Happy Christmas!

One more sleep to go and then it will be Christmas!
Our dogs will have their own pressies to open tomorrow and we will make them a special Christmas dinner to enjoy.
Our boy loves the Christmas tree and sits next to it happily as though he is eagerly waiting for Santa Paws to come.
Our girl wraps up and stays snuggled in her bed hibernating from the cold, only to appear for dinner.


Happy Christmas All, from Us and Our Two Dogs!

Loyal Dog wont leave Companions Grave

I read the story of the loyal dog in China who wouldn't leave his companions grave after he had passed away, I wasn't surprised at all, as I know from my own experience how loyal dogs can actually be.

The chinese man was an elderly, unmarried man who would always be with his dog, his dog was his whole family.

When the dog went missing after the owner passed away, no-one thought the dog would be found at his owners grave. Locals found the loyal dog lying by the grave and as much as they tried to coax him away to come back into the town for food, he wasn’t going to budge from his owners grave.

As soon as he was coaxed away for a short matter of time he would soon be back by his masters grave again as he is the most loyal dog to his owner.

There was nothing more the locals could do apart from bring food and water to the graveside and let him eat there. The towns people are planning to build him a permanent kennel if he chooses to remain at the graveside of his companion.

This story just highlights the fact that dogs become very attached to their owners, feel like they are part of the same pack and are loyal and will stand by and protect their owners, in this case even after the very end.

To watch the video click here

Romanian Government Votes to Euthanize Stray Dogs

Update from:http://dogsforlifex.blogspot.com/2011/04/help-stray-dogs-of-romania.html

The Government in Romania have made the sad and inhumane decision to murder the stray dog population that exists there as they will go ahead and euthanize stray dogs.

I quote:

'Parliament voted by 168-111 to pass the law, which is expected to be signed by President Traian Basescu. The law will allow officials to round up homeless dogs from the street, hold them in shelters for 30 days and then have them killed.'

I feel this is disgraceful and totally the wrong way in successfully controlling the stray dog population in Romania.

It is a money making scheme in which officials will benefit from the deaths of the dogs, as money will be sent to them to carry out these murderous acts.

Thousands of innocent dogs will die, they are totally oblivious to the fact that this law has been voted for and that they will no longer roam free and live their everyday life. They do not know that tomorrow may be their last day to live their last day for human affection, their last meal they would eat, this is all because 'the human race is far 'superior' to dogs and has the right to choose who should live and who should die.' (I don't think so!)

The only way forward is Neuter, Spay and releasing some dogs back to their territories, while keeping others in dog shelters where there is a chance for people to rescue a dog or find dogs for adoption. Dog owners need to be may responsible for their dogs and it should be mandatory for all owners to have their dogs operated on, registered and all paperwork in place.

Full article here:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/22/romanian-stray-dogs-parliament-euthanize_n_1107666.html?utm_campaign=112211

Ukraine to Halt the Killing of Stray Dogs

Finally Ukraine has seen sense and made the humane and fair decision to stop murdering and killing their innocent stray dogs.

In October I posted about a town called Lysychansk in Ukraine and how they were carrying out mass murders on stray dogs in a bid to clean up and rid their streets of stray dogs before UEFA Euro 2012 started.

The Ukraine government have finally spoken up to the local councils and mayors of its towns and ordered them to build animal shelters, instead of the cruel method of murdering the stray dogs.

We can thank numerous people for this positive result and they are, all those who signed petitions, all those local and national animal protection groups, Naturewatch (a British group that campaign against animal cruelty) and all those who sent petitions, as well as those from western countries who put great pressure on Ukraine to stop these cruel acts.

Maybe Ukraine also realised that their countries image was looking bad and therefore only gaining negative publicity which would mean that Ukraine tourism and UEFA European Football Championship  would suffer. 

Maybe now the stray dogs will be safe and free to live their lives just as they should be able to.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
DECEMBER UPDATE


Although the government has ordered the killing of stray dogs in Ukraine to cease it sadly looks as though it is still happening I quote 'But Judith Pein, of the German branch of PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said it was still happening.' 
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3968312/Dogs-slaughtered-for-Euro-2012-in-Ukraine.html
Very Disappointing.....

