I was watching the weather forecast earlier today when the presenter highlighted the fact that we have lost around an hour of daylight over the last month. With days becoming shorter, and the evenings becoming darker much earlier, my thoughts have turned to thinking about how to prepare our dogs for the onset of those dark winter days and nights. …
Dog Breeds and Human Allergies
The growing popularity of all kinds of doodles (poodle crosses) is, in part, due to their reputation for being suitable for people with allergies to dogs. Many websites claim that breeds which don’t shed are less likely to cause allergic reactions, but this is not true. Allergies to dogs (and cats) are not really due to the hair they shed, …
How Will I Know If My Dog Is Happy?
One of the joys of watching human infants grow is the way in which they develop language and, after a while, are able to let us know how they feel, what they want, and, sometimes, what they’re afraid of. Even though our dogs have the emotional maturity of a child aged between two and three years, and are able to …
Dog People vs Cat People
One of the most enduring aspects of social media, which is itself a shining example of the ephemeral, is the plethora of poignant images that have so effortlessly been transported into all of our homes and hearts. One of these is the classic Hollywood photograph of Joan Collins and her pink poodle and another is the grainy black and white …
The Obesity Epidemic
The latest report from the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association finds that 51% of dogs, 44% of cats, and 29% of small mammals are overweight or obese and the figures have risen since their last report in 2015. The reasons for pet obesity are complex and may vary for each individual. Overfeeding is very common, despite clear feeding guidelines on packaging. …
Fear of People
Living with a dog that is fearful of people can be difficult. There may be a number of reasons why a dog is afraid of strangers. The potential for fearful behaviour can be inherited, or punitive training methods can cause a dog to become fearful of people, but it is more likely that a dog that is afraid of unfamiliar …
Socialisation
Socialisation means learning how to interact socially with other living creatures, whereas habituation is learning to respond calmly and appropriately to everyday goings on and to ignore irrelevant environmental stimuli. Dogs are highly social animals. They must develop a system of communication to enable them to socialise with unfamiliar dogs and must also learn to adjust to a range of …
Things to consider before bringing a new dog home
There’s very little that can compare with that warm feeling of protective love when you first cuddle a new puppy or sit with a rehomed dog so desperately in need of a new start in life. However, setting aside the emotional highs that accompany that decision, there are some practical issues that we really do have to think through before …
Why Do Small Dogs Live Longer Than Big Dogs
It is generally accepted that small breed dogs have longer lives than larger breed dogs. Research has backed up this up by comparing the average size of different dogs breeds to their average lifespan and found that the bigger the dog, the shorter it lived. The reasons why are not clearly understood, but it is an area which many scientists …
Canine Life Stages
Just as human medical care might be divided into neonatal, paediatric, young adult, adult, and geriatric, so canine health care and nutrition is often split into ‘life-stages’. Neonate covers the time from birth to the start of weaning at 3 to 4 weeks. During this period the puppy is totally dependent on its mother. In the first two weeks puppies …