever-after for lab dogs?

waiting for the love of their life

Jemima Harrison on the dangerous cult of popular sires

February 2014

Avoid crashtastrophe

How to stay safe in the car with your pets

Inside the collie mind

Karen Wild on how to add an extra dog without fur flying

good

Inbred thinking:

Dear readers...

AIREDALES AS PETS POLITICAL ANIMALS EDUCATING ARCHIE Could the King of the Terriers The new party that wants The first dog ever to reign in your house? an NHS for dogs! bite Victoria Stilwell

24/11/2011 18:36

had pages and pages of dogs looking for homes – free ads for rescues. But some people found it too depressing and upsetting.

Others loved it – a reader in New York used to ring up each month to say how much he enjoyed looking at these pages and reading about the dogs. But did it rehome that many dogs? How far would people travel? Was there another way to stimulate people’s interest in rescue?

The internet is now a great place for searchable, chunky, complicated listings and current dogs in rescue.

So what do you want to read?

I would love to hear what you liked most in this issue – and least – and if there’s anything else we could include. There’s a survey to complete, but if you’re not online, do just write to me in the old-fashioned way!

I’ve always thought that our USP is our campaigning and investigative articles.

But am I right? What else do you want?

Many of you will have heard that one of the oldest dog titles recently closed.

Cover A4.indd 1

!

WIN e dog Your rescuver! on our co PLUS:

ay! ndly holid A dog-frie AND: ted Safedog A crash-tes worth £665!

Variocage

Lakeland Terrier Best breed in the district?

23/12/2013 14:59

The weekly dog show newspaper Dog World was my first employer as a new graduate. Seeing such a huge, historic company close is certainly a harsh reminder that we must always try to keep the magazine current and essential.

In Dogs Today’s life to date, we’ve also seen governments come and go and chief executives of charities, too. Unusually – almost uniquely – this magazine does sometimes cross the line between reporting on the news and getting involved and actually changing it.

We’re involved in something at the moment that we can’t yet talk about, which could make such a difference.

It’s always such a privilege to bring you this magazine every month, but we really do want to hear your views.

We want to know about every section – do you love it, or should we scrap it? r Here’s the survey; I can’t wait to read what you think!

You can help us make Dogs Today’s tomorrow. www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ HelpShapeDogsToday 3

Editorial.indd 3

04/09/2017 14:41

Inside this month...

K-nine news

8

8 12 16 20 22 24 28 32 34 38 43

The next step for puppies seized at the border The pet housing crisis Behind the RSPCA’s Panorama documentary Detection dogs hunting Parkinson’s How to spot the signs of chronic pain The latest in pet-tech innovations Husky crisis – thanks to Game of Thrones The assistance-dog access struggle Gifts in grief; ways to commemorate forever Great Debate: Is dyeing a dog’s fur OK? Legal Beagle: John Cooper QC

Features 44 54 60 69 98

20

Q and A: How do you add a dog to a household?

Dog Crush: the Yorkshire Terrier The greatest dog photographers in the world Richard Allport’s black comedy Dr Daniel Allen’s extraordinary dogs

Training and behaviour 65 78 84 88

22

24

Victoria Stilwell’s kiss and tell Can owners abstain from the training process?

Karen Wild’s guide to basic nosework True Case: a bird-hunting Basset

54

60

Turn over for more...

4

Contents.indd 4

Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 14:46

MADE IN GERMANY

Walk with the Best Retractable leads since 1973 | www.flexilead.com DT1017_005.indd 19

04/09/2017 17:02

42

...and there’s more!

DogsToday The ethical pet magazine for people who really care about dogs Facebook: Dogs Today

Editorial Editor: Beverley Cuddy

@beverleycuddy @Dogs_Today

Art Director: Rosie Peace Chief Sub Editor/Contributing Editor: Claire Horton-Bussey Deputy Editor: Victoria Heywood News Editor: Alessandra Pacelli Features Editor: Megan Chapple Illustrator: Kevin Brockbank Junior Designer: Su Richards

Celebrity

72

Advertising & sponsorship

42 Take Ten with writer

Advertising & Sponsorship Manager: James Andrews 01276 858880

and broadcaster John Sweeney

Classified Sales: Blake Gimblett 01276 858880

Office dogs

Competitions 82 Fun page 83 Crossword

48

Rescue Me 72 The dogs of Chernobyl 76 Gotcha! Your rescue

46 48 50 51 52

Your letters

Oscar (Bearded Collie); Tess (English Springer Spaniel); Betty (Old English x Golden Retriever-ish); Nancy (Staffordshire Bull Terrier); Madi (collie cross); Benji (Lurcher); Isla (Lurcher); Beth, Grace, Justine & Poison Ivy (Newfoundlands); Sophie (Jack Russell); Sterling (Italian Greyhound x Whippet); Jack (Golden Retriever) Betty’s Personal Trainer: Kirsten Dillon IMDT A.Dip CBM

stories

Talking Dogs

Roving Reporters: Owen & Haatchi

52

Appeals

Dogs Today, Pet Subjects Ltd, The Old Print House, 62 The High Street, Chobham, Surrey GU24 8AA 01276 858880 01276 858860 enquiries@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk www.dogstodaymagazine.co.uk

Publishers

Obituaries Insurance questions

Chief Operations Officer: Graham Smith 01276 485439 (graham@petsubjects.co.uk)

Meet a grief-easing Beagle

Managing Director: Beverley Cuddy (beverley@petsubjects.co.uk)

On the cover Our cover model this month is Amber, a Miniature Long Haired Dachshund, who won our Cover Dog competition at DogFest South on the Saturday. Amber’s owner, Larissa Carey, told us, “She seemed pretty excited, but I think that was due to the sheer size of the rosette – it was bigger than her! She’s such a beautiful girl and really does bring happiness to anyone she meets, and it was just so fantastic to have her gorgeous face be acknowledged by someone other than me!�

Photo by: Penel Malby (www.penelopemalbyphotography.co.uk) Next issue on sale: Thursday 12 October To download Dogs Today for iPad - go to the App store. It is also available for other formats including android and PC at Pocket Mags 6

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Head of Online Content & Production: Sam Gosheron 01276 858880 (sam@petsubjects.co.uk)

Subscriptions For subscription queries call Pet Subjects on 01276 858880 or email subs@dogs todaymagazine.co.uk. Initial subscription rates: UK & BFPO: 6 issues ÂŁ20, 12 issues ÂŁ36, 24 issues ÂŁ60, 48 issues ÂŁ105; EU countries: 6 issues ÂŁ23, 12 issues ÂŁ45, 24 issues ÂŁ72, 48 issues ÂŁ127; Rest of the world (airmail): 6 issues ÂŁ35, 12 issues ÂŁ61, 24 issues ÂŁ97, 48 issues ÂŁ172. Subscription rates on renewal: UK & BFPO: 6 issues ÂŁ17, 12 issues ÂŁ33, 24 issues ÂŁ57; EU countries: 6 issues ÂŁ22, 12 issues ÂŁ43, 24 issues ÂŁ70; Rest of the world (airmail): 6 issues ÂŁ33, 12 issues ÂŁ58, 24 issues ÂŁ95.

The editor is always pleased to consider articles and photos from freelancers.

However, there is often a considerable delay before material can be assessed.

Please include an SAE if you want your work returned. While every care will be taken, no responsibility for loss or damage can be accepted.

Competition sponsors and their families are not eligible for any competition.

Dogs Today incorporating Perfect Pup is published monthly by Pet Subjects Ltd, The Old Print House, 62 The High St, Chobham, Surrey GU24 8AA. Tel 01276 858880 Registered as a newspaper for transmission in the UK. Pet Subjects Ltd reg. office: R. A. McLeod Accountants, 10 Portland Business Centre, Datchet, Berks SL3 9BD Distributed by Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 2nd Floor, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU. Tel: 020 3148 3333. www.marketforce.co.uk Printed in the UK by Warners (Midlands) plc. Š 2017 Dogs Today. The world copyright of the editorial matter, both illustrations and text, is strictly reserved.

Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 14:47

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K-nine news

m a j k c fi f Tra Following a new undercover investigation, which found puppies being smuggled into the UK with their umbilical cords still attached, Dogs Trust is calling on the government to take immediate action to stop puppy traders exploiting the loopholes in the Pet Travel Scheme. Thousands of underage pups slip through the net every year - but what happens to those who do not?

F

ake passport?

Ready. Fake vaccination records?

No problem.

Need sedatives to keep the puppies quiet during transport? You just need to pay the right price. Illegally smuggling an underage puppy past the UK’s borders is alarmingly easy.

Despite Dogs Trust’s calls to tighten control since 2014, this cruel trade is still flourishing, with thousands of sickly puppies facing a

8

1_Puppy Smuggling.indd 8

harrowing journey in cramped cages, with little water and no food, after being taken from their mothers far too soon – some as young as four weeks. The minimum age that a dog can legally enter the UK is 15 weeks.

Adam Levy, manager of the Canterbury Dogs Trust rehoming centre, says, “These criminals – you can’t even call them ‘breeders’, because what they really are is criminals – take advantage of the Pet Passport scheme to get the puppies through.

Under the scheme, every one person can bring five pets; so, for example, three people in a van with fake pet passports can smuggle in 15 puppies.

“Sadly, border staff are not trained to recognise an underage puppy when they see one; for someone who’s not knowledgeable, it’s not so easy to tell when a puppy is younger than 15 weeks. This allows thousands of pups to be smuggled in every year.”

However, not all of them get through: some are

Case study

Bulldogs

In March 2017, five Bulldogs were seized at Dover on suspicion of being underage. A vet examination confirmed they were probably just four weeks of age – 11 weeks younger than they should have been to travel to the UK. Shockingly, a number of the puppies still had their umbilical cords attached. Their microchips had been taped to their carriers and the transporters had brought surgical tools with them so they could insert the chips.

The pups received urgent medical attention and had extensive socialisation during their time in quarantine to get them used to life in the real world.

Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 14:53

Words: Alessandra Pacelli intercepted at the border and, unsurprisingly, 82 per cent of them turn out to be popular, ‘fashionable’ breeds.

Pugs, French Bulldogs and Dachshunds are among the most likely to turn up.

You might think that being seized means that these pups are finally safe, but it wasn’t always this way. Until Dogs Trust stepped in with its Puppy Pilot scheme in late 2015, puppies stopped at the border were at risk of being put to sleep.

“Whenever pups were seized, the Border Force had three options,” Adam explains. “One option was turning the puppies away, but they knew that the smugglers would simply try to get them through again within days.

Another was putting them in quarantine and making the smugglers pay the costs, which run up to thousands of pounds and the smugglers would simply not pay any

fee. Or, cash-strapped as they were, they could turn to the third option: destroy the seized puppies. Sadly, it used to happen to quite a number of them.”

This, Adam adds, hampered checks carried out by the Border Force.

“They had to search for illegally smuggled puppies, knowing that if they found any, there was a good chance they would be put to sleep because no one would pay the expensive quarantine fees,” Adam says. “Who would want to do that?”

Interception Dogs Trust’s Puppy Pilot scheme, launched at the end of 2015, changed that.

The charity now steps in whenever puppies are seized at the border, paying for their quarantine and then taking them to their rehoming centres as soon as the time is up, so that they can find

“

them a home. According to Adam, this has given the border police the confidence they need to carry out checks and seize puppies: knowing that they will live on and have a future past quarantine helps a great deal.

“Since the scheme was launched, we have looked after about 500 seized puppies,” Adam says. “We begin our work with them as soon as they’re seized, starting in the quarantine facility. We are limited in what we can do in that time, as we cannot take them out, but we can begin to socialise them. We interact with them, introduce them to smells and sounds, give them toys to relieve boredom, and get them used to people.

This way, by the time they can come to our rehoming centres, they’re already on the way to become adoptable. Of course, their new owners will need to be

Dogs Trust’s Puppy Pilot scheme has given the border police the confidence they need to carry out checks and seize puppies knowing that they will live on and have a future because the charity pays for the quarantine of seized pups and then takes them to their rehoming centres as soon as the time is up, so that they can find them a home

Dogs Today October 2017

1_Puppy Smuggling.indd 9

”

9

04/09/2017 14:54

“

We begin our work with the pups as soon as they’re seized, starting in the quarantine facility.

We are limited in what we can do in that time, as we cannot take them out, but we can begin to socialise them. We interact with them, introduce them to smells and sounds, give them toys to relieve boredom, and get them used to people. This way, by the time they can come to our rehoming centres, they’re already on the way to become adoptable

”

patient, as they need time to adapt to a new home.”

These puppies are the lucky ones, who get a second chance at life. Not all the seized pups are so fortunate.

A staggering 95 per cent of puppies seized are deemed too young to travel and, despite immediate care, about six per cent die due to poor health, malnutrition and dehydration.

Adam recalls, “There was a sad case of three French Bulldog puppies who should have been left with their mother for several more weeks. The journey was too much for them. One survived, but despite all efforts, the

other two died of malnutrition within 24 hours of being seized. They still needed their mother’s milk.

“But these pups can die for all sorts of reasons. Health issues due to poor breeding are rife, too, as is parvovirus.

We have seen an influx of exotic diseases in the UK, including leishmaniasis.

Health crisis “Rabies is a risk, too, as no underage puppy can be efficiently vaccinated against it and most come from countries where rabies still exists. We haven’t yet had cases of rabies among smuggled pups – perhaps,

if we did, the government would take the matter more seriously.”

Dogs Trust’s recommendation to the government is to increase the minimum age for puppies travelling to the UK from abroad to six months. The current minimum age – 15 weeks – is designed so that pups can come in three weeks after receiving their rabies shot. An extension of that waiting time, the charity argues, would strike at the heart of the puppy trade. Not only is it far easier to spot the difference between an underage puppy and a sixmonth-old one, thus increasing

the likelihood of illegal pups being seized at the border, but it would also make smuggling far less lucrative: the demand for older puppies is nonexistent compared to that of younger ones.

Plus, Adam says, puppy smuggling should be punished far more severely: at the moment, the biggest risk to a smuggler is losing the seized pups. It’s hardly a loss to the smuggler, with all the money that can be made from a single puppy sale.

“There should definitely be severe sentences.

Criminals have found out that smuggling pups can be as lucrative as smuggling drugs, but with no real punishment if caught,” Adam says. “Unless we change that, they will keep doing it, the dogs will keep suffering, and we’ll be struggling to pick up the pieces.” r

Puppies can’t speak out, but you can. Visit www. puppysmuggling.org.uk to find out how to be their voice against this cruel trade

Case study

Pugs Four Pugs were seized at Dover in May 2017 on suspicion of being underage. The puppies, aged around four weeks old, had been transported thousands of miles from the Czech Republic to Great Britain in a small wicker basket with a layer of clingfilm wrapped across it, with just one small breathing hole made in the top.

Upon their arrival into Great Britain, the puppies were taken to quarantine as part of the Puppy Pilot to receive urgent veterinary care. None of the pups had been weaned, indicating they had been taken from their mother far too young. Staff worked round-the-clock to feed and care for them, and whilst three of the puppies began to improve, one of the puppies showed worrying symptoms. Staff treated the puppy, but his health began to deteriorate and he passed away.

10

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Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 14:54

DT1017_011.indd 19

04/09/2017 17:04

K-nine news Words: Victoria Heywood

g n i s u o H crisis Securing a suitable new tenancy is hard enough – so what happens when you add a dog into the mix?

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in desperate search of anywhere within easy reach of a tube station.

With this in mind, potential tenants can be written off for the simplest of reasons – so where does this leave those looking to rent with a furry friend in tow?

Blanket ban It is far easier for landlords to exclude all pets point blank, without having to worry about the potential damage a dog or cat tenant may rack up, no matter how well behaved the pet may be. It’s quicker to just say no. For others, pets are seen as a cash cow, with renters charged on average an additional £160 in security bonds and fees.

One of our readers told us that having just a single cat was a huge hurdle in finding somewhere to live; despite only needing a small one-bed place, the one rental in the area that would take them was a threebed detached house. The landlord then demanded a three-month deposit and £300 for a ‘deep clean’ for when they moved out, regardless of whether it was

Crossbreed. Photo posed by models

H

ome ownership in the last decade has been in decline – for the first time since census records began. The housing crisis is a perfect storm that shows no sign of abating.

Year after year, not enough homes are being built, with prices rising and wages not keeping up, and mortgages becoming harder to secure.

According to housing charity Shelter, house prices are on average now almost seven times people’s incomes.

Careful scrimping and saving is no longer enough for a deposit, and home ownership is now completely out of reach for many families.

This ultimately leaves more and more people trapped in the rental market, which can be an unstable and worrying existence. It is also deeply competitive; in prime locations such as London and the south-east, landlords can have their pick of hundreds of applicants for a single property or spare room. We’ve all seen those stories of dodgy landlords offering cupboards under the stairs to young graduates

actually necessary. As one former letting agent told us, “I saw more damage done to lets by children than dogs!”

It’s perhaps understandable, then, that many renters simply lie. A new survey by Animal Friends pet insurance revealed that 27% of renters with pets did not notify their landlord of their animals at all before moving

in. Of these, one in 10 then had to physically hide their pet during a landlord visit – a stressful experience all round.

Author Marie Yates told us that she had to describe her Rottweiler-German Shepherd cross, Reggie, as a ‘mediumsized crossbreed’ to a previous landlord. Not a lie exactly – but the landlord wouldn’t allow either breed!

Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 14:57

For many, the alternatives to keeping their pet a secret are far worse. The same Animal Friends survey found that 13% of renters were forced to rehome their pets in order to find a new place to live. It’s an awful prospect, and the reason why so many rescue centres want written permission from a landlord or proof of home ownership Dogs Today October 2017

2_Housing Crisis.indd 13

“

A quick search in August of housing in Guildford, a large market town close to the Dogs Today office, revealed the scale of the problem. On Zoopla, there were 358 rental properties available, but just by ticking the ‘pet allowed’ box to filter the results, this number plummeted to three

before an adoption is allowed. Housing problems are a key reason why rescue centres are full.

”

We spoke to Abbi Lawrence, a nurse in her 30s, who is urgently seeking a new place to live in Suffolk.

The fact she has two pets, Holly, a 20-year-old cat, and Jack, a three-year-old Jack Russell, is proving a real obstacle. Having had to end her last tenancy early after complaints about Jack’s barking – a claim she denies – she now faces the ticking clock.

“I have spent the last three months looking for 13

04/09/2017 14:57

Holly & Jack

somewhere suitable,” she told us. “All I can find are flats without gardens or houses with unsecured gardens.

When I found a house with a secure garden last week, there were so many people interested that the landlord got to choose who he wanted.

It wasn’t us. We have six weeks left to find somewhere before we are homeless.”

you are a pet owner renting with a fair and understanding landlord, if circumstances on either side change and you have to move, it’s a terrifying prospect.

It could be a long and difficult search, as we discovered when we investigated what’s actually out there for renting pet owners. Many property websites allow you to filter properties to those that allow pets – but even if the housing sites recognise the demand, landlords refuse to.

A quick search in August of housing in Guildford, a large market town close

to the Dogs Today office, revealed the scale of the problem. On Zoopla, there were 358 rental properties available, but just by ticking the ‘pet allowed’ box to filter the results, this number plummeted to three. Likewise, house-sharing site Spare Room offered 70 available rooms in the ‘GU1’ postcode area – but 0 to pet owners.

But help is out there.

Dogs Trust runs the ‘Lets with Pets’ scheme, with a website offering advice to tenants, letting agencies and landlords. As well as highlighting the benefits of offering properties to pet

owners, the site also has a checklist for prospective tenants to help them secure a safe place with a dog or cat. Offering to pay a bigger deposit or cleaning fee does often put a landlord’s mind at rest, even if, frustratingly, you may be the most houseproud person with the most well-behaved dog. A ‘pet CV’ or a reference from a former landlord can also be a real help, extoling the virtues of your lovely best friend. r Have you struggled to find a let with a pet? Did your dog limit your options? Let us know your thoughts.

Generation rent

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2_Housing Crisis.indd 14

Photo © Dogs Trust

Young people are disproportionally affected by the housing crisis, with that first rung on the housing ladder frustratingly out of reach. In 1991, the number of 25- to 34-yearolds who owned their own home was over 66%.

Between 2013 and 2014, this had dropped to 35.8%.

But millennials, identified as those born in the 1980s and 1990s, seem to really love their dogs. Research conducted

by US bank SunTrust claimed ‘mortgages were going to the dogs’ after discovering how highly canine friends rated in the decision by young Americans to purchase their first home. A survey of homeowning 18- to 36-year-olds revealed 33% considered the needs of their dog or future dog as a key motivation for buying a property. Dogs ranked behind the reasons of ‘wanting more living space’ and ‘building equity’ – but ahead of children or marriage!

Perhaps if more young people had the opportunity to own homes, more dogs would have homes too.

That’s a win-win.

As it stands, owning your own property is one of the only ways of securing your dog’s future with you. Even if Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 14:57

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K-nine news Words: Beverley Cuddy r Illustration: Kevin Brockbank

a m a r Pano a m a r d A BBC investigation into Britain’s biggest animal welfare charity asks whether the rescuers need rescuing…

I

was at the supermarket check-out when the lovely old chap scanning my food started chatting and asked what I did for a living.