Blind Great Dane Lily and her Guide Dog Maddison are Looking for a New Home

The other day I read the story in the news of the blind Great Dane Lily and her dog pal and carer Maddison. I have so much admiration for Lily carrying on the way she is and also for her best pal Maddison, who has made the whole thing possible.

When Lily was a puppy she sadly suffered from a condition which meant that her eyelashes grew into her eyes, this over time damaged her eyeballs so much that they couldn't be fixed and ultimately she had to have her eyes removed.

Living with Maddison at the time, Lily and Maddison became very close, Maddison knew that Lily had a disadvantage and made allowances for that. It was from then on that Maddison became Lily's guide dog and went everywhere that she did.

When I read the story a few days ago I learnt that Lily and her best friend Maddison were looking for a new home together and I was desperately hoping someone would come forward and offer these two admirable dogs for adoption, another chance in life (their previous owner for whatever reason, gave them up) as I thought they truly deserved to have a loving home.

It was so heart warming to read the way they work together and look after each other, here is an extract from the Manager at the Dogs Trust (where the dogs currently are) Louise Campbell:

'Maddison will lead and Lily will walk nearly touching her so she knows where to go. It’s lovely to watch. Maddison is always looking out for her.'

'They curl up together to go to sleep and they are very vocal with each other.'

I have read the latest up to date news and I am happy to see there has been lots of interest and phone calls from people wanting to take these special dogs on. However at present these dogs need rehoming so if you feel you could offer that to them get in touch with:

Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, Shrewsbury UK.
Roden Lane Farm
Telford
Shrops
TF6 6BP

Tel: 01952 770225

Thailand Flooding

As we know this year Thailand have sadly suffered with terrible floods since August 2011 'the worse they have seen in 5o years' . This natural disaster has claimed lives, cost billions, left lots of people homeless and even torn many pets in Thailand tragically away from their owners, some of the lucky ones are being saved as they eagerly await help, while desperately trying to keep their heads above the water - this is thanks to some great animal rescue charities out there.

Here is a video that shows the extent of the Thailand flooding and the charity that is trying to do all they can to save these poor dogs lives.

7 Ways to Care for a Dog in Winter

As we are almost coming to the end of Autumn and fast approaching Winter it is important to know how to care for your dog during this time of year.

Here are a few helpful tips on how you can care for a dog:

1) Do not shave a dogs winter coat your dog will need this to keep warm during these next months. If you have a short-haired dog you may need to think about investing in a dog coat to keep your pooch warm, especially while out walking.

2) Dogs need more food so their bodies can generate body heat to keep them warm, this is especially important if your dog lives in an outside area.

3) If you live in an area with snakes be wary with your dog at this time of year as the snakes are looking for somewhere to hibernate and may be short-tempered, which can make them prone to attack.

4) Ensure that your dogs sleeping area or bed is free from draughts as in the winter months these often occur. This also applies in you have an outside dog living in a kennel, ensure that the kennel is facing away from the winds and draughts and is well made and wind proof. Even better if it is possible keep dogs inside the home during the real cold and wet weather.

5) Remember to protect your dog from fleas because they are still around and active this time of year. I find the best flea and tick killer is Frontline, as it has always protected my two dogs very well.

6) Be cautious when putting antifreeze in your car, make sure that you wash any spilt antifreeze away properly as this can be very harmful if ingested by dogs.

7) Rodent killer is often put down this time of year to stop pests from getting into the home. Be aware that the rodent killer is also harmful to your pet dog.

If you follow this advice on caring for a dog you are ensuring that your dogs health is kept in good shape and a dog needs a responsible owner.

Two Great Books about Dog Rescue

Having just finished reading the sequel to 'One Dog at a Time' by Pen Farthing (No Place like Home), I must say I am disappointed that they have both come to an end as I was thoroughly enjoying reading them. So here is my dog book review on two of the best seller books that I came across.

Pen Farthings style of writing is addictive and his experiences of life I feel I can really relate to, because I have have also experienced most of the same things with stray dogs that I have come across before and also I myself too own two rescued dogs that lived their lives as strays before.

While Pen was carrying out his duty as a Royal Marine in Afganistan he also becomes heavily involved in caring for any stray dogs that cross his path and being a dog lover he does all he can to help them in their time of need. In the first book 'One Dog at a Time' you will read about how he balances his work duty, while caring for the dogs of Helmand in Afganistan. Naturally he becomes attached to the dogs he has been caring for and embarks on a plan to try to rescue some of them.

