Dogs Today_366 : simplebooklet.com

NEW natural treatsVery low calorieGrain freeHypoallergenicNo artif cial colours or preservatives NEWCALMINGNaturally settleanxious dogs Night-timerelaxation aidTRAININGVital nutrients for growth Prebiotics fordigestive health TRAININGJoint care,anti-inammatoryImmune support,with omega 3 & 6For more information please visit www.companyofanimals.comFind usInside this month...News & features 6 Dog Breath of fresh air: the world’s greatest dog photographer is touring the US, transforming lives and inspiring real change 24 Her of the dog cakes: Amy Hirst’s pupcake art deserves a Hollywood Handshake 26 TV turn-ons: will Pete Wicks’ new series make the list of the greatest dog telly? 30 Pick a programme: what’s your favourite ever dog prog? 32 Roving Rollo: terrier Rollo reviews his mini break in Whitby34 Now that’s what I call love! Sinitta introduces her Toy Poodle, Scarlet36 Sanctuary from the news: how Pine Ridge dog sanctuary was born from switching on the TV40 Journey’s end: Jet has made his final flightTraining & behaviour42 Spare the rod… and teach the dog! Canines don’t need disciplineOver to you!48 Great debate: is it right that rescues can insist on a clause in the adoption agreement that forbids euthanasia unless they give permission first?52 Postbag: your letters and emails Opinion 66 Confessions of a dogaholic: the show growsInvestigation 14 Q&A: Dr Dunbar’s essentials for new puppy owners – what’s urgent and what’s important; what’s new in dog ID tags; what are the pros and cons of a vegan diet? 54 Dog crush: meet the Siberian Husky Competitions & shopping 38 Win Crufts tickets! 50 Subscribe for a chance to win the greatest prizes60 Pop the kettle on and tackle our puzzles and competitionsSiberian Husky. Photo by Tim Rose (www.timrosephotography.co.uk)DogsTodayEditorialEditor: Beverley CuddyArt Director: Rosie PeaceChief Sub Editor/Contributing Editor: Claire Horton-BusseyDeputy Editor: Alessandra PacelliIllustrator: Kevin BrockbankAdvertising & sponsorship Sales & Marketing Director: Mike McGlynn 01276 402591Office dogsBetty (Old English-Golden Retriever-ish); Honey (Cocker Spaniel); Lennie (Staffie cross); Loki (Border Collie-Kelpie cross); Sophie (Jack Russell); Triss (Jack Russell)Betty’s Personal Trainer: Kirsten Dillon IMDT A.Dip CBMPublishers Chief Operations Officer: Graham Smith01276 402598 (graham@wearebrandshare.com)Managing Director: Beverley Cuddy 01276 402597 (beverley@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk)Dogs Today is published by Brandshare Ltd, The Old Print House, 62 High Street, Chobham, Surrey GU24 8AA. 01276 402599enquiries@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk www.dogstodaymagazine.co.ukSubscriptionsFor subscription queries call Brandshare on 01276 402599 or email subs@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk. Initial subscription rates:UK & BFPO: 12 issues £46.99, 24 issues £85; Non UK: 12 issues £79.99, 24 issues £145.Direct Debit (UK only): £12.50 for 3 monthsThe editor is always pleased to consider articles and photos from freelancers. However, there is often a considerable delay before material can be assessed. Please include an SAE if you want your work returned. While every care will be taken, no responsibility for loss or damage can be accepted. Competition sponsors and their families are not eligible for any competition.Dogs Today incor porating Perfect Pup is published by Brandshare Ltd, The Old Print House, 62 High Street, Chobham, Surrey GU24 8AA. Tel 01276 402599. Brandshare Ltd reg. office: The Old Print House, 62 High Street, Chobham, Surrey GU24 8AA.Distributed by Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 2nd Floor, 5 Churchill Pl, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU.Tel: 020 3148 3333. www.marketforce.co.ukPrinted by The Manson Group.© 2025 Dogs Today. The world copyright of the editorial matter, both illustrations and text, is strictly reserved. Registered as a newspaper for transmission in the UK.The ethical pet magazine for people who really care about dogsFacebook: Dogs Today@beverleycuddy@Dogs_TodayLIMITEDCover dog: Val, waiting for her forever home at Underdogs Rescue in the USA www.underdogrescuemoab.org Photo by: Kaylee Greer, Dog Breath Photography, dogbreathphoto.comNext issue on sale: 13 March 2025To download Dogs Today for iPad - go to the App store. Android and PC versions are available from Pocket Mags & the Kindle edition from www.amazon.co.ukhome at Underdogs Rescue in the USA Issue 366 Dogs Today3

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4 Dogs Today Issue 366 Dogs Today is a big old family, which continually weaves in and out of so very many people’s lives. Gillian Thornton, our excellent celebrity writer from the 1990s, asked me recently if 35 years was a record for someone editing the same magazine? Well, I didn’t know, so I contacted the British Society of Magazine Editors. I thought they would probably know.They think I’m probably the third longest. Ian Hislop from Private Eye and Vogue’s Anna Wintour have been at it slightly longer! I think they probably love their jobs almost as much as I do!Some may say that not moving on shows a lack of ambition, but it takes a very long time for some projects to come to fruition. For example, this is the 10th year of our Direct Line campaign to deter pet theft. We’re still nowhere near sorting out breed-speciﬁc legislation or puppy farming; I hope we don’t need 35 more years before we get those sorted.LONG MEMORIESDisappointingly, some things just don’t seem to change at all. Almost 10 years ago, we were all very annoyed by women’s magazine Grazia. They ran an article trying to make monetising your pet dogs and cats seem like a cool idea. The writer had glibly bragged that breeding from her pets had enabled her to have Habitat furniture instead of Ikea.The article, and Grazia’s reluctance to apologise, outraged pet lovers, who set about creatively penalising the magazine for this horrid article. To this day, I know some of you still routinely hide Grazia on your supermarket shopping days. Sometimes behind men’s magazines – sometimes by putting them with the ﬁsh ﬁngers!It was a very passionate campaign, and it must have frightened the life out of other editors, as no one had repeated this atrocity – until now!When someone says Woman’s Weekly to me, I used to think of Victoria Wood’s fabulous song about being beaten on the bottom with a copy. But no more. Instead, all I’ll remember are the two horrendously tone-deaf money-making ideas included in one of their January editions. They were so ridiculous, they’d been more appropriate in Viz. Apparently, all you need to become a professional dog walker are leads, poo bags and insurance. But it was the dog-breeding tip that made people’s hair stand on end.I started a Facebook group (Woman’s Weekly Breeding Disgrace), as some of the old Grazia group wanted to roll their sleeves up and get started. I contacted the editor and reminded him of Dis-Grazia and he did seem genuinely horriﬁed at what he’d published – he’s a dog lover himself. He started emailing people to apologise.AWAITING AMENDSVery quickly, there were almost 1,000 people assembled and some had even contacted the board that owned the title; others started approaching their advertisers. Woman’s Weekly had probably never seen anything like it.Will editors be scared enough to not do anything so harmful again? Let’s hope so. I sent the editor a list of 30 or so article ideas that could redress the balance. I think he will try. PBeverley CuddyIllustration by Beverley CuddyDear readersBeverley Cuddy is Dogs Today’s Editor and publisher. She shares her life with Betty, an Old English-Golden Retriever-ish dog from Many Tears, and Honey, a Cocker Spaniel.Go Anywhere, Together.IMPACT TESTED PET CAR SEATSPet Protection ReimaginedWe’ve combined decades of innovative product development, premium craftsmanship, and advanced impact testing to bring you industry-changing pet protection systems that are evaluated against United Nations ECE child restraint safety criteria.MAEVE™ MEDIUM RIGIDDUPREE™ IIPet Car SeatISOFIX Base IncludedCarry-On Pet Car SeatBuilt-In Rigid ISOFIXMAEVE™ SMALL FLEXMAEVE™ SMALL FLEXROSCOE™Pet StrollerPet Car SeatISOFIX Base IncludedAvailable online and in Halfords stores FROM THE MAKERS OF NUNA® | TAVOPETS.COM

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6Dogs Today Issue 36635 YEARS OF AMAZING STORIESThe Greatest AdventureI thought I couldn’t be more excited than I was back in 2014 when Kaylee Greer said yes to doing our Christmas front cover. In my opinion, she’s the greatest living dog photographer in the world. But at New Year, I got even better news: might we like to hear about her latest project? Dogs TodayGOATScould sense Kaylee’s passion and excitement in that email, but I still wasn’t able to visualise what it was she was getting up to. It simply sounded too magical. She just said, “Watch the ﬁlm – that’ll explain it.” When I clicked that ﬁrst 30-minute YouTube episode, I became The Greatest Adventure’s number-one superfan. (And yes, you can buy the T-shirt – they’re great, too!) This show should be streamed 24/7 on Netﬂix, Apple and Amazon Prime. It’s more addictive than The Traitors, more bingeworthy than Rivals, but, best of all, this is a show where everyone wins the jackpot. Kaylee’s not just the greatest photographer – with fantastic hair – she’s a genuine genius for coming up with this.The show’s ﬁrst season is all there, ready to watch on YouTube – free – so go look, go share and go spread the love. No, wait a minute; read this article ﬁrst, please! Kaylee’s Dog Breath Foundation was already on a mission to spread the superpower of her signature photography to shelters, but this show has turbocharged it. Let me try to explain. ROAD TRIPA crazy, talented bunch of people go across America, visiting shelters. And because everyone in the team has their own speciality, you get to see the beauty of the lesser-known bits of the US, as well as getting to know some amazing dogs that, for far too long, have been waiting patiently for a home. The tour bus looks as if it was made for rock stars, but it’s uber practical, meaning Kaylee and co – and her dogs – can travel in style and charge their amazing photographic equipment, editing the shows they make while on the move.At each venue, they pick one hard-to-home dog who might enjoy having an adventure. Filming the dog having this new experience showcases what this animal’s life could become, hopefully leading to the happiest ending of all time: the dog’s potential being seen and them ﬁnding the love of their life.But there’s more – the team also teach the staff and volunteers the tricks of their trade.Kaylee said, “We teach an in-depth educational workshop on the Art of Shelter Dog Photography to each rescue’s staff and volunteers, and then Canon supports the project by donating a professional-level camera body and lens to each shelter, so they can continue the impactful work long after we go.“It’s more sustainable. We’re not just affecting the one special dog that we work with from each shelter, but we’re leaving the tools so the same impact can continue to be made for hundreds and hundreds of dogs to come through those same shelters.“Photography is an incredibly persuasive medium, with a power to give a voice to the voiceless. For many shelter dogs, a single image is their only shot at getting noticed by potential adopters. Together, we can Issue 366 Dogs Today 7 Words BEVERLEY CUDDYI

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8 Dogs Today Issue 366rewrite the endings to their stories. Let’s create a ripple effect, let’s keep it going.”I was interested to see the petfood brand Freshpet sponsoring the project, too. They’re a successful independent producer and were the ﬁrst to market with fresh dog food containing no preservatives – their food goes in the fridge just like our food. A company that literally thinks outside of the box – or the bag! “At Freshpet, we’re all about making a positive impact — helping pets live longer, healthier lives. That’s why we’re thrilled to partner with Kaylee and her team at The Greatest Adventure,” says Nicki Baty, COO of Freshpet. “With so many shelter dogs waiting for a loving home, this initiative is helping make that dream a reality. Every dog deserves a chance, and we’re proud to support Kaylee in spreading the word and change lives.” >“I’ve been head over heels, ‘heart-explodes-into-butterﬂies’ crazy over dogs ever since I was a very little girl. At any age, at any point in my life, if I would see a dog walking by me on the street, I would (and still do) melt down into a puddle of impossible happiness and adoration.”When Kaylee left college, she didn’t yet own her own dog, so she would instead take a long lens with her to the park to practise on other people’s! Next, she volunteered a day a week at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, taking photos of adoptable dogs to post online to help ﬁnd them homes.She told Practical Photographer magazine, “[The photos] weren’t amazing when I ﬁrst started. I wasn’t great. But I felt like I was making a difference. You could be a voice for this dog that had no voice of its own.”After 15 weeks of volunteering, she was ready to leave her day job and pursue dog photography full time.“You’re trying to capture the things these dogs do that bring so much joy into our lives. Trying to freeze that in time so that we can hold on to them forever. My images are a reﬂection of exactly how I feel about dogs when I look at them — the vibrance, the colour, the pure, unadulterated whimsy.”What make Kayle A GOAT?ROCKSTER: THE SUPERFOOD THAT CHANGED ONE DOG’S LIFE – AND COULD CHANGE YOURS TOO!It all started in 2004 on the sun-soaked steps of La Conca del Sogno. While honeymooning near Naples, Zoe and Sven found a frail, abandoned street dog. Emaciated and struggling, he had something special about him. They couldn’t leave him behind. Newly named The Rockster, he became their beloved companion and inspired the world’s ﬁ rst bio-organic superfood for dogs!Rockster isn’t just another pet food – it’s a game-changer. Made with a minimum of 80% ethically sourced, human-grade meat, it contains no an bio cs, growth hormones, chemicals, or pes cides. That means your pup gets only the best-quality protein to support strong muscles and overall health.The proof? The Rockster thrived on this diet, living 21 years and fathering a li er at 18!If you want your dog to thrive, not just survive, Rockster is the way to go. Because every dog deserves the best – this is superfood for life!Each product is packed with powerful bio-organic superfoods like pumpkin, lingonberries, spirulina, and cranberries, providing an oxidants, vitamins, and minerals to support immune func on, diges on, and vitality. Rockster delivers an an oxidant value equivalent to a dog’s ‘ﬁ ve-a-day,’ far surpassing standard pet foods.Natural prebio cs, like fermented Jerusalem ar choke concentrate, nurture the gut microbiome and enhance nutrient absorp on. Thanks to its gentle sous-vide cooking process, Rockster preserves vital nutrients without ar ﬁ cial preserva ves, ensuring every meal is as nutri ous as it is delicious.And transparency? Rockster proudly lists every ingredient – no hidden nas es, just pure goodness.therockster.com

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Cooked food for dogsReal food for dogs using fresh ingredients and cooked with love.Just like you would at home.Every Monty’s Larder meal has been hand-cooked using grass fed West Country beef and lamb, sustainable ﬁ sh and locally sourced fresh vegetables, full of essential, healthy amino and fatty acids, and high in Omega 3.Healthy, complete and balanced, vet developed cooked food for dogs delivered to your door.To get 25% oﬀ your ﬁ rst order, use code ‘welcome25’ at checkoutTo order, go to www.montyslarder.co.uk or call us on 01747 859911Food for dogs. Not dog food.Beef CasseroleBraised grass fed west country beef with potatoes carrots and spinachCottage PieGrass fed west country beef with potatoes mixed vegetables and greensLamb HotpotGrass fed west country lamb with mixed vegetables beetroot and sweet potatoesFish PieSustainably caught white ﬁ sh and salmon with fresh vegetables400G 700G 1KG 400G 700G 1KG 400G 700G 1KG 400G 700G 1KG10 Dogs Today Issue 366Kaylee could play Scarlett... so meet Rhett They’re in Montana at the Flathead County Animal Shelter. A few other dogs were considered, but Rhett’s been waiting six months for love. He almost found it, but that guy lived in an apartment and Rhett – being a hound – really vocalised missing him when he went to work. His adopter cried almost as much at having to sign him back over. Originally, Rhett had been found running around with another dog at an airport, which Kaylee’s partner, Sam, said would only be a good idea if you were playing Grand Theft Auto.Rhett was rather shy at ﬁrst and was a bit spooked by the light. His body language was totally different at the shelter when he was in the cage. But as soon as he jumped into the Dog Breath jeep and put his head out of the car window, it was obvious he was going to be a ﬁlm star.“He’s been in the kennel for six months. Seeing him in the water was just awesome. He started ﬁguring out what he liked and he had a great time. My whole heart started ﬂuttering when his ears started ﬂapping.”Rhett got to go for his ﬁrst ice cream at the end of his ﬁrst big day. He ate it like a proper gentleman, and he was just superb around new people.Flathead Lake was a good call for day two, as Rhett obviously liked getting wet. Kaylee said the water there was crystal clear. Plus, she has a camera that can do underwater shots and they had rainbow-coloured rocks and boats. Rhett chose to pose on the most photogenic log ever and there was his Gone with the Wind movie-star poster moment. Kaylee said, “I’d never imagine a shelter dog could do what he did… just look at him!” >e GREATEST SHOWRhett before his Greatest Adventure“I shoot with a Canon R3 camera body. My favourite and most used lenses are my RF 135mm f/1.8 and my 11-24 mm f/4.0.“All my images are shot on location — never photoshopped or composited. I get this question a lot. I seek out colour, scale and unbelievably vibrant, wide-open skies when searching for shoot locations.”e SCIENCE BIT...

