It’s important to know your obligations and your legal duty when you have a dog (or ideally before you even get one). So here is a simple guide to help you: The first and very important legislation any dog owner should be aware of is the Animal welfare act 2006. This legislation specifies the rights dogs (and all domestic animals) have in the UK:
The next important legislation that applies to dog ownership, which a lot of people don’t think about though is the Highway code. Dog owners should know Rule 56: Do not let a dog out on the road on its own. Keep it on a short lead when walking on the pavement, road or path shared with cyclists or horse riders. Rule 57: When in a vehicle, make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly. A seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard are ways of restraining animals in cars. The next legislation dog owners should be aware of is the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPOs). This order can change from council to council, but should be made accessible on their website. They usually specify: Clearing up after dogs Limit to number of dogs that are allowed to be walked Keeping dogs on leads (in parks or on public roads) Preventing from Dogs entering certain spaces (like parks, kids play areas etc.) Dog owners breaking these laws could be fined £100 on the spot or up to £1000 if it goes to court Also, to keep in mind is the Livestock Protection act 1953. Under this legislation, it’s a requirement to keep your dog on lead when walking on open access land (even if there is no livestock on the land at the time). A farmer has the right to shoot a dog that is attacking or chasing livestock. Working a lot with rescues, I know how important this next one is: Microchipping of dogs 2015 Dogs must have 2 forms of identification when out in a public place. This is a microchip and a collar with a tag. Dogs have to be microchipped by the breeder by the age of 8 weeks. The breeder is registered as the first owner and once the dog is sold, the new owner has to update the microchip details. Owners are also required to update the details if they move house or rehome the dog. Breaking this law could result in a £500 fine. Under the Control of Dogs Order 1992, a dog must have a collar and tag with the owner’s name and address when in a public place. The details can also be inscribed onto the collar and a mobile number can be also added. If owners break this law, they can be fined £2000. In the UK, if a stray dog is found, the Dog warden will collect it under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The dog only has to be held for 7 days and if not claimed, can either be rehomed or euthanised. So, make sure your dogs can be reunited with you as easily and quickly as possible! I hope this will help to keep you and your dog safe.
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If There is a lot of rumours and questions going around about dogs and the coronavirus in these uncertain times. That’s why I thought I’ll put a few things together that might help you and your dog.
1. Teach your dog a trick On top of the usual sit, stay, down, heel, you could teach your dog something simple like roll over or more difficult things i.e. to put his toys away, pick out a certain toy from a selection of toys, touch an object (like a light switch) pull a rope to open a door etc. the limit is your imagination. A clicker is very useful for this type of training as it marks the right behaviour. This is a big subject so have a google for instructions if you want to follow this route. 2. Play with your dog We don’t do this enough. Spend quality time with your dog in the garden or in the house throwing a ball, tug of war or playing hide and seek (my dogs’ favourite). With hide and seek you can hide treats, toys or yourself. I usually ask my dog to sit and stay in one room and go and hide in another. Then call him to find me. It’s great fun! Playing will also strengthen the bond between you and your dog. 3. Nosework Dogs love to sniff, and it uses their little grey cells so you can use this by offering a snufflematt, activity toys, making a forage box (carton box with toilet rolls filled with dryfood or treats closed of at both ends, covered in newspaper). You can also do this in the garden by simply sprinkling some dryfood in the long grass. 4. Make their food last If your dog ‘inhales’ it’s food in 3 seconds, how about using a slow feeder or a Kong that you can freeze. Or if you use dryfood, use treat dispenser toys so the dog has to work for it. If you haven't got a treat dispenser toy, use a plastic bottle and put some holes in it. Fill it with dry food and your treat dispenser is done. This will make the enjoyment last a lot longer 5. Agility If your dog enjoys jumping around, why not try and set up an agility course in the garden? Some garden chairs to jump on, some cones to weave through, a hola hoop to jump through etc. Have a look what you've got available. I'm sure the kids will get involved in this and will love the exercise as well.