The second book  'No Place like Home' is a sequel to the first one. In this book Pen writes about the experiences and adventures of himself rescuing two stray dogs and inviting them into his home to live with him, his wife and two existing dogs.  He also decides to set up a charity helping other soldiers, so they can save their furry friends too.

These books are simply great, they will have you feeling all kinds of mixed emotions and if you love dogs, like me, then these two books are not to be missed and come with a recommendation from me. And all the latest book reviews give this book a five out of five.

If you buy books online, here is the links below for a online book seller that sells 'One Dog at a Time' and 'No Place like Home':

Click on book for Prices


Click on book for Prices

World Animal Day 4th October 2011

World Animal Day comes every year on the 4th October.

It is a Special Day, in which we as humans should show appreciation to all living animals and be grateful for what we have learnt from spending time with animals and appreciate the special bonds that we have shared with living animals. It is a Animal Welfare Day and International Animal Rights is a very important subject.

October the 4th World Animal Welfare Day, came to be on this day as it is the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

World Animal Day is celebrated all around the world. If you would like to know what is going on in you part of the world you can look on this website: http://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/

If you cannot take part in any events or host an event yourself for whatever reason, just do what you can and make you own difference.

If you live in an area with stray dogs and stray cats you can put out banners for all to see, about protecting the dogs and cats as they are living creatures that deserve respect or that neuter and spay operations are the way forward.

Even spending time with stray dogs and cats or animals in need, giving them some much needed love, care and food it can make a difference, even to just 1 dog or 1 cats life.

Care for living animals always, but on the 4th October Animals Day, especially take the time out to do something special.

Help to Save the Stray Dogs and Cats of Ukraine

Stray dogs and cats all around the world are always victimised, simply because they cannot defend themselves or speak up for themselves and sadly the human race take advantage of these facts and take unnecessary and cruel acts into their own murderous hands.

I am talking about the current situation of how Ukraine think it is right to deal with the stray dogs and cats.

In a city called Lysychansk in Ukraine, the authorities think that the way to deal with the stray dogs and cats is to capture the strays and throw them into a 900 degree oven and burn them alive.

It is particularly concerning for me to hear that authorities say this is a "more modern, environmentally safe way of taking care of this problem" and what is even more shocking is, this has come about in the name of the UEFA European Football Championship.

As soon as Ukraine realised that they had jointly won the bid with Poland to host the UEFA Euro 2012 they embarked on their clean up plan to rid the streets of the stray dogs and cats, that have always lived there without harming anyone.

This is the not the first time Ukraine News has reported how badly treated their stray dogs and cats are. Ukraine have already been known in the past to use an illegal poison called ditiline, of which has a shocking effect on the poor stray animals, the respiratory muscles of the victim are paralyzed and the poor creatures lungs fail.

Isn't it sad that a country receives some fame and glory and then all sense and what is morally right just goes out the window?!
Why should the stray dogs and cats suffer because of Ukraine getting some much needed fame?
The only thing this has bought to my attention is bad press for Ukraine, nothing positive is coming out of the inhumane acts they are carrying out and certainly this will be bad for Ukraine tourism.

The only fair and humane way forward, is Neuter and Spay I will never accept that killing innocent creatures that have played no part in their misfortune should be punished and have their poor lives cruelly stolen from them.

If no-one ever speaks up for these poor stray dogs and cats nothing will ever change, these control freaks think that they are like god and can make these type of decisions, which they have no right to.

In this world we are living in, just one person speaking out about something that they strongly believe in can make all the difference.
Maybe you are that one person...

If you are purchasing tickets UEFA Euro 2012 tickets you need to be aware of what the authorities are doing to the stray dogs and cats of Ukraine.
We all love football, but no-one loves the innocent stray dogs and cats of Ukraine burnt alive in order for Ukraine to host UEFA 2012.

And to all you animal lovers out there, there are plently of stray dogs to adopt or help in Ukraine if you can.

Please Help By Signing this Petition:

Petition for Stray Dogs and Cats in Ukraine.