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12 Dogs Today Issue 366Rhett loved the pontoon boat; he was just so chilled out, relaxing and making bonds away from the shelter. And that night, he ate a hot dog around the camp ﬁre. Just bliss.It was hard for the team to take him back. But, spoiler alert, Rhett found his forever home only days later (after six months of no interest). And, best of all, his new owner has a boat, which Rhett loves.Valerie’s Greatest Adventure The amazing Underdogs rescue and rehab shelter in Moab, Utah, must somehow cope with an astonishing 500,000 stray dogs in a catchment area the same size of the whole of West Virginia. Many of their dogs come from the Navajo reservation and consequently the shelter does a lot of spays and neuters – there are only two shelters and a handful of vets to deal with all those dogs.The rehab needs a specialist behaviour expert, as many of the dogs are transitioning from being pretty much feral to being pets. The reservation dogs are unique looking and there are always lots of beautiful puppies looking for homes, too. Many people don’t realise a rescue can be a pup. The Underdogs have long lists of dogs wanting to go to rehab, but they help locals feed the strays while they wait for a space. The team noted that reservation dogs can be a little more aloof and may take a little longer to trust. But Val soon responded to treats and affection. She was the lucky one chosen this time.“I did not expect her to be a 10/10 perfect dog after 497 days in the shelter without a single enquiry to home her.”The scenery for this trip was especially breathtaking and a drive Val before her Greatest AdventureIssue 366 Dogs Today13in a UTV was a spectacular start to Valerie’s Greatest Adventure. She was such an elegant natural poser – her use of her paws was like a trained acting dog! And when she got back in the vehicle, she certainly didn’t look as if she’d never been a pet dog before. “She’s just ﬁ ne with whatever,” said Sam. Valerie literally took everything in her stride. And then there was an amazing sunset and a rainbow and just so much magic – but the light in Valerie’s eyes was probably the brightest. Seeing her asleep and feeling so happy and loved – that was even more beautiful than the sky.MODEL MATERIALDay two was when Valerie leaned into a good bottom scratch and the team discovered her surprising love of canoeing – even after an unscheduled fall out and deep dive. Val was magniﬁ cent – she was just heroic. She had to be our front cover, didn’t she?Val went for an ice cream, too. People stopped and asked questions about her. She kind of chewed on her ice cream, but it was her ﬁ rst time – she might be daintier if she has a second!She’d be the perfect adventure dog. As Amy Winehouse might have sung: “Why don't you come on over, Valerie?” Unbelievably, Val’s still not yet found her home… Kaylee told me: “I genuinely cannot understand how she hasn’t been adopted yet. It’s been over two years that she’s been waiting in the shelter now. She’s the perfect face for the whole cause – getting people to remember that such incredible, beautiful, friendly adventure dogs just like Val wait in shelter cages – not just in America – but all over the world. She’s our poster girl.”Find out more about Val at www.underdogrescuemoab.org PYou should be on the dog’s level, pretty much lying down. Seeing dogs from human level is boring. “When you get down on his direct level, it takes on this new perspective and power. This is how the dog sees the world.” If you think your dog hates the camera, look at your behaviour – are you making it a stressful, confusing and overwhelming experience? “Make camera time the most beautiful, treats-ﬂ ying- out-of-the-heavens experience for them. Always make it positive.” Pay attention to the light. Don’t take photos outside at noon, as overhead light casts crazy shadows. If you’re indoors, always face your dog into the window.Don’t use the ﬂ ash on your camera. “Dogs have something at the back of their eye called the tapetum lucidum. It’s what makes them see so well at night. When you ﬁ re a ﬂ ash at a dog, you can see that shiny blue eye, and you’ll get a demon-looking dog!” Use stinky treats. “Fish-based are really stinky. Basically, you’re just leveraging a dog’s strongest sense.” We all crave that gorgeous, curious little head tilt. “Beyond just using trigger words, use cool sounds — duck calls or a kazoo. We use an app that makes farm animal sounds – that’s a great one.” But don’t overuse it. Squeakers especially, only use very sparingly. All you need is their attention for 1/100th of a second.Kaylee allows two to three hours for an average session and usually spends the ﬁ rst 20 minutes just letting the dog get used to her. “Sometimes it will take me a solid 30 minutes to get a shot off. You can’t get frustrated. Dogs can sense stress.” Nothing goes according to plan, so don’t plan. “Let a dog teach you something. Just live in the moment and enjoy the beauty that’s around you right in that second.” Kaylee whitens the whites and cleans up any stains. “I swear I spend my life photoshopping out eye boogies. I’ll do a high pass sharpening and put that in the whole eye. And that makes it a little bit glossy – wet-looking almost.” Kaylee’s TOP TIPS...GET LOWLEARN POST-PRODUCTIONTOOLSSOUND ADVICEYOU NEED PATIENCE TREAT THEM WELL!LIGHT AND SHADEMAKE IT FUNCheck out www.dogbreathfoundation.orgWatch all the episodes on www.youtube.com/@thedogbreathfoundation

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14 Dogs Today Issue 366 EXPERT ADVICEGetting a new puppy can be overwhelming. There’s so much to teach – but where do you start? The great Dr Ian Dunbar (PhD, BVetMed, MRCVS) is here to hold your hand to ensure you tackle the time-sensitive essentials...URGENT■First few days The most urgent item on any new puppy’s educational agenda in the ﬁrst few days at home is to establish a schedule to teach the pup where to pee and poop, what to chew, when to calm down and stop barking, and, most importantly, to prevent adolescent-onset separation anxiety. ■First four weeks The second most urgent task (in the ﬁrst four weeks) is socialising your puppy with at least 100 unfamiliar people safely at home. (Outdoor shoes remain outside.)IMPORTANT■Bite inhibitionBy far the most important item is to ensure your puppy learns bite inhibition so that if ever provoked to bite people or ﬁght with other dogs, their jaws will cause no injury whatsoever. Dogs learn bite inhibition over the course of several months while playing with other puppies, dogs and their people. I cannot over-emphasise the importance of bite inhibition; when dogs cause injury to people, a behaviour problem becomes a legal problem. ■Unfamiliar peopleThe second most important job is socialising your puppy with unfamiliar people, especially children and men, safely at home, in off-leash puppy classes, and ever after.Whereas resolving adult behaviour and training problems is relatively easy at any time in a dog’s life, socialisation to prevent predictable temperament problems is beyond urgent and important. Dog-dog socialisation can wait. Your pup played 24/7 with their littermates for eight weeks and you have lots to do during their ﬁrst month at home. Puppies will bump-start their play behaviour within minutes of their ﬁrst session of off-leash puppy classes.A GOOD START■Teach basic household manners from the outsetGood habits are just as hard to break as bad ones, and so teach good habits from the outset – during your puppy’s ﬁrst few days at home. Find the answers to your questions about your puppy or dog’s behaviour, training or temperament problems at DunbarAcademy.com — a virtual wonderland of hundreds of hours of reward-based, puppydog training videos. Start by downloading Quick questionNew puppy owners: what’s urgent and what’s important?Photos posed by modelsDo you have a problem you’d like answered by an expert? Or do you want advice from someone with personal experience of the issue? Email your question to enquiries@dogstodaymagazine.co.ukIssue 366 Dogs Today 15 Dr Dunbar’s eBooks for free from https://dunbar.info/freepupbooks for much more detailed video/audio/print how-to information to teach your pup: ■To eliminate on cue so you may choose when and show where, praise and reward your pup, inspect and clean up, and then train and play with your empty pup. ■What to chew by stufﬁng hollow chewtoys with food, so they...■... Learn to settle and shush on cue and enjoy little quiet moments on their own to prevent separation anxiety.One of the books, Doctor Dunbar’s Good Little Dog Book, has numerous sequential photographs illustrating how to lure-reward train puppies: to come, heel, sit, lie down, stand-stay and bang!-stay (supine down-stay for examination). Please share these free e-books with all your doggie friends, relatives, neighbours and work colleagues – across the country, and around the world.■Socialise with oodles of unfamiliar people... right away!For your puppy’s peace of mind, it is essential that they learn to thoroughly enjoy being hugged and petted by all family members, friends and neighbours safely at home, so that, as adults, they do not become stressed when restrained and examined by unfamiliar people (vets, groomers and other strangers) in unfamiliar situations. Carry, cart or drive your puppy and park on a high street or at a shopping centre (do not walk your puppy until four months of age). Let people greet your puppy in your arms, their cart, or through the window of your car. Put up a sign: “Please Pet my Pup!”The only differences between ‘handling and restraint’ and ‘petting and examination’ are your puppy’s perception of the people. Make sure everyone, including your vet, dispenses oodles of food rewards during each play-training-handling session. (Use kibble from your puppy’s daily diet.)Please do not be duped by your puppy’s friendly and conﬁdent – sometimes overly friendly and overly conﬁdent – demeanour with familiar people (and familiar dogs) at home. As puppies grow older, it is a normal and natural development for them to become progressively more anxious, wary, reactive and fearful towards unfamiliar people, unfamiliar dogs, and unfamiliar situations. (It is evolutionary adaptive for wild canid pups and cubs to avoid unfamiliar animals, especially humans, as they emerge from their den.) Socialisation and environmental enrichment, especially prior to 12 weeks of age (but for life), prevent the otherwise normal development of adolescent stress, anxiety, fear and sometimes aggression towards unfamiliar people. It’s as simple as that.For a deep dive into the development of the dog’s brain and behaviour, you may want to explore the free courses for dog owners and pet professionals (breeders, vets, trainers and shelters) at Dunbar Academy.com. ■Off-leash puppy classes at three months Indoor puppy classes are safe, whereas being on the ground in low-vaccination areas, and in potentially infected shelter and veterinary clinic car parks and waiting-room ﬂoors, are not. We have had well over 120,000 puppies in our Sirius classes, with not a single incidence of parvovirus infection from class.Off-leash puppy classes are essential for: ■Puppies to meet and be handled by many more unfamiliar people (other puppies’ families) and to bump-start play, so they learn all-important bite inhibition and social savvy for appropriate interaction with younger and older pups, and how to deal with dogs that may not be similarly socialised.■Owners to learn how to tone down over-the-top play-styles, build conﬁdence in shy and fearful puppies, and master off-leash training from the outset, so they may better control their puppy at home, in parks, and on trails.■Trainers to detect incipient signs of predictable and preventable temperament problems, such as fear and aggression and immediately nip them in the bud.On-leash classes and individual consultations are simply not sufﬁcient and Zoom classes and consultations miss out on the entire puppy socialisation-play-training experience.To take a video-look inside our classes, check out www.SIRIUSpup.comNext month: Time-sensitive information for new adult rescue dogs

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16Dogs Today Issue 366 BEVERLEY WRITES...We moved house last year and while I was super quick at updating the dogs’ microchips, I managed to overlook refreshing their physical tags. Our mobile phone numbers hadn’t changed, but our postcode had.The Control of Dogs Order (1992) requires that “every dog while in a highway or in a place of public resort shall wear a collar with the name and address of the owner inscribed on the collar or on a plate or badge attached to it.”Contravention of the order is an offence against the Animal Health Act 1981, punishable on summary conviction by a ﬁ ne “not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale” (whatever that means!). Theoretically, the ﬁ ne could be as much as £5,000, but it’s hard to ﬁ nd examples of anyone being punished. In 2018, a Cocker Spaniel was picked up without a collar near Sapcote, East Midlands, earning the owner a ﬁ ne of £50, with £50 costs and a £30 victim surcharge for admitting the offence. I am struggling to ﬁ nd more examples.Some people have argued (usually in clickbait press releases for insurance companies!) that if your dog doesn’t wear a collar and only has an ID tag on a harness, then you’re technically breaking the law and could be ﬁ ned. KEEP IT SIMPLERegardless of what the letter of the law is, you need to make it as easy as possible to be reunited with your dog, should they ever go missing. Put as much info on that tag as possible! The harder it is for the ﬁ nder to locate you, the longer they have to fall in love with your dog and be tempted to keep them, imagining they are ‘rescuing’ your dog from a bad owner. Theft by ﬁ nding is a massive problem.I bought Betty’s previous tags from a lovely Etsy store, but couldn’t remember the name of it. Even after 10 years of wear, Betty’s was still looking lovely and all the information was still readable.I must be easily distracted by pretty things, as this time I ordered our girls very pretty tags, but I could only see the fronts in the store. When the tags arrived, the backs were illegible – they were pretty but useless. I fed back this key information to the seller, who quickly refunded me.I then asked my Facebook friends for their recommendations and soon learned that dog tags have improved in the last 10 years!Quick questionWhat’s new in dog ID tags?READERS’ ADVISEMarilyn Anne EvillI always use www.identitag.co.uk as they machine-print on both sides, meaning they are much more readable. They come quickly too – in about two days.Mary SpencerI’ve always use identitag too. I get the plastic ones. I ﬁ nd the lettering doesn’t wear out. They last forever. I only get new ones when I fancy a colour change. A dip in bleach once in a while brings the white lettering up like new and you can ﬁ t three contact numbers.Jacqui BakerI always use identitag too, as they are functional and very clear, even the small ones – plus they last for ages.Rita LankesterMy dogs’ ID are brass. I’ve had them 25 years and they are still very clear. I have ‘Vet fees guaranteed’ inscribed on them, just in case.Allison JonesWe’ve just got one from PS Pet Tags. The engraving is excellent and stands out well on a white background: pspettags.comCarole MortonPets at Home tags are OK. l have some and they are still clearly readable.Issue 366 Dogs Today17Kosh Blackﬁ reCheck out this lady. Her tags last and there is a lot of choice: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/WagATudeTagsCaroline KeyTags from www.indigocollartags.com sleeve on to the collar, so they never get lost.Penel MalbyIndigo tags last forever and there’s no dangly, annoying noise either.Matt WhiteI use Indigo collar tags; they can’t come off if the collar stays on.Anna BrownI like Indigo tags, as they ﬁ t on the actual collar, not on a ring, so are harder to lose. >Welcome toDignipetsMonthlySee you next month!It can be hard to anticipate or experiencethe loss of a pet. This month, we will besharing experiences and tips aboutsupporting yourself and others on thisjourney.Looking after yourself and your petSelfcare is just as important as pet carewhen dealing with end of life in your pet.Our first tip would be to include andinform loved ones. Everyone who caresfor you and your pet can possibly help,not only by giving you a break but also tostimulate your pet with a different set ofcuddles.It is best to break the isolation of caringfor a terminal pet as early in the processas possible and to include others in yourworries and concerns.Introducing one of ourfounders...My name is Maja Redfern.As a Hospice Vet and dogowner I know how muchmemories matter.Our team at Dignipetsprovides hospice andvet visits for a peacefulpassing so you can letyour pet go with dignity.See younext month-MajaListening without offering solutions can bedifficult but helpful. Try to allow this timeto be about their pet loss, putting asideyour personal experiences.Accept that their way of grieving might bedifferent from yours. Other ways tosupport a friend are referring them to petloss organisations. Volunteering to helpcan also be very rewarding, especially ifyour friend or loved one is elderly. Theknowledge that their pet will be cared forby you in case something happensto them can help preventanxiety.Scan the QR code forpet loss resources andsupport.Looking after othersWelcometoDignipetsMonthlyItcanbehardtoanticipateorexperiencethelossofapet.Thismonth,wewillbesharingexperiencesandtipsaboutsupportingyourselfandothersonthisjourney.LookingafteryourselfandyourpetSelfcareisjustasimportantaspetcarewhendealingwithendoflifeinyourpet.Ourfirsttipwouldbetoincludeandinformlovedones.Everyonewhocaresforyouandyourpetcanpossiblyhelp,notonlybygivingyouabreakbutalsotostimulateyourpetwithadifferentsetofcuddles.Itisbesttobreaktheisolationofcaringforaterminalpetasearlyintheprocessaspossibleandtoincludeothersinyourworriesandconcerns.Seeeeyoyyuoonennxeetxxmommnootnnhtt-MaMMjaaajjListeningwithoutofferingsolutionscanbedifficultbuthelpful.Trytoallowthistimetobeabouttheirpetloss,puttingasideyourpersonalexperiences.Acceptthattheirwayofgrievingmightbedifferentfromyours.Otherwaystosupportafriendarereferringthemtopetlossorganisations.Volunteeringtohelpcanalsobeveryrewarding,especiallyifyourfriendorlovedoneiselderly.TheknowledgethattheirpetwillbecaredforbyyouincasesomethinghappenstoSSSShSSemcanhelppreventanSSxSSiSSeeeteeeeeeeeyee.ScnnannneennnntxxhxxttxxxxettQmmRmmcooooonnoooodnnettfhhohhrpetMMMMMMsMMrjjejjsjjourcesandsuppMMoMMrMMtMMaaMMMM.LookingafterothersIntroducingonefounders...MynameisMajaAsaHospiceVeownerIknowhomemoriesmatteOurteamatDignprovideshospicevetvisitsforapepassingsoyoucyourpetgowithSeeyounextmonth!ADVERTORIALTess Eagle SwanBest not to put a dog’s name on – just yours, the house number, postcode and phone.Su BrownI never put my dogs’ names on their tags.Darren DavidsonI still hear people not to put your dog’s name on a tag, but if they can read your dog’s tag - they’ve got the dog already!Hilary BackhouseOur Dylan would answer to anything if there was a treat involved!

