Springer spaniels, Border collies, Huskies, Jack Russell’s and Dalmatians are the main contenders for the biggest live wire going amongst the breeds.

These are the dogs you take out for a 10 mile hike over hills and through valleys and they come back and want to play or go for another walk immediately, they never seem to tire and you can never seem to exhaust their endless supply of energy.

Some dogs are quite delicate when it comes to the state of the outdoor conditions, they do not appreciate going out if it involves their paws becoming wet or if it is slightly too cold for them. The weather has to be just about perfect for them to venture out in. This is not the case for our ‘live wire’ competitors, quite the opposite actually, it does not matter if a hurricane is blowing up outside they still want to be out in it. Come rain or shine you will find these breeds out and about.

The problem with these dogs is their intelligence, not lack of it but rather too much of it! They know when you even as much as take a step towards the welly boot cupboard it means they are going out, not that you possibly have other items stored in the same cupboard that you might be reaching for as that would be a silly idea. You are pretty much on the planet to serve these breeds, your every waking minute is for them, walking, playing, entertaining, grooming etc, etc.

On walks during the winter months do not expect them to simply avoid the muddy puddles, expect them to purposely find them and make the most of them when they do! They are like little mud magnets.

So if you are looking for a relatively easy canine companion then I would strongly advise you to stay clear of the live wire breeds as they are anything but easy, however that said if you are looking for a dog to keep you on your toes and one that never stops then perhaps one of these breeds would suit you.

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Well looking back now after many years of owning my own dogs and listening to other owner’s opinions I would not actually advise any dog owner to attempt to train their dog to walk alongside a road off lead. Of course this is my own personal point of view and everyone is entitled to their own thoughts, in my mind it is too risky.

Surely all it will take is for the dog to spy a cat, squirrel or another canine chum on the other side of the road and they will try to cross. Now unless you have 100% complete and utter control over the dog it will be virtually impossible to stop him/her in their tracks.

It is however imperative that puppies are taught how to behave beside a busy road and that they should be introduced slowly to the sounds and sights of lots of traffic when they are young. The best time to start training your puppy is when it is relatively quiet on the road, perhaps a Sunday or Bank Holiday morning. Begin even prior to your puppy walking on the ground, simply wrap him/her up in a blanket and go for a trundle alongside the road. Do not make a big fuss of your puppy, just take a short walk to begin with beside the road.

All you are doing is allowing your puppy to become accustomed to the traffic and to accept the noises. The next step when they are walking is to train your puppy to sit beside the road but to focus on you and you alone, you can use some puppy treats as rewards. As soon as your pup looks at you praise and reward, if you are opting to clicker train your puppy then click and reward immediately.

If your pup becomes startled by the louder sounding traffic such as motorbikes and lorries simply move back from the road more or find an alternative slightly quieter stretch of road for training purposes to begin with. Do not fuss your puppy though if there are signs of fear displayed because you are only going to reiterate the fact that they are right to be scared.

Always use a short lead and never put your puppy or dog on a flexible lead beside a road, you need to be in control at all times and you cannot gain the full handling that you require unless your puppy is on a short lead and close to your side.

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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.

Dogs are, to put it kindly, a bit like the bull in a china shop scenario. They seem to act first and then think about the consequences afterwards, like the eager dog that jumps off a cliff after his/her ball only to find they have run out of ground or the enthusiastic pooch that makes an impressive leap for their frisbee only to land awkwardly and injure themselves. Of course you will always have the odd dog who thinks it is totally invincible especially when it proceeds to run right across a busy main road to give chase to the cat on the other side.

So as you can see accidents can and very often do happen with our four legged friends. Veterinary treatment can run very expensive and even more so if your dog has to receive ongoing treatment.

Many dog owners do not contemplate the cost and simply think that they will cope with the situation when and if it arises, very often when it does though they have not planned for it financially. Having an insurance policy for your dog need not cost you the earth; you will have an option of an annual or monthly payment scheme. If the annual fee seems a little daunting then opt for the monthly one, some policies are as little as £9 – £13 per month.

Always check what the insurance covers as they do vary considerably, generally as a rule of thumb the less the premium you pay the less cover your dog will receive. Have a bit of a shop around and compare quotes and policies prior to choosing.

These days numerous companies offer pet insurance so it is wise to read all the small print and ensure the cover you take is the right choice for both you and your dog. Ask other dog owners and see who they have their insurance policy with and also enquire with your dog’s vet as they can normally recommend a good and reputable insurance company.

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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.

I am talking about the dreaded tick, small in size but massive in nuisance value. These small pests are commonly discovered on dogs which frequent woods, moorland, meadows and fields.