Dog Tip of the Day

Its important to understand what your dogs nose could be telling you.
So now I will tell you about a dog nose.
Normally if your dog has a moist cool nose it is a sign your dog is healthy.
If your dog has a dry nose that is warm, your dog could be unwell, although just because your dogs nose is dry it doesn't always mean your dog is poorly, unless other symptoms are present, such as scabs, sores, cracked skin or changes in the colour of the nose.
Do not ignore any discharge from your dogs nose, unless it is clear in colour.
Discharge from a dogs nose should never be thick, bubbly, smelly, yellow or green, if it is it
could mean your dog has a infection which could be anything from a simple sinus infection to a serious illness in dogs such as distemper or kennel cough.
Check your dog to make sure he or she does not have any breathing problems and that he or she does not sneeze excessively, if there are problems with breathing or sneezes a vet will need to look over your dog.
Remember also to protect a dogs nose in the strong sun to avoid skin cancer.
Best of all if you are unsure what your dogs nose is telling you either take the temperature of your dog or get him or her checked over by the local vet.
A normal dogs temperature should be between 38°c and 39.2°c.

Insight on The Life of a Stray Dog (aka Street Dog)

The life of a stray dog is by no means a bed of roses, it is down to pure survival and normally only the strong ones survive.

A typical day for a stray dog would be waking up, catching up with some dog pals, looking for food, hoping for some long awaited attention from passer-bys and sleeping a bit more.

Although to some, this may sound perfect, it could not be further from the truth.

From my experience of spending time with various stray dogs and puppies I noticed how friendly and affectionate they were.

I would say that any of stray dogs I met would make more than a great dog for adoption, which is clearly proven as I myself adopted two, a few of them need more time and work than others, for you to build up their trust. (but this is to be expected with what some of them go through and is easily achieved with patience)

Sadly some people chose to never address or see this gentle side of them but instead chose to approach a dog in a hostile and threatening manner shouting and waving a stick, as I have seen so many times before, this only creates unnecessary fear and makes a nervous dog.

What frustrates me is how some people go out of their way to scare or harm a stray dog just because the thought of the stray dog peacefully laying there on the grass sleeping, absolutely repels and annoys the hell out of this so called 'human being' and they just have to get it to move it on because they think that they rule this earth, this is done in a variety of ways such as making assorted alien noises that sound something like these 'uschk!' or 'schtt!',  throwing a stone, spraying water, waving their arms and shouting or waving whatever object they are holding in their hands.

Its just so upsetting to watch this innocent creature, half asleep, minding his or her business jump up and with the tail firmly lodged between the legs, scurrying off, while looking back sadly, as if to say 'What did I do wrong?'

The answer is simple my furry friend, you did absolutely nothing wrong.

Unfortunately some people chose to take things that step further and murder the stray dogs, by poisoning them. I myself have witnessed a harmless stray dog dying in front of my eyes, due to poisoning and although we was quick to respond the dog died before the vet arrived.

The thought went through my mind of this dog, hours earlier, being that happy docile friendly stray dog running around harmlessness in the nearby fields as 'Happy as Larry' unaware his life would end very cruelly, that day. This is not just one story, this is one of many sad endings.

We, as humans caused the over population of dogs either by not having our dogs neutered and spayed or by tossing our dogs out onto the street for a life of homelessness, after the novelty of owning one wore off.

For this reason I feel that stray dogs should be left to live their life in peace, without the constant threat from humans, that exists everyday of their lives.

Hasn't our human population done enough damage without carrying out more abuse on innocent creatures?

I feel so ashamed to be labelled under the category 'human', as these people simply put us to shame, by abusing voiceless creatures who can't stand up for themselves.

And if we see this happening we must speak up for the stray dogs, as they can't speak up for themselves.

One thing is for sure we can't just stand back and let this cruelty happen, I quote:

'Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter' by Martin Luther King, Jr

The food supply can be ideal for the stray dogs in the tourist months, but can drastically change when the summer ends.

These animals do not deserve to starve, we should help them in their time of need and learn to live alongside them, not against them. So as you are passing by, if you don't quite fancy that last bite of your sandwich why not give it to the stray dog that is lying next to you on the grass?

Every time I finished a meal at home and went to clear the plates, I would think, this is not much to me, but to the stray dogs.......this is everything and ultimately I would save them whatever leftovers I could.