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18 Dogs Today Issue 366 Jill TravisWe use Red Dingo. Even on the small tag, you can get the house number, postcode and two mobile numbers. They are great, as they don’t get as caught. Trouble is, they are that durable, I’ve got 20-year-old ones from my ﬁrst dogs and where we moved house. Any suggestions on how to destroy an old tag when they are that durable?Karen BurdettI’ve got Red Dingo too and ﬁnd them brilliant.Tess Eagle SwanCheck out the plastic tags made for sheep. They are lightweight and last forever. So cheap, too.Rachel BrownI love tenyeartags.co.uk. They’ve replaced my tags every time I’ve lost one and they’re really clear to read.Joanne JohnsMine have these after I saw them at Crufts. Flexitags from www.tagiffany.co.uk. Still going strong and very readable, several years in – and saved my little dog when she spooked and ran a couple of years ago!Caley PageFlexitags are good. Mandy WilsonI use sensible Flexitags!Mary ReidFlexitags.Dill the Springer SpanielFlexitags are brilliant!Sue McCaffertyDoggieSolutions do good ones or Engraving Studios. I use agility tags now rather than discs.Quick questionLinda WardI’ve got Polypet tags, which have lasted for so long, I’m really pleased. They are great for little dogs, as I can put all the info on. Someone did try to fail me on a Good Citizen test, though, because she couldn’t read it without her glasses! Gill HamiltonI’d want clearer text, too. We recently found a lost dog on a main road and stopped the car. The dog had a collar on, but wouldn’t come to us. We knocked on doors and the owner appeared after a few minutes. If we’d got hold of the dog, we would have wanted to phone the owner straight away, so make sure you’ve got a phone number on the tag.Nickiy JonesI’m pretty conﬁdent with dogs, but I wouldn’t fancy getting that close to an unknown dog.Sam BradleyI prefer collars with the ID info on nice and large. When they’re out walking, lots of people won’t have their reading glasses! My dogs, and any boarding dogs with me, usually have an ID tag on as well. I just buy them from Temu very cheaply.Sylvia GeekieMine wear embroidered collars.WHAT DID WE GO FOR IN THE END?I chose a small and large Flexitag from www.tagiffany.co.uk.I liked that it is a tag that doesn’t dangle – so there’s no risk of them banging and wearing out the number, or catching it on something and it pinging off without you noticing. Flexitags have an innovative way of attaching. They use a very strong elastic material, which you stretch while you thread it over all the bumpy bits of your dog’s collar. Not having any ﬁddly split-rings to break your ﬁngernails on is a real plus point too! With these, you can easily swap the tags over when you change collars – although they are so affordable, you could just buy several in different colours. You can also easily switch between a holiday tag and your regular one.Ten years ago, this option didn’t seem to be around, so I am very glad I asked!VISIT THEINSURANCEEMPORIUM.CO.UK/DT99call 03300 243 980 today!Lifestyle Policy Limited is an appointed representative of The Equine and Livestock Insurance Company Limited. The Insurance Emporium ® is a trading name of The Equine and Livestock Insurance Company Limited (registered in England and Wales no: 294940) which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority no: 202748.Insurance for your dogs, cats, horses and more with our wide range of policiesYOUR EXTENDED FAMILY. INSURED.PROTECT YOUR BEST FRIENDSPROMO CODE: WOOF99Offer ends 31/12/2025 and is not available in conjunction with any other promo code. The Promo Code Discount is available from the start of the policy until its rst review/renewal date.SPECIAL5% OFF PET INSURANCE

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20 Dogs Today Issue 366 EXPERT ADVICEAnimal Friends Pet Insurance have teamed up with Dr Sam Webster, director of clinical operations at Joii Pet Care, to answer...THE BENEFITS OF FEEDING YOUR DOG A VEGAN DIET■It can help with weight lossDr Webster says, “Vegan dog food is typically lower in calories and fat. Provided that their meals are made using lean and easily digestible ingredients, and they are getting all of the nutrients they need, vegan dog food can be a great option for dogs who have trouble maintaining a healthy weight. It is still important that they meet their daily requirements though, which will vary depending on their size, breed and age.” ■Better poos Dr Webster explains, “Feeding your dog more veggies means they’ll be getting more ﬁbre in their diet, and that means more toilet trips in the garden. The increase in ﬁbre can contribute towards a healthier digestive tract, so your pooch will be less likely to experience constipation and smelly stools.”■Environmental beneﬁtsDr Webster says, “In the same way that humans eating a vegan diet can beneﬁt the environment, dogs eating a vegan diet can too. In fact, switching your dog to a vegan diet can help conserve natural resources that are often used up by some livestock farming methods.”THE CONS OF FEEDING YOUR DOG A VEGAN DIET■There’s a lot of research involvedDr Webster explains, “For pet parents who are considering switching their pets to meat-free meals, there will be a lot to learn before doing so. A dog’s diet needs to include a number of different vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin E and B12, as well as iron, calcium, iodine and a high intake of protein, and adequate amounts will vary.”■It’s more time-consumingDr Webster expands, “Depending on the advice from your vet, feeding your dog a vegan diet can take longer to facilitate. This is because there’s often a lot more preparation time involved to ensure your dog is getting everything they need from their meals, and therefore you should only make this decision if you are able to dedicate the time required.”■They might miss out on key nutrientsDr Webster ﬁnishes, “Dogs don’t tend to consume – and chew – their food in the same way that humans do. This means that some popular vegan alternatives, like chickpeas or lentils, will be swallowed whole and won’t get broken down and absorbed, resulting in your pet not receiving the nutrients and nourishment they need, which can cause a whole host of problems.” PQuick questionWhat are the pros and cons of a vegan diet?Photo posed by a modelWATCH FOR SIGNSFor pet parents that choose to move their dog on to a diet free of animal produce, it is important that a veterinary nutritionist is consulted ﬁrst, to ensure that your dog remains healthy.It’s also important to know the signs to look out for that show that your dog might not be responding well to a vegan diet. In the ﬁrst instance, you might notice negative changes to their bowel habits, for example a runnier consistency or mucus appearing in their stool. Another telltale sign will be in their coat. Dogs require a variety of vitamins to keep their skin and fur healthy and without them, they may experience irritation or infections.Noticeable changes in their mood, lethargy, or an overall lack of energy can also be a sign of malnutrition and should be taken seriously. Like humans, a dog’s gut biome plays a role in how they’re going to feel, so if their gut is affected, their mood and energy will be too.SCAN FOR DISCOUNT TICKETSUSE CODE:londonpetshowlive.comDeadline 31 MarchDOGS15Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly‘The Dogfather’Graeme Hall TV VetsThe Yorkshire Vet Dr Peter Wright & ITV This Morning’s Dr Scott MillerEARLY BIRD TICKETS 15%DISCOUNTStand enquires: sales@eliteevents.liveFOLLOW USUK’S BIGGEST UK’S BIGGEST PET SHOWPET SHOW

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22 Dogs Today Issue 366 EXPERT ADVICEWoof’s head trainer, Jamie Popper, explains...Training your dog is one of the best investments you can make in your relationship. While dogs bring us unconditional love, companionship and loyalty, their problem behaviours can sometimes stir up trouble. Setting a New Year’s resolution to train your dog more frequently is an admirable goal! To help you succeed, I’m sharing my top tips for making dog training simple, seamless and enjoyable for both you and your pup.■Start with a goalIt’s much easier to stay consistent with training when you have a goal to work towards. This will also help you decide what skills you want to work on. Consider aiming for the Kennel Club’s Good Citizen scheme awards. This programme provides structured levels of achievement, from basic obedience to advanced skills, making it a great motivator for both you and your dog.■Daily habitsConsistency is key. One effective strategy is to pair a short training session with an existing habit. For example, keep a jar of treats next to your coffee pot. While your coffee brews, spend ﬁve minutes practising skills your dog already knows, such as ‘sit’ or ‘down’. It’s amazing how much progress you can make in just a few minutes a day.■Make reinforcement easyDogs learn quickly when they’re rewarded for correct behaviours, so make it simple to reinforce them. Place small stations of treats around the house — in the living room, the kitchen, or by the front door. This way, whenever you have an extra few minutes, you can grab a handful of treats and practise some skills. For example, if your dog struggles with coming when called, use those moments to reinforce recall.■Life rewards Life rewards are natural motivators that your dog already values, such as access to the back garden, an invitation on to the couch, or meal times. Use these opportunities to build good manners. For instance, ask your dog to sit before opening the door to the garden, or ask him to perform a couple of tricks before placing his food bowl on the ﬂoor. These moments are easy to integrate and teach your dog that good behaviour leads to good things.■Tools to streamline trainingIf you’re working on teaching your dog loose-lead walking, a treat pouch is an essential tool. It not only holds treats and other dog-walking necessities but also frees up your hands, making it easier to reward your pup on the spot.Every dog should be trained to relax in a crate, as it can make grooming and vet visits much less stressful. A long-lasting enrichment toy can play a key role in helping your pup build positive associations with the crate. I personally love the Pupsicle because it encourages licking, a natural self-soothing behaviour in dogs.Remember, training is as much about connecting with your dog as it is about teaching skills. Start small, be consistent, and celebrate your progress — you and your dog are a team, and every step forward is a win! PQuick questionNew Year’s resolution – to train more! Photo posed by models2024-10-18_ADSPDCONPSuperDog takes our 50 years of award-winning nutritional expertise even further– all the innovation and careful, effective formulation you’d expect from Vitabiotics, now available for your special companion.From vitality to healthy joints and bones, SuperDog formulations provide optimum levels of micro-nutrientsto safeguard the diet of your furriest family member.Proud supporter of Battersea, caring fordogs and cats since 1860From , Amazon, Ocado, and Vitabiotics.com– all the innovation Joints & Bones60 Chewable TabletsHealth & Vitality60 Chewable Tablets*Nielsen GB ScanTrack Total Coverage Value & Unit Retail Sales 52 w/e 7/9/24. To verify contact Vitabiotics Ltd, 1 Apsley Way, London, NW2 7HF. Vitabiotics Ltd will donate 35p + VAT from the sale of each SuperDog product to Battersea Dogs’ Home Limited which donates its profits to Battersea Dogs’ & Cats’ Home (registered charity number: 206394). Stockists may vary.

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24Dogs Today Issue 366Iwas tagged in a Facebook post, and I’ll admit I did a double take. The three canine faces looking up at me were just far too realistic to eat. Surely, this had to be AI; no one could really create pupcakes that looked this good?Amy Hirst started off making her hyper-realistic cakes for friends and family, but when people saw how she could replicate almost anything in delicious fondant, it soon became a thriving business.She’s been asked to produce an inﬁ nite and mind-boggling variety of objects. Is her spookily accurate Greggs sausage roll in a bag superior to her mini box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts? How about a full English? Words BEVERLEY CUDDYHer of the dog cakesUnlike her namesake Damien, artist Amy Hirst uses cake not formaldehyde! Amy’s dog cupcakes are almost too good to eat – lots of people freeze her work so they will last forever! Amy’s talent means she goes viral all the time. Photos of her work enthral people all around the world via social media. But currently, the only way you can get an Amy Hirst original is to visit her shop in Skelmersdale, Lancashire. Amy just doesn’t trust the post not to squish them. But distance hasn’t put people off travelling hundreds of miles to collect her amazing creations.Amy says she won’t ever take on commissions recreating people’s vehicles or men’s faces, as they’re just too difﬁcult and time-consuming, but she never says no to making dogs!Amy’s just so talented in capturing individual likenesses. Many customers have risked their dog having a crafty lick by photographing them next to their cake likeness!I asked Amy if there were any dogs she hasn’t attempted yet. She struggled to think of any. LOOK-A-LICKY“I don’t think I’ve been asked to do a Basset Hound or a Bernese Mountain Dog yet.” And there are some breeds she did at the beginning of her career that she’d like to recreate, as she’s getting more and more realistic likenesses all the time. Her own best friend is Blue the Beagle – a breed she’s often recreated in cake.I was surprised she’d not yet been asked to make any cakes for ﬁlm launches. Can you imagine all the Isle of Dogs characters having been made in cake form? What’s next for Amy? She’s already been on TV – she loved it and is obviously a natural. “I would love to have my own range of Amy Bakes equipment to help aspiring artists reach their goals in fondant and sugar art. I’ve also had a dream of publishing my own book with tutorials on how to create all my toppers.”I think we’ll all be seeing more of Amy in the future. If you can’t wait for the TV show, the book and the merchandise that will deﬁnitely follow, you can see her amazing posts here: https://www.facebook.com/AmyBakesUkInsta: amyscupcakesxIf you do commission Amy to make a likeness of your dog, please tag me! I want to see them!Issue 366 Dogs Today 25

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Pete Wicks ﬁrst came to fame on The Only Way is Essex, which I never watched. Over the years, I would notice Pete at every animal award show I got invited to. He was always talking to the dogs, not the other reality TV stars, so he kind of stood out.Pete’s career probably turned around with his surprise bromance with King of the Jungle Sam Thompson from Made in Chelsea.In March 2024, Pete and Sam started up a production company called Staying Relevant – the same name as their self-deprecating weekly podcast that focuses on their quest for fame and fortune. On the podcast, Pete pitched his idea for a new doggie TV series and Sam encouraged him to sign up for a reality show that was out of his comfort zone. Pete had never even watched Strictly Come Dancing.“While I was putting on my dancing shoes for Strictly Come Dancing – and there’s a sentence I never thought I’d say – my mum looked after my two rescued French Bulldogs, Eric and Peggy, who has one eye. As much as I missed them, they adore my mum, and I knew they’d be spoilt rotten. She even sat them in front of the TV to show them my ‘dad dancing’. To be honest, I was always more likely to get a 10 off my dogs than Craig Revel Horwood!”I was eager to check out Pete’s new TV show, but it took a bit of ﬁnding, being hidden away on a hard-to-ﬁnd streaming channel I’d never heard of, but the viewing ﬁgures have still been very healthy. YOURS DROOLYThinkBox (the marketing body for commercial TV) revealed that in the ﬁrst week, Pete’s show attracted 240,000 viewers – and this more than doubled the next week when an astonishing 500,000 people had managed to track down Channel U! I ended up binge watching all 26 Dogs Today Issue 366TV turn-ons Pete Wicks has wowed the nation with his dancing (and his pink PVC trousers...) and now he’s winning over dog lovers with his own new series. Will it make the list of the best dog progs from the last 35 years? Words BEVERLEY CUDDYfour of Pete’s hour-long episodes in an evening, which surprised me. It certainly wasn’t because of a mould-breaking format. It’s mainly set at Dogs Trust Basildon’s branch – but what the public seem to be reacting to is Pete’s obvious delight in meeting the dogs. Whether it’s a Pug with terrible breath or a scared, cropped Dobermann that’s spent most of her life stuck in quarantine, you can see Pete’s almost drooling. You can’t fake that; he’s a proper, genuine dog person.Pete said, “I’ve wanted to do a show like this for about 10 years now. If I had to do this every day and nothing else, I’d be over the moon!”Pete has loved animals ever since he was a kid and says he prefers them to people because he feels they live in the moment.DREAM JOB“All they want is love and loyalty, and that’s exactly what they give you back. They don’t care what you look like, they don’t care where you’ve been, or how your day has been – they just make you happy.“I would much rather be around animals, speciﬁ cally dogs, than I would people. If we could be more like dogs and less like humans, that would be much better,” he explains. “This show is a real passion project for me!”As well as Basildon, Pete visits Dogs Trust in west London’s Hareﬁ eld, Leeds and Ballymena in Northern Ireland. “My passion – or should I say obsession – with rescue dogs began when I was 10. After years of me pestering my mum, she ﬁ nally gave in, and we provided Arnie with a home. Our bond was instantaneous – I had a best friend overnight and he found love, trust and consistency with me. We navigated life together.“In 2016, I rescued Eric from the Dogs Trust centre in Basildon. Lisa the manager found Eric for me, so to ﬁ lm her incredible work all these years later is so special. >Issue 366 Dogs Today27

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28Dogs Today Issue 366< “It’s estimated that there are around 100,000 dogs in UK rescue centres. But only one in ﬁ ve people who get a dog get a rescue. I hope this series encourages more people to see dog rescue as a viable option. Even the dogs in the most wonderful centres, with the very best teams (all absolute unsung heroes in my eyes), need a home of their own.SOB STORIES“Filming the series was a privilege, but also emotionally difﬁ cult. I don’t mind saying that. I cried several times. It’s heartbreaking when you witness a dog arrive after a bad start in life; you can see the sadness in their eyes. But with care, their personality begins to emerge. It can be a long process to get older dogs who have suffered years of abuse to trust again, but it’s rewarding and beautiful when it happens.“It’s a common misconception that rescue dogs and puppies have more problems than those from breeders. Of course, difﬁ culties can arise, but the reality is all dogs have a story and pattern of behaviour. Puppies from a bad breeder can have many issues, including severe medical problems that need urgent veterinary care and sometimes even lead to death.“We also have a massive problem with social media fuelling a desire for ‘designer’ breeds, craved as fashion statements. The reality of looking after them is rather different. As I’ve written about in my book, For the Love of Frenchies, seeing dogs as ‘must-have’ accessories instead of living, breathing, beautiful animals has increased the epidemic of greedy, cruel breeders. The parents are often badly treated and discarded like rubbish when their breeding life is over.“This is something I’ve spent a decade trying to raise awareness about, as well as volunteering – I’ve even helped to rescue dogs from meat farms in South Korea. But I hope this series draws more attention to the problems on our doorstep.“We’re a nation of dog lovers – there are around 12 million of them in the UK. But not everyone should have a dog. It’s a massive responsibility. If you can enrich a dog’s life and give them what they need, then do it. If you have any doubt about your ability to do that, don’t. As much as we want every dog to be rehomed, just one negative experience is the minute they go back 10 steps and further trauma is created. What they all deserve is commitment, stability and love.”Inevitably, everyone online was saying Pete must immediately take over from Alison Hammond on Paul O’Grady’s ITV show, but it’s unlikely. Pete’s show was made by BBC Studios, even if it did end up on a minority channel. And Pete’s a Dogs Trust ambassador; would he defect to Battersea? Should he?FORCE FOR GOODI don’t think he should attempt to ﬁ ll Paul O’Grady’s big shoes, I think he’s more than capable of walking his own way and that could end up being much more rewarding. What I’d like to see is Pete getting a chance to present a show that sees him coming out of the shelter and exploring why so many dogs end up in rescue. He’s shown everyone he’s a natural TV presenter – he should team up with some brilliant researchers and try to change the dog world. Instead of mimicking existing tired formats for TV shows, give him the budget to create something fresh.There were moments in this short series where I was itching to know more. How did that huge litter of Irish Doodles end up in rescue? Why did the Dogs Trust vet jump to the conclusion that the weird issues they were all having with their legs were due to raw feeding and parasites? I wanted to know more, and I was a bit worried that it may have left viewers thinking raw feeding generally was irresponsible. But that’s not a criticism of Pete; we just need to give him more time and the budget to create lots of binge-worthy telly! PAll episodes are downloadable on U: https://u.co.uk/shows/pete-wicks-for-dogs-sake/watch-onlineAs I’ve written about in my book, For the Love of Frenchies, seeing dogs as ‘must-have’ accessories instead of living, breathing, beautiful animals has increased the epidemic of greedy, cruel breedersYou can give a greyhound a life after You can give a greyhound a life after racing and the forever home they deserve.racing and the forever home they deserve.CHARITY NUMBERS: 269668 & SC044047There is a greyhound close to you looking for a home with you, to ﬁnd out more visit www.greyhoundtrust.org.ukIf you can’t home a greyhound, please consider donating or shopping with us at www.greyhoundtruststore.comThere’s no place like homePlease give a greyhound a place to call home. Don’t delay, call us today.You can give a greyhound a life after racing and the forever home they deserve.

