05/05/2017
Is It A Bird? Is It A Plane? No, It"s Superdog
This post was created for your dogs pleasure by Rover, our roving reporter
Bullmastiff
Narrator: The Bullmastiff revered as a guard dog. But this monster of a canine was bred not to bite.
Dr. Karen Halligan: They actually will pin their prey down without hurting or killing it.
Narrator: Various diamond mines in South Africa have used this breed to guard their diamonds. John D. Rockefeller used a Bullmastiff as a watch dog on his estate. But these massive dogs are actually known as gentle giants.
Andrea Arden: I would have to say that Bullmastiffs are probably the best kissers in the dog world.
Narrator: Orginating in 19th century England, the Bullmastiff is a cross between the Bulldog and Mastiff. Since making their way to the US in the 1920s these tenderhearted tough guys have made a name for themselves as guard dogs in movies like Rocky.
Andrea Arden: I like the attention you get when you walk down the street with a Bullmastiff too.
Narrator: Of course an imposing size helps pump up the fierce. A full grown Mastiff stands an average of 20 to 27 inches high. It can weigh up to 130 pounds, the same size as an average 5"5" woman and will consume up to three pines of dog food a day.
Dr. Karen Halligan: They"re just enormous and powerful.
Narrator: They have a short coat that can be red, fawn or brindle, and broad wrinkled head with a short black muscle.
Dr. Karen Halligan: With jowls and drool.
Narrator: But the Bullmastiff is not a breed that needs lots of space because they"re not very active, which makes them easy to handle in an apartment. Bullmastiffs are independent thinkers but eager to please which helps with training. Despite their large size and tough look the Bullmastiff has a gentle temperament and is happiest when with a family. With a short coat grooming is easy, but don"t forget the drool factor.
Dr. Debbye Turner Bell: If you carry a towel with you all the time, you"re good.
Narrator: The Bullmastiff has an average lifespan of about eight to ten years and like angus they are prone to tumors and several other health issues.
Dr. Nicholas Dodman: Like many other very large breed dogs it"s also prone to cancer.
Narrator: So in general the Bullmastiff is a large dog that does well in an apartment if you have the space. They have a relatively short lifespan and are prone to several health issues. They"re easy to groom if you don"t mind drool. It takes patience to train these independent thinkers. Surprisingly gentle, they"re loyal companions who make a good family pet.
This post was created for your dogs pleasure by Rover, our roving reporterThe Inner Temple Dog Show Sun 21 May 2017
13:00 – 16:00 BST
Inner Temple Garden
Crown Office Row (enter via Tudor Street)
London
EC4Y 7HL
United Kingdom
This event is free
The Inner Temple Dog Show Returns: Celebrating the bond between Gardener and Dog at the award winning Inner Temple Garden.
Registration for participating dogs is encouraged due to limited numbers. Please note that due to popularity of this event only two tickets per party will be allowed (this can be one dog entered into two categories or two dogs entered into two separate categories).
If tickets are fully booked or you have missed the deadline for registration you can still come along on the day and be entered into a raffle for a wild card ticket in your chosen category. Non participating dogs and owners are also very welcome. Dogs must be kept on a lead.
The Inner Temple Dog Show will throw open the Garden gates to dogs of all shapes and sizes, with the opportunity to compete in five exciting categories: Garden agility; Best floral outfit (dog and handler); Dog with the waggiest tail; Best junior handler (under 12) and Publics favourite. Handlers of all ages are encouraged and all dogs will be eligible to compete for Best in Show. Categories will be judged by distinguished members of the legal and canine worlds. For the opportunity to become a judge take part in our Instagram competition – the best photo depicting the special Gardener and dog bond wins a place on our judging panel! Post using #ITGdogshow and tag @InnerTempleGarden.
The Inner Temple Dog Show is part of the Chelsea Fringe, the alternative garden festival. Our 2017 Chelsea Fringe project celebrates the age old bond between Gardener and dog.
At three acres, Inner Temple Garden is one of the largest gardens in the City of London, home to 1800 barristers, and has been cultivated since the 12th century when its purpose was more practical than pleasure. It is now a safe haven for lawyers, the public and wildlife between the busy Fleet Street and Embankment.