They are sometimes described by people, to be wild dogs, which could not be more wrong. The thing that makes me laugh is these people haven't even spent time with these dogs to understand them and see what they are really like, they are just simply being, narrow minded.

The stray dogs are domesticated dogs that love a cuddle and affection just like any other owned dog, in fact from my experience I have never felt such soft, delicate mouths, when taking the food fed gently from my hand.

Many a time I would have a stray dog rolling around on its back while I tickled its tummy and to see the sight of some of the passer bys stopping and staring, would make me continue all the more. I would try to educate people, when I could, that stray dogs are just like any lovable owned dog except they have to fend for themselves, which is through no fault of their own and we should make their already hard life a little easier.

Not everyone has to like dogs, but if you don't, just leave the stray dogs well alone to live their lives. If you ignore them, they will ignore you. There really is no need for violence and hatred. From Mahatma Ghandhi, I quote:

'The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated'

However if you do like dogs, spend a bit of time getting to know stray dogs, as they still continue to amaze us with their individual personalities, loyalty and affection and they are the most wonderful dogs we have ever come across, I quote:

' I would look at a dog and when our eyes met, I realised that the dog and all creatures are my family. They're like you and me' From Ziggy Marley.

We are the proud owners of two rescue dogs, that were previously stray dogs. I can happily agree with this quote:

'Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened' From Anatole France.

We can and would definitely recommend adopting a dog from the street, they are beautiful dogs for free and rescue dogs make such wonderful and rewarding pets to own.

Mutilated USA Dog 'Hope' Passes Away

Once again severe animal cruelty news comes to light in an animal abuse story that was carried out by an individual, which was in the form of terrible neglect and abuse on a living creature, that ultimately lead to the death of this poor innocent dog named 'Hope'.
'Hope' the abused animal was found tied to a tree in the woods, not only severely emaciated, but tied up by an electrical cord (left to die, as admitted by her owner).
On further inspection it became apparent that Hope a victim of animal abuse, was nearly decapitated.
She was taken to a pound to be rescued and given medical care as her megaesophagus and trachea cord was severed.
All looked well for a while.......
A couple came in to the humane society animal shelter and adopted Hope and took her to get special care, to help a dog that was in need.
The vet carried out the emergency surgery on the abused animal and all went well.
Hope had started playing and there really was 'hope' for her future and to make a recovery.
Then sadly, her breathing got bad, so oxygen was given to her.
This was not enough and Hope passed away, 'her body just gave up on her' her adopted owner remarked.
All we can be thankful about this terrible case of cruelty to an animal is that, she is finally at peace and her owner has been charged for animal cruelty, for his terrible unforgivable sin of animal abuse and cruelty to one of the many loving animals of the USA.
We all live in hope that animal cruelty to dogs will become a thing of the past, but these stories sadly just keep coming to our attention and the need to help a dog is always there.

Another Ball Bites the Dust

We was just browsing around on our day out and I spotted these small soft cartoon character balls, immediately I thought of our 2 hounds at home who would be delighted at the prospect of the arrival yet another new toy.
For them, the sight of a new toy that they can play with is a very happy moment.
We purchased 2, a Thomas the Tank Engine for our male dog and some other feminine cartoon design for our pointer and I safely tucked them away in my handbag.
Upon us arriving home, as usual both dogs were very excited and we was greeted by two tails permanently wagging, our male could have knocked someone over with his tail as he has a lovely big fluffy tail and his tail was moving in a very fast happy motion. (we call his tail Rod Stewart - as it is so big and fluffy and when he has been washed and he holds his tail up high with it curling around slightly,  the hair hangs down like Rods hair - his tail is gorgeous!)
After a short break and relax at home we thought it was about time to take them 'Walkies'.
My partner produced the dogs new toys from my handbag and he rolled our Kangal/Husky Mix his one. He caught it and ran off happily with it to his favourite rug where he sniffed it and licked it, it was even a tough decision for him whether to stay at home with his new ball or go walkies....he finally chose walkies.
Our pointer got given her ball on the walk because she loves to play catch on the walk or for us to throw it in the sea for her to retrieve.
After some fun by the sea with her catching, fetching and retrieving the ball went slightly off course and landed in the sea, now I did mention that she retrieves from the sea but of course it all depends on the conditions at sea (whether the sea is calm or whether the waves are crashing in) and how many rocks are around for her to cheat her way into the sea without properly swimming. (she has tried swimming but she does not seem very strong and does not get far)  She sometimes has a habit of climbing around on the rocks and leaning her face forward as far as she can go to try and let the tide float the ball in her mouth, which sometimes pays off (cheating or what!?). This is what happened today except the tide wasn't in her favour and we all watched as the ball started off a couple of feet away from the rock she was standing on, which she could have easily managed to get it if she had put her mind to it, to the ball floating out metres and metres into the depths of the sea.
It felt like deja vu for us, as this must have been the 6th or 7th ball in the last couple of months that she has lost to sea and we have seen her face so many times before as she stands on the furthest rock out whining for her long lost ball to come back to her, which of course it never does.