When I told him, he replied straight away, “What did you make of Panorama on the RSPCA this week? I was amazed….”

I’d actually been on the show. I’d made the point about the difference between criminalising people who carry out sadistic and barbaric cruelty and taking mad old cat ladies to court who had become overwhelmed with too many strays.

He remembered the comment and was shocked that the cat lady featured on the programme ended up with a £100k charge over her house. She was exactly the sort of woman he’d envisaged as a typical RSPCA supporter, not a target for prosecution.

I had wondered if the programme had contained any real surprises for the public. But here was a man in the high street telling me it had made him sit up and pay attention.

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What’s the story?

A few months ago, I got an email from someone at the BBC, asking for a chat. I am always happy to talk to other journalists, but I was surprised at the target being the RSPCA and said as much.

Don’t get me wrong; I have been a vocal critic over the decades, but I said straight away that I couldn’t see a news angle.

Things seemed to be calming down after what had been a very wobbly period.

Jeremy Cooper, who was at the time the new CEO, hadn’t yet reached out to give us an interview, but he seemed to be settling in and we’d found ourselves on the same side as the charity on most issues. There seemed to be the glimmer of a new era at the charity.

I phoned the RSPCA press office to have an off-the-record chat after the BBC contacted me. Had I missed something? They were as baffled as me; they had no idea why they were going to be the subject of a Panorama programme.

I continued talking to the people at the Beeb. I was

clear that I felt we needed the RSPCA to be strong and that I thought they were probably much improved – but that its clunky Victorian constitution had made it very hard for any one person to reform. Being so vast, there would always be bits that would work better than others, but, on balance, I felt things were getting better there, not worse.

I told them that the RSPCA had been through a very

difficult time – the media backlash to the previous CEO Gavin Grant’s decision to take on David Cameron’s local hunt seemed to have removed the charity’s previous Teflon coating and it had been open season on the RSPCA ever since. The charity had been hounded.

It was a real shame that Gavin had gone; he really did seem to have the vision for modernising the charity and was only part way through Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 15:02

being the Witchfinder General for the prosecution in many of the early BSL cases. The press office seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with media coverage. The charity also had an agenda to bring about and administer a national dog registration scheme.

Animal Hospital ruled the TV ratings, but now it wasn’t just presenter Rolf Harris who was experiencing a change in public perception.

Read all about it

the job when he left very abruptly. He had inherited a charity in very poor financial shape – he had to cut costs urgently just to survive.

Schoolboy error When Gavin was still very much a new boy, I attended a small local branch meeting where he revealed to loyal supporters that the charity only had six weeks’ working capital in reserve – the Charity Commission had Dogs Today October 2017

3_RSPCA Panorama.indd 17

advised there should be at least six months’ worth.

Gavin had been horrified to discover a journalist in the room and asked me not to write about it; he didn’t want there to be mass panic.

I admired Gavin. He seemed to have a plan and I thought if anyone could turn the RSPCA into the charity the public expected it to be, it was him.

For the RSPCA, the days of spending 10 million pounds

on a head office building were over. But while Gavin was busy pruning and restructuring, he and the charity became a tabloid target. The conspiracy theorists say it was prosecuting David Cameron’s local hunt that unleashed the newshounds.

In my opinion, the charity had been carried away with power and lost the plot sometime in the 1990s – it had a disastrous period of judgement where it ended up

At the height of its power and wealth, the RSPCA had more whistleblowers than a box-set of One Man and His Dog. These brave people, who should have been regarded as the jewels in the RSPCA crown, loathed the pressure they were under to get as many convictions as possible.

They had joined the RSPCA to help animals and not to criminalise vulnerable people.

And the tabloids were now very keen to print anything that showed the anti-hunting charity in a poor light.

The official reason for Gavin leaving was health, but if it was back trouble, he probably wasn’t getting the support he needed to keep doing what was a very, very difficult job.

No one else wanted to do it.

The trustees had to step in and run the show, which was most unusual for such a large charity. Eventually, a new CEO (Jeremy Cooper) was found from within the ranks and quietly the RSPCA seemed to be stabilising.

More and more we seemed to be seeing a more measured, grounded RSPCA. Just as everyone was embarrassing in the 1980s and 1990s, they were starting to become much more attractive and likeable.

Convictions were down by 50%; they were talking about transparency.

So why a Panorama now?

There was a flurry of sensational RSPCA stories and before we’d even done 17

04/09/2017 15:02

Programme précis

I

n July, BBC1’s Panorama’s John Sweeney and his dog, Bertie, investigated the RSPCA and asked, “Do they always get it right?” He also pondered whether the charity sometimes ignores the human cost in pursuit of prosecution and speculated whether the RSPCA was no longer fit for purpose. Had it changed since three years ago, when an independent report criticised the charity for sometimes being too heavy handed and too quick to prosecute?

The programme dealt with a case where owners of birds had asked for the RSPCA’s help but had ended up being unsuccessfully prosecuted.

The RSPCA says it prosecuted 800 people last year, 50% down on the year before. Kevin Degenhard, former chief inspectorate officer, said there was less than a 1 in 200 chance of being prosecuted when there was an investigation, so they were not over zealous.

He commented, “Most of it is dealt with a reasonable conversation on the doorstep and giving advice.

Reasonable people take reasonable advice.”

The working sheepdog case featured left many viewers feeling uncomfortable. Why was the dead dog not discovered for so long? Was it ever acceptable to leave dogs for two days?

The farmer was found not guilty of the three animal welfare cases and took a year to come to court.

our first interview, another RSPCA CEO had gone. Had the upcoming programme stirred up the demons? Was it just a coincidence? The title Trouble of the RSPCA now had its angle.

Many of the cases featured in the programme were started in the old era, so they would surprise the man on the till in M&S. 18

3_RSPCA Panorama.indd 18

The RSPCA rarely lose – more than 92% of cases are successful.

Barrister Jonathan Rich was featured. He will no longer defend people if the RSPCA is involved in the case. He said he’d experienced years and years of unproven complaints and had been treated for depression. Another barrister, Sara-Lise Howe, revealed on the programme that she felt she had been targeted because she had defended cruelty cases. The RSPCA gave a statement to Panorama “that the criticisms about Sara-Lise Howe that were made to the CPS were made in error and were not made at their request,” and that the RSPCA “fully respects and upholds the vital role played by defence lawyers in testing the prosecution’s case.”

Hind insight There are 25 unpaid RSPCA trustees – the council – who are meant to oversee the running of the charity.

Panorama spoke to Andrew Hind, a former chief executive of the Charity Commission, who pointed out that “one of the key rules is that trustees of a large charity are not really meant to dabble on operational matters – that’s for paid staff.”

Former trustee Chris Laurence told Panorama, “The RSPCA is essentially a great organisation, fantastic staff working incredibly hard, but you come to the point where you have to say,

As a young, naïve history student, I wrote a dissertation on the concept of cruelty in Victorian Britain and I did complain that the early RSPCA had only been interested in outlawing the sports of the common man, not the rich. The early RSPCA was a tool of the new industrialists, I argued, who

‘Enough is enough! I can’t any longer support the way this is happening.’ I have real concerns about the way the RSPCA is being run at council level. The council found it really difficult to properly delegate.”

For two years, two trustees ran the charity unpaid while it was without a chief executive – something that Andrew Hind, previously at the Charity Commission, found extraordinary.

The show looked at the Brighton branch of the RSPCA and highlighted that it had rehomed 150 dogs from overseas. Trustee David Canavan told the branch that so long as 40% of the dogs in the kennels were brought to them by inspectors, they could continue so long as the legal department and the trustees didn’t object. He referred it to the chief vet and it was agreed that the branch had to agree each case and that the focus was on rehoming British dogs.

A cat case was featured.

John Sweeney called her a ‘mad cat lady’, but she no

longer had any cats. Four years before, she’d had 62 cats; they had been unwanted and she was homing them. Some had cat flu and she had tried to keep them comfortable.

The RSPCA found some underweight when it visited and said she had failed to seek appropriate care.

She was convicted and her cats removed. On appeal, her sentence was reduced and some of the cats were returned to her. The cat lady was left with a £100k charge over her home to meet some of the RSPCA’s costs from the case.

The farmer had his other dogs returned, although the dogs didn’t look particularly pleased about it.

The programme concluded that, overall, the RSPCA is a great British charity, but that it needs public trust and confidence. The RSPCA said it is committed to improving.

wanted workers to give up their country pursuits and work long shifts instead in factories.

charity needs to protect animals from barbaric and commercial cruelty, and it needs to educate to prevent cruelty through ignorance and good intentions.

Who’d have thought it!

I’ve gone from the RSPCA’s most vocal critic to one of its only defenders.

If they’d have me as CEO, I’d give it a go. r

Cruelty to the RSPCA? It’s the RSPCA that needs rescuing now. The news hounds are smelling blood.

The animals need the reformed RSPCA not only to survive but to grow. The

Read more about John Sweeney and Bertie on page 42

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04/09/2017 15:02

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31/08/2017 15:33

K-nine news

s ’ n o s n i k r a P detection Another day, another impressive canine olfactory talent discovered. As we go to press, Medical Detection Dogs, a charity that trains bio-detection and medical alert dogs, has embarked on a new two-year study with Manchester University that could change the life of 1 in 500 people living in the UK...

M

edical Detection Dogs has already trained dogs to detect cancer and alert their owners to a medical event, such as a drop in blood sugar levels. The dogs can be trained to detect changes in body odour linked to many diseases. These changes are subtle and almost completely undetectable to the human nose, but for dogs, it’s a different story.

Now researchers say they have found a discernible odour associated with Parkinson’s disease, which could potentially be detected years before symptoms appear.

Around 127,000 people are estimated to be living with the degenerative disease in the UK, but with no diagnostic test, they often only begin treatment when they are already experiencing symptoms.

These can include muscle stiffness, tremors and a lack of coordination. If a diagnosis is reached sooner, this could mean starting treatment earlier, improving the effectiveness of the treatment and increasing

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that person’s quality of life.

Researchers at Manchester University first became aware of a potential odour related to Parkinson’s when a woman from Perth, Scotland, with hypersensitive smell reported a change in her husband’s odour years before his diagnosis.

Joy Milne said her husband’s smell changed subtly in the years leading up to his diagnosis, so Manchester University conducted some tests. Joy was able to identify people living with Parkinson’s from people without the condition by smelling skin swabs. She even identified a sample as positive for Parkinson’s from an individual who was clinically diagnosed with the condition at a later date.

Best paw forward With similar stories also emerging, researchers were led to believe there must be a particular chemical that could be detected from skin swabs. Medical Detection Dogs is training a new team of bio-detection dogs that can detect this chemical indicator and help in the

creation of a diagnostic test.

The study will be funded

by Parkinson’s UK and Michael J Fox Foundation, set up by the CanadianAmerican actor after he was diagnosed in his 20s.

Dr Monty Silverdale, consultant neurologist and researcher at Manchester University, explains, “The study started when we became aware that Parkinson’s had a scent.

Using skin swabs, we’re hoping the dogs can be trained up to help chemists develop a chemical test.

The particular chemicals are important, but analysis is limited as there are thousands.

“For Parkinson’s, there are drugs available, but by

the time they visit a doctor presenting symptoms, 70 to 80 per cent of cells have degenerated and it’s harder for treatments to be effective. If we diagnose at an earlier stage, there is much less degeneration and the dogs are helping with this process.”

The study began in July and the dogs are expected to test several hundred samples from people with and without Parkinson’s.

They will be set simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ indications, and help the scientists hone in on the specific chemical linked to the disease. Using a special technique called mass spectrometry, samples will be split into their component molecules, which will be Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 15:08

Words: Victoria Heywood

Claire Guest with (left to right) Lucy, Alrick, Kizzy, Midas, Jobi, Jack, Daisy, Kara and Sye

run past each dog to help identify the key chemical indicator.

That’s where Jack, Peanut and Nan come in.

Labradors Peanut and Nan and Cocker Spaniel Jack have been selected to be the study’s ‘Parkinson’s dogs’ due to their keen sense of smell and the enjoyment they get from working with humans and seeking out odours.

They have undergone their basic odour training and are now due to start on the Parkinson’s samples.

Claire Guest, chief executive of Medical Detection Dogs, commented, “We are delighted to be working with Dogs Today October 2017

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the University of Manchester on this ground-breaking study.

“The full potential of dogs to detect human disease is just beginning to be understood.

If all diseases have an odour, which we have reason to believe they do, we can use dogs to identify them.

“Dogs have 300 million smell receptors in their noses compared to our mere five million. They are first-rate bio-sensors and their ability to help us make important scientific advances should not be dismissed on account of their waggy tails and fluffy coats.

“Parkinson’s is a pernicious condition and to be able

to extend the quality of life for those affected would be a highly significant step forward.”

Dr Beckie Port, research communications manager at Parkinson’s UK, said, “Detecting Parkinson’s is incredibly difficult as there is currently no definitive diagnostic test.

“Finding a chemical odour associated with Parkinson’s could have a huge impact.

It promises to improve diagnosis and assist in the development of treatments

that slow, or even stop, Parkinson’s.

“Research that aims to find this odour is still in the early stages. But dogs, with their keen sense of smell, may play a vital role in this discovery and bring about a significant advance in Parkinson’s research.”

The tests are expected to continue until the end of next year and the charity is also looking into other illnesses that could be detected, such as malaria – one of the world’s deadliest diseases. r

To find out more about the charity’s work and how you can support it, go to www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk 21

04/09/2017 15:09

K-nine news

g n i n r a W signs

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Illustration by Kevin Brockbank

The symptoms associated with old age in dogs are often evidence of chronic pain, meaning many pets’ suffering is unwittingly ignored

“H

e is slowing down with old age.”

“Oh, getting old made her grumpy!”

“His back legs just went, all of a sudden...”

These words are common in vet clinics across the country – and they make vet Hannah Capon shudder.

The latter especially is one she often hears from owners when she’s called to put an elderly dog to sleep, and it never fails to break her heart.

“Each time I am called to put a dog to sleep and am told that his back legs suddenly gave in, it’s a horrible feeling, because the owner thinks it happened overnight, but I know it wasn’t the case at all,” she says. “I know that the dog must have been in pain for a long time without the owners realising it – but that’s not something you can simply tell them at that point, is it?

“You have a dog at the end of the road and grieving owners, and you can’t bring yourself to tell them that it wasn’t sudden at all, that there were signs of pain they failed to recognise, and that their dog may have had more to live, and live well, if they had. It would break their hearts.”

Hannah remembers a case she witnessed: a young couple with a Whippet who had developed a bone tumour in one leg. But there were no outwards signs, and the dog coped with it so well that the lameness was barely noticeable for a long time. When his owners realised their pet was lame and took him to the vet, the diagnosis came as a complete shock.

Another dog, a 15-yearold Jack Russell Terrier, was brought to the vet with a slipped disk. However, they found out that the disk had been pressing on the nerves for at least five years, putting the dog in constant pain.

The resulting snappy mood Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 15:12

Words: Alessandra Pacelli had been chalked up to his advancing age, and the dog had simply been nicknamed ‘Mr Grumpy’.

“Dogs cope amazingly well with chronic pain, and that makes it all the more insidious,” Hannah explains.

“Acute pain such as that of a broken bone is more easily spotted, because the dog will yelp and refuse to put the paw down. But when it comes to chronic pain, the signs are a lot subtler, and often mistaken as something else entirely – especially ageing.

“We expect older dogs to slow down, to change behaviour – to become calmer or more grumpy – and we simply never question it. We believe that is how it works, but in truth ‘slowing down’ is usually a sign of chronic pain. When your dog’s behaviour changes, you should see a vet first thing.”

Personal pledge Hannah has been a vet since 2002, but she became especially interested in the management of chronic pain in animals in 2013, teaching owners how to recognise it and help their dogs manage it in her free time. She hadn’t planned for it to become her main occupation, but it did, and in mid-2016 Canine Arthritis Management was born: an online resource to give pet owners all the tools and knowledge they needed to recognise the signs of chronic pain and drastically improve their pets’ quality of life.

Hannah knows what living with such pain is like.

“When I injured my shoulder, the pain was always, constantly there. It made me moody and affected my entire life,” she recalls. “A nurse I used to work with had to deal with chronic pain for two years; eventually, she took her own life. That is how bad it can be.”

Gwen Covey-Crump, a vet specialist in anaesthesia and analgesia, met Hannah Dogs Today October 2017

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“

We expect older dogs to slow down, to change behaviour – to become calmer or more grumpy – and we simply never question it. We believe that is how it works, but in truth ‘slowing down’ is usually a sign of chronic pain. When your dog’s behaviour changes, you should see a vet first thing about two years ago by chance, through a relative who happened to be one of Hannah’s clients. As a pain specialist, she was all too aware of the devastating impact untreated chronic pain can have, and offered her expertise in teaching dog owners to recognise the signs and act accordingly.

“Dogs cannot speak, and they rely on us to tell the vet if anything is wrong,” Gwen explains. “It can be very hard for a vet to tell anything might be wrong over the course of a 10-minute checkup if the owner doesn’t think of bringing up behavioural changes, such as the dog slowing down, being less keen to go walking and such.

“We humans are proactive in our health care: we do not expect the GP to take a look

”

at us and know if something is wrong. It needs to be the same way with the vet: we need to be observant of our dogs’ behaviour.”

Failing to address these problems leaves dogs no choice but to deal with the pain themselves, often shifting their weight and making matters worse.

Domino effect “Dogs will, of course, try to minimise the pain, and this means that they will use their muscles differently, changing the way they distribute their weight on the limbs and joints,” Gwen says. “Eventually, the strain becomes too much. It can result in healthy joints being worn down as well, muscle tone being lost, and arthritis developing where

On the road Hannah is planning to hit the road in order to raise awareness on Canine Arthritis Management. Between 9 and 16 September – around the time this issue will be in your hands! – Hannah will be walking 100 miles across the South Downs Way along with her 14-year-old Border Collie, Holly.

“I’ll have a cart with me, so Holly can rest in it when she tires,” Hannah says. “I am going to be absolutely broken by the end of those eight days up and down the hills, but hopefully it’s going to be well worth it!”

r You can follow Hannah and Holly’s walk through Instagram (www.instagram.com/camarthritis) and Twitter (twitter.com/CAMarthritis)

there was none previously – hence why back legs ‘suddenly’ giving in is not as sudden as owners think. It is the end result of a long process.”

What can dog owners do, then, to stop this process?

When they realise their dog is dealing with chronic pain, how can it be managed?

“The keys to management are pain relief, environmental changes and care in exercising, as well as weight management and complementary therapies where needed,” Gwen says.

“Hannah often visits the homes of dogs with arthritis to suggest changes, and the difference small things can make – a soft bed, non-slip surfaces on the floor, limiting your dog’s access to stairs, doggie ramps – is huge.”

The dogs should also be kept as trim as possible, to keep excessive weight off the joints. They shouldn’t be allowed to jump – out of the car, for example – and should be given more mental stimulation in place of exercise that could damage their joints further, such as repetitive ball-throwing.

“The repetition of that exercise – running, suddenly stopping to grab the ball, running back – is far from ideal for a dog’s joints, and somehow even a dog with chronic pain will keep doing it because it’s such a rewarding experience, it overrides the pain,” Gwen explains. “Dogs don’t know any better; limiting damaging habits is our responsibility as owners.”

Says Hannah, “There is so much help available for humans with arthritis – plenty of advice on how to manage it and improve the quality of life. We’re trying to give owners the same tools for their dogs.” r For more information on Canine Arthritis Management, visit www. caninearthritis.co.uk 23

04/09/2017 15:12

K-nine news We look at the latest innovative products as well as one that could actually

n e D ’ s e i g g o D In and out

Microchip Pet Door Connect Do you want to provide your dog with more freedom?

The new Microchip Pet Door Connect, created by pet lifestyle specialist SureFlap, is the first-ever app-controlled pet door for cats and small dogs.

Bringing the humble cat flap into the future, this door uses microchip-reading technology so only your pets can use it – meaning no unwanted houseguests. The free Sure Petcare app allows you to monitor your pet’s behaviour and remotely lock the door. You can even set curfew times.

The door is connected to a hub device, which feedbacks data to the owner, including notifications when your pet leaves and returns and a log of your pet’s activity.

Vet and animal behaviourist Jon Bowen says, “For me, the real value lies in the data and ability to log and track a pet’s habits – something we’ve not been able to do until now. Over time, this information can provide an accurate insight into your pet’s well-being and help you determine what is ‘normal’ behaviour for your pet and what is not.

“The Microchip Pet Door Connect is a game changer and will become an essential part of maintaining a happy, healthy pet.”

Letting your dog outside without supervision may be a concern for you, especially if your dog has a tendency to bark continuously or if your garden isn’t secure. But this door does have other advantages, the behaviour log being one of the biggest as well as the ability to control the door with your phone. Allowing your dog the freedom to come and go as he pleases also means less hassle opening and closing doors, especially as the colder months approach.

The good news is that even without internet connection, the door will continue to work, so Fido will never be stranded outside.