I strongly discourage home grooming in terms of using the husband’s clippers or kitchen scissors and hacking away at the poor dog. I’ve already seen terrible cuts due to this. You are working with sharp objects and a living, moving dog on top of being not experienced when it comes to angles and ways to use those tools safely. This is an accident waiting to happen. And at this tough time, the last thing the vet needs is having to deal with unnecessary wounds like that. So please, take the advice, brush your dog daily (lets be honest, you’ve got the time for this now!) and we groomers will be back open soon for you. It might be an idea to book an appointment now though as it will get busy... I hope this is helpful. If you have any questions or need help, I'm available via facebook, email or phone. I'm happy to help and answer any questions in the meantime. Stay safe! Dogs nails grow continuously, just like our own, that's why they need regular checks and cutting when necessary. Long nails make it very uncomfortable to walk and can in extreme cases even curl back on themselves and pierce through the pad. If your dog walks a lot on concrete, his nails might wear down to a healthy length naturally, but even than, the Dewclaws need to be checked and cut on a regular basis. A lot of people are worried of cutting too much and making the nail bleed. There is a blood vessel that runs through the nail, which is called the quick. You have to make sure to cut the nail before the quick. If your dog has got white nails, it's not too difficult, as you can see the pink quick through the white nail, but black nails are a little harder. The quick keeps growing with the nail as well, so you can't look at a nail, estimate the length it should be and cut it at that length! But the good news is, that the quick also recedes if the nail is cut back regular. To avoid making the nail bleed, you should always cut just a slither at a time at a 45 Degree angle - never cut just straight down. Also always use nail clippers that are the appropriate size for your dog. To cut the nails you should hold the paw firmly but not too tight and turn it backwards, so you can see the pad. You should take little slithers of until you see a white, chalky rim with a black dot in the middle. You can now file the rough edges. The more difficult part will be doing this if your dog hates having his feet touched (which is pretty much every dog) or if he had a bad experience and is therefore fearful or nervous now. If your dog disappears behind the sofa as soon as the clippers come out, you have to do some work before you're able to use the nail clippers at all. You can train with your dog by picking up the paw and holding it for a few seconds. Slowly progress the time you hold the paw and treat and praise if the dog is comfortable with this. Start turning the paw around and holding it, than as a last step use the nail clippers close to the nails but without actually cutting. Than you can break it down by cutting one nail at a time. Cutting all nails in one sitting can be a lot for any dog, so I would suggest building it from one nail to a couple, to one paw etc. Above all, stay calm and reward any positive progress. If your dog is particularly food orientated and not completely terrified by having his nails cut, you can use a lick matt with Peanut butter to distract him for a few minutes. This is a rubber matt which can hold any spreadable food. This can be found on amazon or facebook for around £5. If you do cut a nail too short and make it bleed, it's not the end of the word (even if your dog makes you think it is). The dog picks up on your energy and your behavior, so it's important to keep your cool. If you panic, so will the dog. To stop the bleeding, the best thing to do is use Trimex or if you don't have this, corn-starch will do the same trick. Put a little pressure on the nail and it should stop bleeding after a couple of minutes. - This is the perfect timing for a round of biscuits for dog and human and all bad is forgotten. An alternative option are scratch boards you can build yourself and train your dog with a clicker to scratch at the board. This will take a long time though to take any length of the nail and will still leave the Dewclaws which will have to be cut. If you have a puppy it's important to introduce them from an early age by cutting just a couple of millimeters of once a week or every couple of weeks. This way the nails shouldn't get very long and you won't cut the quick. Building this into a routine will help your pup to feel comfortable with this and keep on top of it. I hope this was useful and will help to keep your dogs nails healthy and comfortable! Of course I'm only a phone call away if you do need assistance :-) With “the beast from the east” outside, it’s even more important to take extra care of your four legged friends and keep them safe. Even though it’s cold outside dogs need exercise, but please remember that winter brings a lot of dangers with it. On your walk you’ll find things such as salt, grit and antifreeze which can be dangerous to dogs. It contains chemicals that can lead to burns on the pads or poison your dog when licked of, so do try to avoid these areas and wash your dogs paws of once home. The cold weather will also cause cracks to the paws which makes matters worse but this can be prevented with some paw wax. Especially dogs with longer fur can end up with snow balls stuck to their feet and paws. It can hurt your dog and make it difficult to walk if the snow balls are between it’s pads. This can also cause burns to the pads, so keep the fur trimmed around the pads and feet in winter. On top of these dangers, there is obviously the temperature to consider as well… Dogs can get frostbite and hypothermia, just as we do, so it’s best to keep the walks shorter, buy a coat, especially for dogs with smooth, short fur and keep an eye on your dog to make sure he’s still comfortable outside. It is common sense but I would also like to remind you to keep your dog away from water like frozen lakes, ideally keep them on the lead, just to make sure they are safe and don’t fall in. The days are also shorter in winter so some walks will be done in the dark. Make sure you and your dog wear reflective clothing, if you don’t have a reflective coat for your dog, you can get a collar or a flashing light that attached to it’s collar. If you let your dog of the lead, it’s more important then ever to have the dog micro chipped and a tag with your name and number on the collar, just in case he gets disorientated and lost. This is the law anyway, so should be done regardless of the weather though. Now I wish you fun in the snow but stay warm and safe with your furbabies! As much as we humans like and enjoy Christmas, it can be a time full of hazards and dangers. It can also be an unsettling and stressful time for pets. So here are a few tips how to keep your animals happy and safe.