They are miniature, spider like creatures which take up residence on your unsuspecting dog and whilst your pooch plays the gracious host the little ticks help themselves to as many snacks as they desire, their preferred meal just happens to be your dog’s blood. Ticks are quite clever as they can detect when a dog is close through their sense of smell, they can sniff a dog’s natural odour from some distance away.

The long haired breeds of dog are more susceptible to picking ticks up as they can attach to their fur a lot easier than shorter haired breeds. Once they have hopped on they will generally make their way to the head area of the dog and attach themselves where they will remain until they have received their fill of blood. Once they are full up they naturally just fall off the dog.

Try to adopt a regular grooming routine with your dog as through brushing the fur you are likely to discover any ticks which may be hiding out, if you find any remove them straight away. The easiest way to do this is by using a small plastic gadget which you can normally purchase in any reputable pet store or from a veterinary surgery, it looks like a hook and you literally place it over the tick’s body, twist it a couple of times and pull. The tick will release its grip and come off easily.

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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.

Dog training should be fun for both the owner and their dog, so many owners take it so seriously that they become stressed out by the whole issue and this shows to their dog, so right from the beginning of the training session there is negativity. If the owner is relaxed and positive they will naturally transfer that energy to their dog.
The point to remember with dogs is the fact that they are such social animals they adore spending time with their owners and interacting with them so the owner needs to tune in on this and simply relax.

Training sessions are better when they are kept short as this way they do not become tedious or stressful and the best time of the day to train is after the dog’s walk because the dog is satisfied and therefore will be feeling calm.

You might be thinking this is all fine and well but does this mean you can never reprimand your dog again? In a word ‘no’ it just means that there are better ways of doing it besides yelling at your dog. In general dogs are sensitive creatures and can pick up on even the smallest alteration in a voice tone which makes it easy for you, there is no need to shout or even pretend to your dog that you are angry. Simply switch from your normal upbeat, positive tone of voice to a slightly lower and more monotone tone.

There is no need to try too hard because a subtle change will be enough for your dog to comprehend that they have done something incorrectly, then as soon as you can revert back to the upbeat, happy tone of your voice. Your dog will soon learn that just by the subtle change in your voice they have completed an action which has not pleased you but then as quickly as your voice tone altered to display displeasure it changed again to show pleasure.

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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?

A lot of the reason comes down to body language or more specifically the postman’s body language and how a dog perceives it. When the postie approaches your property to deliver the mail he/she will be walking face onwards, unless they are very strange and for some reason walking backwards!

If your dog happens to be sitting in a prime vantage position they will notice the postman advancing and this will now be deemed as a dominant stance by the dog, any person approaching a dog face on is immediately seen as a dominant person by the dog.

Now the next stage taken by the dog will be to bark as they are protecting their domain and trying to keep the postman away. The postman will deposit the post then turnaround and walk away, as soon as this happens the dog feels that he/she has actually won this particular battle. Once the postman turns his/her back to the dog it will be observed as submissive behaviour and this is where the problem begins.

The dog wrongly thinks that the barking has deterred the postman and they have gone away because of them, they do not realize that the postman was leaving anyway and that it is all a coincidence. The only problem with this behaviour going unchecked at this point is that it can easily and quickly escalate; the next chapter will probably be that the dog now becomes more and more confident as he/she feels that their behaviour is scaring the postman away on a daily basis. During time their bark will increase in its menacing sound and the dear old postman will react accordingly, as far as the dog is concerned, by using extra body language which displays to the dog that he/she is even more fearful now.

The best course of action to take if you have a postman’s canine nightmare residing with you is to try and combat the issue before it becomes out of control, this can be achieved by using a non-coercive method of training and convincing your dog that the postman is actually a really nice person. When you know the post is due ensure that both you and your dog are in the vicinity of the front door and when your dog shows signs of running towards the door at the postman say a firm ‘no’ and then give the ‘sit’ command, when your dog responds praise and reward with a small treat.

With repetition this should work and your dog will hopefully learn to accept the postman, of course there is an easier way and that is to ask your postman to subtly bribe your faithful friend by always carrying doggy treats!

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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.

When a dog swims the natural buoyancy of the water helps them tremendously because although the majority of the dog’s muscles are still used, as they are during the same movement on land, they do not have to endure any stress which is generally caused through exercising on land. Another advantage with hydrotherapy is that due to the natural resistance caused by the water any movement is harder in the pool than it is on the land so the dog’s muscles receive a wonderful workout without receiving any of the stress.

If the dog is experiencing pain due to bearing their weight on a damaged limb the water will work wonders instantly because the dog’s weight will be carried by the water, and whilst they may not have been able to possess full movement in the limb on land they will be able to stretch it and move it in the water.

