Divorce is, of course, an extremely stressful and difficult time for all involved, and a situation that can become more contentious when a pet is involved. Both parties will likely have a strong emotional connection to their four-legged friend, so how does a court decide who takes responsibility for the pet when a relationship is over?  Dogs become a part of the family unit with ease; they view their family as their pack, and it’s in their nature to love and protect the pack. We, as humans, feel just as much love for our dogs as they do for us. This combination can create a fairy-tale fam ..read more

Twice a year in the UK the clocks change and we get an extra hour in bed in the autumn and rise an hour earlier in the spring. Just like us, dogs can be affected by the adjustment in time.  Here’s how to prepare dogs for daylight savings time.  Spring forward, fall back is the mnemonic we use to remember which way the clocks are meant to go for daylight saving hours. Although who can actually remember which way round the mnemonic is supposed to be! To recap, in the spring, we put the clocks forward by one hour as we move into British summer time and begin a nice long spell of longer ..read more

The habit of eating poo (known as coprophagia), is an unpleasant behaviour. Veterinary surgeon, William Peel BVSc MRCVS explains why dogs eat poo and what you can do to break the habit.  Apart from being a nasty habit, bacteria, viruses and parasites can be spread in poo, so if your dog eats their faeces it could make them ill. Some of these pathogens can even be passed to humans so you may want to think twice before letting them lick your face!  In some circumstances this behaviour is normal; a new mum removing puppy poo from the den to keep it clean, or young puppies chewing faeces ..read more

Puppies can get very excited when people visit the house and may need some help to greet guests calmly and politely. Julie Maxted from The Dog-G8 Company shares her top tips on how to introduce your pup to visitors. 1. Prepare your dog in advance of visitors To help your dog settle when new people come to visit, it’s a good idea to have a safe space where they can settle, away from the excitement.  Giving your dog a walk beforehand will help them to relax as they will have had time to burn off any excess energy. A tired dog will find it easier to switch off and relax in their safe space ..read more

There are many human foods that dogs will not only enjoy but reap health benefits too. However, there are also several foods that we eat that are poisonous to dogs. Read on to learn about what dogs can eat and what they can’t.  Human foods that dogs can eat There are many human foods that make tasty snacks for dogs. This includes cheese – in small amounts – cream cheese and peanut butter, which make great fillings for Kongs.  Note: always check the ingredients of peanut butter and avoid brands that contain xylitol which is toxic to dogs.  There are certain fruits that dogs can e ..read more

How do you prepare for the hardest day when you will have to say goodbye to your much-loved pet? We’ve teamed up with Carrie Kearns, a Companion Animal Bereavement Counsellor to share some advice on how to prepare for and cope with the loss of a pet.  A special bond From the moment you first meet your pet, a powerful bond is starting to form. Your four-legged wagging tailed companion will be your best friend, your confidante, your social ice breaker, routine maker, and your reason for getting up in the mornings. Dogs bring so much love and joy and laughter into our homes our lives and our ..read more

If you’re a dog owner who enjoys running and being outdoors, Canicross could be just the thing for you. Read this guide written by Emily Thomas from K9 Trail Time to learn more about this increasingly popular pastime, discover the benefits for dogs – and their owners – and find out how you and your dog can get involved.  What is Canicross? This fast-growing activity is simply running cross-country – on trails and paths, rather than roads – with your dog. It is something many people have been doing for years without even realising there is a name for it. It is also a sport which has its ow ..read more

In recent years, dog agility has become an increasingly popular activity for owners to do with their dogs, either as a competitive sport or just for fun. Fun agility focuses on building a great bond between a dog and owner. Caroline Walmsley, a qualified Fun Dog Agility Coach, explains more about this activity and how you can get involved.  What is fun dog agility and which dogs does it suit?  To put it simply, dog agility involves running with and guiding a dog around a course with a variety of obstacles, such as tunnels, weave poles, see-saws, tyres and jumps. The handler must dire ..read more

Did you know that dogs use their sense of smell to gather and process information about their environment? In this introduction to scent work for dogs written by scent detection instructor Giulia Danielis, you’ll learn more about how your dog’s nose works and discover things you can do to help stimulate their senses. How your dog’s nose works Your dog’s nose – technically known as the olfactory system is a very sophisticated and complex apparatus.  Here’s a fascinating fact. Did you know that a dog can detect the equivalent of one teaspoon of sugar in a million gallons of water? That’s tw ..read more

A new criminal offence of pet abduction is to be introduced in England, to tackle the rising number of heart-breaking pet-napping incidents.  The introduction of the new offence is one of the recommendations of the Pet Theft Task Force, which found that:  Approximately 7 out of 10 reports of pet theft involved dogs  Around 2,000 incidents of dog theft were reported to the police in 2020 The theft of a pet has a serious impact – in terms of the emotional trauma experienced by pet owners and the impact of theft on a pet’s welfare.  Until now, the theft of a pet has been t ..read more