Price: £159.99 for Pet Door Connect and internet hub Contact: www.sureflap.com 24

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Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 15:18

sa

lly

Words: Megan Chapple

save your pet’s life!

Ready to roll Roll ‘N’ Go EasyMat Sometimes the simplest products can prove to be the most practical. Introducing the ‘Roll ‘N’ Go EasyMat – a portable pop-up integrated dog bowl and mat.

The collapsible double food and water bowl, available in turquoise or grey, is made from high-grade FDA-approved silicone and can be used at home or out and about.

“I love to go walking and to camp in our motorhome with my partner Lloyd, our two children and our rescue dogs: Yorkshire Terrier Izzie and Chihuahua Tink,” says creator Helen Davies, who also has a 10-year-old chocolate Labrador called Kaiser.

“Keeping our feeding area free from mess and our dogs well fed and hydrated on the move was proving tricky.

“I realised we needed a safe, hygienic, portable feeding and drinking station – something that we could simply hang up or roll up, and which came with its own carry case. That’s why I’ve patented the Roll ‘N’ Go – a complete food and water bowl system with an integrated mat that rolls up in seconds to the size of a small newspaper.”

Our office dog Sterling had no complaints when he got to try out the bowl. Once Sterling had finished his breakfast, the mat was easy to clean, roll up and store away in its water-resistant carry case. Perfect for camping or outdoor adventures!

Price: £14.99 Contact: www.easypets.sale

Sound therapy Ultra Calmer We’re heading into October, which means the firework season is fast approaching. It’s a difficult time for pets and their owners, as it’s estimated 40 per cent of dogs and cats suffer from noise phobias.

If other calming products prove ineffective, there’s one new possible solution on the market.

American company Pet Acoustics provides several innovative products that have been clinically tested and approved by vets to help combat noise phobias.

The Ultra Calmer dog collar is held in high regards by customers, as well as the pet beds with sound-absorbing layers and Bluetooth speakers for dogs, cats, horses and birds. The collar, available in three sizes, plays frequencymodified music said to provide canine stress relief during Dogs Today October 2017

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thunderstorms, fireworks and other noisy situations.

Simply turn on and adjust the SafeVolume according to your dog’s hearing comfort. After a few minutes, you should see symptoms, such as panting and shaking, diminish.

Founder and CEO Janet Marlow has used breakthrough research on animal hearing to develop these products.

“It’s so important that we understand how sound affects the behaviour of our pets,” she says.

The water-resistant collar comes with a magnetic USB charger and plays for up to three hours.

Price: $74.95 Contact: www.petacoustics.com Turn over for

more products

t

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04/09/2017 15:18

Wrap up warm Blizzard This product is aimed mainly at vet surgeries, but deserves a mention for being a potential lifesaver. The Blizzard veterinary blanket is a cost-effective warming device for treating and preventing hypothermia.

Just like humans, dogs and other animals can be affected by low body temperature, not only from being outdoors, but also if they have certain diseases that affect their ability to regulate body temperature or if they are under anaesthesia.

According to the manufacturer, the blanket has been proven as a good alternative to active warming blankets, it can be used during CT scans and X-rays, and can even outperform active heating devices over prolonged periods.

The orange blanket is made from Reflexcell, a unique material with thermal qualities. It was developed in conjunction with Langford Small Animal Hospital and Zurich University Small Animal Hospital. The blanket, which is available in three sizes, can be reused if needed.

Price: From £12 Contact: www.blizzardsurvival.com

Self-cleaning dog loo Woofloo If you live in an urban area with limited access to a place for your dog to do his business, then an artificial spot could be the next best thing. Woofloo’s creators anticipate that their design made from high-grade aluminium and electrogalvanized steel will outshine outdated plastic models.

Training your dog to use this one spot could save your lawn from dreaded urine stains, but on top of that, it is also self-cleaning.

Based on feedback from thousands of owners, the Woofloo has an integrated water flush, which can regularly rinse away any urine and foul smells. Place the loo inside, or outside on a patio or balcony. Simply click on to your garden hose and set the flush frequency. Faeces is collected your usual ‘bag it, bin it’ way. The water then drains through a pipe, which can be placed in your drain.

The loo comes in three sizes and can hold up to 130lb. It made its debut on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo in August and creators expect to ship their first 500 orders in November.

Price: Around £190 for medium size Contact: www.woofloo.com

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Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 15:18

DogBuddy is sniffing out the UK’s best dog-friendly pub Cast your vote at dogbuddypubs.com Plus be in with a chance of winning a £1,000 doggy hamper Voting Closes 29th October Terms & Conditions apply

Brought to you by:

DogBuddy will donate 50p to the RSPCA for every vote Registered charity no. 219099 DT1017_027.indd 19

04/09/2017 17:13

K-nine news

‘Dire’ consequences

How did Game of Thrones spark a game of homes for lots and lots of unwanted husky types?

B

ack in 2015, we wrote an article about how the hit television show Game of Thrones had sparked an interest in huskies and other wolflike breeds. Now one of the show’s own actors is speaking out about the rescue crisis.

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The mythical direwolves in the show, played by Northern Inuit dogs and real wolves, and enhanced by CGI, have appeared in all seven seasons and shown to a captivated audience of many millions around the world. They are portrayed as fiercely loyal and protective, as well as incredibly beautiful.

Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 15:29

Words: Victoria Heywood Photos © Direwolf Tours (www.direwolftours.com)

Dogs Today October 2017

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Stark reality

Ochi, a Northern Inuit. Photo by Tim Rose (www.timrosephotography.co.uk)

It’s little wonder that fans want them for real.

But, as ever, buying any animal based on such a whim is not a good idea – particularly a pet as active and energetic as a snow dog. Huskies are the latest to suffer from what’s known as the ‘Dalmatian effect’, named after what happened when the 101 Dalmatians films were released and people flocked to buy spotty puppies. It’s been seen to occur with many breeds after popular films with leading canine stars –

St Bernards after Beethoven, Chihuahuas after Legally Blonde, and Pugs after Men in Black. Clownfish shot up in popularity after the release of the Pixar hit Finding Nemo, with devastating consequences. Millions of these wild fish were taken from reefs to be sold as pets, and a special conservation fund had to be set up.

“It’s a good thing people can’t buy dragons,” commented one Facebook user when we posted about the issue. “The sky would be full.”

Unsurprisingly, those who base their pet purchase on the fantasy version seen on screen are more likely to balk at the reality. Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes and the like are designed to run miles over ice in sub-zero temperatures, and pulling a weight behind them to boot.

It takes a dedicated owner to channel that capacity for activity and endurance, and keep a husky happy. They can 29

04/09/2017 15:30

Heartfelt plea Actions have consequences, and husky types are increasing in rescue – so much so that a star of Game of Thrones has spoken out.

Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion Lannister, has now urged fans not to purchase the dogs. He released a statement via the animal welfare charity Peta, saying, “Please, to all of Game of Thrones’ many wonderful fans, we understand that due to the direwolves’ huge popularity, many folks are going out and buying huskies.

“Not only does this hurt all the deserving homeless dogs waiting for a chance at a good home in shelters, but shelters are also reporting 30

7_Game of Thrones.indd 30

Photo © Direwolf Tours (www.direwolftours.com)

have a strong chase instinct, be unreliable off-lead, and are incredibly vocal, prone to singing and howling depending on their mood. The novelty can very quickly wear off.

“

This is a fantasy TV series; the reality is a much larger commitment. Northern-type breeds are not house dogs. Minimal walking and training would be completely unacceptable that many of these huskies are being abandoned – as often happens when dogs are bought on impulse, without understanding their needs.

Please, please, if you’re going to bring a dog into your family, make sure that you’re prepared for such a

”

tremendous responsibility and remember to always, always, adopt from a shelter.”

But it seems the damage is done. Blue Cross had 81 huskies surrendered to its care in 2016 – compared to just eight in 2007, and 10 in 2009, the year before Game

of Thrones first aired. So far this year, the charity has taken in 29 of these dogs – but it is a number expected to rise now 2017’s series of Game of Thrones has aired in full.

Claire Stallard, an animal behaviourist at Blue Cross, told us, “Numbers of abandoned and unwanted wolf-like dogs ending up at Blue Cross have been steadily rising over the past few years.”

“Part of the reason for the rise is down to people being drawn in by their striking looks – having spotted them on shows such as Game of Thrones – and making snap decisions to take on dogs such as Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes without thinking about how their lifestyle fits in with the breeds’ needs.

“Huskies can pull sleds across hundreds of miles of icy terrain. They are not happy with simply slobbing in front Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 15:30

Photo © Direwolf Tours (www.direwolftours.com)

Photo © Direwolf Tours (www.direwolftours.com)

of the telly after a 10-minute plod round the block.”

One of these unlucky dogs was Alaska, a four-yearold snowy-white Alaskan Malamute, who arrived at the Blue Cross Southampton centre earlier this year. In her short life, she’d already had six different owners, exacerbating her separation anxiety and

Dogs Today October 2017

7_Game of Thrones.indd 31

unhappy howling behaviour.

Thankfully, she was carefully rehomed by the charity – hopefully, for the final time.

As for the Northern Inuits who featured in the show, they are all in loving families, with several being adopted by actors. Two of the dogs, Thor and Odin (who played Summer and Greywind), stayed on location in Northern Ireland and now feature in fan tours on Game of Thrones filming sites.

Will Mulhall of Direwolf Tours told us, “I first got Odin and Thor seven years ago when they were just seven weeks old. I always wanted a larger, more wolf-like dog. In my years of yearning for this, I had done my research and learned of the Northern Inuit breed, so when I heard that a friend’s relative was breeding these beautiful dogs, I jumped at the opportunity!

“About three weeks later, I got a phone call from the breeder to say that some TV show wanted to use my dogs in it. I enquired what it was about and she told me, ‘I don’t know – swords and shields and stuff?’ I thought, ‘All right, cool! I’m into that.’

Off-screen persona “Odin and Thor appear as a highlight on several Game of Thrones location tours in Ireland including our own tour. The tour visits numerous memorable filming locations, including forests and castles.

One of the stops allows tourists to meet Odin and Thor. Fans hear how Odin and Thor became the acting dogs they are and how their owners also played roles in the series. Fans can get photographs and give them a little pet.

“Odin and Thor have met

many people from around the world that are not just Game of Thrones fans but also great dog lovers. Often on tour we hear tourists telling us how much they miss their dogs at home after seeing us with our pets!

“They are gentle giants and each are characters in their own ways. Odin and Thor were taught to howl on command for Game of Thrones and still do for treats. I originally got them because I wanted big wolflike dogs to walk on the quiet beaches near my house, or to sleep at my feet in the living room in the evenings – and they do just that. They are not just our job, they are our pets and we all consider Odin and Thor family.”

But, as Will warns, they aren’t for everyone.

“This is a fantasy TV series; the reality is a much larger commitment. Northerntype breeds are not house dogs. Minimal walking and training would be completely unacceptable. They are a working breed that require the most amount of exercise every day. They are highly energetic dogs and are equally intelligent, needing mental stimulation as well as physical.

“I suggest potential owners do serious research before they make the decision.” r

31

04/09/2017 15:30

K-nine news

32

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Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 15:33

n i t f e L d l o c e th

Words: Victoria Heywood

It’s 2017 and assistance dog owners are still facing discrimination, rejection and flat-out rudeness.

What has to change?

O

Photo © Hearing Dogs for Deaf People (posed by models)

Dogs Today October 2017

8_Assistance Access.indd 33

ne busy Saturday afternoon in August, Louise DeNew was visiting the Wimbledon branch of the restaurant Gourmet Burger Kitchen when she witnessed a very upsetting sight: a couple being turned away because of the hearing dog by their side.

Posting about the incident on social media, Louise wrote, “The small dog clearly wore an assistance dog harness and the deaf gentleman tried to show the manager the dog ID card on its lead.

“The manager wasn’t interested and despite protests both from the couple and other customers, he ordered them out. My partner put a formal complaint to the manager, who just shrugged and arrogantly stated it was GBK policy.”

Louise went on to point out how this action was discriminatory and illegal, and the Facebook post soon went viral with many thousands of shares. As is customary when such a story finds its way into the national press, the CEO of Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Alasdair Murdoch, was quick to make a ‘sorry’ statement and commit to reviewing staff training. The couple involved were also contacted to make amends.

Michele Jennings, CEO of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, an ADUK-accredited charity, commented, “We were really saddened and disappointed

to hear about the treatment of one of our deaf recipients and their hearing dog in the Wimbledon branch of Gourmet Burger Kitchen.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People train life-changing assistance dogs to support deaf people in their home, workplace, and when out in public places. It is a legal requirement to allow access to a deaf person with their hearing dog in public buildings including restaurants.

“We are in contact with Gourmet Burger Kitchen and will be working alongside them to provide additional training to their staff, ensuring incidents like this do not happen again.”

Self-made If even an easily recognisable branding and identification card is still being ignored, spare a thought for those going it alone. With the range of roles for bright working dogs ever increasing, ownertrained assistance dogs for rare or unusual medical conditions are increasingly common. Additionally, our dedicated charities can’t cope with demand – leading many disabled people to seek out their own selftrained canine assistants. But without the central support base of a charity, and the recognition of an accrediting body, they are facing a very personal battle for access.

There is huge confusion over the law here, but according to the Equality Act

2010, assistance dogs do not have to be from a member organisation of ADUK in order to have full access rights with their owner. Sharon Lawrence campaigns for greater recognition of those assistance dog owners who do not come under ADUK’s scope, having faced issues herself with Rizzo, an Italian Spinone registered with the charity Recovery.

She told us, “Assistance dogs are, in law, auxiliary aids – no different to wheelchairs, walking sticks, etc. Why should dogs be subjected to another law?”

Her main concern is that ADUK has been wrongly held by many companies and even governmental organisations as the legal authority on which assistance dogs have access rights. In her years of work, Sharon has faced housing authorities and colleges and transport companies who all claim to only have to permit ADUK-accredited assistance dogs. This is wrong – and causes huge distress to people as a result. And, as we have seen in very recent times, even ADUK accreditation is no guarantee you will be treated fairly.

It’s high time that ignorance of the law wasn’t seen as a valid excuse.

It’s time for CEOs to stop focusing on staff training only after an embarrassing incident has occurred – and it’s time to start treating all assistance dogs as equals. r 33

04/09/2017 15:33

K-nine news

t o n m e h t t e g For

Keeping a memento is a very common way to remember a lost pet.

A recent survey by pet insurance providers Animalfriends.co.uk revealed that more than two-thirds of animal lovers treasure their passed pet’s pictures and some of us also hold on to other keepsakes, such as an old collar, a favourite toy or a lock of fur.

The ways in which we can celebrate and remember the life of a pet may be limited when we compare it to how we commemorate humans, but there are unique ways to create keepsakes during their life or after your pet has passed away Heart-felt memories

Over the rainbow Nobias Art This colourful necklace represents the Rainbow Bridge, and allows owners to keep a memento with them wherever they go. The wirewrapped rainbow and silver-plated dog-paw charm sit on a silver-plated chain, but the pendant remains very light for everyday wear.

Orsi at Nobias Art says, “I tried to lock the sad moments and great memories into a small piece of jewellery, which can be with the person all day anywhere. I am hoping to bring some relief in the hard time and make a forever keepsake.”

Price: £18; Contact: www.etsy.com/shop/nobiasart

Stephanie Cowburn A needle-felt model of your dog can provide a lasting keepsake that looks almost identical to the dog you remember. Guided by photos, Stephanie Cowburn makes the models using a wire skeleton that is covered with wool fibres and felted into the correct shape using a needle. The model can take hours or even days to make, and are very popular with owners who have lost a pet.

Pictured is McKensie, a Border Collie-German Shepherd cross, and Roxanne the Pug whose owners chose to have needle-felt models made in memory of them.

Price: £130 Contact: stephaniecowburn.com 34

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My Heart of Glass Another handmade treasure that represents the Rainbow Bridge is this fused-glass pet memorial candleholder. At no extra cost, you can choose to have your pet’s name engraved on the holder to make it unique and personal to you and your family. My Heart of Glass can also incorporate your pet’s ashes or fur within the glass.

Price: £24; Contact: www.myheartofglass.co.uk Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 15:36

Words: Megan Chapple

Forever dog My Pet’s Ashes This dog may look like an adorable toy, but it is really a treasured keepsake with a hidden pocket where you can safely and discreetly store a small amount of your pet’s ashes. Handmade in Devon, the Memory Dog is unique to each owner and can come with a matching bed.

Karen Martin, founder of My Pets Ashes, a website that provides keepsakes and bereavement advice, firmly believes in celebrating the life of a pet. Says Karen, “That is what we do at My Pets Ashes: we help pet owners to find a way to remember their beloved dog or cat or any other pet, in a way that feels right for them. Losing a pet can be as painful as losing any family member and it is important to recognise that and make sure you give yourself time to grieve.”

Price: £125; Contact: www.mypetsashes.co.uk

Charming charms Dogs Live Here These pet memorial key or bag charms are personal keepsakes for a treasured friend. ‘Wait for me at the Rainbow Bridge’ is a firm favourite with dog owners. Wendy at Dogs Live Here, based in Australia, wanted to create something for dog owners to let them know it’s OK to grieve for their dogs, even if not everyone understands.

Price: $22.90 Contact: dogslivehere.com

In the frame Yewleaf Wishes If you have kept hold of your dog’s collar as a memento, you may be looking at ways to keep it safe. Displaying it inside this beautiful Pet Memorial Frame from Yewleaf Wishes would be a touching tribute to your beloved pet.

Inside this handmade frame you can include your chosen photo and an engraved plaque, which is professionally mounted for you. Just add your cherished pet’s keepsakes. This handmade shadow frame is available in a variety of sizes and a range of solid hardwoods.

Price: From £42 Contact: www.yewleaf wishes.co.uk

Turn over for more Dogs Today October 2017

9_Bereavement Products.indd 35

t

35

04/09/2017 15:36

Lasting impressions

Effy’s Pet Castings A tap of a paw or the nuzzle of a wet nose. These small reminders of our pets can now come with us everywhere thanks to these solid copper or silver castings. Once an order is placed, Allison at Effy’s Pet Castings sends a two-part moulding kit to the owners with instructions on how to take the impression. For smaller breeds, Allison also creates casts from pawprints.

These can be added as key charms or even necklace pendants along with the pet’s name.

Price: Cost varies depending on the metal and breed; a Labrador-nose copper cast is £80 and silver is £260.

Contact: www.facebook.com/ effyspetcastings/

Say it with f lowers

Memory box

Memory Bloom

Cufflinks Galore

Celebrate your dog’s life with a beautiful flowering memorial.

Memory Bloom includes biodegradable containers, compost, seeds and a children’s story, so you can hold your own ceremony. The pet’s ashes, a collar, or a name tag can be placed into the compost and flowers include anemones, forget-me-nots, Californian poppies and insect- and bee-friendly wildflowers.

Johanna Buitelaar, founder of Memory Bloom, realised that at some point she would need to explain to her children why their ageing Jack Russell, Jasper, was no longer with them. She says reading the storybook and planting the Memory Bloom helped give her family closure.

Johanna says, “In the end, Jasper lived to the ripe old age of 21 and when I had to have him put to sleep, I was absolutely devastated. The children and I made a Memory Bloom for Jasper; I couldn’t believe how much easier it made things.

I explained what had happened through the book that I’d written and the children had something physical to do to enable them to gain closure.”

Price: £38.95; Contact: www.memorybloom.co.uk

One way to keep your treasured memories safe is a pet remembrance box. This one from Cufflinks Galore can fit small items or could even be used as a casket for your pet’s ashes. The box can be engraved with your pet’s name, date of birth and death and a special message and is available in several different sizes.

Price: £9.99 Contact: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ CufflinksGalore

Sculpture culture Mini You Modern technology can now provide you with an exact replica of your pet during their lifetime. Pet Mini You is one service that provides scanning and 3D printing of your pet. It can be a tricky process, however, especially as the pet needs to remain still during the scanning. The scan goes to a designer for a ‘clean up’ and then the scan is printed using a powder composite, a fragile material.

Price: Depending on the size, the overall cost can range between £300 and £500.

Contact: www.mini-you.co.uk/pets/ 36

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Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 15:36

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‘Matching accessories in a selection of colours’ with high quality workmanship and fittings.

DT1017_037.indd 19

04/09/2017 17:15

K-nine news

: ; The

Great

Debate

Is it OK to dye your dog’s coat?

Photo courtesy of Daniela Forshaw

All dogs need regular grooming, but some owners take it a step further by dyeing their dog’s hair with specific products or food colouring. Some dog salons offer ‘creative grooming’, where they cut and dye the fur to resemble the coat of other animals – for example, a zebra. Many are against this, saying it’s an unnatural process the dog has no control over, and that it can be confusing and frightening to them, as well as damaging the coat. Others say it’s harmless fun, and that as long as the correct products are used, there are no negative consequences for the dog.

Is it OK to dye your dog’s coat?

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Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 15:52

I

t’s important for people only to use qualified dog groomers with experience in creative grooming and the knowledge of what products are OK to use. It is also important that the dog model is suitable – that the dog enjoys being groomed and stays still.

In my 10 years of experience, I’ve never seen other dogs react in a strange way to those that are creatively groomed. It’s just the humans that react.