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Growing up, there were fewer channels, but we always had the Blue Peter dogs, Cruftson the BBC, and That’s Life had the terrier who allegedly said sausages. Barbara Woodhouse was the ﬁ rst TV trainer I remember. This bossy posh lady in tweed, humiliating incompetent pet owners, was TV gold and when I ﬁ rst got the chance to meet her at a dog show, I was more than a little star struck. I was a teenager with a beautiful Beardie pup called Misty when she picked us out of the crowd to demonstrate her gold-coloured chunky choke chains. Misty was so shocked at suddenly wearing a choke and having it pulled, she decided to play dead, lying ﬂ at in the middle of the arena, looking like a sheepskin rug. Barbara quickly switched to using her sickly-sweet voice, realising Misty was making her look bad. Misty was so relieved, she jumped head height to lick Barbara’s face... which made nasty Barbara reappear and the choke chain was pulled again. Misty once more played dead. The crowd watched open mouthed as this repeated a few times until Barbara angrily threw the lead back to me, pronouncing that, “Your dog obviously has mental issues.”HEROES AND VILLAINSYoung me realised what we see on TV isn’t always the full story. Dr Ian Dunbar restored my conﬁ dence by taking over Barbara’s prime-time slot and it was Victoria Stilwell on Channel 4 who led most of the nation next. But we’ve also had Cesar Millan and, most recently, the Prat in the Cravat, so evolution on TV isn’t totally linear.Channel 4 had the brilliant Pet Rescue that ran at teatime for years without incident. The RSPCA had their moment with Animal Hospital.It’s hard to believe it was Rolf Harris at the helm – he was almost a saint back then. And then Supervet Noel became the sector’s version of a rock star, doing stadium tours. There were even a few game shows, such as Dale Winton’s Pets Win Prizes, and I remember being a guest on a weird pet panel 30Dogs Today Issue 366Pick a programmeWhat was the greatest ever doggie TV show? In our 35th year, we’d like to ask you to choose!Issue 366 Dogs Today 31 show with Peter Purves as the host. Britain’s Got Talent was a gateway to many dogs becoming superstars.Of course, there were landmark documentaries. I remember one from the 1970s that followed Crufts exhibitors and showed them at home. The excellent Modern Times looked at the eccentric dog show people too, in an unscripted rival to the ﬁlm Best in Show. Jemima Harrison’s Pedigree Dogs Exposed was like a bomb going off in people’s sitting rooms. The ripple effect of that show continues.MISSING PAULIn recent times, the series that got the most love and accolades was Paul O’Grady’s For the Love of Dogs on ITV. The show quickly became a ratings sensation and scooped National Television Awards in the Factual Entertainment category in 2013, 2014, 2019 and 2023, with Paul receiving the Special Recognition award in 2018. Paul was just so funny and warm – he obviously loved doing the show. It was always an easy watch.Would that loyal audience ever accept anyone else or was Alison Hammond just a very odd choice? I met Alison quite early in her presenting career, when I was in the green room of This Morning. There was an adorable little puppy that everyone was cooing over, everyone apart from Alison. She told me she didn’t really get people’s obsession with dogs. Alison addressed the backlash to her appointment in a magazine interview, stating, “I was actually surprised with how much [criticism] I got for doing the show. I could understand in the sense that Paul was so loved, and people were saying: ‘How can she do Love of Dogs when she doesn’t have a dog? How does she love dogs when she doesn’t have a dog?’ It’s like saying: ‘How can you love children when you haven’t got kids?”Alison said, “If you don’t want to watch it, don’t watch it.”But ITV seem to have accepted the inevitable dip in ratings – pretty much half what Paul was bringing in at the show’s height – she’s back for a 2025 season. PJemima Harrison’s Pedigree Dogs Exposed was like a bomb going off in people’s sitting rooms. The ripple effect of that show continuesWords BEVERLEY CUDDYFor our 35th year, we want to know what’s been the greatest dog TV show of all time. Tell us what programme you’d nominate and why: www.surveymonkey.com/r/DogTV – and also tell us which were the worst!

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32Dogs Today Issue 366Ialways get excited when Mums and Dad take my lovely comfy bed out to the car – where are we going? I gave Amber Cat a goodbye lick and jumped into the back. To be honest, I don’t like travelling in the car very much, it makes me a bit stressy, but Dad has hung a calming thing in the back that makes me feel a lot better – a bit sleepy and deﬁ nitely not as anxious.After a couple of wee stops and drinks from my own special bowl, Mums told me, “We’re here at The Stables, Whitby.” “Stables?” I thought, “I don’t want to share with those big, hoofy horses!” But I didn’t have to. It turns out that The Stables is something called a hotel and I’ve never been in one of those before.In the bedroom, there was a giant window and I spotted lots of grass and loads of dogs running about. I barked at Mums to tell her that I wanted to go down and join them, and because Mums always knows what I mean, off we went.There was a big pond with ducks and a silly moorhen and loads of grass – as big as a ﬁ eld. I went over to bum-sniff a friendly white Labradoodle whose name was Monty and we had a lovely run around. Back in the room, Dad spread my cuddly rug over the bed – which was eeeeeenormous. There was plenty of room for all of us to have a three-way cuddle before sleepy time. I’m ashamed to admit that I needed a 4am wee and poo – “Probably because you’re eating so many different things rather than your usual food,” Mums said kindly as she made Dad get dressed to take me downstairs. I felt better, though, because Monty was also out in the garden needing a 4am poo.BANGING BANGERSDown in the big room for breakfast the next morning, there were loads of doggies under tables while Mums and Dads had delicious-smelling food. And then we went to Whitby Abbey. It’s a sort of decrepit, falling-down old place with loads of grass and lots of new dog friends wandering around. Mums went to the loo and Dad took me into the gents with him. It was smelly, but I’m not allowed to stay outside on my own in case a bad person wants to Roving RolloWords JANET CLEAVESOur intrepid terrier reviewer heads to The Stables in Whitby for some quality time with his Mums and Dad...ABOUT ROLLORollo is nine years old. His mum was Vanessa, a Westie, and his dad was Charlie, a Lakeland, so he’s a Westlake Terrier. He mainly has Lakeland traits in that he’s very talkative, but he has a Westie type body with Lakeland legs and tail. Issue 366 Dogs Today33take me. But we had a lovely time at the abbey and Dads bought some craft beers from a nearby shop that he said was for Christmas. Really? Back at the hotel, Mums showed me the range of dog foods and treats for sale in the bar. Upstairs, somebody had left me a pot of ‘sleepy bones’ with chamomile and valerian root in them and I’m supposed to have some before I go to sleep. Did they work? I don’t know, cos I’m a pretty good sleeper anyway, but they tasted nice. But my favourite treat was Bark Bangers, which are mini chicken sausages. I snafﬂ ed quite a few of them from a nice waitress while Mums wasn’t looking. BEACH LIFEThe following day we went to Robin Hood’s Bay. Well, all I can say is that it’s a good thing I have four legs because it’s such a steep hill down to the beach. How Mums managed to walk down all those steps with a broken ankle, I don’t know. We stopped off at a secondhand bookshop halfway down, but I wasn’t allowed in. The ‘taking money’ lady said that a family came in with two dogs the other day, and the dogs had a poo in the shop! Their naughty mum didn’t tell anybody and a little boy trod in it – and now dogs aren’t allowed inside. So Dad and I sat outside and had an ice cream while Mums bought even more books. Robin Hood’s Bay is lovely – lots of beach and water and rock pools, and it’s great for running around. I made even more friends, and had another ice-cream.It was such a steep climb back up to the car park that even my four legs were tired and I needed a big drink. Mums found it very difﬁ cult and Dad suggested tying a rope round her waist and heaving her up – she was laughing so much that we had to stop for a long rest. He did pull her up a bit, though, but just with his hands. After another lovely night on the big bed, and a brilliant breakfast – the lovely waitress sneaked me a going-away present of Bark Bangers – it was back in the car to go home. I was so pleased to settle down in my basket along with my new blue squeaky. At home, Amber Cat was on the window ledge, waiting to say hello. After we had a nuzzle, I went out to explore my garden. Everything was OK. Dad brought my bed in and I was home. PABOUT THE STABLES The Stables (part of the Inn Group) has recently been refurbished and Rollo was invited to try out all the facilities. As well as the bedrooms, dogs are allowed in the bar and dining rooms. The hotel was full when Rollo was there and there were about 20 doggie families enjoying a stay.Rollo rating:

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34 Dogs Today Issue 366 carlet is my beautiful red Toy Poodle,” Sinitta explained. “She is very much one of the family and we all love her to bits. My family means everything to me and that includes Scarlet. She is so much more than simply our pet dog.”Sinitta was brought up in the music industry, but family and dog always come ﬁrst. She is certainly no diva, her mother made sure of that.“My mum, Miquel Brown, was a popular soul and disco singer back in the day – well, the 1970s and 80s. She took me most places with her, so I was backstage at discos and clubs, and that was like home to me. When I was sent to boarding school, I was like a ﬁsh out of water. I didn’t like it, but I settled into the ways of boarding school and the education was very good for me. I have done similar for my own children. They too have enjoyed coming to shows and on some tours with me, not as many as they would have liked probably, but they have still come to know both worlds – and so has Scarlet.”Scarlet is not at all a pampered pooch. Sinitta said, “She is part of the family, part of the gang.“She goes with me as much as possible and has her special place in the dressing room. When anyone comes to visit, she assumes that they are visiting her and she insists on getting some fuss. Nobody can resist her, so she never gets ignored. I must say that she is always well behaved, though.Now That’s What I Call Love! Sinitta has been one of our most popular queens of pop. But there is another glamorous queen in the household, who also loves being the centre of attention... Poodle ScarletWords BERNARD BALE“SIssue 366 Dogs Today 35 “To be honest, she is well behaved wherever she goes. She is a prim walker and never wants to take off in her own direction. If we are in company, she is quite regal and would never dream of letting anyone down, especially herself.”Sinitta’s career continues to keep her busy with a great variety of concerts, theatre shows and television.“I have had a good work ethic since I was very young,” she said. “That’s also probably something that came from my mother. In the music business, it is all about self-expression, so as well as getting paid to work, you get to really give to your audiences and build a great relationship with them. I think that is important for them, but something that beneﬁts all of us as well. There is a great ‘feel-good’ about giving.”NEVER GONNA GIVE HER UPIn her work on X-Factor, she has always been kind and encouraging, possibly why Simon Cowell wanted her on the panel.“Simon was my manager when I ﬁrst started getting hits, so we have been friends for a long time,” she explained. “I was thrilled to be able to take part in X-Factor because it gave me the chance to help others on their own journey. It is tough enough to stand up in a club or a pub and sing to others, but knowing that you are being judged by established people on a panel, hundreds in the studio and millions at home – that takes a lot of courage. I would never want to be the one who shoots them down in ﬂames for trying, so I’d try to ﬁnd the good points and highlight them. Which of us is perfect? Not me, so why should I ruin someone else’s career?”Scarlet also enjoys being told how lovely she is.“I often tell her what a good, beautiful dog she is and she never seems to get embarrassed,” said Sinitta. “She enjoys the fuss and attention and being complimented. Actually, she is good and she is lovely, so we don’t just play to her ego, we really mean it.”Sinitta is always busy and is currently one of the stars of Now That’s What I Call A Musical, a new British musical written by award-winning comedian Pippa Evans and directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood.“It’s great,” enthused Sinitta. “It is about two school friends who, in 1989, based their lives around the music of the day and pop quizzes. Now it is 2009 and they are going to the school reunion, which they are not looking forward to. Everyone else looks so much older, but at least the music is good. No, the music is great and there they are, kind of, back in 1989 and still wanting a kiss from Rick Astley. It’s great fun and, of course, has great music.”Does Scarlet approve?RHYTHMICAL TAIL“Of course, Scarlet likes all kinds of music and reacts well when it is playing at home, which is most of the time. She always looks very happy when there is music playing and we are all dancing around a bit. She doesn’t dance much, but her tail picks out a great beat.”How does Scarlet cope when Sinitta is working away from home? “As long as she has all her needs met, Scarlet is very happy,” Sinitta revealed. “Dogs seem to be very adaptable. She likes to be with familiar people, but she also likes the sounds and smells of being somewhere different. She is just a gem, great to have around.Now That’s What I Call A Dog!” P“Scarlet is part of the family, part of the gang. She goes with me as much as possible and has her special place in the dressing room. When anyone comes to visit, she assumes that they are visiting her and she insists on getting some fuss. Nobody can resist her, so she never gets ignored. I must say that she is always well behaved, though”Photos © Instagram @thesinittaofﬁcial

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36Dogs Today Issue 366ine Ridge came about when my late husband Bernard came home one evening and switched on the television to watch the news. They were interviewing the council and dignitaries in Slough, where they had introduced a new by-law. It was the ﬁ rst town in the country, in October 1958, banning unleashed dogs from the roads. If there was any dog anywhere without an owner, they picked it up and took it to their pound. “Bernard was horriﬁ ed when he heard that if the dog was not claimed, it would be put to sleep after seven days. He tried to get the by-law revoked, but that was a waste of time. He ﬁ nally decided to approach the police and the council to ask if the dogs were not claimed, could he pick them up? They agreed to that, but he had to pay for them. They would charge a shilling (5p) a day per dog for their food. So, he used to go, when he ﬁ nished work and at the weekends, with one of the kennel staff, and they would pick up dogs left there because they would have been put to sleep.FARM MOVE“That went on, and people got to hear about the work he was doing to save these dogs. He started getting phone calls from everywhere. At that time, he had a property on the outskirts of Bracknell with a couple of acres, but that came under compulsory purchase in 1959, so he had to look for more suitable premises. Then Pine Ridge Farm in Ascot became available. It was ideal, with its nine acres. He bought it and moved in. From there on, the number of dogs coming into the sanctuary just grew. “Bernard would not refuse any dog and we ended up with nearly 70 to 80 per cent of totally unhomeable dogs because they were biters, ﬁ ghters or Pine Ridge Dog Sanctuary in Ascot, Berkshire, has been going for over 60 years. Here, Connie Cuff, principal and widow of the founder, the late Bernard Cuff, tells us how it all started from watching a TV report...Words RICHARD HILLSanctuary from the news “PBernard Cuff, tells us how it all started from watching a TV report...Top: Bernard Cuff with some of the strays he saved. Above: Connie in the 1960s with three-legged dogs.unpredictable and people weren’t interested in them. And again, he wouldn’t have anything put to sleep. They just lived their life out at Pine Ridge. “In the early 80s, he concluded that we could no longer continue to take everybody’s problem dogs, and now would only accept dogs that were friendly and homeable. They had to be friendly dogs. But some dogs, unfortunately, through no fault of their own, stay with us longer than one would expect. Eventually, the right home comes along for them, and off they go. And that is very rewarding.SPANISH STRAYS“It’s easy to ﬁnd homes for little dogs and very friendly, outgoing dogs, but not quite so much for bigger dogs nowadays, so we just have to bide our time and wait for the right home to come along for them. And here we are today, 66 years on, and still saving strays and unwanted dogs. It can be anything from a dozen dogs to 35. Our limit now by the council is 75, but we keep sensible numbers.“Generally, a lot of our homes are repeat homes, where people have had dogs from us and they’ve lost them a few years later, and they come back. Through recommendations, we get a lot of nice homes. We have had doggies that have been homed in Norfolk and Cornwall. We love when people come back, because we know their previous dog has had a wonderful life. “We started taking dogs from Spain around 15 years ago. That came about when gradually, with the local dogs we were taking, the numbers dropped in our own areas. We had to think about how we were going to help dogs. We had some friends who live in Spain and, again, the plight out there is the same. The Mediterranean countries do not believe in spaying, so the bitches just produce pups every six months and are allowed to roam, and their shelters are overﬂowing. So, we said yes. We’ve got the space and potential. The main thing is to ensure that they are friendly, homeable dogs.“They’re not all ‘street’ dogs, as you get in Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria. In these places, they’re mostly street dogs, and they are much more difﬁcult. With the dogs from Spain, they’re generally nice-natured and friendly. And so that’s how we came to get involved with Spain. It’s a two-day drive, and they all come over with pet passports. Everything is done there by our colleagues in Spain. They do the chipping, the vaccinating, the worming, the neutering, and they must raise all the funds to do that. So, we do our bit by paying for all their transport to get them here. Otherwise, they couldn’t do it, and it would be quite costly if we had to do the whole payout for each dog. It generally will work out anything up to £600 per dog to have everything done and with the transport. But, at the end of the day, ﬁnding them happy, secure homes is what we want for them.“Our colleagues in Spain have the contacts, and they will go and see the dogs; if they think it’s a suitable dog for us, they will send us photographs, and if we like what we see, yes, we’ll take that. It’s hard to say no, because they all want homes.“The transporters come from Spain, so they must be completely qualiﬁed. There’s a heck of a lot of paperwork and customs forms that they must go through now and, since Brexit, it has made it much more difﬁcult and much more expensive to supply the transport and do everything. And this is why they’re coming over in small batches. When we started, we would have a van load of 10 or 12 come over. But now we’re lucky if we get six spaces per trip. FERRY WELCOME“They drive down through Spain and then pick up the boat. They usually come into Kent at Dover, so then they have to drive, but it depends on where they’re delivering. They deliver all over the country. They could have a dog that’s got to go to Scotland or Cornwall. They will have other people’s dogs on board and must drive and deliver the dog to them. And that, of course, is why it makes it quite expensive, but they do give us a reduced rate to bring the doggies to us, being a charity, which we’re grateful for.“It costs a signiﬁcant sum to run Pine Ridge for a year. Generally, it would be around about the £60,000-£70,000 mark. It’s a lot of money to raise. But we do get a lot of support from people who have been involved with Pine Ridge from the beginning, and the odd legacy, of course, which helps tremendously.” PPINE RIDGE DOG SANCTUARYWe are open seven days a week, but all visits are by appointment only as we do not operate a “walk-around” option because we believe that an interview process helps determine the right companion for you by assessing your circumstances and the type of dog you are looking for. It also helps prevent disturbance to our neighbours in keeping noise to a minimum due to our residential setting.To ﬁnd out more, visit https://pineridgedogsanctuary.org.uk, email pineridgedogs@yahoo.co.uk or call 01344 882689Issue 366 Dogs Today 37