As always, picnics on the lawn are encouraged and refreshments as well as French crêpes will be available for purchase. Visitors are welcome to take part or just come to enjoy the garden and its setting, there is plenty to see and space for all.
Source https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-inner-temple-dog-show-tickets-32082337134?aff=es2
This post was created for your dogs pleasure by Rover, our roving reporter04/24/2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzBtRJ6woqI
Labrador Retriever
George Kramer: Yellow labs can produce chocolate labs. You can have all three colors in a litter. My first dog was named stormy.
Amy Dahl: I have my family because of my first lab.
George Kramer: I became a veterinarian because I was so in love with my dog when I was a kid.
Amy Dahl: I fell for that dog like a ton of bricks.
Narrator: It"s hard not to love the lab - big, friendly, full of life. They"re called the Labrador, but actually they come from Newfoundland. Yeah, Newfoundland. What we know as the lab today originated in the early 1800 when fishermen bread a smaller version of Newfie to retrieve fishnets and sometimes the fish that fell off hooks. They created a dog who loved to swim, had great stamina, and had strong haunches to leap dramatically into the water. The record is 27 feet. The breeders couldn"t name the new dog Newfoundland, that name was taken. So the dog was named for the sea they worked - Labrador.
Andrea Arden: From there they were brought to England and the breed as we know it today was developed.
Narrator: Those early breeders created a lab with characteristics to help them become great hunters. And then a 5th special trait was added that made the labs the most of versatile. Leading off the list like all retrievers the lab has webbed paws. These natural flippers make him one of the strongest canine swimmers around. Able to hit speeds around three miles an hour. Okay, that might not sound ... but it"s twice as fast as a duck swims.
The second trait is an otter like tail. They get the base and strong. It acts like a rudder in the water.
Amy Dahl: They"re not the best dogs for people who have a lot of knickknacks in their homes, because that tail will clear off the coffee table in half a second.
Narrator: Number three is a layered slightly oily coat that keeps them warm, helps them float, and is also drip dry. They come in three bold colors. Black is the most common and the most successful in competitions. Yellow"s next and it"s the most popular for labs working as police dogs. Chocolate is the rarest.
George Kramer: There"s the misconception that people think the black labs come from black labs and chocolates just come from chocolates. But you can have ...
Narrator: Carry an egg in its mouth without cracking the shell. And then there"s that fifth special trait, their unique ability to learn.
Amy Dahl: They try to work with you and they actually do believe that there"s something that you want them to do. And they will concentrate on trying to work out from you what that is. And so you don"t have to be the best trainer in the world, you just need to be making an effort and the dog will meet you halfway and try to do the rest.
Narrator: Labs can remember up to 300 human phrases. But they"re not the smartest dog on the planet. They"re actually number seven. Both the Border Collie and the Standard Poodle outrank them. While smart they"re intense desire to please makes labs the most trainable dogs of all, from bomb-sniffing, to search and rescue, to guide dogs, no breed is in greater demand. Mark Dawson had a special relationship with his rescue lab Elvis. When terrorists struck the world trade on 9/11, Mark and Elvis were called into action to search for survivors.
Mark Dawson: Elvis was extremely brave. There were a number of times where he went into areas that I didn"t know if I was going to see him when he came back. And I went out with a captain one night and we got to this void area and there was a ladder, an extension ladder sticking up the captain. He looked at me said, "So do you want me to carry your dog down or are you going to carry your dog down?" And I said, "Neither." And I gave Elvis that climb down command and he climbed down and the captain just looked at me and said, "I"ve seen it all."
Narrator: That bond between dogs and humans, the emotional connection they make is especially strong for lab owners. Ask strainer Amy Dahl about her first lab.
Amy Dahl: I love the dog a great deal, having a hard time talking about it. He was monumental in my life. Before he died he clearly was ill and in a certain amount of pain and I looked at him one day and he really was not wanting to get up, because he felt bad but he was tracking me with his head. And I had a feeling from him that as long as he could look after me he wanted to be with me.
Narrator: Amy"s not alone in feeling grief for her dog. Mark Dawson watched his partner Elvis passed away a few weeks before this interview.
