Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Promotional vouchers to the rescue

I think at times like these we’re all feeling the pinch of the credit crunch and so we have to look to save money wherever we possibly can.

In past articles, I’ve mentioned about picking up the free samples of dog food from places like Pets at Home and such like and I’ve also talked about the free samples of dog food that you can get online from dog food suppliers, but although these are great, there are other ways to save money too.

If you haven’t already, make sure that you sign up to supermarket storecards like Tescos Clubcard or Sainsburys Nectar card because they send out mailings quite frequently and many of these contain promotional vouchers or Read the rest of this entry »

Kennels in trouble thanks to credit crunch

We’re all aware of how the credit crunch and ensuing global financial crisis has affected and continues to affect businesses, however, we seem to forget how it impacts on even smaller businesses.

One of my local dog kennels is closing down and the owner is blaming it on the credit crunch. Not only are people putting off holidays, but when they do take their holiday they are minimising the cost as much as possible so instead of putting their dogs into a dog kennel they are trying friends and family and even paying them a little cash instead.

Read the rest of this entry »

Big dog trouble

A friend of mine recently bought a labrador and has had all sorts of trouble ever since.

Part of the problem is that he has never owned a dog before.  Like I mentioned in my previous article about what not to do, he did exactly that.  He sat in his house, decided he wanted a dog, bought a labrador and THEN bought a book to read up on it.

He did start going to puppy classes, and found that in the first twelve weeks he’d been doing everything wrong.  The puppy has chewed his way through furniture, wires, pulled plugs out, all the usual puppy things that dogs do when they’re bored.  It doesn’t seem to be a lack of exercise as to be fair, my friend has done all of that, but more due to the long working hours when the puppy is left to his own devices in the home.

Unless there is support available, the only way an owner can keep a large dog breed whilst working long hours is to have the support of close-by friends and family or to pay for a dog sitter or walker to pop in during the day.

Choosing the breed

When you purchase a dog, then you should really research the breed properly beforehand.  It isn’t good enough to sit in the house one day thinking you’d like a dog, open the paper and get yourself round to a breeder’s home to purchase a puppy.

A responsible breeder should ensure that potential owners know what they’re letting themselves in for before they let you buy a puppy however unfortunately this is not always the case.

Don’t rely purely on reading a book either, if you’re considering a breed why not contact a reputable breeder and spend some time with their dogs and understanding what they need before you commit.

Even small breeds can be quite a shock to the system if you’re used to being able to come and go as you like and now you have to all of a sudden think about what you’ll do with the dog, so choose carefully.

Owners need to take responsibility for exercising their dog

Exercise is hard work.  Sometimes it isn’t actually taking the exercise that’s difficult but the fitting it in, yet we all have 24 hours a day so how come some people manage to do so much more than others?  They have the same troubles, same family issues and work commitments but some do more than others.

Regardless of how we exercise ourselves, if we have a dog then we have to take responsibility for their exercise too.  A dog cannot just take itself out for a walk, and although some irresponsible owners do seem to just open the door and let their dog walk the streets, it is against the law and upsets a lot of people.

Make sure you find time to exercise your dog.  Hopefully, you’ll have a breed of dog that suits your lifestyle so if you’re a busy person then a small breed that doesn’t require as much exercise will do otherwise you’ll have to change your life quite a bit.

North Clwyd Animal Rescue charity

Where I live, I’m not too far from the North Clwyd Animal Rescue (NCAR), which takes in all sorts of animals including rabbits, guinea pigs, cats and more but as you might imagine more often than not, they take in dogs.

To say that a dog is man’s best friend, we don’t half seem to neglect them!

Last year, the charity took in almost 700 dogs Read the rest of this entry »

Re-training a dog

Now, I’m no expert on dogs but I’ve had a lot of dogs in my time so I do feel I know quite a lot about these and about training them.

I always tell people not to let their dog do anything that they don’t want the dog to continue to do for the rest of his or her natural life, and especially not to let them sleep with their owner or in their room as that’s usually what you’d want to change at some point.

My dog has always slept downstairs Read the rest of this entry »

Bathing the dog

Today I bathed my dog.  This might not seem a huge deal but as my dog is a shih tzu she goes to the groomers on a regular basis and I don’t really have to bathe her as much as some owners might have to bath theirs.

Here is a list of things to get together before you bath your dog:

• Dog towel – don’t use your own bath towels, but start using Read the rest of this entry »

New Years resolutions for dogs

No doubt most people will have made at least one New Year’s resolution so far this year and by now, no doubt many will have broken at least one or even abandoned it altogether.

When you set your New Year’s resolutions, did you think about your four legged friend at all?  Here are a few ideas for New Year’s resolutions to set for your dog:

• Take your four legged friend on more walks or longer walks – this one is good for you as well as them!
• Don’t give your dog as many fattening treats or give them treats from the table.  This is a bad habit but also makes dogs obese.  By not giving your dog foods that are bad for them, you are being kind so ignore those puppy eyes and give them a cuddle instead
• Speaking of cuddles, spend more time with your dog.  Buy a large, soft throw for the settee so you can both curl up and watch television without getting the sofa dirty.  Dogs love films too and you can even buy doggie popcorn now – just don’t give them your popcorn!
• Play more.  It’s amazing how many dogs stop playing when they’re older because their owner doesn’t throw a ball or cuddly toy for them any more. Make time to play – for a dog, just two minutes playtime is wonderful!

These are just a few ideas, if you have any more, please add them below!

Dogs help friends dating

Have you ever thought how a dog can help bring two people together? I met my friend for a coffee in Starbucks at the weekend and she told me of two friends dating and it is all because of their dogs.

These two people were complete strangers who often bumped into each other when walking their dogs along the field close to where the girl lived. The two dogs would stop to greet each other as dogs often do – dogs don’t seem to have the same social limitations that we do! – and over a period of time, the two people started exchanging greetings, talking about the weather, etc.

Eventually, just before Christmas, the man finally plucked up the courage to ask the lady out – and lo and behold, they have now started dating, all thanks to their two dogs!

So if you’ve tried everything else, why not get out and about with your dog and see who you meet? You never know where it might lead. There are all sorts of places to get out and about with your four legged friend, so you could try the park on a weeknight, walking by the river or on the beach if you’re lucky enough to have a beach locally or just take your dog to the beer garden – it’s funny how you don’t feel self conscious going on your own if you have the dog with you and even if you don’t find yourself dating you’re bound to make some new friends!