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38 Dogs Today Issue 366 Run by the Kennel Club, the four-day event will see over 200 breeds competing for the coveted title of Best in Show, with the exciting ﬁnale on Sunday evening. Also taking place on the Sunday is the ﬁnale of the Kennel Club Hero Dog Award, which recognises unsung canine heroes, while, on Saturday, the nation’s favourite crossbreed will be awarded in the Scruffts ﬁnal.Elsewhere around the show, various canine activities – such as agility, heelwork to music, ﬂyball, and a full programme in the obedience ring – will be held across all four days. For those visitors feeling inspired, the Dog Activities area will be running demonstrations and explaining how to get started in these activities. For younger visitors, the Young Kennel Club, for those aged six to 24 years, will have a dedicated ring to show you can get started on your Crufts journey at any age!Throughout the show, visitors will be able to meet hundreds of different breeds in the Discover Dogs area, while stands and areas offer an opportunity to learn more about other Kennel Club activities, including work that is done into canine health. Kennel Club breed rescue organisations will be showcasing their hard work and successes in rehoming pedigree dogs on the Kennel Club stand, where visitors can ﬁnd out about those looking for their forever home.Dog lovers at Crufts can also enjoy the ultimate shopping experience with stands selling all sorts of doggie delights, including dog food, toys and beds, as well as outdoor clothing and other equipment.Tickets for Crufts, run by the largest organisation dedicated to the health and welfare of dogs, the Kennel Club, are available to buy online via the event’s website – crufts.org.uk – or, to be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets, simply answer the following question:Which breed has won Best in Show the most?a. Afghan Houndb. Cocker Spanielc. Border CollieTo enter, email your answer to: comps@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk or post to: Crufts tickets, Dogs Today, The Old Print House, 62 High Street, Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8AA, to arrive by Friday 21 February 2025. Include your email address as the code to redeem your ticket will be sent by email.Crufts, the world’s greatest celebration of dogs, is returning to the NEC in Birmingham, from 6-9 March, and we have four pairs of tickets to be wonT&Cs• Tickets are valid for any one day of Crufts between 6 and 9 March 2025. • This ticket does not include access to Best in Show or any separately ticketed events.• Prize includes 2x general admission tickets - no travel, expenses or accommodation is provided.• Winners will be picked at random and notiﬁed via email by Weds 26 February 2025. • Contact information will be supplied to the Kennel Club, who will send digital codes to redeem your winning tickets via email. By entering the promotion, the entrant agrees to the terms of the privacy policy https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/policies/privacy-policy/ • The prize is for four pairs of general admission tickets, so there will be four winners.• There are no cash alternatives or substitutions, and the prize is not transferable.Win Crufts tickets!Show time!Viking, an Australian Shepherd, winner of Best in Show at Crufts 2024. Photo © Sophia Hutchinson/The Kennel ClubThursday 6 March: Hound and Terrier groups Friday 7 March: Toy and Utility groups Saturday 8 March: Gundog group Sunday 9 March: Pastoral and Working groups, and Best in ShowOur doggy CUTOUTSare easy to order, set up, and use. All you need to do is send us one of the many cute pictures we’re sure you have saved on your phone, and we’ll do the rest...cutoutme.co.ukcutoutme.co.ukTel: 01777 861443 | Email: help@cutoutme.com The possibili es are endless! Perfect for weddings, par es, and day-to-day life.With interna onal shipping to pre y much everywhere in the world, our reach – and yours are limitless!pictures we’re phone, and we’ll Canine Canine CARDBOARD CUTOUTS CARDBOARD CUTOUTS create smiles!create smiles! All our standees come with an a ached rear strut to allow them to be free-standing. Not only do our CUTOUTS make great photo opportuni es and talking points, they can provide calm and comfort in  mes of sadness and make the ULTIMATE gi ...

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orking with dogs, you must be OK with it, because you see it more often than most.”“It can’t affect you as much, because you have so many dogs.” “You must have seen death so many times now over the years, that you are desensitised from it now.” These comments are said to me often. And, my God, this is not the case! I think I feel it more than most. When you have rescued, saved, fostered, adopted, rehabilitated, nursed and so much more, giving so much time, effort, love and care, you want them to live more than anyone could ever know. After all, why would we do it otherwise? I do what I do because dogs are my world. I make a strong connection with them, especially when they are lost and asking for someone to care for them, someone they can trust. A deep and massive bond is formed. Rescue dogs know they have been rescued and saved. And when going through rehabilitation, they have to put so much trust into you, the bond runs even deeper, particularly because, in so many cases – but not Jet’s – it’s a human’s hand that has put them in this position to need rehabilitation. The sudden loss of our special boy Jet has broken me. His passing was so unexpected. He’d had a run in his temporary wheels before bedtime and everything was normal. Off to sleep he went, but never woke up! Finding his little body so still in the early hours of the morning, when I was on my own, was so upsetting. I had gone to check on Sally, who had taken a fall earlier that day. This wasn’t uncommon for her, as she only had her two front legs. She still moved around as if she had all four, so fast and with so much conﬁ dence usually. Jet often slept next to Sally, as he did this particular evening. He was always excited to see me, but there was no movement from him. My heart sank. He was gone, my special boy was gone. He passed in his sleep and will have known nothing about it, thankfully. He just looked all curled up, comfortable, cosy and fast asleep. My poor boy. Nature’s unpredictability shocked me so much. Jet didn’t even get to run in his ﬁ nal set of wheels. He had his own number plate to go on them for Christmas. He wasn’t to see any of it. It was meant to be a good Christmas, our ﬁ rst with the barn ﬁ nished (well, almost) and now my boy was gone! Such a dark shadow had been cast. I’m a heavily emotional person and I really don’t cope well with death – who does? My dogs are my family, my everything. All of my animals over the last 20 or so years that have passed lay to rest here at the farm with me. We are a sanctuary and this means their journeys ends here with me. But the previous owners had asked for him to be cremated. (His cremation was kindly given to us by www.dignitypetcrem.co.uk) A young boy had sadly lost his mum 18 months previous, and then his dog became paralysed and was handed to us in rescue. The poor boy had experienced so much loss within a year and a half, and so we honoured his wishes. In recent years, I had taken some therapy and healing, as I had struggled with the need to put a dog down a couple of years back for behavioural problems. I felt I had let this dog down, as I had never put a dog down for behavioural issues before, only for end-of-life pain and suffering. This dog had killed another dog – and had started to eat her. I was traumatised by this and still feel so affected and triggered by death. The whole incident was very hard to deal with. Both of their bodies rest in peace here at the farm and I have learnt from the lessons they sent me. DOUBLE TRAGEDYA ceremony, an honouring, a ritual, or a sacred circle pay respect to a life. A few words, a moment’s silence or reﬂ ection, a prayer, a song or a chant... we all do it differently. Allowing Jet to leave me for cremation was a big step and little did I know we were going to be waiting for his return (a small amount of ashes) so he could be buried alongside his sister, Sally, whom we heartbreakingly lost on Christmas Day late in the evening. This was the ﬁ nal knock. My brave two-legged girl was now gone too. I was just broken. Jet and Sally had a funny relationship. They would playﬁ ght together, two paralysed dogs on the back end, snapping around like alligators, play mouthing. This will be my fondest memory of both of them. They are laid to rest with their favourite toy. While trying to ride the waves of emotion I was experiencing, I decided to take a course in pet bereavement. Words NIKI ROEJourney’s endJet was doing so well in his recovery, “W40Dogs Today Issue 366but died unexpectedly, leaving his devoted carer in complete shock Christmas is always a quiet time for me, and the grief was echoing so loud, I decided to do this course to help me. But, in time, once I’ve held space for myself, I hope to help others. Pet loss can be a silent grief, as so many people don’t understand the depth of pain. It can be brushed off – “It’s just a pet” – which makes the whole situation more difﬁ cult to come to terms with. When pain isn’t acknowledged, it can deepen the despair. Recently, I bumped into Tracey, a friend of mine, who is a vet nurse at Shinﬁ eld Road Vets, a practice I have used for many years now. Tracey told me of the service they offer when dealing with euthanasia. I have always had such empathy from vets and nurses. The service they offer is so greatly needed. Scarlet, our rescue’s head vet, is always a great source of comfort to me. Many people think vets are not affected by death. But working closely with vets and nurses, particularly on our very taxing neutering campaigns, I have witnessed great emotions when losing a precious life. Nobody wants to lose a life; we are there to save them. But as saving them is not always possible, honouring them is! Being a creative person, this for me means ﬂ owers, candles, feathers and mandalas. Mandalas hold a great deal of symbolism. They are spiritual guidance tool, for focusing attention, in establishing a sacred space. A mandala is a symbol of the universe in its ideal form, and its creation signiﬁ es the transformation of a universe of suffering into one of joy – for me, the transformation of life to death. In Sanskrit, the word ‘mandala’ means universe circle, and I’m returning their bodies to mother earth, the universe’s full circle. When laying them to rest here, I now have somewhere to go and sit peacefully and remember them. In better weather, we will also plant a tree to remember them both. In between losing Jet and Sally, we had the arrival of the cabins, graciously donated to us by BAM People - BAM Site Solutions supported by Flannery Plant Hire and David Watson Transport. We can’t thank them enough. It honestly feels like we’ve won the lottery! We’re blown away by this donation to us; it has caused great excitement and happiness, in between so much sadness. These cabins are going to be our physiotherapy room, grooming room, vet rooms and so much more. The cabins are Jet’s legacy – and what an amazing legacy he is leaving behind. We are just so sad he never got to use the physiotherapy room he helped provide for us. We have framed his articles in Dogs Today magazine, so that his story will be told within the cabin walls. Jet, you will never be forgotten. Your legacy lives on. I’m so glad you came into my life, if only for a short time. It’s deﬁ nitely better to have loved and lost you than never to have loved you at all. Go be happy with your sister, Sally. May your paralysed little bodies run pain-free over that that bridge together. PIssue 366 Dogs Today41CAN YOU HELP? One of the biggest bills in rescue at Jack’s Giant Journey is food. If you would like to contribute, they would be very grateful. Jack’s Giant Journey Sort code: 309950 Account: 29292460www.jacksgiantjourney.com/homeChristmas is always a quiet time for me, and the grief Taking a course in pet bereavement and honouring Jet and Sally’s lives with mandalas, ﬂ owers and candles has helped Niki to look forward to a happier new year, using the newly donated cabins for the beneﬁ t of other dogs at the rescue, which will become Jet’s lasting legacy.circle, and I’m returning their bodies to mother earth, the universe’s full circle. When laying them to rest here, I now have somewhere to go and sit peacefully and remember them. In better weather, we

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42 Dogs Today Issue 366Spare the rod and teach your dog!Comparing children to pets is rarely helpful, especially when it comes to the thorny issue of ‘discipline’Words GEORGE VAN HUYSSTEENPhoto by Tim Rose (www.timrosephotography.co.uk)Some people have been asking about how to ‘discipline’ their dogs. One person recently shared that she believes in disciplining her dogs using traditional methods because she thinks it’s effective for children. She feels that the lack of discipline in children is contributing to the state of the world today, and she intends to continue disciplining her dog when he doesn’t listen. She advocates for maintaining a ﬁrm hand when training her dog.How can a person respond to that? This question prompted me to write this article. First, let me explain why comparing a dog to a child is not a valid and sensible way of thinking without using anthropomorphism. Comparing a dog to a child is like comparing a lemon to the moon. They are completely different, but let’s put that aside for now. Next, consider the reasons why children get punished. I am not referring to abused children, but rather, children in general. At school, they may get punished for not completing homework. At home, parents spend years teaching and nurturing a child. Once the child fully understands what is expected of them, they may face punishment for deliberate disobedience, failure to do chores or complete homework. There may be various reasons for punishment, but it only comes after the child has learned what is expected and then deliberately disobeyed their parent. It’s important to note that physical punishment, such as hitting or spanking, has been proven to have a signiﬁcantly negative impact on a child’s mental and emotional well-being, and I will not delve deeper into that in this article.Let’s examine why dogs get punished. They are often punished for behaviours that their owners don’t approve of, such as barking, digging, jumping, begging, running, pulling on a leash, growling, biting and chewing. These are all normal dog behaviours. So, the question I always ask is: have you taught the dog not to do these things? Have you made an effort to prevent your dog from barking, such as teaching him to bark on cue or providing him with another activity when he’s likely to bark? Often, we don’t want to put in the effort to train our dogs, so punishment is seen as a ‘quick ﬁx’. Now, let’s consider a two-year-old child. What would happen if I gave the child a complex maths problem without any explanation? Would the child be able to solve it? Now, think about it. If you gave the same maths problem to a child who has never studied maths and punished them every time they got it wrong, do you think such a child would ever like maths? Would they even learn to solve it? Most importantly, would it be fair to the child? Similarly, when we bring a puppy home, they don’t know the rules of our household. They need our guidance to adjust and ﬁt in. We need to teach them appropriate behaviours, just as we would with children. Every time we teach a dog a new behaviour, it’s like giving them a new problem to solve. They won’t get it right without being taught how to solve it. Once the dog understands, we have a trained dog. Just like with children, the more they learn, the easier it becomes. Unlike children, however, dogs don’t have the advanced cognitive ability to be spiteful or deliberate. GOLD STARSWhen your child does well in school or on an assignment, they receive praise or sometimes even a present from their parents. However, our dogs often get nothing for behaving well. This creates a problem because our kids are constantly rewarded for good behaviour, which reinforces their drive to please us and do better. But when our dogs behave well, they are usually ignored. If you ignore your child’s efforts, they may stop trying to achieve good grades or do their chores, and you might resort to threatening them with punishment. Similarly, if we don’t acknowledge our dogs’ good behaviour, they may not learn what is expected of them.Dogs are not human and should not be treated as such. However, the Issue 366 Dogs Today 43 GEORGE VAN HUYSSTEENDipCABT (Coape), CAPBT Practitioner, MHERA qualiﬁedGeorge van Huyssteen has been a dedicated professional in obedience and agility training since 1998. He began his formal studies in 2015, earning his ﬁrst behaviour and training diploma from Pet Sense College in 2016. In 2017, he joined the Dunbar Top Dog Academy, and by 2019 he had completed his Coape Diploma in Animal Behaviour. In 2021, George furthered his expertise with the MHERA qualiﬁcation.Committed to giving back to the community, George collaborates with local shelters, assessing dogs and providing lectures and training for staff. George is a full-time member of the Coape International team where he marks diplomas and tutors various courses. Additionally, George presents the Dog Training Add-On course for Coape International, sharing his extensive knowledge and experience with aspiring trainers.MEET THE PRACTITIONERS...