I’ve never experienced problems with coats and never had bad reactions to patch tests, but I only use specially formulated non-toxic products that condition the coat.

There is also the controversial subject of people dyeing their dogs black for the show ring, using strong toxic chemicals. Although it is against the rules, it definitely goes on, but no one ever seems to talk about that. Chalk is also used on show dogs, but people only seem to have an issue when they can see coloured chalk. Hairspray is used, too, and people don’t seem to have concerns about the dogs breathing that in.

I’ve seen dogs become more confident after being creatively groomed because of all the positive attention they get from people.

We seem to be in a more creative generation now, where a lot of humans are walking around with tattoos, ear stretchers, piercings, and rainbow hair, and this generation seems to be more open to creatively groomed pets.

Daniela Forshaw

Maybe

No!

N

o! If you want a multi-coloured dog, buy a stuffed one.

Christine Hancock

I

dyed my Powderpuff’s tail blue once. I also dyed him completely pink for when we did the Race for Life. But I only used food colouring and it lasts a couple of days, no harm done. It’s basically the same as using shampoo. If your dog isn’t stressed with the process, then what’s the problem?

Chloé Cousins

Yes!

Dogs Today October 2017

10_Great Debate.indd 39

Yes!

M

y dog gets his Mohawk dyed by his groomers. It adds only a few extra minutes to dye his hair blue. I don’t see how those extra minutes will stress him out, and the dye is safe.

Roxie Rose Heart

Yes!

I

am a creative dog groomer. I have been grooming for over 10 years and in that time have successfully competed in creative grooming competitions, earning the title of Creative Stylist of the Year 2016. I am the author of the UK’s only creative grooming book. I also teach other groomers.

Creative dog grooming is not for everyone and I happily respect that, but dogs don’t see colour like we do; they don’t feel embarrassed or confused – these are human emotions. My girl only knows that she gets lots of attention and fuss, which she loves, and I take her everywhere with me, where she always puts a smile on people’s faces.

The process takes no longer than any other dog I groom and even less time than it takes to groom my other Standard Poodle in the full show coat.

All products used are safe for pets, as they are specially made for them, with no harmful chemicals. They can be temporary and wash out, or there are longer-lasting products that fade but have to grow out.

Of course, there are times when I would not use colour on a dog; for example, where there are any health or skin conditions. Also, the dog would have to be stable and love attention.

Education is the key.

Vikki Pearman

Maybe

I

s the dog being hurt by the dye?

No. Do good groomers make sure they use only dogsafe dyes? Yes. Does dog dye stink like human dye? No. Is it for every dog? No. Is it abuse? No. My girl loves the attention from getting her ears and head, sometimes even her tail, dyed. She will fall asleep to it and will try to get me to dye her again after we finish. Hardly an abused dog. I understand that everyone has different opinions. It would just be nice if people would research and look up some facts before they start spitting them out.

Aurora Willow Rains

W

hy would you want to change the colour of your dog? Just because they can’t speak doesn’t mean humans can do what they like to them.

If you adopted a child, you wouldn’t start dyeing their hair. My beautiful Standard Poodle has the most gorgeous jet-black coat and doesn’t need any stupid human intervention to make it look any better.

Pauline Godden

No!

I

would not consider colouring my dogs’ coats – they are animals with beautiful coats that are great as they are. But I have no concerns about people who do occasionally give their dog highlights for a special event; as long as the dog is happy with the process and harmless dyes are used, it’s OK. However, I do have concerns when the colouring is part of a bigger problem – when the dog is being used as a fashion accessory or statement and not being treated with due care and respect. It’s the same as dressing dogs up – there’s no harm unless the attitude of the owner is that the dog is their plaything or substitute baby. Dogs must be respected for what they are.

Sara Hawkswell

Maybe

D

ye your own hair a ridiculous colour if that’s what you desire, but don’t treat your dog like a fashion trend!

Caroline Kolyszko

No!

t

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04/09/2017 15:52

M

Photo courtesy of Daniela Forshaw

y white Pomeranian, Harvey Moon, is a model and actor in the doggie world. He has had his coat dyed on multiple occasions for shoots. I did a lot of research as to what the dye was, where and how it was made, which salon would do the grooming, and how the process happened.

I also considered Harvey Moon’s temperament. He is a very obedient dog, who loves being groomed. He enjoys the attention and clearly feels at ease being bathed and brushed.

I will only allow specific vegetablebased dyes to be used, which have conditioning properties in them.

Personally, I would only ever allow a specific salon called Diva Dogs dye Harvey Moon’s coat because I knew that he was being dyed by the best groomers, with the best care, pampering and safety.

Dyeing fur will not be suitable for every dog. Put your dog’s interests first.

Mariam Moon

Maybe

Yes!

I

f it’s a safe product for pets, I don’t see why not.

I’d do a test area first to make sure they’re not allergic. It’s easier to handle if it’s a small area.

Stacy Tisdale

Yes!

I

t depends on the temperament of the dog. My wee dog can be quite grumpy getting groomed, so I wouldn’t put him through anything he didn’t need. Some dogs would be quite happy to sit there and get this done, though.

Collette Kane

Maybe

I

f they’re not stressed during the process, and the chemicals aren’t harmful, then why not?

It’s no different to having a dog stripped, clipped or bathed, in my opinion.

Jeannie Gee

Yes!

40

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N

o, no, a thousand times no. Dogs lick themselves and these dyes are not safe, no matter what companies try to tell you. It’s all about the money. Use your head, people!

MaryAnn Olleck

No!

A

s long as chemical-free dyes are used and the dog has been conditioned to tolerate the process, there is nothing wrong with it. It’s not much different than having your dog’s hair clipped and bathed.

Uninformed individuals screaming abuse have no idea what abuse is, if this seems cruel. You want to criticise people for cruelty? Go after the people who ignore their dog’s grooming needs and cause matted coats.

Being a groomer, the only cruelty I’ve seen was caused by idiots who used dyes with chemicals and ended up causing their dog a great deal of pain.

Lenzie Ramirez

Yes!

W

ho cares?

The dogs don’t.

As long as the dog is fed regularly, gets an appropriate amount of exercise and affection, and has a comfortable and safe place to live, they don’t care what you do to them aesthetically, in terms of the length and colour of their fur.

Joel Amaro

T

hey are not toys. All this business of turning a dog into an accessory is ridiculous. Handbags for dogs, dressing up outfits, dyeing their fur…

Let your dog be a dog and enjoy them for what they are.

Jayne Dendle

No!

I

t is like food dye. I’ve been a dog groomer for over 20 years.

The dye is animalfriendly and most of us only use it in competitions, not every day. Most dogs have it done over a few days – not all in one sitting – as it can be a lot of work.

Ceejay Daniel

Yes!

Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 15:53

Join the debate!

A

s you can see, our girl is not bothered!

I know it’s a divisive subject, and fully accept that it’s not for everyone, but the dogs do not discriminate by colour, and they do not feel embarrassment.

Both these are human traits, and it certainly is not cruelty or abuse.

Trevor Pearman

Yes!

S

ome dogs don’t mind being groomed. Other dogs barely tolerate the basics. If your dog doesn’t hate the process and you use safe products, go for it.

Breann Sanders

Maybe

Y

es, as long as your dog has a suitable temperament to deal with the extra attention.

My dog loves the extra fuss she gets when out and about. It’s harmless fun with pet-safe dye. I think having a ‘normal’ obese pet dog is far worse!

Monique Rafique King

Yes!

D

ogs have such wonderful coats. Why cover them up with clothes and dye? I appreciate that some breeds need to wear coats, but other than that, leave them alone and let them show off their beautiful fur.

Margaret Donnelly

No!

I

t’s not something that I would personally do with my dogs, but if the dye is not harmful, what’s the problem with it? It’s not really that different to choosing funky collars/leads to make your dog look nice, and it’s a whole lot better for the dog than dressing them up in silly clothes.

Jackie Bromwich

Yes!

W

hy ever would you?

It’s certainly not for the dog’s benefit, and if it’s not for the dog’s benefit, then I’d question your motives in doing so. Buy one of those doll heads if you want to do amateur hair styling – don’t practise on a sentient being.

Patricia Templeton

No!

Dogs Today October 2017

10_Great Debate.indd 41

Next month’s topic is: Is there such a thing as ‘too stringent home checks’? Email editorial@ dogstodaymagazine.co.uk with your thoughts, putting ‘Home checks’ in the subject line or write to ‘Great Debate’, Dogs Today, The Old Print House, 62 The High St, Chobham, Surrey GU24 8AA

N

o way! They may not like the colour!

Joking aside, it is unnatural and unnecessary and some dogs may have an allergy towards the products.

Also, grooming can be stressful enough without the added stress of taking more time to add a silly colour.

Dogs have little say in the decisions in their lives; let’s not make decisions on changing their natural appearance!

Adeline Mc

No!

Great Debate results 12%

I

f you want to add colour to your life, do it to yourself.

Leave the dog alone.

If you want to do something nice for your dog, take it for a walk and give it your love and affection. A dog isn’t the latest fashion statement.

Gavin Maloney

No!

If you have an opinion on this subject that is not already covered here email enquiries@ dogstodaymagazine.co.uk putting ‘Hair dye’ in the subject line. Please limit your response to 100 words max.

48%

40%

Yes

No

Maybe

41

04/09/2017 15:53

Take ten

2

1

Does Bertie ever go to work with you?

Have you always had dogs?

Bertie is my first ever dog.

I can’t imagine not having him around.

The low comedy of dogs – and my foolish little dog in particular – is an extraordinary source of silly, gentle fun.

The BBC doesn’t allow normal dogs in the New Broadcasting House. Don’t tell BBC security, but when he was a puppy, I did smuggle him in when Panorama was based at White City. Just as I was going through security, he popped his head out of the bag but no one grassed me up.

3 Can you describe Bertie in once sentence?

He runs like a badly drawn painting of a racehorse.

Writer and broadcaster John Sweeney is a hard-hitting journalist, working on BBC Newsnight and Panorama. He shares his life with a seven-year-old Whippiepoo called Bertie.

4

10

What’s the most indulgent thing you’ve done for him?

What’s it like working with Bertie?

I’ve cooked a leg of lamb for just the two of us.

It’s like filming with Mick Jagger. No one’s interested in me. A star will be born, no question!

5 Does Bertie have any special talents or party tricks?

9

If you point your finger at him, he sits and offers up a paw. But only some of the time, if he’s in the mood, if it suits him.

What was you and Bertie’s last project?

We collaborated on a Panorama programme about the RSPCA.

8

John Sweeney also writes novels. His first thriller, Cold, was published last summer and the follow-up, Road, is out now. Look out for a Bertie-inspired Whippiepoo character within its pages!

What’s the best thing about being a dog owner?

Bertie makes me, somehow, a better human being.

42

Take Ten Oct.indd 42

7

6

Does Bertie have a favourite doggie day out?

Have you had any memorable holidays with Bertie?

We particularly like to go to Hyde Park. I take out a Boris bike and pedal like crazy. He goes into warp drive and becomes the fastest little dog in the whole of London.

I drove him to Italy in my soft-top VW Beetle. Every time I stopped at a toll, I had to get out, run around the car and pay. The people behind thought Bertie was at the wheel.

Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 16:35

Legal Beagle

T

here has been much This is why it was so talk in the news disappointing that the passage of recently about the Animal Cruelty (Sentencing) increasing the Bill 2016-17 was curtailed because sentences of those of the announcement of the last who abuse animals – and about general election. This bill, which time too. was gaining considerable support, England and Wales lag behind sought to increase the maximum many countries in the world when sentences available for specified it comes to punishing those who offences in relation to animal are cruel and abusive to animals. cruelty and we can only hope that Whereas here, the maximum in the forthcoming parliamentary sentence of imprisonment under session, the bill will once again be the Animal Welfare Act 2006 is just pushed towards the statute book. six months in prison, in countries The impact upon potential such as Canada, Australia and harm to human beings is also New Zealand, perpetrators can something that legislators should face up to five years behind bars. consider. There is a wealth of Even closer to home, Northern learning substantiating the link Ireland can also imprison for up between some people who to five years and Scotland can commit cruelty towards animals incarcerate for up to a year. and then later go on to inflict It is not good enough that we When it comes to animal cruelty, violence on human beings. can rightly be sent to prison for I am not suggesting that the sentencing in England and humans who are cruel to animals up to five years for fly-tipping, but if a dog is beaten and Wales lags behind other nations will automatically be cruel to abused, the most likely outcome human beings. But the – even with the United Kingdom. other is a fine. In fact, more than 92% mechanisms are psychiatrically Why doesn’t the punishment of those found guilty of offences and psychologically very similar. such as this never go to jail.

Assessing animal cruelty fit the crime?

Even when it came to fines, and abuse is important for the a recent report from the Centre for although the sentencer has some early detection of maladjustment Crime Prevention pointed out that discretion at the end of the and for the prevention of further the average fine for animal cruelty sentencing exercise, the majority violence, and it is widely believed offences fell from £479 in 2005 to of the task is laid down for the among researchers in the field of £296 in 2016. sentencer by a strict step-by-step animal cruelty that when animals are Apart from anything else, this process, which usually steers the abused, people are often at risk, reflects how law-makers have seen judge to a fine. That is why it is the and vice versa. (See P Arkow, ‘The animals in the past: not as living law that needs to be changed and Relationships between Animal Abuse companions, but as property owned more flexible sentencing guidelines and other Forms of Family Violence’ by a human being. Put another way, to go with that. and Ascione, ‘Battered Women’s the sentencing regime up until now That is not to say that the Crown Reports of their Partners’ and their has treated, say, dogs, like it does Prosecution Service and the bench Children’s Cruelty to Animals.’) a motor car; it is the damage to the do not need to be refreshed as The stark reality is, the criminal item of property that is punished, to the important need to reflect justice system has never properly not the pain and terror inflicted upon society’s censure upon those who applied its attention to issues of a living creature. abuse animals. The way we treat animal cruelty, often seeing it as a But efforts are now being made to animals directly reflects upon the niche or marginalised area of criminal shift the approach of our legislators health of the society and community law. If we really do wish to live up to and to introduce sentencing in which we live. The message that our reputation of being a so-called guidelines that will enable a judge you can inflict pain and suffering nation of animal lovers, we should or a magistrate to hand down far on an animal and most likely avoid start treating our animals with the tougher sentences, and, where prison needs to be corrected. decency and respect that they appropriate, the loss of liberty.

Throwing a dog down stairs, kicking deserve and recognise that they are On this, it is important to note it or abusing it must be seen to have not items of property, but loving and that in modern sentencing practice, deterrent consequences. vital companions to many of us. r Professor John Cooper QC has been involved in animal welfare issues for over 25 years. He was at the forefront of the campaign to criminalise hunting with hounds and introduce the Hunting Act 2004. Presently, he is an emissary for the Animal Welfare Foundation, a spokesperson for Brian May’s Save Me and a patron of Born Innocent, for which he recently received the Unsung Hero award from Dogs Today at DogFest.

He has written widely on animal welfare, combining his experience in the field with being one of the leading QCs in the country. He is the proud owner of a rescue Lurcher called Lawrence and a Shih Tzu called Lola.

Dogs Today October 2017

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04/09/2017 16:39

Do you have a problem you’d like answered by an expert? Or do you experience of the issue? Email your query to enquiries@dogstoday Question

A

Blue Cross It is best to introduce dogs on neutral territory, so take both dogs out for a long walk together.

The interest of the walk will make the introduction less intense and they can get to know each other as they walk. If you need to use a car to take them home, keep them separated. When you arrive home, take them into the garden, allowing the new dog to go in first and let them run around together for a few minutes.

Before allowing them into the house, remove anything they are likely to fight over, such as toys or bones. Attention from members of the family may also be a resource to fight over, so ignore both dogs until they have settled down.

Try to ignore any small disagreements and scuffles. If you see both dogs stiffening up and staring at each other, distract them by pretending something more interesting is going on

elsewhere. Be ready to lead the dogs away and isolate each of them until they have calmed down.

Extra care should be taken when introducing a large dog to a small one, since the damage inflicted during a fight can be much worse for the smaller dog.

Usually, introductions go smoothly and the new dog is treated, and acts, like a visitor.

The relationship between them is sorted out during the first few weeks and disagreements are possible during this time.

Try to avoid situations that may cause aggravation. Feed them apart until they are used to each other, separate them before answering the door, and do not make such a fuss of the new dog that your older dog feels excluded. Care should be taken not to leave them alone together until it is obvious that they have become friends.

Lagotto Romagnolo & Jack Russell Terrier (posed by models)

Quick Question

Expert advice

ccording to the most recent statistics from the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association, there are 1.3 dogs per household. Some people are quite content to have a single dog, but many like to have two or more.

But what is the best way of introducing a new dog to the resident hound?

Dogs Today October 2017

Q&A.indd 44

wa m

04/09/2017 16:41

ou ay

want advice from someone with personal magazine.co.uk

Mark Howarth Taking a new dog home out of the blue is a recipe for disaster, no matter how well behaved your resident dog is. If someone showed up and began eating your food, playing with your toys and getting half of the attention you used to get, I bet you’d be cranky, too!

When we decided to adopt a new dog, we visited him a few times in the rescue first and brought our dog with us. It was a good way to introduce them. They played together in a pen for a time, got treats and parted on good terms. After three sessions we brought Tag home, and Willow was overjoyed when she realised her playmate was coming home with us.

We had prepared separate water bowls, new toys so that they wouldn’t fight over Willow’s ones, beds in different places in the house and a baby gate to keep them separated if either needed some time off, but to be honest we didn’t need to use any of it. They were squeezed together in Willow’s bed within a couple of hours of us coming home. Two peas in a pod!

Wendy Bragg

Lagotto Romagnolo & Jack Russell Terrier (posed by models)

My husband and I rescued a dog on impulse, and we did make some mistakes when taking her home and introducing her to Lucy, our seven-year-old crossbreed used to being the only pet in the house. A friend’s relative was about to ‘rehome’ his young Staffie, Kai, through an advert on Gumtree and we knew we had to do something, or someone could use her as a bait dog. We went straight to collect her, and she had won our hearts by the time we were back home with her. That was the big mistake: we took her home without letting her and Lucy meet beforehand!

Lucy was a lovely girl and very good with dogs at the park; she never seemed territorial, so we thought we’d be fine. We were so wrong! Lucy didn’t understand what this strange dog was doing in her home and barked at her furiously, scaring poor Kai to death. She only came out from under the table when we took Lucy two rooms away!

In the following days, Lucy growled at her like she had never growled before, and we had to keep them separated out of fear they would fight. We were lucky that Kai was so meek that she did everything to avoid confrontation. We called a behaviourist to help, and, within weeks, the girls were getting along well.

Now we know our mistake: we should have let the dogs meet before taking Kai home, possibly in a park, and then walk home together. The way we did it, it’s no surprise Lucy reacted as she did. She wasn’t used to sharing and suddenly there was a stranger in the house, drinking from her bowl, and we hadn’t even given her a place she could retreat to if she found it all too overwhelming!

It was a learning experience, however. Lucy and Kai stayed best friends until Lucy passed away last June.

We are thinking of getting a new sibling for Kai soon and it should be easier this time: Kai is used to sharing the home with another dog, and we know how to handle the transition now.

Dogs Today October 2017

Q&A.indd 45

Lisa Guiney, Mayhew’s dog adoption officer

Expert advice

Reader replies

Ask yourself why you are getting another dog. Is it for the right reasons? Do not get a second dog because you do not have time for the first dog, or if your current dog is experiencing separation issues and you hope to solve this by giving him company.

You could end up with two dogs that will bark when left alone.

The most important thing is to get a compatible match, ideally through a reputable rescue who can guide you through the process. We assess all our dogs, so have an idea which type of dog each one would be best rehomed with. At the point of interview we discuss the adopter’s dog’s personality and character. If we feel it would be a suitable match, we introduce the dogs and assess the introduction.

On the first meeting, introduce the two dogs on neutral ground, so not in your home or garden.

Take them on a walk together; they do not have to necessarily greet each other straight away. We suggest they meet a few times before adopting them. This is to give you an idea if the dogs will be happy together and make you feel more confident that you are taking on the right companion. Never rush this stage; you need to be sure before adopting.

We encourage taking the dog home for a day’s trial to make sure all is OK indoors. All dogs are neutered before they go home and we ask that the adopter’s dogs are also neutered before taking on a second dog.

Next, you should have a family meeting and discuss the house rules for both dogs – for example, if the dogs are not allowed on the beds at night, don’t allow either of them to sleep with you just because it’s the first night. Dogs need consistency right from the start to help them settle in. Make sure you have a few different sleeping areas for the dogs and separate feeding stations and water bowls to avoid any unnecessary arguments over resources.

Also make sure there are no chews or toys lying around the house.

The amount of time spent with both should be equal and avoid the temptation to put all the focus on the new dog. We advise adopters on situations where there could potentially be issues and how to handle them – for example, giving attention, coming back to the house after the dogs have been left home alone, offering treats, preparing meals and playing with toys. We would also recommend dogs aren’t left alone together initially and are fed in separate rooms.

