Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Fight over Britain’s Got Talent dog

My favourite dog of the moment is Chandi who performed on the first round of auditions of the new series of Britain’s Got Talent.

It almost brought me to tears to see the rescue dog dancing away and responding so well to its owner’s commands. But Ant and Dec are having a spot of bother over the talented tailed one.

It appears that the two pint sized hosts can’t agree on whether this year’s dancing dog, led by owner Tina is better than last year’s star pooch – Gin who was trained by owner Kate.

Well I don’t normally like to take sides when it comes to dogs as they’re all beautiful animals, but I think I know who my money’s on. What do you think?

Everyone loves a Meatball

Everyone loves a good dog show. But there was only one star at the Beautiful Bulldog pageant held in Des Moines, Iowa recently.

Meatball, a brown and white bulldog was announced as the winner of the annual pageant. Dogs travelled from all over the country in order to compete and most were dressed in special costumes, but Meatball seems to have pipped them all to the post.

The slobbering pooch won a key to the city, as well as a royal cape and crown and he will also make several public appearances at Drake Relays events in the future.

Some say that bulldogs are ugly. I couldn’t disagree more. And I bet they wouldn’t say it to Meatball’s face anyway!

Dogs banned from parks

There’s nothing better than a walk in the park with your favourite furry friend. On a warm sunny afternoon, it’s great watching all the dogs chasing around, enjoying themselves.

But that may not be the case much longer in some areas of Nottinghamshire. The Newark and Sherwood District Council have banned dogs from 72 parks in the area including play areas and fields.

If dog owners do let their animals onto these sites, they could face a fine of £75. It is said that these new measures have been put in place in order to tackle dog owners who let their dogs get out of control and those who do not clear up their faeces.

It is unpleasant and selfish for dog owners to behave like this but I think there are better ways of dealing with the problem than banning all dogs. It’s not fair to punish everyone for the mistakes of a few selfish dog owners.

Pets living the high life

My cheeky little westie Bobby, is on holiday in France at the moment (I know; how the other half live!)

But getting him there was not easy to say the least. Preparing your dog to go abroad involves a lot of paperwork and of course the dreaded injections (but don’t tell them that.) Dogs even have to have their own passport to be able to go abroad.

Remember to research it all thoroughly and when they are in need of injections to travel between countries, ensure that they have them at least 24 hours before you travel (or more if necessary).

It may seem like a lot of hassle, but it’s worth it to spend time with your beloved pooch and also to save them from the kennels.

I’m just waiting for my postcard from Bobby now.

Toto’s over the rainbow

I have to say, I am completely underwhelmed by the ‘talent’ being displayed on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest search for a star TV programme, Over The Rainbow. Most of the contestants have a weak karaoke voice at best with only a couple showing any sign of power and quality.

But I’m not giving up on the programme just yet, because it seems that dogs are about to save the day (again) as hundreds of pooches battle it out to be crowned Toto in the West End show.

The hopefuls gathered at Stoneleigh Park for auditions and they really showed off their talents. The dogs will really be put through their paces during the audition rounds and a shortlist of ten will appear on Saturday night’s show. I can’t wait to find out who will be named as Toto!

Battersea celebrate birthday with stamps

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is 150 years old this month. It’s incredible to think that they have been re-homing animals for all that time.

They have done some really important work over the years and have helped give better lives to thousands of our furry friends.

To celebrate their success for the last 150 years, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home have released some stamps with Royal Mail. The stamps feature photographs of some of the success stories from the home.

The stamps show happy cats and dogs and are really adorable. They will certainly put a smile on your face next time you’re posting off you bill payments.

Dogs send neighbours barking mad

It has been reported that a man in Oxfordshire has been prosecuted for failing to stop his 23 dogs from barking.

The action was taken after neighbours complained about the noise even after Roger Sutton had been issued with a noise abatement notice.

The question that immediately comes to mind for me though is why was he allowed to keep 23 dogs? It was reported that the dogs were both in his house and locked in cages in his garden. The Dorset Old Tyme bulldogs made so much noise between them that several neighbours complained.

Sutton has been ordered to pay a £2000 fine and £500 in legal costs. But what has happened to the dogs? Let’s hope they’ve been rescued and re-homed somewhere that they will have plenty of space and happiness to worry about barking.

Who will get the Cole dogs?

I don’t know about you, but when I heard news of Ashley and Cheryl Cole splitting up, my first thought was for their dogs. What is going to happen to them?

Well if Cheryl has her way, then the two Chihuahuas will be staying with her. She is besotted with Buster and Coco and can’t bear the thought of living without them.

But of course, Ashley too wants to keep hold of the pooches so there could be a battle on Cheryl’s hands.

It’s all being taken very seriously and sources have said that there are temporary arrangements in place for visitation rights to the two dogs. It will be interesting to see who wins this battle of the puppies.

Crufts revises its standards amid accusations of poor dog health

Not long to go until this year’s Crufts start to take over our televisions. I don’t know about you, but I love sitting down and watching my favourite furry friends trot around the arena, showing off their shiny coats.

But Crufts has come under attack recently over accusations that it encourages inbreeding which can lead to health problems in dogs.

Well now the British institution is fighting back by saying that it will focus more on working animals and even mongrels.

The Kennel Club has also worked with vets to revise its standards for the competition. The health of the dog is now top of the agenda with Crufts according to the Kennel Club. And I should hope so too!

Although Crufts wasn’t shown on television last year because the BBC refused to air it, it will be back on our screens this year on More4. I can’t wait!

Hoppa is hopping with happiness

Us Brits can’t get enough of our four legged friends. They are our closest companions and we love to turn to our dogs for comfort.

So it’s always upsetting to think that a dog may be suffering. They seem so innocent and helpless; they don’t deserve any pain or discomfort.

The very sight of Hoppa, a four year old dog from Israel, could bring a tear to any dog lover’s eye. He was born with no front legs and has struggled over the years.

But the good news is; Hoppa has just been fitted with a prosthetic harness which consists of wheels instead of legs that enable him to move around as quickly as he likes.

With these developments, fingers crossed other dogs in a similar situation will get help soon too.