Food We eat and eat and eat some more over Christmas, so it’s easy to drop a bit or share your treat with your pet because you can’t resist those big eyes. But please remember that some of the foods we enjoy can be toxic to our pets. The most common toxic foods for cats and dogs eaten around Christmas are: chocolate, onion gravy, nuts, alcohol, grapes Also avoid giving turkey bones as they can be a chocking hazard. Overindulging is another problem. The same way as we put weight on over Christmas, our pets can gain weight as well. With this extra weight a lot of health problems will follow, so try to reduce any extra treats from their daily food and maybe add another winter walk to your daily routing. (This might do you good as well 😉 ) Decorations A lot of our decorations can be hazards or even toxic to our pets. Remember when decorating that plants like mistletoe and holly are toxic, so keep well out of pets’ reach. Tinsel and wrapping paper could be chewed and eaten, so make sure they are disposed of quickly. Christmas Chaos Our pets like their routine but Christmas is a time when we have a lot of visitors and entertain big and small people. Sensitive pets will not like this, so make sure you offer them a den where they can take themselves to have some peace and quiet. It should be a safe place, just for them – so definitely no small hands allowed! This also helps at New year’s eve when neighbours light their fireworks. You can also try and stick to the normal routine like walk and food times as this will give the dog security. I hope you have found this useful. Keep your little paws safe and have a Merry Christmas! As a dog groomer, I have found a distinct increase in Poodles, Bichon Frises and any crosses with aforementioned Breeds. It is understandable as these breeds are meant to be non-shedding (note "meant to"), have a lovely temperament, most are a nice small to medium size and have a low prey drive, so they are suited for most families. I say, "meant to" as some Cockerpoos look like Cocker Spaniels, and even if they look like Cockerpoos they can still shed. So, there is no guarantee how much the dog inherits from which parent and that it will actually suit a family with allergies, or someone that just prefers a non-shedding dog. This is especially the case on the first generation of crosses.
But if you're lucky enough to look after one of those Cockerpoos, Schnoodles, Cavachons, Labradoodles etc, you also live with a dog that has the most grooming intensive coat, as it gets matted very easily. Therefore, you should brush the dog daily with a slicker brush. Ideal is a flexible slicker brush which gives way rather than pulling on the mat. Also helpful is a mat-breaker (for more information see my blog "how to remove mats"). You want to pay special attention to those high friction areas like the armpits, belly, behind the ears and tail. Very often the legs get missed out as well, so make sure they are nice and mat free. To make sure there are no mats in the coat, you can check by running a comb through the fur. If it's stuck, there is a mat! The slicker brush is made of lots of small metal hooks which are designed to remove tangles and undercoat. Used wrongly it can cause discomfort and hurt the dog, so only use gentle strokes and don't scratch the skin. If you find a mat, you can brush it out by slowly brushing the outer hairs out of the mat, brushing around the mat in all directions until the mat is broken down. It helps to keep the coat mat free and easier to brush if you use a conditioner (of course only one that is really meant for Dogs). Another useful tool is a Detangler, which is a brush with plastic knobs. It's gentler then the slicker brush but it's only good on a knot free coat as it won't actually resist any knots or mats. But used on a regular basis, it should prevent knots. Any grooming, be it brushing, bathing or nail clipping, should be trained from an early age and made into a fun and positive experience. You can train the dog with positive reinforcement (praise, treats, toys, whatever your dog responds to) and break it down into a few short sessions rather than an hour of brushing at once. Done correctly it even strengthens the bond between owner and their dog. To keep the coat manageable, it is advisable that an appointment with a groomer is booked every 6-8 weeks for dogs with a curly coat. Until then: Keep calm and keep brushing! This time of year, fireworks seem to go of almost every evening. A lot of dogs suffer with anxiety when they hear firework noise and it’s up to the owners to help their dog deal with it. So here are a few tips what you can try to help your dog. Please remember, all dogs are different and what works with one dog might not work with another.
