Obtaining insurance for your canine chum offers you peace of mind and added security if your dog is poorly or involved in an accident. It is so easy to try and turn the other cheek and convince yourself that your dog will be perfectly healthy and extremely lucky throughout the duration of their life, they will never require any medical assistance so you do not need to bother taking out an insurance policy.

Well this is all well and good but as most dog owners know it takes seconds for a dog to come to find itself in the kind of predicament where it needs the help of a vet.
Read the rest of this entry »

With the warmer weather on the horizon our thoughts start to wander to different walking locations for our faithful friends. Those woods which have stood wet and muddy for the past few months are now drying out and becoming more accessible, even to those dog owners with white dogs!

The moorland which has been out of bounds due to the lashing rain and blowing gales is now bathed in glorious sunshine with no signs of any mud. Beaches which have been turned into mini sandstorms because of the weather now appear calm and inviting once again. Now you have the location sorted for a lovely long walk with your dog but there’s just one small, very small, tiny actually, problem which is lurking waiting for your nice ‘tasty’ pooch to happen along.
Read the rest of this entry »

As you have probably gathered by now if you are a regular visitor to our website we believe in non-coercive methods of dog training, praising and rewarding your faithful friend is so much better than shouting at your dog.

You gain respect from your canine chum and the best part is that treating your dog with kindness whilst training will result in a positive response.
Read the rest of this entry »

The relationship between postmen and dogs has been the subject of numerous jokes and cartoon strips for as long as I can remember. Cartoons will generally show a fleeing postie running up a garden path with the smallest of pooches giving chase!

Most dogs will at least bark at the front door when the postman arrives, so what is it exactly that makes our canine friends despise the postman so much?
Read the rest of this entry »

When dogs undergo a surgical procedure their vet will occasionally recommend that they partake in hydrotherapy as part of their individual healing process. This can also happen if a dog experiences hip dysplasia or has suffered an injury but the problem cannot be ‘fixed’ through surgery.

The general rehabilitation can be assisted with the careful introduction of hydrotherapy it has certain effects on the dog’s body tissues including relieving pain and swelling, improving the blood’s circulation, helping the joints to move freely and hydrotherapy can also stop painful muscle spasms.
Read the rest of this entry »

If walking in your own garden has become a hazard due to the fear of falling down a gaping hole kindly left by your ‘helpful’ pooch then it is time to think about training your faithful friend to stop the excavation exercise in your garden!

Before you can tackle the training to solve the problematic behaviour you need to work out why the behaviour is occurring in the first place. Now there are numerous reasons why a dog will begin to dig, they could be experiencing feelings of anxiety or possess a desire to escape or they could even be searching for shelter from the elements.
Read the rest of this entry »

Deciding that you want to welcome a new puppy into your home is a big enough decision in itself let alone trying to decide where exactly to obtain a puppy from as there are numerous routes available.

Irrespective of the puppy’s starting point in life one of the most important facts is its age when it is homed. Too many puppies are taken away from their mother and siblings whilst they are still far too young to be without their canine family.
Read the rest of this entry »

Many dog owners like to let their dogs have a good old chomp on a bone now and again as they feel it is allowing their pooch the freedom to return to their roots. Dogs are natural carnivores and of course direct descendants of the wolf so there is almost something quite wild and predatory about the domestic dog munching on a bone.

The next question on everyone’s lips will be, “is it safe to feed your dog bones?” Well this debate has been ongoing for some considerable time and there are those dog owners who swear by giving their dog a weekly bone and those dog owners that recoil in absolute horror at the mere thought of their sweet, little pooch chomping on a bone! The choice, as most things, is all down to personal preference having said that though there are some facts which you should be aware of prior to feeding ‘Rover’ a nice, juicy bone.
Read the rest of this entry »

A common problem often faced by dog owners is the one concerning their faithful friend and the hoover. The dog in question is generally as good as gold in every other way but when the dreaded hoover puts in an appearance the dog turns into a devilish little critter!

Now the poor innocent hoover does not have much going for it really when viewed through the eyes of a dog. It is the ideal ‘prey’ to chase because it wheels along the floor and not to mention the awful loud noise it makes, which to a dog is magnified so many more times than to you and I. In many households this ‘monster’ has a daily outing around the house and then vanishes again until the following day.
Read the rest of this entry »

You may have come across the term ‘target training’ as a dog owner and not really understood what it is all about, you have probably conjured up visions of your dog complete with archery bow aiming at a target board!

Basically the target can be anything that you have asked your dog to completely focus on and then carry out an action towards. Many trainers will advise to begin by encouraging your dog to simply touch your palm with their nose.
Read the rest of this entry »