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44 Dogs Today Issue 366way they learn is quite similar to the way we do. For example, we learn by making associations between things (classical conditioning), and we learn that actions have consequences, either good or bad (operant conditioning). Behaviours we enjoy or that get rewarded will be repeated, and it is the same with our dogs. So, why not reward our dogs for all those perfectly appropriate behaviours we usually ignore instead of always punishing them for what they are doing ‘wrong’? Many behavioural problems will vanish just by starting to reward our dogs when they do something we really approve of, just like with a child. Why resort to all sorts of devices to ‘teach’ our dogs? Dog training has come a long way since the 1990s, thanks to people like Dr Ian Dunbar. We now have many great ways to teach dogs using positive methods. Why stick to old, outdated, damaging ways of training that might break down the bond we should have with our dogs? Is education still the problem? Maybe ignorance? Dogs are pets and part of our families and should be treated with respect and understanding. There is a wealth of information out there regarding science-based training methods. “I did not know” should not be an excuse in this day and age. Punishment creates fear, and some dogs can handle this better than others. Some dogs might revert to even worse behaviours, while other dogs might totally shut down.ROOT CAUSESPunishment-based training systems focus on stopping problem behaviours rather than addressing the root cause of the issue. For example, if a dog barks and lunges at other dogs while on a walk, many owners immediately ask how to stop the barking. However, a better question to ask is why the dog is barking in the ﬁrst place. Is the dog fearful or over-excited? Understanding the underlying cause can lead to more effective solutions. Understanding the root cause of a behaviour is essential for creating an effective training plan Photo posed by modelsWe now have many great ways to teach dogs using positive methods. Why stick to old, outdated, damaging ways of training that might break down the bond we should have with our dogs?MuckyPup?Shop grooming essentials for your poochHANDMADE DOG TREATS - MADE WITH THE FINEST INGREDIENTSSince its establishment in 2009, Poochʼs Treats has been a labour of love driven by our unwavering commitment to excellence. We take immense pride in handcrafting each treat using locally sourced, premium ingredients to ensure the highest quality.

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46 Dogs Today Issue 366to reduce or remove that behaviour permanently. Simply punishing your dog for barking at other dogs may silence him temporarily, but it doesn’t address his underlying feelings and won’t help him learn to cope with his fear or frustration. This means the behaviour may come back even stronger in the future. Suppressing a behaviour is not the same as changing it.OFFER ALTERNATIVESWhen dogs are punished, they may stop a speciﬁc behaviour temporarily to avoid punishment. Still, they do not receive any guidance on what better behaviour would be to replace the ‘bad’ behaviour. As a result, the dog is likely to eventually go back to the unwanted behaviour or come up with another unwanted behaviour. For example, many dogs like to jump up to greet their owners when they come home. Yelling at the dog to get off or trying to knee him when he jumps might temporarily stop the behaviour, but it does not communicate how you would like to be greeted instead. Additionally, the dog may have been reinforced for jumping on you because he received attention (which is what he wanted), making him more likely to try it again the next time you come home.CLEAR EXPECTATIONSTo help your dog understand how to behave in different situations, it’s essential to demonstrate what you want. One effective way to do this is by asking for speciﬁc behaviours and rewarding the ones you like. Instead of punishing your dog for jumping, try asking him to “sit” as soon as you come in the door. Once he does, reward him with a treat and a calm greeting. If you consistently follow this routine, your dog will learn that sitting is the best way to greet you, and he may even do it without being asked. This approach works because your expectations are clear, and your dog realises he will be rewarded when he behaves well. No punishment is necessary! Let’s do what is best for our dogs. PPhoto posed by a modelInstead of punishing your dog for jumping, try asking him to “sit”. Once he does, reward him with a treat and a calm greeting100% natural chews & treats, sourced sustainably, in the UK and Europe.Deluxe artisan confectionery for dogs and Shampoo Soaps made with goat’s milk, neem and especially picked aromatherapy oils.Artisan deluxe confectionery chocolate for your dog to celebrate gotcha days, birthdays, seasonal festive occasions or simply just because!Made by hand from healthy and safe ingredients that your dog will love. As well as carob, maple syrup, peanut butter and coconut oil, we aim to titillate the taste buds by using various vegetables for diverse ﬂavours and colouring. They come in many shapes and sizes: hearts, ﬂowers and leaves, buttons, stars, doughnuts, seasonal shapes and even dinosaurs – just for fun!www.dogdancing.orgdogdancingltd@gmail.com07535 176 317BESPOKE CRATES, TAILGATE GUARDS & DOG GUARDSBarjo Dog Crates and Vehicle guards are hand-made here in the UK by our team of highly skilled engineers from the point of order to dispatch. All of the materials we use are the very best available on the market which helps make us stand out from the rest. We take the  me to ensure that every item we produce has the quality and ﬁ nish that makes our customers come back to us  me and  me again. With over 50 years experience we are rated excellent on Trustpilot.www.barjo.co.ukemail: info@barjo.co.uk phone: 01189 890240Help CAGED NATIONWIDE to entirely phase it out. We welcome you to join us at the March for the Murdered Million to be held in London in 2026. Follow our Facebook page and website to ﬁ nd more details coming soon. www.CAGEDNW.co.ukwww.facebook.com/cagednwYou can support our work with a donation: www.paypal.me/cagednwPrevious March for the Murdered Million on the 90 year anniversary of British Greyhound racing MARCH FOR THE MURDERED MILLION2026UK Greyhound racing began at Belle Vue Stadium in Manchester, England on July 24th 1926; there were once over 200 licensed Greyhound race tracks in the UK with 33 in the city of London alone, but now less than 19 remain in England and Wales, with none in Scotland. So why the steep decline? It’s a dying industry that depends on cruelty to Greyhounds!100 year anniversary of Greyhound racing cruelty

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48 Dogs Today Issue 366 Moira Doig✓I think it is fair that the rescue should be informed unless it is a clinical emergency. In reality, there are so many situations that make this difﬁcult. We really want the very best for dogs that are adopted from us, and if that means bringing them back in, so be it. The truth is, people let you down, so we need to ensure that pups are not passed around. Many pups end up in the wrong family for hundreds of reasons. If that happens, we will always take them back, deal with the issue, and try again. If we don’t make that very clear, owners could have them euthanised for minor issues. Everyone – and every animal – deserves a second chance!Sam Bradley✗I’ve only ever had rescue dogs, and if there were any dual ownership, I wouldn’t adopt. Rescues need licensing. In legal terms, they are just a shopfront selling a product — which is an animal. Animal welfare and other statutory law regarding dogs are separate. Anyone can set up a ‘rescue’. It doesn’t have to be a company or a charity; it’s a business, usually with a dedicated aim. Some will have executives and company cars, and some will be on a shoestring, so to speak.My understanding with Mr Bones is that it was a clinical requirement when his condition worsened. Now, a local authority can step in here, enforcing the Animal Welfare Act. They can, I understand, overrule an owner’s decision or request to do so. Not sure what timeline they might have to follow legally, though. I believe there will be papers served, but they enforce that law. So surely, regardless of ownership disputes, if it’s a very poorly dog, the LA animal warden can step in?While it might have made case history, surely that is dependent on the details in the contract (known as the adoption agreement). Usually, it’s only noted that if you can no longer provide for the dog, it should be returned (as opposed to dual ownership). However, I’m Great DebateIf you have an opinion on this subject that is not already covered here, putting ‘Great Debate’ in the subject line. Please limit your response to surprised at how much money these people had for legal costs. A second problem that could arise from dual ownership is who can be pursued for non-payment of bills incurred by that dog (such as vet or kennel fees). Also, when obtaining an insurance quote, the owner wouldn’t actually be the full owner, so how would that stand? No, it’s not going to work. So, in reverse, an owner who the dog lives with could run up £10k in vet bills, not pay, and then a vet could pursue the ‘other’ owner. That would very quickly wipe out some rescues’ funds.Linda Ward✗Absolutely, I would not have a dog from a rescue on those terms. How can they know what’s best for a dog they haven’t seen for potentially a decade or more? How would the rescue know that I chose to let Beauty go because her personality had completely changed in her last six months due to pain when they wouldn’t know what her personality was like because they hadn’t seen her for 10 years? No, I won’t ask anyone for permission.I really hope these rescues are making their terms available to read before people even think about looking for a dog with them. How can they even prioritise owners calling up after rehoming so many dogs a year, for years? Dogs Trust rehomed 10,000 dogs in 2023. Can you imagine everyone having to call up before making that decision for their pet? Rescues are often too busy to answer the phone, and if they use kennels, they often close halfway through the afternoon anyway.Have they thought this through? Unless it’s an emergency, you need permission? Either they are ﬁnding good homes and can trust owners to make the best decisions, or they are not. And if not, why not?In light of the recent case of Mr Bones (issue 365), do you think it is fair that if you adopt a rescue dog, there might be a clause in the contract that forbids you from putting the dog to sleep without the charity’s consent – unless it is a clinical emergency?Photo posed by a modelIssue 366 Dogs Today49Sharon Hough✗Yet breeders are often told contracts are not worth the paper they’re written on, as a sales contract is just that. Quite a few horse charities state it is a lifetime loan rather than adoption, to give a distinction. In my opinion, it has given more power to backyard breeders and puppy farms, as they will not dispute the difference between sale, adoption or loan. If I see this written into a rescue contract, I will not entertain having the dog.It worries me that we now have rescues saying, “You pay all the bills and care, but we still have involvement in big decisions.” Some horse rescues do not allow you to move yards without informing the charity — now that, to me, is a ‘loan’.This latest issue will make me read the adoption papers carefully and withdraw from an adoption, choosing to look for reputable breeders instead. The general public will not understand the differentiation and will still sign. Yes, the vet will get caught in the middle unless all euthanasia cases are classed as a clinical emergency, including welfare cases, old age, and chronic illnesses where quality of life is deteriorating. Catch-22. Again, it’s about wording.Jan Bowkett-Jones?It’s a double-edged sword for both breeders and rescues. Most of my dogs have come from rescues that have a ‘return’ clause in the contract if I’m unable to keep them for any reason — two have high-grade heart murmurs and have cost me £10k between them. If I relinquished them back to the rescue (hell would freeze over ﬁ rst!), they would simply put them back up for adoption and make more money from them.A good friend bought a Bulldog, having done all the relevant checks regarding the breeder. At vaccination, a heart murmur was detected. She contacted the breeder, who said, “Bring it back, and I’ll let you have another one.” She knew he’d have the dog put to sleep, so she opted to keep him. At two years of age, he’s cost her £16k. The Kennel Club has been alerted to the defect, but no action has been taken.If the rescue was willing to take Mr Bones back and give him the chance of surgery and a decent life, it should have been allowed the chance. As the adopters had already said the dog was going to be PTS unless it was a clinical emergency, they and the vets should have waited until the outcome of the legal review. The vet practice needs to be transparent.I think most adopters and rescues are sensible enough to accept that older dogs will eventually need to be PTS, and rescues would be foolish to insist that permission is sought under those circumstances.Having had over 50 dogs, only a handful have passed away at home. In situations where there’s no immediate threat to life (in this case, euthanasia had been pre-booked, as evidenced by the two-week-long protests), I believe any organisation that offers rescue back-up should be given the opportunity to seek a second opinion from a specialist.Jo Flanders✗I won’t have a rescue dog on those terms. Either I am the owner, responsible for his health, well-being, and vet bills, and he lives with me, or the rescue is, and the dog stays in their kennels.Lisa Towning✗I would not adopt a dog under those terms. As the owner, I know my dogs better than anyone and do not need a total stranger (bar a qualiﬁ ed vet) to tell me what is right for my dog. And let’s not forget that there are some rescues out there who believe that all dogs should be saved no matter the cost — and by cost, I don’t mean in pounds and pence. Sometimes, it is simply not the right thing to put a suffering animal through painful procedures and keep them alive when they have little quality of life.Lisa Towning✗Of course, they should be informed as a matter of courtesy, but if a rescue does not trust a rehomer to do right by their dog at the end of their life, then they should not be letting that person adopt a dog in the ﬁ rst place. Surely, they must trust their rehoming procedure and home checks to be robust enough to ensure their dogs are only adopted by responsible people (yes, I know that, sadly, some do slip through the net). Pe, email enquiries@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk o 100 words.NEXT MONTH’S TOPIC: Now Lepto 2 has been discontinued by Nobivac, is it time to remove lepto from core status, so pet owners can choose whether or not to have it?Email editorial@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk with your thoughts, putting ‘Great Debate’ in the subject line or write to ‘Great Debate’, Dogs Today, The Old Print House, 62 High Street, Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8AANo Yes MaybeThis month’s result74%13%13%

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50Dogs Today Issue 366 (No, not that type of goat!)We’re starting off with an invention we ﬁ rst saw on Dragon’s Den – a genius contraption that can be added to almost any door or opening to make opening doors less stressful! We recently moved to a house that has a front door that opens straight on to the pavement. The ﬁ rst thing we installed before we unpacked all the boxes was a Dog-G8. And every day I use it.One lucky subscriber (UK only, sorry) will be picked at random to win one of these literal life-savers. But everyone who emails in will get a very special offer should you want to add one to your home, your caravan, your van... there are so many places where these barriers could help!Our dogs love to be able to safely see the postie or the Amazon delivery guy and be given treats for being good! Genius.To ﬁ nd out more visit www.dog-g8.comSubscribe and win a GOAT!This is our 35th year and we obviously couldn’t have done this We want to say thank you by giving one subscriber the chance we’ve found in that time! We’re calling them the GOATs!we’ve found in that time! We’re calling them the GOATs!Issue 366 Dogs Today51Dogs Today is only £12.50 quarterly if you pay by Direct Debit* ■Save more than £20 over the year■Delivered free direct to your doorHow to subscribe:It couldn’t be simpler – just scan the QR code below, or go towww.dogstodaymagazine.co.uk/product/dogs-today-uk-subscriptions But if you struggle with signing up online – don’t worry. If you would prefer to have someone call you and walk you through it, please email me at beverley@wearebrandshare.com with your phone number.If you want to be put in the draw for a gate, email me: beverley@wearebrandshare.com and put ‘GOAT gate’ in the subject line. Tell me how long you’ve been reading the magazine – we would love to hear from anyone who has been with us from the start, as well as new people (who probably weren’t even born back then!)All new subscriptions will commence with the current issue Overseas prices: £79.99 for 12 issues or £145 for 24 issuesWith newsagents and supermarkets reducing their shelf space for magazines, it’s getting harder to ﬁ nd us. Help us by subscribing – and reap the rewards:Buy direct and save more than £20 a year!*UK only. By entering, you conﬁ rm that your details will be passed on to the company providing prizes for distribution & marketing purposes.’t have done this without you – our wonderful readers. e to win one of the greatest innovations SUBSCRIBE NOW& start saving today!