Finally the UK to ease its Pet Movement Rules

Having just finished reading an article stating that the UK will ease their pet movement rules, it makes me breath a sigh of relief - lets face it the UK is just too damn tough about these things.

From the 1st January 2012 pets entering the UK will not have to be put through the awful ordeal of 6 months in quarantine, which not only breaks the pet and owners hearts at the long time of being separated from each other but also breaks the owners bank with the extortionate costs.
This money making quarantine scheme will soon be a thing of the past and pets can be reunited with their owners in the UK instantly as long as all the other requirements have been obeyed.

Please see the grid below for the current rules and alongside those the new amended rules as of 1st January 2012.


Entry rules for pets entering the UK from the EU and listed non-EU countries:

What has to be done	Now	From 1 January 2012
Microchip	Yes	Yes
Rabies vaccination	Yes	Yes
Documentation (pet passport or third country certificate)	Yes	Yes
Blood test (dogs and cats)	Yes	No
Pre-entry waiting period	Yes	Yes
Length of waiting period before entry to the UK	6 months from date  sample taken for blood test	21 days after vaccination against rabies
Tick treatment	Yes (24-48 hours before embarkation)	No
Tapeworm treatment	Yes (as for ticks)	Under consideration at European level

Entry rules for pets entering the UK from unlisted non-EU countries:

What has to be done	Now	From 1 January 2012
Microchip	All pets from unlisted third countries are licensed into quarantine for 6 months and vaccinated against rabies on arrival	Yes
Rabies vaccination		Yes
Blood test		Yes.  Blood sample taken at least 30 days after vaccination.
Documentation ( third country certificate)		Yes
Pre-entry waiting period		Yes
Length of waiting period before entry to the UK		3 months after blood sample date
Tick treatment		No
Tapeworm treatment		Under consideration at European level

So this will benefit owners wishing to travel freely with their pets and also people wanting to adopt street animals from overseas and take them back to the UK.

'Star' The Collie Cross That Was Buried Alive

The photo is heartbreaking, the facts seem surreal.

But it is only too real, it is a terrible severe act of animal cruelty.
This poor dog (named Star by her rescuers) in Malta was cruelly buried alive and if that wasn't bad enough, she sustained appalling injuries before being buried such as; 40 pellet gun shots to her head, her legs tied together with lace and her muzzle bound together with wire - shocking is an understatement.
It is clear that the twisted culprit responsible didn't want this poor dog to survive and did everything in his/her power to end this dogs life.
As if shooting the dog, bounding the dog and burying the dog wasn't evil enough, the abuser had covered the poor dog with a wooden panel and weighed it down to really seal her fate and end her life.
It emerged that the shots were from close range which backs up even more that it was a planned murder.
It saddens me that we are living among humans who have it in them to carry out such malicious harmful acts on innocent creatures.
This dog is one of the lucky ones, that was found by passing Animal Welfare Officers whom were nearby investigating another cause and by chance heard this poor dog whimpering.
But how many more animals go undetected and die a sad lonely death from abuse?

Star is lucky she survived and that the welfare officers found her, otherwise she would not be here today.

She really is brave and a true fighter, all I hope now is that she can be adopted by a family that will keep her safe, love her and for her never to feel pain like that again.