Mark Dawson: Up until a few weeks ago he was actually doing wilderness problems out here in the woods. To be so sudden, so quick it was kind of hard, still hard.
Narrator: They say one of the best ways to get over the loss of a beloved pet is to get a puppy. Mark now has a new lab - Hero. If you"re thinking of raising a lab there are considerations.
Andrea Arden: People would be surprised that Labradors while they can be wonderful adult companions, these often times are the mouthiest dogs. So you have to be prepared if you"re raising a Labrador puppy to teach them from a very, very young age to have what trainers called bite inhibition. That is to be really careful with the razor sharp teeth.
Amy Dahl: There are some people who are not necessarily the best people for a Labrador. The dogs tend to have a high activity level.
Narrator: This is a dog that needs room to run. He"s a sprinter. Able to hit speeds of 12 miles an hour in three seconds. They aren"t quite Super Dogs, while robust the lab is prone to several elements. One of the best known is a problem of the hip called Dysplasia. It"s caused by an abnormal formation in the hip. It leads to a loss of cartilage and pain. Labs are also susceptible to a genetic eye defect called Retinol Dysplasia which causes blind spots. And like most athletes labs have problems with knees and elbows.
The Labrador Retriever could be the most versatile breed of dog in the world ... They live up to 13 years.
George Kramer: Labs as a breed to be pretty healthy dogs. There are some issues that they"re prone to on a genetic basis.
Narrator: Grooming is minimal but they shed moderately in the spring and fall. They are athletes who adapt well to cold environments.
Amy Dahl: The lab is a very secure, comfortable, adaptable dog.
Narrator: Labs adapt well to families and pose a low-risk for bites.
Amy Dahl: It loves to participate in family activities. It"s hard to imagine a better dog than a Labrador.
Narrator: Labs are easy to train and eager to please.
Andrea Arden: As with any dog even though Labradors are wonderful companions it"s important to start training them when they"re very, very young.
Narrator: So in general labs love the cold, but thrive in most environments. Though labs get high marks for health, they"re prone to hip elbow and joint problems. Labs are very easy to groom. They"re easy to train. These loyal dogs make wonderful pets.
This post was created for your dogs pleasure by Rover, our roving reporterBiodegradable Dog Waste Bags
Are you using plastic bags to dispose of your dog"s poo?
Well if you are, shame on you. You could be using biodegradable bags and doing your bit for the planet (and the local council).
You can buy biodegradable dog poop bags online so you don"t even have to go out of your way on the road to becoming an eco warrior. Your dog will be proud of you.
Mutts Butts (https://www.muttsbutts.com) sell a range of biodegradable waste bags.
Their bags are environmentally friendly, 100% degradable and great quality. The say they designed them in a "vest shape" with tie handles to make dealing with your best friend"s waste, quick and easy.
The bags are unscented, roomy and very strong, no matter whether you select the premium, standard or economy products.
They say they offer the lowest prices and free UK delivery straight to your door!
From £7.25
Another UK supplier of biodegradable dog poo bags is https://www.poobagsdirect.co.uk/ (see video)
Do you have any thoughts on these bags? Do you have a favourite brand or supplier?
This post was created for your dogs pleasure by Rover, our roving reporter04/22/2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZED4Vo3Gxg
You And Your Puppy- Toilet Training - Part 11_11
Carolyn: Hi, Steph. It"s great to see Lizzie. How long have you had it?
Steph: Only actually about a week, Carolyn. But we"re okay, we"re getting it slowly but surely and I hoping you can help us out with a few bits and pieces.
Carolyn: I"m sure I can.
Steph: I"ve heard quite a few scary stories about how difficult it is to toilet train a puppy. Is that true?
Carolyn: No. It"s just people trying to scare you. One of the things that people don"t realize is that when puppies come to us they already come toilet trained, because their mum has already taught them. But what they don"t do is go to the toilet or where they sleep. So from being really, really tiny the mum will have pushed the puppy away from the sleeping area when they need to go to the toilet. So what you have to do is just carry on the work that mum has already started.
Steph: So how do I start?
