Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Sniffer Dogs on the Tube

New security measures have been introduced by the police, which involve using X-ray equipment and sniffer dogs to screen the Tube and some mainline rail passengers.  Ministers have ruled out using full airport-stle security screening after trials at stations in 2006 found it to be too disruptive and surveys showed passengers would be unlikely to accept any major delays and wanted their privacy protected.

The British Transport Police (BTP) said the new measures would cause only minimal disruption.  More sniffer dogs would be used, who are trained to sniff out any explosives.  Timescale and exact locations are yet to be confirmed.

BTP Superintendent Phil Trendall said: “With the use of these X-ray machines and new additional specialist trained search dogs, we are able to screen passengers in a manner that is proportionate to the ongoing security risk and with minimal disruption to their journey.”

I love seeing sniffer dogs at work and you can expect to see more sniffer dogs around the place in future!

Chav Scum Wanted Shih Tzu For Hunting Badgers!

I have just two of my shih tzu babies left now, two little boys that I’ve nicknamed Smudge and Dr Evil (don’t ask), and today I got another phone call to ask about them.

The scum (I won’t say gentleman ‘cos he wasn’t) started by asking if I had any bitches, which of course I said I hadn’t.  He then asked if he could get some advice because maybe he’d take a boy.

To my horror, he then proceeded to ask if I agreed shih tzu’s are good for rabbiting.  (Rabbiting??)  I asked if Read the rest of this entry »

Gucci for Poochies

Does dressing your dog in clothes mean you love him or her more?  Personally, I don’t think so, but many people go to extremes when it comes to treating their pet, and a whole industry has sprung up around it.

You can buy your dog all manners of clothing, from hats, jumpers, dresses, little boots, socks, even an umbrella to wear on his head whilst out walking in the rain.

One particularly famed store, probably helped by its memorable name – a play on the word ‘Gucci’ – is Pucci Read the rest of this entry »

Dogs In The Office??!?

According to several stress experts, having a dog in the office is a calming influence on workers and helps to lower blood pressure and release feel-good hormones.

Author of Stress Beaters: 100 Proven Ways To Manager Stress (Metro, £7.99), Dr Roger Henderson, says:

“Human feel-good hormones (endorphins) are released with a dog near-by in stressful situations, but it’s a mystery as to why. I would like to see many more dogs involved in working environments.”

Having dogs in the office can Read the rest of this entry »

Can You Become Rich By Breeding Dogs?

I think I may have talked about this before, as it is definitely not an option for ‘making money’. In fact, it’s very expensive. You might end up with a few hundred pounds profit from a litter but you’ll have spent more than that on your bitch over the year. Indeed, with this recent litter, my bitch cost me quite a lot in vets fees – but she is worth it so I don’t care.

Today, I came across a site called How Rich Will I Be. It’s a fun little site where you answer 15 multiple choice, quick questions and it tells you how much you’ll be worth. Here’s my results – and I definitely wouldn’t get there by breeding dogs! Have a go, and leave a comment to let me know what you got – no cheating mind!

13,750,769
How much money will you be worth?

One Puppy Down, Five To Go

Well, so far I have sold one puppy… and I wonder if the credit crunch is having a serious effect on people’s dosh.  I was also a little lazy when writing the newspaper ad, so today I’ve changed it a bit.  It now reads:

“Shih Tzu Puppies – Home reared fluffy pups, strong and healthy, six boys. KC registered, all pedigree papers, wormed, flea’d, paper trained, mum can be seen. Good with children and other pets. {town} {telephone number}.”

Let’s hope this does a little better.

Lifeguard Dog ‘Bilbo’ Should Be Reinstated

Bilbo the Newfoundland lifeguard dog from Cornwall was sacked recently and his sacking met with public outcry. Bilbo is seven years old and has saved three lives in Cornwall’s Sennen Cove, but last month the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) saw fit to sack him.

Now, Bilbo is a bit of a celebrity in Cornwall as you might imagine and according to the Telegraph, this news sparked off several campaign to save his job.

Bilbo’s owner, Steve Jamieson, thanked everybody and said he was overwhelmed by the support.

Commenting on the discussions between the RNLI and Penwith District Council, Mr Jamieson said: “At the moment they’re still in discussions but they’ve said it looks likely that Bilbo will be allowed back. I’m delighted because there were so many people who were really upset. Bilbo’s popularity is absolutely huge.”

The council spokesperson said there would be a press release soon about Bilbo’s job following a ‘constructive’ meeting with the RNLI.

When to Worm Puppies

When you have a litter of puppies, there’s a bit of a debate about when to first worm them.  Some say to start at two weeks old and some say it should be four weeks old.  Once you start, you then worm them every two weeks until 12 weeks old and then follow your vets advice, which is usually every month or two.

My personal opinion is that if the mother was wormed shortly before the puppies were born and there doesn’t seem to be any problems, then start worming them at four weeks old.  That’s what I do and it doesn’t seem to have done any harm.

Puppies in the Paper

Today, my gorgeous little pedigree shih tzu puppies will be advertised in the Liverpool & Manchester Loot, both online and in the newspaper.  The advert I’ve placed says:

“Shih Tzu Puppies, six boys, brown and white.  KC registered, all pedigree papers, wormed, flea’d, paper trained, mum can be seen.  Ready 20th June.”

They’re currently almost six weeks old and they’ve started running round and playing now, and they love their cuddles.  Let’s hope they find some good homes.

Wait for it…

Now, I know some breeds of dog are more intelligent than others.  Indeed, many people have said that shih tzus are quite stupid, but I know from experience that they are only stupid when it suits them.

However, this picture has got to take the biscuit.  Talk about stupid, as the title of the email that was sent to me with the picture said, this dog is just ‘one second from disaster’.

What is the best measure of this dog’s stupidity? The fact that he’s doing this in the first place, or whether he will actually try it again afterwards? Read the rest of this entry »