Back from the Beach

We have just returned from our trip to the beach.
Both dogs were excited to be reunited with the cream grainy stuff that is fun to dig up - sand of course.
Our Male Kangal Mix especially gets excited, when he hears the noise of the waves crashing he knows we are at the most fun place ever - the beach. He happily runs along smelling every smell and scent there is possible and our Pointer dashes off to find a prized stone to collect.
The sky is blue hardly any clouds and the sun is warm, there is nothing better than the free drink of salty sea water that is on offer for them both. They are so hot that even the salt does not put them off .
Our boy is just getting used to the sea, he is a little afraid of the waves crashing in but has braved his fears after seeing our Pointer swimming out to get her ball, so he now stands a little further in the sea with all his paws in the water. And we make a game out of it for him and instead of him fearing the waves, he gets excited every time they they come rolling in.
Our girl is always on a mission and has to be doing something like retrieving her ball, jumping around, nudging you or dropping the ball for you to throw, so as you can imagine very energetic.
Whereas our boy likes nothing more than to dig himself a very big hole in the shade to lie in.
Everyone is completly tired tonight after returning from the beach and the dogs, lucky for them have a nice long snooze and dream of their adventures while we prepare dinner.

KG Dogfighting Previously Known as Dog Wars

Some people have asked me my views on the the new Google Android game that was called 'Dog Wars' and that has now recently been renamed 'KG Dogfighting'.
I feel it glorifies real dog fighting and condones it as something cool and fun to do, I also feel it will change the way some people see dogs and they may start seeing them in a different light. Instead of owning a dog and treating it like part of the family, giving it food, caring for it, showing it love it could make people see a dog as a money making object and that the dog must fight and perform well for its food.
Children are very easily influenced by things they see on the TV and Games, they want to copy and act out what they see.
Kage Games witheld the game and changed the name to KG Dogfighting for trademark purposes, nothing has changed it is still the same cruel game.
It has reportedly been said by Kage Games that the game is educate the public on the evils of animal cruelty. But it does not educate people on animal cruelty as it does not show police arresting and fining the dog fighters, it does not show the dogs being taken away by animal welfare officers and it does not show the dogs in pain and suffering.
I would say it is more likely to educate people and give them the knowledge on how to train a dog to fight in real life.
All around the world now people/organisations/governments are trying hard to phase out dog fighting with some positive action which involves making harsher punishments for convicted dog fighter culprits, this is in order to stop people from taking innocent dogs and forcing them into fighting for money. Some dogs are lucky enough to live but are scarred forever but others sadly lose their lives.
And Kage Games go and release something like this.

The Elusive Draught Excluder…..

After his 5th Bark of the morning, I roll out of bed.....As much as he would like me to get up on his 1st bark, I simply can't.

Every morning our Kangal/Husky Mix Male decides when everybody is going to get up to go on the walk.

Its funny to think about how he obviously barks for no reason and outdoor everyday noises he'd normally ignore, when he wants us to get up he barks at them. The dustbin men passing etc...

As I get myself ready I notice the Draught Excluder (its a long furry sausage dog shape) by the front door is missing.....where am I going to find it? Yep you guessed it.....I stroll back into the bedroom to see him laying down asleep using the Draught Excluder as a pillow!

This is the morning ritual and its so funny to think that once he has successfully woken us up and got us out of bed and his job is done, he lays back down and has a extra deserving kip while we get ourselves changed and ready for the walk.

And everynight we put the Draught Excluder down by the front door and every morning our cheeky dog has taken it and has added it to part of his collection of soft toys.

Thats why I got chilly last night!

Do Dogs Dream?

Yes I think its clear that dogs do dream.

I am the owner of 2 dogs and 1 of them has more of an active imagination and dreams regularly.

My Kangal/Husky mix often dreams, his legs make a running movement while lying on his side, his tail wags, he growls and he makes loud hiccup whooping noises. Wheras my Pointer doesn’t dream often only sometimes she will also make loud hiccup whooping noises, but rarely.

Like humans dogs sleep in (SWS) and (REM) phases. Only humans sleep for longer.

(REM) - Rapid Eye Movement

All the dreaming happens in the REM phase when your dog is in a very deep sleep and this is when there is most brain activity.

(SWS) – Slow Wave Sleep

In the SWS phase your dog will be more likely to wake up. When your dog is still and breathing heavily this is the SWS phase.

Dreaming often happens when we come back from the beach, so I like to think that he has enjoyed himself so much he is dreaming he is back on the beach again running around, digging and playing games.