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52Dogs Today Issue 366 Your news & viewsA reader got in touch after reading the story of Mr Bones, the rescue dog at the heart of a court case between his new owners and the rescue who rehomed him, who was eventually put to sleep (issue 365).CULTURAL DIFFERENCESI am a behaviourist who works with two Spanish rescues, providing post-homing support for Podencos and Galgos that are homed in the UK. I have no connection with the rescues involved in the Mr Bones case. However, I do have some thoughts on his case – but from a very different perspective.I have had two cases of dogs coming to the UK from Spain through a caring and responsible rescue, who had received signiﬁ cant veterinary support in Spain, resulting in badly damaged legs being plated or variously treated to ‘save’ the leg. When in the UK, their behaviour caused their owners to contact me, and, in both cases, it was absolutely clear to me that the dogs were in pain because of their former leg injuries. In both cases, it took considerable negotiation between the owners and their UK vets vs the rescue. The owners and UK vets were in unanimous agreement that the dog’s best interest was for a leg amputation.The rescues were horriﬁ ed, deeming this ‘mutilation’ as unethical. The rescues’ Spanish vets almost unanimously defended their ‘saving’ operations and wanted the dogs repatriated for further surgery. I was the one doing the negotiation between the rescues and the owners, and, in all cases, totally agreed with the UK vets. The dogs, in both cases, underwent amputations and, released from pain, continue to live happy lives in their forever homes. It appears to be the case that tripaw dogs are just not a thing in Spain and that maybe Spanish adopters just will not adopt a three-legged dog. In the UK, nothing could be further PostbagIf you want to pay tribute to a departed pet or have a suggestion for a lost star dog, write to us at the address on page 3 or email editorial@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk and put ‘Tribute’ in the subject lineYour tributesObituariesMy precious Galga was saved by a Spanish vet. She was half-dead in a riverbed, nothing but skin and bone. She’d been discarded after the hunting season was over. The hunters would hang their dogs on a fence. She got away, and the vet looked after her for a while, but she had so many rescues that she sent them to the UK, to an Ascot rescue centre. I was volunteering at the rescue centre, and when I saw Lulu, I fell in love when she put her head on my lap. She was so fearful of her neck and had never been domesticated before. She was so precious, and I was very blessed to give her eight years of love.She was such fun and very docile, and we visited care homes for the elderly, so they could stroke and play with her.Sadly (luckily, I was at home), she had a stroke or CDS (cognitive dysfunction syndrome), and, two days later, I decided she had to go to sleep at the clinic. She’s my last hound, and I miss her so much, but we loved each other every day.Alison SmithAntiSad news. Anti, who played ‘Brandy’ in After Life, has died. She was 13 and a very good girl.Ricky GervaisLuluIssue 366 Dogs Today53Get in touchWe love to hear your news and views, and see photos of your dogs! Email editorial@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk Write to us at Dogs Today, The Old Print House, 62 High Street, Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8AA Join the debateVoice your opinions on news stories and other topics on our Dogs Today Magazine Facebook page or through our website www.dogstodaymagazine.co.ukBREEDER’S WEEKLYA recent issue of Woman’s Weekly suggested to its readership this money-making idea: breeding from their dog. It went down about as well as you can expect among our readers...I am appalled by the recent article in Woman’s Weekly which encourages pet breeding by inexperienced members of the public as a money-making venture. Future Publishing claims to be a responsible company, but the lack of editorial integrity demonstrated by the editor is woefully irresponsible.Patricia PearceIt’s like Grazia all over again; when will they ever learn? It beggars belief that we’re seeing this again.Heather DayThe sad part is that I wouldn’t be surprised if people were desperate enough to follow the advice. I know people who struggle to keep their dog fed, and even someone well meaning could be tricked into thinking that having a litter would be a wonderful experience and earn them some money on the side. Reality would hit hard – as would vet bills!Philip DaviesThis is beyond irresponsible. The cost of living is making life so hard, and people are giving up their pets to rescues because of it. Encouraging members of the public to make cash by breeding from their dog and putting more pups on a market beyond saturation is mad.Janice WilliamsThis is a call to breed irresponsibly. I’m sorry, but it’s what it is. I don’t care if they wrote a little line about breeding ethically. No ethical breeder makes much of a proﬁ t when having a litter. Sometimes you barely break even, if you’re serious about getting your dog and pups the vet care they need. You may even lose money. Breeding is only a cash-making endeavour if you do it unethically.Kathy Woodsfrom the truth – a three-legged dog will get hundreds of applications whereas the identical dog with four legs will be looked over.I have also had signiﬁ cant roles in post-homing support for UK-based Greyhound and Lurcher rescues. We have, in dark times, when rehoming applications have been low and the rescues have been full of male, black Greyhounds, shared dark-humour jokes that if only we could whip a leg off the dogs waiting patiently in kennels, they would instantly be homed! Of course, we never would – but the UK dog-adopting population love a story of hardship and love a tripaw dog, lavishing them with love and affection. Indeed, the dogs will have wonderful lives – a three-legged dog can do almost everything a four-legged dog can do. Most UK rescues that I am aware of will amputate any rear leg injury that would take signiﬁ cant time to heal and would be very painful if it were plated or ‘saved’, whereas recovery from amputation is fast and very quickly will be pain free. Front legs are slightly different in that lightweight dogs do just ﬁ ne with a missing front leg, but very heavyweight dogs might beneﬁ t from an attempt at saving the leg…Mr Bones would most likely be alive now if the culture of the adopting country (UK) had been considered when his initial surgery had been performed. If his severely damaged leg had been amputated and he had been adopted as a tripaw, then this whole sorry and sad event could have been avoided.Ultimately, those responsible for the Mr Bones tragedy are those who didn’t talk to each other.Claire MartinPhoto posed by models

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54 Dogs Today Issue 366 My Dog CrushMany of us have ‘dog crushes’ – soft spots for breeds or types that we love but know we’ll probably never own for lots of terribly sensible reasons. Maybe you don’t have enough hours in the day for the dog you dream of. Perhaps you have a wandering eye and there are just too many dogs to ﬁt into a lifetime. Or you already have a house squashed full of adored allsorts that chose you.In this feature we go through popular dog crushes and take a fresh look at what it would be like to actually live with them.Siberian HuskyIssue 366 Dogs Today55CharacterMany are initially attracted by the breed’s good looks – for good or for ill – but it’s the Siberian Husky’s character that cements their place in people’s hearts. “They are beautifully independent, headstrong and aesthetically striking,” one survey respondent told us. Another said, “They are eternal party animals. They just don’t age, always up for some cheeky mischief and very loving.”The Siberian Husky should be gentle, friendly and outgoing. They are alert (“better than neighbourhood watch” we were told), but certainly not suspicious of strangers and with no guarding behaviour. These dogs have worked alongside humans for millennia and make excellent companions and work colleagues. But be warned: owning a Siberian can be challenging. They need considerable exercise and mental stimulation, they are vocal, they shed, they are strong, and they are super smart. They are not ideal for ﬁ rst-time owners, and many end up in rescue where someone unsuitable has fallen for the dog’s looks alone. Training & behaviourUnsurprisingly, for dogs born to run, only 12% from our survey have a reliable recall. 33% recall most of the time if there are no distractions – the rest have selective deafness. On-lead exercise is therefore a must, unless you use a very secure ﬁ eld that has Sibe-proof security. These dogs are brilliant escape artists – and smart too – so be cautious with your home and garden. Many of you said your dogs can open doors and leap fences. And if they aren’t jumping fences, they’ll be digging under them! They have a high prey-drive and only 17% of our survey are good with cats. 67% “hunt anything that moves”. Lead-pulling is another predictable issue. 58% “pull like a train”. Training in sled sports or in canicross will meet your dog’s running needs – and keep you ﬁ t! 49% described their Sibes as “very vocal” – and that’s not just in doggie language. Some of you have dogs that say English words too! “Can speak words like his favourite treat ‘Rodeo!’” Photos by Tim Rose (www.timrosephotography.co.uk)NO MORE PULLING • NO MORE RIDING UP • NO MORE RUBBING • NO MORE COMING OFF • NO MORE DISCOMFORTREVOLUTIONARY HEADCOLLARCall to join the ever growing number of people changing to Dogmatic 01952 245330 or visit us at www.dogmatic.org.uk Awarded ‘Best Dog Collar Manufacturer 2020 - 2021, UK’11 TIMES WINNER OF ‘Product I can’t live without’For Dog People by Dog People Because your dog deserves the BEST Winners 2013-2024WINNER2020Global100Best Dog Collar Manufacturer 2020 – UKEndorsed by Dr David Sands BSc PhD CFBA Fellow of the Canine & Feline Behaviour AssociationWhen it comes to athletic good-lookers, the Siberian Husky leads the pack. But beneath the majestic exterior lies a family clown whose antics will have you in stitches (and/or pulling your hair out!).Our survey of Siberian Husky owners revealed:Exercise32% of our survey gave their Sibes two hours or more of daily exercise. 38% gave over an hour, and the rest an hour. Many of you took part in sled sports. One advised, “They need exercise and mental stimulation in equal measure, but they are not the type to just chase a ball; you need to walk or ideally run. It’s not advisable to let them off the lead because the high prey-drive, combined with the genetic desire to run fast and far, can lead them into problems. Enclosed paddocks are ideal, as well as lots of training, but they can be difﬁ cult to motivate. Researching the breed to know what you are doing and having patience and a sense of humour are key.”HealthThe Kennel Club advises hip- and eye-testing for the breed, including gonioscopy for pectinate ligament abnormality, a congenital eye abnormality that can lead to glaucoma. It is a painful condition that can lead to blindness, so screening is very important. The screening also looks for hereditary cataracts. Ear problems, sensitive tummies, skin problems (including zinc-responsive dermatitis) and cancer were also mentioned many times by owners in the survey.

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My Dog Crush56Dogs Today Issue 366 ●Stunning ●Intelligent ●Active ●Headstrong ●Independent ●Loving ●Devoted ●Comical ●Cheeky ●VocalTraitsOriginsAs the name suggests, the breed hails from Siberia, where they were bred by indigenous people, such as the Chukchi, for around 3,000 years, pulling sleds in the cold, harsh environment of the Arctic. The word ‘husky’ derives from ‘uskee’, ‘huskemaw’ and similar regional permutations for the words ‘Esquimaux’ or ‘Eskimo’, which were pejorative terms for native Arctic inhabitants. It was a fur trader who introduced the breed to Alaska. William Goosak, a Russian trader, brought the dogs to Nome for the gold rush, where the dogs pulled sleds around the mining ﬁ elds and for expeditions to search for more locations during the Yukon gold rush. In 1925, Siberian Husky sled teams transported diptheria serum over 600 miles from Nenana to Nome, Alaska, to save the area from an emerging epidemic. Around 150 dogs, led by 20 mushers, were involved, and later depicted in the 1995 animated ﬁ lm Balto, named after one of the lead dogs on the ﬁ nal stretch of the mercy run. Issue 366 Dogs Today 57 by Nicky HutchisonFraggle was the ﬁrst ‘Sibe’ I met properly. I had been enchanted whilst watching Siberians race on wheeled rigs in the Forest of Dean and wanted to get involved. My husband and I went to be vetted by Fraggle’s owners in the hope of purchasing a pair of puppies (oblivious to all those warnings about getting two at a time) and starting our own team. As an ambassador, Fraggle was paw perfect and we managed to pass the ﬁrst-stage grilling by the breeders, who went off to prepare their puppies for viewing. Left alone with clueless wannabees, Fraggle took charge, leapt on to the kitchen table and polished off her owner’s mug of tea. We had no real idea what to do, except offer a reﬁll, but we were smitten.Fast forward 20 years and 10 huskies later, that ﬁrst impression of husky athleticism, mischief and charisma remains. Siberian Husky puppies are the classic chocolate-box dog and their irresistibility can also be their downfall in the hands of the unprepared owner. I managed to avoid or mainly ignore the issues that can land adolescents in rescue. Pitfalls can be mitigated with exercise and stimulation. Nattie, my current Husky, has been a dream. She’s had a go at scent work, trick training, agility, hoopers and parkour with varying degrees of success and hair-tearing. It can be challenging. One day you think you have cracked it, the next day she will look at you as if you are from Mars. So work patiently, grit your teeth and don’t expect a cascade of rosettes any time soon. However, Nattie excels at what Sibes were bred to do: running. As well as sled-dog sports, Huskies invented canicross back in the 90s. Their ability to hurtle through woods with us in tow (either running or on a rig) is unmatched. Teaching directional commands and trail behaviour is good preparation until they are old enough to hit the road. By and large, they know what to do and training is a piece of cake. Canicross is easy and doesn’t call for a lot of equipment. Sled-dog racing, however, calls for commitment, dark winter mornings and disregard for personal safety. Landowner permits and space to run your dogs as a team can also be elusive, so do your research. My Huskies have always been ready for outdoor adventures, whatever the weather, so make sure you have the hardiness to avoid the frustrations that can lead to destructive tendencies. I do recall some impromptu house rewiring, bin raiding and three trashed sofas in the early days, so if you are very house proud, this may not be the dog for you. I regularly provide sacriﬁcial toys for Nattie, which she disembowels. HAIR OF THE DOGTwo topics are worth mentioning. First, moulting. Husky hair shedding is on an industrial scale. It is worse with neutering and I can conﬁrm that Nattie moults constantly and her hair clings to everything. Brushing keeps the tsunami at bay but also spreads hair more evenly about the house. Second, off-lead exercise. Don’t think you have the one Siberian who can be let off the lead. I have known too many Huskies who have been run over, got into trouble with wildlife/small pets or been shot for sheep rustling. Secure dog ﬁelds are a godsend, but check the fences – some Huskies can scale 8ft chain link. Are they worth the trouble? Yes! With a talent for teleportation or simple stealth, Nattie is always getting locked out or in. Huskies don’t do big barking, so she yips and moans at the door. Nattie has a broad range of vocalisations. A mock admonishment (Sibes hate harsh words, it breaks them) will produce an incredulous ‘ooh get you!’ sort of yowl, all the while dancing from foot to foot in delight at her own cheeky deﬁance. It will be Nattie who leads the Husky howl-in when I leave – usually at dawn when the neighbours are asleep – and after all these years, that wooooo of mournful longing still brings tears to my eyes. I cannot imagine my life without a Husky in it. Their veneer of bravado often hides a host of insecurities, so go gently with these sensitive clowns. Like Nattie, many keep their joie de vivre right up to the end. But it is never long enough, is it? PWritten in memory of Sheila Luxmoore, who died late last year. Sheila, who bred Nattie, had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the breed and is much missed. Also for Archie, Tim Mitchell’s red Husky, who went on an adventure in December 2021 and is still missing in the Forest of Dean.Owner’s viewNO MORE PULLING • NO MORE RIDING UP • NO MORE RUBBING • NO MORE COMING OFF • NO MORE DISCOMFORTREVOLUTIONARY HEADCOLLARCall to join the ever growing number of people changing to Dogmatic 01952 245330 or visit us at www.dogmatic.org.uk Awarded ‘Best Dog Collar Manufacturer 2020 - 2021, UK’11 TIMES WINNER OF ‘Product I can’t live without’For Dog People by Dog People Because your dog deserves the BEST Winners 2013-2024WINNER2020Global100Best Dog Collar Manufacturer 2020 – UKEndorsed by Dr David Sands BSc PhD CFBA Fellow of the Canine & Feline Behaviour Association

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My Dog Crush58Dogs Today Issue 366 GroomingThe double, thick coat is built to withstand harsh Arctic conditions. It’s only when your dog is shedding that you’ll realise quite how much hair there is! 25% of our owners groom daily, 31% several times a week; 25% once a week; 5% every fortnight; 14% less than every fortnight. “Don’t wear black!” was the general advice from owners. ●Lumi ●Storm ●Maverick ●Nitro ●Aurora ●Luna ●Fenrir●Azra●Kovu ●HudsonBest namesNO MORE PULLING • NO MORE RIDING UP • NO MORE RUBBING • NO MORE COMING OFF • NO MORE DISCOMFORTREVOLUTIONARY HEADCOLLARCall to join the ever growing number of people changing to Dogmatic 01952 245330 or visit us at www.dogmatic.org.uk Awarded ‘Best Dog Collar Manufacturer 2020 - 2021, UK’11 TIMES WINNER OF ‘Product I can’t live without’For Dog People by Dog People Because your dog deserves the BEST Winners 2013-2024WINNER2020Global100Best Dog Collar Manufacturer 2020 – UKEndorsed by Dr David Sands BSc PhD CFBA Fellow of the Canine & Feline Behaviour AssociationBest Facebook groups●8 Below Husky Rescue UK ●Siberian Husky Club of Great BritainSibe antics●“Ate £420 in paper twenties and the envelope it was in, but not the plastic window of the envelope, which was left beautifully clean. I had to collect her ‘deposits’ for a week, ‘launder’ the pieces, dry them and do the ‘shittiest’ jigsaw to get the serial numbers!”●“Ate all the cakes at a wedding! Walked out, chased by two bemused waiters. Fortunately, he didn’t come straight back to me!” ●“We had a boy who would stack all the food bowls up after eating and a girl who would line up her toys.”●“Has learnt to switch the lamp on and off if not getting any attention.”●“He once got into a big pack of ﬂ aming-hot Wotsits while I was out. He tried to hide his guilt when I arrived home, but his face was covered in the evidence!”Issue 366 Dogs Today59Love the breed? Shop the breed< Five Siberian Husky-themed black-ink ballpoint pens. £8.99 from DestinationVinylLtd on etsy.comNO MORE PULLING • NO MORE RIDING UP • NO MORE RUBBING • NO MORE COMING OFF • NO MORE DISCOMFORTREVOLUTIONARY HEADCOLLARCall to join the ever growing number of people changing to Dogmatic 01952 245330 or visit us at www.dogmatic.org.uk Awarded ‘Best Dog Collar Manufacturer 2020 - 2021, UK’11 TIMES WINNER OF ‘Product I can’t live without’For Dog People by Dog People Because your dog deserves the BEST Winners 2013-2024WINNER2020Global100Best Dog Collar Manufacturer 2020 – UKEndorsed by Dr David Sands BSc PhD CFBA Fellow of the Canine & Feline Behaviour Association^ Matisse-style print of a Sibe in a bathtub. Available in numerous sizes. From £23.14 for A5 to £51.61 for 16.5-23.5 inches. From ElkaPrints on etsy.com ^ Striking full-wrap 11oz ceramic mug. Dishwasher-, freezer- and microwave-safe. £11.99 from CosmosDesignsGifts on etsy.com ^ Toiletry/cosmetics bag, 30x18cm. Made of cotton fabric, fully lined and machine-washable. £12.50 from Purrfectlywooﬂ y on etsy.com< Soy wax candle with Madagascan vanilla, jasmine and sugared almond. The label gives an amusing deﬁ nition of a Husky and concludes that the breed “talks back more than a teenager”! £16.99 from MakesterCandles on etsy.comAn unusual Husky-shaped candle, which can be >personalised for an extra £2. Soy wax and fragranced with snowdrop. £10 from Candlesbychelsx on etsy.com