We have found that it’s very rare the adoption doesn’t work out. We always get lovely updates and photos of our dogs happily rehomed with other dogs, as well as adopters’ comments on how it’s improved the existing dog’s life. As long as you take your time finding the right match for your dog and your lifestyle, adding to your family can be a great success.

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04/09/2017 16:41

Talking dogs

This is the place to ask questions, comment, help each other or Please join in, this is your dog world. Write to us at the address Andrea’s second chance

e WI N!

The writer of our Star Letter will win a signed limited edition print by Kevin Brockbank worth £50. Choose from Dogzilla or A Good Read. To order these prints, visit www.dogs todaymagazine.co.uk/shop.htm

e

STA After my Mastiff suffered fatal LETTER R heart failure, I decided to offer my home to a dog in need and I read about rescue group Saving Saints in your May edition. I love big breeds, but somehow forgot about St Bernards. I was drawn to Andrea immediately, almost as if she was trying to pass me a message.

I contacted Saving Saints and made additional inquiries in Poland. She was transported, together with Benio, also featured in the article. Andrea has been with us for two months and shares the house with me, my husband, son and two Great Danes and a Beagle.

The first two weeks were difficult, as she doesn’t have the vital communication tools – someone chopped off her ears and tail – and my dogs didn’t know what to make of her.

Luckily, we helped all of them to overcome this problem and now they all play together and share space. She is learning how to share and how to be a happy dog without ‘guarding duties’.

She is the perfect addition to our family – a gentle, affectionate lady – and it’s all thanks to Dogs Today.

It would be real fairytale if Benio could find his ‘kingdom’.

Margaret Miller, via email

New discovery

Words: Beverley Cuddy

K-nine news

Until I read a copy, I disregarded Dogs Today, assuming it was all about breeding – and as a dog rescuer (500 to date over 30 years), it was of no interest.

I am now a subscriber for life – so many interesting articles, some tragic stories and some happy stories.

As a great DogLost fan, I am glad you have a column dedicated to the website.

The ‘Taken’ article (August 2017) was alarming and brilliant – so much so, I shrank it to two pages to make it back-to-back, made 100 copies and sent it to all local dog-connected places.

Thank you for all you do to help dogs and their owners.

Nicki Brooks, Northwich, Cheshire

Taken Shocking new statistics reveal the extent of the criminal epidemic plaguing the country: dog theft

I

see how many people’s lives was horrified when were being turned upside Direct Line Pet down while they desperately Insurance told me that tried to get their pets back. more than five dogs I forwarded these emails a day were stolen to Direct Line’s PR company in 2016. They’d used the and pretty much every Freedom of Information Act national newspaper featured to obtain each police force’s at least one of the case stolen dog records. Even histories on the media day. more distressingly, only one So why is dog theft stolen dogs in five of these increasing? Who is stealing came home. dogs?

Now, if you think those As crime-solving rates figures are shocking, DogLost are so very low, it’s mainly told me that Direct Line’s speculation, but figures revealed a There seems to be there are some massive underthree types of dog definite patterns reporting of this devastating crime. thief – the impulsive emerging.

Because the opportunist (who On average, takes dogs tied up chance of being DogLost sees outside the shop, or caught is so 60 cases of dog slight and the left in the garden theft every week. unsupervised), the punishment so So why are the weak, there is ambivalent thief, police figures so and the professional very little to deter much lower? a prospective criminal Apparently, professional thief. getting the police In the eyes of the law, a to issue a crime reference dog is just a possession – number for a dog theft can the technical term is ‘chattel’. be extremely difficult. The The form you fill in at the pet owner often must prove police station is the same to the police that a crime has one you’d fill in if someone been committed – that the stole your wallet or your dog is not ‘just’ missing.

DogLost says that even more dogs are lost – a terrifying 180 dogs a week.

Sadly, DogLost agrees with Direct Line that only one in five owners ever gets their stolen dogs back.

A few weeks ago, I did a media day for Direct Line to help highlight this problem.

Beforehand, I put out an appeal for case histories of stolen dogs and was sad to

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Talking Dogs Oct.indd 46

Dogs Today August 2017

Dogs Today August 2017

phone.

In other countries, the laws have changed to acknowledge that a dog is now very much part of the family – much more than just a ‘thing’. Dogs are much better protected generally elsewhere than they are here.

Our cruelty laws are weak and the buying and selling of dogs online is pretty much unregulated.

t

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Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 17:11

ask on

or ess

ask for help, support each other in the sad times and the happy times. on page 6, or send an email to editorial@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk.

Prom prince Here’s Olly Murrs, my German Shepherd, who is a reading dog with Classroom Canines.

The school he attends every week had their end-of-year prom, and the kids begged the head teacher to let Olly come, and so off to the ball my boy went! He had an amazing time, as did the kids!

Allison Clarke Co-founder German Shepherd Rescue Elite

Golden Oldies

Talking Dogs Oct.indd 47

I am writing regarding your article on Chancepixie’s High Court case (September 2017).

As chair of a campaign against the UK’s biggest pet shop retailer of puppy farm dogs, we commend Chancepixies’s valiant effort to improve the lives of puppy farm dogs via the legal system.

The news that councils are not required to consider the Animal Welfare Act when considering breeding licences confirms that dogs in puppy farms are not protected under the existing regulatory regime.

The first step in solving this problem is a ban on the sale of puppies in pet shops and via other third-party dealers. This will mean that consumers can see for themselves the conditions dogs are raised in and make a more informed choice regarding acquiring a puppy.

Boycott Dogs4Us hopes that consumers will not buy from breeders but rather adopt from a rescue shelter.

Every dog purchased from a breeder means one more sheltered dog is put to sleep.

Aran Mathai, Boycott Dogs4Us

Star-crossed This is Ellie. She is a cross between a pedigree Siberian Husky and a German Shepherd – isn’t she gorgeous?

Ellie is 11 years old and is starting to show her age in her grey fur at the end of her snout.

However, I don’t think her age is going to stop her just yet.

Emma Shreeve Ellie is certainly beautiful – we think her grey muzzle is rather distinguished. We put her age at 82!

Dogs Today October 2017

Fighting farms

Happy memories I was so thrilled when I opened the July issue to see my dog Bobbie in K-nine News. He came in for a photoshoot 17 years ago. He died of liver cancer when he was 13; he was Pets As Therapy dog and loved going into nursing homes, schools and hospitals.

Lesley Barnard, Yalding, Kent 47

04/09/2017 17:12

Talking dogs Wednesday 27 September

Dog Days

Fancy a doggie day out or planning a doggie do? Find out what’s on, these appeals - or have you seen these lost dogs? Sign up free to New Hope

What: Newquay Meets Nowzad – meet the bestselling author and founder of Nowzad, Pen Farthing, for a talk and Q&A session, plus tea and cake.

Where: St Francis Home for Animals, Trevelgue Road, Newquay TR8 4AT When: 7pm Cost: £15 per seat, with all proceeds going to the care of Nowzad dogs in Afghanistan Contact: mail@stfrancisnewquay.org.uk 01637 872976

Saturday 30 September What: Guide Dogs Scotland’s Forfar Fun Day with displays from guide dogs, Betsy Boo the amazing disc dog, Angus Falconry, Dundee and Angus Canicross and more. Plus therapy ponies, a dog show, tours of the training school, stalls and competitions.

Where: Guide Dogs Training School, Forfar, DD8 1WG When: 11am-4pm Cost: Free admission Contact: www.guidedogs.org.uk/guidedogs-scotland

Saturday 30 September & Sunday 1 October What: The only indoor pet show in the UK where you can take your pet! The Family Pet Show is an open, inclusive community for all animal lovers with a full line-up of exciting shows, workshops and programmes in five areas. Activities include doggy dancing with Lucy Heath and Trip Hazard, and meeting breeds at the Dog Discovery Zone, including the dogs that featured in Game of Thrones and Twilight.

Where: EventCity, Phoenix Way, Off Barton Dock Road, Urmston, Manchester, M41 7TB When: 9.30am-5pm Cost: Earlybird online weekend tickets £19.45 for adults, and £11.90 for children (or £10.80/£6.50 per day), including booking fees. Family tickets also available Contact: www.thefamilypetshow.co.uk

Are you a rescue organisation or charity with a fundraiser coming up? Are you hosting a doggie event, or holding a seminar? Get in touch with all the details, and we could give you a free shout-out in the Dogs Days column!

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Talking Dogs Oct.indd 48

B

ased in Abbey Wood, south-east London, New Hope Animal Rescue specialises in taking in animals with medical needs or who would otherwise be put to sleep. It often takes in animals in immediate danger, such as those due to be put to sleep in pounds, and places them in other rescues once space becomes available.

While it does occasionally rehome some of the dogs in its care, it is usually the ‘middle man’ between death row and a rescue space, giving the animals a safe place to stay in the meanwhile. The more animals it can take in, the more lives it can save – and so the rescue is currently fundraising to expand its premises. The current target is £300,000.

You can donate online (www.gofundme.com/eh4j5-new-hope-animal-rescue) or by bank transfer to: New Hope Animal Rescue, Lloyds Bank, sort code 30-93-60, account number 36234768.

B

edsforBullies rehomes unwanted bull breeds. It takes care of dogs in need through a network of dedicated volunteers and fosterers, who assess all dogs and match them with the right forever home. The rescue will often rehabilitate abused dogs, including victims of dog fighting.

It also cares for disabled bullies, who often stay on a long-term basis.

The care of these dogs, including transport, food and vet bills, can be expensive and the rescue always welcomes donations. Visit www.bedsforbullies. co.uk/paypal-donations to donate or buy an item from its wishlist. For more information, call Liz on 07817 501012.

BedsforBullies

If you would like to contribute to an appeal but don’t have internet access, call the Dogs Today office on 01276 858880 and we will put you in touch.

Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 17:12

or s dog

or send us details of your event. Can you help with doglost.co.uk for info on dogs missing in your area Pointer Rescue Serbia

Can you help?

Lost and Found

on, to

DogLost is the UK’s biggest lost and found dog service.

Whether you’ve lost or found a dog, register for free to get assistance from a national network of volunteer helpers.

www.doglost.co.uk Join today to help reunite lost dogs in your area with their owners.

Phone: 0844 800 3220 Email: admin@doglost.co.uk HAVE YOU SEEN THESE DOGS? Mattie

W

hile Pointers are keen hunters, it is not unusual for them to become distracted and run off if not properly trained – and many hunters in the Balkan region are not willing to put in the time and effort needed for this training.

As a result, many Pointers are simply discarded if they don’t hunt. The fate of these dogs is bleak; left to roam the streets, they are vulnerable to starvation, disease and death.

Pointer Rescue Serbia is a not-for-profit organisation that rescues and rehabilitates Pointers from across the Balkans, finding loving homes for them in the UK. The rescue relies entirely on donations, and is currently looking for sponsors so dogs can be kept safe in kennels while awaiting their forever homes. Donors have their pick of dogs to sponsor. For more information and to contact the rescue, visit www.pointerrescueserbia.co.uk

F

ounded in 1992, Support Dogs is a charity that trains dogs to become life-changers for people with autism, disabilities and other lifelong medical conditions. However, without a dedicated breeding programme, it needs dogs to train as assistance dogs.

These four-legged heroes can come from anywhere: they can be dogs who were bred for this purpose, but also rescue dogs and pets in need of rehoming. All dogs will be assessed and, if found suitable, they will go on to be trained as assistance dogs.

Support Dogs is currently looking for dogs aged between 10 months and three years old, who are confident with people and other dogs. If you know a dog you think may be suitable, call 0114 261 7800 or visit www.supportdogs.org.uk

Support Dogs

Dogs Today October 2017

Talking Dogs Oct.indd 49

Mattie, a small Yorkshire Terrier, was taken with four other dogs when her walker’s van was stolen in Glennie Road, West Norwood, London, last summer. Mattie is the only dog who hasn’t been recovered since the incident.

She is microchipped and spayed, and there is a reward for her return.

Missing since 12 July 2016

DogLost ID: 102253

Summer Kooikerhondje Summer went missing after she escaped from a garden that backs on to Windsor Great Park, Berkshire, last July. She is golden and white with a bushy tail and four white paws, and she has a pink scar on her nose the size of a five-pence piece. She is microchipped and was originally rescued from Cyprus.

Missing since 20 July 2016

DogLost ID: 102969

SAFE AND SOUND Luna Spaniel-collie cross Luna was finally caught after she had spent six weeks on the run in Stratford, Warwickshire. A rescue dog, nervous Luna had only been with her new owners for three weeks before she went missing. Thankfully. she stayed close by and was spotted numerous times in the surrounding area, thanks to the bright pink harness she had on. Luna’s owners and volunteer helpers set up feeding stations, and when she became a regular visitor to one of them for three consecutive nights, a trap was introduced, which Luna went into. Despite a minor injury to her leg, Luna was in good health Lost 20 May 2017 Reunited 12 July 2017 49

04/09/2017 17:12

Talking dogs Dog Days

Have you got an insurance query, a non-urgent veterinary question Write to us, enclosing a sae for the return of your photos, or send

Sunday 1 October

What: Charity dog walk (choose from 1km to 3km) in aid of CoppaFeel and Rowcroft Hospice.

There will also be a dog-themed quiz, prizes for dogs, refreshments, raffle and a tombola.

Where: Eastcliff Park, Teignmouth, TQ14 8PH When: 10am Cost: £5 entry, £2 per additional dog Contact: Get a registration form from The Healthy Pet Shop, 4 Somerset Place, Teignmouth or email schooling@btconnect.com

Friday 6 October What: Sponsored dog walk by Dogs Unite, in aid of Guide Dogs. Join the walk against the backdrop of the iconic Blackpool Tower and illuminations.

There are two distances to choose from: 5km (3.1 miles) and 1.6km (1 mile).

Where: North Pier, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 1NE When: Registration 5-8pm; the walk begins at 7.15pm as the lights switch on Cost: Free to attend Contact: www.guidedogs.org.uk/dogs-unite 0345 143 0200

Sunday 8 October What: Mayhew’s sponsored dog walk at Hampstead Heath. Starting at Hampstead Heath bandstand, you can choose between a leisurely 3km dog walk past Highgate Ponds and through the woodlands or a more challenging 5km walk up steeper hills and past the iconic Kenwood House. There is a prize for the top sponsorship fundraiser and treats from Edgard and Cooper.

Where: Hampstead Heath, London When: 11.30am start Cost: £10 per dog, £5 for each additional dog (maximum 3 dogs per person) Contact: events@mayhewanimalhome.org

Are you a rescue organisation or charity with a fundraiser coming up? Are you hosting a doggie event, or holding a seminar? Get in touch with all the details, and we could give you a free shout-out in the Dogs Days column!

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Talking Dogs Oct.indd 50

Obituaries

Louie We rescued Louie in January 2014 and he came home to us on 12 January.

His previous life was as a stray on the streets of Romania; he was found amongst a pack of dogs living in the grounds of a cement factory, so he had to spend his days dodging lorries as well as having to fight for survival. He was quite old when we got him – the vets estimated he was about 10 then – but he settled into life with us very quickly. He soon found the sofa and all the comforts living in a home brings.

Louie went through some tough times in his first few months. He tore his cruciate in February and was diagnosed with SLO (symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy – an autoimmune nail disorder) in April, but he was such a happy boy, nothing seemed to faze him at all!

He was my first dog and he was my world. He loved his squeaky ball and adored nicking other dogs’ balls when we were playing in the field. He was such a character and touched the hearts of all those he met, and those he didn’t through Facebook. I even entered him into a competition at our local vet’s and the winner was the photo with the most

likes – Louie won with 1,200 likes!

He would be the first in the queue for treats and soon learned when someone was going to be dishing them out. Any sign of a hand in the pocket and he would be there.

I was so blessed to be able to have Louie in my life, even if it was just for a short while. I vowed, when I got him, that I would do my very best to give him the most wonderful retirement he could ever have dreamed of, and I like to think we were able to do that. He came on holiday with us and we never left him. Even right up until the end, we were there with him on his final journey.

Sadly, he developed acute renal failure at the end of July 2016 and we had to make the hardest decision to let him go a week after, as he was so poorly. It was the hardest thing we have ever had to do, but we wouldn’t let him suffer when there was no hope of a cure or treatment.

I still get very emotional when I think of him. I knew we wouldn’t have him for many years, but you are never quite ready for the end. The time you have with them is never long enough.

Sarah Poynter

Mirra Mirra, an American Cocker Spaniel, passed in May 2016, aged 16. She taught me how to love unconditionally. She taught me that nothing feels as good as keeping your promise to always be there until the very end. She was a difficult puppy, an irreplaceable companion as an adult, and resilient and dignified in old age. It was an honour being Mirra’s carer for 16 years and I will love her forever. Rest in peace, my sweet girl. Thank you for everything.

Carey Ledford Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 17:12

or w an

tion end

or want to pay tribute to an oldie or departed pet? an email to editorial@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk

Ask the Medivet...

Hello! I’m Aimee Warner and I’m pleased to be working with Dogs Today on a monthly column answering your veterinary questions.

Please email your queries to medivet@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk

Insurance Doctor

MEET THE VET: Aimee Warner qualified as a veterinary surgeon at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Science in Edinburgh. She lives in Battersea, and is a partner at Medivet’s 24-Hour Continuous Care Centre in Richmond. Aimee has particular interests in surgery, internal medicine and ultrasound.

Bad timing Over the course of a number of months, we visited our vet when our beloved Barney was poorly. Our vet could not find a diagnosis and so he took some blood tests and X-rays. It appeared that the illness may have been a viral infection, as no problem was found, and Barney does seem a lot better now.

As the tests had eventually come to quite a lot of money, I contacted our insurer to find out how we claim. We submitted the forms, and, after waiting a few weeks, we were surprised to receive a letter back, saying they could not pay the claim, as they had not been informed within the 30 days. Is this normal practice from an insurance company?

Flora Johansson Neil Flint, of VIP, replies…

I’m pleased to hear Barney is feeling much better now. As for your claim, each company will usually have its own time limit in which claims need to be submitted. These usually range from 14 days up to a year, depending on the insurer.

Usually, if the problem has

been reported to the insurer within the time scale and the claim form follows when the treatment has finished, this is acceptable, but it will differ from company to company.

If you would like to discuss the claim, or see if we can be of any further help, please do not hesitate to call.

Neil Flint of www.vip4u.co.uk is Dogs Today’s pet insurance doctor. Neil is a trusted pet insurance adviser to pet owners across the UK, offering fee-free advice on almost all aspects of pet insurance.

W A

hat’s the difference between a stroke and vestibular syndrome in dogs? Why don’t dogs get strokes?

stroke is a serious life-threatening condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. In humans, this is usually (85% of the time) caused by a blood clot. The risk of a stroke is reduced by a healthy diet, exercise, not smoking and not drinking excessively. Dogs are obviously at a low risk of having a stroke because their lifestyles tend to be healthier than ours.

A stroke can also be classified as haemorrhagic and is caused by a weakened blood vessel supplying the brain; this occasionally occurs in dogs and is known as a ‘vascular accident’. Depending on what part of the brain is affected will determine the signs the dog shows.

In contrast, vestibular syndrome describes the signs seen with disease of the vestibular system. The vestibular system, or apparatus, as it is also known, is responsible for maintaining balance, posture and the body’s orientation in space. Dogs with vestibular disease usually present a loss of balance, disorientation, head tilt and irregular jerking eye movements, known as nystagmus.

Vestibular syndrome can be caused by a disease affecting any part of the system (sensors within the ear, the nerve connecting the ear and brain, or the control centre in the brain). A neurological examination helps determine the location of the problem and therefore what the cause may be. Luckily, most frequently the vestibular syndrome is a type called idiopathic vestibular disease and resolves in a few days with supportive treatment.

If you have any queries or would like to know more about pet insurance contact Neil or any members of his VIP staff on 0345 601 8575, visit www.vip4u.co.uk or email enquiries@vip4u.co.uk.

The questions and answers are based on daily enquiries Dogs Today or Neil receives, but names have been changed for privacy.

Dogs Today October 2017

Talking Dogs Oct.indd 51

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04/09/2017 17:15

Talking dogs

Our Beagle, Basil, has carved out a unique role in the family business, writes Rosalinda Pugh

B Good Boy

Each dog featured on this page will receive a Good Boy hamper of treats, toys and other goodies courtesy of Armitage Pet Care.

The hamper will include these top quality treats which are sure to get those tails wagging! Deli Treats are oven-roasted with real meat and contain no artificial colours or flavours.

To enter, write in to the usual address, marking your email or letter ‘Good Boy’.

52

Talking Dogs Oct.indd 52

asil is a seven-yearold Beagle, and has been in our family since he was just nine weeks old. He was the only one in his litter to survive and his mother rejected him at birth. My daughter and her husband had always wanted a dog and decided to have a Beagle. Having put their names down with a breeder in Staffordshire, when they came to collect their puppy, Basil was the one and only.

Basil came to live with us in March 2016, a year after my daughter had our first grandchild, having found it difficult to juggle a busy lifestyle, family and career commitments with giving Basil all the long walks that he loves.

Beagles are energetic dogs and enjoy a great deal of exercise. We had always been very hands-on with Basil from a puppy, dog sitting and having him to stay on regular occasions, so he felt very at home when he came to stay permanently.