Walk your dog early Fireworks are often let off as soon as it gets dark, so make sure to walk your dog early enough to avoid the fireworks outside. Also, a long walk will tire the dog out which will help with the anxiety and might even make him sleep through the fireworks. Of course make sure the dog is on the lead in case a firework does go of early and it's microchipped if he did managed to get spooked and run of. Create a safe place You want to help your dog to feel safe. So make sure it has got a safe place to go to. A crate you cover up with a blanket, creating a den would work well. Also close the curtains and windows to minimise the noise and light irritation. Desensitise You want to make the sound of fireworks become just a normal back ground noise. For this you can buy CD’s with firework noise and play it, first quietly and as your dog gets used to it increase the volume. You can also play with the dog during this and treat him, associating the noise with something positive. This takes time, but it is a great solution. Distract With mild anxiety, you can try to distract the dog by feeding it with a frozen Kong with his favourite treats or a toy they like. Taking their mind of things will stop the dog pushing itself up into higher anxiety. Natural remedies There are some natural remedies that will help to keep your dog calm and relaxed. You can get supplements that you feed your dog, sprays or plug ins like Adaptil . They are available from pet shops or online but it's always best to check with your vet before using this on your dog. Keep calm and enjoy the firework! While we humans enjoy the sunshine, dogs struggle and overheat very quickly. Remember dogs can’t sweat. When they are hot, they pant and drool. That’s why you should never leave your dog in a car when it’s warm (even for 5 Minutes and even in the shade) and always check how warm the pavement is before taking your dog out in the sun in summer. (If you can’t touch it with your hand for 30 seconds, it’s too hot for your dog to walk on). Better walk your dog first thing in the morning and in the evening when it has cooled down. But what can we do in the house and garden to make the heat more bearable for our furry friends?
Water It’s kind of common sense, but I’ll still point it out: Always have water available for your dog! Cooling mats You can get cooling mats online for around £10. They work with a gel, that cools down and gives your dog the option on lying on it or not. It can be used in the car on a longer journey, in the dogs bed on simply on the livingroom floor. Doggy pool A lot of dogs love water and what better way to cool down and have fun then jump in a pool? You can use kids plastic sandpits and fill them with water as a quick and cheap version (available from £5 at most supermarkets in summer). Wet towel Another easy option is to just wet a towel in cold water and put it on the grass. The dog can then choose to lie on it when it likes. Grooming Dogs fur is actually keeping cool air in and sun away from the skin, so it’s not the best idea to ask your groomer for a “shave off”. The best trim for the summer is removal of the undercoat for double coated breeds, clipping the belly and pads as that’s where the heat can escape. (and usual clip on the body). By removing just the undercoat the dog still has the protection it needs but also keeps the air circulating around the skin. If the dogs' fur is cut too short it can even get sunburn. I hope that helps and enjoy cooling down. Veggie Cookies
Time: 45 Minutes difficulty: medium approx. 30 cookies Ingredients: 2 1/2 Cups Flour 2 Tbls. Bran 2 Tsp. Baking Powder 3 Tsp. Minced Fresh Parsley (good for doggie breath) 1/4 Cup Shredded Carrots 1/4 Cup Shredded Cheese (your choice--mozzarella, cheddar) 3 Tbls. Olive Oil 1/2 Tsp. Flaxseed (optional) 1/2 Cup Water Directions: Preheat oven to 180° C. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Mix together parsley, carrots, cheese and oil. Combine the dry ingredients separately from the veggie mixture. Slowly add 1/2 cup of water and veggies to the dry ingredients and mix well. Dough should be moist but not wet. Knead for a minute. Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness. Using cookie cutters of your choice, cut out shapes and place on baking sheet. Bake 20-30 minutes until biscuits have browned and hardened slightly. They will continue to harden as they cool. Store in an airtight container once thoroughly cooled. If you’re looking for a dog to join the family, one of the first decisions that have to be made is, do you want a purebred dog or a cross and if you want a puppy or an older dog. In my personal opinion, there are a lot of reasons speaking for the rescue dog.
There might be a stigma attached to dogs from rescues. Some people think there is something wrong with them, that there is a good reason for it. That is not the case. Reasons why dogs end up in rescue vary from – “I didn’t think he’ll get this big” to “We’re having a baby and I’m worried the dog will hurt it”. The people working in rescue organisations have heared it all. Of course, there will be some genuine reasons as well like a move into rented accomodation, ill health of the owner or changes in work patterns. But whatever the reason is, it’s never the dogs fault! I strongly suggest, if you’re thinking of offering a dog a home, go to your local shelter first, take a few dogs out for a walk and get advice from the staff about which dogs suits best to your circumstance. I bet you’ll fall in love and never look back! |
AuthorHi, I'm passionate about animals and this space should be for funny stories and advice. I hope you'll find it useful and entertaining. Archives
May 2023
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