Pets

A message from Waggy Tails Rescue

Ralph is a five-year-old pug who loves everyone. He has a typical pug nature –he can be stubborn but he is full of character. He will make a super companion. Ralph is good with children but gets overexcited if they are noisy around him, so probably best not to live with them. He could live with a calm dog but no cats please. Ralph has had surgery whilst he has been with us to help his breathing which was very bad, so he cannot be exercised too much and needs a calm home. Waggy Tails Rescue are in need of more foster homes. If you are at home most of the time, have a secure garden and are experienced with dogs then please give us a ring and discuss fostering for us. It is a very rewarding experience and enables us to continue helping these dogs. (no children under 10 in the house please). Our 2022 calendar is now on sale – available from our office, shop, or by post. Please contact the office for further details. Waggy Tails Rescue is a registered charity based in Dorset. We rescue and rehome dogs that have been abandoned, neglected or otherwise in need of a new home. We also find homes for other small furries that may be in our care. If you are able to offer Ralph or any of his lovely friends a forever home or a foster home, please contact our office on 01202 875000, email: admin@waggytails. org.uk, or visit our website waggytails.org.uk. Donations or letters can be sent to: Waggy Tails Rescue Helen’s House 143 Magna Road Wimborne BH21 3AW Thank you!

nRalph

Spotting those unscrupulous online dealers

by Lorraine Gibson If you’re thinking about getting a dog, animal charities would be incredibly grateful if you’d consider rehoming one of theirs. They have lovely dogs in need of good homes and would give you all the support and information you’d need to be a successful and happy dogowner. However, if you are aiming to buy a puppy, please be aware that a shocking 87 per cent of puppy-trade calls to the RSPCA are about animals bought over the internet. To avoid being fooled by unprincipled sellers who use the internet to their advantage to advertise and sell farmed puppies, take heed of this advice from the RSPCA on how to spot their ads. look out for these tell-tale signs that something may be amiss: l Same contact number on more than one advert – try Googling the number. Has it been used on other puppy adverts? l Descriptions may have been copied and pasted and used on more than one ad –Google the text and see if it’s been used before, word-forword l Words like ‘miniature’ and ‘teacup’ can be a sign of dealers who are capitalising on cute, popular terms l Photos of the puppies may have been used on other adverts – right click on the photo, select ‘search Google for image’ and see if it’s been used on other ads l ‘Vaccinated early’ – if the advert says a puppy’s vaccinated, check how old he or she is. A puppy cannot be vaccinated before they’re four to six-weeks old. If someone’s advertising a three-week-old vaccinated puppy, they’re lying. l Pet passport? – If the puppy is advertised as having a passport, it has most probably been imported. l Are they really Kennel Club registered? Ask for original documents and check with the Kennel Club before committing to buy. l Promises of ‘free insurance’ and ‘puppy packs’ don’t always mean the advert is from a legitimate breeder.

If you see a suspicious advert, report it to the RSPCA who will investigate: 0300 1234 999. For more information, see their Puppy Trade Campaign online at rspca.org.uk.

Ask the vet... with Lynn Broom

Winter Dangers

The winter brings its share of risks to our pets. Some are Christmas related and some are related to the bad weather. Cold weather brings the need for topping up the antifreeze in the car. Spilt or discarded antifreeze is a big risk to animals, particularly cats because it is sweet and cats frequently explore garages and outhouses. Antifreeze causes acute irreversible kidney failure in all species. Discarded oil is also a risk to cats which will groom off any oil they accidentally walk or fall into causing toxic effects from ingestion. Many animals drink from standing water outside. During freezing conditions and snow, water becomes unavailable and it is essential to provide an alternative source. Many cats (and some dogs) are reluctant to go out to urinate in cold weather and this, particularly in combination with reduced water intake, can lead to cystitis. Many food and drink items which are delicious for us are potentially toxic to our pets. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure. Christmas cake, Christmas pudding and mince pies are a common source of accidental ingestion as well as the small boxes of raisins given in Christmas stockings. Accidental ingestion of chocolate is very common

Pets for sale/wanted

Gorgeous KC registered Golden retriever puppies. Litter born 19 Nov. Ready to leave mid January with 5 generation pedigree, health certificates and microchipped. They come with a lifetime of support. contact AnnMarie on 07714 423247. Texts will not be replied to. Gorgeous female Cocker Spaniel pup s ready 8th January £1800 Mrs.Hyde 01747 830718

Gorgeous Cockapoo Puppies For Sale Ready 12/12/21 Please call for more details 07949 212210 and can often be avoided by not leaving wrapped chocolates under the tree and avoiding gifts containing chocolate being posted through the letter box. The effects of alcohol can also be dangerous to our pets. One glass of wine to an 80kg human is the equivalent of 8 glasses to a 10kg dog and can cause serious illness. Much as it is lovely to give our pets special food and leftovers because ‘It’s Christmas’ we see a large increase in gastroenteritis and pancreatitis due to sudden changes in diet and high fat foods during the seasonal period. Foreign body ingestion is also a higher risk at Christmas due to a combination of more toys lying around, pets visiting other peoples houses and people visiting pets’ houses where medications and other items are left within reach, Christmas decorations being chewed and wrapping paper/ribbon being eaten to access the delicious food contained inside. Foreign bodies can cause recurrent vomiting and life threatening obstructions. We all want to enjoy Christmas but it is important to remember that, to our pets, it is just another day so try to avoid excessive treats and keep ‘at risk’ items out of the way – no one wants a visit to the vets on Christmas Day (including your vet!) to make your pet vomit up the lovely chocolate he just ate.

BEHAVIOUR TIPS

Tip#5 What’s in a name? Dogs have no concept of names. Just like any other word or cue we use with our dogs, to him a ‘name’ is just a sound that he has learned to recognise as having a specific meaning. What that meaning is, and whether it is positive or negative is entirely up to the owner. Your dog’s name is basically a means of getting his attention onto you briefly so you can then ask him to do something else (for which he may earn a possible reward). This is actually one of the easiest, but most important ‘cues’ we can teach our dogs. After all, if you can’t get his attention reliably when you call his name, you have little chance of him responding to more complex requests – not least because he may not even know you are talking to him! Practice calling your dog’s name in many different situations and - when he makes eye contact – throw him a low-value reward. Never, ever allow anyone to use his name as a reprimand or a nag, or to repeat it endlessly for no positive purpose – or your dog may quickly learn that his “name” is best ignored!.

Jack Russell puppies, 10 weeks old 4th January, brown & tan girl £900, black & tan boy and tan boy £750 each, chip and first jab for more information Call 07779 124711

Labrador pups for sale, wormed up to date, both parents hip, eye and elbow tested and can be seen,parents both kc registered and have lovely temperaments 07800 755862 £800 Helen Taylor BSc(Hons) ADipCBM Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB) Full Member APBC & APDT (881) 07951 985193 help@helentaylordorset.co.uk (incoming) or help@dorsetdogbehaviour.co.uk (outgoing) helentaylordorset.co.uk Helping your best friend to be even better...