We had always said to our daughter that we would happily have him come and live with us.

With both Clive and I working full-time in our funeral-director business and Basil not being used to being left all day on his own, I thought he could come to the office with us. Therapy dogs came to mind – I thought that if they work in nursing homes and hospitals, why should they not work for funeral directors?

With this in mind, I decided to do some research. At the time, there did not appear to be any funeral directors in the United Kingdom that had a therapy dog. I found an article about a therapy dog belonging to

a funeral home in America and thought, ‘What a good idea! Basil would be perfect in this role.’

We affectionately call Basil our ‘comfort companion’. Basil follows the lead of service dogs often used in healthcare settings: he provides families with unconditional love and support, as well as a subtle distraction from grief.

When you have lost a loved one, sometimes it seems like nothing can make you feel better – that is, until you get a cuddle from a therapy dog. The special kind of relief that dogs can bring is a major reason why funeral homes are increasingly using therapy dogs as part of their service.

If you have ever had an awkward family reunion, you know that a dog can brighten up the mood and give people something light-hearted to talk about.

This effect is immediately helpful when arranging a funeral. In fact, dogs can sometimes sense who needs their attention most.

Only recently, I read an article about funeral director Mark Krause in Wisconsin, Milwaukee, who told ABC News that he once witnessed a sevenyear-old boy, who had stopped speaking after

he lost his three-yearold sister, immediately open up when the funeral home’s therapy dog approached him. The little boy told the dog, “I don’t know why everyone’s so upset; my sister said she’s fine where she is.”

We hope that, for those experiencing grief, having Basil will put smiles on their faces, at least for a moment. It’s just something to lighten the load of that journey.

When Basil is off-duty, he loves spending time with family and friends and enjoys very long walks at Attingham Park or Shrewsbury Quarry Park, meeting other dogs and people; he is a very affectionate and loving Beagle.

Families are always asked if they are happy to have Basil with them when making arrangements and if they would prefer not to, Basil will leave the room. However, the response we have had from families has been very positive; they find Basil to be a very calming influence. We are often asked if he can attend the actual funeral. Unlike some therapy dogs in America, this has not become part of the duties expected here – one day, perhaps. r Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 17:13

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25/08/2017 16:29

My Dog Crush

M

Casper & Mia. Photo by Craig Bullock (www.furtography.co.nz)

Yorkshire Terrier Barney. Photo by Joe Riley, Bounders Dog Photography (www.bounders.co.uk, www.facebook.com/boundersdogphotography)

any of us have ’dog crushes’ – soft spots for breeds or types that we love but know we’ll probably never own for lots of terribly sensible reasons.

Maybe you don’t have enough hours in the day for the dog you dream of.

Perhaps you have a wandering eye and there are just too many dogs to fit into a lifetime. Or possibly you already have a house squashed full of adored allsorts that chose you.

In this feature we go through popular dog crushes and take a fresh look at what it would be like to actually live with them.

If you want even more detailed info, download our Fido Facts. But if you just want to gaze and dream of what might have been, this is the feature for you!

Dogs Today October 2017

Dog Crush.indd 54

04/09/2017 17:17

T

hese silky-haired lovelies have more might than meets the eye and are not to be underestimated.

They haven’t forgotten their heritage and still have a keen eye for a rodent.

Sponsored by

Photos by Tim Rose (www.timrosephotography.co.uk)

... ter c More than ra

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25% of our dogs g et a daily comb, with most of th e rest gettin g a brush at least once a we ek. Our ow ners are divided on the need to visit a professio nal groome r– around 50% do and 50 % 70% don’t. of our dog s are kept with s hort hair all year ro und, while the rest op t for the long-lo cks look.

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Our survey of Yorkshire Terrier owners revealed: just a prett y face, They are over 50 very dedic % of ated to our Yorkie owners their owne rs: 80% believe the ir petite follow their humans companion s are very everywhere , although clever. On ly 4% are they are n ot always ‘not very b keen on b right’. eing fusse d by strange rs .

Yorkies can be ve ry protective , which means ba rking 50% ‘bark a .loOt ver at anything’ a nd nearly 25% are ‘very loud.’

Slow Fe e d i n g Bowls Dogs Today October 2017

Dog Crush.indd 55

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ining... tra

These little dogs are g enerally happy with a walk of half an hour or so and Some they can burn o of our dog ff a s, lot of energ however, a y re from playin definitely o g utdoor types: “My in the Yorkie would serio house. usly walk all day. La p dog?

Nope.

Exe rci se

to our own ers, the average lif e expecta ncy is 15, altho ugh some have know n Yorkies ma ke Delicate it to 20 or stomachs (a more.

33% are on sproeund cialist food) and allergies a re Over 50 a common % problem of our resp ondents and the bre think their ed is Yorkies are also prone no more o to some r less healt serious co hy nditions, than other dogs, but such as pa tellar around 25% have luxation an experience d d health tracheal problems. collapse.

Photo by Josie Baughan, Jelly Bean Photography (www.jellybeanphotos.co.uk)

... alth e H According

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04/09/2017 17:17

My Dog Crush

Traits: ●

Confident

●

Lively

●

Comical

●

Cuddly

●

Loving

●

Playful

Origins:

Harry & Phoebe. Photo by Bridget Davey, London Dog Photography (www.bridgetdavey.com)

A

lthough they are now classed in the toy group by the Kennel Club, Yorkies have a heritage that definitely warrants the title ‘terrier’.

They were originally kept to control rodents in the coal mines and textile mills that sprang up across the Yorkshire region during the industrial revolution. These early dogs were probably bigger than the ones we have today and were a mixture of a number of other terrier breeds.

Yorkshire Terriers had a formidable reputation as ratters and were popular in the rat pits of the day, where punters would bet on which dog could dispatch the most rats.

Despite these somewhat unsavoury origins, the Yorkie went upmarket quite early on. Recognised by the Kennel Club in 1886, Yorkies soon became the companions of well-to-do ladies and began to move in more genteel circles.

Today, Yorkies are much more likely to be seen with models than miners – but that doesn’t mean that these little dogs have lost their terrier tenacity.

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Dog Crush.indd 56

Tigerlily. Photo by Katrina Wilson (www.katrinawilsonphotography.co.uk)

Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 17:17

Best names:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Bonnie Teddy Zeus Gypsy Rose Pipsqueak Twinkle Bruiser Napoleon

Photo by Josie Baughan, Jelly Bean Photography (www.jellybeanphotos.co.uk)

Photo by Rachel Bradshaw (www.rachelbradshawphotography.co.uk)

An owner’s view Sam Chidler shares her home with two Yorkshire Terriers, Teddy and Pixie

S

am loves the breed’s character and was also drawn to Yorkies because her husband is allergic to most types of dog – Yorkies have hair, rather than fur, making them easier for some people with allergies to live with.

Their coats are also easy to manage. Sam just gives them a quick comb every day.

They are more terrier than toy, Sam says.

“They can be lapdogs at times” and they are very affectionate, but they are definitely real dogs. “They have a lot of terrier traits, especially when they play with their toys.” They love to go outside, play and get muddy, and they can “walk for hours”. They also have strong personalities and can be stubborn: “If they don’t want to do something, they won’t do it.”

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Dogs Today October 2017

Dog Crush.indd 57

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04/09/2017 17:17

My Dog Crush

Tillie. Photo by Joe Riley, Bounders Dog Photography (www.bounders.co.uk, www.facebook.com/boundersdogphotography)

Yorkie antics: “Mine talks to me.

He wakes me up and gives me kisses when I come home. Loyalty is unstoppable.”

“The youngest can’t drink water out of a big bowl without washing her feet in it too. This causes embarrassment when a trader leaves a bowl outside a shop!”

Downsides: ●

●

●

Like to bark their heads off Can be stubborn Tend to have sensitive stomachs

b ook g

g Nothin t u b s Yorkie

u ps

“Collected my trainers and his harness and sat by the front door, wanting a walk, I think!

ce

ro

“Our oldest Yorkie sits up and then mimics playing a small piano. He taught himself this trick, with no help from me.”

Best Fa

“He once worked his way out of his harness and then out of the trailer I was pulling him in on my bike, then ran behind me joyfully for about half a mile while I obliviously cycled on.”

hire Yorks r Dog Terrie p Grou K U

Grace. Photo by Katrina Wilson (www.katrinawilsonphotography.co.uk)

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Dog Crush.indd 58

04/09/2017 17:18

Love the breed? Shop the breed  A soft jumbo-cord cushion featuring a felt Yorkie, designed and handmade

by Jo at Hectors Treasures, on the front and back. Other Yorkie products are also available, as well as cushions featuring other breeds or bespoke designs. Cushions are £25. www.hectorstreasures.com

Win!

Follow @Dogs_Today on Twitter for the chance to win some of the fantastic products featured on this page.

 A charming sterling silver Yorkie pendant, measuring 18mm width by 12mm height. Made at LondonLotus and available on its own or with chains in various lengths from £11.99. www.etsy.com/shop/LondonLotus

This unique phone case features a happy little  Yorkie with an inquisitive robin on his head, hand drawn by a Purrfectly Yappy designer. Available to fit various Galaxy S and iPhones from £20.99. www.purrfectlyyappy.com

 It’s hard not to get lost in the adorable eyes of this little Yorkie, beautifully captured by pet portrait and wildlife artist Claire Milligan. Chloe is just one of several Yorkies that Claire has drawn, as well as many other breeds. Prices start from £180. www.petportraitartist.com

The perfect gift for a  Yorkie fan. Made to order by The Pot Bank in Stoke-On-Trent, this fine bone china mug is hand-decorated and the message is printed in black on both sides. Available in a range of colours for £12.95. www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ ThePotBank  Fancy making your own Yorkie home décor? This lightweight cotton cloth is perfect for Yorkie-inspired sewing projects.

Available in other fabrics from £17.95 per yard. www.zazzle.co.uk

A comfortable, super-soft scarf made from  jersey cotton, which complements summer or winter clothes. Available in black, navy, heather grey and white for £16.90. www.zazzle.co.uk

Stay in control!

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W W W . P U R R F E C T L Y Y A P P Y. C O M FREE UK DELIVERY FOR ORDERS OVER £30

Dogs Today October 2017

Dog Crush.indd 59

59

04/09/2017 17:18

Alicja Zmysłowska [ www.facebook.com/zmyslowska.photo www.alicjazmyslowska.wordpress.com Alex Cearns e www.houndstoothstudio.com.au e www.facebook.com/HoundstoothStudio

The best dog photos in the world We think that imaginative and skilful dog photography should be celebrated and we intend to publish the best images we have ever seen on these pages.

If you think you know the best dog photographer in the world, we’d like to hear from you, too. Email Beverley@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk with ‘Best dog photographer in the world’ in the subject line.

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Amazing photographers from every corner of the globe have already sent us their best canine shots. We hope you enjoy them as much as we have...

Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 17:19

Kaylee Greer © Dog Breath Photography e www.dogbreathphoto.com

Craig Bullock e www.furtography.co.nz e www.facebook.com/FURtographyNZ

04/09/2017 17:19

Best Dog Photos_40.indd 61

61

Dogs Today October 2017

Anne Geier e www.facebook.com/annegeierfotografie

Paul Croes & Inge Nelis e www.paulcroes.be

CatsDog Photography e www.catsdog.co.uk e www.facebook.com/catsdogphotography

Mel Taylor e www.meltaylorphotography.co.uk www.facebook.com/meltaylorphotographyuk

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Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 17:20

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04/09/2017 17:32

Love & kisses

Victoria Stilwell is a world-renowned dog trainer, best known as the creator and host of the international hit TV series It’s Me or the Dog as well as Greatest American Dog on CBS, Dogs Might Fly on Sky One and her web series about police K9s and their handlers, Guardians of the Night.

A passionate advocate for positive dog training methods, she is the founder of the Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior - www. vsdta.com and the CEO of Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training www.vspdt.com.

Visit www. positively.com for news about Victoria’s work and details about her books, The Secret Language of Dogs, Train Your Dog Positively and It’s Me or the Dog.

Dogs Today October 2017

Stilwell.indd 65

Should we kiss our dogs? What are the real hygiene concerns?

Do dogs even know what a kiss means?

W

hat side of the fence do you stand on when it comes to kissing your dog? We all love our pets but should we be expressing our affection by kissing them, or allowing them to lick us back?

Kissing is an obvious sign of affection between humans and releases pleasurable endorphins into the body, promoting feelings of comfort and pleasure. The same endorphins are present in a dog’s body when he licks, and the good news is that because dogs have evolved so closely with humans, many understand our social signals, including the passive intentions we display through kissing behaviour.

Licking is important from the day a dog is born. Mothers will lick their pups immediately after birth

to stimulate breathing, facilitate movement and encourage the pups to toilet. Without licking, puppies would have little hope of surviving. Pups also learn that licking around their mother’s mouth will stimulate her to regurgitate food for them, although this is less common in domestic litters. Licking is also an important appeasement signal and puppies are often seen licking around their mother’s mouth as a gesture of submission as well as affection. Pups and adult dogs will often repeat these behaviours with their human caregivers.

The way a dog licks also has different meanings, depending on how they are given. Long licks on a person’s face, accompanied by soft, wiggly body language, is usually a sign of affection, while tongue flicks quickly to

the nose and back might signal stress. Small licks to the mouth might be a dog’s way of getting more information about the person through smell, as licking facilitates the movement of scent to the vomeronasal plate and the Jacobson’s organ, providing the dog with more information about who they are licking.

Dogs might also lick as a signal that a person’s face is too close and to please back away.

This is especially true if a dog licks and then nips immediately after licking. The licking was an appeasement signal designed to get space, which, if not adhered to, escalates to a clearer warning.

There is a common belief that animal saliva, especially the saliva of dogs, carries healing properties. While the licking 65

04/09/2017 17:23

While some dogs have a higher tolerance level than others for hugging and kissing, it’s important to recognise their signs of discomfort and to be aware of when they’ve had enough. Turning the head away, averting the eyes, lip licking, yawning and walking away are all signals that your dog is uncomfortable with being kissed

Illustrations: Kevin Brockbank 66

Stilwell.indd 66

action can loosen and clear debris from a wound and some data supports the fact that saliva can indeed aid the healing process, dogs’ mouths also carry germs that cause disease. Some of these diseases are zoonotic, meaning they can be transmitted from animals to humans.

A dog has at least 20 species of bacteria that naturally occur in the mouth, and while most of these are harmless, some, including the pasteurella bacteria, can be very dangerous if transmitted to an open wound on the human body.

Other bacterial diseases include leptospirosis, which is more common in dogs that live in rural areas. Leptospirosis is a very serious condition that can be passed on to humans, leading to kidney and liver failure, meningitis and even death.

Puppies are especially vulnerable to bacteria such as giardia, which causes gastrointestinal upset in humans, and fungal infections such as ringworm.

Dr Thomas Nolan, professor of parasitology at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, says that even though

transferring parasites while kissing is possible, the number of parasitic cysts passed through a lick is probably not enough to cause illness. So while a dog might have giardia in his stool, if he licks himself and then you, the likelihood of falling ill is small. To be on the safe side, though, don’t kiss your dog if you know he has a parasite!

However, children and adults who are allergic to canine saliva or who have compromised immune systems are most at risk of picking up disease and should avoid kissing their dogs or having their dogs lick them.

Babies are especially vulnerable, because their immune systems haven’t fully developed, as are the elderly and women who are pregnant. Teenagers that have pimples are at greater risk as well, as there is a risk of infection where the skin is broken.

While some dogs have a higher tolerance level than others for hugging and kissing, it’s important to recognise their signs of discomfort and to be aware of when they’ve had enough.

Turning the head away, averting the eyes, lip licking, yawning and

walking away are all signals that your dog is uncomfortable with being kissed. The dog that is the most tolerant but doesn’t enjoy being kissed is most likely to be subjected repeatedly to unwanted affection and if subtle discomfort signals go unheeded, then a person is more at risk of being bitten.

Children are constantly watching and copying what their parents or caregivers do, so if you allow your dog to lick you, or if you kiss your dog around the head area, your child is likely to do the same. However children should avoid kissing dogs on the face, as kissing is a major cause of facial bites in children.

The good news is that if you like kissing your dog, or being kissed by him, there are things you can do to minimise risk. If you allow your dog to lick your face, wash it with soap and water afterwards. Keep your dog’s mouth healthy with regular teeth brushing and proper oral care, and monitor your dog when he is outside to make sure she doesn’t eat something that could cause illness. Makes sure your dog is current on all vaccines and has been regularly dewormed, and keep him away from the faeces of other animals. There are also plenty of other ways to show your dog affection, such as petting, playing, walking or just spending quality time with him.

I do kiss my dogs on top of their heads, because we have a mutual trust. This action evolved over time, as we got to know and understand each other’s signals, and it has become a trusted display of affection and something both dogs lean into.

Sadie, my chocolate Labrador, has a sweet spot just between her ears and it’s like kissing velvet. But then Sadie loves to be touched, kissed and petted, and enjoys the closeness between us.

Jasmine, my Chihuahua, is a little more reserved and I will only put my face close to hers when she brings hers close to mine.

Over time, we have developed signals and a pattern of behaviour that we all understand, so even though I dissuade too much licking, especially around the face, there is nothing better than displays of affection that facilitate bonding and trust between us. r Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 17:23

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04/09/2017 17:43

Black humour

Richard Allport runs a large vet referral centre in Hertfordshire, offering a range of natural therapies for pets, including homoeopathy, herbal medicine, acupuncture and healing.

For information on how natural therapies can help your pet, or for details of consultations at Richard’s referral centre visit www.natural medicinecentre .co.uk

Dealing with highly stressful and emotional cases day in, day out can lead vets to have a dark sense of humour

I

Illustrations: Kevin Brockbank Dogs Today October 2017

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’m proud to have been born and brought up in the Black Country. For anyone ignorant of West Midlands geography, the Black Country is an area west of Birmingham and includes such notable towns as Dudley (home town of Lenworth George Henry, better known as Lenny Henry), Bilston (where I was born), and Cradley Heath (where I grew up).

The Black Country is so named because, for decades, the air was thick with coal dust from the coal mines and soot from the blast furnaces and other heavy industries that abounded, as well as the burning of coal at home.

But it is also known for its black humour – here’s an example…

We are in the depths of recession, when jobs are

impossible to find. Out-of-work Eli is trudging disconsolately along the towpath of the local cut (canal), when he sees a man in the water.

“Help!” cries the man. “I can’t swim! I’m drowning!”

Eli is just about to dive in and help him out when he recognises the fellow in distress.

“You’re Jack Fogarty, aren’t you? You work at Lench’s just up the road.”

“Yes,” says poor Jack. “Just, please, help me out.”

Eli leaves drowning Jack to his fate and rushes as fast as his legs will carry him up to Lench’s.

He hammers on the foreman’s office door.

“Poor Jack who works here has just drowned. Can I have his job?”

The foreman shakes his head.

“Sorry, it’s already been taken.”

Eli can’t believe it. “But I’ve just seen him drown! How come his job’s already gone?”

“The bloke that pushed him in has got it.”

Incidentally, all the people mentioned are, of course, fictitious, but there was an engineering works called Lench’s, where my father started as an apprentice many moons ago.

Now, you’re probably wondering what this preamble is leading to.

I had just finished morning consulting one Monday a few weeks ago. Sue, my esteemed senior receptionist and practice manager, asked me to call a lady in distress as soon as possible.

“She’s not a client, but she’s really upset, and she won’t tell me what it’s about.”

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04/09/2017 17:23

So naturally, I pick up the phone and call the number immediately.

“How can I help?”

“It’s my dog – he’s died and I know there’s something I can give him to restart his heart. Is it camphor?”

“Exactly when did he die?”

(Remember this is a Monday.)

“Last Tuesday. But I’ve kept him in cold storage.”

I must confess I’m wondering at this stage if this is a hoax call. But the person sounded so sincere and so upset, I am convinced it was all genuine.

Of course, I explained that it was really impossible to bring a deceased canine back to life after so long, and suggested, in 70

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as tactful way as I could, that she needed to come to terms with the loss, and advised she get support from friends and family to help at this difficult time.

After which she said, “Well, I’m going to try camphor anyway. Do you think I should give it now or defrost him first?”

 Why I am telling this story is not to ridicule the poor, distressed woman. She was obviously deeply upset and in denial, and is going to have a very tough time adjusting to losing her dog.

There is black humour there, of course. I have related this

event to a number of veterinary colleagues, and most have seen it as extremely funny. (One said, “My garage sells something called Cold Start; why not try that?” – now that really is black humour.)

But one or two have commented on how sad and upsetting the story is and how they hope the individual concerned will find the help she needs.

It’s a well-known fact that undertakers have a tendency to enjoy black humour connected with their work and perhaps being in constant contact with dead bodies and bereaved relatives means you have to find some humour somewhere to keep sane.

I think the same applies to vets. Having to deal with the illnesses, deaths and actually taking the lives of patients, as well as dealing with the expectations and emotions of clients on a regular basis, does mean we look for the lighter side of life in our work at times.

So I can understand the vets who found it hilariously funny, and the vets who saw only the sadness and distress. Both are there in the incident. Dear reader, I wonder what your first reaction was?