Carolyn: Well, let"s look at through the nights first because that"s where people really, really get worried about it. And the secret is to restrict the area that your puppy has to sleep in. The very best way to do it is with an indoor crate, which is just nice and easy, you align it with some good quality vet bed and it"s a nice small space for it to sleep in.
Steph: Gosh, that sounds a little bit like a cage, I"d feel a bit mean putting her in there.
Carolyn: Now that"s just how you think about it. Think about it from her point of view, because she can see out and she can see out through the bars you"re restricting her sleeping area but she actually still feels that she"s part of your life. You just have to make sure that you introduce it really slowly to your puppy. So to start with just throw the old treat in there and let her go in of her accord or play with it with a toy in there. We could even feed her with her dinner in there so that she associates this as being a nice warm haven place for her to be. And then even when she falls asleep you can just pop her in. And then eventually she"ll be happy to go through the night sleeping in her crate because that"s her safe area.
Steph: So then what?
Carolyn: Well, make sure she goes out to go to the toilet before you go to bed, and make it lasting and quite late. So 11:30, 12:00 take her out and wait with her to make sure that she does actually go. And with all your toilet training when she does go you reward her. She has to know that when she goes to the toilet in the right place you are thrilled with her, so she always gets a little treat. So then you can bring her in, pop her into her crate and you"re ready to go to bed for the night.
Steph: Great. So that"s it till morning.
Carolyn: Sorry, no. You"re going to have to set your alarm for I guess about 3, 3:30 in the morning. Take her out. Give her a chance to have a pee and a poo if she wants one. Remember to reward her and remember, I don"t care if it"s raining or if it"s cold, you"re thrilled about it.
Steph: Oh, I can feel a few blurry eyed mornings coming on.
Carolyn: And a big coffee bill. But if you get it right from the very beginning you will be surprised how quickly it is that you can start setting your alarm for later and later and later until she"s going all the way through the night, as long as you still get up early, sort of 6, 6:30 just to get her straight back out again. You need to lessen all the chances of her making accidents so that you can reward her for doing the right thing. And you"ll be surprised how quickly she"ll learn.
Steph: Wow, okay. So what about the day time?
Carolyn: Well, that"s all about just watching your puppy and being vigilant. You"ll know when Lizzie"s going to want to go, because she"ll have her own tail-tail signs. Most puppies either sniff around a little bit or turn circles. You will just know. And there"s obvious times when she"s going to want to, so after she"s had a drink, after she"s had a meal, after she"s played a game, or if she"s been asleep when she wakes up she"ll want to go. So straight away you take her outside, you wait, as soon as she goes, again just reward her, make a huge fuss of her. And if you can"t watch her all the time then you can just pop her in the crate. And that"s the advantage of the crate, it"s portable, you can set one up whenever you want. So if you can"t keep an eye on her, pop her in the crate, and just remember to take her out every half hour or so and just rewarding every time she gets it right.
Steph: What if she has an accident?
Carolyn: Well, puppies do and that will happen from time to time. But first of all it"s our fault, it"s not hers. When puppies get it wrong it"s because we"ve just not watched them enough or we"ve not been paying attention or we"ve just not been quick enough at getting them outside. So clean up, don"t make anything of a fuss about it and just carry on as normal. But you use one of the cleaners that you can get from your vets because they"ll remove all the smell. If you use just household cleaner it just still smells like a toilet to a puppy"s sensitive nose and it will just encourage her to go there again.
Steph: If she has an accident should I tell her off?
Carolyn: No. Never punish a puppy for getting it wrong because it"s our fault and not hers. If you"re training her by rewarding her when she gets it right, and this is going to form the basis of all your reward base training that you"re going to do, she has to trust you.
Steph: Well, that"s certainly a lot to think about it, but I think with a little perseverance we"ll do it, won"t we, Lizzie?
Carolyn: You"ll be surprised at how easy you"re going to find it. And in a couple of weeks she"ll be perfect.
This post was created for your dogs pleasure by Rover, our roving reporterWe came across this classic dog photo at https://costumewall.com/blog/20-of-the-best-dog-costumes-ever/ and just had to share it.
Funny on a number of levels Dogg...
This post was created for your dogs pleasure by Rover, our roving reporter