The lovely warm water used in the hydrotherapy pool will aid the dog’s blood circulation to the muscles, this in turn will increase the oxygen and the nutrients but also rid any items of waste. This action will lead to the dog’s muscles relaxing and will aid any stiffness in the joints.

Most dogs do enjoy swimming therefore a course of hydrotherapy should not be an issue to them, if you like you can accompany your faithful friend and most establishments will permit you to either sit beside the pool or some will allow you to actually enter the water with your dog, if they feel it will help to calm them down if they are feeling slightly stressed by the situation. All in all hydrotherapy is a truly relaxing and positive experience for both dog and owner.

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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.

As we always say do not use punishment as a method of training your dog instead use a non-coercive method, the thing is that dogs do not really possess an awful lot of reasoning powers so if you punish them for digging then guess what? Yep, your faithful friend will more than likely simply rebel and just dig when you are not looking!

Punishment is not the answer when it comes to any dog training as you do not gain your dog’s love, trust or respect you simply gain fear.

The initial place to begin is to up your dog’s activity level, fit in some extra walks and extra playtime with you. The highest percentage of digging is born through boredom so try this option first. When you are not around leave an activity doggy toy out for your dog, the idea is to keep his/her mind active.

If there seems to be a particular location in the garden which your canine chum favours then try barricading this section off to your dog, they will soon become bored if they cannot access their favourite area to dig in.

Another idea which has worked for many dog owners living with ‘compulsive diggers’ is to actually offer them an area to continue their digging tendencies. A sandpit offers a great alternative or just a corner of the garden left as earth which you do not mind your dog digging up. You could say that this is not really training the problem out of your canine chum but rather simply encouraging the behaviour, well this it might be but at the end of the day if you do not have a problem with your dog actually digging but just with digging up your whole garden then this could be your perfect solution.

Although digging dogs can cause headaches for their owners with their behaviour, when you put it in the bigger picture of problematic pooches this is one of the minor issues as the only person they are really affecting is you.

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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.

Puppies learn a wealth of information from their mother and also from their littermates and therefore it is vital that they remain with them until they are at least eight weeks old. There have been reports of puppies being homed as young as five weeks old, this is bad news for the puppies and, however difficult it might seem at the time, you should actually refuse to take a puppy as young as this to be honest.

The problem with puppies leaving their mothers at the age of five to six weeks is that they have barely been weaned and have not been presented with the opportunity to actually become dogs yet. They have not been taught any of the ‘life’ rules that they so desperately need to be taught by their mother and siblings.

A puppy at this tender age does not comprehend the fact that they are not supposed to be playing quite as rough and they have not been taught how to inhibit their bite, they have also not learnt that there is such a thing as hierarchy and a natural pack order meaning that they are probably running around doing exactly what they feel! A puppy as young as five to six weeks old would not have been given its first injection for protection against the major canine diseases as this is done at eight weeks old. They are naturally immunized from their mother’s milk but this will be virtually gone and as said they would not have received their initial vaccination yet.

A reputable source will not permit a puppy to leave their premises prior to them being eight weeks old, they might allow people to visit the puppies and select the one they would like but that is it.

Now if you are adopting a puppy from a rescue centre the rules will be the same however the centre may feel it is in the puppy’s best interest to be homed as soon as possible therefore the pup may well only be five to six weeks old. Your best option here is to ensure you keep the puppy away from other dogs, apart from those you know are vaccinated, and as soon as he/she is eight weeks take them along to the vet to be vaccinated.

You will also need to pay extra attention and time to socializing your puppy to make up for the time lost with their mother and littermates.

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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.

All bones which have been cooked are potentially dangerous to dogs, the actual cooking process degrades the bone and makes it brittle therefore making it easier to splinter when the dog is chewing it. This is very bad news for the dog because the internal organs can be pierced and the pieces of splintered bone can also become lodged in the dog’s throat.
Raw bones can be fed to dogs but do not leave them unsupervised. The increasingly popular BARF ( bones and raw food) diet for dogs obviously includes bones and the most common ones fed include knuckle bones or poultry necks.

If you are going to feed your dog a raw bone then always ensure you do not allow your dog to keep it on the go for longer than two days as being raw the bone can carry bacteria such as e-coli and salmonella. They will spoil quickly if simply left.

Raw bones act as nature’s very own toothbrush to your dog; whilst they are chewing away they are cleaning their teeth and also massaging their gums.

If you are unsure and do not feel confident about your dog eating bones there are plenty of alternatives such as rawhide products and Pedigree have plenty of items available such as jumbones and rasks.

My Nan always used to go around saying, “if in doubt leave it out” and I never thought much about the saying but it is remarkably true to be honest, if you are at all doubtful about your dog consuming something then you should simply leave it and feed them something you are 100% certain about.

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