Rather than end on that rather sombre note, let me tell you about another telephone conversation I had some years ago, when I was on call. In the middle of the night, the phone rang, and a voice said, “My dog had an eye operation at your practice, and now it’s collapsed.”

I arranged to meet the client at the surgery. On my way there, I was struggling to recall any eye operations we’d carried out recently.

As the client carried in his dog, I asked, “How long ago was the operation done?”

“Eight years ago,” was the reply.

No, me neither.

And finally, an email I received recently: Subject: ‘7-year-old dog’ Message: ‘Can you help me? I live in High Wycombe.’

I almost replied, “There is no help for anyone who lives in High Wycombe.” But I didn’t. I just can’t trust my sense of humour these days. r Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 17:24

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04/09/2017 17:50

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Even though the residents were banned from carrying Geiger counters and the true effects of the explosion weren’t yet known, they knew they were never coming back.

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Paws, says, “Rabies is not only a risk for animals but also for humans. By vaccinating the stray dogs, we are also protecting the 3,500 nuclear power-plant workers who come into contact with the dogs and look after them.”

The workers are torn between wanting to help the dogs and their own sense of self-preservation; Russia supplies Ukraine with human vaccines for rabies, but due to ongoing conflict between the two nations, adequate numbers haven’t been available for five years now.

Julie continues, “By neutering the strays, we will also achieve a longterm reduction in their population, improving the welfare of the dogs. This is important because their chances of survival are greatly reduced if their numbers increase, due to lack of food and shelter in the extremely cold winters.”

Clean Futures Fund has put together an international veterinary Dogs Today October 2017

Rescue Me Oct.indd 75

team, after extensive research to ensure they could be kept safe in what remains a dangerous, radioactive environment.

“We are following strict health and safety protocols to ensure the safety of our team. As part of this, it is mandatory to wear appropriate clothing to ensure that the team is protected from the radiation levels,” explains Lucas Hixson, co-founder of Clean Futures Fund.

“There is also no risk presented by the surgery and open wounds. The radioactive contamination of the dogs is very low, so it poses no risk to humans.”

Four Paws has contributed supplies and medicine to the effort, as well as Oleksander

Senchuk, an experienced vet from Ukraine.

He comments, “Our goal is to vaccinate and neuter 120 strays from the exclusion zone and the nearby surroundings within two weeks. In addition, we will also treat injured and sick animals. It is a very ambitious plan, but given the experience that we have accumulated over the years, we are confident that we can manage it.”

But this is just one part of a three-year programme

by Clean Futures Fund; in all, as many as 500 animals may need help from the humane management plan. The alternative is to cull the dogs – an awful betrayal of what were once pets, discarded and forgotten in a terrifying situation. r

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W

hen my fiancé Lewis and I moved into a house that allowed multiple dogs, we didn’t hesitate to start looking for a rescue dog to join our family, and keep our Border Terrier, Brian, company while we are out.

Our great friends Emily and Rob Lucas had rehomed a wonderful Hellenic Hound called Arild some years ago from a small charity in Sussex called Give a Dog a Home, which rehomes rescue dogs from Romania, Cyprus and Greece. The charity is run by a lovely lady called Lynne Spencer, and the moment our contract was finalised on the new house, we contacted Lynne and gave her information about the sort of home we could offer and the sort of dog we wanted – male and friendly! Lewis did have one further request; the dog absolutely had to enjoy cuddling on the sofa. The hunt was on.

Lynne contacted us a few weeks after we moved in, to tell us about some of the dogs they had in foster that may be suitable for us. One of these was a chocolate Labrador cross called Nero, named after Nero’s Kitchen, a little dog biscuit bakery that donates sale proceeds to the Greek rescue Elpida Shelter of Hope. Elpida had taken Nero off the streets after he was found tied to their front gate in awful shape – severely underweight, covered in open sores and lesions, malnourished, and so weak that, for a time, they feared he was paralysed. After Elpida nursed him back to health, Give a Dog a Home arranged to transport Nero to the UK to start his new life, and hopefully meet a new, loving family.

Nero ticked all our boxes (he was a very friendly male) and so we made the two-

Nero

I

’d like to tell you Loopy Loulou’s story. I was not looking to adopt another dog when she first caught my eye on ’Carla Lane Animals in Need’ Facebook page (I already had three rescues). It all started when they were appealing for sightings, as Louise (as she was then known), a Mastiff cross, had bolted from her home and was so nervous that no one could catch her. I fell in love with those sad eyes instantly and checked up at every opportunity whether she’d been caught.

Back-tracking slightly, she was originally taken from a home in Liverpool, where she had spent the first three years of her life living in a house with 37 other dogs! She’d had minimal human contact and all she knew was dogs; as a result, she was very nervous of people. She was then adopted, but escaped after only a short time and was ‘on the run’ for 10 weeks, before the wonderful people at Carla Lane Animals in Need caught her with the help of members of the public and a fantastic gamekeeper.

I was thrilled that she had been captured and was now safe. However, I could not get those sad eyes out of my head. It was as though they were pleading with me to Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 18:24

th Se

en y!

they were born exactly. People are now celebrating a very special See the panel on the left for how to send us your Gotcha stories... hour drive from Hertfordshire to visit him at his fosterer Lesley’s home. We sat on the sofa, and waited, both nervous and excited, to meet our potential new addition. Lesley opened her kitchen door and out flew Nero, straight on to the sofa for a cuddle. Lewis met my eyes over the top of Nero’s soft brown head, and they said exactly what I was thinking. We were off to a good start!

We took Nero for a short walk, played with him in the garden, and got him to follow some simple commands. He was very intelligent and eager to please, as well as very energetic and desperate to be near to someone. He really did just want to be loved.

We did go and visit two other Give a Dog a Home dogs that day, after we met Nero, but the whole time we knew that we had already found our new canine companion, and, after discussing it between us in the car on the journey home, we decided we would make a formal application for him the very next day.

Lynne and Lesley were delighted that we were willing to offer Nero a new home with us, and, after travelling to see him a second time for a playdate with Brian, and passing the charity’s home-checks, the date was set for Nero to arrive at his new home – 19 July 2016.

We have had Nero for just over a year now, and we couldn’t imagine life without him. He is such a huge character to have around – very clever, with a busy brain and a massive penchant for bananas. When he isn’t running across the Hertfordshire countryside with Lewis and Brian, he can be found snoozing on the sofa or trying to catch flies in the garden.

Give a Dog a Home and Elpida Shelter of Hope will always have our gratitude and love for saving this wonderful dog, and so many others, from a terrible fate caused by cruelty, neglect and ignorance. The people behind these rescues work tirelessly to change these dogs’ lives for the better – and the world is better because of people like them.

Lewis and I are looking forward to taking Nero on his first ever holiday later this year, when we are spending a week in Pembrokeshire along with Brian, our friends Emily and Rob, who put us on to Give a Dog a Home in the first place (and now foster dogs for them), their dog Arild, and current foster dog Johnnie Walker.

I urge anyone considering rehoming a dog to contact Give a Dog a Home. They have some amazing dogs waiting to be adopted by loving families, and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking to add a rescue dog to their family.

Rachael Simpson

bring her home, and the more I thought about it, I saw how psychologically damaged she was, and that she would never fit in to the ‘average’ home. She was going to need a lot of care, time and patience, and would most likely be the kind of dog who would be back and forth, in and out of kennels for the rest of her life.

I knew I couldn’t let that happen, so off I went with my other three dogs – Roxi, a brindle Staffie, Ellis, a black and white Staffie, and Leo, a Bullmastif – to meet her. They took an instant shine to her, and she to them, so the deal was done. Four or five meetings later, she came home to begin life in her first real forever home.

Loulou has now been with us for two years. She is still very shy around strangers, but she improves and grows a little more confident every day. Given her history, I never imagined I would ever be able to walk her off-lead, but we gained each other’s trust and now she is the best behaved off-lead dog I’ve ever had!

I would like a little recognition for the guys at Carla Lane Animals in Need, Melling, Liverpool, as they never gave up on her, and took extra care in making sure she was going to the right home. They do amazing work rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming unwanted and abandoned animals and are funded solely on donations and fundraising.

Lizz Tench Dogs Today October 2017

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04/09/2017 17:41

Sarah Whitehead’s

Best behaviour Sarah Whitehead is a pet behaviour counsellor who runs puppy socialisation classes, courses in animal behaviour and tackles behaviour problems in the south of England

Words: Sarah Whitehead Illustration: Kevin Brockbank

DIY SOS

‘Do it yourself’ training isn’t always suitable; for some people, ‘done for you’ training is the only option

N

ow, when I first started training dogs, I was dead against the idea that a trainer could take a dog in for home-boarding and train it for the owners – or even that they could visit the owner’s home twice a week and train the dog for them (without them needing to be present, except occasionally for an update and to be shown the signals that were being used with the dog.)

I thought it was lazy, ineffective and rather unethical.

Why? Well, there were several reasons for this – but primarily, it was based on the ‘residential training’ that some others were offering at the time – which was either ‘below par’ or ‘simply appalling’, depending on how diplomatic I’m feeling! It was also because I believed that without knowing the ‘how to’ then owners simply wouldn’t be able to maintain their dog’s responsiveness to cues and that the dog would eventually suffer as a result.

All these years on, and I’ll be honest… I’ve only just started to have a rethink.

What’s changing my mind? Well,

maybe I’ve softened with age, but what I’ll tell you now is that, like everything in life, we need to judge each case individually.

So, here’s a little story…

Some time ago, I had a call from a lovely lady that I had seen with her previous dog. That dog had needed behavioural help and she worked hard to achieve a good result. The dog had lived a happy, long life and had died at a good age, and now the lady had a new puppy. Of course, she had got the same breed – a Bouvier des Flandres. Now, if you know this breed, you will agree that it is strong-minded and needs a ton of early socialisation and training if it is to be a fabulous pet later on. Having had one with a behavioural issue, this lady was clearly sensible enough to know that she would have to put the work in during those early weeks.

Tragic find What she couldn’t have predicted, though, was that she would be diagnosed with breast cancer only two weeks after getting the pup. She called me immediately and sobbed down the phone, saying that

she needed the dog to keep her occupied and positive during her treatment – she really didn’t want to part with him – but that physically she just couldn’t get him out and about or do the training. Well, what would you do?

Ups and downs Frankly, I didn’t hesitate. She booked me there and then to go round to her house twice a week and put into practice everything that she wanted and needed.

We talked about how she might be able to do a bit each day to keep up the good work – but really, I just wanted to make sure that she could keep the dog that meant so much to her at this awful time in her life. I totally appreciate that this might not have been the most ‘sensible’ plan, but I kept thinking that if this was me, it would be my dogs that would get me through.

So, how did it work out? Well, first and foremost, I can honestly say that I loved every minute of my training and social time with Hector – and I got paid for it too, (actually, I would have helped her for free, but she insisted). After all, I love training dogs!

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SPECIAL

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Of course, it wasn’t without its stresses. Most of the time, Hector’s owner was too poorly to even get up when I arrived at the house.

The idea that she was going to help with the training was completely impossible. She watched from the sofa while I did the training, laughed when it went well (and when it went badly!) and cried when she needed to.

She encouraged me by saying she looked forward to the sessions as the highlight of her week, and she would watch the video clips I made for her when I took Hector out to meet the big, wide world. Over the period of about 11 months, I came and went, and, lo and behold, saw Hector turn from a ball of fluff into an adolescent that I was proud of – and he wasn’t even mine! Basically, despite my reservations about the process, it worked.

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Cutting corners Of course, you will say, this is a one-off, a rare exception in a world where people who get dogs should make the effort to train them themselves. Possibly. Or possibly not.

With some personal reluctance, I have discovered that there is another group of people who really want to have someone else do the training with their dog – yes, the rich and famous!

OK, sometimes they aren’t really rich, or even a tiny bit famous; they are in the ‘well off but incredibly busy’ category, but the reality is

that they are simply not going to train the dog themselves.

Now, no matter how you personally feel about this (I can practically hear you thinking, “They shouldn’t get a dog if they haven’t got the time to train it,”) there are some ‘truths’ that are unavoidable: 1. All dogs need training – and sometimes the owners can’t or won’t do it 2. The dog needs training by someone who isn’t just a good dog trainer – but a brilliant one who cares deeply about the consequences

3. The dog will potentially suffer the consequences if it doesn’t receive the training and socialisation it needs Fairly recently, I gave a job like this to one of my lovely instructors. Her role was to visit a rather affluent couple’s townhouse three times a week (they would have paid for her to come every day, but she couldn’t fit it into her schedule!) and train their two Border Terrier pups. As the dogs had come straight from the breeder into their owner’s

city dwelling rather late – at 16 weeks of age – they were completely unsocialised, completely untrained, and beginning to have problems between them.

After only three weeks, my wonderful trainer had turned the situation around: got the housekeeper on board (who had been shouting at the puppies and throwing things at them to stop them barking), organised some fencing to contain the dogs so they could let them out to go to the toilet in the back garden, and had the chance to motivate the actual owners by showing them how clever their dogs were after a bit of training!

Greater good Without this direct, handson help, I strongly suspect that these dogs would have ended up in rescue, or back with the breeder (who was, in essence, a puppy farmer).

So, my message is this.

Sometimes there is a very good reason why it’s OK for a trainer to actually do the training. In fact, being judgemental about the rights and wrongs is pointless. What matters is that the dog gets the best possible help, and the owners might just come along for the ride. r Next month, we’ll see this topic from the view of one of my Clever Dog Company Licenced Trainers, Alison Mercer, who loves ‘donefor-you training’ so much that she has made it her speciality.

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Dogs Today October 2017

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DT1017_081.indd 64

04/09/2017 17:52

Strange but True!

Fun page

Words by Colin Jeffery & Paul Dunn

e Mongrel Albert, who was dragged,

The winner of this month’s caption competition gets a PoopPot, an expandable, airtight pop-out poo-bag container. It is odour-free and can be attached to your belt, bag or lead using the handy dog-shaped clip. Order yours from www.PoopPot.co.uk

How to enter both competitions: Send your entries together with your contact details via email to comps@dogstodaymagazine .co.uk or post to: October Competitions, Dogs Today, The Old Print House, 62 The High St, Chobham, Surrey GU24 8AA, to arrive by 12 October 2017 Photo submitted by Beth Keene

Cross question

Can you guess which breeds Prince’s parents are?

The first correct entry will win a specific breed book or a general dog book courtesy of Interpet Publishing.

Please state your preferred choice of book.

August caption winners Well, you’ll never learn to swim with that Cavalier attitude!

Gerri Hickman

RUNNERS-UP: Shark!

e A dog drowning in a swimming pool was saved by another dog’s barks. Two strays had wandered into the garden of John Howard, at Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire. He was woken by the barks of a little terrier and found a mongrel struggling in the pool.

He said, “The terrier was frantically running up and down alongside the swimming pool, barking. I hauled out the big dog just in time and the terrier made a great fuss of him, wagging his tail and licking his muzzle.”

Police traced the dogs’ owner who was delighted to get them back. The dogs had been together for six years since the terrier was a puppy and they had run off to explore when being walked in a wood.

e Footie fan John Parsons has given a

This Blue Planet programme is not as good as expected

pub soccer team £800 to have his dog Henry’s name and picture printed on their shirts in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Henry is a three-year-old Boxer.

Janette Peden

Mum, do I look like my brother?

Tara Bush

Come out, come out, wherever you are!

Mary Carter

Fish are friends, not food

Brussel’s parents are a St Bernard and a Poodle. The first correct entry came from Bob Mansour, who wins the Beginner’s Guide to Dog Agility book from Interpet Publishing (01306 873822) www.interpet.co.uk

Fun Page.indd 82

e Police chiefs in Cooperville, Kansas, have spent £36,000 to buy and convert a Ford Galaxy people carrier because one of their Bloodhounds, Paddy, has grown too big for any other vehicle.

“Paddy’s far too good at his job in tracking a scent trail to be left behind,” said his handler, John Howie, “and it was worth the expense to get a bigger, reinforced carrier for him.”

Stacey Foskett

August cross question winner

82

Photo submitted by Tess Wolfie, via email

Caption this!

nearly frozen to death, from the River Severn at Shrewsbury, was warmed back to life by police officers with hairdryers.

“Albert’s owners made a great fuss of him when they came to collect him.”

Alice Hatton

e A dog who understands only Polish, his late master’s tongue, has been adopted by two Polish nurses after an SOS from kennels in Roden, Shrewsbury.

e Pet-shop assistant Freda Brown fears her £1,950 diamond engagement ring could end up in a dog. It fell off her finger as she weighed out biscuits in Colchester, Essex. She wants customers to look for it.

“I’m lost and so unhappy without the ring,” said Freda. “I hope that I’ll get it back nice and clean.”

Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 17:47

Gyles Brandreth’s

Prize crossword The winner of this month’s crossword will receive this Fuzzyard plush squeaky unicorn! Get one for your dog from www.purrfectlyyappy.com

e WI N!

Quick clues

Cryptic clues Across 1

Dog; he can sniff rep out (13)

8

Type of pointer kept by Roger Manley (6)

9

Playful canine? (3,3)

Across

Down

1

Wire-haired breed, so named because of its monkey-like face (13)

1

(And 16 Down) Curly-haired, carefully-clipped breed (6,6)

8

Nationality of pointer or shepherd?

(6)

3

Dialect word for ‘ant’ (5)

4

Out of breath (7)

10 Breed of terrier – such as Highland or Skye? (8)

9

Miniature breed (3,3)

11

5

V-shaped cut or indentation (5)

10 Northern terrier’s nationality (8)

6

Secret, hidden (7)

11

7

Selfish sort (6)

Japanese breed, banned here (4)

Oats specially prepared for a foreign breed (4)

12 Travel home, perhaps, keeping good Rhodesian breed (9)

12 Rhodesian ___ (9)

13 Unbeliever (7)

17 Dandy (4)

14 Female dogs (7)

18 Canine that guards buildings (8) 20 Artist’s place of work (6)

15 Sticky, smooth-haired breed of terrier (6)

21 Hunting dogs (6)

16 See 1 Down

22 Two-coloured hunting breed of UK origin (7,6)

18 Barks (5) 19 Visit in the form of a ghost (5)

17 Half of 11 Across, doubly feminine? That’s swell (4) 18 Anne Robinson’s Rottweiler? (8) 20 Room I love to get on the nail (6) 21 Hudson’s wild dogs (6)

1

2

3

4

8

5

6

7

9

10

11

12

13

14 16

15 17

20

19

18

21

Address: ___________________________________ ____________________________________________ __________________ Postcode: _______________ Telephone: _________________________________ Email address: ______________________________ Breed/type of dog: _________________________

Dogs Today October 2017

Xword.indd 83

Send your entry to arrive by 12 October 2017 to: October crossword, Dogs Today, The Old Print House, 62 The High St, Chobham, Surrey GU24 8AA.

The first correct entry pulled out of the hat after the closing date will win the prize.

The judge’s decision is final.

September solution

22

Name: _____________________________________

How to enter

We occasionally loan our address list to charities and companies we feel may be of interest to you. Please tick if you do not wish to receive this info. Q

Across: 5 Bull; 7 Porcelaine; 8 Master; 9 Eaglet; 10 Stray; 12 Maremma; 14 Belgian; 16 Spine; 19 Cairns; 20 Borzoi; 22 Otterhound; 23 Lion Down: 1 & 2 Nova Scotia; 3 Alarm; 4 Tibetan; 5 Beagle; 6 Linesman; 11 Thesauri; 13 Bassets; 15 Gordon; 17 Parson; 18 Abort; 21 Owns

22 Hunting dog tightens reels, perhaps (7,6)

Down 2

Nationality of 16 Down

3

Little creature encountered beyond outskirts of Epsom (5)

4

Like Rover after a long walk, making metallic sound on cooking vessel (7)

5

Nick cannot chew some bits (5)

6

A clue for this section (7)

7

Self-important person for example is into the Old Testament (6)

13 Heathen filed in somehow (7) 14 Some dogs start barking, the results of having fleas? (7) 15 Breed of terrier at famous tea party (6) 16 Dog died in Dorset town (6) 18 Barks loudly in courts (5) 19 What 21 Across often do, going round a favourite place? (5) 83

04/09/2017 17:48

Step-by-step guide to

1 Basic nosework Dogs have the most remarkable noses – why not harness their natural scenting ability and teach him to find your keys or family members?

W

hen we think of training our dogs, we often assume it is going to be hard for them to learn, or that it involves unnatural behaviours that we wouldn’t want our dogs to have to perform.

Thankfully, one underestimated part of their anatomy, their noses, is always working and giving them plenty to do. All we humans must learn is how to harness this energetic function in ways that bring us all some joy!

Hide-and-seek In your home, familiar scents abound, but teaching your dog to find a person is not just about using their nose. It also teaches them that all they need to do is to seek you out and they will earn a reward – a happy you as well as a treat or toy for them too!

84

Karen Wild OCT.indd 84

1

Start by asking your dog to wait, or having someone hold his collar, while you dash excitedly away and position yourself half-hidden very close by. Let the dog watch you go, and leave your feet or an arm poking out.

