Your Dog May 2022

We all want our dogs to be happy (you wouldn’t be reading Your Dog Magazine if that wasn’t the case) — but the trouble is that sometimes our ideas about what makes them happy don’t necessarily match up with their own! But, as top trainer Jackie Drakeford reassures us, often all it takes is a bit of tweaking to put a smile back on your dog’s face; check out how you can ensure your pet is in a happy place on page 10 this issue. The same could be said about children and dogs. Kids Around Dogs (KAD) is a relatively new organisation that aims to help dogs and children stay safe and happy in each other’s company. Not only does KAD help children overcome a fear of dogs, but…

“When your children are teenagers, it’s important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.”NORA EPHRON, American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. Cover pic: Pomeranian-cross by Mark Taylor, Warren Photographic Ltd. WHO’S ON THE COVER THIS MONTH? Our cover star this issue is three-year-old Yogi, from Milford, Surrey, a Pomeranian-cross with a bit of Finnish and German Spitz. “I work as a dog walker and Yogi comes with me, which keeps us both fit,” says owner Michelle Field. “He loves all his dog walking pals and can’t wait to go round and pick them all up. Then they go on a lovely country adventure and charge around together. “Yogi is very cheeky and good at getting his own way. We have a strong bond…

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) has welcomed a new therapy puppy — and he’s even been given the royal seal of approval. Cockerpoo Alfie will join the Trust’s existing therapy dog, Jasper, who featured in Your Dog earlier in the year (‘The canine comforter’, January issue), alongside his owner, hospital chaplain and counsellor David Anderson. It’s hoped the 10-week-old pup will follow in Jasper’s pawprints by helping to boost the mental and emotional well-being of patients and 9,000-plus staff. Alfie got his career off to a flying start by meeting Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, during a visit to Clitheroe Community Hospital, where they chatted to GPs, nurses, and patients, and learned how staff coped during the coronavirus pandemic. The duke and duchess, who are…

A study has warned of the threat to wildlife by the huge increase in doggy deposits being left in the countryside. The research, by scientists at Ghent University in Belgium, revealed that the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus created by canine urine and faeces are now so high they would be illegal on farms. Although the 18-month study focused on 1,600 dogs walked in four nature reserves on the outskirts of Ghent, researchers concluded a similar situation would apply across Europe, where there are about 87 million dogs. The analysis estimated that dogs leave an annual average of 11kg of nitrogen and 5kg of phosphorus per hectare, which causes over-fertilisation of the ground. This reduces biodiversity as plants like nettles and hogweed are allowed to dominate while other vegetation — and…

DOG IN DRAMATIC DROP ESCAPES UNHARMED A Border Collie not only survived a terrifying 100ft fall down a cliff but managed to escape uninjured. Max plunged into the sea below Hawks Brow at Seaford, East Sussex, before swimming to a narrow stretch of shingle beach, where he became trapped by the incoming tide. A Newhaven Coastguard Search and Rescue team was turned back by the crashing waves, but the lucky dog was eventually rescued by three volunteer crew on an RNLI all-weather lifeboat. CANINE SQUAD TO SNIFF OUT HIGH-RISK ANIMAL IMPORTS A new team of dog detectors has been deployed to airports, ports, and parcel hubs across Scotland to help prevent exotic diseases entering the country. Funded by the Scottish Government, the dogs have been specially trained to sniff out…

One in three British smokers has seen their dog’s health affected by passive smoking, new data has discovered. But despite their pets falling ill, 20 per cent of smokers still refuse to quit, according to Brighton-based vape company MIST. Even more worryingly, one in five smoking owners are oblivious to the suffering second-hand smoke causes their dog. But the good news is that three in five owners said they would give up smoking if they thought it was harming their dog, suggesting more awareness is needed. Dogs exposed to tobacco smoke are at risk of developing serious conditions.…