Just after Christmas David and Alison Green lost their 13-year-old Border Terrier and were desperate to find another. In the New Year, they decided to look for a new puppy and followed the advice from all the large animal charities. This was BEFORE lockdown. They asked friends with Borders it there were any litters available in the area and got …
Helping a pet cope with the loss of a family member
Do our pets experience grief? In today’s world, our pets are very much part of our families and, while that reflects the way we feel about our pets, it also reflects how our pets feel about us. Our routines rapidly become their routines, they share our immediate living space and so our excitement, anticipation, joy or sadness are all emotions …
Caring for our Dogs During Lockdown
There can be very few people whose lives have not been dramatically affected by the restrictions of lockdown and, if we look beyond the personal tragedies hidden in the official statistics, many of us are finding life increasingly difficult as the social restrictions continue. If you are a key worker, your life will have become very much busier with all …
Indoor Games and Enrichment for dogs
Few of us would believe that our dogs would be perfectly happy just lying around without any physical or mental stimulation any more than we would think that our children could properly develop without play. Maybe the problem is that we can so easily plough on with our busy lives without giving it very much thought. It’s easy to see …
Emotional Impact of Winter Setting in for Some Dogs
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 …