2

Then, either call your dog or ask your helper to ‘Find (person’s name)!’

Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 18:03

4

3

Next, hide a little further away, or more obscured, in a new place. Still allow your dog to see you go.

Repeat the steps above.

Let your dog dash over to where you are (you can even show him you have a treat ready in your hand before you leave).

When he arrives, sound delighted and give him the treat.

5

Finally, progress to not allowing your dog to see you leave, and hiding somewhere further away, completely hidden. Be patient! He will seek you out happily enough.

Practise this out on walks, by leaving your dog on a long line and dashing off behind a tree. It’s great exercise, and naturally fun for him.

Variation Teach your dog to ‘Find (Person A’s name)’ or ‘Find (Person B’s name)’. Start by alternating your dog running to Person A in one place, or Person B in another place. Keep this going and gradually swap the people around. Your dog will learn their names.

Dogs Today October 2017

Karen Wild OCT.indd 85

85

04/09/2017 18:03

The step-by-step guide to: Basic nosework

Key to success!

It is very frustrating to get to the end of your walk and realise you’ve left a glove behind.

Far more so if it happens to be your car keys!

1

Attach a cloth item to a keyring containing a single spare key. Take care that your dog does not attempt to eat or swallow this.

2

3

Walk in a straight line with your dog at heel, then drop the keyring behind you. Send him back to find and fetch it. Repeat five times, keeping the ‘find’ exciting and fun.

4

On your walks, repeat from the first stage.

Only switch to your real keys when you are both confident of success!

Begin hiding the keyring under objects and ask your dog to find and retrieve it. Always take the item and reward your dog with a toy or treat – never leave him to play with the keyring itself. Repeat five times, then rest.

Words & photos: Karen Wild Karen Wild, CCAB, ABIPDT and APBC member has been training dogs for over 16 years. Her behaviour and training practice has helped many celebs with their dogs. She works with families and their dogs on vet referral and gives online advice via www.karenwild.co.uk or call her on 01778 560465. Karen’s book 21 Days To The Perfect Dog: The friendly boot camp for your imperfect pet is available now from all good booksellers.

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Dogs Today October 2017

04/09/2017 18:04

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DT1017_087.indd 64

04/09/2017 17:59

Peter Neville’s

W

True Case History Words: Peter Neville

Please visit www.coape .org for details of the exciting new two-year Foundation Degree (FdSc) in Companion Animal Behaviour and Training that Peter, veterinary partner Dr Robert Falconer-Taylor MRCVS, and their tutors in Coape deliver with their colleagues at Moulton College (part of the University of Northampton). You can also view details of Coape’s distancelearning courses in canine behaviour on the same website and find help with behaviour problems via the Coape Association of Applied Pet Behaviourists and Trainers (www.capbt.org).

Owners:

Bethany Crossman

Address: Milton Keynes, Bucks Name:

Soppy

Breed:

Basset Hound

Age:

1 year old

Sex:

Neutered male

Hi Peter

The client

Peter Neville is Adjunct Professor in Animal Behaviour at the Dept of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, USA, and a Founding Director of the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (Coape) in the UK. He has been a contributor to Dogs Today since the very first issue, and takes a True Case History for us from his files each month.

Bassets might be low to the ground, but no bird is safe from stealthy Soppy – causing a dispute with a twitching neighbour

ppy, who Hound named So et ss Ba ly ve lo a I have tween my deal of tension be is causing a great e. neighbour and m our properties ement village, so tir re a I live in is an avid na, my neighbour, are not fenced. Ti s in her s hundreds of bird bird lover and feed ppy also Unfortunately, So garden every day. asons… he re ng r all the wro fo t bu – s rd bi s love ere to feed him! thinks they are th breeds, the most agile of Despite not being er a ov st y and can move fa he is very stealth ptional ce ex He has become an short, final lunge. , ss stre he will much to Tina’s di bird catcher, and, s a day! to a couple of bird catch and eat up icted from to have Soppy ev Tina is now trying uma she says the emotional tra to e du , ge lla vi e th haviour. her though his be he is inflicting on to protect m you can help e ay w y an e er th Is ! ’t bear losing him my dog? I couldn any Kind regards, Beth

henever there is a risk of a pet losing a good home, I try to prioritise that case, so I phoned Bethany as soon as I read her email, and arranged to see her the following week.

I met with Bethany and Soppy early one morning at their lovely home and discovered that he had been a gift to Bethany from her children. From the moment Bethany set eyes on the eight-week-old pup, they were inseparable. Bethany immediately gave her a new lease on life, and a reason to get out of bed each morning. His care is now her highest priority, she told me, and there isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for him.

Bethany didn’t attend puppy classes with him, because she found it physically exhausting, but her son kindly offered to take him.

Soppy didn’t do brilliantly well with the training, and treated it with the disdain that hounds often have for such contrived behaviour, but he did enjoy meeting other dogs and people tremendously. So much so that he won the prize for being the group’s ‘social butterfly’!

When Soppy was about eight months old, Bethany’s neighbour, Tina, arrived at her door completely distraught. She told Bethany that Soppy had come into her garden and had caught and eaten two of the young wood pigeons she’d been feeding. Tina seemed to think that Soppy did it deliberately to annoy her, and no matter how many times Bethany tried to tell her that he did not mean to upset her, she simply wouldn’t have it.

The fact that similar incidents happened daily from then onwards did nothing to improve the

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Dogs Today October 2017 25/11/2015 16:43

04/09/2017 18:07

Tackling the problem

The background relationship, and eventually reached the point where Tina threatened to go to whatever authorities she could to have Soppy removed from her life entirely.

There was a lot of work to be done in this case, and not just with the dog!

As a believer in communication and collaborative negotiation wherever possible, I invited Tina to join us for a cup of tea so we could discuss the situation and maybe find a workable solution for everyone.

Initially, Tina was quite hostile, but after chatting to her for a while, she admitted that it upset her to see Soppy eating the birds because her late husband was the one who started feeding them and so it maintained a link for her. She felt that Soppy’s actions would cause the birds not to come any more, which would mean losing that last precious daily connection she had to her husband.

After some more talking, and explaining to Tina what Soppy meant to Bethany as well, I was very pleased to see that some mutual understanding had been reached by both ladies. But we still had to find a solution to the bird murdering!

I

looked at the two properties and consulted with the local authority about its policies regarding erecting fences on an open-plan retirement estate. Both neighbours had to agree to the boundary barrier, and it could not be higher than one metre.

Luckily, Soppy the Basset had very short legs and a very long body, so there was no chance that he could jump over a onemetre-high picket fence, though we would have to watch that he didn’t try to dig under it. If he did, the fence would need to be dug in, with wire mesh laid down on the lawns either side of it.

But while the fence quickly and efficiently resolved the bird stalking and eating issue, it didn’t mean the problem was over for Soppy. By taking away such big and exciting events from his daily life, we had to consider the repercussions on his overall wellbeing. He really enjoyed his daily excursions into the neighbours’ properties, and by keeping him enclosed in a smaller property, we could inadvertently cause other behaviour problems.

Bethany enjoyed a gentle walk every morning, so I suggested taking Soppy with her when she went and allowing him to sniff to his heart’s content. The garden area where she walked was extremely large and she could quite easily let Soppy walk with her off-leash, as it was perfectly safe.

We practised some basic recall, though, since it is something every dog should know, and especially hounds, who have a reputation for being too interested in just about everything else in the world to bother listening to a recall! Much to Bethany’s surprise – and mine, to be honest! – Soppy responded really well to ‘come’, particularly when she used his favourite treats as a reward.

The walk would go a long way towards providing Soppy with sufficient mental stimulation to compensate for the loss of pigeon hunting, but it still wasn’t enough. I asked Bethany to consider scatter-feeding Soppy. This is such an easy, fun way to feed dogs and one that I’m very fond of recommending for all dogs. By taking Soppy’s two daily meals and scattering it around the garden, Bethany could provide endless sniffing and tracking opportunities for her hound.

Just to be safe, I decided to introduce Soppy to a variety of activity balls, Busy Buddy and Kong foraging toys, offered outdoors and also indoors, especially during wet weather. As a successful hunter, he obviously enjoyed performing the dissecting and consuming part of his predatory motor patterns as well as the stalk and chase, and so we had to make sure that he could still carry those activities, now that he couldn’t get to real pigeons. The food-dispensing Busy Buddy ‘Tug-a-Jug’ is great for this type of activity, where Soppy had to chew and tug at parts of the toy to get the food to fall out, but a well-stuffed Kong also works very nicely.

t

With over 80 years’ experience, we’re experts in pet nutrition and pet care, and believe that life is better with pets. That’s why we’re working hard to make their lives better too.

Follow us on Twitter @PurinaUK for latest news, browse our website purina.co.uk or give us a call on 0800 212 161 (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm).

Dogs Today October 2017DogsToday.indd 1 PurinaPartners Ad2 185x65

True Case.indd 89

89 25/11/2015 16:43

04/09/2017 18:07

t

90 PurinaPartners Ad3 185x65 DogsToday.indd 1

True Case.indd 90

The result

I

asked Bethany to keep me updated on how Soppy was coping with the loss of freedom to hunt. We had to make sure that he would be OK, otherwise the fence wouldn’t be the solution we hoped for.

I was really holding my breath for Bethany’s feedback. She reported that Soppy caught another two birds one week after the fence was erected, but on Bethany’s side of the fence. But Tina had surprised her by saying that if the birds landed in Bethany’s garden, there was nothing to be done about it and that the birds needed to watch and learn to avoid that particular patch!

Bethany said that she hadn’t had time to implement the scatterfeeding or the walks yet, as she was looking after her grandchildren for the holidays. It turned out, however, that the grandchildren (aged eight and 11 years) were very keen to get involved helping their grandmother with Soppy.

We worked out a schedule to outline whose turn it was to scatter-feed and whose turn it was to rotate chew toys for Soppy. This worked very well, and helped Bethany to get into the habit of doing those things.

I received another email from Bethany three weeks later. The kids had gone home, and she found that Soppy’s behaviour programme kept her so busy that she didn’t suffer from her usual ‘empty nest’ feelings that always started after the kids went back to school.

“Peter, you have not just changed my dog’s life, you’ve changed mine,” she wrote. “By taking care of Soppy’s needs, I am staying busy and it makes me feel fantastic to see him enjoying everything I do with such enthusiasm.

He loves his walks – in fact, so much so that I have now started taking him twice a day. My doctor says that this

increase in exercise is making a huge difference to my own health as I get older, and he asked me to pass along his thanks too – he’s been trying to get me to walk more for at least three years, somewhat unsuccessfully.

“So you really have made a huge positive difference to both our lives, and to Tina and our relationship, and I think the pigeons thank you too!”

This was a very nice email to receive, and confirmed my feelings, and those of many healthcare professionals and dog owners alike, that dog ownership can bring enormous improvements to people’s emotional and physical health.

I believe there is a strong case for

dogs to be prescribed on the NHS (with all the necessary management and support structures in place to protect and ensure canine wellbeing). I reckon this could save the NHS a fortune in a range of social, psychological and counselling services, as well as in obesity treatment and basic preventative healthcare.

Every dog could be recognised as a healthcare assistance dog, not just those that assist blind, deaf, diabetic and physically disabled people. And then the true value of dogs to mankind could finally be more broadly and fully recognised in fields that are vastly different to the working behaviours that shaped their form and temperament when more of us needed dogs to herd or protect livestock, retrieve game, and so on.

It's a new age, and dogs are once again proving how much our association with this amazing species can be good for all of us, as emotional and physical health companions. r

Dogs Today October 2017 25/11/2015 16:44

04/09/2017 18:08

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91

04/09/2017 18:37

Education

Breed Council

The GSD Breed Council was established in 1986. Its objectives are to further the German Shepherd Dog breed and to provide a forum of German Shepherd Dog Clubs that are registered with the Kennel Club.

The GSD Breed Council publishes the breed’s only monthly A4 glossy magazin known as the “National” and magazine, which has been in circulation since 1987. This has a minimum of 32 pages every month devoted to the German Shepherd Dog.

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18/11/13 09:51:51

04/09/2017 18:42

We would like to include all charities – large and small – that have anything at all to do with the world of dogs. If you’d like to see your organisation featured in these pages, please call us on 01276 858880 for more details. And if you’ve not yet got charity status but are still doing great work, have a chat with us – we may still be able to include you!

Featured charity

Charity Spotlight

Welcome to Charity Spotlight - a handy reference point for good folk doing great work. We’re helping to raise the profile of this diverse group of people and we encourage you to get involved with them, be it fundraising or even volunteering.

We rescue and rehome 100s of dogs and cats in London every year Please help us to help more animals in need www.themayhew.org 020 8962 8000 Registered Charity No 1077588

R a i n Re s c u e

Some dogs seem to stay with us for a long time and at £7 a night this is very draining on our finances however we will never put a dog to sleep simply because we cannot find a home for it. Diesel is a prime example of this as he came to us as a 10 month old puppy who was so scared you could not touch him. He has now Don’t learnt that not all humans will hurt him but sadly no one has come Buy – Save forward for him a Life and and he has spent Rescue over half his life now in kennels. We are still hopeful there is a home for this lad but whatever, he is safe thanks to the fundraising efforts of our volunteers who are the true unsung heroes of our organisation.

Registered Charity No: 1142968

www.k9focus.co.uk info@k9focus.co.uk 07971 461806

RAIN RESCUE

Susie’s young owner passed away suddenly, leaving her homeless and alone. Help us find happy endings for dogs like Susie.

Rescuing Animals In Need

Charity No 21131399

K9focus was set up in August 2010 and is run entirely by volunteers who give their time freely. As a rescue, our sole aim is the rehoming and rehabilitation of abused and abandoned dogs. Whatever their size, whatever their breed we will rescue them ensuring that they receive care and treatment as required. We also have a 4EverFocus Scheme which allows us to place dogs into a home when they are perhaps too ill or too old for anyone to adopt them.

We ensure that they are given love and comfort in their later years and fully cover all their costs.

rawww.foreverhoundstrust.org i n re s c u e .co. u k

English Springer Spaniel Welfare Helping Springers, Helping Owners Charity No 1015587

If you have an interest in this lovely breed here’s how you can help • become a member of the charity • assist us with fund-raising, fostering/kennelling or dog transport • becoming a helper or rehoming co-ordinator • apply to adopt an English Springer looking for a new home For more details please visit our website

www.essw.co.uk

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We rescue and rehome collies and collie crosses throughout the UK. Why not subscribe to our ’Border Collie World’ quarterly magazine? Only £10.00 pa.

Sponsor a puppy from just £1 a week.

BORDER COLLIE TRUST GB Please contact us or visit our website for more information.

Heathway, Colton, Rugeley, Staffs WS15 3LY Tel 0871 560 2282 www.bordercollietrustgb.org.uk

Visit guidedogs.org.uk/DogsToday

Reg Charity No 1053585 Rescue centre open daily 9-11 am 2-4 pm

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A charity registered in England and Wales (209617) and Scotland (SC038979).

4/1/10 16:55:42

Registered Charity No. 1161079

Rehoming ex-racing greyhounds in the North West 07960561988 www.makantsgreyhoundrescue.co.uk

Labrador Lifeline Trust

Smokey Paws provides pet oxygen masks to the fire service.

Need help rehoming your Labrador? Looking for a Labrador? Then look no further as we know and understand the breed.

But many more masks are needed.

Dog A. I. D. Provides Assistant Dog training for people with physical disabilities who have their own dog.

Make A Difference By making a Donation on-line.

As a Dog Trainer could you volunteer to be an Instructor?

The next pet saved could be yours

Visit our website for more information.

Reg. Charity No. 1076061

You can donate via

01256 884027

www.smokeypaws.co.uk

07860 691251

www.labrador-lifeline.co.uk selabres@btconnect.com

or email info@smokeypaws.co.uk

Spanish Stray Dogs

Adopt a

friend

Working tirelessly to help the abandoned & neglected dogs of s. Spain

SpanishStrayDogs.ORG.UK Charity No: SCO43486

Charity No. 1088503

Founded in 1978.

Valgrays pride themselves on caring for many unwanted dogs and rehab work is undertaken. All dogs are spayed and castrated homes are checked out.

Val Phillips 01883 624513 valgrays@hotmail.co.uk

STAFFORDSHIRE BULL Irish TERRIER WELFARE Valgrays.indd 1 15/3/13 Retriever Often in rescue through no fault of their own, Staffies make great family pets.

Rescue

Safeguarding the futures of abused, abandoned, neglected or simply unwanted Golden Retrievers.

We always welcome volunteers who will act as loving and understanding adopters, transporters, fosterers or homecheckers.

If you are interested in lending a hand or simply wish to make a donation please visit our website....

irishretrieverrescue.com REGISTERED CHARITY No: 1150320

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Reg. Charity No. 1161554

The first UK Assistance Dog charity to help improve the quality of life for Veterans who suffer from PTSD

www.dogaid.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1098619

If you have to breed – and we wish you wouldn’t as there are too many unwanted – then please avoid breeds regularly seen in rescues

‘A relationship based on respect, care and compassion’

www.veteranswithdogs.org.uk

Veterans With Dogs, Hannahs at Seale-Hayne, Howton Lane, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 6NQ. 01626 374041 l 0843 289 8899

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Registered Charity No. 1148913

We are dedicated to training carefully selected dogs to work as educational & therapeutic aids in the school, college & library environment.

Can you offer a home?

Could you help us to raise funds or make a donation to help save more lives?

Please visit our website to find your nearest affiliated regional group

www.staffordwelfare.com Reg. Charity No. 1058627

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A dog’s life

C

harlotte Mackaness of Fortunately, Beebee’s life is Boughton, Northants, made more comfortable with the and her two children, support of neurologist Dr Clare Alice (four) and Rusbridge.

Edward (five), adored At just five years old, Beebee their first dog, a Cavalier called looks like a frail old lady. She has Kitty. In the summer of 2012, they good days and bad days. Overdecided it was time to get another excitement increases the heart puppy, so Charlotte followed the rate, which pushes the cerebral Kennel Club’s advice of speaking fluid with more force, causing to a breed club puppy coordinator, pain. Like many dogs with CM/ and was guided to a ‘trusted’ SM, she sleeps most of the time, breeder who had won countless often with her head in her paws.

Best of Breed trophies at Crufts.

Luxating patellas and chronic The family travelled across the pancreatitis are other common country and instantly fell in love issues with CKCS, which Beebee with a tiny pup with the Cavalier has to endure. The children know ‘baby doll’ face, big brown eyes, they can’t pick her up, must not fluffy ears and domed head – touch her head and must give her returning the next day to take space, but they don’t understand her home. As it was the Queen’s why she suffers so much at a Jubilee year, Libby seemed a young age. fittingly royal name, however her Despite this, Beebee loves nickname Beebee soon stuck. going on walks and trips in the car.

Having gone through an Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are She has a legendary appetite, official KC coordinator and is always in pursuit of food, beautiful, gentle and affectionate and only drinks Evian water! breeder, Charlotte was confident Beebee was a companions, but as Beebee’s story She also has an excitable new healthy and happy puppy.

Isla the Cavalier. reveals, debilitating health issues playmate, After all, she “couldn’t do Beebee is an ambassador can lead to shortened lives better than a Cavalier from for the canine health this breeder”. campaign ‘Cavaliers Are and heartbreak Beebee was friendly and Special’, which calls for the playful, but she also had a mandatory health testing few odd and quirky ways. She for SM and MVD. This had led never left Charlotte’s side to her appearing live on BBC during walks, became timid in Radio 4 and snoring through the unusual situations, seemed to interview, guest appearances at lack basic coordination and public events to raise awareness would occasionally yelp for no of Cavalier health issues, and a apparent reason.

Dogs Today Unsung Hero Award.

The yelping increased over Charlotte explains, “People the months and she became are naturally drawn to Beebee more withdrawn. The death because she is inescapably cute, of Kitty from mitral valve although what a price she has disease (MVD), a disease of paid for that dinky little head.” the heart that is caused by the Beebee may not have a deterioration of a valve, and long life, but she has been Cavaliers Are Special loved. Her life and story continue the birth of third child Luke did cavaliersarespecial.wordpress not help Beebee’s low mood and to shine a light on Cavalier health .com avoidance of petting. issues, proving that not all dogs By two years of age, Beebee with SM scratch, CM pain can was diagnosed with the neurological die at such a young age so soon be as painful as SM, and that all condition Chiari malformation/ after Kitty. Edward, with his seventypes of Cavalier breeders, not syringomyelia (CM/SM) and was year old wisdom, reassured her not just puppy farmers and backyard prescribed strong painkillers. She to be silly, as two-year-old dogs breeders, are responsible for had been in pain since a puppy. don’t die. Sadly, Cavaliers have horrific hereditary health issues When she went for her MRI scan, been euthanased before the age that could be minimised through Alice was scared that Beebee would of two because of this condition. mandatory health testing. r

Dr Daniel Allen (@Dr_Dan_1) is an animal geographer who believes every dog has a special story to share. Daniel lives in Staffordshire with his partner, Louise, and rather excitable chocolate Labrador, Rupert.

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Speak to one of our in-house nutritionists for the best advice in the business: Call (freephone): 0800 083 6696

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