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60Dogs Today Issue 366 Tea breakName: _________________________________________________________Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Postcode: __________________Telephone: _____________________________________________________Email address: ___________________________________________________Breed/type of dog: _______________________________________________ISSUE 365 SOLUTION: Across: 6 Papillon; 7 Dale; 10 Notes; 11 Kennels; 12 Set fair; 14 Tail; 16 Bros; 18 Pharaoh; 21 Griffon; 22 Get up; 24 Aire; 25 Meal-time Down: 1 Spanish; 2 Spot; 3 Alaska; 4 Cocker Spaniel; 5 Leash; 8 America; 9 Knot; 13 Terrier; 15 Whippet; 17 Soft; 19 Angels; 20 Egham; 23 Trim.591210201481715321131618122274196231 12524Gyles Brandreth’s Prize Crossword!Complete the crossword grid, then post your entry to arrive by 13 March 2025 to: Crossword 366, Dogs Today, The Cottage, Church Street, Wyre Piddle, Pershore, Worcs WR10 2JD. The ﬁ rst correct entry drawn after the closing date will win a Kong Wubba Zoo Koala dog toy worth £12. Available from PurrfectlyYappy.com How to enterQuick Clues Across1 Beast associated with sheep’s clothing (4)3 Canine guard (8)9 Spare time (7)10 Fireplace (5)11 Anyone Who Had A ..., sang Cilla (5)12 See 16 Down13 Goes in (6)15 Publicity (6)18 Parson Jack (7)20 Mother of pearl (5)22 Live (5)23 South American river (7)24 Type of spaniel (8)25 Puts a question (4)Cryptic Clues Across1 Type of hound, this 90s TV gladiator? (4)3 Observe pooch on consumer programme (8)9 Lie about, certainly, when work is finished? (7)10 Part of room that’s essential to singles (5)11 Earth’s exploding centre (5)12 See 16 Down13 Resent funny records (6)15 Commercial nowadays appears green to the French (6)18 Jack’s dog is to steal cattle, we’re told (7)20 Hard substance making can spin round about (5)22 Be sexist – lose head (5)23 Here’s a flower, I croon stupidly, with love (7)24 Jumper for a canine (8)25 Begs donkey to go round back of truck (4)Down 1 Such dogs fail to honour debt with soldiers? (5,8)2 Sounds like a dog! (5)4 Changes made by men appearing in more than one 15 Across (6)5 Dog trembles in car (5)6 Pet bloomer? (3,4)7 Pays a visit to Greyhound track, and becomes ruined (4,2,3,4)8 Some shun terrier for a Beagle, maybe (6)14 Tart is possibly filled with a portion of elderberry – more appetising (7)16 (And 12 Across) Young Daniel somehow did mention this breed (6,7)17 Quantity of unusual covers found in secluded spot (6)19 Taken in at public school, do you say? (5)21 Go over the road for a mongrel (5)Complete the crossword grid, then post your entry to arrive by 13 March 2025 to: Dogs Today, The Cottage, Church Street, Wyre Piddle, Pershore, Worcs Wyre Piddle, Pershore, Worcs WR10 2JD. The ﬁ rst correct entry drawn after the closing date dog toy worth £12. Available from PurrfectlyYappy.com Complete the crossword grid, then post your entry to arrive by 13 March 2025 to: Dogs Today, The Cottage, Church Street, Wyre Piddle, Pershore, Worcs WR10 2JD. The ﬁ rst correct entry drawn after the closing date dog toy worth £12. Available from PurrfectlyYappy.com Down 1 Wire-haired dogs from one part of Britain (5,8)2 Space-borne dog (5)4 They’re made by way of reparation (6)5 Scottish breed (5)6 Prickly bearer of flowers with canine name (3,4) 7 Becomes rotten as Rover? (4,2,3,4)8 Predatory animal or person (6)14 More palatable (7)16 (And 12 Across) Terrier with droopy ears and topknot (6,7)17 Recess (6)19 Consumed (5)21 Irate (5)Put the kettle on and have a go at our competitions!Issue 366 Dogs Today61This crate training This crate training is not going wellis not going wellWinning captionPhoto submitted by Raina Kirkham-CopeDalmatian & Shih Tzu by Tim Rose (www.timrosephotography.co.uk)Lynne Land364 Caption Runners-upCross QuestionSchrödinger’s dog was harder to containSam Atwell Cody didn’t see why fencing was an Olympic sport; he was already heading for victoryKaren Jones Before they invented the cone of shame, this is what pups had The writer of the winning caption and sender of the ﬁ rst correct answer to the Cross Question will each win a Kong Wubba Zoo Mandril dog toy worth £12. Available from www.purrfectlyyappy.com. The judge’s decision is ﬁ nal in all competitions. Email your Caption Competition & Cross Question entries together with your contact details to comps@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk or post to: Competitions 366, Dogs Today, The Cottage, Church Street, Wyre Piddle, Pershore, Worcs WR10 2JD, to arrive by 13 March 2025364 Cross Question SolutionPippin’s parents are a Dalmatian and a Shih TzuThe ﬁ rst correct answer came from Tess Eagle Swan +to put up with!Jo HurleyHonestly, whatever you say, I won’t take a fenceGeoff SpurrDo you have a funny pic you’d like us to feature? Please email it to us at comps@dogstodaymagazine.co.ukHow to enterFrida, a Chihuahua. Photo submitted by Joanna LeverWinners of the Cross Question and Caption Competition will win a prize from Purrfectly YappyWinners of the Cross Question and Caption Competition The judge’s decision is The judge’s decision is Winners of the Cross Question and Caption Competition Can you come up with a witty and amusing caption for this photo? Caption this!Can you guess which breeds Beef Stevens’s parents are?

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62Dogs Today Issue 366 www.foreverhoundstrust.orgPRIORY ROAD ASCOT BERKSHIRE SL5 8RJ01344 882689We are a non-destruction sanctuary for abandoned & unwanted dogsRegistered Charity No. 256728established 1958Charity SpotlightWelcome to Charity Spotlight - a handy reference point for good folk doing great work. We’re helping to raise the proﬁ le of this diverse group and we encourage you to get involved with them, by offering a forever home, fundraising or volunteeringIf you’d like to see your organisation featured in these pages, please call us on 01276 402591 for more detailsNEUTER AND SPAY,NO MORE STRAYSWe neuter and spay thousands of dogs and cats in Romania every yearCharity No: 1172316www.animalsni.ukPayPal email: donations@animalsni.ukwww.animalsni.ukThe sanctuary is set in rural Carmarthenshire, in 10 acres of private land. Dogs, after careful introduction, live with one of us, in a family group with other dogs, as appropriate to their social skills and temperament. After many years spent handling, training and working with all breeds, I became frustrated by the way many rescues simply sat on problems, rather than trying to sort them out. So I set up Lizzie’s Barn Sanctuary, moving it from Sussex to Wales some 25 years ago. We specialise in dogs that are deemed less attractive by the average rescue – those who are harder to rehome and those with behavioural problems. A dog is a dog, not a small human. We use reward-based methods based on kindness and respect, but do set clear boundaries. In using this methodology and guidance, the dogs quickly settle, exhibit normal behaviours, and learn what is acceptable. Most importantly, they learn self-restraint. We have a great deal of success. Our return rates are very low, and are due to lifestyle changes, illness, ﬁ nancial crisis etc, rather than a problem with the dog.Some dogs will never be suitable for rehoming and remain at the sanctuary. The majority of our work these days is with dogs like this, with just a few in for rehoming. We have taken dogs from many other large rescue organisations. Indeed, it is likely you are aware of one of them – Bobby the seriously aggressive Chihuahua featured on Paul O’Grady’s POG Dogs. Bobby came to us, as shown on the show, and, after a period of rehabilitation, was successfully rehomed. He now lives in Scotland and is a super-friendly little dog, loved by all who meet him.We need your support to carry on our work. With the rise in veterinary costs and a sanctuary full of older dogs, we simply couldn’t do it without the kind support of the public.You can send money to our HSBC account (Lizzie’s Barn Sanctuary, account no 11667270, sort code: 40-30-10) or by credit card via Paypal: lizziesbarn@googlemail.comFor more about our work, visit www.lizziesbarn.co.ukCharity of the monthLizzie’s Barn Sanctuary Issue 366 Dogs Today63As a rescue charity, Rushton helps abandoned, abused and unwanted dogs on a international scale. Rescuing dogs from all over the world. especially the meat trade in Asia and China.Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1139999Call Now:+44 (0) 1823 49 10 52To rescue, rehabilitate and rehome vulnerable and at risk dogs from YorkshireSaving Yorkshire’s DogsRegistered Charity No 1167291Tel: 07562 986101Email: savingyorkshiresdogs@gmail.comWeb: www.sydrescue.org.ukFind us onWE RESCUE KILL SHELTER AND ABANDONED DOGS FROM ROMANIA AND REHOME THEM IN THE UK AND GERMANYwww.barkingmaddogrescue.co.uk@barkingmaddogrescue @bmdrdogs www.petsavers.org.ukFinding the cures for serious pet illnesses, helping them live longer, healthier liveswww.leicesteranimalaid.org.ukTel 01455 888257Registered Charity No. 242560Rescue and rehoming centre for dogs and catsRegistered Charity No. 1077588Help us to help moreWe rescue and rehome 100s of dogs and cats in London every year themayhew.org020 8962 8000We are a small dog and cat rescue that specialises in the rehabilitation of pets who need their second chance at happiness. No matter your age, location or family status PAWS gives everyone a chance to be a part of the rescue story. www.pennineanimalwelfaresociety.orgGreyhounds make great pets★ Lincolnshire Greyhound Trust has been rehoming Greyhounds since 1988★ We have rehomed over 2,300 retired Greyhounds★ Kennels in Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire & Epping Greyhounds since 1988 We have rehomed over 2,300 retired Greyhounds Kennels in Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire & Eppingwww.lincolnshiregreyhoundtrust.co.uk07941 313025kev@lincolnshiregreyhoundtrust.comRAYSTEDERegistered charity no 237696www.raystede.org01825 840252Rescuing and rehoming animals in Sussex

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64Dogs Today Issue 366 Caged Nationwide2026 marks the 100-year anniversary of Greyhound racing cruelty. Join Caged Nationwide in the loudest call to end the suffering of Greyhounds by attending the largest and most emotive international anti-Greyhound racing rally ever, when we will march for the dogs in London, on Saturday 25th July 2026. Follow our work on Facebook or on our website to see more details coming soon! We have documented over a decade of evidence showing that Greyhound racing is inherently cruel; along with continuous failures by the regulatory board to help protect the dogs. Be their voice! Support the dogs at Caged Nationwide. Please donate to: paypal.me/cagednw www.CAGEDNW.co.uk | www.facebook.com/cagednw Canine Service of the MonthAdvertising featurewww.dogs-holiday.co.ukDogs stay free!Boturnell Farm CottagesHome from home for you and your dogs. If they are relaxed, then you can relax. Every cottage has an enclosed garden for those late night & early morning comfort breaks. PLUS: 8 acres of woods ● Throws for the furniture ● Animal ﬁ rst aid kit TIME FOR A NEW BED?FIND A WARM & COSY BED TODAY AT PURRFECTLYYAPPY.COMWant to advertise your business in our classiﬁ ed adverts section?Call Mike McGlynn now on 01276 402591 or send an email to mike@dogstoday magazine.co.ukPEAK DISTRICTDog & PartridgeFabulous beer garden & terrace serving dinner, lunch and drinks.Overnight stays or short breaks available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner can also be served in the bar so that your pet can join you.Very dog-friendly family-run Country Inn with self-contained rooms in the grounds We can’t wait to see you!Dog walking service available01335 343183www.dogandpartridge.co.ukClassiﬁ ed advertsHolidays, Charities, Services & ProductsIssue 366 Dogs Today656622JulyWestie ReHoming @westierehoming4www.westierehoming.org information@westierehoming.net 0844 879 4260 PO Box 4204, Swindon SN2 9LA UK Westie ReHomingRegistered Charity England & Wales 1108659 Scotland SC045329Westie ReHoming is a charity dedicated to the welfare and rehoming of the West Highland White Terrier. We take in westies needing a new start in life and place them into a suitable home where they will be loved and have their needs met. DedicDedicatDedicatDediced to the ed to the ated to the atWeWest Higst HigWest HigWeWest Highlhlst Highlst Higst Highland and hland hlhland WWhihiWhiWWhithihie te tTTiTiTiidvertsEvery product is handcrafted by our very own skilled artisans who draw on years of specialist experience, a love of creativity, a passion for quality and a huge appreciation for functionality ... but with flair.07774 626677 | sales@annrees.co.ukwww.annrees.co.ukHandmade Dog Collars & Coats6622JulyWe are a family-owned business with self-drive narrowboats for weekends and short breaks, and week-long holidays from both bases (Stockton or Warwick). We also have boats available for longer hire periods, when you want to escape and include your canine family member.This is not camping on water, the boats come equipped with everything you need for a relaxing holiday aﬂ oat: fully equipped galley (including fridge and 4 hob gas cooker), a bathroom with a ﬂ ushing toilet, and a shower, plenty of hot water, central heating and a TV for the days you need to catch up with the real world! Don’t forget with narrowboat hire the boat is the holiday – you don’t need to allow for those expensive days out during the week! Our quoted prices INCLUDE diesel and damage waiver (and linen and car parking) – if you are comparing prices with other narrowboat holiday ﬁ rms, make sure you compare like for like!Star ratings for each narrowboat are displayed on the relevant pages, and online availability and reservation is now also a feature, but feel free to phone or email if you would like to discuss your canal holiday plans.www. kateboats.co.uk | Email: enquiries@kateboats.co.uk | Tel: 01926 492968Holiday of the MonthAdvertising feature

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Around the time of the birth of the Wag and Bone Show, my short relationship with Kevin, our magazine’s illustrator and Kieran’s dad, was coming to an end. The lightbulb moment was probably when Kevin bought halogen spotlights so he could work outside 24 hours a day. It was then very clear that everything in our garden was far from rosy!I had always been told it was impossible for me to have a child, so a baby had been both a miracle and a huge surprise – to him, especially. By the time of the Wag and Bone Show, we had tried and failed at Relate but were still sharing a house as friends. We had both started dating other people. I was one of the ﬁ rst women to try internet dating and had created a proﬁ le that I can now see talked much more about dogs and magazines than anything else! It was all very new as a genre, as smart phones hadn’t yet been invented and most people could only get broadband at work.HAPPY NEVER AFTERSThe ﬁ rst person I ‘met’ told me he was a Silicon Valley tech millionaire and that my son wasn’t baggage, but if he were, “He’d probably be Louis Vuitton”. His name was cheesy too – something like Dan Dini – which should have made me cautious. He ﬂ ew over for dinner, but he dropped a bombshell before midnight: he wanted me to have extensive blood tests. If the results were OK, we’d get married in a Disney castle.Of course, I hadn’t seen this coming, but I didn’t run off, leaving only a shoe. I just told him I didn’t want to be part of this weird fairytale. I didn’t say yes to the dress or the extensive health screening. The next chap I connected with adored dogs and owned his own toy company, which sounded promising, but he was pretty much allergic to kids. He wanted to buy an enormous house with two wings, so we’d only ever have to see each other after Kieran had gone to bed.I didn’t want to toy with his affections, so I went back online.Next came a penniless Lord who was an expert in historically accurate thatching. It turned out he’d gone to school with Gwen Bailey, who wrote the Perfect Puppy. I was probably clutching at straws; we might have made hay while the sun shined, but it just wouldn’t last.Kevin had started getting a bit paranoid that I might end up dead, going on these dates with strange people. I became aware of this on my ﬁ rst and last date with a very tall Scandinavian chap called Alert, who said he’d made his fortune supplying McDonald’s with paper boxes. ALERT WARNINGAs we walked to where he’d parked his Volvo, he seemed very jumpy even for a man with such a surprising ﬁ rst name.“Who is following you?” he exclaimed. I turned around and there was Kevin, very obviously writing down Alert’s car registration number into a notebook. Eventually, after many more hilariously bad ﬁ rst dates, I somehow found Graham. And we’ve been married for 18 years. As the new man in my life, Graham soon got talked into helping me organise the Wag and Bone Show. He came from the serious advertising and marketing world, and he could see something I’d missed. Those charity people weren’t being very charitable. They were literally starting to run rings around me! PIllustration KEVIN BROCKBANK66Dogs Today Issue 366 Confessions of a dogaholicround the time of the birth of the Wag and Bone Show, my short relationship with Kevin, our magazine’s illustrator and Kieran’s dad, was coming to an end. The lightbulb moment was probably when Kevin bought halogen spotlights so he could work outside 24 hours a day. It was then very clear that everything in our garden was far I had always been told it was impossible for me to have a child, so a baby had been both a miracle and a huge surprise By the time of the Wag and Bone Show, we had tried and failed at Relate but were still sharing a house as friends. We had both started dating other people. His name was cheesy too – something like Dan Dini – which should have made me cautious. He ﬂ ew over for dinner, but he dropped a bombshell before midnight: he wanted me to have extensive blood tests. If the results were OK, we’d get married in a Of course, I hadn’t seen this coming, but I didn’t run off, leaving only a shoe. I just told him I didn’t want to be part of this weird fairytale. I didn’t say yes to the dress or the extensive health screening. very jumpy even for a man with First datesREVOLUTIONARY HEADCOLLARStops dogs pulling on the lead and gives you back control.Life-Changing products for you and your dog!Also available: Collars, Non Slip Leads and Gripper Training Leads oﬀering added security and conﬁdence throughout the winter months.‘Matching accessories in a selection of colours’ with high quality workmanship and ﬁttings.Endorsed by Dr David Sands BSc PhD CFBA Fellow of the Canine & Feline Behaviour AssociationCall to join the ever growing number of people changing to Dogmatic 01952 245330 or visit us at www.dogmatic.org.uk ‘PRODUCT I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT’AWARDED ‘Best Dog Collar Manufacturer 2020-21 - UK’ and Most Innovative Dog Collar Manufacturers 2019For Dog People by Dog People Because your dog deserves the BEST NO MORE PULLING • NO MORE RIDING UP • NO MORE RUBBING NO MORE COMING OFF • NO MORE DISCOMFORT

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