Archives for November, 2008
If you are buying dog insurance, which of course you should be, then there are a few things that you need to check before you buy.
Dog insurance is important for more than just health reasons, it is important to cover you for third party liability and legal costs as well. You might be thinking it doesn’t apply to your small breed, but no matter what size of dog, they can still cause some damage and even if you train your dog, it is better to be safe than sorry as the costs can be high. For example, your dog might damage belongings of someone, and if was antique furniture or something, then reimbursing that person might be costly. You could refuse, but then they could take you to court, and if it is someone you know you could lose a friend too - something I talked about last week.
Another thing to check is the level of cover. It is not enough to see a nice high figure such as £5,000 vet fees and think that is ok. Is that fee the total amount insured, i.e. if your dog uses £2,000 one year, do they then only have £3,000 left or does the £5,000 start again each year? Or is it ‘per condition’? For example, if your dog has an ongoing condition, such as cancer, that will use up more than £5,000 and you don’t want to get to year two and find you have used the £5,000 on cancer and the next year’s £5,000 cannot be used on that.
Be careful and read all the small print.
Nov 30, 2008 | | Buying A Dog, Dog Products
According to the British Federation of Herpetologists (BFH), the Brits may prefer reptiles to dogs! According to their figures, there are 6.5 million dogs in the UK and 8 million snakes, lizards and reptiles as pets (and 9 million cats if any cat lovers have strayed onto this site).
Chris Newman, chairman of the BFH, stated:
There are now, without question, more pet reptiles than pet dogs in the UK. You only have to look at the way the market has grown. I have no doubt that there are now between seven and eight million reptiles living as pets in the UK. Reptiles’ popularity as mainstream pets has grown immensely. There has been an explosion in numbers. They have moved from being niche to being mainstream.
They are far more suitable as pets than Read the rest of this entry »
Nov 27, 2008 | | News
They say a dog is for life and not for Christmas, and now is the time when all the charities will be pushing this message.
However, at the same time, there are literally thousands of homeless dogs in rescue centres all over the UK that need a home desperately and if you feel you can offer one of these dogs a home, then Christmas could be a good time.
Although the holidays tend to be quite loud and boisterous, which can be scary for a puppy particularly, it is still a time when many of the family might be off work and hence able to spend time with the dog, get him or her used to his surroundings and if need be, toilet train him.
If this is something you are considering, then think very carefully, especially if you’re a dog owner virgin, and remember that if you have children they are likely to lose interest and as they get older start going out, so be prepared to do most of the hard work yourself if need be, as a dog is definitely for life and not just for Christmas.
Nov 25, 2008 | | Care & Training
I’ve just been informed that in Macclesfield, there is a fashion boutique shop that specialises in clothing for dogs. Whilst on a short break in Dublin last month, I saw a pet shop on one of the main roads that had clothing for dogs in the window. Is it becoming more popular now?
There has always been a certain level of interest in dressing dogs, but buying them has historically been restricted to one or two jackets for whilst walking or little boots to protect their paws, y’know, things that have a practical purpose too. They were stocked in small numbers in the pet stores or sold online.
I wonder if Read the rest of this entry »
Nov 21, 2008 | | Dog Products
Hypoallergenic dogs have been in the spotlight in the last two weeks, ever since Barack Obama said that he had promised a dog to his daughter, Malia, who suffers from allergies.
Obama seemed rather dismayed with the public’s interest as he wryly stated that the dog issue has
“generated more interest on our Web site than just about anything”
Around 10 per cent of Americans are allergic to dogs apparently although the level of severity varies from breathing problems to itchy eyes. No dogs are truly hypoallergenic but there are several breeds which are recommended more than others, the non shedding varieties or the ones that shed less ‘dander’.
Dander is Read the rest of this entry »
Nov 20, 2008 | | Buying A Dog
In my eyes, there is little more important than the very, very ultra-basic rule of training your dog not to jump on the furniture - or on anyone sat on the furniture for that matter.
I have a friend who I occasionally visit, who owns a Read the rest of this entry »
Nov 19, 2008 | | Care & Training
Two dogs, both highly prized shih tzus, or possibly lhasa apsos, were found by the North Wales RSPCA in Conwy. Another female dog was found on the road nearby.
Their coats were all very matted to the point where the dogs were in substantial pain. They are now at the Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre where they have been shaved and are in much better health.
RSPCA Inspector Kevin Paton said:
“I am hoping the public will be able to tell me where these dogs came from. They were not friendly when we first brought them into the centre but this was simply because they were in pain from the mats. Once they were shaved they became totally different dogs with lovely natures. Such long-term neglect is appalling. It is no co-incidence that three dogs were found in Conwy in the same week. I do believe they have been living together. None of the dogs were wearing collars nor were they microchipped. I would urge anyone who can help with my enquiries to please get in touch so we can solve the mystery of where these dogs came from. There could be more of them that need our help.”
Long haired dogs, such as the shih tzu, really do need regular grooming and cutting.
If you know of any dog or animal suffering, then call the RSPCA National Cruelty And Advice Line on 0300 1234 999.
Nov 18, 2008 | | News
The Komondor, pictured here, is one of the world’s rarest dogs. There are only a few thousand left in the world, predominantly in the US, and only around forty of these live in the UK.
The UK’s population has been boosted by a quarter by a record litter of nine little Komondors, born in Cornwall. The usual litter size is just four.
All the fluffy pups look the same so their tails have been dabbed with a little colour so the new owners can tell the difference. As a result, their names thus far are:
Red, Blue, Purple, Green, Silver, Brown, Pink, White and Tiny - named because he was slightly smaller than the others
I wouldn’t like to have to bath these dogs though. They are known as the hairiest dog in the world because after the age of Read the rest of this entry »
Nov 13, 2008 | | Dog Breeds, News
Dogs are amazing creatures and in some cases, they work as hard as humans and are trusted with great responsibility. A security canine called Nero guarded the security gates at NASA for seven months, but has now had to retire for medical reasons.
Nero is a black Labrador retriever and was a rescue dog. He was adopted by Canine Interdiction, who train dog teams to detect bombs and drugs. Trainer Greg Globus trained Nero for six months before the five year old Labrador started working at NASA.
Nero checked around 150 vehicles every day to sniff out bombs. Unfortunately, this week was Nero’s last week of guarding the security gates as he is being retired for medical reasons because he suffers from epilepsy.
His trainer Globus said:
“For the short time he has been here … he has made friends really fast. A lot of people care about him and are sad to see him go.”
A lady from the Badge and Pass office, Angela Dyke agreed:
“We all love him”
Like many beloved dogs, Nero made a lot of friends and gained the friendship of the security guards and personnel.
Nero will now retire and return to his original handler from Canine Interdiction, as another of man’s best friends takes over his job of guarding NASA’s security gates.
Nov 12, 2008 | | News
I talked last week about what to buy somebody who has everything for Christmas, and this one is certainly suited to those with a dog - or any pet for that matter.
I’m talking about photos of your pet Read the rest of this entry »
Nov 11, 2008 | | Dog Products, Fun N Other
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